Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Editorial, Featured News, News.
BY CARROLL SWAYZE Excitement is brewing as anglers and artists alike prepare for the 2015 Tarpon Festival in downtown Boca Grande on June 4 through 6. Each year thousands of people travel to the Englewood/Boca Grande community from all over the world to take part in this annual Tarpon Fishing Tournament and Festival. The week […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News, Obituaries.
Virginia Jeane “Shay” Wilber, born in Albany, N.Y. on October 7, 1979 to the parents of Mr. and Mrs. David F. Wilber III, died unexpectedly at home on May 20, 2015. Shay grew up in Oneonta, N.Y. where she attended Valleyview Elementary and Oneonta Middle School. During High School, she attended Miss Hall’s School in […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
BY JACK SHORT Scientists from the Florida Institute of Technology hope everyone fishing the pass next week won’t be alarmed by the presence of an eight foot balloon floating 150 feet in the air, tethered to the back of a research vessel. They’re working out a concept for tracking tarpon schools, perhaps as far as […]
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BY ADAM MARTON, THE FIELDWORKERS CLUB This August a small group of anglers from all over the USA will be traveling to the Caribbean to participate in the Belize Tarpon Tagging Expedition, a partnership between anglers and scientists with the University of Miami. This expedition is a unique opportunity for folks to pitch in and […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News, Profiles.
BY JACK SHORT To anyone who happened upon a scene in the kitchen of the Palmetto Inn recently, two men pouring over maps with their wives and siblings, sandwiches and soup cooking on the other side of the counter, it might have seemed like they were reminiscing over a European vacation taken years before. But […]
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BY MARCY SHORTUSE Sea turtle season has just begun and while nest numbers are still low, island patrollers have already found one turtle dead on local beaches. According to Maureen McConnell, the head of the island’s sea turtle patrollers, she received a call of a “stranded” juvenile loggerhead turtle at the north end of the […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Editorial.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE As the tourist season cools down and tarpon season heats up, an outsider would think that things would be pretty quiet around here. It sounds logical, but wait.Look, there in the distance, coming toward us. It’s our old friends, drama and controversy! Hey guys, how are you doing? Right now there are […]
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Boca Grande’s own Capt. Dave Chatham fished the Raymond James Boca Grande Classic this week, held at the Gasparilla Inn on May 12 and 13, and was declared Grand Champion for his slam with the most points. It is part of the Redbone at Large series. Points in the tournament are awarded per species, and […]
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BY JACK SHORT A routine inspection revealed that the small bridge on Harbor Drive suffered from a bowing seawall that will be repaired next week. Representatives of Lee County said the repairs should last one to two weeks. Randy Cerchie, acting director of the Department of Transportation for Lee County, said he suspects a tieback […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Featured News, Letters to the Editor.
(The following was sent to Lee County Commissioners by Boca Grande resident Bill Regnery on May 11. By his request it is printed here) Gentlemen: I read Executive Director Misty Nichols’ letter detailing the GICIA’s decision to support the parking plan endorsed by the Churches and Gasparilla Inn Group. While I was disappointed with the […]