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The Internet Edition- Vol. 1 Issue 26
 
Florida Through the Generations: How It Has Changed

THE PUBLISHER’S CORNER

By Jim Tucker

 

In 1964 my family gathered five generations together in one room. My great-grandmother, maternal grandparents and parents all came to be introduced to my first child, a daughter. I understood then how difficult, and rare, it is to be able to join hands across that much time.

When my great-grandmother was a young girl most of the war veterans in America were survivors of the Civil War or Spanish-American War. Since then we've added veterans from 13 conflicts. A map of the world is studded with bright red stars designating shooting wars. A trip from Gainesville to Tampa for my great-grandparents involved days and sometimes a

walking pace where the unpaved road was flooded. Great-grandpa would walk ahead and probe with a long stick to avoid holes too deep for the Model T. Gators stacked three deep in their yard when the river flooded. They lived on the fringe of Tampa. Near the bay. The city is miles deeper inland now. Linda and I zipped across the state at 60 plus miles per hour last Saturday to put a link in a four generation chain. We joined my parents, my daughter and son-in-law and my grand-children in, yes, condos on the beach. A hopeful sign perhaps is that over the weekend five new turtle nests appeared.

When I was born Cape Canaveral was a remote wind-swept and isolated seashore where on any lazy afternoon my parent's generation could count on finding glass ball floats from Portuguese fishing nets and mops thrown overboard by sailors who had just gotten tired of  swabbing the decks.

Everything that floated seemed to wash up at the cape. A1A south was a trip through a natural wonderland of dunes held together by seaoats

 and shrubs sculpted by the wind.

Today A1A south travels through a canyon of convenience stores and domino-like condos from the cape to the keys. All we’ve gained are crowds driving faster and consistent quality hamburgers.

I'd love to join in another five generation reunion so I can see that future great-grandchild thrill to the first dolphin, or manatee. But for any of it to survive we need to manage growth to preserve as much land as possible now and restore the natural state wherever we can. There's more to preservation than nostalgia. Eventually we'll discover the habitat we lost was ours.

I don't want to have to take a child to a natural history museum to see Old Florida. I want them to see it real; not the same way they see mastodons and dinosaurs today. Fiberglass plants and polyester ospreys aren't what I look forward to; even with

the computer generated bird calls and recorded tour guide saying, "That's how beautiful Florida was." 

Shark Bite Causes Media Feeding Frenzy

By Jim Tucker

For a brief moment last Friday the world's media microscope was focused on Gasparilla Island and a 19-year old tourist.

The speed of the electronic media was stunning. Internet reports flashed before Armin Trojer could arrive at the hospital. Within a half hour of being informed that the Boca Banner had on the-beach photos the Associated Press had received several, edited and put two of them on the wire service.

Daily newspapers around the globe gained access and photo editors were already working them into their layouts for their next issue. It is fun to see our photos appear in dailies from around the country.

I watched, fascinated, as the story itself evolved. Some of the minor details changed as witnesses

calmed down and clarity returned. Simple, but important, details were updated. First reports held that Mr. Trojer was in waist deep water but later versions reported chest depth. Mr. Trojer related to hospital staff that he was in water over his head. The later the version the deeper the water.

Young Armin was called Trojer and Projer in the same article. That's just bad editing.

Television's WINK reporter, standing with the Gulf behind him, related that Boca Grande was a tarpon fishing capital and that sharks followed the tarpon. Then he said that, in fact, the World's Richest Tarpon Tournament was to be held in just a few weeks. I am seldom so sure that I know better than on-air talent but this time I called and corrected WINK. The WRTT is "in a few days, not a few weeks!" The correction was made.

The AP called and wanted something they could quote so we talked about what I had actually seen. I saw the resulting wire copy on the internet and they quoted me as the "publisher of the Boca Grande." I quickly called and told them I published "The Boca Banner." The correction was made.

Throughout the early afternoon witnesses and others were interviewed and facts got double-checked and verified. The "devil is in the details" and as the story got tweaked it became stronger.

The internet is alarmingly quick but prone to errors. Television reacts too quickly to always get it right. I prefer to let the print editors and reporters sort it out.

I'll read it in the papers.

Page 7 The Boca Banner 7/08/05

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