Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: The Lee Board of County Commissioners will hold a special meeting at 10 a.m. Friday, May 26, at the Old Courthouse, 2120 Main St., Fort Myers. The purpose of the meeting is to reallocate American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for eligible projects. Similar actions are being taken by local governments across […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in News.
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 […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
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.
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
Being in the family chiropractic business was not the original plan for Francine Finucan (fah-NU-kin). She was supposed to be a college-educated stay-at-home wife and mother. That was her father’s plan for her. Francine – Frankie to her friends – had other plans. Among them was to come to Florida and help people stay healthy and fit in multiple ways.
Frankie was the oldest of three siblings. According to her father, who was a well-known chiropractor in Roseville, Michigan for 50 years, Frankie’s brother Paul was to be the chiropractor. He was to take over dad’s business when the time was right. Their younger brother Andrew was going to be president of the United States. Dad is one out of three so far. (Andrew could still become president if he really tried.)
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: Immense pride was my reaction to reading the Beacon’s feature about our stellar librarian, Toni Vanover. She has added so much to the spirit of our community by making everyone who enters the doors of Fust Library feel welcome, informed and at peace. For centuries, whether small or large, libraries […]
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: Governor DeSantis has only days left to VETO the “Sprawl Bill”, SB 540. SB 540 would threaten ordinary Floridians with financial ruin for exercising their right to legally challenge amendments that conflict with their communities’ comprehensive plans. Floridians who lost such challenges could be forced to pay the attorney fees and costs […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Boca Beacon Back Pages, Columns.
Boca Beacon backpages FIVE YEARS AGO Waylon took his team on “Blaze” to victory at Ladies Day, the “Grande” Tradition began and the roster for the World’s Richest was announced with Capt. Chad Bombenger signed up in the number one spot. TEN YEARS AGO The “Elusive Tiger Shad” team took top honors at Ladies Day, […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
Big news has been handed down from the Boca Grande Cellphone Tower Committee and tower building company Vertical Bridge. They announced that it is possible we will have a fully operational cellphone tower – a permanent one – by the end of August.
According to Steve Gosnell, vice president of development with Vertical Bridge, they have received word that our tower would be fabricated and ready for delivery by the end of June. Sometime around the 4th of July it would be delivered if the schedule holds true.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
On Wednesday, May 11 Gov. Ron DeSantis had a bill on his desk that could affect Gasparilla Island in a big way. House Bill 949 is all about golf cart use and the requirements needed to operate one. As of Wednesday morning DeSantis issued a statement saying he was favorably inclined toward signing it.
The bill would require a golf cart driver to be 16 with a learners permit or drivers license or 18 and up. Drivers of all ages would be required to have a government-issued ID of some sort.
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
It is a common myth that librarians are quiet, dull, and living in a world of fiction most of the time. If that is the image you have, Toni Vanover, Boca Grande’s librarian for the last 20 years, will quickly dispel it. She is funny, clever, and extremely smart. She loves people even more than she loves learning and sharing knowledge, and that says a lot, because those are things that really get her going.
Toni had not intended to be a librarian. It was more like a calling. After growing up in Staten Island, New York, she decided to go to George Washington University, in Washington, D.C., to become a diplomat or work in the Peace Corps.