Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community History, News.
Another precious piece of Boca Grande history has gone with the winds of Hurricane Ian – the 7th Street Boathouse. In fact, everything on the little point – the boathouse, the covered slips and makeshift marina used to sit on – has been demolished. All that is left now is a blank landscape and an […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Columns, News, Opinion.
“Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.” J.M. Barrie When I first came to Boca Grande in 1978, I was in third grade. It immediately became one of my favorite places on earth, and I realized a new dream then – to live and work here. I was blessed […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
Garland Pollard has been named as the new editor of the Boca Beacon and Gasparilla Island Magazine. He will take the place of long-time editor Marcy Shortuse, who started as a writer with the Beacon in 2007 and has held the position of editor since 2010. She was editor-in-chief of Gasparilla Island Magazine since its […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News.
The Useppa Island Club has a presumptive new owner, led by Sandy Stilwell Youngquist, CEO and owner of Stilwell Enterprises & Restaurant Group of Fort Myers. “The letters have gone out to the homeowners,” said Youngquist, who owns the Key Lime Bistro in Boca Grande and operates a group of restaurants and inns under her […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Health & Wellness.
The 29th annual Hank Wright Auction to benefit the Boca Grande Health Clinic was held on Monday, Nov. 13. Over 200 guests joined in on the fun at The Gasparilla Inn Beach Club and bid merrily during the live auction.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
A new meeting has been scheduled for late November for Commissioner Kevin Ruane to meet with the Boca Grande Parking Panel, in order to sort out the details in the creation of a rough draft proposal to present to Lee County Commissioners regarding Gilchrist Avenue and Historic District beach access parking. Parking Panel Chair Mary O’Bannon […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in News.
Fire Chief C.W. Blosser and the Island EOC Emergency Communications & Interoperability Working Group would like to express their sincere gratitude to the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority (GIBA) for its participation in the island Auxiliary Emergency Radio Communications System (AUXCOMM) project.
The GIBA Board voted to approve “a not-to-exceed amount of $60,000 for the purchase of components of the emergency communications system that will be owned and maintained by GIBA.” This will fund the entire cost of the bridge’s antenna and radio repeater installation, staff handheld radios and extensive training.
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Featured News, News.
The Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority (GIBA) Quarterly Board meeting was held on Thursday, Nov. 2, in the offices of the Authority.
The members were updated on the traffic and revenue figures for the 12 months of the 2023 fiscal year. Toll revenue was up by four percent and traffic was down by three percent, compared to last year.
The Audit Committee report included an update on the fieldwork that was completed last week by auditors from Suplee Shea Cramer and Miller on the fiscal year 2023 audit. The final audit report will be presented to the GIBA Board at the February 2024 meeting.
The Governance Committee report included the approval of the annual contribution to the discretionary employee retirement fund at Corebridge Financial.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Featured News.
The Boca Grande Health Clinic Foundation is honored to receive a beautiful one-of-a-kind shell mirror from local artist Samuel Hobbs to be auctioned off at the 29th annual Hank Wright Live Auction and Cocktail Party on Monday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. The event will be held at The Gasparilla Inn Beach Club. Samuel Seabury […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in News.
Hurricane Idalia effectively ended the sea turtle nesting season this year, much like Hurricane Ian did last year. The good news is that most of the nesting season was already completed before either storm hit the area.
This season the number of nests and hatchlings was down from 2022, according to Denise Juergens, marine turtle permit holder for the Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association (BGSTA), which covers the entire island except for the state park properties. She said, however, that there was good news with this year’s final tally of nests and hatchlings.
“This year the depredation rate in our nests went from roughly 47 percent in 2022 to 12 percent,” she said.
Depredation is the disturbance of the nests and hatchlings by dogs, seabirds, raccoons, ghost crabs and other predators. On Gasparilla Island, most of the destruction is done by coyotes, Juergens said.