Tag: NoPaywall

Lee County reopens some beach access

Lee County has announced that a number of beach access points have reopened on Gasparilla Island. The beach access points, part of Lee County Parks & Recreation, were closed after Hurricanes Helene...

Preview: Who’s playing in upcoming ‘The Glass Menagerie’

BY BOOTS TOLSDORF In September we all suffered from two horrific hurricanes. Our realities were shattered. We had to face the hard truths of our present devastation and get on with repairing our...

Merritt ‘Babe’ Darna 1938-2024

Merritt “Babe” Neel Darna, a member of one of Boca Grande’s legacy families, died December 24, 2024. Babe was born on May 16, 1938 to Alfonso and Edith Darna on the remote barrier island of Cayo...

Boca Grande’s Island Disaster Fund ends with over $3.5 million in donations

January 2, 2025
Garland Pollard
Community, News

The island Disaster Fund is now at $3,596,000 to aid island non-profits and businesses. “It keeps coming in,” said co-organizer Larry Hannah, who is one of a group of volunteers who are helping...

New Florida fiction

January 2, 2025
Anna Ridilla
Entertainment, News

Some new Florida books: “State of Paradise” by Laura van den Berg In a small Florida town, a ghostwriter navigates a surreal summer filled with missing people, a mysterious virtual...

American Glory passing Boca Grande Lighthouse

January 2, 2025
Staff Report
News

The coastal catamaran American Glory arrived in Boca Grande Pass on its Florida Gulf Coast and Keys Cruise on New Year’s Day. They run through March. She has capacity for 100 guests, and is part of...

The GICIA celebrates 40th anniversary of island’s cherished Bike Path

BY MISTY NICHOLSEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association (GICIA) is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the cherished GICIA Bike Path. Originally opened...

A welcome for the director of Mount Vernon

January 2, 2025
Garland Pollard
Editorial, Events

Next Wednesday, Doug Bradburn, director of Mount Vernon, will visit the island as part of a Friends of Boca Grande lecture in their History and Heritage series. Most people over a certain...

Fun with numbers for this new year, A.D. 2025

December 27, 2024
Garland Pollard
Editorial

It’s all in the numbers. Who doesn’t enjoy a date with a good number? Was your date a good number? That’s what we get next week with New Year’s Day, always a 1-1. Christmas Day was a good number,...

Boca Grande history: White House florist visits and a lizard hunt fail, plus MerCabo

December 27, 2024
Staff Report
Community History

Brief news from this date in the archives of the Boca Beacon: FIVE YEARS AGO A bicyclist took a fall on the Boca Grande Causeway. Lee Flight flew the transport to Lee Memorial. Mercabo Preserve...