Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Featured News, News, Police & Fire.
Fundraising continues for a new house for a Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputy family on Gasparilla Island. In the last week, the total money raised has gone from $190,000 to $242,000. Currently, an island deputy and his wife are living in an RV at the location of their old house, until the project is completed. […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Breaking News, News.
After expecting a parking ordinance to come before the Lee County Board of County Commissioners on May 20, Lee County has now delayed the hearing of the ordinance and vote until August. At their Tuesday, May 6 meeting, Lee County Manager Dave Harner said that he and the county attorney received an email from Chairman […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Breaking News, Community History, News.
The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board will review two historic Gilchrist Avenue renovations at its upcoming meeting set for 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 14. A French Colonial style house at 341 Gilchrist Ave., a contributing house in the Boca Grande Historic District, is the first case. The house is described by the county as […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, News.
After 17 years of operation, the Englewood Art Center closed May 3. The art center, which is owned by the Ringling College of Art and Design, has been operating in the red for a while now and it is the facility that is the farthest from the main campus in Sarasota, said Director Samantha Parkinson. […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Opinion, Sports & Outdoors.
Plan an appropriate tool to find balance while managing growth BY THE GICIA The Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association has been working to preserve island life since 1971. Since 2020, the growth of neighboring communities has been significant, and planned future development will apply additional pressure to Boca Grande. These growing development trends will […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Editorial.
Some on this island are readers and devotees of Wendell Berry, the Kentucky writer whose thinking undergirds many of today’s ideas of agriculture and sustainability. One of his ideas that has been applied outside of farming is solving an issue for pattern. The idea of “solving for pattern” requires one to step back, look at […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community History.
FIVE YEARS AGO The Boca Grande Kids Classic was canceled due to the pandemic. All donations were still distributed. TEN YEARS AGO Mote Marine brought their new 46’ boat named Thunder to a reception at The Innlet. The boat was to be used in the Charlotte Harbor and the Boca Grande area to research tarpon […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE With a considerable population increase in Florida in the last five years, more and more Florida beach towns are being forced to consider what their options are as far as parking for their “destination” locations, specifically beaches and the more tourist-driven areas. It’s difficult to compare the situation in Boca Grande – […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News.
Currently, the Boca Beacon is waiting on a public records request from Lee County to get a better understanding of what is happening with a proposed parking ordinance. This week, we were made aware that a Boca Grande resident, opposed to the possible restrictions, had also asked for and received over 600 pages of emails […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, News.
Fundraising continues for a new house for a sheriff’s deputy house on Gasparilla Island. This week, over $55,000 came in, with a total of approximately $190,000 raised so far. Last week, $76,000 was raised. “We are making good progress,” said Larry Hannah, one of the members of the Boca Grande Disaster Fund who is working […]