Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Obituaries.
Lawrence Forsell, 84, passed away peacefully with family members present on May 3, 2023. He was born in Rockford, Illinois, May 29, 1938, the son of George and Petrona Kazlauskas Forsell. Lawrence was united in Marriage to Alice Rix on December 6, 1985. At the age of 6, Lawrence’s father died from appendicitis. He was […]
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.
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
Billions of acres of submerged land off the nation’s coast are thought to contain large reserves of cobalt, manganese and other minerals considered critical to our national interests.
Ocean areas and resources offer a wide range of uses to both the state and nation. The maritime industry relies on safe shipping channels. Commercial and recreational fishing industries are dependent on productive marine habitats, including coastal reefs, seagrass beds and artificial reefs. Universities and other institutions need a natural marine environment for their research and to provide educational and economic opportunities now and in the future. Oil, gas, sand, gravel, phosphate, and heavy mineral reserves all elicit industry interest.
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in News.
Cheering crowds, waving flags, photos being taken continuously and hugs for men and women whose only connection was gratitude – that’s how 90 veterans and their “Guardians” were greeted Tuesday evening as the Southwest Florida Honor Flight touched down at Punta Gorda airport. Among the veterans honored on this flight was Beacon Publisher Dusty Hopkins, […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community History, News.
You’re not going to like what we’re about to say, but you knew it was coming. The Community Tree across from Hudson’s Grocery will be coming down soon, as Hurricane Ian apparently put a final nail in its coffin. We’ve all watched it, hoping for one green leaf to prove that life was still going […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
The Boca Grande streetlight MSBU, a.k.a. the “Iguana Board,” met on April 27 with only two of the three sitting members in attendance. That means there was no quorum, but Board Members Mark Masselink and Skip Branin did cover some topics with Lee County MSBU Manager Josh Malo.
There are two open seats on the committee, but at least one application is expected shortly. Applications can be found at leegov.com/budget/mstbu/committees.
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in News.
Last Saturday, April 29, Boca Grande participated in the National PanCan Purple Stride event with our own 1.5 mile walk. All funds raised will be used to increase research and support for those people affected by pancreatic cancer.
What started as a small grassroots effort to honor Mary Tucker and support Priscilla Masselink blossomed into 220 people gathering under the Sunshade in the Community Center, raising over $65,000 and placing our little team in 12th place in the nation.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
They’re baa-ack! Those loggerhead friends we know and love have returned to our beaches and have started to nest.
Gasparilla Island Park Ranger Bryon Maxwell has reported five loggerhead nests on Cayo Costa, as well as one loggerhead nest on Gasparilla Island State Park land.
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor, News.
To the Editor: The Boca Grande Historical Society (BGHS) understands the frustration of watching the landmarks we identify as home being lost to time. While history benchmarks itself on safeguarding the stories, items and buildings of the past, it is also built upon by the changes and growth of communities. As a part of this […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community History, News.
The Whispering Bench is gone. Early Saturday morning heavy equipment operators came and began to gouge it out of the earth, while Boca Grande residents gathered around and did their best to protest it. Some tried to block the way of the equipment. Others tried to climb on the equipment. There were epithets thrown, as well as more than one projectile.
Someone in the crowd was heard to say, “They just started a war.”
It’s not as much about the bench as it is about the mentality of those who are moving here. Many of these are people who don’t know or care about the island’s rich history and, more to the point, they don’t know about how things have been done around here for almost 150 years.
But it didn’t matter in the end; the job was done.