October 16, 2014

Transcription

October 16, 2014
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C O M M U N I T Y
Zombie Bike Ride this week
Oct.
17-26
age vendors, and a “kid zone”
inside the fort provided by Montessori Children’s School.
Fort museum offers opportunities
to explore Civil War relics, learn about the
wrecking and cigar-manufacturing industries
which shaped the Florida Keys and view the
art of Mario Sanchez and Stanley Papio. Key
West Art and Historical Society also hosts
haunted tours of the the fort that day with
event partners from Ghosts & Gravestones.
Attendees tour sections of the fort and spend
a bit of time with the fort’s most infamous
resident, Robert the Doll.
Ride’s new starting point will help
alleviate the congestion experienced in past
year’s events and help promote the cultural
heritage of the Florida Keys. Riders and festival goers encouraged
to ride safely and drink responsibly.
INFO
zombiebikeride.com
35th Annual Fantasy Fest
10-day costuming, masking celebration:
flamboyant costume competitions, promenades, street fairs, grand parade, marching
groups, island bands. Some
40 masquerade parties and spectacles.
INFO fantasyfest.com
A HAPPENING!
THIS WEEK
Oct. 19
Zombie Bike Ride
Key West Art and Historical Society
sponsors Zombie Bike Ride, hosting
a special kick-off 2-6 p.m at Fort East
Martello, 3501 South Roosevelt Blvd.
Participants enjoy hours of live music
from New Orleans’ Flow Tribe, face and
body painting from some of the island’s best
airbrush and makeup artists, food and bever-
2
www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 16-22, 2014
KEY NEWS
n TROPIC CINEMA
12 IT’S SHOWTIME!
75 and counting
Strunk Family planted geographically, historically in Key West
BY RALPH MORROW
MANAGING EDITOR
Given a choice of going back to
school or finding a job, 16-year-old
Edward A. Strunk Jr. chose to go to
work. And thus began an odyssey that
carried him from Miami to Key West,
where he planted his last name both
geographically and historically in the
Southernmost City.
Strunk’s parents had split up in 1914
after consistently moving from city to
city, and were in Gainesville when the
parents decided to end their union.
Edward the first had worked for the
Atlantic Coast Line railroad company
and was still on the go when his wife
took Edward Jr. and his two sisters
to Miami.
at’s when and where Edward Jr.
received his option, according to Steve
Strunk, the current owner and president
of Strunk Ace Hardware and the grand-
| STRUCK FAMILY photo courtesy
Edward A. Struck III, now 89, left; Steve Struck, now the president, and Andy
Strunk, now the general manager, are shown in a picture taken in 1997.
son of Edward Jr. Among the places his
grandfather went for employment was
Burdine’s, where he was told to go see
a Mr. Benjamin A. Deal. Mr. Deal was
looking for people to work as a clerk or
stenographer—or office flunkie—in the
Marathon office of the train company
run by the Flagler family.
Strunk Jr. was hired and headed for
Marathon where he worked for a couple
3
www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 16-22, 2014
AIDS HELP FUNDRAISING
King and Queen candidate events
• ursday, Oct. 16, 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Key West Innkeepers Association’s Annual
All-Candidates Party Entry fee suggest
donation $10. All proceeds split evenly
between candidates.
• Friday, Oct. 17, 6–10 p.m. Coronation Ball
at Southernmost Beach Café, 1405 Duval St.
$5 admission gets one free vote. $50 priority
seating includes one vote and buffet. VIP
reservations, www.aidshelp.cc All Candidates n
years. Despite lacking a high school
degree, he went to the University
of Florida briefly.
A couple of engineers in the
Marathon office had encouraged him
to join them in a new company called
South Florida Contracting and Engineering Co. in Key West and he did so before
serving in the Army’s Balloon Corps in
France for a year or so. With the war at
an Armistice, he was soon in Key West,
while the owners worked at another part
of the company in Palm Beach.
e company was first at what is
now the Kingdom Hall of the Jehovah’s
Witnesses on White Street. He would
stay with the company for 20 years,
the latter part as a part owner.
In 1939, however, Edward Jr. left the
company and started his own Strunk
Lumber Yard at 7 Wall St. in Mallory
Square. If you go looking for the site
now, you’ll find a parking lot next
| Continued on page 4
october 16-22
to Richard Manley and Eric deBoer, two contractors who formed Manley-deBoer.
“It was the plan of both companies to move to
Eaton street,” said Steve, and they did so, having
their businesses side-by-side, connected only by
shared parking.
Eventually, as Edward A. III grew older, Steve took
over the company and when his children were
born, none was named Edward, although one was
named Andrew and he and his wife named their
son Edward, except that the middle name is Norman, while the three previous Edwards’ middle
name was Augustus.
Steve and his wife, Phyllis, met at Key West High
School and she joined him working at Strunk in
1980. Soon, she had added a gift shop area as her
niche of the business.
Steve, now 64, continues to work every day with
the titles of owner and president, while his son,
Andy, is the general manager. “I guess he’s in
charge,” says Steve of his son. “Andy came home
from the University of Florida and got us all computerized. Soon everyone was running to him and
I wasn’t in charge anymore. I thought about that
for a bit and decided this isn’t so bad.”
Strunk Ace Hardware is completely family owned
and competes with various large and small companies in Key West. “You adapt, you learn,” says
Steve Strunk of the competition. ey affiliated
with Ace Hardware in 1969 with Ace trucks serving the store twice a week.
“We pride ourselves on customer service and having a knowledgeable sales staff,” said Steve Strunk.
e company has 20 fulltime and 5 part-time employees and is also an outlet for Benjamin Moore
paints.
e store can remind a customer of an old-time
hardware store. “We don’t make you buy packages,” said Steve Strunk. No, there are barrels and
bins where you can grab one nail, one bolt, one
nut, one screw. n
Published Weekly
Vol. 4 No. 42
PUBLISHER
Guy deBoer
MANAGING EDITOR
Ralph Morrow
NEWS WRITERS
Mark Howell, John L. Guerra,
Pru Sowers, Sean Kinney, C.S. Gilbert
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Larry E. Blackburn, Ralph De Palma
DESIGN
Dawn deBoer
Julie Scorby
CONTRIBUTORS
Guy deBoer Key News
Mark Howell Howelings
Rick Boettger The Big Story
Tim Weaver Bone Island cartoonist
Louis Petrone Key West Lou
Albert L. Kelley Business Law 101
Christina Oxenberg Local Observation
Kerry Shelby Key West Kitchen
Ian Brockway Tropic Sprockets
Jenessa Berger Get Your Wellness
C.S. Gilbert Culture Vulture
Harry Schroeder High Notes
Morgan Kidwell Kids’ Korner
JT Thompson Hot Dish
Diane Johnson In Review
ADVERTISING
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Susan Kent|305.849.1595
susan.kent@gmail.com
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CIRCULATION
Kavon Desilus ASSISTANT
William Rainer ASSISTANT
KONK Life is published weekly by KONK
Communications Network in Key West, Florida.
Editorial materials may not be reproduced without
written permission from the network.
KONK Communications Network
(305) 296-1630 • Key West, Florida
www.konklife.com
| STRUCK FAMILY photo courtesy
Edward A. Strunk Jr., left, poses at the building
at Mallory Square in early 1940 with Wild Bill
Spencer, the first driver for Strunk. Note the
phone number, 816.
75 YEARS OF STRUNK
| Continued from page 3
to Maison de Pepe restaurant. However, if you go
looking for the company, you’ll find it at 1101
Eaton St., where Strunk Ace Hardware is celebrating its 75th anniversary.
By the time of the company’s birth, Strunk Jr.
had married into a Conch family (Ruth Herrick)
and among their three children was Edward A.
Strunk III, now 89 years old, who would eventually take over Strunk Lumber Yard. Edward Jr. died
in 1984.
Edward III was born in 1925, graduated from Key
West High School in 1942, attended the University of Florida for awhile, then joined the Navy,
serving as a radio man as World
War II was wrapping up. Discharged, he came back to Key
West and was active in the family
business on Mallory Square.
In 1949, he moved Strunk to Simonton Street. “I give him a lot
of credit for building the business,” says his son, Steve. “We
had one building at 120 Simonton, but when he saw properties
available, he bought them…next
door, across the street.”
As the company grew, Edward III decided to sell
off part of it and did so, holding on to the hardware end, but selling the lumber yard part in 1997
| STRUCK FAMILY photo courtesy
The South Florida Contracting and Engineering
Co. was located on White Street and was where
Edward A. Strunk Jr. worked after returning from
duty in World War I.
4
www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 16-22, 2014
MONROE COUNTY
Credit card usage
still county problem
BY SEAN KINNEY
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
Six cardholders purchased 16 items
that were either disallowed or lacking
proper documentation and never paid
back to the county. ose charges total
$718.88.
From the audit report: “Some of
these disallowed purchases have not
been reimbursed by the cardholders.
Even when these disallowed charges are
reimbursed, it is still a violation of the
[Board of County Commissioner’s]
purchasing card policy and procedure
as well as the cardholder agreement and
state of Florida purchasing card
guidelines.”
During their investigation, auditors
interviewed Gastesi, county Finance
Director Tina Boan and other county
staff including the p-card program
administrator.
Auditors asked if she were “aware
of any abuses of the purchasing card
by any cardholders?” She responded,
“While it’s technically a violation, the
BoCC does not consider it a violation
of their own policy.”
e existing p-card policy was
adopted in April 2006. From the establishing item: “e success of the BoCC
purchasing card program relies on the
cooperation and professionalism of all
personnel with this initiative. e most
important participant is the cardholder.
e individual user is the key element
in making this program successful.”
Also included in the guiding policies,
Gastesi is responsible for cardholder
abuses: “Appropriate disciplinary action
will be taken against any cardholder
who misuses their privileges of up
to and including dismissal.”
e county auditors recommended
that Gastesi should “enforce applicable
disciplinary action and loss of privileges
for continual cardholder misuse.”
Auditors also concluded that the
applicable policies and procedures
“are not being properly administered
| Continued on page 28
More than three months after auditors from the Monroe County Clerk’s
Office issued a concerning report about
purchasing card usage in the top echelon of local government, county officials
have not publicly addressed the issue.
County Clerk Amy Heavilin’s office
released the 732-page audit report on
July 7. Despite numerous apparent violations of county purchasing policy by
elected commissioners and County Administrator Roman Gastesi, there has
been no apparent action.
All five commissioners, Gastesi and a
few other top officials are issued Bank
of America credit cards. e intent of
the so-called p-card program is to
streamline purchasing, which, for approved expenditures, would avoid payment of sales tax.
County auditors started in December 2013 and examined policies, procedures and other guidance governing
p-cards. ey also evaluated whether
“internal controls have been established
and are being followed, where management controls failed and whether the
results accomplish the goal of safeguarding county assets.”
Based on the audit report, seven
cardholders purchased 29 items that
were either “disallowed or lacking
proper documentation.”
A review of those expenditures revealed that one cardholder—the purchaser is identified by account number,
not name—made seven of those charges
at a restaurant, hotel, to see three
movies, to rent a car and to pay a toll.
ose charges totaled $502.05 of the
$1,359.96 in charges that had been
repaid to the county.
Disallowed purchases are for entertainment, meals, personal use, alcoholic
beverages and non-work or personal use
items and services.
5
www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 16-22, 2014
EDUCATION
School Board boosting half-cent tax
BY SEAN KINNEY
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
Less than a month ahead of the Nov.
