When I was a kid, living in Akron, Ohio, the city proudly boasted that it was the “Rubber Capital of the World.” Akron wasn’t alone–lots of cities and towns presented themselves as the “capital” of this or that.
No city or town, however, wants to be identified as the “shark capital of the world.” And particularly, no one wants that designation with a map of their town’s location next to a big picture of a scary shark flashing a horrifying row of shark teeth.
Unfortunately for New Smyrna Beach, Florida, a newspaper has attached that designation to the town after a string of recent shark attacks off its beaches. The newspaper article describes the circumstances of recent attacks and quotes the manager of the International Shark Attack File as saying that the chances of getting bitten by a shark in New Smyrna Beach are much higher than anywhere else in the world.
I wonder how the mayor of New Smyrna Beach is taking this news? And do you suppose you hear creepy music when you wade into the waters at the beach there?
Webner House 