Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
BY CAPT. WILL WATERHOUSE The middle of winter arctic fronts have arrived here in southwest Florida, but the backcountry fishing has been unbrrr-lievably good! With nighttime air temperatures consistently in the 40s this past week, water temperatures have dropped substantially on the flats. But, unlike most people, the large speckled seatrout have been fired up. […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Editorial.
The Boca Beacon is a community enterprise. It is part of a great American tradition, the independent, family-owned community weekly newspaper. This week, we want to thank the local contributors who share their news with us each week. If you look at a community weekly newspaper anywhere in the U.S. from the 19th or 20th […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Breaking News, Featured News, Uncategorized.
Lee County has announced that a number of beach access points have reopened on Gasparilla Island. The beach access points, part of Lee County Parks & Recreation, were closed after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The streets have needed extensive stabilization and road repairs, as in most cases the sand was either washed out completely, or […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Featured News, News, Uncategorized.
After hurricanes this fall, Barrier Island Parks Society has been working to prepare the Range Light and surrounding areas for visitors. Those repairs include the irrigation system, pavers and soil stabilization. A story Friday in the Boca Beacon indicated that BIPS announced that the Range Light was “restored”. That is incorrect, as repairs to the lighthouse identified by BIP’s consulting engineers are anticipated to be made […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Sports & Outdoors.
This season, the white pelicans returned to the area, and are now decamping on some of the new sandy flats created by Hurricanes Milton and Helene. In their yearly migrations, they find time to rest and recoup across the state, and in our area up and down Coral Creek and on Gasparilla Sound. […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Events, News, Sports & Outdoors.
The Gasparilla Island Tennis Classic opens on Saturday, Jan. 18. The all-island tournament, sponsored by the Boca Beacon’s publisher, Dusty Hopkins, will be held at the Boca Bay Pass Club, The Gasparilla Inn Tennis Club and the Boca Grande Club. It is all about bringing the island’s tennis players together. “I get the most out […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Education, Events, Featured News, News.
It is time for The Island School’s Ninth Annual Chowder Dinner on Friday, Jan. 17, from 6 to 9 p.m., at The Gasparilla Inn Beach Club. There are 18 restaurants and eateries participating this year so far: Apulia, Boca Bay Pass Club, Eagle Grille & Miller’s Dockside, Gasparilla Inn, Hudson’s Grocery, Newlin’s, Placida Grill, Scarpa’s, […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community.
The Gasparilla Inn employees are participating in a trash to treasure initiative – bringing the island back together. The first meeting to collect and clean remaining debris was well attended and everyone enjoyed pizza after their hard work. Photos submitted
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Community, Letters to the Editor.
BY RICK STAGER You may have seen a shopping cart abandoned on the side of Gasparilla Road near the billionaire’s airport on New Year’s Day and wondered how it got there. Let me tell you the story. On New Year’s Eve, I was driving west on Gasparilla Road to the UPS store in that strip […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Editorial.
A peaceful lone sculler plied the Bayou last Friday on the opening day for the Boca Grande Farmers Market. Families watched from the Bayou Bridge. It evoked a Thomas Eakins painting. In the 19th century Eakins depicted rowers on Philadelphia’s Schuylkill River, often with a bridge in the background. On that brisk chilly Friday across […]