Recent Stories

Two lanes open after weekend repairs at bridge

After being shut down to one lane for 12 hours this weekend, the swing bridge is back...

‘We should have raised more money for the new bridges’

The bridge’s finances are soon to break even … but the $40 million gorilla refuses to leave...

Historic board approves home for national register

The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board approved moving a recommendation to the National Register forward regarding a...

Hung jury causes mistrial in gopher tortoise case

UPDATE: After just four hours of deliberation, a jury in Charlotte County Court said the six members...

Firefighter calendar: ‘It’s all about highlighting the abs’

It’s a dirty job, but someone had to do it. According to photographer Skip Perry, when it...

Charlotte property owners to pay $75 for iguana control

Charlotte County residents of Boca Grande will be paying $75 per lot in the upcoming fiscal year...

Mote to hold program on Deepwater Horizon spill

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill might soon be permanently sealed, but its environmental effects are just beginning....

Mack to dispatch aide to Boca Grande

On Friday, August 13, a member of Congressman Mack’s staff will hold public office hours from 1...

Chamber moves downtown to Railroad Plaza

The Boca Grande Area Chamber of Commerce has moved to a new location in  Railroad Plaza, finally...

Trial set in gopher tortoise case

A Boca Grande property owner from Orlando will stand trial in Charlotte County court on Tuesday, Aug....

Historic board to discuss national register status for home

The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board will be meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 11 at 10 a.m. for...

Yes, BocaBeacon.com is changing

About two weeks ago we changed the look of BocaBeacon.com. Not that there was all that much...

Engineer says speed bumps damaging bridge

David Taylor doesn’t like the speed bumps that flank the island’s three bridges. Further, Taylor – a...

Bridge board candidate slate reduced to 11

There are now 11 candidates running for the four vacant seats on the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority...

Man charged with theft from boats

A Port Charlotte man was arrested on Sunday, July 25 in connection with the theft of fishing...

Facebook with the Boca Beacon

Seagrape Beach swimming advisory announced

Seagrape Beach swimming advisory announced

The Lee County Health Department announced Thursday that beach water at Seagrape Beach at Gasparilla Island State Park contains an unacceptable level of a bacteria that can pose a serious health risk for certain individuals.

According to a statement issued by the health department, enterococcus bacteria levels were high at that location, and swimming is not recommended.

August 27, 2010 | No comment | Read More »

Hayes, Major elected to bridge board

Hayes, Major elected to bridge board

David Hayes and Lee Major have officially joined the ranks of the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority, according to Tuesday night’s primary election results.

Both candidates had the percentages of votes it took to avoid a run-off election, which will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 2 for Seat 1 and Seat 5.
Hayes won outright in the Seat 4 vote, with 332 votes (55 percent) to 270 (45 percent) for Marguerite “Cookie” Potter.

August 27, 2010 | No comment | Read More »

Voter’s forum held, public response good

Voter’s forum held, public response good

Five candidates and 43 island residents got together on Saturday, Aug. 21 at the Boca Grande Community Center to discuss concerns, ask questions and meet their bridge authority candidates.

With much controversy surrounding the replacement cost and design of the three bridges within the Boca Grande Causeway system, it was the public’s chance to ask the attending candidates what they intended to do if elected to office.

August 27, 2010 | No comment | Read More »

Wayward barge splits in half on Boca beach

Wayward barge splits in half on Boca beach

It’s not unusual to find strange debris washed up on island beaches after a few days of storms, but Monday morning beach-goers were treated to a rarer, 135-foot find.

It was a barge, a large barge filled with rocks that was stranded on the beach. The boat was abandoned, leaving two Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers and a Coast Guard employee standing on the beach scratching their heads as to what to do next.

August 27, 2010 | No comment | Read More »

Shortuse named as editor of Boca Beacon

Shortuse named as editor of Boca Beacon

Marcy Shortuse, the Boca Beacon’s photojournalist for three years, became the editor of the newspaper this week.

Dusty Hopkins, the publisher and owner of the Boca Beacon, made the announcement on Tuesday, Aug. 24.

August 27, 2010 | 1 comment | Read More »

Island School annual funds exceeds expectations

Island School annual funds exceeds expectations

As The Island School opened its doors on Monday, Aug. 23, the school’s annual fund coffers stood at $92,000, surpassing it’s goal of $80,000.

The fund is designed to provide the school with funds to cover approximately one third of its annual operating costs.

August 27, 2010 | No comment | Read More »

Two island businesses cited for underage sales

Two island businesses cited for underage sales

Two island businesses were cited this week for selling beer to a 16-year-old “investigative aide” whose Florida driver’s license is being called into question.

August 20, 2010 | No comment | Read More »

Ballot mess still casts pall over election

Ballot mess still casts pall over election

Calls have still been coming into the Lee County elections office in connection to scores of mail-in boomerang ballots that were returned to sender.  However, Sharon Harrington, the supervisor of elections, insists there is no reason for alarm or concern.

