Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Featured News, News, Sports & Outdoors.
In Florida, possession of live queen conch at any time is prohibited, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. All harvest of the Bahama starfish is also illegal. In Lee County, you may not harvest or possess any shells that contain a live organism except for oysters, hard clams (quahogs), sunray venus clams and […]
Written by Alici Ouellette on . Posted in Entertainment, Featured News, News.
Featuring Wanamakers, gumbo limbo and Sugarshack The July/August edition of the Boca Beacon’s Gasparilla Island Magazine is out now with new feature stories, recipes, shopping and social pages. Featured stories include a history of the Wanamaker family on Gasparila Island; a story of the Florida gumbo limbo tree with photos; a look at beautiful estate […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Breaking News, Community, News.
While a new parking plan is under consideration by Lee County, what is not defined in the ordinance is how much these permits will cost for island residents, homeowners and workers. A new parking draft ordinance presented June 17 for Gasparilla Island would have a tiered plan for residents, hotel guests, house guests and island […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Profiles.
A Boca Grande family celebrates This week, the large extended Forristall family gathered at their cottage on Gasparilla Road. They are one of the many regulars in the Fourth of July parade. They first started coming to the island in 1989. They would stay at the Anchor Inn, or wherever they could find a rental. […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community History.
FIVE YEARS AGO Boca Grande Health Clinic announced the appointment of Mark Driscoll as Chief Executive Officer. TEN YEARS AGO Full July 4th festivities were in the works with a golf cart and bicycle parade and fireworks at the Boca Grande Marina. FIFTEEN YEARS AGO GIBA voted to keep the speed limit for the two-mile […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
BY CAPT. WILL WATERHOUSE We have had lots of great fishing this past week in the back country. Scattered showers and cloud cover have had the mornings feeling cooler than usual and the fish in the back bay have been biting. Lots of really nice sized snook in the high twenty to mid thirty inch […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Breaking News, Entertainment, Events, News.
Independence Day is right around the corner, and lineup for Boca Grande’s annual Fourth of July parade begins at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, July 4 in the gravel lot on the side of the Old Theatre Building. The parade will begin at 9 a.m. Decorate your golf cart in red, white and blue or spectate […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News.
The publicly traded firm Blackstone (NYSE: BX), the new owner of Burnt Store Marina just across Charlotte Harbor, has been figured to be a purchaser of the Sunseeker Charlotte Harbor Resort, according to Reuters and Bloomberg reports. Local tourism officials are watching closely, as the 785-room Sunseeker, owned by the airline Allegiant, has been promoting […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News.
This week the Beacon made a public records request of Lee County to obtain the parking petition that Commissioner Kevin Ruane cited in last week’s commissioners meeting. “I think you all may have received an email from Brent Cross,” Ruane said at the Lee County meeting on June 17. “With that was an attachment of […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community.
In the early 1970s, a group of island residents came together with a mission to preserve the charm, character, and traditions of Gasparilla Island. They formed the GICIA in 1971, marking the beginning of a grassroots effort to preserve island life. With the assistance of Lee County Commissioners and State representatives, the GICIA successfully secured […]