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No fluoride added to island water, ever

A new statewide push by State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo to discourage the fluoridation of Florida water will not affect residents of Boca Grande and Cape Haze, as the water here is not fluoridated. “We do not add fluoride and never have,” said Gasparilla Island Water Association Executive Director Ron Bolton. Bolton told the […]

Island says goodbye to Kennedy-era Health Clinic Annex building

Demolition of the Boca Grande Health Clinic Annex building, located at 280 Park Avenue, began on November 25, marking the start of a promising new chapter for healthcare on the island. The decision to expedite the demolition came after the annex sustained extensive damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.  The demolition paves the way for […]

$4.5 million in road projects begin

This week, Lee County contractors began the process of repairing roads across Gasparilla Island as part of repairs from recent hurricanes. The $4.5 million project, which will take approximately three months, will repair county roadways as well as cleaning and repair of the stormwater drainage.  “Work has commenced for the emergency road repairs on the […]

Last pass for island hurricane debris begins Monday

For folks returning to Gasparilla Island, large piles of hurricane debris lining Gasparilla Road have been the dominant image. While much of the debris has been removed, there is still plenty to go around. The piles have continued to grow. Last weekend, the sofas and upholstered furniture in front of the Johann Fust Library were […]

Final hurricane debris collection Dec. 9

Starting Dec. 9, debris trucks will begin their final collections for any remaining Hurricane Milton debris at the roadsides of unincorporated Lee County. The county is asking that resident place all debris at the right-of-way by the end of the day on Sunday Dec. 8. Anything placed after final collection will not be picked up […]

Sheriff blotter: Yogi on loose and Yeti elusive

On Friday, Nov. 22, an incident was reported of a loose dog on Palm Avenue and Fourth Street, according to a Lee County Sheriff’s incident report.  A dog named Leroy that lives on Damfiwill Street often escapes and walks this area, according to the call notes. Leroy’s owner stated that it was more likely a […]

Gasparilla Magazine offers falconry, palmettos and Mackle brothers

The new November/December edition of the Boca Beacon’s Gasparilla Island Magazine is out with new feature stories, recipes, shopping and social pages. The cover depicts the Boca Grande Range Light, an iconic local landmark, reimagined by artist Ashley Lippincott in a bold pop-art style. Featured stories include a tour of Sarasota’s Historic Burns Court, an […]

Bridge reviews long list of repairs at Engineering Committee meetup

In a long-term list of things that needed to be fixed after double hurricanes, the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority had some items that were easier and much more crowd-pleasing. “Dog biscuits are back. We had to wait until we got gate arms,” said Kathy Banson, executive director. “We can’t distribute biscuits without gate arms.” That, […]

Storm debris update, back to residential cleanup

Lee County surpassed the 200,000 cubic-yards-collected milestone for vegetative and construction debris in unincorporated areas post-Hurricane Milton. Vegetative and construction debris operations are expected to continue with crews working seven days a week until their final push. Sand collections along the coastline are mostly complete while crews continue to collect sand in Boca Grande.  Lee […]