Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: I read with increasing disappointment and real concern about the Lee County Commission’s continued failure to commit to any real transparency regarding the parking issue in Boca Grande. (Seems like it’s a pattern in government these days.) I’m going to say the quiet part out loud; whether intentional or not, this lack […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Editorial.
Early Thursday morning, there were high winds across the island. They caused waves that washed away newly deposited sand. Those winds, which brought much-needed rain, rustled the yellow reflective sticks that are placed in the middle of the Gilchrist median between 5th and 4th streets. Were they an art installation? Of a sort! Everyone knows […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Obituaries.
James “Jim” Carroll Barany, born December 8, 1935, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on February 2, 2025, in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, with his family surrounding him. He was predeceased by his parents, Julius and Mary, his in-laws, Joseph and Martha Reuter, and his brother, John Barany. Jim is survived by his beloved wife of 62 […]
Written by Drew Stanley on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
It should relieve beachgoers to learn that the number of unprovoked shark attacks came down to a measly 47 incidents worldwide last year, with only four of those being fatal. These numbers are in line with decreasing trends in shark attacks and bite deaths seen in recent years, though they are still well below the […]
Written by Delores Savas on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
The influenza pandemic of 1918 may well be the greatest scourge ever to affect humanity, exacting a death toll greater than all wars of the20th century combined. The virus that wreakedthis havoc apparently developed in birds and jumped to people. It was avian flu. David L. Katz, American physician The claim that bird flu is […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News.
A number of citizens came to Fort Myers today to address the issue of parking on Gasparilla Island with the Lee County Board of County Commissioners on March 4, 2025. Speakers included Gary Cross, Executive Director of the Boca Grande Chamber of Commerce; Larry Hannah; Kimberly Whipple, senior warden of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church; resident […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Breaking News, Community History, News.
Charlotte County is now looking to return the old Placida Bunkhouse back to Placida for restoration, in a site possibly north of the Causeway stoplight. Resident John Valickas has been working with county commissioners and staff on what to do with the building, which was moved near the South Gulf Cove Publix when a new […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
Dredge to Palm Island for eroding shoreline Earlier this month, Charlotte County approved an award for a dredge and beach disposal for about 5,000 feet of eroding shoreline at the southern end of Manasota Key and Palm Island. The dredge will use sediment from the navigation channel. The project is bid #25-043, 2024 Erosion Control […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Community History.
BY JAMES J. BLAHA, DIRECTORBOCA GRANDE HISTORY CENTER The Roaring Twenties and The Jazz Age are just a few of the labels that historians have applied to this unique period of U.S. history. Although there was a depression in 1920-1921, the U.S. economy experienced significant growth during the twenties. The average income in the U.S. […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Entertainment, Events, News.
Many technology features of the Jetsons’ era are now a reality; talk on March 6 Are you concerned about artificial intelligence? Does the United States’ growing debt wake you at 3 a.m.? Do you wonder if tariffs are a viable economic strategy or simply a negotiating tool being used by the current administration? If today’s […]