4 general election, the Monroe County
School Board is poised to kick into high
gear a campaign in support of a fouryear, half-cent sales tax referendum that
would raise $15 million per year for capital improvements.
If re-authorized by a majority of voters, the half-cent sales tax would go into
effect again Jan. 1, 2016, and be levied
for a decade. A decade of the projected
levy amounts to an estimated
$157,300,000 in revenue by 2026.
School Board Chairman Emeritus
Andy Griffiths, the long-time District 2
rep, told Konk Life he is spreading the
message via a full schedule of meetings
with school-based parent
association and civic organizations
throughout the Florida Keys.
His primary message is simple: “A
sales tax is preferable to a property tax.
We should export this tax to our visitors.
e local tax burden is less.”
Based on figures provided by Griffiths, the half-cent levy that’s currently in
place has raised some $250 million. He
said that about 52 percent of sales tax
collected in the county is paid by
tourists. Doing the math, tourists have
shouldered $125 million in capital costs.
Griffiths said that money has been
used to fund reconstruction of Coral
Shores High School, Key West High
School, Marathon Middle/High School,
Poinciana Elementary School and other
improvements.
In addition to actual brick and mortar projects, the sales tax money could
statutorily be used for technology upgrades and school security measures.
Looking ahead, Griffiths said the district, with the exception of debt related
to the $38 million reconstruction of Horace O’Bryant Middle School, the
School District will be debt free
in October 2015.
He’s referring to debt related to con-
required to upgrade and address security
needs at school facilities, equip schools
with modern technology, construct new
facilities, provide for renovations and additions to existing school structures and
other permitted capital improvements.
Shall the School Board of Monroe
County, Florida continue to levy a onehalf cent sales tax for a period of ten (10)
years beginning January 1, 2016?”
Although there’s no organized
opposition to the referendum, if the
measure fails the School Board could recoup the lost revenue by raising the
countywide property tax rate.
e board has already locked in a tax
rate for the 2014-15 fiscal year.
Griffiths explained that the current
capital property rate is 50 cents per
$1,000 of assessed home value. In order
to raise the $15 million projected to
come from the sales tax, the capital
property millage would have to be
struction of the high schools and other
projects in the same time frame.
“Currently, the half penny helps pay
the mortgage on our school replacement
program. Our school replacement program is almost
complete.”
Griffiths said once the old debt is retired, the district can tap the half-cent
money to rebuild the three schools given
priority: Gerald Adams Elementary
School on Stock Island, Stanley Switlik
Elementary School in Marathon and
Plantation Key School.
“Once debt free, the continuing revenue stream can pay for three new
schools, new technologies, security
infrastructure and remodeling and
improvements of existing schools,” Griffiths said.
e referendum questions reads: “e
School District’s capital improvement
plan is ongoing. Additional funding is
$1.20per $1,000 of assessed home value.
“A simple majority vote of the School
Board is all that is required,” Griffiths
said. “We are able to continue this low
tax rate because the half penny sales tax
subsidizes that required property tax income.”
e district estimates reconstruction
of the three schools to cost $105 million.
Renovations and improvements to other
district schools is slated to cost $25.5
million.
Technology improvements, including
network and bandwidth upgrades as well
as classroom devices, could cost $21.8
million. Security improvements for
schools and buses is set to cost
$5 million.
For more information on the halfcent renewal, visit keysschools.com n
INFO
www.keysschools.com
UPFRONT
E M A I L TO T H E E D I T O R
Bobble-headed
administrators
Comment on “77% of Key West renters,
owners ‘cost burdened’”
• See page 8
To the Editor:
What is amazing are the numbers
of “affordable” housing units that the
city has allowed or colluded to have
removed to support its various “looking good” projects—e.g., the NOAA
installation supplanted some 50 to
60 affordable homes in what used to
be a manufactured housing park.
What has that monstrosity provided
the community, other than a waste
of space?
Also, not to be forgotten, are the
80 to 100 units that were removed
when a sizable swath of the Stadium
mobile home park was cleared.
Aluminum or not, those were
“affordable” housing units.
Within the same context, let us
also consider the usurpation of the
Glynn Archer School as the site for
yet another city hall. is was just
plain silly.
Why, the question begs, does a
city two miles by four miles need a
full city block to house its machina-
6
www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 16-22, 2014
tions? e facilities on Simonton
Street could have been renovated
for a fraction of the cost.
And speaking of the cost . . .
who bears the burden? You and me.
Perhaps the bobble-headed administrators felt they needed a daily
reminder of their great triumph over
affordability by having the NOAA
building directly across the street.
• Leroy
n NEWS PAGE 08
RENTERS, OWNERS
“COST-BURDENED”
MARK HOWELL‘S
HOWELINGS
Our two Tonys in the Geographic
BY MARK HOWELL
protection from “people wielding
spear guns and fishing lines.”
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
Meanwhile Chris Koenig of Florida
State University is proposing that it’s
s everyone should know
the grouper’s own behavior that has
in the Keys by now, two
undeniably contributed to its populalocal Key West characters have been
tion drop.
featured in a recent edition of the
“Ordinarily these fish don’t move a
National Geographic.
whit,” he says, “glued to the reef ” where
e story in the July issue was titled
food and shelter are plentiful, making
“Big Fish,” which did not necessarily
them easy targets.
refer to the two people in question but
Adds 86-year-old Frank Hammet,
actually to the goliath
who spent much of his
grouper, asking the question,
20s with spear gun in hand,
will the 800-pound fish sink
“You could see them sitting
or swim?
on the bottom in 100 feet of
Illustrating the article,
water. e reefs were covered
written by nature reporter
with them. ere might be
Jennifer S. Holland, author
hundreds in a single spot or
of “Unlikely Heroes,” is a
a wall of them—something
1958 photo courtesy of
you don’t forget! I’d shoot
Monroe County Library
one or two, get eight cents
MARK
showing none other than
HOWELL
a pound for them. I did that
Tony Tarracino, replete
for 15 years or more.”
with bare chest and captain’s cap,
Apparently the grouper’s commercial
together with his family, including a
appeal was largely regional at the time;
young daughter, lined up on a sunny
in the Keys, goliath grouper with black
Key West dock with “a day’s catch”
beans and rice was considered a special
featuring several truly giant grouper
delicacy. But when fish stocks in general
hanging from their mouths beneath a
waned in the early 1980s, “goliaths
wooden sign that reads, “Caught on
landed on menus everywhere,” reports
Boat Greyhound II, Key West, Florida.” Holland. ey also became a recree caption concludes, “Recreational ational favorite for their spectacular size
hauls of goliaths helped push them near and many of them died as trophies.
extinction.”
“Long-lived and slow to mature, the
is species whose scientific name is
species simply couldn’t keep up with
Epinephelus itajara was once populous
the slaughter. It teetered on the edge
in the waters of the southern United
of extinction.”
States and the Caribbean and all the
But it did not fall. In 1990, the
way down to Brazil, numbering in the
goliath was granted legal protection in
tens of thousands. But after years of
the southeastern United States. It has
being “speared and hooked by the boat- been slowly rebuilding its numbers ever
load,” writes Holland, “their numbers
since. e biggest recovery has been in
have dwindled to an unknown low,
local waters, with our thick mangrove
perhaps below a thousand.”
forests, a favored home of the juveniles.
e Florida population, however,
Now comes the part where the other
has rebounded and continues to do so,
one of our two colorful Key West figures
encouraging fishermen, biologists and
in the National Geographic story makes
local government officials to declare the
his appearance: None other than Tony
possibility of shedding their legal
Yaniz.
A
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www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 16-22, 2014
Here is Holland’s text, verbatim:
“As often happens in the world
of conservation, there are two distinct
sides on the issue of goliaths. Still
considered critically endangered in
much of their range, goliaths in Florida
remain legally off limits.
“‘e political pendulum has swung
so far toward protection that you can’t
even touch or look at one,’ says Key
West City Commissioner Tony Yaniz.
‘You’re better off getting caught with
bales of marijuana than with one
of these fish.’”
e irony runs thick at this point.
Fishermen are now saying that the
return of the goliath in such droves is
interfering with legitimate business.
“We have goliaths taking legal
grouper and snapper right off our lines,
over and over,” says commercial fisherman and guide Jim omas. He is one
of many who want to be able to fish for
goliaths—even just a few annually—in
order to thin out the alleged thieves.
“It doesn’t have to be a one-sided
benefit,” Yaniz adds. Why not, he
proposes, have the fishermen contribute
to answering conservation questions by
providing data on the numbers and sizes
of fish?
“ey’re the ones out there every day,
with eyes on the water. ey can really
help us figure out where the species
stands.”
Holland’s conclusion to her National
Geographic story is not uplifting.
| Continued on page 28
CITY NEWS
77% Key West renters, owners ‘cost burdened’
BY PRU SOWERS
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
Key West city commissioners know
there is an affordable housing crisis in
Key West but seeing that problem laid
out in black and white in an executive
summary written by the planning department was particularly bleak.
And the remedies proposed by City
Planner Don Craig and his staff would
likely cause howls from developers,
change the city’s skyline by throwing out
height limits for affordable housing developments and require residents to approve one or more referendums at the
ballot box.
“Affordable housing has been an issue
in Key West for at least three decades,”
Craig told city commissioners at their
Tuesday, Oct. 7, meeting. “It’s not an
issue that will go away by a simple fix.”
e most telling statistic in the planning department’s six- page “white
paper” on solutions to the dire need for
affordable housing was the percentage of
annual income residents have to pay in
rent or home ownership costs. City and
federal guidelines state that not more
than 30 percent of a person’s income
should go towards housing costs. However, in Key West, that figure stands at
40 to 50 percent, meaning that approximately 77 percent of the city’s renters
and homeowners are “cost burdened,” as
the report says, a term referring to people over that 30 percent guideline.
“We have anecdotal information that
is frightening,” Craig said.
“e data was very telling,” said
Commissioner Teri Johnston. “It’s very
disconcerting.”
e problem is and has been clear:
e soaring cost of homes due to second
home owners and an increase in tourism
has put homeownership out of reach for
the average Key West worker, who makes
$37,844 a year. Based on that salary, that
worker could afford a home costing an
average of $156,000. However, the median home price in Key West is
$650,000.
that formula would reduce developers’
profit margins.
Craig asked city commissioners to
give him the go-ahead to begin putting
his recommendations into action. While
some commissioners agreed with Craig’s
direction, however, no formal vote was
taken.
“I support moving this forward as
quickly as possible,” said Commissioner
Jimmy Weekley, who was joined by
Commissioner Teri Johnston.
Commissioner Clayton Lopez was
worried that the emphasis would be on
creating workforce housing, not affordable units, which are often less expensive
than workforce units.
n TO THE EDITOR PAGE 06
BOBBLE-HEADED ADMINISTRATORS
“Our workforce housing ordinance,
created in 2004 and 2005, based on
2000 census data, is woefully out of date.
e issues then are not the issues now,”
Craig said.
And the situation is no better in the
rental market. e report states that a
fair affordable rental rate should be
$946 per worker but that is practically
non-existent.
To combat the growing gap between
year-round workers and soaring housing
costs, Craig proposed a three-pronged
solution that would create potentially divisive reactions. e first would be for
the city to work with the Monroe
County Land Authority to rezone specific areas to allow higher density. is
would be accomplished by changing the
current height restrictions on the island,
which range from 25 to 30 feet in some
residential areas to 40 feet for some commercial properties. Requiring a voter referendum, Craig proposed that affordable
and workforce housing developments be
allowed to build up over the current
height restrictions. at exception would
not apply to market rate developments.
