Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, one of Florida’s science-based conservation organizations whose mission is to conserve and enhance bonefish, tarpon, and permit fisheries, has scheduled a local fundraising event for Friday, Feb. 3 at the Gasparilla Inn in Boca Grande. Seating is limited, so please confirm a reservation by January 27.

The Boca Grande Art Alliance and island resident Boots Tolsdorf will be presenting the second part of the Andrew Wyeth series on Monday, Jan. 30 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Boca Grande Community Center Auditorium.

Boots will be focusing this part of the lecture on Wyeth’s works after his father’s death, the nudes and drawings of Siri and Helga, and the stories behind them in his own words, as well as some not-so-familiar, temperas of his beloved Chadds Ford, PA countryside.

Boots is long familiar with the Wyeth family of painters, and served 15 years as a docent for the Brandywine River Museum where Wyeth’s works were consistently featured.

The suggested donation to the Art Alliance for this lecture is $10.

Call 964-1700 for more information.

Results for Monday, January 16: The return of seasoned players to the winner’s circle for both sides.

First in A: N/S partners Jennie Albertson and Peg Barrett
First in A and B: E/W partners Chuck Hemm and Patrick Wallace (first overall)
First in B and C: N/S partners Ron Raedeke and Ann Treat
First in C: E/W partners Renae and George Baker

Seventeen weeks done, PATRIOTS (Mike Warner) at 181 points, with THE BOYS (Ralph and Don) nipping at his heels with 180 points.   

This week starts the playoffs with the Wildcards: On Saturday the Cincinnati Bengals got in with help, now they can help themselves with a Houston Texan Barbeque at the early game, and the night game has the Detroit Lions coming back to New Orleans to face the red hot Saints again.

On Sunday the Atlanta Falcons with RB Michael Turner and QB Matt Ryan face a hot Eli and crew in New York. The last game of the week has a regular in post-season, the Pittsburgh Steelers facing the Denver Broncos and the way QB Tim Tebow and team played the last three weeks, long day. But hey, for a team looking real bad at the beginning of the year, giving this kid a shot at it, it was fun to watch. The Ravens, Packers, 49ers and the Patriots are waiting next week for these guys.

Congrats to two pickers who came close to a perfect week at 15-1.    SEPTICTANKER (aka Smitty of Hudson Grocery) and STATEWIDE (Dewey Henson of Statewide Pest Control). Also PATRIOTS with a 14-2 score that helped him to the top this week.

The Wildcard picks are worth 1-point each. The Divisional picks are worth 2-points each. The Conference games are worth 3-points each. The Super Bowl is worth 4-points each.

If you do not make it out of the Wild Card section this week, you’re done for the season. Thanks for playing.

Here’s a request you don’t hear every day: “Hey Dad, can you drop some heads in the water for me?” Stacy Phillips wasn’t asking her dad to help her conceal a crime, but more a labor of love.

She created two pieces of art, two bronze heads, to be exact, and she wanted the waters of Boca Grande to create their personalities. So she asked her dad to help out.

MARCY SHORTUSE - Three meetings were held this week by the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority. Many things were discussed, such as higher tolls, higher taxes and personnel replacement.

It was a lot to process, and the bottom line was this: Everyone on the board, and in the audience of each meeting, was pretty confused.