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An old treasure in the trees on Placida Road

Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community History, Featured News.

A parcel on Placida Road, with an empty 1920s cottage just south of the Hacienda condominiums and across from Cape Haze Resort, may have a new owner.

The property was originally listed on the commercial real estate website Loopnet as an 11-acre waterfront development site and offered at $2,750,000. It had been listed by Sunmark Realty Agent Sage Andress, and is now marked as “under contract.” Andress, reached by email, was not able to talk about the sale until “all deals are closed.”

The parcel, also advertised as 8019 and 8436 Placida Road, includes a historic bungalow that has had an extensive history discussion on the Placida/Cape Haze Memories Facebook page. 8019 Placida was advertised at 4.22 acres, and 8436 Placida was advertised at 3.12 acres.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: GIMM thanks everyone for a great season

Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Featured News, Letters to the Editor.

To the Editor: The Gasparilla Island Maritime Museum (GIMM) and Whidden’s captains had a great tarpon season! We hosted  two “Howl At Moon“ tournaments, and William Woodroffe hosted two more tarpon tournaments to benefit GIMM this past season. Each tournament was a “grande’ success, and a portion of each tournament entry included a donation to […]

THIS DATE IN THE BOCA BEACON …

Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Columns, Community History.

FIVE YEARS AGO The newly-replanted Gilchrist median was thriving. Red tide was still a problem along island beaches. TEN YEARS AGO The mere mention of the Gilchrist median at the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board set off an hour-long conversation that ended, once again, with no results other than to show how divided island residents […]

Work continues on emergency radio communications plan

Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.

The Fire Department’s “Island E.O.C. Emergency Communications and Interoperability Working Group” responsible for creating a new network of emergency communications – both on and just off island – is steadily moving forward. In fact, their efforts have now been stepped up to “Mission Critical” status, after a near-miss from Hurricane Idalia and other systems out in the Atlantic on the move.   

The Group’s communications subcommittee is working with Motorola and Suncoast Expeditionary Associates to optimize their efforts in creating a backup auxiliary emergency communications system.  Which will allow representatives from all of the island’s key organizations – such as the school, fire, deputies, the GICIA, the Boca Grande Community Center and others – to communicate with each other in the event we have no cell service for any reason.

Flamingos! Flamingos everywhere! Even in Boca Grande and  … Ohio?

Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News.

Hurricanes don’t always bring good things, but the latest hurricane, Idalia, has not only brought the American flamingo back to Florida, but highlighted the potential for the eventual restoration and return of the species to Florida on a permanent basis.

Like so many Floridians, Ashley Scarpa had never seen them in Florida, even as an experienced birder.

“To be honest I went searching for them,” said Scarpa, who has in the past monitored birds for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. “Someone had posted that they had been seen in the area, and I sprinted to where they have been seen.”

GIWA increase to take effect on October 1

Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News.

Gasparilla Island Water Authority (GIWA) members will have a rate increase of five percent beginning Oct. 1, 2023, and future rate increases would be able to be approved administratively by the county manager of Lee County, rather than having to be approved at full Board of County Commissioners meetings. On Tuesday, Sept 5 the Lee […]

Idalia’s indelible mark on Boca Grande’s beaches

Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community, News.

The flooding the island experienced was bad, but this is worse. We have very little to no beach left from 1st to 5th Street. The ramp that went down to the beach at The Gasparilla Inn Beach Club is gone as well. Down by the Boca Bay Pass Club, the beach has eroded away as […]

EDITORIAL: Paradise just ain’t what it used to be

Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community, Editorial.

If a hurricane doesn’t leave you dead It will make you strong. Don’t try to explain it, just nod your head, Breathe in, breathe out, move on. Those words went through my head a time or 10 on September 28th of last year. Since then, as well, as we’ve had our lives turned upside down  […]

GIWA shuts down some lift stations during storm

Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community, News.

The Gasparilla Island Water Association (GIWA) is investigating why wastewater output flowing through the system during Idalia was so excessive that they had to shut down some lift systems to allow the new treatment facility to keep up with the demand.  Ron Bolton, GIWA’s executive director, said the normal range is 200 gallons per hour. […]

Toll revenue and bridge openings down at GIBA; 2024 budget at $3.8 million

Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News.

The Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority (GIBA) adopted a 2024 budget of $3,827,064 at their Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023 quarterly meeting, which also included drainage issues, salary and investments.
Board Chairman Ginger Watkins began the meeting by moving up a public comment from a customer regarding the expiration of her toll account funds. Non-agenda public comment is traditionally at the end of the meeting. After the comment, Watkins reminded that all 7,700 accounts and customers are treated exactly the same, and thanked the customer for coming. (Toll passes expire after one year.)
Executive Director Kathy Banson presented members with updated traffic and revenue figures for the first nine months of the 2023 fiscal year. Toll revenue was down by comparison with last year by 3 percent for discount passes and 12 percent in cash nondiscounted tolls. Overall traffic was down by 5 percent. Bridge openings were down 21 percent.