Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Opinion, Sports & Outdoors.
BY CAPT. SANDY MELVIN Tarpon season continues in full swing. There are thousands of tarpon around right now and you can catch one just about any way you want. The traditional pass fishing has been on fire, but also those fishing the beaches and the harbor, both with spinning tackle and fly fishing are catching […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
The 2024 sea turtle nesting season for Gasparilla Island runs through October 31. Here are some sea turtle season “Do’s and Don’ts” provided by the Florida Park Service. Pets are not permitted on State Park beaches. Sea turtles do not know the difference between a domestic animal and a wild animal. They may perceive a […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Community, News.
Running for a local office on Gasparilla Island is sometimes more complicated than one might expect. Because there are two counties on the island, if an elected board, like the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority, serves both Charlotte and Lee County residents, a candidate for one of those boards must be “qualified” by the Florida Division […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Community History.
BY CAPT. ROBERT JOHNSON Editor’s Note: The late Capt. Johnson wrote a history of The Boca Grande Quarantine Station during the COVID-19 outbreak for the Beacon. We are reprinting the May 2020 story. The Boca Grande Quarantine Station, located on the south end of the island, was built in 1892 on the beach next to […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Obituaries.
Livingston Byrns Sheppard II was born in the Appalachian mountains of Jenkins, Kentucky to his father Livingston Byrns Sheppard Sr and mother Mecca Vicars, both of Virginia, on April 19, 1928. Growing up in coal country he met his wife, Glenda Huskisson of Virginia. The two married young and Livingston attended the University of Virginia […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Featured News, Profiles.
Among the yearly regulars at the Boca Grande Club is Dr. Constantine Mavroudis, one of the nation’s top pediatric cardiac surgeons. Born an American citizen in his ancestral home of Thasos, he has just written a memoir of his journey from World War II-era Greece to his current position, as chief of pediatric cardiac surgery […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, News.
Lee County Parks & Recreation, operator of the Boca Grande Community Center and operator of parks on Gasparilla Island, is asking the public to help improve its services and amenities offered by participating in a biennial needs assessment survey. The survey is available on the homepage of the Parks & Recreation website at leeparks.org and […]
Written by Boca Grande Health Clinic on . Posted in Featured News, Health & Wellness, News.
By MARK DRISCOLL As the pace slows down on the Island, the Boca Grande Health Clinic wraps up an extraordinarily busy season marked by record-setting patient engagements. • Patient Visits: We reached a total of 5,394 patient visits from October 2023 to April 2024, a 32 percent increase over last season. • Busiest Month: March […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Breaking News, Community History, News.
The Boca Grande Quarantine House, the oldest house on Gasparilla Island, is on the market for the first time in its history. The house, built in 1892, has four bedrooms and four baths. It includes the old 19th century house, as well as a comfy but compatible separate addition, built by Safety Harbor Builders. “There […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Education, Events, News.
On Wednesday, May 29th, The Island School will be hold a golf cart parade to recognize their 5th-grade graduates. Please join them in celebrating this milestone by stepping outside your business or home between 11:45 a.m. to noon, giving the 5th graders a clap, a wave, and a cheer to show you support for all […]