Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community History, News, Sports & Outdoors.
The Port Boca Grande Lighthouse & Museum opened May 5, after, what they generously called, eight months of “stormy setbacks.” The re-opening was a celebration, as Linda Edic, the wife of the late historian Bob Edic, was there to sign copies of her husband’s history, “Fisherfolk of Charlotte Harbor.” The opening came after Lighthouse Day […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Featured News, News, Sports & Outdoors.
The 2025 Grande Tradition honorees were the late Freddy Futch and Capt. Wayne Joiner. Freddy Futch was local fishing guide and grew up at Gasparilla Village, north end of island. He was born in 1933 to parents Rayford “Sug” Futch and Pearl Lowe Futch and died in 2018. Wayne Joiner is one of the owners […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Breaking News, Featured News, News.
At a packed meeting at Lighthouse United Methodist Church today, three Lee County Commissioners came to hear residents talk about a proposed parking ordinance for Boca Grande. Commissioners David Mulicka, Cecil Pendergrass and Brian Hamman came individually to listen to residents. The meeting went on for just under two hours. Over 200 business owners, residents, […]
Written by Boca Grande Health Clinic on . Posted in Health & Wellness, News.
Every year from May 6 to May 12, organizations across the country take time to honor the people who are truly at the heart of patient care: our nurses. National Nurses Week recognizes the vital role nurses play in the lives of patients, in community well-being and in the overall health system. At the Boca […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Featured News, News, Sports & Outdoors.
The Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association recently received a $15,000 donation to purchase a utility task vehicle, or UTV, for turtle patrols this season. Arlene Hall of the Association wrote about the idea in her weekly article for the March 8, 2024 edition of the Boca Beacon, and sought donations for the vehicle. “A vehicle […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Health & Wellness, News.
The executive committee of the Boca Grande Health Clinic Foundation has announced the appointment of Debbie Frank as the executive director of the foundation, effective May 5, 2025. Debbie brings a decade of experience in the Boca Grande community, most recently serving as chief operating officer at the Friends of Boca Grande. “The foundation is […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Breaking News, Community History, News, Sports & Outdoors.
The Barrier Island Parks Society (BIPS) will reopen the historic Port Boca Grande Lighthouse and Museum at Gasparilla Island State Park on Monday, May 5 after nearly eight months of closure due to hurricane damage. Nestled at the southern tip of Gasparilla Island, the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse, originally built in 1890, has withstood the […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Community History.
BY JAMES J. BLAHA, DIRECTORBOCA GRANDE HISTORY CENTER “To write history requires a whole life of observation, of inquiry, of labor, and correction,” Thomas Jefferson 1817 On March 14, 1986, the Boca Beacon published an adaptation from a “Letter to the Editor” originally written by Sarah Helen Pouncey. The letter is an excellent example of […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Education, News.
Jeff Swift has been announced as the incoming president of Boca Grande Preschool Inc. This is a new not-for-profit corporation replacing the Diocese of Venice Boca Grande Preschool Program. The Preschool will be officially opening its doors in its new, temporary off island location on Monday, April 28. Jeff succeeds Angela Steffan, who will remain […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Real Estate.
Recently, some residents have had questions to the Beacon about a new fence built in the Boca Grande Historic District just off Gilchrist, on the beachfront. The lattice fence has not gone through the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board in the last year; it was a replacement for a wall damaged in fall hurricanes. The […]