September 10, 2015

Transcription

September 10, 2015

“What a Drag!” kicks off at the Custom House
Museum with a gala opening Friday, Sept. 18.
The special exhibit presents a colorful,
zoomed-in view of Key West’s famed drag
queens and the men—like cover model
Sushi/Gary Marion—who embody them.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
ONSTAGE
Red Barn’s
new season
has arrived
B
uilding on its 36-year
history of bringing the best
of the old and the new to its Key West
stage, e Red Barn eatre will take its
patrons on a world tour in its new season
from an 1800’s Russian village through a
small island off of Ireland, to a luxury
hotel in 1940s Hollywood, a quaint
B&B in the Poconos, and finally to
Barbra Streisand’s basement in Malibu.
And that’s just the mainstage plays.
ere will also be special events that will
brighten the stage with musical offerings
that includes the popular country-tinged
Conchs, Cowboys and Tales of Old Key
West; a warm, personal evening of song
featuring the mother-daughter team
of Camille Toler and her multi-talented
daughter Erika Monet Butters; another
four nights of funny and entertaining
Skivvies, New York’s hottest cabaret act.
Season subscriptions available now
for all mainstage shows; individual tick-
ets purchased, redbarntheatre.com
Season kicks off with “Fools,” a crazy,
fun fable by Neil Simon set in an idyllic
Russian hamlet in the 1800s whose
inhabitants have been inflicted with
chronic stupidity because of long-standing curse. Hilarious from the first word,
the play runs Dec. 15 to Jan. 9 and stars
a cast of 10 of Key West’s top actors
directed by Joy Hawkins.
Next up, “Scott & Hem” by Mark St.
Germain, Jan. 15-30, and starring and
directed by Carbonell Award winners
Tom Wahl (who knocked audiences out
with recent performances in “I Am My
Own Wife” and “Clark Gable Slept
Here”) and Gregg Wiener. e story
chronicles a reported meeting in 1940s
Hollywood between two titans of American letters—F. Scott Fitzgerald and
Earnest Hemingway—with Hemingway
2
www.konklife.com • SEPTEMBER 10-16, 2015
doing his best to undermine Fitzgerald’s
attempts to write a screenplay.
“Buyer & Cellar” by Jonathan Tolan
follows the trials and tribulations of a
young man hired to be the clerk in the
“basement mall” of Barbra Streisand’s
home where Babs is the only customer.
Running Feb. 9 to March 12, the play
was one of the biggest hits in New York
last year and stars Nick Cearley, half of
the smash musical group, “e Skivvies.”
And since Cearley will be in town,
why not bring “e Skivvies” with him?
e red-hot New York cabaret act that
features Cearley and partner Lauren
Molina doing hilarious mash-ups of
every kind of musical genre while standing only in their underwear, will have a
special four-night-only run Feb. 12-15.
| Continued on page 24
KEY NEWS
Transient license deal withdrawn
by Simonton condo developer
BY PRU SOWERS
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
Developers of 20 luxury condominiums in the 100 block of Simonton Street
have withdrawn their proposal to change
a previous agreement with Key West
City Commissioners that barred the
units from being used as transient
short-term rentals.
e Brytex Group, a McLean, Va.,
developer that purchased the unbuilt
project in January for $6.8 million, had
come before city commissioners three
times in July and August to ask that a
2008 agreement with the previous
project owner be set aside. at agree-
100 years. But city commissioners
balked at that deal at the Aug. 18 meeting, sending their original proposal for
six new units of affordable housing back
to Brytex. at proposal was rejected by
the developer in a letter to city officials.
“at item is withdrawn at the
request of the applicant,” City Manager
Jim Scholl told commissioners at the
Sept. 1 meeting, where they were
scheduled to vote on the transient
license request.
In their letter, Brytex managers Jeffrey Dierman and eodore Georgelas
blamed local residents, several of whom
had vocally opposed the proposed license
change, for not understanding what
ment promised that the condos would
never be allowed to be used for shortterm, transient vacation rentals.
Unwilling to overturn a previous restriction on the project, commissioners
tried a little horse trading, asking Brytex
to build six affordable housing units in
return for agreeing to allow the desirable
transient licenses, which would add to
the value of the 20 condos that Brytex
hopes to sell for $1.6 million each.
Brytex, through local planner Owen
Trepanier, who is working with the
group, had offered to obtain six existing
housing units—as opposed to building
new ones—in Key West or Stock Island
and deed restrict them as affordable for
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Brytex was offering.
“We fear the misinformed public has
voiced their objections so loudly that it
has muddied the waters on what we
were actually proposing,” Dierman
and Georgelas wrote.
If the public was misinformed, then
so was City Planner addeus Cohen,
who called Brytex’s housing offer “verbal
gymnastics” and said commissioners
would be creating a new loophole if they
agreed to the deal.
