BY LIZA STROUT -  Capt. Willie Mills knew what he had to do to remain sane when his team was in first place on the second day of the World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament.

He turned the radio off. With fierce competitor Capt. Wayne Joiner and the Hey, Moma! team breathing down their necks, it was all they could do to sit in slience and hope for the best.

BY LIZA STROUT - Four children sat at the stern of the Boca Blue last Saturday afternoon, holding their breath with every radio transmission. Known as Team Gasparilla Outfitters, they were in the lead in the Gasparilla Island Kids Classic, and the excitement on the boat was palpable.

BY LIZA STROUT - The women of Hudson’s have been declared the champions of the 2012 Ladies Day Tarpon Tournament.

There was a symmetry to their day: the first call of “Fish On!” went up from their boat, Casuarina, two minutes into competition. Their last fish bit with only two minutes left in competition.

The team of Theresa Lasher, Emily Wise, Judy Kesterson and Barbara Jaeggi had already won the day with three tarpon released when a last minute tug at the line sent them back into battle. Capt. Charlie Coleman was at the helm to see them through one last fight.

BY MARCY SHORTUSE - Mary Alice King was an empath. She worked the register at Hudson’s Grocery for over 10 years, and she could single you out from across the store and just know that something was wrong. Although most of us only got to see her for a few minutes a day, if you were a regular at Hudson’s, a visit with her was like being in the eye of a hurricane. She would take your hand, grasp it warmly and say, “Now you take care of yourself.”

This beautiful lady who, to my knowledge, didn’t dislike one person in this world, left us suddenly Tuesday night. When I heard she was gone the news hit me like a ton of bricks to the gut. It was hard to walk into Hudson’s the next day, knowing she wouldn’t be there anymore.