Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Obituaries.
Bartlett Richards III (“Bart”), 83, of Boca Grande, Florida, and Northfield, Illinois, died peacefully surrounded by his family on April 23, 2022. Born in Chicago, Illinois, on January 1, 1939, Bart spent the first seven years of his life in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood with his parents, Beatrice Norton Richards and Bartlett Richards Jr. and […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
Garber has been in Boca Grande just a couple of months but is already fully enmeshed in the island vibe. Some of that just comes naturally to him, and some is because he had served on Captiva Island for a considerable time before being assigned here. This experience has made him a perfect fit for the job in Boca Grande.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
While there used to be a noticeable difference immediately after the Easter holiday, this year the week prior to Easter, 28,849 vehicles crossed the bridge. The week after, 28, 614 more cars crossed the bridge. This has been common since the beginning of COVID-19.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Sports & Outdoors.
Lee County Parks & Recreation and the Boca Beacon will sponsor another youth fishing tournament on Saturday, May 14 at the Boca Grande Fishing Pier, located on the north end of the island behind Kappy’s Island Shoppe, from 9 to 11 a.m. Prizes and awards are to be had in many different age groups. Live […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Obituaries.
Father Sullivan was the first resident priest the island ever had. According to local history, the rectory as we know it now used to be a convent when he came to the island in1985. The sisters who lived there moved to Englewood to be closer to the Placida Road church, St. Francis. He was also responsible for purchasing the house and property next door to the church, which he renovated into a daycare center, now called the Boca Grande Preschool. The old rectory was sold to a resident, Mark Shevitski, and Father Sullivan moved across the street into the newly purchased house.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Entertainment, News.
No one in Boca Grande will ever say that Terry Seitz doesn’t know how to throw a party. The “Damfi” parties have been going down in history as some of the biggest and best shindigs to be had on the island, and the one held on Saturday, April 23 was no exception. Photos […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in News.
And then we found a message in a bottle. Somewhere along a stretch of Boca Grande beach, probably the same day we found it, some kids decided to send out a message to the world in a time-honored way, by tossing a bottle into the water with a note in it and letting the currents take it to its destiny.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community.
The Island School held their annual art show this past week at the Boca Grande Art Center, and there was a lot of enthusiasm for the students’ work. Here are a few highlights …
Written by Tonya Bramlage on . Posted in News.
Each volunteer is assigned a section of the beach, called a zone, that they patrol by walking every morning. When they see the distinct flipper tracks of a turtle, it is their esteemed task to determine whether the sea turtle has made a successful nesting attempt or a false crawl. A false crawl happens when the turtles come up onto the beach without digging a nest. Once a determination has been made, volunteers then mark the nest and protect it with wood stakes and colored tape.
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
Gina Thomsen has a passion for life…the life of every creature she encounters. Thomsen is sometimes known as “the bird lady,” but she is really the “every living creature” lady. If you want evidence of that, go swimming or paddleboarding with her in the Gulf sometime. The dolphins and manatees know her board and honor her presence by seeking her out. She is known by some as the dolphin and manatee whisperer.