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Dog park, pickleball, beach renourishment items in 2023-24 Lee County budget

Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News, Sports & Outdoors.

For the Parks and Recreation Department, the county has budgeted for Boca Grande tennis and pickleball. For fiscal year 23-24, there is $40,500 that was approved to help fund design and permitting. The $1,049,425 requested for FY 24-25 is for construction. 

For the dog park, there is carry over from this fiscal year to FY 23-24 of $430,660, as the project is not done.

Overall, countywide taxable values increased, on average, 6.67 percent this year. The general fund tax rate for the upcoming year is 3.7623 mills, which is the same as last year.

Sitting down with Roger Lewis to discuss the new ‘Friends’ season of programming

Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community.

BB: Do you have a theme for this year’s talks?

RL: There are two themes if you can consider one book a theme. This year we will look at fish, vegetable farming, and the plight of birds and insects. The lone book deals with America’s first rape trial in 1783 and its impact then and impact now.

BB: Let’s start with fish.

RL: Paul Greenberg is a lifelong fisherman and an award-winning writer on oceans, climate change, the environment, and culinary matters. His book, Four Fish: The Future of the last Wild Food, looks at four fish – salmon, bass, cod, and tuna (recently he has added shrimp to the list!) that are at present the base of a fish diet.

BB: Sounds interesting, what is his main thesis?

RL: A century ago nearly all seafood was wild. Now half is produced through aquaculture. Paul travels the globe looking for where we went wrong with the human – ocean relationship and how we might one day get it right.

PROFILE: Edie Gardner

Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.

Truly, Edie believes in the old saying that “to rest is to rust.” There is certainly no rust on her, as she is still out walking the dog and doing yoga regularly. She doesn’t mind disclosing her age: She is proud of the life she is living, and plans to keep living as long as she can. In fact, when asked what her plans are for her 100th birthday, she doesn’t bat an eye. She hasn’t quite decided yet, because she has something more pressing on her mind in the near future – the wedding of her granddaughter. She is getting married on the island next May, and those plans come first. The big birthday party can be planned after that.

Edie is healthy and strong, thanks to a life-long commitment to eating right and exercising, as well as maintaining an active social life. She is also surrounded by lots of family and friends to bolster a positive, well-rounded outlook on life.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Island AUXCOMM group thankful for new donation to project, to all who donated and for great coverage

Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.

To the Editor: I’m very glad to advise you that in the wake of Friday’s comprehensive Beacon update on the Auxiliary Emergency Communications Project, a concerned private citizen donated $20,000. That donation reduces the remaining amount needed to $59,065 of the original $305,065 goal.   It is the first donation from an individual – I’m […]

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Fifth Street Beach Access closed as a safety precaution

Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.

To the Editor: The Fifth Street Beach Access on Boca Grande has been closed as a safety precaution because Hurricane Idalia eroded the beach and washed away the access ramp.  The Beach Access points north and south of Fifth Street remain open. Visit leeparks.org for more details. Residents and visitors are reminded that Gasparilla State […]

SO CLOSE, BUT YET SO FAR

Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Police & Fire.

Two pieces up on new tower … work will begin again next week (Cover photo by Bob Melvin) Joe Steele and Luke Boultonhouse have become very acquainted with our regional airports. They are two of the representatives from T Steele Construction, Inc., a telecom construction company out of Rock Island, Illinois, who have been working […]

A seahorse, a used COVID test and 1,000 pacifiers (and much more) found at Coastal Cleanup

Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Featured News.

Volunteers gathered on Gasparilla’s beaches for the annual International Coastal Beach Clean Up, held across the world, and on island, on Saturday, Sept. 16.

“We even had a couple of walk-ons,” said Susan Heyl, one of the volunteers for the day. A volunteer from sponsoring group Barrier Island Parks Society (BIPS), she was working the 7th Street beach cleanup site with Danielle Domke of Grande Escapes, another one of the sponsors of the day.

Chamber Golf Scramble to be held off island

Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Education.

The Boca Grande Chamber of Commerce has announced that it will hold their annual fall golf tournament to raise money for scholarships at an off-island venue.The tournament will be held at Wellen Park Golf and Country Club, a new 18-hole course in the new planned town of Wellen Park, off of River Road in Venice. […]

Local officials lead Florida seacoast recovery conference

Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News.

Local experts on seacoast ecology are leading state efforts to reconcile scheduled beach replenishment and the environment at the second Florida Resilience Conference, set for Sept. 27-29 in Fort Lauderdale. The conference brings together local, national and international experts to address issues with Florida’s beaches and waterways.

One of the lead speakers is Michael Poff, a Lee County professional engineer. His work includes getting the Federal Emergency Management Association, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and dozens of other parties to sign off on regularly scheduled Lee County beach rebuilding efforts and at the same time, repair the damage from Hurricane Ian. 

“They all have to agree on everything,” said Poff, who is who is president of Coastal Engineering Consultants. “It’s one less disturbance to the environment.”