Loggerhead Center gets $5,000 more
Published April 27th, 2008
By John Johnston
Managing Editor
The Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Inc. in Juno Beach will receive an additional $5,000 for completion of an existing decking, walkway, and landscape improvements contract, said Palm Beach County commissioners.
This will increase the existing contract from $57,185 to $62,185, and will extend the project completion date to July 30.
According to the Center, here’s how it came into being 25 years ago:
Long-time Juno Beach resident Eleanor Fletcher began the Center 25 years ago – and in one of the most active nesting beaches in the world.
A desire for conservation and understanding of sea turtles saw in 1983 – and with involvement of some of the area’s prominent residents -- the Children’s Museum of Juno Beach being incorporated, and then moving into what had been an old home in Loggerhead Park. The name was in turn changed to The Marinelife Center of Juno Beach in 1990.
Construction on a new $6 million dollar campus began in 2005; the Marinelife Center of Juno Beach changed its name to the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in 2007, and the new campus opened to the public in April 2007.
The Center says it now hosts “over 16,000 school children each year through field trips, outreach programs, summer camp and other educational experiences.”
More than 160,000 other visitors come each year to see the exhibits and also to see the only sea turtle hospital between Vero Beach and the Florida Keys.
Boat Ramps
In other recreation related news, commissioners approved $64,380 for renovations of the two existing Stub Canal boat ramps.
Commissioners said Stub Canal Park is a 1.8-acre community park, located just east of the Palm Beach International Airport. There are two existing boat ramps, one of which is currently out of service due to damage from public use.
The second ramp is close to the same condition but remains open to provide public access. Commissioners said the work includes renovating both ramps by removing and replacing the current mat system.
The Parks and Recreation and Engineering Departments do not have equipment to perform this work, said commissioners, and it will be done through a task order contract. Funding is from the Park Improvement Fund Florida Boating Improvement Program reserve.
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