“It’s about adding to the housing
stock. ey [developers] need to just say
they are not interested in adding to the
housing stock,” he said at the Aug. 18
CITY NEWS
september 10-16,2015
Published Weekly
Vol. 5 No. 37
PUBLISHER/EDITOR
Guy deBoer
NEWS WRITERS
Pru Sowers, C.S. Gilbert,
Terry Schmida
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Larry E. Blackburn, Ralph De Palma
DESIGN
Dawn deBoer, Julie Scorby
PHOTOSHOP TECH
JT Thompson
CONTRIBUTORS
Guy deBoer Key News
Rick Boettger The Big Story
Louis Petrone Key West Lou
Matt Dukes Jordan The Happiest Hour
Robin Mayer It’s Your Environment
Roxanne E. Fleszar Your Financial Future
Ian Brockway Tropic Sprockets
C.S. Gilbert Culture Vulture
Ralph De Palma Soul of Key West
Harry Schroeder High Notes
Morgan Kidwell Kids’ Korner
Diane Johnson In Review
Tim Weaver Bonehead Island
ADVERTISING
305.296.1630
Susan Kent|305.849.1595
susan.kent@gmail.com
Sarah Sandnes|305.731.3223
konklifesandnes@gmail.com
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Friday every week for next issue of KONK Life.
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Halloween trick
or treating stays
unmoved
BY PRU SOWERS
Good news, Key West kids. Halloween is
staying where it is. An effort to move the candy
collection portion of Halloween to Nov. 1, so as
not to strain city emergency services because the
Fantasy Fest parade falls on the same night this
year, failed to win support from a majority of city
commissioners, who deadlocked on the issue with
a 3-3 vote. Without a majority, the resolution
failed. Commissioner Mark Rossi was absent
from the meeting.
City Manager Jim Scholl originally proposed
the resolution, which urged local families to have
their children go trick or treating on Sunday,
Nov. 1, the day after the 2015 Fantasy Fest ends.
Concerned that the scheduling conflict would
“interfere with children’s safety and enjoyment of
Halloween,” Scholl proposed that kids voluntarily
hold off their door-to-door sugar demands for
24 hours. But that did not sit well with at least
one of the potentially affected.
“How are Key West residents supposed to buy
drinks and food at Fantasy Fest and then buy
candy the next day for all the kids who go trick
or treating,” asked Mia Story, a 12-year-old
Halloween purist who spoke at the Sept. 1
city commission meeting.
“Leave it alone,” agreed the Rev. Randy Becker.
Getting It Right
“Honor the fact that kids look forward all year
to Halloween, not the day after Halloween.
Please don’t do this.”
Commission Billy Wardlow was also upset at
the idea of moving Halloween, saying the families
in his District 3 are planning on keeping the Oct.
31 sacrosanct.
“We damn well better have police and fire
protection out there . . . or there’s going to be hell
to pay. We say we’re going to take care of our
children. Well, take care of them, damn it,” he said
to applause at the commission meeting.
Commissioner Teri Johnston deflected criticism
of Scholl for the proposal, saying he was only
doing his job to protect the health and safety
of the community.
“It is a recommendation” not a forced trick or
treat rescheduling, she pointed out. “Families are
going to do what they will do.” And most of the
trick or treating takes place in New Town and
away from the parade, which is watched by tens
of thousands of revelers, she added.
“No one is trying to stop the kids from having
a good time and only thinking about tourists,”
added Mayor Craig Cates, responding to one
complaint that the city is protecting the revenueproducing Fantasy Fest at the peril of sugar-crazed
children. “I’d be remiss if I didn’t warn there are
added dangers at this time of year, on that night.”
Cates, Johnston and Commissioner Jimmy
Weekly voted to ask for the rescheduling. Wardlow
and Commissioners Clayton Lopez and Tony
Yaniz voted to deny it.
“In my district, they’re going to celebrate it
whether we urge them to or not,” said District 4’s
Yaniz. “So you know what? Happy Halloween.” n
n More page 11
In last week’s Konk Life edition [Sept. 9] the cover incorrectly stated the location of the Key West Chamber
of Commerce “Business After Hours” which was held at the Reach Resort. Konk Life regrets the error.
Ad Submissions
JPG, TIFF, PDF — digital formats only
Send to production@konklife.com
CIRCULATION
Kavon Desilus ASSISTANT
Ben Neff ASSISTANT
KONK Life is published weekly by KONK Communications
Network in Key West, Fla. Editorial materials may not be
reproduced without written permission from the network.
KONK Communications Network
(305) 296-1630 • Key West, Florida
www.konklife.com
4
COUNTY NEWS
n
More on page 22
School health program finds funds,
eyes City of Key West’s BF funds
BY TERRY SCHMIDA
e Florida Keys Area Health Education Center (AHEC) is slowly making its
popular School Health Primary Care
Program whole, a spoonful of sugar at a
time.
e scheme has segued into its second year, only to see hard-won funding
of $100,000, which was passed by the
dysfunctional state legislature, vetoed by
Gov. Rick Scott.
e Board of County Commissioners
(BOCC) voted unanimously at its July
15 meeting to allow AHEC to re-purpose a $50,000 grant, in order to keep
the plan alive, but denied the organization’s CEO Michael Cunningham his request for an additional $20,000.
