Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Breaking News, Community History, News, Real Estate.
The red-tile roofed estate just north of Fifth Street known as the Hacienda, has new signs for its restoration, courtesy of its contractor, Sarasota-based Ball Construction, Inc. Ron Marcotte of Ball was meeting with the owners last week. The Beacon reached out to Ball, but they were unable to comment. The firm has a longtime […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Police & Fire, Sports & Outdoors.
At its September meeting in Duck Key, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved rule amendments creating a block grant option within the already established FWC derelict vessel and public nuisance vessel removal grant program. The program will make local vessel removal easier. Currently, Lee and Charlotte counties are working through long lists of […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles, Sports & Outdoors.
Happy endings can happen any time. Robert Walker, field superintendent for the Gasparilla Island Water Association, is a big believer in keeping the story going until that happy ending appears. Working at GIWA is a case in point. Before he was hired by his long-time friend, Ron Bolton, who is executive director of GIWA, Robert […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Entertainment, Events, News.
The Big Mouth Chili Cook-Off, hosted by the Boca Grande Chamber of Commerce, will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9 on the lawn at the Boca Grande Community Center. Contestants must set up by 10 a.m. and bring their own tables and propane. The Chamber will provide spoons, cups, […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Real Estate.
American Cruise Lines, often seen passing by Gasparilla Island last year, will return after a successful season in 2023-24. This eight-day cruise stops in St. Petersburg, Marco Island, Key West and Punta Gorda. The first trip of the season is Thanksgiving week, and they continue through mid-March. Around day five and six of the trip […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Featured News, News, Police & Fire.
Two weeks ago, new signs reminding residents that golf carts are prohibited on certain stretches of Gasparilla Island were placed at some locations, including the beginning of the Lee County line. Lt. Mike Sawicki, who oversees Lee County Sheriff operations in Boca Grande, had submitted the work order for the signs. “The purpose of the […]
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 Staff Report on . Posted in Breaking News, News.
Work continues on the tile roof of the Boca Grande Community Center, which was damaged by Hurricane Ian. This repair work is separate from the renovations and additions to the Community Center proposed by the Friends of Boca Grande, beginning this fall. The roof work began in the spring and involves replacing the original tile. […]
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 […]