When you just have to get away but can't afford a real vacation, try a tasty "fake-cation." ...more

January 19, 2009

From Southern California to Maine, the foundering economy, high fuel prices and poor fishing have driven boat owners to abandon perhaps thousands of vessels on the waterfront, where they are beginning to break up and sink, leaking oil and other pollutants. ...more

November 13, 2008

A Highlands County man has sued five of the nation's biggest oil companies, alleging one sold 10 percent ethanol fuel that damaged his boat's engine. ...more

August 15, 2008

SEBRING — Last week when Clell Ford and Erin McCarta measured the width, length and depth of a dredge hole at City Pier Beach, where a drowning took place June 7, they realized it was a whole lot bigger than originally estimated. In fact, it's about 10 times bigger, and it's going to take twice as much sand to fill it as can be easily found in Lake Jackson: 10.000 cubic feet, 6,800 cubic yards. So the bottom line, said Ford, who is Highlands County's lakes manager, is that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection won't be able to grant an emergency permit to fill the football-field sized hole a few feet off the beach. ...more

June 18, 2008

Tax Maze Class Still in Session As I sipped my morning coffee with CNBC stock futures playing on the TV in the background, I eagerly read Michael Bates' article on real estate taxes, hoping to gain new clarity. Well, I get it, but it's not really clear. ...more

May 3, 2008

While the pain at the pump is felt by all of us these days, no one feels it more sharply than boat owners. Boats with V6 outboards typically get only 2 to 5 miles per gallon, and even though most fishing boats run relatively few miles on each outing, sooner or later that cavernous tank has to be refilled. With fuel prices at marinas well more than $3 a gallon, the total can be excruciating. ...more

January 11, 2008

TAMPA In Florida, Santa doesn't need Prancer, Dancer, Donder or Blitzen when he has an Evinrude, Mercury, Johnson or even a pair of oars. ...more

December 5, 2007