“I have no problem allowing
Mr. Cunningham to swap his money
from one segment to the other,” Commissioner Sylvia
Murphy said at the time. “I have
a problem with the $20,000, not because
it’s a lot of money, but
because there are probably 40 other non-
profits out there who, in one way or another don’t have this year what they were
counting on
or what they had last year.”
Ultimately, Murphy and her colleagues urged Cunningham to look to alternate sources to make up the
difference, including city governments
and the school district itself.
AHEC chief took the message
to heart and made a successful pitch for
financial assistance at the Marathon City
Council’s Aug. 25 meeting. In the event,
some members echoed similar concerns
to the BOCC, but ultimately voted
unanimously to slide Cunningham
$10,000 from its reserve funds, in recognition of the program’s benefits to area
students and their families.
“e concern is that it becomes a
yearly thing,” Councilman Richard Keating said at the meeting. “We have the
funds for this . . . we could just write a
check.”
Cunningham also managed to
wrangle $100,000 in cash and no-cost
clinic sites from the School District.
Leadership Monroe County readies for Class XXIII
Leadership Monroe County, the educational non-profit community leadership organization, holds its 24 years
of programs with the selection of Class
XXIV.
e Key West Chamber of Commerce
developed Leadership Monroe County
in 1992 to address the rapidly changing
needs and concerns of the county,
develop a group of well-educated leaders,
and help guide the community in a
positive direction. e organization
e program is aimed at residents
who are active in leadership roles within
the private sector, government, or
community organizations. rough a
series of one- and two-day sessions over
seven months, participants examine fundamental public and private segments
throughout the county to inform and
help them make quality leadership decisions which they can incorporate into
their respective companies and organizations, and also provide the environment
came under the umbrella of the
Community Foundation of the Florida
Keys in 2006 with Class XV and in 2010
established itself as an independent
non-profit governed by a county-wide
18-member Board of Directors.
Present officers are elected LMC
alumni president Henry Rosenthal,
vice-president Jody Gross, secretary Jodi
Weinhofer, and treasurer Lisa Knowles,
with Program Coordinator Michael
Shields.
5
for mutual awareness on issues which
class members confront.
Sessions begin Oct. 9-10 in Key West
with subsequent monthly classes
throughout the Keys, culminating with
graduation in April 2016.
Led by experts and the heads of the
respective fields surveyed, classes this
year focus on the tourism industry and
the Keys economy, environmental issues
from the Everglades to the reefs, the state
KEY WEST LOU
COMMENTARY
Tennessee Williams . . . a love
BY LOUIS PETRONE
KONK LIFE COLUMNIST
Merlo was Williams’ crutch.
e 14 years the two lived together
were the happiest and most productive
of Williams’ career.
Williams introduced a new style writing. His works portrayed life as it was.
In all its rawness. He introduced sex into
writing more than had been done in the
past. Not the Fifty Shades of Gray type.
ere was a sense of the sexual involved
in the relationships. at sense was more
than previous writers of consequence
had portrayed.
Williams was also a swift writer. His
talent amazing. From mind to pen to
paper. Almost instantaneously.
During the Williams/Merlo years
together, Williams writings were the best
produced during his lifetime. Many
plays. Some made into movies for which
he wrote the scripts. He also wrote
scripts solely for movies. A slew of short
stories. One major novel.
Major works included e Glass
Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire,
e Rose Tattoo, Cat on a Hot Tin
Roof, Orpheus Descending, Suddenly
Last Summer, Sweet Bird of Youth,
Period of Adjustment, and e Night
of the Iguana.
Familiar to all of us. Turned out by
Williams at the rate generally of one
per year.
tion the show piece of the neighborhood. During the Williams/Merlo years,
the house was not the show piece it is
today. e two men lived modestly and
ennessee Williams was gay.
had little concern with tidiness.
A well known fact.
Williams had a sister. Rose. She was
During his life, he had two great
mentally challenged. She lived in Key
loves. One short lived. e other, 14
West for a while on Von Phister Street.
years. It is the longer of the two I am
She spent many years in mental instituwriting about. e reason is that during
tions.
the 14-year relationship, Williams did
Rose’s mental condition affected
his best work.
Williams badly throughout his life.
Frank Merlo was Williams’ lover and
Williams and Merlo had an apartpartner. ey met and fell in love the
ment in New York City. However, Key
spring of 1949. Merlo was younger.
West was home and they
Good looking. Of Sicilian
spent considerable time in the
heritage. An occasional actor.
house on Duncan Street.
A U.S. Navy World War II
Merlo acted as Williams
veteran.
personal secretary. He asWilliams first visited Key
sumed responsibility for doWest in 1941. His regard for
mestic housekeeping tasks.
Key West was instant. He
He provided happiness and
loved Key West.
stability which balanced out
Along the way, he purWilliams’ frequent bouts with
chased a home at 1431 Dundepression.
can St. It was his permanent
Merlo was a constant comresidence from 1948 to 1983.
fort
to Williams. Something
LOU
Merlo lived with Williams
he needed. Williams was a
PETRONE
in the house from 1949 to
schizophrenic. His constant
COLUMNIST
1963. e house still stands.
fear was that he would fall
e home has been owned by
into insanity. As his sister
a couple from the Midwest for many
Rose had.
years. It is well kept and without ques-
T
e novel was e Roman Spring
of Mrs. Stone.