August 20, 2010 | No comment | Read More »

Letter: Candidates aren’t questioning GIBA spending

Letter: Candidates aren’t questioning GIBA spending

To the editor,

I read with interest the GIBA board candidate’s resumes and their answers to the questions posed by the Beacon and have made my selections. I appreciate the Beacon’s efforts in providing this information, since most of the candidates are persons with whom I have had little personal contact.

August 20, 2010 | No comment | Read More »

Baltimore firm buys island bakery

Baltimore firm buys island bakery

The old bakery may become a new bakery soon, as a Baltimore corporation purchased it for $900,000 earlier this week.

August 20, 2010 | No comment | Read More »

$8,000 loss in theft from boat

$8,000 loss in theft from boat

The theft of $8,000 worth of GPS equipment from a vessel parked at the “Pink  docks” on Thursday was reported to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

August 13, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »

Bridge committee defends speed bumps

Bridge committee defends speed bumps

The speed bumps led the conversation at a recent meeting held by the engineering committee of the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority.  After a letter written to the Boca Beacon last week by an engineer who said the bumps were doing more harm than good, GIBA’s director Jim Cooper argued that welding maintenance has been reduced by more than 40 percent, and that the existing cracks in the bridges have not widened since the traffic devices were installed.

August 6, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »

Bridge board to hold final meeting prior to election

Bridge board to hold final meeting prior to election

The Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority will hold its quarterly meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 11 at 9 a.m. in the GIBA Administration Building.

August 6, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »

Letter: How much does it cost to fix stupidity?

Letter: How much does it cost to fix stupidity?

To the editor,

I agree with Mr. Taylor 100 percent. The placement of the speed bumps has been a concern of mine from the time they were put in place. I feel my opinion as a daily heavy hauler to Boca for almost 29 years, might pull some weight.

August 6, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »

Letter: Taylor right about speed bumps

Letter: Taylor right about speed bumps

To the editor,

I have a master of science degree in mechanical engineering and am a candidate for position five in the upcoming Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority election. I think David Taylor has it exactly right on most of the points in his recent comments on speed bumps.

August 6, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »

Obituary: Dorothy Diebold, 105

Obituary: Dorothy Diebold, 105

Dorothy Orizondo Roosen Diebold, age 105, a resident of Boca Grande since 1978, died in Roxbury, Conn. on Tuesday, July 6. Her birthday in February had long been observed by a fireworks display on the island.

July 9, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »

Obituary: Drayton Farr

Obituary: Drayton Farr

Earl Drayton Farr Jr., 83, of Punta Gorda passed away July 6. He was born October 16, 1926 in Fort Myers and lived in Punta Gorda all his life. He and his wife Paula owned homes in Boca Grande from 1973 to 2000 and he remained a frequent visitor to the island.

July 9, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »

Obituary: Caroline Brown

Obituary: Caroline Brown

Caroline “Jinx” Lovelace Rutter Brown of Sarasota and Nantucket and formerly of Boca Grande, died peacefully at Sarasota Memorial Hospital July 3 surrounded by her children.

July 9, 2010 | 1 comment | Read More »

COMMENTARY: Absentee ballot disaster demands a new election so all the votes are counted. This time.

COMMENTARY: Absentee ballot disaster demands a new election so all the votes are counted. This time.

BY GARY DUTERY – First there were the hanging chads. Now this. Has screwing up elections become some kind of organized team sport here in Florida?
This year, more than 400 registered voters in Boca Grande asked Lee County to send them ballots for the Tuesday, Aug. 24 election. For Boca Grande, that’s a big number. A huge number. Way more than …

August 12, 2010 | 3 comments | Read More »

Bridge’s engineer says speed bumps are good

Bridge’s engineer says speed bumps are good

The Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority’s bridges are not being endangered by the installation of speed bumps, as was alleged recently in the Boca Beacon (July 30, 2010). There are sound engineering reasons for KCA’s recommendations to GIBA to install speed bumps as a means to slow traffic down to 20 mph on the aging and deteriorating center and south fixed bridges.

August 6, 2010 | 1 comment | Read More »

Yes, BocaBeacon.com is changing

Yes, BocaBeacon.com is changing

About two weeks ago we changed the look of BocaBeacon.com. Not that there was all that much wrong with the old look. In fact, the new site was posted just one month after BocaBeacon.com was recognized by the Florida Press Association as the top weekly newspaper site in our circulation category. We have won this award for the past two years.

August 4, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »

Letter: Candidates aren’t questioning GIBA spending

Letter: Candidates aren’t questioning GIBA spending

To the editor,

I read with interest the GIBA board candidate’s resumes and their answers to the questions posed by the Beacon and have made my selections. I appreciate the Beacon’s efforts in providing this information, since most of the candidates are persons with whom I have had little personal contact.

August 20, 2010 | No comment | Read More »

Letter: How much does it cost to fix stupidity?

Letter: How much does it cost to fix stupidity?

To the editor,

I agree with Mr. Taylor 100 percent. The placement of the speed bumps has been a concern of mine from the time they were put in place. I feel my opinion as a daily heavy hauler to Boca for almost 29 years, might pull some weight.

August 6, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »

Letter: Taylor right about speed bumps

Letter: Taylor right about speed bumps

To the editor,

I have a master of science degree in mechanical engineering and am a candidate for position five in the upcoming Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority election. I think David Taylor has it exactly right on most of the points in his recent comments on speed bumps.