Second, Craig wants the city’s state
representative to petition the state legislature to change the way Land Authority
funds can be used, including allowing
direct subsidies of affordable housing
construction.
And lastly, Craig proposed amending
the city’s workforce housing ordinance to
require any redevelopment of hotels and
other commercial properties to potentially include some affordable units. Currently, only new development projects,
not redevelopment of existing property,
are required to offer a percentage of the
redeveloped units as affordable. Since
there is so little vacant land available for
new development, much of the commercial construction in Key West falls under
the redevelopment heading with no affordable requirements. Any change in
“Several of us have talked about encouraging young people to come back
and raise their kids. We have to be careful we don’t ignore the rest of the need,”
he said.
Commissioner Tony Yaniz said that
he liked some of Craig’s proposals, including eliminating the expiration for
deed-restricted housing. Currently, the
city has 1,089 affordable housing units,
but 223 will have their affordable deed
restrictions expire at the end of the year,
meaning the current affordable rents will
be allowed to increase to market rate.
“Obviously we’re looking at a couple
years down the road, even if we started
tomorrow morning,” Yaniz said. n
Food truck owners protest
proposed new regulations
BY PRU SOWERS
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
Key West’s latest effort to regulate the
popular food trucks that are popping up
around the island will be difficult if not
impossible to adhere to, according to
some truck owners.
City building officials have been
stymied in their past efforts to place restrictions on the truck owners, who successfully argued in court that since the
trucks are licensed vehicles, the state
motor vehicles division, not the city,
oversees their operations.
But a new set of strict regulations
drawn up by the city planning department and sent to the planning board
would put the city in charge.
“Its entire focus is on the regulation
of food trucks on private property to assure the public health, safety and welfare
while providing for compatibility of use
of food trucks with surrounding commercial properties,” said City Planner
Don Craig in a nine-page executive summary to the planning board.
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www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 16-22, 2014
Among Craig’s recommendations is
that food trucks on private property
must be moved off that site every night
and operating hours would be limited
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4-8 p.m. In
addition, if open for business for more
than two hours, truck owners must have
permission from a business within 150
feet for employees to use their restroom.
And no food trucks can operate on private property within 100 feet of a licensed restaurant or food service facility.
“Recently, the city has had difficulty
regulating restaurants which claimed immunity from regulation because of having their food preparation areas located
in or on trailers licensed by the state as
vehicles,” Craig said in his memo.
“Also the city has had a problem with
carts expanding pre-existing area or use
and functioning as a restaurant without
the appropriate review and setting of
conditions for operation.”
e proposed regulations, which the
planning board will discuss at its Oct.
16 meeting, appear aimed at putting
| Continued on page 28
THE BIG STORY
Obey your noodle
BY RICK BOETTGER
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
World neatness obsession, which is
mowing these large lawns.
Hana is an amazing combination
sheville is out, Hana is in
of uncontrolled funk and clean safety.
as our Sister City, that is,
Natives with few dollars but rights to
where we run away to when even our
“tribal lands” are equals if not superior
Keys paradise lets our spoiled asses
to the rich movie stars with homes here.
down. Asheville, news alert, has
ere is no litter. No homeless, not a
WINTER. Hana, on the sleepy end
single panhandler, a few hairy guys in
of the sleepy island of Maui, has trade
beat-up pickups, a local says they are
winds and even better weather than the
either living off the land or trust-funders
Keys. And much more.
posing as old hippies.
We’re spending a week in a condo
e foliage, the people and the ocean.
right over the softly crashing waves of
Ours is as exciting as a bathtub comHana Bay. Hana’s main tourist trade is
pared to the surf crashing on basalt cliffs
day-trippers from the big hotels on the
in all directions here. Hamoa Beach is
northern half of Maui. ey barrel down Michener’s nomination as the most
the famous, 600+ turns of the Hana
beautiful in the world. He’s been
Highway, have lunch and drive back.
around. I say it is second after a beach
at’s why there are a dozen funky lunch in Wayag in Raja Ampat, which even he
diners and only two evening restaurants, missed. Away from the surf, shore
run by the single fancy hotel in town.
snorkeling 40 yards off the sand put me
us any time except noon-2 p.m. is
among at least 50 varieties of reef fish on
for chilling out with the 3,000 blessed
30 percent live coral heads (I consider
locals who inhabit the 5-mile stretch
our Keys heads to be down to 5 percent
called Hana in the same way Big
live), a 10-minute walk from our condo.
Coppitt has a Key West address. e
Our condo lacks not only A/C, which
town itself is about four blocks square.
Cynthia and I don’t use even in Key
e grocery store is 100 years
West, and TV, which we need
old and looks it. One gas
a detox week away from, but
station. Not only no stop
also has no “fitness center.”
lights, not even a stop sign on
So I’ve been forced to spend
the two-lane “highway.” One
20 minutes/day walking back
upscale bar at the fancy hotel
and forth down and up the
and that’s it for the nightlife.
bluff to the snorkel beach and
No one goes there.
spending 40 minutes there
So what’s so great about
with my finny buddies. en
Hana? First, the natural
bring a bodega lunch back
beauty makes the Keys look
to share with my Sweetie.
RICK
like a truck stop in New Jersey
Noodle got us here the
BOETTGER
by comparison. Mountain
right
way. He drove the
COLUMNIST
slopes of old lava flows
shuttle bus from our airport
leading up to an extinct crater.
hotel stopover in the north of Maui to
Lush, brightly flowering foliage
the car rental agency to pick up our Jeep.
everywhere matching our own West
We had planned, of course, like everyone
Martello and Botanical Garden. About
else, to drive down the famous Hana
85 percent wild, 12 percent landscaped,
Highway on the northeast side of the isand the rest lawns. e lawns, amazland. It was open for only two one-hour
ingly, are all perfectly mowed. In the
stretches during the day due to repaving
natural disorder of tulip trees, plumeria, a five-mile stretch in the middle.
hibiscus, etc. they have a single Disney| Continued on page 29
A
9
www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 16-22, 2014
C O M M U N I T Y
WPT subscriptions
available for $144
KONKLIFE NEWS STAFF
Subscriptions for the new Waterfront
Playhouse season start as low as $144 and can
be ordered online, through the mail or by calling
the box office at (305) 294-5015.
Names of the subscription plans have changed
but the prices are the same as 2012/13.
Plan A includes all five Opening Nights plus
all three special events (A Swell Party, Two Score
and Here’s to Us). It also includes catered cast
parties after each show and special event. One
seat for each of eight events (excluding Fantasy
Fest and Pride Fest events) has a cost of $385
with a saving by ordering online of $40.
Plan B includes the five Opening Nights and
the catered cast parties, but excludes the special
events, concerts, Fantasy Fest and Pride Fest
events. Cost is $230 and saves $25. Buy online.
Plan C is five flex tickets (Opening Nights are
not included nor are special events, Fantasy Fest
and Pride Fest events). Use them to see all five
productions or use them in any combination that
you like throughout the season other than for
opening nights. Cost is $180 and saves $25.
Buy online.
Plan D is four flex tickets (opening nights not
included or special events, Fantasy Fest and Pride
Fest events).
Use them to see any four productions or use
them in any combination that you like throughout the season other than for opening nights.
Cost is $144 and saves $20. Buy online.
To order by mail, fill out a subscription
form and return it to e Waterfront Playhouse,
P.O. Box 724, Key West, FL 33041; or call
(305) 294-5015; or email box office at
accessalan@gmail.com
On performance days, the box office is
open from 1 p.m. until show time.
Opening Night Subscribers will receive the
same seats as last season. New Opening Night
Subscribers will receive best available seating.
All tickets will be held at the box office
for pick-up. n
INFO
The Waterfront Playhouse Box Office,
(305) 294-5015
e Lost Soul
Former Key West baseball star Khalil
Greene finds solitude in South Carolina
e following story on Khalil Greene,
one of Key West’s greatest, if not the
greatest baseball player, appeared on
StL Sports Page.
PART III
By Rob Rains
“It was never brought to my
attention and any inside information we had from a medical standpoint was never revealed,” said
Cardinals general manager John
Mozeliak. “It was something we
didn’t have any history with. He
was dealing with some demons
that were something he could not
overcome.”
“We didn’t know how to help.”
Mozeliak was excited when he
got Greene, giving up reliever
Mark Worrell and a second player
to be named later, who turned out
to be reliever Luke Gregerson, in
the deal.
“Anybody who got to watch
him play in those first few years in
the big leagues knew he was a
gifted player,” Mozeliak said.
On April 6, 2009, Greene was
in the Cardinals opening day
lineup, playing shortstop and batting cleanup. His second at-bat
produced a run with a single, scoring the day’s starting pitcher,
Wainwright, but the transition to
playing in a new city did not start
off well.
Greene hit .219 in April, with
two homers and just 8 RBI in 64
at-bats and in May his average
dropped to .171 in 41 at-bats. On
May 29, he went on the disabled
list. It was the beginning of the
end.
An attempt to play again in
June was aborted after only 11
days and Greene went back on the
DL. He missed all of July, and
started a total of five games the
final two months of the season,
most often appearing as a late-inning defensive replacement.
“I thought he was a great guy, a
great teammate,” Wainwright said.
“He was extremely sneaky funny
with a very dry humor. He liked
talking about things besides baseball. When he did engage with you
he wanted to talk about songwriting or music or stuff like that.
“It was unfortunate to see the
way baseball can kind of weigh on
you.
Mentally it was very tough on
him.”
Wainwright, and Schumaker,
both saw Greene attempt to hurt
himself on the field when he
thought he had failed or made a
mistake.
“He had some things he would
do on and off the field,” Wainwright said. “On the field he
would scrape his hands real hard
on the clay and scratch himself. He
would scratch his arms real bad
10
www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 16-22, 2014
with his fingernails. You could tell
he was just battling so hard. He
was really grinding mentally with
the expectation to go out and get a
hit every time. at can weigh on
you.
“We didn’t know how to help
Khalil. All you could do was try to
be a good friend and good teammate and hope he would come
around.”
at was all Schumaker and the
rest of the Cardinals could do as
well.
“I think music was more of his
passion than baseball,” Schumaker
said. “He really cared about baseball and really wanted to perform
well, and when it didn’t happen he
didn’t know what else to do except
hurt himself. It was sad to watch
and witness.
“He would just get really frustrated and not know how to react
or show it without hurting himself
a little bit.”
On Oct. 4, the final day of the
regular season, Greene came to bat
as a pinch-hitter for Todd Wellemeyer in the 10th inning facing
John Axford of the Brewers. He
struck out on four pitches, swinging and missing on the final pitch.
He walked back into the dugout,
and even though nobody knew it
then, away from baseball.
“I prefer to be anonymous”
| Continued on page 29
K E Y W E S T L OU
COMMENTARY
Our legal system disintegrating
BY LOUIS PETRONE
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
Mississippi. Once arrested you are
tossed in jail and the key thrown away.
e Scott County system is to immediPART I
ately incarcerate a wrongdoer, never take
the person before a judge, never provide
n days gone by, the law could be
a bail hearing, never provide counsel,
depended upon to do the right thing. and never have a trial.
