Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
Get ready for fancy and fun drinks coming this season. There is a new bar manager at Scarpa’s Coastal, and he is all about mixing things up.
Mike Teston thinks the term “mixology” is a little pretentious for what he does. However, he loves the chemistry, the imagination, the challenge of finding new ways to tickle people’s tastebuds and open them to new adventures through the drinks he develops. He can’t wait to roll out his new cocktail menu in October.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community, News.
The flooding the island experienced was bad, but this is worse. We have very little to no beach left from 1st to 5th Street. The ramp that went down to the beach at The Gasparilla Inn Beach Club is gone as well. Down by the Boca Bay Pass Club, the beach has eroded away as […]
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Community, News.
To the Editor: The summer has been an active season at the Boca Grande Community Center and that will continue through the fall. Highlights from the Community Center, 131 First Street West, Boca Grande: Summer Camp Lee County Parks & Recreation staff wrapped up a successful summer camp. Camp was at full capacity of 60 […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Columns, Community History.
FIVE YEARS AGO Almost two weeks without any major red tide issues was a big deal, after a period of about two years where it was terrible. TEN YEARS AGO A ruling on the side of our resources. One aspect of the bottom-weighted tarpon jig saga was closed, as the FWC voted to adopt new […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community, Editorial.
If a hurricane doesn’t leave you dead It will make you strong. Don’t try to explain it, just nod your head, Breathe in, breathe out, move on. Those words went through my head a time or 10 on September 28th of last year. Since then, as well, as we’ve had our lives turned upside down […]
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor, News.
To the Editor: The Boca Grande History Center will be closed from September 1 – 30 as we refresh our exhibits for the coming season. We appreciate your patience and will announce our reopening after our short break. Our staff can still be reached by phone at (941) 964-1600 or by email at info@bocagrandehistoricalsociety.com. We […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News.
The Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority (GIBA) adopted a 2024 budget of $3,827,064 at their Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023 quarterly meeting, which also included drainage issues, salary and investments.
Board Chairman Ginger Watkins began the meeting by moving up a public comment from a customer regarding the expiration of her toll account funds. Non-agenda public comment is traditionally at the end of the meeting. After the comment, Watkins reminded that all 7,700 accounts and customers are treated exactly the same, and thanked the customer for coming. (Toll passes expire after one year.)
Executive Director Kathy Banson presented members with updated traffic and revenue figures for the first nine months of the 2023 fiscal year. Toll revenue was down by comparison with last year by 3 percent for discount passes and 12 percent in cash nondiscounted tolls. Overall traffic was down by 5 percent. Bridge openings were down 21 percent.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Health & Wellness.
It brings preparedness to a whole new level to be responsible for the daily needs of a pet that will be in a new environment, quite often around strangers, foreign noises, sights and smells. While you can have all of the supplies your pets’ needs taken care of, the most important part of prepping is to try to understand their mindset in such unfamiliar circumstances.
There are several stories in Lee County, where Fort Myers Beach was almost entirely wiped out, where residents were holding their exhausted pets over their head with water up to their chin. Those pet owners were ready to lay down their lives for their animals – and you either understand it or you don’t.
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News.
The Boca Grande zip code 33921 is one of the top 50 highest-valued real estate zip codes in the U.S., according to new data from Zillow that measured typical home value, akin to a median value.
At 46th on the list, Boca Grande ranks just ahead of resort towns like Aspen’s 81611 at $2,848549, the Hamptons’ Quogue zip 11959 at $2,765,902 and Apple headquarters zip 95014 in Cupertino, Calif, which is 56th on the list, and had an average house value of $2,616,572.
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
John Gaffney has never had a job he didn’t love. The one he has now is no exception. John collects tolls at the Boca Grande Swing Bridge.
“Being a police officer will always be my favorite job,” John admitted, “but this job at the bridge is a job where I get to enjoy it and not worry as much. I can go to work and just have fun. I get to talk to the people and it’s not stressful. The job is great.”