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Fire Dept’s Hammerhead truck damaged 

The Boca Grande Fire Department is raising money to replace its ladder truck and refresh the department fleet after damage caused by hurricane exposure.  “We can’t even rely on it as a backup because it is mechanically unsound,” said Fire Chief C.W. Blosser of the truck.  At 15 years old, “Hammerhead” Ladder 231 has reached […]

Boca Beacon wins 15 Florida Press awards

The Florida Press Association has notified the Boca Beacon that it has won 15 awards for its coverage in 2023. The awards are set to be announced at their upcoming July conference. Three of those awards are for members of our larger Boca Grande Community, including a community service award. Across all news and online […]

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Renowned Paper boy celebrates 80

Editor’s Note: This profile has been in the works for a number of years; we realized that in all the years of Dusty and the Beacon, we had not spotlighted him, and thought his 80th would be the perfect time. The profile includes a draft from our previous editor, Marcy Shortuse. There’s a story behind […]

Princeton Fishing Team visits Boca Grande each spring

BY LEO ORSI JR The Princeton Fishing Team was started by three young Princeton High School pals who were best friends and who loved to fish. Over forty years or so, it has expanded to a group of folks consisting of guys and gals who are high school buddies, former business associates, former clients and […]

Eldred’s Marina listed with national brokerage

$40 plus million price hoped The Placida marina Eldred’s is listed for sale with the national brokerage firm Avison Young as of March 15. “We are excited by the listing of this iconic property,” said Michael Fay, chairman of the U.S. Capital Markets group Executive Committee, and he understands its importance as a “gateway” to […]

Shelley Lewis 1943-2024

Shelley Lewis of Boca Grande, Florida, and Greenwich, Connecticut, a loving wife, mother, grandmother and sibling, all of whose lives were enriched by her love and ever-present cheerfulness and caring spirit, passed away this week from complications related to a long-term battle with Alzheimer’s dementia.  She is survived by her husband of 46 years, Roger; […]

Opinion: There’s a nitrogen problem in Charlotte Harbor

BY ROBERT J. ROBBINS AND PERCY ANGELO, CAPE HAZE Charlotte County operates four wastewater treatment plants that use secondary treatment systems that fail to remove most nutrients such as nitrogen. This means that the treatment plant effluent that is shipped throughout the county as reclaim water for irrigation (the purple pipes) has high levels of […]

Why Placida matters to Gasparilla Island

This week, we have a story on the sale of Eldred’s (pictured here). Of course, we all know it needs a new custodian. Its current, old Florida, charming and useful state, cannot survive when the property is so valuable. It is literally the tip and entrance to not only Gasparilla Island, but a lifeline for […]

EcoWatch: A clarion call for the oceans

The dire warning above of sea creatures dying continues to rise. In fact, the ongoing saga of the continuous decline of the Atlantic right whale has taken a back seat in the news recently. The latest to make headlines in Florida is the mystery of why the endangered smalltooth sawfish and other fish in the […]

Dean M. Laux 1932-2024

Dean M. Laux, 91, accomplished Army intelligence officer, publisher, editor, and community volunteer, died Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Born Oct. 26, 1932 in Evanston, IL, Dean spent his early years in Dalton, MA, later graduating from Amherst College with a degree in psychology. Drafted soon after college in 1954, Dean went through basic training at […]