Williams would not have produced so
much and of such quality were it not for
the relationship which existed between
Williams and Merlo.
e relationship became unsteady in
1962 and 1963. Both were guilty of
increasing infidelities and drug use.
Williams and Merlo parted in 1963.
Soon thereafter, Merlo was diagnosed
with inoperable lung cancer. Some say
Williams personally took care of Merlo
till he died. Others, that he took care of
Merlo till he could take it no more and
left Merlo in other responsible hands.
Although Williams’ life became increasingly difficult towards the end of his
relationship with Merlo, it skyrocketed
downward after his death. Williams
suffered catatonic depression, used drugs
increasingly, and was committed on
occasion to mental health facilities.
Williams became dependent on
prescription drugs. He received Dr. Freegood injections to overcome his depression and relieve his insomnia. e
injections were sort of one shot takes
care of multiple problems.
e downhill slide was mental and
physical. He appeared on talk shows
till his responses frequently became
KONK
ONK Life
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ur”
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ad
dio FM104.
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dio
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on the X Radio
September
Noon
Su
un
nday
ay, S
eptte
ept
ember 6 @ N
em
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Hosted by Guy deBoer, KONK Life’s
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We’ll have all the local
news that affects your life,
your family, your business and our community!
6
ELECTIONS
Profile
McPherson hopes
timing right for
his ideas
Former Key West Mayor Morgan McPherson runs for the District 2
Key West City Commission seat.
| Courtesy of MORGAN McPHERSON
BY PRU SOWERS
Timing, at least when it comes to politics, has rarely been
on Morgan McPherson’s side.
In the last 11 years, the current candidate for the District 2
Key West City Commission seat has run six campaigns for a wide
assortment of political offices, losing four of those local and state
races to more popular candidates who happened to run that year.
Even in the two races he did win, back-to-back campaigns for
mayor of Key West in 2005 and 2009, timing was a problem. ree
weeks after he first became mayor in 2005, Hurricane Wilma hit the
Keys, causing extensive damage.
“at was trial not by fire but by deep water,” McPherson says
about the steep learning curve he had to climb less than a month
into his first elected term.
But when he ran for a third term as mayor, timing intervened
again. e high-profile trial of former Monroe County School
Superintendent Randy Acevedo, a friend of McPherson’s,
overshadowed his campaign, particularly when he asked a judge
for leniency in sentencing the school chief, who had been
convicted in connection with the theft of more than
$413,000 in taxpayer funds.
7
COMMUNITY
NEWS
Campaign signs
answered
Now that election season is in full
swing, candidate signs are all over Key
West. City of Key West reminds residents
that all candidates deserve the right to
campaign. However, signs must be placed
on private property, not on the public
right of way. And signs on private
property belong to that property owner,
which means only the property owner
can remove them.
Key West citizens urged to respect the
democratic process and people who have
stepped up to run for public office.
Anyone with questions or concerns
about sign placement or unauthorized
removal of signs can call the city’s public
information officer, Alyson Crean,
(305) 809-1058. n
INFO cityofkeywest-fl.gove
Sunset Cottages
commended
Mayor Craig Cates recently commended Sunset Key Cottages, a Luxury
Collection Resort, for its recognition as
the No. 1 resort in the continental United
States and No. 8 worldwide by Travel
and Leisure magazine. e honor was
determined in the magazine’s 20th annual
reader survey.
“A secluded escape with unrivaled
amenities minutes from the renowned
activities and energy of Key West, Sunset
Key features 40 custom-designed two-,
three- and four-bedroom cottages, boutique spa with private treatment suites,
exclusive beach, waterfront dining, tropical swimming pool and tennis courts,”
reads the mayor’s commendation.
“e resort joined Starwood’s Luxury
Collection portfolio in March, continuing
to upgrade luxury guest services, and will
announce enhanced amenities and facilities later this year. Poised on an easily
accessible islet in the Gulf of Mexico,
Sunset Key provides a one-of-a-kind
setting for extraordinary experiences.” n
8
It’s a Tropical
Extravaganza
n Sept. 12
A committee of St. Paul’s Episcopal
Church takes advantage of an opportunity
to host “Tropical Extravaganza” in the
sanctuary. All the pews have been taken
out of the sanctuary for restoration—they
will be back at the end of September. e
194-year-old church is in constant need
of restoration. e committee has taken
on the challenge of raising $55,000
to preserve and protect the stained glass
windows facing Duval Street. (St. Paul’s
has the largest collection of stained glass
windows on the island. e Tree of Jesse
Genealogy Window, created in 1920,
depicts the genealogy of Jesus’s earthly
family (Matthew 1:1-17). eme is
among the earliest in stained glass art
history, developed in France in the
12th century. ere are 2,000-plus pieces
of glass in the three panels.
e community can become a major
sponsor in exchange for a $2,500 tax
deductible contribution. Sponsorship
includes wine, dinner and dancing
at a reserved table for 10 and
acknowledgement in the program.
