Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Profiles.
BY JACK SHORT Joshua Karl would have had to try pretty hard to end up in a place more different than Boca Grande. When he grew up here on the island, he went by Joshua Johnson, of the “harbor pilot” Johnsons. But as he prepares to turn 40, he does so as a designer in […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
BY JACK SHORT A proposed minimum-wake zone expansion that began as an effort by a small group of homeowners has passed its first major hurdle. The Charlotte County Marine Advisory Committee heard presentations over the last two months from the public representing homeowners in Boca Grande North and in houses along Gulf Shores Drive, as […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Featured News.
BY JACK SHORT An item stricken from the 2015-2016 Florida budget that would have sent $1 million to the Gasparilla Island State Park contained little information about how the money would have been used, other than that it was marked for “the assessment and evaluation” of lands for purchase inside the optimum park boundary. No […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
The Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association (GICIA) encourages everyone to have a safe 4th of July celebration this year. Undoubtedly, there will be increased usage of the GICIA Bike Path over the holiday weekend. In its ongoing efforts to maintain a safe path for all users, the GICIA has coordinated with the Lee County […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Obituaries.
Ann Louise Arehart, born July 13, 1925, died at home on June 27, 2015 at age 89 after a long illness. Ann was born in Birmingham, AL to Robert and Irene Breedlove. She was raised in Kansas City, MO, where she met the love of her life, George Landis Arehart, at age 16. Ann and […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: The Boca Grande Area Chamber of Commerce’s 25th Annual Ladies Day Tarpon Tournament had a successful outcome with a field of 38 boats and 18 total tarpon released, double the amount of tarpon released in 2014. Brendan Coudal designed the 2015 Ladies Day logo and the tournament art again this year. A […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Obituaries.
Philip E. Benton Jr., 86, of Orleans, Mass. passed away peacefully at home on Sunday June 14th, 2015. He was born on New Years Eve 1928 in Charlottesville, VA. He was the first of five children born to Philip E Benton, M.D. and Orient (Nichols) Benton. Philip went to primary school in Wilton Conn. and […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Profiles.
BY JACK SHORT To put it simply, Scott O’Connor is living the good life. He and his wife, Kristin, aren’t cruising the seas in luxury yachts or gambling in Monte Carlo, but he lives in a tropical paradise (let’s face it, that’s Boca Grande in a nutshell) golfing, swimming and raising rescue dogs, cats and […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
BY JACK SHORT The Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority board met on June 25 for a quarterly meeting, and foremost on the agenda and in the minds of many residents were recent bridge failures that caused the roadway to be shut down on two Saturdays in recent months. “This is the first time, certainly in my […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
Finders keepers, losers weepers, indeed. According to a report provided by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, a visitor to the island lost a ring worth $100,000 during her stay. The report states that sheriff’s deputies responded to a complaint on Friday, June 19 lodged by a woman who had lost a ring during the evening […]