Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News.
There’s been a surge of non-natives on the Cape Haze Peninsula … and we don’t just mean iguanas. Lately, numerous constrictor snakes have been found in Rotonda and South Gulf Cove, which clearly shows that these apex predator snakes we normally only think of being in The Everglades have made their way to Southwest Florida.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Education, News.
Signing up for a library card is easy. If you live, work or go to school in Lee County, you can get a free library card by visiting any branch with proof of eligibility such as valid driver’s license, current school ID and proof of address, utility bill or tax statement. For a complete list of eligibility options, visit leelibrary.net/card. Not a resident of Lee County? No problem. Visitors can obtain a Lee County Library System card for a small fee with a valid ID.
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News.
Mostly forgotten 1970s teen idol Leif Garrett is reputed to have told Justin Beiber not to believe his own publicity, as every “chicken hawk wants a piece of you.”
That might be an apt warning for the nation’s newest media travel darling destination, Boca Grande, which seems to have an endless supply of effusive travel writers highlighting the island in the last few months.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
A recent decision by Publix Supermarket’s corporate office to enforce their policy regarding their customers’ ability to bring pets into their stores has created quite a stir in many animal-loving circles. It brings up the question, however, as to what constitutes a “service animal” and how far a store can go to question the owner.
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
Daniel Martinez has found himself a home at the Boca Grande Fire Department. He’s only been here since June, but he envisions himself retiring from this department one day. Since he is 24, that means he will be here a long time.
“I’ve lived in the area pretty much my whole life,” Daniel said. “I was born in Hollywood (Florida) and moved over here when I was about five, to Rotonda West. Basically, every time I wanted to do something fun, I would come to Boca Grande. I’ve lived so close to the island, I was out here a lot as a kid. My prom was out here. I used to do the Turkey Hoop Shoot whenever I could. I ran the 5K out here sometimes. So the island’s always been a part of my life.”
He has discovered a new depth to the community since joining the fire department, though.
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: Sarasota Opera’s annual Food & Wine Festival returns on September 23 from 1 to 4 p.m. and will take place at Sarasota Opera House. Local restaurants will gather to serve tasty bites, wine and other treats as a benefit for Sarasota Youth Opera. This year’s festival will feature many returning classics, such […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News.
Last Saturday, the island officially hit 101 degrees, after a week of highs around 97 or 98. The “feels like” temps were, at times, around 118 degrees.
Through this heatwave and others, some places in Boca Grande still rely upon, and prize, the extra cooling potential of the humble A/C window unit.
On a hot afternoon at Gasparilla Adventures, Sam Fletcher (aka ‘Socks in Crocs’) and Brittani Salmon are still cheery when helping customers renting golf carts and bikes. Their not so secret weapon? A GE brand window unit, blasting out cool air next to the cash register. A second upstairs window unit, which keeps the second floor cool enough for Snow Mizer, had other benefits in this month’s heat and humidity.
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community.
Rental inventory in Boca Grande and on other nearby islands, like Palm Island, is gradually coming back on line, almost a year after the storm.
“We feel kind of lucky compared to our neighbors to the south,” said Robin Madden, an owner/broker at Islander Properties, a leasing firm for properties on Palm Island. She represents individual houses there, and not the resort, which is a separate operation.
This summer, for instance, Lee Board of County Commissioners voted to waive tolls on the Sanibel Causeway for six consecutive Sundays to support a “Savor the Shore” campaign organized by the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau.
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News.
In the wake of the recent explosive hearings in the U.S. Congress on UFOs, now called Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, the sole report of a 1999 UFO hovering near the causeway to Boca Grande still remains a mystery.
The report was from Dec. 18, 1999, when an unknown couple is alleged to have come onto the island and seen a “football-field-sized saucer with blinking white lights, that made no sound as it traveled across the sky.”
The report is one of over 8,000 sightings of mysterious things in the air over Florida, according to the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC).
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Education, News.
As Florida’s coral reef experienced record-breaking heat waves starting in July, with temperatures in adjacent backreef areas reaching temperatures above 100°F, Mote Marine Laboratory immediately began an unprecedented evacuation of thousands of stressed and dying coral from its four offshore coral nurseries.