Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE No matter what you may have heard, red tide is still rolling in with the waves on local beaches, and while conditions have improved there is still more than one reason to be very careful before getting in the water. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, high concentrations of […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE When Lisa Haney and her husband, Mike, got to the Palm Island ferry landing on Tuesday night, July 31, they weren’t dressed for carrying manatees. That ended up being what happened though, as this particular sea cow was one of many that have been killed or made sick by red tide. […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT Lee County has hired its debris-removal contractor to supplement efforts currently underway by Parks & Recreation employees to clean county beaches affected by the recent red tide fish kill. Crowder Gulf will begin Thursday morning, concentrating first along county parks and beach accesses on the Sanibel Causeway, Lynn Hall Park to Bowditch […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Letters to the Editor, News, Opinion.
On July 31 the Boca Beacon sent emails to all Lee and Charlotte County commissioners, requesting that detailed water analyses be reported to the public regarding the water quality of Charlotte Harbor, the Myakka River and the Peace River at their confluence with the Harbor, Buck Creek, Gasparilla Sound, Lemon Bay, Little Gasparilla Island Pass, […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
Amid tears and good wishes, more than 30 people said goodbye to their home away from home at the end of June, 2018, as the Old Theatre Building’s doors were closed. It had been a major hub of activity in downtown Boca Grande for decades, and Betsy Joiner and Kathleen Turner hope it will return […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE Work has begun on the new outdoor stage at the Boca Grande Community Center, and the project, which will include a sunshade, will optimistically be done by the end of October. Funding for the project was procured through two fundraising concerts given by Lynda Jamison in February of 2016, and the Friends […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Sea turtle nests are continuing to hatch at a fast rate on the island, and more than 80 new nests have been recorded this week. As of July 13, the Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association (BGSTA) reported 495 Caretta caretta (loggerhead) turtle nests on the island. There were 511 reported false […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY THE BOCA GRANDE HISTORICAL SOCIETY Robert Johnson is the historian of the Boca Grande Historical Society, a group in which he has played an important role for almost 25 years. But Robert’s interest in island history goes back even further because his family, like the Gaines, Padilla/Darnas, the Whiddens, the Colemans, the Coles, the […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ On the evening of Tuesday, July 17 approximately five acres of woods on the mainland off Gasparilla Road burned, with the cause believed to be lightning. Englewood Area Fire Control District responded, as did the Division of Forestry. While the EFD was unable to access the area, the Division of Forestry brought their own […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
The moment you meet Capt. Jack Sanzalone, you sense his presence commands respect. In all aspects of his life, he always tries to find a way to improve situations instead of just staying idle. After graduating from high school in North Plainfield, New Jersey, Jack attended Somerset County Technical Institute and became a diesel technician. […]