Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Police & Fire.
Island School bomb threat: The Island School had a bomb threat on the afternoon of Tues., Nov. 28. An email from Christine Oliver, head of the school, reported that a call was received on the school’s public line. School Resource Officer David Wharton and Capt. Jeff Corkhill of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office “responded to […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News.
A resident heading back home to Boca Grande had his most recent work of art, a Betsy Ross flag made of shark’s teeth, stolen while he stopped somewhere between Tampa and home. “The flag was the best one I have ever made,” said Frank Koffend, a historian, fisherman, park volunteer, author and a lifetime collector […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Health & Wellness, News.
The Boca Grande Health Clinic earned another three-year accreditation by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care. The Clinic underwent and passed AAAHC’s rigorous two-day inspection in late October, meeting nationally recognized standards for the provision of quality healthcare as determined by an independent, external process of evaluation. “I am pleased that our quality has […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
Gasparilla Island State Park is finishing a restoration project to remove invasive plants from the southern half of the island, north of Boca Grande Pass. Restoration projects are frequently undertaken at Florida’s state parks to ensure that native habitats thrive. Invasive plants alter native plant communities by out competing and displacing them but provide little […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News.
The downtown streets of Boca Grande were completely filled Saturday evening for the annual Christmas Walk. While some retailers were closed for the evening festivities, most were open, offering drinks and snacks for the families waiting for Santa’s fire truck visit. “There were definitely more people this year,” said Boca Grande Area Chamber of Commerce […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News.
Tuesday, Lighthouse United Methodist Church blessed their wooden steeple cross in an outdoor ceremony led by the Rev. Daphne Johnson, the church’s senior pastor. At the ceremony, the Rev. Johnson not only blessed the newly painted cross, but also asked for prayers for the whole island. A group of about two dozen church members came […]
Written by Susan Hanafee on . Posted in Community, Entertainment.
The Boca Grande Sleuths book club kicks off a season of mystery, mayhem and murder on Tuesday, December 12 with the twisty whodunit In the Shadow of Death by Deb Pines. Susan Hanafee will lead the discussion at 2 p.m. in the Houghton Room of the Community Center. All are welcome. In the Shadow of Death is the […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
Each year, the Boca Beacon publishes a guide to all things Gasparilla Island, the Boca Beacon Visitor’s Guide. The annual publication is the official guide to Gasparilla Island. The booklet, which is free, has a 30,000 circulation. It is the only all-inclusive printed resource for visitors and residents to find out about all things Boca […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News.
The Boca Grande Area Chamber of Commerce issued a letter on November 27, 2023, regarding parking in the downtown area. Below is the full letter from Executive Director Gary Cross. “The mission of the Boca Grande Area Chamber of Commerce is to foster the development and prosperity of its members’ businesses and the economic growth […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Opinion.
The first newspaper in the U.S. colonies was a weekly, like ours. Appearing on April 24, 1704, the “Boston News-Letter” was sold at a “shop near the Old Meeting House” and printed by Bartholomew Green, an early American notable whom many on this island might claim as an ancestor. That weekly paper carried news both […]