Written by Scott Cotherman on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
There’s something remarkable happening on the golf course that has never occurred before. The face of the game has changed more in the past five years than the previous 50, driven by unprecedented diversity. Across the country, ladies golf is booming, which has driven new offerings at area clubs, Coral Creek and Lemon Bay. According to […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
BY CAPT. WILL WATERHOUSE Spring is here and the weather this week has been great! It seems that for the time being we have broken the windy weather patterns we’ve experienced the last few weeks and the fish have been fired up! We are starting to see some really nice snook being caught consistently throughout […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Breaking News, News.
Lee County has posted the agenda for the next Board of County Commissioners meeting, on which there is an item to “Direct to Public Hearing Gasparilla Island Parking Ordinance Amendments.” The item is number 43 on the administrative agenda for the 9:30 a.m. meeting on Tuesday, April 1. It specifies that if voted through, commissioners would […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
BY CAPT. WILL WATERHOUSE The snook have been biting in the backcountry this week! Lots of really nice sized snook have begun to show up around the mangrove islands and they have been hungry. From shrimp and pilchards to artificial if you can find a deep edge you are likely to find some snook! The […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community History.
FIVE YEARS AGO Lee County and Gasparilla Island beaches were closed due to concerns over COVID-19. Boca Grande Fire Department launched their new app. TEN YEARS AGO A record number of manatees were recorded in the Florida state-wide count. FIFTEEN YEARS AGO Scott Harrington was the winner and defender of the Professional Tennis Exhibition Series […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in News.
The Boca Beacon has received a draft of an updated parking regulation for Gasparilla Island in Lee County. The draft, which is dated March 19, 2025, was circulated by the Boca Grande Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, March 20. The ordinance would define downtown Boca Grande as “certain properties generally bounded by 5th Street to […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Breaking News, News, Sports & Outdoors.
The Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority will install new pavement and bicycle markings to make it for safer bicyclists who cross the bridge. “We have bikes, we have cars,” said GIBA Executive Director Kathy Banson. “We had a unicycle last week.” The markings were announced at a special board meeting on Wednesday, March 19. The new […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Breaking News, News.
There was no formal agenda item concerning Boca Grande parking at the Lee County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday morning, March 18, despite county staff telling attendees last meeting that it would come back up on the 18th. “The reason we didn’t have a public meeting today [about parking in Boca Grande] is four people […]
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Opinion, Sports & Outdoors.
BY GRAY INDELICATO I have been waiting 14 years to operate a golf cart on Gasparilla. It started with a toy golf cart at age three, then progressed to my dad’s lap, and now finally at age 14 I’m told to wait a few more years due to a new law in Florida. A golf […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Editorial.
On Saturday, this paper had a visit from a family who had been photographed and included in our publication the previous week. They wanted to get some extra copies of the paper. They came up to the office to see us, as so many of you do. The daughter wanted to tell us – as […]