Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Community, News.
At the end of May the sanctuary of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church looked remarkably like it did before the ravages of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The pews are back in place and the artwork has been cleaned and restored as well. In the church bulletin of May 25, Fr. Anthony Hewitt, Pastor, reported […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community History, News, Real Estate.
The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board approved two projects at its June 11 meeting. The board met at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, because of work being done at the Boca Grande Community Center. Board members present were Rebecca Seale Paterson, Peggy Stanley, Jerry Edgerton, Paul Eddy and Bill Caldwell. The first project was a wall […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Community, Featured News, News.
In interview last week he shared thoughts after visit Editor’s Note: The Boca Beacon sat down with Commissioner David Mulicka for a profile two weeks ago. He had additional thoughts on beach access, and shared them with our reporter, Sheila Evans. Below are some of his transcribed thoughts on the issue, which help to shed […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Community, Featured News, News.
Progress on the Boca Grande Community Center continues as summer camps are set to begin next week. Friends of Boca Grande, which oversees the renovation, debated raising the whole building earlier this spring to prevent damage from flooding as it occurred during last hurricane season. This option was ultimately too expensive, so instead, just the […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Featured News, News, Police & Fire.
Hurricane season has officially begun and the time to prepare is now. Part of that preparation for Gasparilla Island residents, property owners and business owners should be to obtain hurricane passes from the Boca Grande Fire Department. A driver’s license with a Boca Grande address may still be used for re-entry after a storm; however, […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community History, Opinion.
BY KATHY Y. FUTCH It was 10 p.m., on a February evening in 1975 at the intersection of Hwy. 41 and SR 776, which was very dark and desolate back then and only used by those who lived off it. A young man, named Mark, had gotten off a bus from Tampa where he had […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Opinion.
Southwest Florida seafood tasting memories BY JIM COCHRUN In the early days of Southwest Florida, all small coastal towns had key spots where townspeople gathered and chatted about the news of the day. In our town it was the post office, our only grocery store, church and, of course, our local fish market. This is […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Editorial.
It is the end of an era in Florida. Lu, the hippopotamus at Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, died June 8, 2025. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Alexandra Kuchta had the good sense to send out a tribute email over the weekend. They said that the state’s “beloved” citizen hippo “passed away […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles, Sports & Outdoors.
Our water watchman A new Calusa Waterkeeper recently joined the mission of protecting Southwest Florida’s water resources from pollution, misuse and overdevelopment. Joe Cavanaugh now holds this position and is already working to build alliances, share his knowledge and put his experience to work for the public good. Joe brings with him years of experience. “I […]
Written by Delores Savas on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
The majesty of a tree,The warmth of a summer sun,The calm of a quiet sea,The generous soul of nature,The comforting arm of night,The wisdom of all ages,The power of the eagle’s flight,The joy of a morning in spring,The fate of a mustard seed,The patience of eternity,The depth of a family need,Then God combined these qualities, […]