Big Pine Key Shark Factory

Big Pine almost started a new Keys industry in 1923. Increased uses of shark oil sparked Hydenoil Products to build a shark oil plant on the Atlantic shore. The plant geared up and employed 25 men and operated 6 fishing boats. By 1930 they caught and processed an average of 100 sharks daily. On December 8, one of its seven boats brought in a 14 long and 10 foot in girth mackrel shark that weighed 1,752 pounds. That day the fleet brought in 111 sharks averaging over 300 pounds each. Little of the shark was wasted, but the odor was quite strong. Shark leathers was sold by the Ocean Leather company. The livers were processed for oil and the fins sold for soup. The plant closed in 1931 after eight years of operation owing employees back paid salaries. WW-II shut off the US supply of cod liver oil and shark oil. Plants were attempted on other Keys, but they too were short lived.

More Big Pine Key History here.

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Marine Science Summer Camp in the Florida Keys

I had the pleasure to attend this camp when a young teenager. Thinking back on the experience it is easy to see it was a defining moment in my life.

Co-ed Residential Summer Camp Marine science, scuba, sailing, windsurfing, environmental and recreational programs for ages 12-17. Visit seacamp.org, June 24-Aug. 20, $2,750, 18-day residential sessions; additional $375 for scuba. Seacamp Association Inc., 1300 Big Pine Ave., Big Pine Key. (305) 872-2331 or e-mail Hazel@SeaCamp(this part is just to bust spamers).org.

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US Mint to Issue Commemorative County Pennies

WASHINGTON, DC—Following the success of its 50 State Quarters program—deemed one of the most popular commemorative-coin programs in American history—the U.S. Mint announced its next ambitious project: releasing a unique penny for every county in the nation.

Starting in 2006, the U.S. Mint will release five new pennies per year for the next 629 years. While the process will be a long one, residents of the nation's 3,143 counties and county equivalents have already begun debating how their regions should be depicted.

"We're encouraging counties, especially those beyond the first 50 or so, to think creatively to find a truly unique representative icon for their penny," Fore said. "Water towers—along with mountains, covered bridges, and lighthouses—will be among the first images to get snapped up. We'll need to see some shoe factories and cell-phone towers, too."

Read the full story here, from The Onion.

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