Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
Shown in the two accompanying charts, mid-year tourist tax collections for Lee County (through March) have already surpassed FY10/11’s, not including late payments for that year. Lee County Tourism Development Council Director Tamara Pigott, collections for this fiscal year have already surpassed last year’s (for the same months) by nearly 16 percent. Information compiled […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Editorial, Featured News, News.
BY CARROLL SWAYZE Excitement is brewing as anglers and artists alike prepare for the 2015 Tarpon Festival in downtown Boca Grande on June 4 through 6. Each year thousands of people travel to the Englewood/Boca Grande community from all over the world to take part in this annual Tarpon Fishing Tournament and Festival. The week […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News, Profiles.
BY JACK SHORT Sometimes it takes a few knocks at the door before someone finally answers. For Rev. Matthew Morgan Williams, the new pastor at the United Methodist Church of Boca Grande, the call to pastorship came knocking three times before he knew he had to say yes. Matthew was raised a devout Christian and […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
BY JACK SHORT Scientists from the Florida Institute of Technology hope everyone fishing the pass next week won’t be alarmed by the presence of an eight foot balloon floating 150 feet in the air, tethered to the back of a research vessel. They’re working out a concept for tracking tarpon schools, perhaps as far as […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
BY LEW HASTINGS In case you were wondering what those beautiful tarpon posters all around town are, they are there to let you know that Southwest Florida’s premiere sport fishing event, the World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament, is just around the corner. You can only buy these limited edition posters at the Boca Grande Area Chamber […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
BY ADAM MARTON, THE FIELDWORKERS CLUB This August a small group of anglers from all over the USA will be traveling to the Caribbean to participate in the Belize Tarpon Tagging Expedition, a partnership between anglers and scientists with the University of Miami. This expedition is a unique opportunity for folks to pitch in and […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
One of Boca Grande’s charter captains, Capt. Jimmy Robertson, is in need of some good energy and prayers from the community as he faces stage 4 liver cancer and issues from a recent fall. Jimmy was diagnosed with Stage 4 Liver cancer that has metastasized to his spine. He has lots of treatments coming up, […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
Another dead sea turtle has been found on a local beach, this time at the very northern tip of the island. According to one sea turtle patroller, Marilyn Googins, she found it at the “northern end of zone 1 on Friday, May 15.” “There is a walkway easement off Sunset Pines Circle and it was […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE When you feed a kid a fish, they will eat for a day … or push it around on their plate, at least. When you teach a kid to fish, though, well … sometimes you’ll create a monster. That is what Capt. Sandy Melvin is hoping for after this year’s Gasparilla Island […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: It’s that time of year again. The time when the lords and ladies assemble their baggage trains and go back to whatever magical kingdom they’re trying to make Boca Grande into. When the island sheds it’s Downton Abby patina and morphs back into Mayberry. The time of plentiful parking. The time when […]