Attendees pay $50 for an evening
of dinner and dancing. Tropical Extravaganza is 6–10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12. n
INFO
(305) 292-0031
WHAT’S HAPPENING
What’s going on?
Fantasy Fest’s
Galactic
Carnival
2015 King & Queen
candidate schedule
Ongoing Events
• Drag Queen Bingo, 801 Cabaret
Every Sunday through Oct. 12, 5
p.m.—Bingo at 801 Bourbon divides proceeds equally among the
candidates. All Candidates
• Aqua Idol every Tuesday through
Oct. 20, 6–8 p.m.—Support the
candidates’ singers at Aqua Nightclub, 711 Duval St. Help the singer
raise the most money for candidate.
Monies donated to AIDS Help.
Free to attend. All Candidates
All Candidate Events
• Saturday, Sept. 26, 8 a.m.
Red Shirt Run 5K Run/Walk at
White Street Pier. Refreshments,
raffle, limited amount of red thundersticks and red shirt run shirts
given out. Awards to 5k runners:
overall male and female winners,
masters male and female winners,
age group awards; 3 deep, male and
female. Two: 9 and under, 10–14,
15-19 and 10-year-old age group to
70+ 5K walkers male and female,
1st, 2nd and 3rd. Race begins White
Street Pier at Key West AIDS Memorial corner of White and Atlantic
Boulevard, north on Atlantic, right
on Bertha Street, left onto South
Roosevelt along Smathers Beach
Upclose & personal
Drag queen
Sushi reveals
inside scoop!
n Sept. 18 reception
many locals and CNN
news watchers already
know, Key West’s beloved drag queen
Sushi is synonymous with a glittering
red shoe and the stroke of midnight on
New Year’s Eve. Some have also had the
pleasure of enjoying one of her nightly
cabaret performances, witnessing her
gorgeously done-up face, spectacular
handmade dresses and exuberant
persona. But make no mistake. e
House Queen of 801 is anything
but a queen bee.
Like most of the drag queens or
members of the Key West LBGQT community, Sushi is always hard at work,
often donating her time and talents to
community organizations in need. We
caught up with her while she was in
New York City prepping for Fashion
Week as a runway stylist and model fitter to get the inside scoop of life in drag
and a sneak peek into the upcoming Key
West Art & Historical Society exhibit—
”What a Drag!” opens Friday, Sept.
18—in which she and other queens will
be celebrated.
What’s in a name?
From Soy Sauce to Sushi:
A
“My friend put me in real drag and
said, ‘You can’t go as Soy Sauce. You’re
too fishy (a drag term for girly, or
queens that look like real women),” says
Marion. “So he named me Sushi.”
In two short years, Sushi was performing at Portland’s City Night Club
wearing bullet bras, a corset, and sixinch heels, forever transformed into the
glamorous drag queen we know and love
today.
e boy name/girl name etiquette:
“Some people don’t like to be called
their drag name when they’re dressed as
a boy, but I don’t care. Most people call
me Sushi and don’t even know my real
Sushi started her career 35 years ago
in Portland, Ore., at age 17, when the
New Wave scene and Boy George took
her by storm. At that time, she was
known as Gary Marion or Soy Sauce,
wearing Esprit sweaters and flats.
9
name.”
How long does it take you to put on
your make-up?
“I’ve got my face down—it takes
about 30 minutes. For New Year’s, it
takes about an hour. It takes about an
hour from boy to girl for most drag
queens to make the transformation.
at’s putting the wig on, the dress
and the makeup.”
Approximately how much do you
spend on makeup, wigs and costumes
a year?
“Easily thousands of dollars. My
New Year’s Eve outfits cost a thousand
IN REVIEW
‘I’ll play acoustic guitar
in a sideways rain if
I have to. I never cancel.’
ith Tropical Storm
Erika whipping up
surf and seas and an unpredictable
wobbling path complicating trajectory
predictions, famed Hawaii-based prosurfer turned musician Donavon
Frankenreiter and his band wheeled
towards Key West for the final performance of their 2015 U.S. mainland East
coast tour.
“I’ll play acoustic guitar in a sideways
rain if I have to. I never cancel,” said
Frankenreiter, the day before he was to
perform at Fort East Martello. “It’ll take
an act of God to keep me from playing
this show.”
On Sunday, the weather gods delivered a pukalani—Hawaiian for “hole in
the sky,” and while surrounding areas experienced heavy rains, a crowd of several
hundred rain-booted and barefooted revelers partied relatively rain-free to the
acoustic sounds of the “mustachioed
maestro.” Produced by Key West Art &
Historical Society in partnership with
Key West Concerts, portions of the concert’s proceeds, which was sponsored in
part by Pirate Radio, Florida Keys
Media, We Cycle, Ecoscapes, Help Yourself, Shipyard Brewing, and WonderDog
Productions, will help support
KWAHS's community outreach and
educational programs. n
W
Keith and Samara McDonald
(Above) Donavon Frankenreiter (foreground) Matt Grundy (background). (Below)
Key West Art & Historical Society staff and volunteers: Alice Barton, Addie
Unuvar, Christina Sloan, Christine Nottage, Mary Readel, John Readel, and
Shawn Cowles.
n
More photos, page 12
10
Effie Ford, Lea Moeller, Barb Sage,
Marie Fialova and Marky Pierson welcome concertgoers to Fort East
Martello.
