b'Major Projects Preserve Historic ClubhouseO ur West Palm Beach Fishing Club (WPBFC) is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.Having been in existence for well over 80 years, our organization has no shortage of historic assets.Like an old boat, there is always some project that needs attention. Consequently, historic preservation efforts are ongoing.This past year the club undertook major outdoor renovations and many club members got involved in the effort.Todd Minnick and his crew at S&D Contracting removed and re-placed the clubs cracked sidewalk and porch. Conner Sedlak and the crew from Sedlak Landscape brought in truckloads of fill to increase yard elevation to mitigate occasional flooding that has been occurring since the replacement of the Flagler Bridge and nearby intersection.The Sedlak team also installed new sod, land-scaping and an irrigation system.Helping quarterback all the engineering these projects required was WPBFC board member Rob Rennebaum from Simmons & White.Other improvement projects included interior painting with help from Mike Davison at Sunrise Painting and the removal of an old air conditioning unit that required cedar siding repair from the crew at Yellowfin Builders.More projects are planned for 2024 that will further protect our historic building and its irreplaceable contents.The main air conditioning units will be replaced, additional interior painting will be done, and new high-capacity roof gutters will be installed. Additionally, we will continue to refurbish and restore some of the WPBFCs skin mounts, some of which are more than 75 years old.We remain vigilant when it comes to maintaining the historic nature of this one-of-a-kind facility that is representative of a by-gone era.We are grateful to have financial support from the John A. and Elizabeth F. Taylor Foundation, club members Tricia Borsch, Bob Frevert and Lamont Harris and various other donors.The WPBFC is a repository of fish mounts, old photographs, historical fisheries data and related memorabilia that documents sportfishings evolu-tion and its importance in the region.Preservation efforts are more important than ever since the downtown area continues to be transformed by new development.Protecting this piece of the past helps keep the community connected to a cultural identity that is closely tied to the marine environment.48 W eStp Almb eAchf iShingc lub'