No more. As a result, people are losing
I kid you not. ose arrested are kept
faith in the legal system.
in jail under such conditions for up to a
e legal system is like a dike. It can
year. At some point, a Scott County
handle a leak. Cracks are another story.
power-to-be decides the person has done
e leaks have turned into cracks and
enough time and sets the person free.
the walls are in danger of collapsing.
ere is a constitutional right to
ere are concrete examples.
counsel, a speedy trial and a fair bail
First, there is Ferguson, Missouri.
hearing. Not in Scott County. Cases
More than sixty days have gone by and
are frozen in what might be described
still no grand jury report. Indictment or as a legal black hole. Another leak in the
no indictment? A whole community
dike? Maybe a crack?
awaits the decision. Protests continue.
You would think that injustice as
Confrontations between police and
exists in Mississippi is common only
citizens commonplace. Sixty days plus is to Mississippi. at such would never
totally unreasonable.
occur in the north. Wrong.
ere is a gentleman living in St.
New York City is an example. Kalief
Louis who reads my blog and listens to
Browder was arrested on March 15,
my blog talk radio show with a degree
2010. He was walking home with a
of frequency. Ferguson is a suburb of St. friend. ey lived in the Bronx. A high
Louis. He emailed me that the feeling in crime area. A police car pulled up with a
the St. Louis area is the grand jury will
witness in the back seat saying that is
not indict the police officer. Ferguson
him. e witness/victim claimed a backnot may, but will explode. e commupack had been stolen. Browder denied
nity could see itself burned to the
the charge. He was 16 at the time.
ground.
Bail was set at $3,000. No way his
e black people of Ferguson have
Bronx-based family could come up with
a right to be upset. Justice delayed is
that kind of money. He had a lawyer.
justice denied. ere is no
He was frequently brought bereason the prosecutor could
fore a judge. Each time the
not have moved the process
prosecutor requested more
along. He is in total control.
time and the case was adIt is obvious he did not
journed.
want to.
It was adjourned for almost
A crack in the dike.
three years. All this time BrowNow comes Mississippi.
der was in solitary confineA state not unaccustomed
ment. Can you imagine!
to illegalities. Lynchings, beatFinally the prosecutor
LOU
ings, what have you.
decided the witness’ credibility
PETRONE
Mississippi justice never
was suspect. Browder had been
COLUMNIST
changes.e state is accusfalsely accused. He dropped
tomed to doing things its way
the charges.
and continues to do so. Its way not necere is a Sixth Amendment right
essarily the right way.
to a speedy trial. What happene
Don’t get arrested in Scott County,
| Continued on page 30
I
11
www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 16-22, 2014
TROPIC CINEMA
416 Eaton St. • 877-671-3456
Week of Friday, October 17, 2014
through
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Men, Women & Children (R)
Fri - Thu: (1:45), 4:10, 6:30, 8:45
Hector and the Search for Happiness
(R)
Fri - Thu: 8:35 PM
The Two Faces of January (PG-13)
Fri - Thu: (2:00), 4:00, 6:35
This Is Where I Leave You (R)
Fri - Thu: (2:15), 4:20, 6:20, 8:25
Guardians of the Galaxy 3D (PG-13)
Fri - Mon: (3:50), 8:40
Tue: (3:50 PM)
Wed & Thu: (3:50), 8:40
A Walk Among the Tombstones (R)
Fri - Mon: (1:30), 6:15
Tue: (1:30 PM)
Wed & Thu: (1:30), 6:15
TROPIC
SPROCKETS
n I N R E V I E W W IT H
Ian Brockway
To Be Takei
eorge Hosato Takei, (pronounced To’ Kay ) better
known as Cmdr. Sulu from “Star Trek”
movies and TV series goes through life
now at 77 with a wonderful lightness
that intoxicates the spirit.
“To Be Takei” by Jennifer M. Kroot
shows the man, the performer and his
outspoken humor with zip and verve.
Here, Takei is a kind of positive Larry
David character. He frequently appears
on e Howard Stern Show detailing his
life, his internment at a Japanese American prison camp as a youngster until age
eight, his marriage to Brad Altman in
2008 and his vitriol for co-star William
Shatner who refused to attend his wedding. As he says in the car at one point:
G
“ere’s Bill Shatner on a billboard with
tape over his mouth, just as there should
be!”
He is not one to hold back. e Shatner-Takei feud has been documented
with Shatner saying he doesn’t know
George Takei on a personal level and
didn’t feel able to attend the wedding for
that reason. He also said he never got an
invitation. rough it all, Takei emerges
as victor, making a joke out of everything. He is a joy.
Takei’s childhood, spent in a World
War II camp, clearly shook him as he
watched his parents go through anguish,
hemmed in like a herd, surrounded by
barbed wire with floodlights and lousy
food.
By his own admission, Takei was a
ham, so he got to UC at Berkeley and
then studied acting at Desilu Studios.
Work was hard to find, but after some
dubbing work for Toho monster films,
he got work on the respected Playhouse
90 drama series. John Wayne hired him
as did Jerry Lewis with mixed results.
en “Star Trek” beamed him up and a
pop star was made.
Some of the most arresting segments
in the film show the icon being loved
and adored across this country’s constellation for his humor and irreverent
bounce that is never mean. Convention
after convention, he is sought and pursued like an extraterrestrial heron, and
Takei walks forward with tranquil grace.
Only his husband Brad, pale and
warrior-backed with something of Teddy
Roosevelt in him (due to a pair of steely
spectacles), betrays anxiety. Takei is
fiercely protective of his semi-passive
spouse and to see this contrast (especially
when Brad stuffs autograph cash in his
fanny pack) is a laugh riot.
Takei the person, a Buddhist, is aware
of a flow of life, which in this Trekkie
film might be a beam. e condition of
being human is fragile, temporary and,
as he says, part of “the big whole.”
Despite the actor’s success, his
activism and near worldwide adoration,
one aspect haunts Takei: His parents’
anguish at the camp because of his
critical words. Inspired by regret, he met
with playwright Marc Acito about his
and his dad’s prison experiences at the
Arkansas prison camp. e result, the
musical Allegiance, has been playing
to record crowds.
Also entertaining are scenes from
Takei’s day-to-day life, as he lopes about
gingerly through Central Park. In one
animated sequence he details his first
love with a Boy Scout counselor as
“delicious and terrifying.”
When basketball player Tim
Hardaway asserted his horrendous
homophobia, George Takei countered
with a hilarious sexual pass on video.
And, when pressed about the past stigma
of the word “Gay,” he coined the phrase
“It’s okay to be Takei.” Because he is a
glib showman with a penchant for the
florid turn of phrase in a deep languid
voice, he also seems to have a bit of
Vincent Price within.
By far, however, the film’s best
moment is in its showing of some
homoerotic artwork depicting Captain
Kirk and Mr. Spock in lusty or loving
embraces to the delight of the present
Captain Sulu.
e ignorance of Shatner has indeed
been pulverized into gaseous space junk
with Howard Stern and George Takei
laughing all the way.
“To Be Takei” is a refreshingly
universal documentary, snarky and
affectionate by turns, but never poison.
And the best news is that you don’t have
to moonlight in pale or pointy ears to
enjoy it. n
One Chance
he most interesting thing
about “One Chance,” the
underdog story about an unknown
Welsh opera singer, Paul Potts, is its
subversion and nod to Stanley Kubrick’s
“A Clockwork Orange.” In the film,
Paul Potts (James Corden, How to Lose
Friends & Alienate People) relates in a
sly voice-over reminiscent of Alex, that
he was badly beaten. As Paul races down
T
| Continued on page 31
12
www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 16-22, 2014
WHAT‘S HAPPENING
Tuesday 1021
Raven Cooper 7-11pm
Wednesday 1022
That Hippie Band 7-11pm
Hog’s Breath Saloon
400 Front St., (305) 296-4222
n
Thursday-Sunday 1016-19
Holt & McAdam 5:30-9:30pm
Homemade Wine 10pm-2am
Monday-Sunday 1020-26
The Coal Men 5:30-9:30pm
JoBu Band 10pm-2am
Mix of reggae and rock ‘n’ roll. Fullfledged touring band with catchy
lyrics and dance floors hard beats.
Schooner Wharf Bar
The Doerfels
La Te Da
Schooner Wharf Bar
1125 Duval St., (305) 296-6706
n
Thursday 1016
Piano Bar: BOYZ, 9:pm
Friday 1017
Cabaret: Christopher Peterson’s
EYECONS, 9pm
Piano Bar: BOYZ, 9pm
Saturday 1018
Cabaret: Randy Roberts LIVE! 9pm
Piano Bar: Fabulous Spectrelles,
9:30pm
Sunday 1019
Zombie Tea Dance, 4pm
Piano Bar: Black & Skabuddah, 9pm
Monday-Tuesday 1020-21
Piano Bar: BOYZ, 9pm
Wednesday 1022
Piano Bar: The Spectrelles, 9:30pm
| Continued on page 16
202 Williams St., 292-3302
n
Thursday 1016
Taylor & Clayton 7-11pm
Friday-Saturday 1017-18
The Doerfels 7pm-Midnight
Growing up in a musical family, five
brothers played instruments from the
time they could walk. Started out
playing bluegrass, but now blend contemporary and classic rock, country,
pop and alternative music. Acoustic
and electric instruments and iften
joined by Nina and Naomi Newton.
Sunday 1019
Gary Hempsey/Peter Jarvis
7-11pm
Monday 1020
Happy Dog 7-11pm
Hog’s Breath
JoBu: Andrew Neal, Aaron Van Vooren, Matt Hines and Evan Ryan
14
www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 16-22, 2014
Smokin’ Tuna Bar
Left:Scott Kirby
Above: Chris Clifton
Smokin’ Tuna
4 Charles St.,
(305) 517-6350
n
Thursday 1016
Joal Rush 5pm
Caffeine Carl/Ericson Holt 9pm
Friday 1017
Nick Norman 5pm
Caffeine Carl/Joel Rush 9pm
Sunday 1019
Joal Rush 5pm
Key Lime Pirates 9pm
Saturday 1018
Nick Norman 5pm
Caffeine Carl/Joal Rush 9pm
Monday 1020
Scott Kirby 5pm
Chris Clifton/Caffeine Carl 9pm
Tuesday-Wednesday
1021-22
Scott Kirby 5pm
Chris Clifton Band 9pm
WHAT‘S HAPPENING
McConnell’s Irish Pub
| RALPH DE PALMA
Love Lane Gang
Tuesday 1021
Tony Baltimore 1-4pm
Robert Albury 6-8pm
Wednesday 1022
Rolando Rojas 6-8pm
Burlesque LLG 4:30-7:30pm
McConnell’s Irish Pub
900 Duval St., (949) 777-6616
n
Mondays
8-11pm — Eric from Philly
Tuesdays
8-11pm — Fiona Malloy
Wednesdays
8-11pm — Tom Taylor
Thursdays
7-9pm — Trivia Mania;
9pm-1am — Chris Rehm/Open Mic
Fridays
8pm-Midnight — Love Lane Gang
Saturdays
9pm-1am — Eric from Philly
Sundays (Brunch)
11am-2pm
Rick Fusco/Oscar Deko/Kerri Dailey
9pm-2am — Industry Appreciation
Sunset Pier
C.W. Colt
| Continued from page 15
Sunset Pier
Zero Duval St., (305) 296-7701
n
Thursday 1016
C.W. Colt 1-4pm
Rolando Rojas 6-8pm
Friday 1017
Rolando Rojas 1-4pm, 6-8pm
Saturday 1018
The Doerfels 1pm
Robert Albury 5-7pm
Sunday 1019
Nina Newton Band 1pm
Happy Dog 5:50-8:30pm
Monday 1020
C.W. Colt 1-4pm
Robert Albury 6-8pm
Pinchers
712 Duval St., (305) 440-2179
n
Carl Hatley 1-5pm
6/30am,7/2am,7/4am,7/5am
Bobby Enloe 1-5pm
7/1am,7/3am,7/6am
Carter Moore 7-11pm 7/4pm, 7/5pm
16
www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 16-22, 2014
WHAT‘S HAPPENING
‘Adventures in
Burlesque Land’
and dynamite duet, Kitten and Lou,
headline every stop. eir astonishing
combination of sexed-up classic
burlesque, glossy MGM-era musical
numbers, homo-fabulous twin club
kid-style and Fosse jazz-ma-tazz
performances happens when a
diminutive drag king and a bodacious
burlesque queen fall in love—showbiz
magic!
