Tag: NoPaywall

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...

Meet Your Lee Commissioners; new in office, David Mulicka

January 2, 2025
Staff Report
Community, News

On Election Day in November, two seats on the Lee County Board of Commissioners were up for election: District 3, which includes much of South Lee, and District 5, which covers the Northwest...

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...

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...

Boca Beacon welcomes user photos

January 1, 2025
Garland Pollard
Uncategorized

The Boca Beacon uses many contributed photos each week and welcomes them from the club. A few samples from the last year. We can use them as jpg or tiff; we turn them into a tiff for...

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...

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...