A winning year for St. James City resident
St. James City resident, Irene Longley, takes three top honors at the 74th annual Sanibel Shell Show. The Shell Show, held March 3 to 5, at the Sanibel Community House on Sanibel and is judged Scientific and Artistic Show. Longley entered a category called,”Best of the Blues” which is open to past blue ribbon winners to compete one step further. Her display of Fiji shells, consisting of five cases and their back boards that explain the display and show pictures of the area where the shells were collected, won the Best of the Blues, blue ribbon.
In another category, Longley, entered a single fossil epitonium shell she had collected at APAC pit in Sarasota back in 1991. This shell won Fossil Shell of the Show which earned her a trophy and blue ribbon.
Under single shells from any area, a perfect cymatium with a perfect apex and curly periostracum in tact, which won Shell of the Show and a blue ribbon for that category.
Longley is a life member of the Sanibel-Captive Shell Club and has been exhibiting in the scientific part of the show for over 20 years, having won many ribbons and awards during that time. In 2010, Longley won the Masters award which was the top award of the show. This award was for her Florida-Bahama shells with a total of nine cases of shells.
According to Longley, the show consists of two parts, scientific and artistic. Both are judged by judges that come specifically to judge the Sanibel sow.
In the artistic portion of the show, there are beautiful flowers, pictures and sailors valentines made out of sea shells in competition for awards.
Next year’s show is scheduled for March 1, 2, and 3 and will be celebrated as the 75th Annual Sanibel Shell Show and will prove to be one of the best.