Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Featured News, Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: The Gasparilla Island Maritime Museum (GIMM) and Whidden’s captains had a great tarpon season! We hosted two “Howl At Moon“ tournaments, and William Woodroffe hosted two more tarpon tournaments to benefit GIMM this past season. Each tournament was a “grande’ success, and a portion of each tournament entry included a donation to […]
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Featured News, Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: The summer has been an active season at the Boca Grande Community Center, and that will continue through the fall. Here are some highlights of what has happened and what is to come at the Boca Grande Community Center, 131 First Street West: Summer Camp Lee County Parks & Recreation staff wrapped […]
Written by Delores Savas on . Posted in Columns, Opinion.
BY DELORES SAVAS ‘’We are playing Russian roulette with features of the planet’s atmosphere that will profoundly impact generations to come. How long are we willing to gamble?” […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Columns, Community History.
FIVE YEARS AGO The newly-replanted Gilchrist median was thriving. Red tide was still a problem along island beaches. TEN YEARS AGO The mere mention of the Gilchrist median at the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board set off an hour-long conversation that ended, once again, with no results other than to show how divided island residents […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
Joe Steele thinks his crew can meet the deadline of September 19 to have the cell tower up and at least very close to running. As he laid out the schedule in his head for drilling the 32-foot hole, filling it with water as they go, then putting the casement in, filling it with concrete and letting it set, plus the tower raising and device positioning, he was optimistic it was possible.
He and his co-worker Luke Boultinghouse flew in from Rock Island earlier this week and were raring to go. They were still waiting on barricades and detour signs Wednesday at noon, but hope was still in the air that with the Bakery Building gone, things would move smoothly. That would be a good idea, as their flight back to Illinois is scheduled for September 17.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
The Fire Department’s “Island E.O.C. Emergency Communications and Interoperability Working Group” responsible for creating a new network of emergency communications – both on and just off island – is steadily moving forward. In fact, their efforts have now been stepped up to “Mission Critical” status, after a near-miss from Hurricane Idalia and other systems out in the Atlantic on the move.
The Group’s communications subcommittee is working with Motorola and Suncoast Expeditionary Associates to optimize their efforts in creating a backup auxiliary emergency communications system. Which will allow representatives from all of the island’s key organizations – such as the school, fire, deputies, the GICIA, the Boca Grande Community Center and others – to communicate with each other in the event we have no cell service for any reason.
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News.
Hurricanes don’t always bring good things, but the latest hurricane, Idalia, has not only brought the American flamingo back to Florida, but highlighted the potential for the eventual restoration and return of the species to Florida on a permanent basis.
Like so many Floridians, Ashley Scarpa had never seen them in Florida, even as an experienced birder.
“To be honest I went searching for them,” said Scarpa, who has in the past monitored birds for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. “Someone had posted that they had been seen in the area, and I sprinted to where they have been seen.”
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News.
Gasparilla Island Water Authority (GIWA) members will have a rate increase of five percent beginning Oct. 1, 2023, and future rate increases would be able to be approved administratively by the county manager of Lee County, rather than having to be approved at full Board of County Commissioners meetings. On Tuesday, Sept 5 the Lee […]
Written by Boca Grande Health Clinic on . Posted in Health & Wellness, News.
Thanks to the generosity of MaryLee and Jack Hollis, Boca Grande Health Clinic patients now get faster diagnoses without having to leave the island. A gift from the Hollis family provided the means to acquire a Clarius HD3 portable ultrasound machine. Ultrasound imaging, also known as sonography, is a crucial diagnostic tool in modern medicine. […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Education, News.
Signing up for a library card is easy. If you live, work or go to school in Lee County, you can get a free library card by visiting any branch with proof of eligibility such as valid driver’s license, current school ID and proof of address, utility bill or tax statement. For a complete list of eligibility options, visit leelibrary.net/card. Not a resident of Lee County? No problem. Visitors can obtain a Lee County Library System card for a small fee with a valid ID.