Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
The 2024 sea turtle nesting season for Gasparilla Island runs through October 31. Here are some sea turtle season “Do’s and Don’ts” provided by the Florida Park Service. Pets are not permitted on State Park beaches. Sea turtles do not know the difference between a domestic animal and a wild animal. They may perceive a […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Community, News.
Running for a local office on Gasparilla Island is sometimes more complicated than one might expect. Because there are two counties on the island, if an elected board, like the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority, serves both Charlotte and Lee County residents, a candidate for one of those boards must be “qualified” by the Florida Division […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in News.
Charlotte County Transit has scheduled two workshops to solicit public input on its transit development plan. The workshops are scheduled for 10 a.m., May 29, 2024 at the Punta Gorda Library, 401 Shreve St., Punta Gorda and 2 p.m., May 29 at the Port Charlotte Library, 2280 Aaron St., in Port Charlotte.To improve the way […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Community History.
BY CAPT. ROBERT JOHNSON Editor’s Note: The late Capt. Johnson wrote a history of The Boca Grande Quarantine Station during the COVID-19 outbreak for the Beacon. We are reprinting the May 2020 story. The Boca Grande Quarantine Station, located on the south end of the island, was built in 1892 on the beach next to […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Obituaries.
Livingston Byrns Sheppard II was born in the Appalachian mountains of Jenkins, Kentucky to his father Livingston Byrns Sheppard Sr and mother Mecca Vicars, both of Virginia, on April 19, 1928. Growing up in coal country he met his wife, Glenda Huskisson of Virginia. The two married young and Livingston attended the University of Virginia […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Featured News, Profiles.
Among the yearly regulars at the Boca Grande Club is Dr. Constantine Mavroudis, one of the nation’s top pediatric cardiac surgeons. Born an American citizen in his ancestral home of Thasos, he has just written a memoir of his journey from World War II-era Greece to his current position, as chief of pediatric cardiac surgery […]
Written by Boca Grande Health Clinic on . Posted in Featured News, Health & Wellness, News.
By MARK DRISCOLL As the pace slows down on the Island, the Boca Grande Health Clinic wraps up an extraordinarily busy season marked by record-setting patient engagements. • Patient Visits: We reached a total of 5,394 patient visits from October 2023 to April 2024, a 32 percent increase over last season. • Busiest Month: March […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Featured News, News, Sports & Outdoors.
The 2024 World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament is set for Wednesday, May 22 and Thursday, May 23. This year, the Grande Tradition honorees at the Captain’s Party are Merritt ‘Babe’ Darna and the late Isabelle Joiner. Each day, the tournament runs from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. The awards are on Thursday, May 23 beginning with a […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
Last Wednesday evening, May 8, Boca Grande Outfitters hosted a fly tying social above the store. As someone who has never fly fished, let alone tied a fly, I was the obvious choice to go represent the Beacon. I am from Colorado, where fly fishing is very popular and there are plenty of places to […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Breaking News, News.
The newly rebuilt South Beach Bar & Grille has temporary power, and they hope to have the building turned over to them by mid-June, said co-owner Bart DeStefano. “We’re going to go as fast as we can once the contractors turn over the building to us,” DeStefano said. They are hoping to open the Boca […]