Canniff holds the “great” pumpkin record!

Tim Canniff of Cortez may have the most sincere pumpkin patch since Charlie Brown’s friend Linus stayed up all night one long-ago Halloween. Canniff poses with his 1,039-pound record-breaking pumpkin May 6 at a weigh-in at A.P. Bell Fish Co. Canniff’s pumpkin took 67 days to grow and broke the previous Florida record by 417 pounds. When he’s not growing giant pumpkins, Canniff serves as a board member on the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage. Caniff plans to display the giant pumpkin at the Cortez Bait and Seafood fish house on the waterfront and then will arrange to deliver it to some farm cows for snacks. Islander Photo: Courtesy Cortez Village Cultural Center