Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Breaking News, Community, News, Sports & Outdoors.
Lee County will consider a new MSBU tax for Gasparilla Island if new parking restrictions impact beach renourishment funding. The recently passed parking ordinance will possibly involve the imposition of a new tax on Lee County property owners on Gasparilla Island to pay for beach renourishment. Currently, Gasparilla Island’s beach renourishment is fully covered by […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Community, News.
My heart is with Boca Grande, no matter which side BY NIKKI HEIMANN Editor’s Note: We share this message from the Boca Beacon Facebook. The Pink Pony is the first business people see in downtown, and among its most beloved. The good news is important amendments were made during the meeting, including untimed vehicle parking […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Community, Opinion.
Boca Grande: Curve of the horizon, dignity of a heron BY MATTHEW HACKL I was born in May of 1999, but in some ways, I was born again each time I crossed the toll bridge returning to Boca Grande. This island didn’t just raise me – it shaped the rhythm of my life. My earliest […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community History.
FIVE YEARS AGO “You and Islands” was released by the Zac Brown Band. The song references the sunsets at Boca Grande and is an attempt to take listeners to another place in their minds. TEN YEARS AGO Island residents were boiling their water due to a compromised water main. Several businesses were affected and had […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, Editorial.
The last real top 40 hit from James Taylor was a duet with J.D. Souther. The song “Her Town Too” did not reach that high on the Billboard list in 1981, but many will remember it as a lament about how the familiar sights change after a breakup. It is unclear if it was Carly […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Profiles.
Her ship sailed to Boca Grande Friends Martina Long is stepping into her new role as program director for Friends of Boca Grande, overseeing event planning and talent booking for the upcoming season – a shift from her experience on the other side of the stage, as a performer herself. Long grew up in Fort […]
Written by Delores Savas on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
“The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Mahatma Gandhi, Prominent leader in the Indian independence movement, known for his philosophy of nonviolence. This week’s column on the extreme rise of animal cruelty cases in the United States will be difficult to write. The entire details of the […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Breaking News, Community, News.
Above, Chamber director Gary Cross addresses the board. Photo by Matt The Gasparilla Island parking ordinance passed unanimously at Tuesday’s Lee County Commissioners meeting with several amendments, including increasing a downtown two-hour parking limit to three hours. Commissioners Kevin Ruane and Brian Hamman motioned and seconded the ordinance before hearing public […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Breaking News, Community, News, Sports & Outdoors.
$4.2 million example BY MARCY SHORTUSE A proposed parking plan for Gasparilla Island will affect the island’s future beach renourishment funding and could include a tax for renourishment, according to an internal Lee County memo. A July 2 email obtained this week by the Beacon was sent to commissioners and county staff from the Natural […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
BY ARLENE HALL, BGSTA SECRETARY Last week, shortly after the start of one of our morning patrols, BGSTA volunteers received an urgent text message stating, “All, Denise has a major disorientation with turtles going into the road. She needs help asap. See if the senior walker can do without the help this morning and (come) […]