Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Breaking News, Community, News, Police & Fire.
Florida Power & Light Company surprised the Boca Grande Fire Department by putting up lights and decorations on the building on Monday, Dec. 2. “We’re thrilled to be in Boca Grande this holiday season to give back to the community,” said Hannah Aldridge, who handles public relation for FPL. “This effort is FPL’s way of […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Featured News, News.
There is no word on the opening date of the Boca Grande Post Office. In addition, the blue USPS letter box across the street, the island’s only post box, has also disappeared. Residents, who now must pay a toll to go off island to Placida to pick up their mail, also have to go off […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Editorial.
For folks returning to Gasparilla Island, large piles of hurricane debris lining Gasparilla Road have been the dominant image. While much of the debris has been removed, there is still plenty to go around. The piles have continued to grow. Last weekend, the sofas and upholstered furniture in front of the Johann Fust Library were […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
Ann Combee, who has become a hurricane eyewitness of sorts in Boca Grande, lives two lives. Part of each week she is the owner of a spa for dogs in Winter Haven; the other part of the week she is basking in the sun in Boca Grande. She and her husband Bruce have been living […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
State contractors are currently removing debris from navigable waterways in Charlotte County. They have collected more than 16,000 cubic yards of marine debris so far. To report debris in canals or local waterways for any county, please contact the Florida Division of Emergency Management. You can submit a report online at FloridaDebrisCleanup.com or call (850) […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Police & Fire.
On Friday, Nov. 22, an incident was reported of a loose dog on Palm Avenue and Fourth Street, according to a Lee County Sheriff’s incident report. A dog named Leroy that lives on Damfiwill Street often escapes and walks this area, according to the call notes. Leroy’s owner stated that it was more likely a […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Community History.
BY JAMES J. BLAHA, DIRECTOR, BOCA GRANDE HISTORY CENTER After many years of bringing my family to Florida for vacations, my wife and I decided to plan for our retirement, which included moving to the Sunshine State. Previously, we had rented condos but eventually invested in timeshares on Sanibel Island. After an exhaustive search for […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, Featured News, News.
The Island Disaster Fund has already given $1.8 million away to aid the quick reopening and rebuilding of businesses and organizations on Gasparilla Island. As of this week, they have raised $3.35 million from donors here, and from across the nation. “This community is blessed because a lot of people have seen that they can […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Featured News, Health & Wellness, News, Sports & Outdoors.
Experts are still watching red tide, but with winds, and cooler weather, the area may escape a bad season. The Calusa WaterKeepers have been seeing fluxtuating results for red tide amounts, said Codty Pierce, WaterKeeper and life-long resident of the Caloosahatchee watershed. “I’m hopeful,” Pierce said. “We still have this consistent east wind which has […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Featured News, News.
The new November/December edition of the Boca Beacon’s Gasparilla Island Magazine is out with new feature stories, recipes, shopping and social pages. The cover depicts the Boca Grande Range Light, an iconic local landmark, reimagined by artist Ashley Lippincott in a bold pop-art style. Featured stories include a tour of Sarasota’s Historic Burns Court, an […]