BY ALICE GORMAN - Remember the old days when Poetry Night was spontaneous and fun? Remember when wine and words flowed, music played, and there was a sense that poetry could be entertaining as well as enlightening?

BY SANDY ROSS JACOBS -

This is part II of Sandy Ross Jacobs’ feature on St. Barts as it used to be. Last week’s Beacon contains Part I.

We had made the discovery of our lifetime and decided that if we survived the flight, we would return to St. Barts. We did survive—and we did return— at least twice a year for l7 years, often to the Eden Roc Hotel.

The Barrier Island Parks Society and Florida Park Service will host their annual “Cookout in Paradise” on Sunday, April 1, at 6:30 p.m. at the historic Port Boca Grande Lighthouse & Museum in Gasparilla State Park.

The non-profit Wildlife Center of Venice will present Harm di Blij at the Community Center Auditorium on Tuesday, April 3, at 10:30 a.m. Di Blij will speak on the topic of 'Wealth, War and Women: the Geography of (Mis)Fortune.'

The Wildlife Center of Venice is the destination for more than 90% of sick and injured wildlife found on Gasparilla Island. Without the center, injured animals would have to be transported to Sarasota or to Fort Myers.

"The center is incredibly important to the wildlife of this island," said supporter Nancy Lingeman. "From baby owls that have been abandoned to pelicans trapped in fishing line to gopher tortoises that have been run over by cars, the Center takes injured animals and rehabs them for release. There isn't a time limit on how long they will work with an animal. The kindness, caring and knowledge of the people at the Center are amazing."

If you see a sick or injured animal, please contact the Center at (941) 484-9657.

Tickets to the Harm di Blij lecture are $25 and can be purchased at The Loose Caboose. Call Nancy at 964-0097 for more information.