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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Lee County Department of Health issues blue-green algae bloom alert

Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.

The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a Health Alert for the presence of harmful blue-green algal toxins in the Caloosahatchee River. The public should exercise caution in and around the Caloosahatchee, particularly in the Overiver Drive area.

Residents and visitors are advised to take the following precautions:

• Do not drink, swim, wade, use personal watercraft, water ski or boat in waters where there is a visible bloom.

• Wash your skin and clothing with soap and water if you have contact with algae or discolored or smelly water.

• Keep pets away from the area. Waters where there are algae blooms are not safe for animals. Pets and livestock should have a different source of water when algae blooms are present.

ECOWATCH: The wellbeing of the oceans needs sea turtles

Written by Delores Savas on . Posted in Boca Beacon Back Pages, Columns, Opinion.

As a keystone species, these ancient mariners have a positive influence out of the water as well as in it. According to Oceana, a publication of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA ), “nesting sea turtles help beaches by depositing their eggs in the sand. Eggshells and unhatched eggs left behind provide important nutrients that nourish the dune vegetation such as beach grasses which stabilize dunes and help prevent coastal erosions.                                                                                                              

“Major changes have occurred in the oceans because sea turtles have been virtually eliminated from many areas of the globe. Commercial fishing, loss of nesting habitat and climate change are among the human-caused threats pushing sea turtles toward extinction. As sea turtle populations decline, so does their ability to fulfill vital functions in ocean [habitats].”

The Florida insurance deadfall: Factors working against homeowners and buyers make it easy to see that reform is needed

Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.

It isn’t easy to be stuck in a corner by an insurer that wants to issue only a fraction of the money it will take to fix a home, particularly when the option of hiring an attorney seems to be the only one left. Some public adjusters have done good work for their clients, and others have not, but either way the client is left to pay them 10 percent of recovered money. Knowing that, many homeowners pick up the phone to call an attorney and skip that middleman.

But Gov. Ron DeSantis has called out “frivolous lawsuits” many times when it comes to insurees, so if you are a person who normally would never consider that, what are you supposed to do?

Malaria cases put local mosquito control districts on alert

Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Health & Wellness, News.

Southwest Florida made national news this week as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported four cases of locally acquired malaria in Sarasota County.

“We need to keep our eyes and ears open,” said Scott Schermerhorn, Charlotte County’s mosquito and aquatic control manager. Charlotte County has 21 sites along the Sarasota/Charlotte border where they are monitoring mosquitoes, doing extra surveillance. Countywide, there are 90 locations.

‘The Gateway Project’ to Gasparilla Island discussed by the Boca Grande Disaster Relief Fund

Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community, News.

Upon taking that first journey onto the island on the heels of Hurricane Ian, there are sights that were seen that many will never forget. The tall pines down across the Boca Grande Causeway after the middle bridge. Homes ripped wide apart. The lake of water at the base of the south bridge, stretching all the way past the Gulf Shores Drive and the Boca Grande Club. 

But it was the trees that came down across from Grande Quay that made so many so sad. One didn’t realize their size and girth until they were seen laying with their tips in the lake and their massive root systems exposed. These trees that lined the west side of the Causeway road were pulled up by the roots as if a giant had come through and picked them like weeds. Their root balls lining the roadway were 20 feet tall and 30 feet wide.

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! Here’s what’s goin’ on …

Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.

If anyone thinks that Boca Grande won’t be celebrating Independence Day just because we don’t have an official fireworks display, they would be wrong. Not only do our residents set up some amazing displays all on their own, we also have the golf cart and bike parade that has been taking place for years. Starting […]

Habitat for Humanity store reopening in Englewood

Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News.

The Englewood Habitat for Humanity ReStore, which has been closed since Hurricane Ian, is set to reopen on Wednesday, July 5. This week, more than two dozen volunteers were busy restocking the 12,000-square-foot ReStore and warehouse located off McCall Road, all with donated goods collected from across Charlotte County.

If you love sea turtles, here’s your chance to adopt one! (No, you can’t take them home)

Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.

The Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association recently announced their inaugural Adopt-A-Nest program for the 2023 season, which allows you to adopt a sea turtle nest on Gasparilla Island and be a part of protection and conservation efforts. Adoption donations will help protect and conserve endangered sea turtles. Funds will be used for turtle patrol equipment, […]

IN THE SPOTLIGHT – Firefighter Stephen Collison

Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in News, Profiles.

Firefighter Stephen Collison is still pinching himself, hoping his job at the Boca Grande Fire Department is not a cruel joke. He was hired on April 1, so he’s pretty sure by now it’s no April Fool’s joke.

Steve likes a good laugh and can almost always be found with a smile on his face. He is a naturally happy person. Working for the Boca Grande Fire Department has substantially added to that happiness. It’s not that he was unhappy working for the Sarasota County Fire Department, but this station just fits his sense of community better, he said.

He had been with the Sarasota Department since September of 2021, and before that he was a member of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office for more than 11 years. Public safety and public service are his bedrocks.