BocaBeacon.comThe Boca Beacon is Boca Grande's weekly community newspaper.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

$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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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.