Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Police & Fire.
Above, the first flare found on the beach in July. On Saturday morning Aug. 30, while on marked patrol in Boca Grande, Deputy Angelo Lanni was conducting an area check of the beach access at 4th Street when he found what appeared to be an unspent military marker flare laying in the sand. The marker […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Featured News, News, Sports & Outdoors.
Anna Maria now pondering paid, resident parking BY MARCY SHORTUSE Anyone who has spent time in Boca Grande knows that a “busy” beach day might look like 25 to 50 beachgoers at any given access point. It is nothing in comparison to some beachfront communities like Fort Myers Beach, Siesta Key and Anna Maria Island, […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Breaking News, Community, News.
About 60 Charlotte County residents met Wednesday, Sept. 3 at the South Gulf Cove Community Center to address their concerns about Boca Grande parking. The meeting was the first in-person gathering for Charlotte County citizens on the issue since they attended a joint meeting of the Charlotte delegation to Tallahassee on Aug 7. “We want […]
Written by Angela McPhillips on . Posted in Featured News, Profiles, Sports & Outdoors.
Master naturalist, water advocate Many Beacon readers will recognize Michelle Starr. Over the years, she has guided countless eco-tours through Boca Grande’s waters, teaching visitors about the marine life that thrives here and the fragile ecosystems that sustain it. She has also contributed to the Beacon as a guest writer, sharing insights on local nature […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community History.
FIVE YEARS AGO The First Annual Sandbar Music Festival was held between Pine Island and Cayo Costa. TEN YEARS AGO Permits and licensing had been procured for season two of the Boca Grande Farmers Market to start in October and run through April. FIFTEEN YEARS AGO The Boca Grande Lighthouse turned 120 years old, and […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Uncategorized.
The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to approve an amended grant agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to provide more than $1.2 million additional funds for the Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole Recovery Project. The amendment will increase the total grant to more than $21.8 million, with no local match requirement. […]
Written by Arlene Hall on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
BY ARLENE HALL, BGSTA SECRETARY Since May 1st, a hearty group of BGSTA volunteers have been out in the early morning patrolling Gasparilla Island beaches to document and monitor sea turtle nesting activity. You’ve seen the weekly statistics published in the Boca Beacon, so you know how much work is being done here. But we […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Health & Wellness, News.
Charlotte County Animal Control, in coordination with the Florida Department of Health in Charlotte County, has issued a 30-day rabies alert following confirmation that a raccoon in the Washington Loop Rd/Trails End Drive area of Punta Gorda tested positive for rabies. This alert is a reminder that rabies is present in the wild and poses […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Community History.
BY JAMES J. BLAHA, DIRECTORBOCA GRANDE HISTORY CENTER “In order to understand the difference between the Boca Grande of 1949 and today, you have to realize that in 1949, Gasparilla Island, of necessity, was a self-contained island. It had the stores, services, and schools that it needed for the people who lived, worked and visited […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Police & Fire.
On Sunday morning, Aug. 24, a possible jewelry theft was reported from the Boca Grande Resort on the north end of Gasparilla Island, according to a Charlotte County police report. The caller told Charlotte County law enforcement officers that the jewelry she had brought with her, including a silver hairpin, gold earrings, a shell necklace […]