is theatrical experience combines
the classic art of striptease and vocal
performances into a Follies-style production. In addition to regular seating
($45-$55), a limited number of stage
seats available at $75. Audience members who choose these seats will be able
to participate in the show. To purchase
tickets, email the Box Office,
AccessAlan@gmail.com
Adventures in Burlesque Land is
made possible with funds from the
Anne Mckee Artist Fund. n
INFO
8 p.m., The Waterfront Playhouse,
310 Wall St., (305) 294-5015
Angie
oin Key West Burlesque’s
very own bump and grind
goddess, Tatah DuJour, on an epic
journey through glittering home of
G-strings and pretty things! “Adventures in Burlesque-Land” takes you into
the sexy and salacious world that exists
behind the big red velvet curtains at
e Waterfront Playhouse—a world
where bawdy burlesque beauties make
fantasy come true.
e adventure begins as the curtains
part and the lovely ladies of Key West
Burlesque—Moana Amour, Irina Rose,
Nancy no Pants and Nudie Judie—take
the stage. e show continues as we
hop aboard the “Night Train” with
Cuban Missile Crisis, Tito Bonito and
make all stops in Tease Town, e Sexy
Seashore, Oh La La and Cha Cha Cha
City and e Peepshow Palace.
On the excursion, we will hear the
sultry songs of Angie Z and meet sexy
siren, Sofia Luna. Tour-de-force couple
J
Tata
17
www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 16-22, 2014
With a European flair
by C. S. GILBERT
KONK LIFE REAL ESTATE WRITER
erhaps it’s not an
epidemic, but it’s an
unusually strong trend: an amazing
number of Florida Keys and Key West
resorts, hotels, motels, guest houses,
inns and bed-and-breakfasts have
changed hands recently. Now yet
another downtown icon is on the
market – and it is our pleasure to
feature it this week.
L’habitation Guest House is
unique, locally, because it is the lone
guest house with an ambiance
thoroughly European – French, to be
specific, a reflection of co-owner
Helene Gironet, a native of Biarritz,
France, whose warm welcome and
delectable French accent (which she
has been careful not to lose) have
characterized the small, intimate
establishment for almost 20 years.
Also near at hand is her husband and
co-proprietor Stuart Butler – not at
all European, but friendly and helpful
and very much a partner in the
business. He is the resident historian.
There are numerous French words
for places where travelers or
vacationers may rent a room for a
night or a week or more. There is
hotel (with the chevron-shaped accent
over the o), which means the same in
both languages. There is auberge,
translatable to inn. There is pension,
which internet dictionaries define as
guesthouse. And then there is
habitation, with its synonyms in
French, refuge, logement and
residence, which come with the
connotation of being one’s own
home – chez-sois – thus suggesting a
P
This historic, charming, French-style guest house is steps from Duval Street. Note the
commendations from the esteemed “le Guide de Routard” for 2000-2003 below the
French flag.
The efficient
reception
area is very
European.
The
continental
breakfast is
served on the
treetop-level
rear deck.
18
www.konklife.com • October 16-22, 2014
warmer welcome than would be
expected in an ordinary business
establishment.
That seems to fit L’habitation, an
establishment of 11 suites, including
a “manager’s suite” with two
bedrooms and a full kitchenette (all
rooms have small refrigerators),
located at the absolutely perfect
address of 408 Eaton St. That’s
between Whitehead and Duval,
fortunately only one house off
Whitehead, the quieter end. Almost
all internet reviews highly praise
accommodations, location and
welcome; L’habitation’s reputation is
sterling indeed.
And the affection with which
Gironet is held by her guests is
demonstrated by an extensive display
of glass pumpkins from all over the
world in the receprion area. “I strated
to collect them, and then people sent
them to me,” she explained.
There is a charming and homey
diversity in the 11 “suites,” bedrooms
or bed-sitting rooms with ensuite
baths and individual AC/heating
mini-splits, without a touch of
cookie-cutter décor anywhere. First
floor ceilings are lofty. Beds (all but
one twin-bedded room are king or
queen-sized), coverlets (often
handsome quilts), armoires if there
are no closets, window treatments and
decorative accessories are individual,
and all but a few personal items are
offered with the property. “It’s mostly
turnkey,” she said. There are two on
site parking spots, which Butler and
Gironet currently occupy, but reviews
indicate that free parking is available
only a couple of blocks away behind
the courthouse.
A continental breakfast is served
Each suite has its
own unique décor, but
all are comfortable
and welcoming.
One suite
features an
antique
brass bed.
on a secluded, treetop-level rear deck
of the two-story guesthouse, where
there are two quartets of comfy,
upholstered chairs available for
lounging, reading or socializing later
in the day or evening. Two first floor
suites also share a roomy, semi-private
rear deck.
The building is both charming and
historic, with a good-sized,
comfortably furnished, sitting porch
trimmed with modest gingerbread
across the Eaton St. frontage. Built in
1874 by two brothers, it was
originally two identical houses, their
gables facing Eaton, according to
Butler, who noted that this view is
recorded in a bird’s-eye view
photograph circa 1876. “Sometime
between 1899 and 1912, one brother
died. The other took the houses and
moved them ninety degrees on the
double lot and attached them.” The
gables are now visible, with various
additions, at the sides of the structure.
“It was a private residence till 1940,”
Butler continued, then became a sixunit apartment house, The Tides, for
a time owned by an attorney who
lived and had his office on the first
floor and rented out the other units.
Another notable bed is this handsome four-poster. There are several in the
guesthouse.
Then it apparently fell on hard
times and became a flophouse. “There
are so many stories,” Gironet said,
but the building is “very old. You can
see the tongue-in-groove beams”
crafted by shipwrights so “it moves in
the wind, like a ship.” Excellent
hurricane protection, it sounds like.
Dade County pine is found
throughout, albeit painted “but not
by us!” she hastened to note.
The couple bought it and created
L’habitation “January 29 or 30,
1998,” Butler said. “I can never
remember which; we got married the
year before. Both are good!”
Business is good, too. The
prospectus for the property comes
with a month-by-month, statistical
“Historic Trend Report.” This
opportunity to own a successful
business in a perfectly located,
historic building is offered by
Prudential Knight & Gardner Realty
and listing agent Brenda Donnelly.
Contact her at (305) 304-1116.
Konk Life welcomes subjects for
other articles about Keys homes
currently for sale. Contact Guy deBoer
at (305) 296-1630 or (305) 766-5832
or email guydeboer@konknet.com.
The second floor, two-bedroom manager’s suite is spacious and contains a
kitchenette.
The comfortable front sitting porch is perfect for people-watching.
19
www.konklife.com • October 16-22, 2014
1
2
3
4
5
Featured Home Locations
6
2
1
5
Key Haven
3
4
7
Stock Island
Featured Homes – Viewed by Appointment
Map # Address
1
2
2007 Seidenberg Ave., Key West
408 Eaton St., Key West
#BR/BA
Listing Agent
Phone Number
Ad Page
4BR/4BA
Roberta Mira, Florida Keys Real Estate Co.
305-797-5263
20
Brenda Donnelly, Prudential Knight & Gardner Realty
305-304-1116
20
12BR/11.5BA
3
1901 S. Roosevelt Blvd., Key West
2BR/2BA
Dawn Thornburgh, Beach Club Brokers, Inc.
305-294-8433
800-545-9655
20
4
1800 Atlantic Blvd., C-125, Key West
2BR/2BA
Karen Lane, Prudential Knight & Gardner Realty
305-393-5903
20
5
1317-A Catherine St., #A, Key West
2BR/2BA
Frank Kirwin, Preferred Properties Key West
305-294-3040
305-304-5253
21
6
3611 Flagler Ave., Key West
4BR/3BA
Doug Mayberry, Doug Mayberry Real Estate
305-292-6155
24
405 South St., Key West
5BR/4BA
Doug Mayberry, Doug Mayberry Real Estate
305-292-6155
24
7
22
www.konklife.com • October 16-22, 2014
Key West Association of REALTORS®
keywestrealtors.org
Phone (305) 296-8259
Listing Agency
Lower Keys
KeyIsle Realty-Lower/Middle/Upper Keys
Prudential Knight & Gardner Realty
Internet Realty of the Florida Keys
Allison James Estates & Homes
Coldwell Banker Schmitt RE Co. Lower Keys
Coldwell Banker Schmitt RE Co. Lower Keys
Internet Realty of the Florida Keys
RE/MAX Keys To The Key
Waterfront Keys Realty Inc.
Florida Keys Realty, Inc.
Sellstate Island Properties
Doug Mayberry Real Estate
Sellstate Island Properties
Keys Commercial Real Estate LLC
RE/MAX Keys To The Key
Sellstate Island Properties
Key West
Island Group Realty
Coldwell Banker Schmitt Real Estate Co.
Addvantage Real Estate Services
Key West Vacation Properties & Realty, LLC
Truman & Co.
Coldwell Banker Schmitt Real Estate Co.
Sellstate Island Properties
Selling Agency
Century 21 Schwartz Realty BPK
Sellstate Island Properties
Coldwell Banker Schmitt RE Co. Lower Keys
KeyIsle Realty-Lower/Middle/Upper Keys
Coldwell Banker Schmitt RE Co. Lower Keys
Keys Commercial Real Estate LLC
Outside Of MLS
RE/MAX Keys To The Key
Waterfront Keys Realty Inc.
Florida Keys Realty, Inc.
Star Properties
Key West Properties
Coldwell Banker Schmitt RE Co. Lower Keys
Keys Commercial Real Estate LLC
Outside Of MLS
Doug Mayberry Real Estate
Island Group Realty
Coldwell Banker Schmitt Real Estate Co.
Tradewinds International Real Estate PLLC
Century 21 Schwartz Realty
Truman & Co.
Coldwell Banker Schmitt Real Estate Co.
