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Town hall addresses Lee/Charlotte cooperation

Charlotte County elected officials and representatives gathered at the community center on Wednesday, April 17 for a townhall meeting to discuss topics of concern submitted by Gasparilla Island citizens and organizations. The main topic of concern was a lack of mutual aid between Charlotte and Lee counties emergency response services.  “This is really an opportunity […]

New phase of summer restoration for Mercabo Cove approved

Tidal shelf planted with red mangroves; view will be softenend to hide seawall BY THE GASPARILLA ISLAND CONSERVATION & IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION The Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association Board of Directors recently approved a new phase of restoration for Mercabo Cove. This phase will build upon previous efforts to improve water quality, enhance habitat, reduce […]

Post office responds to complaints

The last months have been marked by a number of new complaints to the Boca Beacon about missing packages and returned mail at the Boca Grande Post Office. Lecia Hall, a public relations representative for the U.S.P.S. for Florida has provided the Beacon with more information regarding postal complaints. “Local management will continue to work […]

Survey: Respondents against adding bridges to islands

Charlotte County Facilities Construction & Maintenance department has released survey results from local residents on accessibility to and from bridgeless barrier islands on the coast. Islands include Palm Island, Little Gasparilla Island, Don Pedro Island and Knight Island/Thornton Key. According to the department, over 70 percent of the respondents were either satisfied or neutral with […]

Superstars: Locals remember O.J. and Hulk’s Lou Ferrigno

There was a week in February of 1975 that the late Orenthal James Simpson was king of Rotonda and Cape Haze. The event was O.J.’s victory the ABC Superstars competition, which aired Sunday, Feb. 23, 1975 across the ABC Television Network.  Twenty-five million Americans tuned into the afternoon program, which featured top sports celebrities competing […]

Remembering Rob Wells of Cabbage Key

Robert Wells Jr., the founder of the modern Cabbage Key and the Tarpon Lodge, died Tuesday. Wells, and his wife Phyllis, purchased Cabbage Key in 1976, after he left a job as director of admissions at High Point College in North Carolina. Today, son Ken Wells manages Cabbage Key and son Rob Wells III manages […]

Gaza aid worker caught his first fish here

Jacob Alexander Flickinger, a 33-year-old humanitarian food aid worker for the charity World Central Kitchen, was killed April 1, 2024 while delivering food aid in Gaza. He is the nephew of island resident Lynn Seibert and has spent many seasons here on Gasparilla Island growing up with family and cousins. “He loved Florida,” Seibert said. […]

World Central aid worker called trustworthy mentor, guide

Quebec Parliament recognized his work BY LYNN SEIBERT The world lost a beautiful soul on April 1, 2024 when my beloved nephew Jacob Alexander Flickinger, 33 years old, was tragically killed in Gaza while delivering humanitarian food aid with the World Central Kitchen. He was killed along with six other WCK teammates who made the […]

Captains founders visit to talk Clean Water at Eagle Grille

Captains for Clean Water held an event at Eagle Grille on Tuesday, April 16 to discuss the organization’s conservation work since its founding in 2016. Hosted by Chandler Converse, Capt. Doug Stewart, Jim “Hooter” Hoyt and Capt. Mark Liberman, the event featured co-founders Capt. Daniel Andrews and Capt. Chris Wittman who spoke about some of […]