Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Breaking News, Community, News.
Because of a complex ballot in November and the possibility of longer lines, local election officials are asking citizens to check their registration online immediately. They’re also reminding voters that Florida voter registration deadline is Oct. 7. “We are urging folks to go on the website,” said Leah Valenti, Charlotte County’s Supervisor of Elections. She […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Breaking News, Community History, News.
The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board unanimously approved four projects at their Sept. 11, 2024 meeting, including two Tesla solar projects. Present were members Barbara Wickwire, Paul Eddy, Jerry Edgerton, Becky Paterson and Chair Bill Caldwell. The first request was to legitimize a black chain link fence at 1771 17th St. E. The fence was […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Community History, Featured News.
BY JAMES J. BLAHA, DIRECTOR, BOCA GRANDE HISTORY CENTER The year was 1949, when NATO was established, West Germany was created, the People’s Republic of China was formally proclaimed and the Soviet Union began testing nuclear weapons. At that time, federal spending was $38.84 billion, unemployment 3.8 percent and the cost of a first-class stamp […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, Editorial, Featured News.
Editor’s Note: The Friends of Boca Grande just released their 2024-25 Happenings booklet, in mail soon. On the cover is a talk with Heidi McKee on Artificial Intelligence. As an experiment, the Beacon “asked” the two biggest AI services, Chat GPT and Grok (from Elon Musk’s X.com) to write a 250 to 300 word promotional […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
The Friends of the Boca Grande Community Center is a hub for entertaining, educational and thought-provoking programs that set a tone and reflect the interests of the people of the island. One of the behind-the-scenes people who help make this happen is Josh Cross, the organization’s technology specialist. Josh likes being behind the scenes, not […]
Written by Delores Savas on . Posted in Columns, Community, News, Sports & Outdoors.
“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.” John Muir, naturalist and poet Last week, residents of Florida were facing a situation akin to a weather emergency, as if a hurricane were on the way. The Governor’s office […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Breaking News, News, Real Estate.
The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board will meet at 10 a.m. on September 11, to consider four items, including two solar panel installations in the historic district. The cases include the Sackett house, 291 Gilchrist Ave., with new roof mounted solar panel arrays and the Soderberg house, 255 Whiskey Row. In each case, the solar […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Featured News, News.
The Boca Beacon’s Visitor’s Guide is the only promotional magazine for travelers to Gasparilla Island, and an essential for advertisers, as it is the key to one of Florida’s wealthiest zip code, 33921. It includes restaurants, shopping, recreation and lodging options, as well local recreation ideas, such as boating and golf. Each year, the guide […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Featured News, News, Real Estate.
Island real estate not easy to categorize; values hold steady If property owners have questions about their assessments that came out in recently sent Truth in Millage notices (TRIM), they have until Sept. 17 to contact the Lee County Appraiser’s office online at leepa.org or call (239)533-6100. “The first thing is, I encourage people to […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Breaking News, Health & Wellness, News, Sports & Outdoors.
A half-million gallons of rainy sewage leaked onto the Gasparilla Island Water Authority plant grounds after Hurricane Debby. The spill was at 2:05 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 5. It did not go into the Bayou or Cross Island Canal, nor did it hit the golf course or GIWA retention pond. “We had the choice of […]