DOLPHIN ACTIVIST HONORED

South Miami's 74 Street got a new name Saturday, "Ric O'Barry Drive". The City honored its resident, Ric O'Barry, for his forty years as a dolphin activist. He was Flipper's trainer in his early years and starred in a major motion picture , "The Cove". Ric's movie won an Academy Award for "Best Documentary" in 2010. The film is about the senseless slaughter of dolphins in

Japan. If you haven't seen it, do.

I should point out that Ric also has the dubious honor of being "The Token Celebrity" in the first King Mango Strut, 29 years ago, for his underwater stunt work in "Thunderball".

Ric is a humble, hard-working man whom I've known for years. After living in the Grove for decades he headed to the city two miles south which he says, "is great, like Coconut Grove used to be".

Here he is with his son Lincoln, producer of television's Blood Dolphin series (on Animal Planet).

Like his ever-travelling dad, he is heading to Java next week to film the plight of more captive dolphins. That's Lincoln's mother, the beautiful Martha Kent between them. She is a botanist at Fairchild Gardens.

South Miami City Commissioner Walter Harris ended Saturday's ceremony saying, "Ric has spent the last forty years fighting for dolphins surrounded by people who hate him (the people who capture dolphins).

He could have stayed at home with the people who love him. Today Ric, you are home.

We honor you, and, we love you."