Skip to main content
Search Results for “sea”

PROFILE: Gordon Allen

Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.

High tech meets high drama. And it’s all happening in a quiet neighborhood in the elegant town of Boca Grande. 
This is not the plot of a new play, but the real-life story of one of the newest actors joining the ranks of the Royal Palm Players. 

Gordon Allen took a couple of acting classes when he lived in Santa Barbara, California some 20 years ago. He was not actually looking to perform on stage, though. He was hoping to improve his skills as a salesman. 

“It was more just for fun. I’m in sales, so I spend a lot of time in front of people,” he explained. “I was talking to lots of senior-level executives, tech executives, things like that. So taking an acting class was a help in getting better at just talking … talking on my feet and thinking on my feet.”

That changed recently, however.

GUEST EDITORIAL: SHARING THE RESPONSIBILITY

Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Editorial.

Over the years, I’ve read the Boca Beacon without fail. The best parts of the weekly paper are what I call “The Boca Soaps.” I savor every word. I love the Gilchrist sagas that kept going for several months … then the private fence on the south end of the island that extended across the […]

Parking discussion continues

Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community, Police & Fire.

NOTE: This story contains new information that cannot be found in the hard copy or e-edition story. Just after press time we received information requested earlier in the week that is pertinent to the facts of the story and is included here.

A lack of south end dunes has led to a lot of flooding … so what can be done?

Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News.

Back in July of 1967, the headline in the News-Press of Fort Myers was, “What to Do About Eroded Tip of Boca Grande.”

Then, as now, islanders were looking to beach nourishment to help prevent erosion on the southern tip of Gasparilla Island. At that time, the Boca Grande Conservation Council, headed by Homer Addison of The Temptation, was in favor of establishing a park at the tip of the island, as the Lighthouse was for sale from the Coast Guard through the General Services Administration. It seemed an ideal solution; the only challenge being the “erosion problem.”

Six decades later, the issue of erosion, while not fixed, is regularly addressed through a mix of federal, local and tourist tax monies. Gasparilla, and indeed all of the Gulf of Mexico islands in Florida, are under regular schedules for replenishment. But what is also a challenge is the flooding at the tip of the island, which hit the south end’s streets and historic buildings during hurricanes Irma, Ian and Idalia.

Repair work begins on Port Boca Grande Lighthouse and Amory Chapel

Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community.

Restoration work began this week at the Amory Chapel and the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse, both damaged during Hurricane Ian. At the site, workers were visible both working on the interior of the Amory Chapel, and on the porch of the lighthouse, and repair trucks were in the yard. The Port Boca Grande Lighthouse, at […]

Florida’s skunk ape might be closer to your home than you think

Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.

With Halloween upon us and the veil between natural and supernatural being very thin, we try to keep with the season by presenting you with some spooky tales. We have covered most of the ground on the island, but this particular story that was found earlier in the year was put in a folder for […]

New, faster catamaran offers jaunts to Boca Grande from Punta Gorda

Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News.

Boca Grande will soon have a new excursion boat visitor, the “Miss Elissa,” courtesy of the Punta Gorda-based King Fisher Fleet. 

“Miss Elissa,” commissioned by King Fisher Fleet and built by Scarano Boatbuilding of Albany, N.Y., will be launched this week. She will hit the Hudson River and begin her trek down to Florida for the Christmas season.

Currently, Boca Grande is served by the King Fisher Fleet’s “Charlotte Lady” or the “Helen M.” The King Fisher line offers regularly scheduled excursions from Punta Gorda’s Fishermen’s Village. That seasonal service will resume Nov. 25. The line also offers charter excursions from Boca Grande.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Barbara Stirling

Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in News, Profiles.

It was time for Barbara Stirling to open a new book, to try something different. She is not one to stagnate or rest on her laurels, so the newest incarnation of Barbara is as a thespian. 

No, that is a bit grandiose for her taste. She has taken up community theater. 

“I am a novice actor. I am a behind-the-big-people-in-front kind of actor,” she insisted. “I am the kind of person who loves to watch and be with these actors and actresses. They are so enthusiastic and they are so inclusive.”

Barbara is one of several community members who have decided this year to be part of the Royal Palm Players. She is moving from an audience position to an “on stage” position. And she is loving it. She will be playing several parts in the first program of the season, “The Dining Room on Boca Grande,” opening in mid-November.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Without parking regulation, we’re just another Coney Island

Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.

To the Editor:
As a member of the Boca Grande Parking Committee, created by the GICIA in 2015, I am thrilled that a comprehensive parking plan is up for a vote by the Lee County commissioners on Tuesday, November 7th. Commissioner Kevin Ruane will present his structured parking proposal. It is very comprehensive, ensuring that, for example, a change in parking regulations that benefits one neighborhood doesn’t harm another. The commissioner’s plan is similar to the one he implemented very successfully in Sanibel.
Commissioner Ruane presented this plan to the Parking Committee in April 2022. The committee voted unanimously to adapt it for Boca Grande.

BOCASCOPES

Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Columns, Entertainment.

Aries: It is entirely possible that your paranoid nature will pay off this week. Your cell phone, your computer and your car have all broken in one form or fashion, not to mention you’re camping indoors, listening to the sounds of flapping tarp and banging metal all night. If you feel like this is all […]