Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News, Sports & Outdoors.
For safety reasons, Gasparilla Island State Park at the south end of the island will be temporarily closed at the southernmost entrance to the park due to the beach renourishment project, the Barrier Island Parks Society reports. Port Boca Grande Lighthouse & Museum will be closed as well until the park reopens. You can follow […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Real Estate.
The Gasparilla Inn earned a World’s Best Award from Travel + Leisure. It had not made the list since 2021. It had a reader score of 95.1, as the year’s favorite Florida resort. It scored above the Ritz-Carlton in Naples and the Waldorf-Astoria in Orlando, among others. It read: “Family-owned by a select few since […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
A new parking ordinance restricting off island visits will challenge day fishing and guides here on the island, particularly with a two-hour limit downtown and new restrictions across the island. “The Boca Grande Fishing Guides Association was founded to improve the facilities and natural environment available to fishermen,” said Capt. Christopher Taylor, the group’s president. […]
Written by Alici Ouellette on . Posted in Entertainment, Featured News, News.
Featuring Wanamakers, gumbo limbo and Sugarshack The July/August edition of the Boca Beacon’s Gasparilla Island Magazine is out now with new feature stories, recipes, shopping and social pages. Featured stories include a history of the Wanamaker family on Gasparila Island; a story of the Florida gumbo limbo tree with photos; a look at beautiful estate […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
This burrowing owl was just off Gasparilla Road on Tuesday, near Coral Creek Airport. The owls are good at adapting grasslands and golf courses. It is one of the smallest owls in Florida. Main threats are loss of habitat and harrassment by humans and domesticated animals, according to the FWC. […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Community History.
By KAREN GRACE It’s difficult to envision a boulevard in front of the beachfront houses but, as the accompanying 1919 photo shows, that’s how things were in the earliest years of the 20th century. The 1897 plat of the of the island north of what is now 1st Street shows 197 feet of high ground […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
The right-hand, northbound lane of Gasparilla Road between Marathon Boulevard and Anchor Road will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday, May 13 through Thursday, May 15, to repair a damaged guardrail. Travelers are directed to a detour with signage and should allow extra time when planning to travel through this area. The […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News.
Today, the Lee County Board of County Commissioner’s official agenda was updated as of May 5, at 2:15 p.m. to include a new item related to Gasparilla Island. It just reads “Gasparilla Island Parking Ordinance.” The below “Agenda Recap” page was distributed at 2:15 p.m. Though it has a 2024 date on it, it is […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Community History.
BY JAMES J. BLAHA, DIRECTORBOCA GRANDE HISTORY CENTER “To write history requires a whole life of observation, of inquiry, of labor, and correction,” Thomas Jefferson 1817 On March 14, 1986, the Boca Beacon published an adaptation from a “Letter to the Editor” originally written by Sarah Helen Pouncey. The letter is an excellent example of […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
Charlotte County will re-landscape Gasparilla Road, in an ordinance passed on April 8 at their regular meeting’s consent agenda. The landscape plan for County Road 771, which will be on the four-lane part of the highway from McCall Road, will cost $621,829.98, with a contract from Brightview Landscaping Services, Inc. The landscape design by Johnson […]