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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Kelly Carpenter

“Children really learn through play. Their play is their work. What we do as teachers is find ways to scaffold and add learning to that play. Kids may be just playing with Clay-Doh, but what they’re doing with it, and the conversations that take place while they’re doing it are important. They might be learning how to count or creating sets of things that go together. They don’t realize what they’re learning at the time. You should fill a child’s day with their interests, and then you can incorporate all these other areas of development. If you’re playing dinosaurs outside, you’re learning gross motor skills.  If you’re painting or drawing dinosaurs, that works on fine motor skills. That’s what a quality preschool strives to do – the teachers see what the kids are interested in and build upon it.” 

OBITUARY: Todd Vaughan

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Todd Kirkpatrick Vaughan on July 11, 2022 at home on Boca Grande.Todd finally succumbed to battling cancer at the age of 80.  Todd is survived by his loving wife, Janie (Susemihl Griffin), his brother, Randolph Meriwether Vaughan (Maureen), his two children Hayley Vaughan Burner […]

OBITUARY: Dr. Dick Morrison

Dr. Richard (Dick) Morrison, 86, died July 5, 2022, at Tidewell Hospice House. He was born Nov. 10, 1935 to Russell and Sylvia Morrison in Detroit, Michigan and moved to Venice, Fla. in 1970. In Venice he started a surgical practice known as Surgical Associates of Venice and Englewood, and held roles as president of […]

This date in the Boca Beacon

FIVE YEARS AGO A Port Charlotte youth visiting with a church group drowned at the south end of the island. In another scenario, two lives were saved from drowning when beachgoers formed a human chain (with some help from a pool noodle) out into the water. This incident occurred in the same spot where the […]

ASK-A-DOC: Beat the heat – with summer in full swing, here are some ways to keep your cool

Make sure you’re getting in the water your body needs, which is likely to be more than what you need in other seasons. Our bodies try to cool down through the natural process of sweating, which can cause dehydration. This makes it essential to drink more water, especially if you’re working or exercising outdoors. Interestingly, CDC studies show that among U.S. adults, plain water intake is significantly lower in older adults.

The tarpon are here … where are all y’all anglers?

Right now the amount of tarpon in Boca Grande Pass is prolific, according to many local captains, but when you look out on the water, you’ll often see only two or three boats. While it’s a good thing that the tarpon population gets a rest after a busy season, there are still people who make their living guiding on the water and are ready to take clients out – and the tarpon are ready to be caught and put up a fight.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Beacon writer Sheila Evans is always looking for the next adventure

“Peace Corps was wonderful to me, getting me home, handling my belongings and offering any other help I might need,” she recalled. “The day before my mother became sick, my father was diagnosed with kidney cancer and was scheduled for surgery. The operation was done three weeks after my mom’s funeral, and Dad died during surgery. They had been a couple since they were about 16 years old and had been married for 56 years. It was a blessing for them not to live too long without one another, but it was devastating to us, their children.” 

Island roads, south bike path undergoing repairs

The roadwork scheduled for Boca Grande has begun. In April the Lee County Department of Transportation approved a plan on behalf of Lee County commissioners that partners the county with Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC in resurfacing Boca Grande roads.

Those are some really expensive tennis courts:

When asked about Lee County’s projected general funding budget of  $85,000 for fiscal year 2022-23 for the courts, and $850,000 for fiscal year 2023-24, Clayton confirmed that those funds are specifically allotted for the island’s public tennis/pickleball courts.