Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Breaking News, Community, Featured News, News, Sports & Outdoors.
On the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 30, pickleball and tennis players gathered at the Wheeler Road tennis course to discuss the future of the space. The lively meeting, which was organized by Cam Watts after Lee County passed a plan to remove one of the two public tennis courts and replace it with four pickleball […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News.
Options are still being considered for the offsite bakery and coffee shop for The Gasparilla Inn. Rumors that a new location might be at 411 Park Ave., the site of The Inn’s reservation office, are premature. The site might seem a natural for a new Inn bakery, as it is owned by The Inn and […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Obituaries.
Bob Heilman of Buffalo, New York and Boca Grande, Florida passed away unexpectedly from natural causes on January 27, 2024, at age 75. Bob was happily married for 53 years to his high school sweetheart Pamela Davis Heilman. The couple’s first date was their high school prom. They have been homeowners in Phase II of […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Events, Society.
The Island School held their 8th Annual Chowder Dinner at The Gasparilla Inn Beach Club this year. The chilly evening made it a perfect one for chowder. Dozens of local restaurants showed off their recipes, and families gathered with kids to make it a fun-filled evening. Below, some photos by the Boca Beacon’s Matt Gutman […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
Lemon Bay Conservancy will host its annual open house from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24. The event will be at the Lemon Creek Wildflower Preserve at 3120 Gasparilla Pines Blvd. in Englewood. The open house will feature hourly guided nature walks on topics including birds, butterflies, plants, trees, fish and water. […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
After Lee County’s passage of a proposed plan to remove one tennis court at Wheeler Road and replace it with four pickleball courts, one local fan of tennis has organized an impromptu meeting and discussion to help encourage the county not to remove the second tennis court. The Boca Beacon’s Letters section today, page 6, […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
BY BARRIER ISLAND PARKS The Port Boca Grande Lighthouse & Museum, a cherished local landmark and the oldest structure on Gasparilla Island, is thrilled to announce its reopening to the public on Monday, Feb. 5. This marks a significant milestone as the museum has been closed since 2022 due to the destructive impact of Hurricane […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Letters to the Editor, Opinion.
Island School PTO thanks community To the Editor: The Island School PTO would like to thank everyone for their hard work in making the Chowder Dinner SO successful! We would have never been able to pull that off without the help of our Island School staff, parents, alumni, local restaurants, chefs, businesses & community! With all […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Editorial, Opinion, Sports & Outdoors.
For anyone up early Wednesday morning, there was a particularly effective full moon coming through the clouds, different from a clear-sky full moon. With the clouds intermittently covering and uncovering the moon, it had the feel of God playing a bit of a tease. Throughout, it was hopeful. The sky was yellow, not gray, and […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
Last week’s colder weather proved to be challenging for wildlife. Islanders have been forced to step up to help get these animals to safety. Locals worked together to rescue an injured tern on the Center Bridge on Thursday, Jan. 18. The bird was placed in a crate before being removed to the Wildlife Center of […]