Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Obituaries.
Kevin Benjamin Whispell, 68, dedicated husband, loving father of three, and beloved friend of many, has passed on June 1st, 2023, at his home in Greenwood, South Carolina. Kevin was born on February 24, 1955 to Kenneth and Jeanne Whispell and raised in Kingston, New York along with his four sisters, Cheryl, Dawn, Tammy and […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Profiles.
I’ve been coming to Boca since I was a kid. I remember coming to the beach and coming to go fishing. I started working in Boca Grande in 1990, when I started as a maintenance worker for The Gasparilla Inn & Club. Not long after, I accepted a position as assistant mechanic. I worked at The Gasparilla Inn for 16 years.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Columns.
Boca Beacon backpages FIVE YEARS AGO “Miss Sarah” won the Ladies Howl, the red tide was really bad, and the night-blooming cereus was spectacular. TEN YEARS AGO The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted 4-3 to pursue the ban on jigs, a type of bottom-weighted lure that has a tendency to snag a tarpon, […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
As they headed home on the waters of Boca Grande Pass last Saturday night, Hugh Potter and his friends Braden Dolphin, Grady Abbott and Brandt Cataldo were pretty sure they had won the Gasparilla Island Kids Classic with their five releases. There’s always that bit of trepidation that stops one from completely believing it’s true until you’re standing on stage receiving the awards. Not to mention, Grady caught that fifth fish just minutes before the tournament ended, when radio traffic in the Pass was pretty crazy.
Eventually, of course, they were on that stage. Out of 21 boats and 78 anglers, they were the four who made it to the big time … maybe with a little help from Capt. Travis Joiner on their boat, “Family Tradition.”
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
There’s a lot of work to be done at the south end of the island, specifically at the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse, the Amory Chapel and even on Cayo Costa. As many of our readers are probably well aware, trying to set things right after a storm of the magnitude of Hurricane Ian is a game of “Hurry-Up-and-Wait,” which can be tedious and frustrating. It is no different for our historic landmarks at the south end that we love so well.
According to Sharon McKenzie, the executive director of the Barrier Island Parks Society (BIPS), the laundry list of repairs that need to be done is long. Knowing it is important to keep residents of the island abreast of what’s going on, she gave us a peek into what they are going through right now. They cannot lobby, only inform when it comes to these matters.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
Tim Bonisolli has been named the new supervisor of the Boca Grande Community Center. Tim started his career with Lee County as a senior equipment operator on Boca Grande in 2006 and most recently was a Lee County park ranger on the island. Tim has been working in Boca Grande since 1990, when he started as a maintenance crew member for The Gasparilla Inn. Stop by to welcome him.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
At their monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 6 Lee County Commissioners approved the donation agreement between Lee County and the Boca Grande United Methodist Church, Inc., dba Boca Grande Disaster Fund, in the amount of $150,000 for improvements at the Wheeler Road Community Park. It was determined that the budget for FY 22/23 would be amended accordingly.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Boca Beacon Back Pages, Columns.
Boca Beacon backpages FIVE YEARS AGO “Faithful II” took first place in the Gasparilla Island Kids Classic, and Kris Boyden was just about done with deadly objects falling from the sky around her shop downtown. Workers on the tower were leaving things up there, which would inevitably fall. TEN YEARS AGO The Tarpon Queen […]
Boca Grande Webcam See the blue-green water of the Gulf of Mexico and the one-mile stretch of beach at Gasparilla Island State Park for yourself. You’ll be right next to the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse Museum built in 1890. Boca Grande Webcam provided by Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau, Barrier Island Parks Society and […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
The Pass was rocking on Sunday night, May 28 as the boats that fished the Howl at the Moon Tarpon Tournament had hook-up after hook-up after hook-up. In all, 59 tarpon were released.
Capt. Wayne Joiner on “Hey, Moma!” and his team – including anglers Dixie Hollins, Alex Shouppe, Mike Moorefield and Trey Starling –caught seven of those 59. Capt. Charlie Coleman’s team on “Had ‘em” took second place with six tarpon released.