by: Capt. Jim Kalvin
I’ve been absent as a contributing Editor for a few months due to work and family issues – always hoping to get back to the keyboard “next month”. Strange year for all of us – and laying groundwork to go forward seems to be a moving target. But even as news snippets and political hay-making continues on the 24 / 7 cycle, every once in a while something happens to make you stand up and take stock of what is really important. That happened to me on May 1st when I heard of the passing of Captain Rick Rawlins of DeLand, Florida.
I first met Rick in the year 2000 as he and I were both leaders in our respective “home districts” with respect to fighting to maintain public access to Florida’s waterways. He was a fishing guide, and I was a dock builder. But we were brought together by a common issue – groups of people unknown to either of us were trying to legislate us both out of business. BTW, being a “leader” in a respective district only meant that you were willing and able to sacrifice family time, work time, personal funding, and hundreds of miles of travel on your personal vehicle to bring your regional issues to the table. Not to mention you had to be able to with-stand the slings and arrows from those who were supporting the lawsuits and legislative agendas intended to close our waterways.
Rick and I were among the 12 original Board Members of Standing Watch – a State-wide coalition of pro-active boating and water-access advocates who represented Florida residents and property owners in the aquatic resource regulatory maze. We all recognized that water access rights across the state were under attack from anti-growth interests ranging from the IUCN (google it) to the US Fish & Wildlife Service and our own Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. Rick was a pleasure to meet, and an even greater pleasure to get to know and work with over the ensuing 12 years as Standing Watch became a major player in state rule development, legislative initiatives, guaranteeing stake-holder input on proposed regulation, administrative challenges (lawsuits) against arbitrary regulation, and fighting for science-based rule-making (we’re still a long way from that by the way). The biggest feather in our cap was that we were instrumental in helping to write “Boater’s Rights” into Florida Statute as a cog in the wheel of our water access coalition which included marine industries groups, user groups, and community organizations from throughout Florida.
A legend in the Bass Fishing Guide circles, Rick and his brother, Ron, owned Highlands Park Fish Camp in DeLand. I got to know their families when I would travel across the State from meeting to meeting, rally to rally, and district to district. They always had a cabin for me for overnight stays if Highlands Park happened to be in my travel path and they would never accept a dime for that. I fell in love with the place. Rick was as true-blue as they come. A devout man of God, a community leader, family man, and a fierce defender of our Constitutional Republic; he was a gentle giant who never uttered a harsh word in my presence. In 20 years I never heard him say anything negative, never heard him curse. Even when talking about the folks who were trying to regulate him out of his family business. Mind you, you knew where he stood. He didn’t mince words, and Rick would stand up for principle in a way that a lot of people don’t understand anymore. He would not back down, but would agree to dis-agree on sticking points with those on the other side of the aisle. He might have said, “…well, we’ll just pray for them, that they’ll see the light and do the right thing…” But never a cross word.
My family visited Highlands Park on several occasions as “tourists” over the years, and my boys and I were fortunate to get to fish with Rick. He could have been a comedian/historian, as he would talk from the time you cast the lines off in the morning until the fish were cleaned in the afternoon, never repeating a story and always holding your rapt attention. He loved life, the water, his Lord, and his family with every fibre in his being.
If you are ever in the DeLand area, step back in time and visit Highlands Park Fish Camp. The Rawlins Family has preserved a patch of Old Florida that is nearly impossible to find anymore. Rick put his heart and soul into maintaining Florida residents’ access to the life-blood of our State, our waterways, lakes, and coastal areas. And he paid a price for that as he was singled out many times by law enforcement once his activism was made known. Look his information up online. I’ve heard it said that the measure of a man’s life is what he leaves behind. If that’s true, you will read the legacy of a man who led by example, put his faith not only in God, but also in his fellow Man. Just as I said I’ve never heard Rick say anything negative about those who came against him, my bet is that you won’t find a cross word from them about Captain Rick Rawlins!
Captain Jim Kalvin is a Florida Native, a U.S.C.G. Licensed 100 Ton Master, and a local Marine Contractor. He can be reached at 239-280-6054, at james.kalvin61@gmail.com, or through kcmcfl.com.