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Memories of Eldred’s by Tim Dixon: Part III

Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Community History, News.

In 1992 Charlotte County decided to put a public boat ramp on a strip of property they owned along the old railroad bed in Placida. It was an old rail siding that was abandoned when the rail line shut down, and the County had acquired ownership of the property after the train stopped running. The County had built the fishing pier on the old trestle, and this would provide parking for the pier as well as a boat ramp. The property was on the west side of what is now the walk path to the pier, and adjacent to the Mercury Marine test facility. Mercury got wind of it, and they didn’t want people launching boats and parking beside their operation, so they offered to trade the current site of the public ramp for the strip adjacent to their property. Why not just pass that headache to someone else? The County took them up on the proposal and built a boat ramp right beside Eldred’s Marina, then started giving away what the marina was charging for. Now the County was in direct competition with a local business, but they were providing the service for free. Private businesses can’t compete with that. 

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Dr. Ray Ledon

Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.

Ray grew up in Cuba in the 1950s and early 60s but was forced to flee the country as his father became more and more involved in the fight to bring freedom and prosperity to all the people of Cuba. Initially, this put him and his family in the crosshairs of Fulgencio Batista, and eventually in those of Fidel Castro, as well.

OBITUARY: Sam Dixon

Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Obituaries.

Samuel A. Dixon, of Englewood, passed away Friday, August 12, 2022, with his family by his side. Sam was born in Richmond, Va., on September 30, 1963 to James O. Dixon (deceased) and Marian C. Dixon. Sam had four brothers: Tim, Tom, Sylvester and Andy, and five sisters: Eva Kate, Kathy, Becky, Ruth and Sarah, […]

DOG LIFE: Dog training books, DVDs and the internet

Written by Harry Kalajian, MDT on . Posted in Columns.

Some people will invest in books or DVD’s or go online to learn about training methods, and nice try, but that’s useless. They’ll learn generic methods that sometimes work but most of the time don’t. Why? The books or DVD’s don’t take into account your dog’s age, sex, breed, environment, character and temperament. The books and DVD’s are not designed to tell you which method would be suitable for your particular dog. Every dog is different, and lots of variables play a role in it. Maybe you have a dog that is shy, timid, fearful, or dominant or dominant-aggressive, and the list goes on … A professional trainer can asses which training method and/or sequence would be best. Books and DVD’s can’t.
 They can give only broad generalizations. I can’t say often enough that owners MUST take the time to work with their dogs daily and follow the trainer’s instructions. 

ECOWATCH: Dragonflies joining butterflies on flight to extinction

Written by Delores Savas on . Posted in Columns, Opinion.

The December report listed the reason for the dragonfly joining the list of threatened species as follows: “The destruction of wetlands is driving the decline of dragonflies worldwide … Their decline is symptomatic of the widespread loss of marshes, swamps and free-flowing rivers they breed in, mostly driven by the expansion of unsustainable agriculture and urbanization around the world.”

GIBA to invest $3.5 million in excess funds

Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.

Another big item on the agenda was the replacement of the old tide charts on the Swing Bridge. According to Banson-Verrico, the old tide charts on the Swing Bridge fender system were suffering from barnacle corrosion and were replaced by the GIBA staff with new float system charts.  “The boat clearance heights are completely out of the water and very user friendly,” she said.

A friend of the four-legged says goodbye to Boca Grande

Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.

Some people who come to Boca Grande make a big impact on many, then fade into anonymity when they leave. That might be how Jane Moyer, former owner of Island Dog Boutique & Supply Co. wants it to be, but that is not going to happen on our watch. Jane has always had a soft […]

Memories of Eldred’s Marina, Part II, Building Barges

Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Community History, News.

My cousin, Linwood Parrish, was living on a houseboat in the marina and working around with Daddy on the island, and Linwood went to see Farrel Davis and obtained a loan to build a new barge. He and Daddy built the barge from 3/4 inch plywood and pressure-treated lumber, then fiberglassed the bottom. They got an old Lyman lap strake boat for a tow boat, and they were back in business. Daddy got a little flat-fender Willys jeep, built a trailer to put behind it, and we were really uptown! No more carrying lumber by hand! Later they bought a military deuce-and-a-half from Englewood Water District, and then came forklifts, tractors and other equipment. Later we added more length to the barge, about 10 feet if I remember correctly.