Key West Art & Historical Society Executive Director Michael Gieda and son
Kearney.
COMMUNITY
NEWS
position in charge of Special Investigations
Division.
To replace Holroyd in Special Investigations,
Sgt. James Norman will be promoted to that lieutenant’s position. He previously held the position
of sergeant in charge of the Major Crimes Unit.
Bureau of Corrections Commander, Major
Tommy Taylor will be retiring from his position.
He was given the honorary title of lieutenant
colonel. Appointed to replace him as major is
Tim Age, currently captain of the bureau.
Two current corrections lieutenants, Jon Crane
and Anne Sweeney, will be promoted to the rank of
captain; Capt. Crane will run the corrections operations at the main jail facility; Capt. Sweeney will be
in charge of administrative operations.
Only one of the vacant lieutenant
positions will be filled. e other will be eliminated. e new lieutenant position will be filled by
promotion of Detention Sgt. Todd Silvers.
ese moves leave two vacant sergeant positions
which will be filled in coming weeks. n
Firehouse Museum
calls First Responsers
n Sept. 11
e Key West Firehouse
Museum, 1024 Grinnell
St., in cooperation with
Key West Fire Department
invite First Responders and
the community to attend its annual September 11
remembrance at 8:30 a.m. with a gathering before
and after. ere will be a brief Blessing of the
Helmets ceremony for any First Responder who
would like to participate. To contribute to this,
event, contact the museum, (305) 849-0678. n
Sheriff’s Office makes
staff changes
CANDIDATE SCHEDULE
Sheriff Rick Ramsay recently announced several
promotions to fill existing and upcoming vacancies
in his law enforcement and corrections bureaus.
Col. Bill Cameron recently retired leaving the
position of second-in-command vacant at the Sheriff’s Office. To fill the position, Sheriff Ramsay promoted Law Enforcement Bureau Chief Major Lou
Caputo to the rank of colonel.
To fill Caputo’s position in charge of the Bureau
of Law Enforcement, Sheriff Ramsay promoted
long-time Capt. Chad Scibilia, who previously
headed up the Professional Standards Division,
commanding the Internal Affairs Unit and the Law
Enforcement Accreditation Unit.
To fill Scibilia’s shoes, Sheriff Ramsay promoted
Lt. Lee Ann Holroyd to Captain of Professional
Standards. Holroyd will be moving from her
| Continued from page 9
and back to White Street Pier. Miles and kilometers
marked. Pre-race packet pickup, 5-7 p.m. Friday,
Sept. 26, across from the White Street Pier, 1801
White St. Race Day check-in starts 6:30 a.m. Registration online available, redshirtrun.com or contact
Jeremy, (305) 440-2300 or Beth, 747-8563.
All Candidates
• Friday, Oct. 23, 6–10 p.m.— Coronation Ball
“Galactic Carnival” at Southernmost Beach Café,
1405 Duval St. $10 admission gets two free votes.
$60 reserved seating includes two votes and buffet.
VIP seating reservations. All Candidates n
INFO
AIDSHelp.cc
Left to right: James Norman, Lee Ann Holroyd, Chad Scibilia, Lou Caputo, Tim Age, Sheriff Ramsay,
Tommy Taylor, Anne Sweeney, Jon Crane and Todd Silvers.
11
KEY BUSINESS
COMMUNITY
BRIEFS
KEY WEST
Keys’ childcare
affordability,
availability
for families
n Sept. 11
e Florida Keys Children’s Group meets
10 a.m. to noon Friday, Sept.11 at Marathon
Government Center, 2798 Overseas Hwy.
Author brings Key West
message to conference
With top scientists, engineers, astronauts and
quantum physicists from around the world, Key
West-based author and educator Mike Mongo will
be a presenter at Starship
Congress summit of deep
space science organizations.
Mongo will introduce
attendees to “Space is for
Everyone,” an organization
the author is co-founding
with Sirius FX founder
Martine Rothblatt and
futurist organization
| NICK DOLL Kurzweil AI. Dedicated
to fostering inclusion and
Mike Mongo
diversity in space and
science-related professions, Space is for Everyone
is inspired by Key West’s One Human Family
message co-sponsored by Key West Gay & Les-
12
Topic of this meeting will be childcare availability and
affordability for families in the Keys.
e Florida Keys Children’s Group, serving
under the Monroe County Community Alliance, meets quarterly to facilitate communication and integration of services for children and
families in Monroe County; makes information
available that supports children’s needs accessible to other professionals; and identifies and addresses unmet needs in our communities.
is meeting is open to all professionals who
work in a field related to children. If interested
in attending the meeting or have questions, call
Leah Stockton, Community Liaison at Florida
Keys Healthy Start Coalition, (305) 293-8424.
n INFO KeysHealthyStart.org
bian Community Center.
