Thirty years ago in 1986, the following guests were mentioned in the Log that were also present this year in 2016. They are:
Bobby Andrews
Diana Dalton
Laura Dalton
Butch Farrell
Trish Starnes
David Starnes
Cy Doughtry
Shirley Clauss
Big Red Clauss
Gordon Treece
Jeannie Windham
Dubby Woolsey
Lori Younggreb-McNaney
The Log in 1986 was full of camp news. The process of creating a smoke-free environment on the property was beginning. This was the year we declared no smoking in the old rec room, except on bingo night.
1986 was also the year that the front canal was dredged, to hopefully five feet throughout. In addition, 200 feet of new concrete seawall was poured, the canal bubble gate and aeration were installed. We also added a tiki cover to the fish cleaning tables. The fear of condo development in rustic camping was decreasing, and the rumors of a fish and wildlife purchase was in the air.
The Fishing Report: 1986
Night fishing for yellowtail on the reef had yielded catches of 50 pounds and 130 pounds. A single day in late April yielded a catch of 200 pounds of dolphin fish. Shrimp under Spanish Harbor Bridge would either yield you zero shrimp or 10 gallons, but nothing in between. The lobster diving team of Woolsey and Starnes took home 830 tails. Gordon Treece’s team of four free-divers took home 470 tails. This year also marked the addition of many new fishing conservation guidelines.
Island News – 1986
Looks like nothing newsworthy was happening on Big Pine Key during this time; however, the social news was hot. “Eleven couples had met at BPKFL and married here. George Clauss, Sr. and his wife June celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.” Thirty years later, George Clauss, Jr. (Big Red) and his wife Shirley celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in 2016!
Family News – 1986
The last member of the Gladwell family third-generation was born. Brenda and her husband welcomed a baby girl Rae Louise Scanlon.
We closed 1986 with a New Year’s Eve party themed for Halley’s Comet and it’s once every 75 or 76 year appearance.
Here is a news item direct from the 1986 Log: A Typical Event, On a Typical Day at BPKFL
Chop Chop (in the coal business) sold his bike to Lester (a tool and die guy) for five dollars. Lester bought Chop Chop’s bike because the handlebars and seats appeared to be better than the ones on his. Lester then exchanged the two. Ernie (a supervisor at DuPont) had a bike for sale for two years with no takers, and alas, nowhere to store it because Bill took his boat home which was where it usually spent the summer waiting for Ernie’s return in the fall. So, Ernie took his bike to the bike shop to get whatever they would give him for it. Just as he pulled out of the gate, the Sharps (Dr. Sharp a vet, and his wife) volunteered to store it in their trailer. Phyllis was screaming at Ernie to stop, but it was too late. The bike was gone for a mere eight dollars. Returning brokenhearted and bike less, only to feel more brokenhearted when he learned the sale with not necessary. Now that horse trader Lester was lurking nearby and immediately offered to sell Chop Chop’s old bike, with Lester’s older handlebars and seat, to Ernie for a terrific deal of five dollars (that devil), which Ernie immediately purchased with three dollars to spare, insisting it was a better bike than the one Ernie had just sold for eight dollars. Not sure how a story this sad can have such a happy ending!