Prudential Knight & Gardner Realty
Sold Date
List Price
Sold Price
10/8/14
10/2/14
10/2/14
10/6/14
10/2/14
10/2/14
10/6/14
10/1/14
10/3/14
10/8/14
10/2/14
10/8/14
10/2/14
10/2/14
10/2/14
10/6/14
$ 797,500.00
$ 69,900.00
$1,199,000.00
$ 247,300.00
$ 70,000.00
$ 139,000.00
$ 899,000.00
$ 32,800.00
$ 255,000.00
$ 747,000.00
$ 304,900.00
$ 145,000.00
$ 349,000.00
$ 424,000.00
$ 600,000.00
$ 214,500.00
$ 851,000.00
$ 55,000.00
$1,070,000.00
$ 324,450.00
$ 70,000.00
$ 126,500.00
$ 876,500.00
$ 15,934.00
$ 245,000.00
$ 670,000.00
$ 305,000.00
$ 145,000.00
$ 360,000.00
$ 424,000.00
$ 698,500.00
$ 206,000.00
Fax (305) 296-2701
Street # Street Address
842
0
20
1381
5
513
1426
16
701
22736
139
19534
17225
37
156
22
Big Pine Ave
Palmetto Dr
Cooks Island
W Shore Dr
Pirates Rd
Indies Rd
Calle Bogota
Red Leggs
Spanish Main Dr #118
Jolly Roger Dr
Le Grand Ln
Apache St
Jamaica Ln
Palm Dr
Sea Ln
11th Ave
10/1/14
$ 69,999.00
$ 64,000.00
5555 College Rd #14
10/3/14
$ 329,000.00
$ 315,000.00
3930 S Roosevelt Blvd #204W
10/3/14
$ 340,000.00
$ 330,000.00
3327 Harriet Ave
10/6/14
$ 379,000.00
$ 350,000.00
2601 S Roosevelt Blvd #308C
10/2/14
$ 254,000.00
$ 254,000.00
1721 Johnson St
10/3/14
$ 659,000.00
$ 590,000.00
1104 Elgin Ln
10/3/14
$ 182,800.00
$ 194,000.00
3309 Eagle Ave
Based on information provided by the KWAR MLS from 10/02/2014 to 10/09/2014
Good Deeds sponsored by
6
Island
Built
Description
Bdrms
Wtrfrnt
MM
Big Pine Key
Big Pine Key
Big Pine Key
Big Pine Key
Little Torch Key
Ramrod Key
Summerland Key
Cudjoe Key
Cudjoe Key
Cudjoe Key
Cudjoe Key
Sugarloaf Key
Sugarloaf Key
Saddlebunch
Geiger Key
Stock Island
1972
N/A
1997
1987
N/A
N/A
1963
N/A
2006
1988
1994
1997
2000
2014
1996
1974
Single Family
Lots
Single Family
Single Family
Lots
Lots
Single Family
Lots
Mobile Home
Single Family
Single Family
Single Family
Single Family
Single Family
Single Family
Single Family
3
3
2
0
0
3
0
2
3
2
3
3
3
3
4
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
29.5
29
29
29
28.5
27.5
25
23
23
23
22.5
19
17
13
9
5
Key West
Key West
Key West
Key West
Key West
Key West
Key West
N/A
1991
1987
1967
1968
1925
1987
Boat Slip
Condo
Townhouse
Condo
Single Family
Single Family
Townhouse
0
3
3
3
0
2
2
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
5
4
4
4
3
1
0
7
CITY NEWS
No Easter Seals — now
where will KOTS land?
BY PRU SOWERS
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
Pressured by legal deadlines and the
city attorney to make a decision on
where to move the overnight homeless
shelter, Key West city commissioners instead deadlocked at their Tuesday, Oct.
7, meeting, taking one option off the
table but unable to make a final determination on a new site.
After a lengthy debate that included
passionate pleas from several residents
not to relocate the Keys Overnight
Temporary Shelter (KOTS) near their
homes, commissioners couldn’t reach a
consensus. e only vote taken was to
move the shelter, which houses a maximum of 140 people a night, to the former Easter Seals building on College
Road. But the 3-3 tie vote effectively
killed that proposal, which was sponsored by Mayor Craig Cates and supported by commissioners Teri Johnston
and Jimmy Weekley.
A second proposal sponsored by
commissioners Tony Yaniz and Billy
Wardlow to move KOTS to a cityowned site on Palm Avenue near the
Meadows residential neighborhood and
Peary Court—whose new owners intend turning that apartment complex
into luxury homes – was withdrawn by
Yaniz when it became clear it didn’t
have enough votes to pass.
e tie-breaking vote would have
gone to Commissioner Mark Rossi.
However, he was attending a cruise industry conference in St. Maarten on
Tuesday. When Yanitz suggested postponing any vote until Rossi returned,
Johnston pointed out that Rossi did not
request that his fellow commissioners
wait until he could attend the next
meeting. In the past, Johnston said,
when an absent commissioner requested
an issue be held until they were present
to vote, their wish had been accommodated.
“Without that kind of input from
Commissioners Rossi, I am assuming
that he didn’t want to vote on it,” Johnston said.
“With all due respect, he doesn’t get
to dodge the bullet,” Yaniz responded.
ere was a clear unease from other
commissioners to act on the proposals
in front of them, as well. Commissioner
Clayton Lopez said he would vote no to
both the Easter Seals and Palm Avenue
sites. Wardlow said he wanted specific
cost estimates on building a new
overnight shelter and the services it
would offer before he could pick the
most appropriate location.
“We’re behind the eight ball right
now, way behind the eight ball,” he said.
Lopez pointed out that no matter
where KOTS eventually ends up,
“somebody is going to have a problem.”
As a result, despite the fact commissioners have known for a year that they
would have to relocate KOTS, Lopez
said he wanted to go back to city hall
planners “to edify myself more with the
specifics we are faced with.” Like Wardlow, he said he wanted to finalize a plan
on services and operations before choosing a site.
“I think we’re kind of spinning here,”
Lopez said.
e only people happy with Tuesday’s outcome were residents of the Key
West Golf Club Homeowners Association, whose board of directors had
threatened to sue the city if commissioners voted to move KOTS to the former Easter Seals building. William
Buzzi, a director of the association, said
the Easter Seals site proposal would be
“a poor decision.”
“You’d be hard pressed to find a more
illogical or dangerous site to house people of unknown background,” he said.
“I find it interesting that we’re locating a shelter that probably has a lot of
dangerous-type people,” said Robert
Raffenelli, who owns a home in the
golf association.
| Continued from page 30
25
www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 16-22, 2014
C O M M U N I T Y
n All is true:
The Naked Girl in the Tree House
e stones come alive
A Serial Novel by MARK HOWELL
CHAPTER IV
e story so far: Our two heroes,
om One and David Carpenter
(om is your narrator in these
episodes), have arrived in America from
England for an adventure before attending college. e year is 1964, just
months after the murder of the president. On the boat from Britain to New
York they meet a bevy of co-eds from
Painesville, Ohio, and are now on their
way to visit them at Lake Erie College
in a beat-up Plymouth Savoy they purchased for next to nothing from two
kindly beatniks in Times Square. All is
true and, as of now, they have yet to encounter any naked girl in a tree house.
It was our first real fight. Every day,
making our separate ways back home
from work to our weekly rental on 30th
Street, we’d each find ourselves gazing
up Fifth Avenue to its horizon uptown,
yearning to just get in our car and drive
toward that sunny sky hailing us from
the other end of Manhattan, luring us
to the West Coast beyond. Song of the
open road: e sexiest and most maddening sound of all. We’d been working
and waiting long enough.
Now we were actually on the road,
David driving, punching a chrome button on the dash of the Plymouth Savoy
each time he wanted to kick us into a
faster gear, a priceless process to anyone
who’d learned to drive on an Austin 7.
And for the first time the two of us
were quarreling. “Of course we have to
go to Niagara Falls!” I yelled at him!
Are you joking? How can we miss Niagara Falls?”
“Unless you want us to pluck apples
in Iowa, we have enough cash to get us
to my uncle in L.A., and that’s it. Even
at 30 cents per gallon of petrol,” he responded.
I realized he wanted to get to
Painesville to meet up with the girls as
fast as possible, which at the rate we
were traveling was 75 mph.
Forsaking Niagara Falls seemed a big
sacrifice to me. But what did I know,
really?
David increased our speed, maybe to
blast past the Falls exit. We were on the
brand-new Interstate system, built to
follow Eisenhower’s orders that every
slope and corner be safely negotiable by
a convoy of intercontinental missiles at
60 mph. is was something we’d been
craving to experience ever since we’d
learned how to drive.
Even the signage was unbelievable —
and uniform throughout the country!
Our own land of leading speedsters like
Stirling Moss and Mike Hawthorne
would never have anything to match it,
condemned for all time to loopy lanes
and cobbled streets that we drove like
maniacs anyway.
It wasn’t long before a black-andwhite sedan in the far lane started to
pace us, steadily drawing closer alongside for the driver to take a closer look.
And why not? Scrawled on the shiny,
aluminum-blue finish of our vehicle, in
big white letters, was this: THE
ROLLING STONES: London to Los
Angeles.
e cop brought down his front
window on the passenger side and
mouthed what looked like the words,
“You boys are coming with me!”
“Open the window!” I yelled at
David, who was fumbling with the
knobs by his side never having operated
an electric window in his life.
e breeze whistled in, but David
was not slowing. Instead he was saying,
in the cop’s direction, “Excuse me?” e
officer blinked at this and then barked,
“Follow me!” swerving in front of us to
us to lead the way to the upcoming exit.
| Continued from page 30
26
www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 16-22, 2014
Weekend
Gourmet
BY KERRY SHELBY
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
ne of the best skills a
home cook can learn is
how to make a dish that has some
complexity and depth of flavor without
spending all day in the kitchen. is
adaptation of saltimbocca, a favorite dish
from the Lazio region near Rome, fits
the bill perfectly. It literally has layers of
flavor all rolled into one simple roulade
of roasted chicken, salty prosciutto and
tangy provolone, punctuated with fresh
basil.
Traditional saltimbocca, made with
veal, prosciutto and sage, is a robust,
savory combination that is reminiscent
of the chilly Italian autumn. at’s not a
O
bad thing at all, but substituting chicken
and basil for the veal and sage brightens
the flavors and a little provolone cheese
adds a creamy contrasting layer. Butterflying a chicken breast may be new to
you, but be brave, work carefully and it’s
really very easy. A sauce of mushrooms
sautéed in the same pan as the roulades
provides yet one more flavor source and
makes for a nice presentation on the
plate. All this can easily be accomplished
in only about half an hour, including the
time it takes to pour a nice glass of wine
for the cook!
Chicken Roulades with
Prosciutto and Basil
Divide a boneless, skinless ¾ pound
chicken breast into two halves. Lay each
half flat on a chopping block. Using a
sharp boning knife, butterfly each by
carefully cutting horizontally down the
long thicker side of the breast, stopping
just short of cutting all the way through,
until you can lay the breast open like a
book.
Pound each piece with a smooth meat
mallet to form a thin cutlet. Season with
pepper and just a bit of salt (you will be
adding some salty prosciutto later, so be
light with the salt).
Lay a single slice of prosciutto on top
of each cutlet and drizzle with a little
olive oil. Add a slice of provolone cheese
and about a tablespoon of shredded fresh
basil. Roll the chicken into a snug roll
27
www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 16-22, 2014
and tie with 2 pieces of cooking twine.
Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
In a cast iron skillet large enough
to hold the roulades, melt 2 tablespoons
of butter. Brown the roulades on all
sides, then transfer to the oven and cook
until the roulades are cooked through,
about 6-7 minutes—they should just
spring back when prodded with a fork.
Remove the pan from the oven and
transfer the roulades to a cooling rack set
over a plate.
Set the pan over medium high heat
and add ½ pounds of sliced mushrooms
and a pinch of salt. When the mushrooms begin to brown and release their
liquids, add a tablespoon of butter and
swirl to incorporate.
Remove twine from the roulades and
serve topped with the mushrooms.
