Written by T Michele Walker on . Posted in Featured News, News.
It was September 1941 and Leading Aircraftsman R A G Cleave, a British student pilot training at the Lodwick School of Aeronautics in Lakeland, Fla. was getting ready to take flight. Little did he know that this was the day he would become a prisoner of war. As Cleave took off in his Stearman biplane, […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Opinion.
To the Editor: Four years ago, manatees were declared no longer endangered. Now they are dying at a record pace. Between January and June 2021, 833 West Indian manatees died of starvation, the highest number ever recorded in the state during a six-month period. Ongoing water quality problems in Florida’s estuaries, one of the most […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Community, Health & Wellness.
To the Editor: Residents and tourists come to Florida’s iconic waters for recreation and enjoyment, but unfortunately many state waterways have become more polluted and dangerous. In fact, nearly one million acres of coastal estuaries and 9,000 miles of Florida’s streams and rivers are verified impaired for fecal indicator bacteria. FIB indicates the presence of […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community, News.
Little has changed since last week when we reported on the fence erected on the beach and into the water at Hill Tide Estates on the southern tip of the island. Several agencies have been sent inquiries about the legality of the fence, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection seems to be the most […]
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: Join us for the first book discussion of the season in the “Let’s Talk About Florida” series on Monday, Oct. 18 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. You can attend live in the Boca Grande Community Center Woman’s Club Room or via Zoom. Thanks to the Fergeson Skipper Law Firm of Sarasota for […]
Written by T Michele Walker on . Posted in News.
For many people, retiring to a house on the beach is the American dream. Residents of Boca Grande enjoy boating and tarpon fishing, white sugar-sand beaches and for decades, subsidized federal flood insurance just in case a hurricane comes ashore. Many Florida residents will soon be required to pay more for flood insurance due to […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
More than 50 beach wheelchairs are now available at Florida state parks thanks to the continuing partnership between the Florida State Parks Foundation and the Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation, and Cayo Costa is included in the list of parks that received them. The beach wheelchairs can be used in areas with soft sand where […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
Submitted by the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority Toll revenue was up by comparison with the same months in 2020 by 10 percent in discount passes and 21 percent in cash (non-discounted) tolls, according to Executive Director Kathy Banson-Verrico’s report at the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority quarterly board meeting held on Wednesday, Aug. 18. She also […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
After an announcement on July 19 regarding the potential new plan for releasing water from Lake Okeechobee, and after an outcry from Southwest Florida residents regarding their initial proposal, on Monday, Aug. 9 the federal government announced they had tweaked the plan to include a few concessions that would benefit the Caloosahatchee River. The tweaks […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
SUBMITTED BY THE BOCA GRANDE HEALTH CLINIC The Delta variant of the coronavirus has arrived on island with the Clinic seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases this past week including symptomatic infections in those fully vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put forth new face mask guidelines in response to surging COVID-19 cases […]