Mongo is the author of “e Astronaut Instruction Manual.” He is a well-known space
science educator.
“Developed largely by the creative mind of
Mike Mongo, Icarus Interstellar’s Starship
Congress is the world’s largest deep space
exploration conference in the world,“ says Icarus
Interstellar president, Dr. Andreas Tziolas.
“With the support shown by Key West GLCC
and Mr. Mongo, we developed the conference to
produce essential research through this year’s
Interstellar Hackathon. By examining the culture
in a future era where interplanetary travel
throughout our solar system is commonplace, we
are discovering the value of diversity, equality and
understanding in our world today.
“Mike Mongo has been instrumental in
comprehending and proliferating this very Key
West message: ‘Space is the place for everyone.’ ”
Starship Congress is Sept. 4-5 at Drexel
University in Philadelphia, Pa.
For more information about Starship Congress,
starshipcongress@icarusinterstellar.org
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Schooner Wharf Bar
Eric Stone and the Electrolytes
Schooner Wharf Bar
202 Williams St., 292-3302
n
Thursday 0910
Captain Josh Duo 7-11pm
Rock, beach, country, and original
music. Energetic, entertaining show
filled with music trivia and fun singalongs. Capt Josh also a licensed boat
captain who entertains with his colorful
lyrics and salty tales from the sea.
Friday-Saturday 0911-12
Eric Stone & Electrolytes
7pm-Midnight
Sunday 0913
The Doerfels 7-11pm
Popular Doerfels is no ordinary family
band. Five brothers seasoned performers, playing together for over 15 years.
Although their roots are in bluegrass,
branched out into other music genres:
Contemporary, classic rock, country,
alternative, and pop all performed in a
unique style that's all their own.
Monday 0914
Eric Stone 7-11pm
Songwriter and performer Eric Stone—
appealing vocals.
Tuesday 0916
Tom Taylor 7-11pm
Wednesday 0916
The Bahamas Boyz 7-11pm
Keith Ricks and Chris Case: island
sound, Motown, funk, rock and blues.
14
Schooner Wharf Bar
Eric Stone
Smokin’ Tuna
4 Charles St., (305) 517-6350
n
Thursday 0910
Jennifer Cordney & Cougers 5pm
Caffeine Carl & Friends 9pm
Friday-Saturday 09-12
Mike Broward 2pm
Joal Rush 5pm
Caffeine Carl & Friends 9pm
Sunday 0913
Currie W. Clayton 5pm
Joal Rush & Friends 9pm
Monday 0914
Nick Norman 5pm
Caffeine Carl & The Buzz 9pm
Jennifer Cordney
& Cougers
5 p.m. Thursday
Caffeine Carl
9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday
and Monday!
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Smokin’ Tuna
Hog’s Breath
The Coal Men
Tuesday 0915
Nick Norman 5pm
Key Lime Pirates 9pm
Wednesday 0916
Nick Norman 5pm
Tackle Box 9pm
Hog’s Breath Saloon
400 Front St., (305) 296-4222
n
Thursday-Sunday 0910-13
Sister Speak 1-5pm
David Mead and
Tommy Keenum
5:30-9:30pm
Music includes the
Beatles, The Police,
Rufus Wainwright.
Sister Funk 10pm
Nation's hottest allfemale band plays
commercial
Hog’s Breath pop/rock, similar
Sister Speak
in sound and style
to artists Pink,
Maroon Five.
Monday-Sunday 0914-20
Cliff Cody 5:30-9:30pm
West Texas singer-songwriter Cliff
Cody—soulful voice and storytelling
style of writing. “Chasin Whiskey,”
Cody’s first recorded cut, recognized
as a highlight of Julie Roberts’ album
“Men and Mascara” by Rolling Stone.
16
Hog’s Breath
Sister Funk
Since first playing the Key West Songwriters Festival a few years ago, Cody
has become a favorite and regular
performer in the Keys.
The Coal Men 10pm-2am
Dave Coleman’s Nashville smart-rock
band. Dave Colman recently played
solo for the mid-shift on the Hog’s outdoor stage, original music and a whole
lot of rock ‘n’ roll. The bands late-night
fans have ask for more of the popular
Nashville band. Band’s CD “Nowhere’s
Too Far” called an eclectic rock record
that’s a raucous as Saturday night in
East Nashville. Band’s new release,
“Escalator,” is out.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
La Te Da
Chicago’s
610 Greene St., (305) 741-7891
www.chicagoskw.com
n
Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 3:30-6:30pm
Monday-Thursday
Amandah Jantzen, 4:30-7:30pm
Tuesday-Thursday
3sum, 8-11:30pm
Friday The Boys, 7-8pm
3sum, 8-11:30pm
Saturday
Amandah Jantzen, 5:30-7:30pm
3sum, 8-11:30pm
Sunday Robert Albury, 4-6pm
Moose, 8-11:30pm
Monday Moose, 8-11:30pm
The Green Room
501 Greene St., (305) 741-7300
www.greenroomkeywest.com
n
Thursday 0910
Anthony Picone 10pm
Friday 0911
TBA 5pm
David Warren 10pm
Saturday 0912
davBig Daddy Rich 5pm
David Warren 10pm
Monday-Tuesday 0914-15
Jason Lamson 8pm
Wednesday 0916
Jason Lamson 3:30pm
Robert Douglas 8pm
Bottlecap Lounge
1128 Simonton St., (305) 296-2807
www.bottlecapkeywest.com
n
Thursday 10pm
Pool Tournament
Friday 5-8pm
Tips benefit nonprofits.