Orzo mixed with wilted spinach is a nice
accompaniment. • Serves 2
Wine pairing To offset the saltiness,
pair with a dry, acidic white wine from
Italy or a bubbly Prosecco
Kerry Shelby is a food enthusiast, cook,
forager, adventurer and a hungry
consumer of life. He is creative director
and host of Kerry Shelby’s Key West
Kitchen, a food and lifestyle brand
appearing at kwkitchen.com and on the
Key West Kitchen channel on Youtube.
KEY BUSINESS
KEY WEST
and more than 100 bullets to subdue by Capt.
Charles ompson of Miami aboard his boat off
Knight’s Key.
It was towed to Miami, preserved and stuffed
and exhibited on a railroad flat car until it was
accidentally destroyed by fire in 1922. (anks to
Jim McManus and Jackne for this item.) n
*****
CREDIT CARD USAGE
| Continued from page 5
to accomplish the intended goals…”
Gastesi responded in writing to several of the
auditors’ findings. For the 29 disallowed expenses
that were reimbursed, Gastesi characterized the
charges as “inadvertent, accidental or erroneous.”
On the still outstanding charges, Gastesi
wrote: “Cardholders and staff continuously and
diligently work to resolve charges, and will continue to work on clearing off sales tax and disallowed items.”
He asked for clearly defined examples, in writing, of what constitutes acceptable documentation of a p-card charge.
e audit period covered ran from Oct. 26,
2010 to Feb. 25, 2014. e complete document
is available through the clerk’s office website. n
HOWELLINGS
| Continued from page 7
“However successful their mating, a return
to historic high numbers may be just a dream for
the big fish.”
Scientists, she reports, are saying exposure to
mercury is having an insidious toxic effect on the
goliath, leading to lesions in the liver of adults.
“We shouldn’t be eating these things,” she
suggests. And the future of goliaths is also tied up
in those mangrove nurseries, where the fish live
around the trees’ tangled roots until they are
about five years old.
But coastal development, agriculture and pollutants threaten these shallow-water habitats. e
present trajectory suggests 20 percent losses of
remaining U.S. mangroves in the next 50 years—
devastating for young, developing goliaths, which
are already reeling from unusually cold winters
that took out thousands of the fish from their juvenile habitat throughout South Florida.
Our conclusion: Go goliath! Be grand!
Give it all you’ve got!
*****
One of the largest creatures ever caught in the
Keys was a 38-foot-long, 26,594-pound whale
shark that took about 39 hours, five harpoons
Quote for the Week
“Many men go fishing all of their lives without
ever knowing that it was not fish they were after.”
— Henry David oreau
July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862
FOOD TRUCK OWNERS PROTEST
| Continued from page 8
them out of business, some truck owners said.
Eli Pancamo, owner of Garbo’s Grill, a fouryear old food cart
currently operating on private property at 129 Simonton St., objected to several of the proposed
rules, including the limited hours of operation
and having to move his cart every day. Garbo’s
which has been featured on numerous television
dining shows and in newspaper and magazine articles, was a permanent fixture on its previous
Caroline Street site. It moved recently to Simonton Street, where it also stays in place. Having to
move the cart every night would be impossible,
Pancamo said.
“It’s like they [city planners] are narrowing it
down to where it won’t work. I’m scared to sign a
new lease. I’m scared to get a bigger cart. I’m
scared to do anything,” he said.
“I don’t know who decided that food trucks
are public enemy No. 1,” said Owen Trepanier, a
local urban planner and development consultant
who is working with four food truck owners to
respond to the proposed regulations.
Michael Wilson, owner of White Street Station, a stationary food truck located in the service
station parking lot at the corner of Truman and
White streets, was also concerned about the proposed new ordinance. While he believes that any
new regulations won’t apply to him, since he has
a pre-existing business and had all charges filed
by the city against his business dismissed by a
special magistrate judge, Wilson was particularly
concerned about having to find a nearby business
willing to let any food truck employees use its
restrooms.
“at may be a tough thing to achieve unless
you have a good relationship with another business owner,” he said.
As for not being allowed to set up on private
| Continued on page 29
28
www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 16-22, 2014
FOOD TRUCK OWNERS
IN SPORTS | KHALIL GREENE
| Continued from page 28
| Continued from page 10
property within 100 feet of another licensed restaurant or food service facility,
Wilson said that would also put a burden
on food truck
owners.
“It will be tough for Duval Street because there are restaurants about every
10 feet,” he said.
Both Wilson and Pancamo agreed
that some truck regulation is needed
to ensure that the popular food carts
don’t park in front of residential homes
and don’t blanket the city. But, among
their complaints, eliminating customer
seating is unreasonable, they said.
Garbo’s and Cayo Mexican Cantina,
formerly Yebo’s Island Grill at 629 Duval
St., both have a few benches for customers. White Street Station does not
have seating but has several old ironing
boards where customers can stand while
they eat. However, “stand up counters”
would also be outlawed under the new
ordinance.
“Let’s be realistic and not try to suffocate them,” Pancamo said. “ey’re just
going over the top. I don’t want any special privileges. But there has
to be another side to it.”
Trepanier said there are several “peculiarities” in the new regulations that the
food truck owners want to address before
the planning board, including two new
annual fees that would apply to the owners, a $500 administrative processing fee
and a $750 solid waste collection fee.
Why do we have to have all the same
licensing as restaurants and then get saddled with an extra waste management
and processing fee which comes to over
$1,000,” he asked, adding, “In my experience, when the city is writing new regulations, they reach out to that industry.
at hasn’t happened. It will. I think the
city staff is doing the right thing and
moving it through the public process.”
If the planning board approves the
proposed ordinance, it would come before city commissioners for two readings
before becoming law. n
Greene was not on the roster for the
Division Series as the Dodgers swept the
Cardinals. On Nov. 5, he was granted
free agency. In January, 2010, it was announced that Greene had agreed to a
minor-league contract with the Texas
Rangers but as spring training camps
were opening in late February, the
Rangers said he would not be reporting
to their camp, and Greene slipped out
of the limelight and public eye.
“It surprised me more that he signed
a deal with Texas than him leaving the
game,” Schumaker said. “I thought with
all of the stuff that went on here (in St.
Louis) I wasn’t surprised that he was out
of the game.”
Greene played 736 games in his
major-league career, compiling a .245
average with 90 homers and 352 RBI.
In his six years in the majors, he earned
an estimated $14.3 million.
What he could never find, no matter
how hard he tried, was a way to cope
with failure, how to forget about striking
out or committing an error. e game
that came so easily to Greene for the first
23 years of his life was the same, but the
pressure of trying to succeed at the
highest level was just something
he could never escape.
“He had a flair to him without
having any flair, if that makes any sense,”
Corbin said. “He almost brought attention to himself
because of the fact that he didn’t want
any attention. He just played the game, I
would call it with grace, but just a very
conservative nature.
I just felt there wasn’t anything he
couldn’t do offensively or defensively.”
What Greene couldn’t do was the one
thing now—at age 34—he seemingly has
managed to accomplish. In that spring
training interview in 2007 Greene said,
“I prefer to be anonymous.”
“I never got the feeling he was defined by baseball at all,” Loretta said.
“He was good at it, he enjoyed it to an
extent, but it wasn’t the only thing in
his life. He was different than your
stereotypical baseball player.”
RICK BOETTGER
| Continued from page 9
Noodle is clearly named for being
6’7” tall, thin, with golden blonde hair.
He said, “It’s an hour wait in traffic
without the construction! If you drive
that way now, you’ll spend 3 or 4 hours
backed up. Take the back route.”
We’d planned this trip for a year. I
had it set in my mind we were taking the
goldanged Hana Highway, construction
be damned. “No!” I said, with that nasty
tone that usually gets everyone to shut
up and talk to someone else. But Noodle
persisted. He said that portion of the
map that said rental cars not allowed
didn’t apply to my Jeep. He said going
south around the other side of the volcano and then east along the old cattle
ranch was even more beautiful than the
regular highway.
What got me was his pointing out
that we’d see the famous highway on the
way back, going counter to the traffic
flow, with no holdups except timing the
construction opening. I backed down.
And gave him a $5 tip for the advice.
Boy, was I wise to obey my Noodle.
e back road was the most beautiful
road trip I’ve been on in my life. Whenever you are lucky enough for a local eccentric to give you inside advice, take it.
Sure, once in a while it’ll cost you an
overnight in the local hoosegow, but in a
place like Hana, that story would probably be worth a byline in the NYT travel
section, where Cynthia read the clincher
that got us here.
If the trip back up to the airport transition hotel is as easy as Noodle says, I’ll
tip him another $20. First obey, then
take care of, the lucky Noodles in your
life. n
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www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 16-22, 2014
Of all the many people Greene came
into contact with because of baseball,
one of the few who has continued to
maintain a relationship with him the last
few years is Corbin. e wives of the two
are friends, and Corbin said he usually
stays in touch that way.
“I give him space,” Corbin said.
“Unless you reach out to him he is not
going to bother you. He has kids now,
and he is just kind of doing his thing. I
get a general idea of how he’s doing. I do
want to pick up and get with him again.
I guess life just moves on, and you get
distracted with a lot of things.
“It’s not because I don’t think about
him. I love him as a person and I love
what he’s about.
He’s a special kid. I know how he feels
about me and I think he knows how I
feel about him. I’m protective of him because I care about him so much. He is a
good soul.”
What Greene has lost because of his
desire to stay so hidden is the knowledge
of how many people care about him,
think and wonder about him, and want
to be reassured that he is doing OK.
“I am very anxious to make contact
with him,” Leggett said. “He’s got the
world here in his hands at Clemson.
People love him and know him on a
first-name basis. He’s got a home here.
I would love for him to come and talk
to the team, to just be around.”
Schumaker is not surprised that
Greene has dropped out of sight but, like
all of those who spent time around him,
hopes that solitude has finally brought
him peace.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if you never
found him,” Schumaker said. “He could
be on an island, who knows? He had
some stuff to fix and hopefully being out
of the game has helped him do that.” n
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains
COMMENTARY | LOU PETRONE
| Continued from page 11
to Browder’s speedy trial? More importantly, what were his attorney and the
various judges doing who permitted
these adjournments?
Seems Browder’s attorney did a lousy
job. e judges, also. e criminal courts
in New York City are crowded. Move the
cases is the cry! One of the judges or judicial staff should have noticed how long
Browder had been sitting around in solitary confinement with out a trial.
en there is a prosecutor. Called
District Attorney in New York. A prosecutor’s job is to do Justice. Not just try
and convict. It is well recognized innocent people are arrested. Where was the
prosecutor’s oversight which could have
prevented this injustice?
I think the dike cracked here. n
• Continued next week! in PART II
WHERE WILL KOTS LAND?
| Continued from page 25
But Chris Stone, who has a background in social services, stood up for
the homeless men and women who use
KOTS, saying, contrary to opinions expressed Tuesday night, are not all “on
the dole.”
“We must participate in this rather
than just push them off someplace,” she
said. “ey are human beings. ey are
our brothers and sisters. We’re just darn
lucky we aren’t one
of them at this point.”
City Attorney Shawn Smith has been
urging commissioners to take
action on the relocation decision. He
pointed out that the city has already
missed one deadline under a legal
settlement with owners of the Sunset
Marina Homeowners Association, who
successfully sued the city in 2011 over its
decision to put KOTS in its current location on College Road next to the Mon-
roe County Sheriff’s
Department building. e court agreed
that the city had ignored its own permitting processes when it opened KOTS at
that site.