August 6, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »

Engineer says speed bumps damaging bridge

Engineer says speed bumps damaging bridge

David Taylor doesn’t like the speed bumps that flank the island’s three bridges. Further, Taylor – a Boca Grande resident who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering and has worked in the field for more than 30 years – says the bumps are doing more harm than good.

July 30, 2010 | 2 comments | Read More »

Letter: Even the dead must pay the toll

Letter: Even the dead must pay the toll

With all the to’s and fro’s about the GIBA coming election, I thought I’d share a true story about an experience on the bridge. When I moved to the Island in 1973, the toll system was quite different. You paid coming on and you paid going off, 50 cents plus 20 cents for each additional passenger.

July 9, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »

Letter: Here are the realities of the bridge

Letter: Here are the realities of the bridge

August 24 will come and go and a slate of candidates for the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority will be selected. There may need to be a runoff election if none of the candidates receives 50 percent or more of the votes cast. November 2 will come and go and a brand new GIBA board will be seated. That board will have its first official public meeting on November 17 and begin the serious work of taking up where the old board left off.

Here are the realities they will inherit:

July 9, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »

Letter: Bridge board member supports toll hikes, speed limit

Letter: Bridge board member supports toll hikes, speed limit

I am currently serving the second year of my term as a non-voting, advisory member of the GIBA board. I have supported its recommendations for the toll increase and bridge speed limit, based on fact review and the findings of paid advisory professionals. With the inspecting engineer and other staff, I have boated beneath and seen the south bridge’s infamous cracks which will be repaired.

July 9, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »

Letter: Bridge board chairman says tolls are a bargain

Letter: Bridge board chairman says tolls are a bargain

I can still remember coming across the bridges for the first time back in 1991 and paying a $3.20 toll. At the time, this seemed like a bargain considering the uniqueness of Boca Grande and the beauty of Gasparilla Island and its surrounding waters. What a great place then and still a great place today.

July 9, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »

GIBA Voter Guide

Seat 1: Virginia Watkins

Seat 1: Virginia Watkins

...

Aug 10, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »
Seat 1: Weldon Rogers

Seat 1: Weldon Rogers

...

Aug 10, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »
Seat 1: William Jack

Seat 1: William Jack

...

Aug 10, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »
Seat 2: Julius Z. Frager

Seat 2: Julius Z. Frager

...

Aug 9, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »
Seat 2: Lee Major

Seat 2: Lee Major

...

Aug 9, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »
Seat 2: Patrice Dumas

Seat 2: Patrice Dumas

...

Aug 9, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »
Seat 4: Marguerite ‘Cookie’ Potter

Seat 4: Marguerite ‘Cookie’ Potter

...

Aug 9, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »
Seat 4: David L. Hayes

Seat 4: David L. Hayes

...

Aug 9, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »
Seat 5: Michael ‘Tim’ Yonker

Seat 5: Michael ‘Tim’ Yonker

...

Aug 9, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »
Seat 5: Skip Perry

Seat 5: Skip Perry

...

Aug 9, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »
Seat 5: Richard J. Ryan

Seat 5: Richard J. Ryan

...

Aug 9, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »

The Bridge

GIBA vote: Major, Hayes win outright; two runoffs set

Here are the results of the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority election. The totals include absentee...

Aug 24, 2010 | No comment | Read More »

Here’s the video of Saturday’s candidates forum

Click here to go to the webcast page! ...

Aug 20, 2010 | 3 comments | Read More »

Bridge conks out, traffic down to one lane

Traffic will be down to a single lane beginning Friday, Aug. 20 from 6 p.m....

Aug 20, 2010 | No comment | Read More »

GIBA forum to be held Saturday, Aug. 21

Your chance to hear from the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority board candidates will be had...

Aug 20, 2010 | No comment | Read More »

Ballot mess still casts pall over election

Calls have still been coming into the Lee County elections office in connection to scores...

Aug 20, 2010 | No comment | Read More »

‘We should have raised more money for the new bridges’

The bridge’s finances are soon to break even … but the $40 million gorilla refuses...

Aug 20, 2010 | No comment | Read More »

Letter: Candidates aren’t questioning GIBA spending

To the editor, I read with interest the GIBA board candidate’s resumes and their answers to...

Aug 20, 2010 | No comment | Read More »

Ballot snafu casts shadow over GIBA vote

If you think you have voted by mail in the upcoming election, you might want...

Aug 13, 2010 | 1 comment | Read More »

Our voter guide is now online

Click here to view the candidates’ responses. The Boca Beacon has surveyed the candidates for the...

Aug 13, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »

COMMENTARY: Absentee ballot disaster demands a new election so all the votes are counted. This time.

BY GARY DUTERY – First there were the hanging chads. Now this. Has screwing up...

Aug 12, 2010 | 3 comments | Read More »

Don’t mail your absentee ballot without reading this! And if you did, read this!

If you have not mailed your “absentee” ballot yet, STOP. There is an issue with...

Aug 11, 2010 | Comments Off | Read More »