Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
Since March, 41 sea turtle lighting complaints have been logged with Lee County Code Enforcement. Of those 41, all but two (which were closed and voided) were sent notices and no violations were issued. Addresses include many on Shore Lane, Gulf Boulevard, Gilchrist Avenue, Palm Avenue and a few beach access streets. The majority of […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
“God is always doing something new,” she went on. “We are excited to see what God has in store for us as we serve together in ministry. Frank and I have had Lighthouse Methodist Church and all of Boca Grande in our prayers, and we hope people on the island will have us in their prayers as well, as we all go through this time of transition.”
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Obituaries.
George John Benisek M.D., 91, passed away in his sleep under hospice care in Frankfort, Michigan on June 18, 2023. He is preceded in death by his wife Barbara (Ellacott), brothers John and Paul, and grandson Kyle Killworth. He leaves his son George Benisek Jr. and daughters Lisa Benisek, Kay Muller (Fred), and Anne Bralver […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Boca Beacon Back Pages, Columns, Community History.
Boca Beacon backpages FIVE YEARS AGO The Matriarch of Boca Grande took her last ride over the Causeway on June 20, 2018. Isabelle Joiner took her first steps on the dock at Whidden’s, as well as her last. TEN YEARS AGO The “Jill Marie” was howlin’ as Capt. Dave Chatham and his team took first […]
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: The Lee Board of County Commissioners today recognized retiring County Manager Roger Desjarlais for his 10 years of leadership and approved a contract for Deputy County Manager Dave Harner to assume the role, effective Aug. 1. “I am deeply grateful to Roger for his service to the county over the last 10 […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
While there was only one item on the agenda for the June meeting of the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board on Wednesday, June 14, it was one that could not be decided easily. It was all about the “Octopus Tree,” a banyan that has stood along the property line at 181 Gilchrist Avenue since the early 1900s. The ground where it stands was once part of the Crowninshield compound and the children who used to play there gave it its strange nickname.
The property that includes 181 and 161 Gilchrist Avenue is owned by a family that wants to demolish the large house, as well as the small cottage that the banyan tree stands right next to and has actually grown under and into.
Therein lies the rub.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
On Monday, June 5 a little girl made a fantastic find just off the north end of Palm Island, south of Stump Pass. Amateur sheller Olivia Green, eight, of Texas had visited this beach many times before, as her family has a place on Palm Island and she always checked her shell guide – purchased at Fugate’s – to research her found treasures.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Profiles.
I’ve been coming to Boca since I was a kid. I remember coming to the beach and coming to go fishing. I started working in Boca Grande in 1990, when I started as a maintenance worker for The Gasparilla Inn & Club. Not long after, I accepted a position as assistant mechanic. I worked at The Gasparilla Inn for 16 years.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community History, News.
You might have seen her around downtown or at Whidden’s lately, hair in a bun with a cupful of brushes and her sweet little dog Pearl at her feet. Leslie Ann Joiner is a local artist with a very particular, vivid, primitive style who can tell you stories of the island like you wouldn’t believe. […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Columns.
Boca Beacon backpages FIVE YEARS AGO “Miss Sarah” won the Ladies Howl, the red tide was really bad, and the night-blooming cereus was spectacular. TEN YEARS AGO The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted 4-3 to pursue the ban on jigs, a type of bottom-weighted lure that has a tendency to snag a tarpon, […]