Skip to main content
Search Results for “not

Island employee almost loses son to alligator

When Jordan Rivera saw the line at the bathroom in the local bar called Bandito’s early Sunday morning, he did what a lot of guys would do in the same circumstance – he went outside to find a place to take care of his needs. Guys are usually lucky to be able to do that, […]

What is this slimy sludge in our water? One island resident is on the hunt for clues

This week island resident Gary Martin was out in his boat going around the island, looking for gunk. It’s not an activity that a lot of people partake in, but he is very concerned about the vast amount of floating organic matter in our harbor and backcountry water. Gary had already seen it in the water in front of his island home – patches of what appears to be sludge mixed with collard greens, followed by a disturbing absence of seagrass in the shallow waters right outside of his home. But he wanted to see how far it went and how much there was.

He took Boca Beacon Publisher Dusty Hopkins with him to take photographs. Gary thought they would have to go down to Redfish Pass to see large amounts of the gunk, but they didn’t get that far. They had already seen three huge fields of it before they got anywhere close. They also saw more bald spots in the harbor and Intracoastal where the seagrass was gone.

What you need to know about strokes

Strokes happen when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or reduced, which prevents brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients, which leads to brain damage or death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stroke is the fifth- leading cause of death in the U.S. and is a leading cause of long-term disability. 

May is National Stroke Awareness Month, an opportunity to learn about stroke prevention and treatment. Stroke risk increases as we age. Women generally live longer than men, so it’s not surprising that more women have strokes over their lifetimes than men. In the U.S., one in five women between the ages of 55 and 75 will have a stroke, according to the 2006 Framingham Stoke Study.

SPOTLIGHT: Gary Robinson

Gary Robinson loves making music. Making it for the people of Boca Grande raises it to a whole new level for him. Gary is the drummer for the new rock band known as “The Green Flash, Boca Grande,” which has taken the island by storm this past spring. The music the band plays and the town have a lot in common.

“It’s what I love about Boca Grande, “ Gary said. “We’ve been coming here for over 30 years, and it’s like stepping back in time. Like when I was younger, much younger. Like the ‘60s and ‘70s. That hasn’t been lost here … courtesy and friendliness. I get very emotional about it.”

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Governor signs SB 540

To the Editor: We are deeply disappointed to report that Governor DeSantis has signed Senate Bill 540, legislation that will decimate citizens’ planning rights and imperil the future of Everglades restoration. We regret that he did not heed the warnings of so many Floridians like you, including more than 5,770 who signed our veto petition, […]

ResilientLee takes the stage at Boca Grande Community Center

This week, Boca Grande was added to the communities in Lee County being asked for input on how well the County has been doing in response to Hurricane Ian.  Every city in the county, and several planning areas of unincorporated parts of the county – such as Boca Grande – are being asked by the […]

Turtles nesting on the bay side? Is it a new trend?

The Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association has been busy already with the annual activities, including one very unusual nest, bird nests and lighting issues on the beach.

According to Denise Juergens, a resident found these sea turtle tracks (shown at right) on the Charlotte Harbor side of the island, which is the first time in a long time – if ever – that a turtle has tried to nest there.

Youth fishing tournament this Saturday, May 20

Lee County Parks and Recreation and the Boca Beacon will sponsor another youth fishing event this Saturday, May 20 beginning at 9 a.m. at the Boca Grande North Fishing Pier (the road behind Kappy’s Market). There is no fee to enter, and all children up to the age of 14 are welcome to participate. Bring […]