To the Editor:

It was wonderful to see Randy Wayne White’s letter published in the Beacon. Most of the local people are “in the know” about snagging and have already sounded off about it.

RWW’s comments are, however, a good reminder that to the broader boating and fishing public, snagging is something they do not know nor appreciate until they are given a heads up.
Way to go, Randy.

Now let’s move on to exhausted fish (from weigh-in), disturbed pre-spawning schools and general deterioration of our fishery. Yeah, we know science and data is just now beginning to reveal how bad the PTTS really is. We need more science, but so far it all points to bad.

Again, way to go Cappy, RWW and the Boca Beacon!

Richard Hirsch
New York

To the Editor:

The Boca Grande Area Chamber of Commerce’s 22nd Annual Ladies Day Tarpon Tournament had ample reasons to celebrate this year’s booming event, with a field of 37 boats and 21 total tarpon released.

On behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, the Ladies Day committee would like to thank all the volunteers, sponsors and the endless support of the community that made this day an event to remember.

Mary Alice Escalante King passed away peacefully in her sleep on Tuesday, May 22, 2012 in Boca Grande.

She was born in Tampa on  May 30, 1933 to the late Carlos and Florinda Escalante. She is survived by: Her three daughters, Georgette Hassler, Lisa King and Andrea King; cousins Elaine Fernandez and Debbie (Jim) Wolfe and their son, Jack; the children and grandchildren of Carlos Escalante.

BY LIZA STROUT - John Donoghue, better known as JP, is a busy man. As project manager in charge of replacing the fixed bridges on the Boca Grande Causeway, he has a lot on his plate.

“I’m in charge of scheduling, cost control, logistics and personnel,” said JP. “Basically, day-to-day operations for the demolition of the old bridges and the construction of the new ones.”

The son of a healthcare administrator and a CAT scan technician, JP’s career in construction might seem unusual, until you hear about his grandfather.

“He was a homebuilder in Venice in the 1950s and 60s,” explained JP. “I took to marine construction. You have the water, the tides, so many variables that you don’t have to deal with on land.”

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.