Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: Charlotte County Emergency Communications Centers are requesting assistance from the public in relation to their cellular devices and 911 accidental calls. Charlotte County has seen a 33% increase in 911 calls compared to the same time in 2022. Much of this increase is believed to be related to a cellular phone operating […]
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: As we go about our daily lives, watching our country self-destruct and slouching toward oblivion, there have been concerning developments far away that receive little attention. I listen to what people who have lived in China and our military personnel are saying about the brewing conflict with China. It is not only […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
As they headed home on the waters of Boca Grande Pass last Saturday night, Hugh Potter and his friends Braden Dolphin, Grady Abbott and Brandt Cataldo were pretty sure they had won the Gasparilla Island Kids Classic with their five releases. There’s always that bit of trepidation that stops one from completely believing it’s true until you’re standing on stage receiving the awards. Not to mention, Grady caught that fifth fish just minutes before the tournament ended, when radio traffic in the Pass was pretty crazy.
Eventually, of course, they were on that stage. Out of 21 boats and 78 anglers, they were the four who made it to the big time … maybe with a little help from Capt. Travis Joiner on their boat, “Family Tradition.”
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
There’s a lot of work to be done at the south end of the island, specifically at the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse, the Amory Chapel and even on Cayo Costa. As many of our readers are probably well aware, trying to set things right after a storm of the magnitude of Hurricane Ian is a game of “Hurry-Up-and-Wait,” which can be tedious and frustrating. It is no different for our historic landmarks at the south end that we love so well.
According to Sharon McKenzie, the executive director of the Barrier Island Parks Society (BIPS), the laundry list of repairs that need to be done is long. Knowing it is important to keep residents of the island abreast of what’s going on, she gave us a peek into what they are going through right now. They cannot lobby, only inform when it comes to these matters.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community History, News.
The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board has just one item on the agenda this month for their meeting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 14 in the Community Center auditorium, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be brief. The saga of the property at 161/181 Gilchrist Avenue, owned by the Adam family of Texas, continues with a discussion about the validity of attempting to name a tree there as historic.
At the Board’s last meeting, one of their members, Becky Paterson, expressed concern for the banyan tree on the east side of the property by the sidewalk known to some as “The Octopus Tree.” It was named as such back in the 1920s and ’30s by the island children who used to climb it.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
Tim Bonisolli has been named the new supervisor of the Boca Grande Community Center. Tim started his career with Lee County as a senior equipment operator on Boca Grande in 2006 and most recently was a Lee County park ranger on the island. Tim has been working in Boca Grande since 1990, when he started as a maintenance crew member for The Gasparilla Inn. Stop by to welcome him.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
At their monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 6 Lee County Commissioners approved the donation agreement between Lee County and the Boca Grande United Methodist Church, Inc., dba Boca Grande Disaster Fund, in the amount of $150,000 for improvements at the Wheeler Road Community Park. It was determined that the budget for FY 22/23 would be amended accordingly.
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
If you happen to be in Boca Grande in the daytime on a Monday or Wednesday, you may be intrigued by the playful or plaintive sound of a lone flute wafting on the air currents. It is not your imagination. It is Paul Rozmus, entertaining guests at the Key Lime Bistro at the south end of the Railroad Depot building.
Paul and his wife Renata are both classically trained musicians who play at the Bistro several days and nights for the enjoyment of Bistro patrons and anyone else in the vicinity. Although their training is classical, their repertoire for the Bistro is fun and eclectic. It includes smooth jazz, rock, soca, contemporary and up-tempo jazz, R and B – and a rendition of “Happy Birthday,” if the occasion fits.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Boca Beacon Back Pages, Columns.
Boca Beacon backpages FIVE YEARS AGO “Faithful II” took first place in the Gasparilla Island Kids Classic, and Kris Boyden was just about done with deadly objects falling from the sky around her shop downtown. Workers on the tower were leaving things up there, which would inevitably fall. TEN YEARS AGO The Tarpon Queen […]
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: Hurricane season has finally arrived, and as you share advice with your readers to best prepare them, there is one simple step they can take to help keep them safe and avoid making a difficult situation worse – contacting 811. Repairing damage after a storm seems like a harmless action, but […]