Smith told the commission that the
next deadline was to have a finalized
shelter development plan in front of the
city Planning Board by February 2015.
He also said any proposal could come
before commissioners, including the
Easter Seals building site, if they wanted
to reconsider their tied vote.
“Sooner or later we have to vote on
this,” Johnston said. “With all due
respect, this is the same conversation
we’ve had for two years.” n
THE NAKED GIRL
| Continued from page 26
David finally squealed to a halt behind
him on a dusty roadside. He was indeed
the sheriff. e badge said so and so did
the way he fingered the holsters of those
twin revolvers.
“So you boys are the Rolling Stones?”
“Brian Jones,” I bleated. “And this is
Keith Richards.”
“Richard,” said the sheriff. “Where in
hell did you learn how to drive?”
“Keith,” corrected David. “I’m
Keith.”
“My daughter is very taken with you
Rolling Stones,” said the sheriff. And
with the air of a hunter dragging home
the day’s prey, he added, “I’m thinkin’
that you two boys are gonna have to
come with me.”
And so we did, following his blackand-white with its siren on the roof and
searchlight at the front window, kicking
up a cloud of dust and obscuring any
hope of knowing where we were or how,
at this point, we might ever get out of
here.
I swiveled around to reach the back
seat and rummage for David’s guitar.
“What if they ask us to sing?” I said.
“en we’ll sing,” said David, “like
we did on the boat.”
“I don’t know any Stones songs,” I declared. “Nor does anyone,” countered
David. “ey haven’t even begun their
tour here yet. ey don’t have a hit in the
States yet. We’ll sing Beatles songs. Follow my lead.”
I groaned, hauling the guitar over to
the front seat. It was cocktail hour on a
warm day in May, a small-town sheriff
had just shanghaied us and there was
about a half-hour before we were on
stage in the United States of America. I
could picture the coming catastrophe.
We arrived at a rather neat little farmyard by the side of a two-story house.
Chickens clucked around the sheriff’s car
while we parked ours by the side of a
hayrick.
“Hey, Debby,” yelled our captor.
“Lookee see what I have here!” Debby
appeared at the front door. “It’s two of
them Rolling Stones.”
“Lordee, Walter, what have you done
now?” she said. “Sally!” she called.
“Come on down.”
As David and I clambered out of the
car, Sweet 17 arrived in the yard behind
her mother. It was all smiles from us as
we sauntered up to introduce ourselves.
Debby was smiling, too, inspecting the
lettering on the side of the car, “London
to Los Angeles,” while Sally was essentially hysterical.
Sheriff Walt soon beckoned us to join
him for some refreshment inside, where
we couldn’t help but notice Debby in the
kitchen, making several calls on the wall
phone.
Uh-oh. Show time.
e rest is really a blur. About 20
couples began to arrive, many with children, the yard and driveway steadily filling up with, to our eyes, enormous
automobiles.
ese were folk who could not wait
for the fun. We were all introduced to
each other and by the time dusk fell,
David and I were comfortably seated on
the lower stoop of the stepped haystack
facing the front of the house.
Our audience, pretty well pickled already, their kids racing about the place,
began to hush as David theatrically
started to tune his guitar.
He started with “Till ere Was You,”
not strictly a Beatles number since it
came from “e Music Man,” but it was
included on a recent album and everyone
seemed to know the words. It was a song
that might bring to light what hidden
talents we had, mine for singing in
counter-tenor, hitting those high notes,
and David’s for sounding like a whole orchestra when strumming his guitar full
tilt. My God, I thought, as he started up,
30
www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 16-22, 2014
he’s fantastic; he’s doing the wall of
sound thing. I began to realize we might
actually get away with this. e next
song brought a round of applause with
its opening notes.
Oh please, say to me
You’ll let me be your man
And please, say to me
You’ll let me hold your haaand!
Speaking for myself, I got a little
cocky at this point, with the audience
singing along, oblivious at this particular
point in 1964 whether they might be listening to the work of the Beatles or the
Stones.
I caught the eye of our host’s daughter,
Sally, as she laughed and clapped beside
us on the hayrick. Brazenly, I beckoned
her to come with me as David launched
into a strumming solo. I raced behind
where they were sitting, turning to check
that she’d followed. Behind the hayrick I
held her hand like the song said and in
the delirium of the music I kissed her on
the lips, the prettiest girl I’d touched
since Jane back in England.
And when I touch you I feel happy
Inside
It’s such a feeling that my love
I can’t hide.
She laughed and laughed. “I’m T —”
I said carelessly. “I know who you are,
Brian,” she said.
I grabbed her hand and we scampered up
the back of the haystack and on to the
top, where
we surveyed the heads of the audience,
turning
up to look at us.
Yeah, you’ve got that something
I think you’ll understand
When I’ll say that something
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand.
I led Sally leap by leap, in a gentle
dance down the front of the rick.
And at each step, holding her hand, I
caught her eye and I smiled and she
smiled deeply back. And I saw her eyes
flash at me like I’d never ever seen a person’s eyes flash before.
We danced our way down the hay,
step by step, holding hands just like the
song said, laughing along with the audience’s applause, and I knew then that my
life had met its moment.
All is true. e story continues . . . n
TROPIC
SPROCKETS
| Continued from page 12
a lane of identical block houses, he
intones with a gallows deadpan of how
some school bullies, Matthew’s “droogs”
pummeled, spit and kicked him bloody.
As he is being chased, Mozart No. 25
is heard, all during Potts’ matter of fact
and slightly sarcastic nostalgia. Potts, as
an opposite and heroic Malcolm McDowell versin, has revenged himself
upon his attackers with opera his
weapon of peace.
ere are other good moments showing Paul smitten almost to the point of
paralysis by his girlfriend Julz (Alexandra
Roach) as he says goodbye on a highspeed train. is sequence, with Julz
kissing the window as Paul sketches a
heart, almost outdoes Romeo and Juliet
along with “A Little Romance.”
Both James Corden and Alexandra
Roach become the most stirring magnets
in this film by director David Frankel
(e Devil Wears Prada) and producer
Simon Cowell of American Idol.
is is a small heartfelt story of a
pudgy youngster who wants to sing in
the tone of a “Billy Elliot.” While we
have seen so many runs of it before (the
humble person with the “big voice” from
a small town who finds solace in singing,
ala Susan Boyle) this film still delivers a
good dose of freshness and verve
singularly because of James Corden.
While most of the drama is predictable—a macho blue collar pop
(Colm Meaney) coupled with a supportive yet reticent mum (Julie Walters)—
Corden gives his role a throttle of restless
energy with a hint of shy irreverence in
the style of a Ricky Gervais.
ere is also something refreshingly
unkempt in his role as if he were in a soprano version of “e Little Rascals,” his
faced flushed, his dress baggy, his hair a
mop. Si, belissimo he is.
At one point it reminds one of
“Flashdance” when Paul is forced
to work at a steel yard.
While it hits all of the recognizable
keys, including a self-conscious song by
Taylor Swift, the film keeps its spunk. n
HEALTH NEWS
County health officials, airport
molding Ebola response locally
BY JOHN L. GUERRA
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
e death of an Ebola patient at a
Texas hospital and the adoption of
protocols at airports to detect passengers sick with the deadly virus have
Keys’ public officials on their toes.
In the absence of Federal Aviation
Administration Ebola protocols for
airports the size of Key West International Airport, EYW Director Peter
Horton and Monroe County Health
Department Director Bob Eadie have
worked out procedures for suspected
Ebola cases aboard aircraft landing in
Key West.
e U.S. airports where most
Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone passengers land —Newark Liberty, Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, New York’s
JFK, Chicago O’Hare, and Washington
Dulles—last week launched enhanced
screening of passengers based on FAA
protocols.
e FAA will pass on protocols to
smaller airports like Key West eventually, Horton said. e screening at the
large airports include hand-held thermometers that look like harmless guns.
ey also make each passenger fill out
a travel questionnaire.
In the meantime, Horton and
county health officials will use protocols created for earlier health scares,
such as SARS, and swine and bird flu.
“We have a protocol we established
for bird flu, and right now it’s the same
protocol we would use for Ebola,” he
said. “If the airline thinks they have a
passenger who has Ebola or Ebola
symptoms and land in Key West, we
isolate it out on the ramp and call the
Monroe County health unit; we’ve already talked to Bob Eadie, the Monroe
County Health Department director,
about the procedures.”
Under the plan, Horton would
contact Monroe County Emergency
Management “and await instructions
from them while we keep everyone on
the aircraft” until the state health unit
arrives. e Monroe County Health
Department is a state agency.
Using the example set last week by
the airline passenger who only joked
about having Ebola, EMTs would put
on biohazard suits, enter the aircraft
and remove the passenger and anyone
else showing symptoms.
Only general aviation aircraft land
at the airport from overseas, usually
from the Bahamas, Cayman Islands,
Mexico, and the Caribbean, Horton
said. e planes usually clear U.S. Customs, refuel and fly off.
During the interview he paused to
explain what sounded like firecrackers
in the background. He was handling a
more immediate danger to Key West
air passengers.
“We’re bird banging,” Horton e
xplained. “We’re using little explosive
devices to scare birds off the runway,
so they don’t collide with aircraft.”
Protocols for securing
Ebola test samples
ose responsible for testing people
in Key West and the rest of the Keys
should have the Florida Department of
Health “Ebola Virus Diagnostic Specimen Submission Check List.” e document outlines the procedure for
testing humans for Ebola. It also describes procedures for sending the
drawn blood to Stephen White at the
Bureau of Public Health Laboratories
in Miami.
e document was sent out to
health departments in August, according to talking points released by Chris
Tittel, spokesman for the county
health
department.
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www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 16-22, 2014
According to “Guidance document
number 2014-X,” anyone drawing
blood to be tested must first consult
with the county health department or
state epidemiology office; no specimens
will be accepted at the Miami laboratories without approval of an epidemiologist, who must sign the form. e
form includes the phone number for
the state epidemiologist office.
Using the Ebola Virus Disease
Algorithm, the health worker taking
the blood must determine the likelihood that the patient has been exposed
to Ebola and mark the appropriate box
on the form: High Risk Exposure; Low
Risk Exposure; or “Travel to the active
outbreak countries but no identified
exposure.”
Of course, health workers must
adhere to OSHA Blood-borne
Pathogens Standards and wear appropriate personal protective equipment.
“At a minimum,” the protocol states,
“standard, contact, and droplet precautions should be utilized while collecting and processing the sample. All
sample processing should be completed
in a Class 2 Biologic Safety Cabinet or
better.”
After the Ebola test sample is
contained in basic triple packaging system with a primary watertight container wrapped with absorbent
material, a
second watertight container and an
outer shipping package, the protocol
states, an Infection Control Practitioner (ICP or equivalent must approve
the packaging before it can be shipped.
ere’s a
separate form to sign that indicates
who approved the packaging.
en it is sent to the Miami Bureau
of Public Health lab in Miami using a
commercial or local courier, the
protocol states. n
Hogfish Grill 12th Anniversary
with Howard Livingston
LARRY BLACKBURN | PHOTOGRAPHER
32
www.konklife.com • October 16-22, 2014
Larry Smith is Back! at La Te Da
RALPH DE PALMA | PHOTOGRAPHER
33
www.konklife.com • October 16-22, 2014
Zonta Goes Pink at the Pier House
LARRY BLACKBURN | PHOTOGRAPHER
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www.konklife.com • October 16-22, 2014
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www.konklife.com • October 16-22, 2014