Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News.
Many were relieved to hear that Palm Island Resort fared as well as it did. It has become a generational family place to visit, with many grandparents taking their grandchildren to see Redbeard the Pirate perform, to eat ice cream at the tables outside Coconuts and play on the purple turtle playground, just as they did when they were young.
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Community, News.
Kathy Auman has a fan club. The members are mostly young children, but many are also the parents of these children. For those who are not familiar with Kathy and what the fan club is all about, Kathy is the author of a series of books about a secret organization of youngsters who help the […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
There’s yet another weather phenomenon beachgoers have to watch for in on the Gulf of Mexico. It’s the meteotsunami, a water wave seen June 21 on Clearwater Beach.
The storm is another bit of off-kilter weather that seems to be hitting the Gulf of Mexico this summer, where oddities include record heat, scarce afternoon rains, bathtub-hot beach water and an upgraded hurricane forecast. All of this is not even a year after Hurricane Ian.
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in News.
Southwest Florida Honor Flight (SWFL) has just announced it is hosting a second Honor Flight this year. The first one was in May (and included Boca Beacon publisher Dusty Hopkins), and this next one is scheduled for October 10.
Naomi Copeland, president of SWFL, said the second flight will leave from the Punta Gorda Airport. “This is the first time in 14 years that there has been more than one ‘mission’ annually,” Copeland said. She noted that the original intention was to have this mission dedicated to women veterans, but there have not been enough female veteran applications received to fill an entire flight. Thus they are now including men veterans, as well.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Obituaries.
Susan Hatch, 77, of Chenequa, Wisconsin died on July 3, 2023. She was born in Janesville, Wisconsin as the daughter of Albert and Mary Hamlin. She was a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, where she met her husband Jim, to whom she was married for 48 years. In 1983 Susan founded Hatch Staffing Services. […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Profiles.
There are few Southern gentlemen left, but by outward appearances, so far, John Garland Pollard IV might be one of them. He is our new staff writer at the Boca Beacon and Gasparilla Island Magazine, and knowing how crazy you have to be to write for a living, we might want to check his crawl space and backyard to see if there are any bodies hidden there.
Written by Boca Grande Health Clinic on . Posted in Columns, Health & Wellness.
Chronic inflammation is the root of many health issues. While medical professionals recognize the link between inflammation and disease, there’s much more to learn about the connection and the impact on our bodies. According to Yale Medicine, inflammation has emerged as a key factor in serious diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, diabetes and a variety of infectious diseases. Raymond A. James, D.O. and medical director of the Boca Grande Health Clinic tells us what to know about inflammation and what you can do to combat it.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Boca Beacon Back Pages, Community History.
FIVE YEARS AGO A truly handsome alligator was just chillin’ on the beach near Sundown Colony, catchin’ some rays. Waylon took the buckle. TEN YEARS AGO The Boca Grande Marina was closing down for repairs and dredging. The Vacation Bible School kids from the Methodist Church came back from their trip to the Eleuthera Islands. […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community History, News.
The July meeting of the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board went rather expeditiously, even though the one official item on the agenda was a huge project at 1000 10th Street. It was the discussion at the very end of the meeting regarding future items to be addressed by the board that were the most important.
Lee County Planner Peter Blackwell was reading off the scant list of items that will come before the board in August and, quite possibly, September. When he mentioned the old bakery building that the tower fell into, Board Member Bill Caldwell was quick to ask what the status of that project was. Blackwell said their permission to demo had not been granted by the county yet, as they were still waiting on the paperwork from the petitioner.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Police & Fire.
Two teenagers from out of state were arrested this week after being caught by Lee County deputies for some disturbing crimes.
According to reports, on Tuesday, June 27 Lee County Sheriff’s detectives were informed of grand theft and criminal mischief that occurred at the Gasparilla Inn Golf Course. Detectives learned that the golf course was under repair and multiple pieces of heavy equipment had been moved overnight. Two suspects had entered the property and driven multiple pieces of equipment around the course.
The heavy machinery, golf course and storage sheds were all damaged. According to LCSO earlier in the week, the damage to the course and equipment was estimated at around $33,000. However, it is likely that the final cost will be much more.