Saturday 10pm
Latin Night; DJ JC Productions
Sunday 10pm Pool Tournament
Tuesday 10pm House Music DJ
1125 Duval St., (305) 296-6706
n
Sunday 0913, 20, 27
Tea Dance 4-6:30pm
Key West’s infamous Tea Dance.
Music with resident DJs Rude Girl
and Molly Blue.
Pinchers
n 712 Duval St., (305) 440-2179
Carl Hatley 1-5pm
Bobby Enloe 1-5pm
Carter Moore 7-11pm
Square Grouper /
The Square Grouper/
My New Joint Lounge
22658 Overseas Hwy., Cudjoe Key
(305) 745-8880
www.squaregrouperbarandgrill.com
www.mynewjoint420lounge.com
n
Thursday 0903
Ericson Holt 7-11 pm
Friday 0904
Brian Roberts 7-11pm
Saturday 0905
Michelle Dravis 8pm-Midnight
The Pier House
at the Beach Bar, One Duval,
(305) 296-4600
n
Thursday
Brian Noon-3p
Friday
Alfonse Noon-3pm
Joel 4-7pm
Saturday
Alfonse Noon-3pm
Sunday
Amandah Noon-3pm
Monday
Rob Noon-3pm
Tueday
Tom Taylor Noon-3pm
Rob 4-7pm
Wednesday
Rob Noon-3pm
Tom Taylor 4-7pm
17
Gary Marion as Sushi
KWAHS | Drag queen exhibit
dollars, with all the fabric and time I put
in. I’ve made every New Year’s Eve outfit
except for three in the last 17 years.”
Do you have a current favorite dress or
accessory?
“My favorite dress is going to be at the
Custom House exhibit. It’s an Oriental
dress I made from two old wedding kimonos I got online from a vintage kimono company in Tokyo. I LOVE it.”
In the land of flip-flops, how high are
your high heels?
“My highest heels are seven inches.
My standards are six inches.”
Any secret tips you apply to your getting-ready repertoire?
“Don’t drink beforehand.”
Can you talk a little about the charity
work you do?
“I do a lot of charity work. For Fantasy Fest, I donate my services to people
who run for King and Queen to make
outfits for them. If they buy the fabric, I
make the outfit. I do the same thing for
the Queen Mother; I always donate a
beautiful gown.”
Sushi rarely gets paid to appear at
events surrounding these and other
fundraising efforts for organizations that
18
include AIDS Help, Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice of the Florida Keys,
Helpline, Metropolitan Community
Church, the Leukemia Society, Wildlife
Rescue of the Florida Keys, and the local
SPCA, so her time and entertainment talents are also donated.
Do you have time for any other hobbies or work?
“I manage the 801 cabaret. My hobby
is sewing. It’s a good thing I love to sew.
It’s a pretty good fit.”
Is there a drag queen myth you’d like
to debunk?
“We’re not all feminine. A lot of us are
butch out of drag.”
Can you riff on a few things drag
queens know? Truisms of sorts?
“My slogan when I am signing something is “Life is a drag without you.” But
truisms— no. I’m just like everyone
else.”
Just like everyone else? But what
about the larger-than-life personality
you’ve created? Do you feel like that person all the time?
“Well that’s Sushi! Oh, no- that takes
all the makeup, the heels… I really don’t
feel like I’m in drag until I put my
lipstick on.”
he September 18 gala at the
Custom House Museum,
281 Front Street, Key West, opens to the
general public 67:30 p.m. with a suggested donation of $10. KWAHS members: VIP access 5:30-6:00 p.m. Guests
mingle with some of Key West’s famous
drag queens. “What a Drag!” runs until
Dec. 2, sponsored by Aqua Bar & Nightclub, Key West Business Guild, Leather
Master of Key West and Monkey Apple
Art Factory. Items, artifacts and more are
on loan from 801 Cabaret, Bourbon
Street and the Queens of Key West.
Exhibit will layer in special events and
programs as Halloween and Fantasy Fest
approach; stay tuned to KWAHS.org
About the exhibit, call KWAHS Curator Cori Convertito, (305) 295-6616,
Ext. 112 or visit WWW.KWAHS.ORG.
To become a member, contact Gerri
Sidoti, gsidoti@KWAHS.org, or call
(305) 295-6616, Ext.106. n
A
INFO
KWAHS.org
IN THE LOWER KEYS
Not without my family
As his loved ones
languish, Mike
Petro waits for
politicians to act
BY TERRY SCHMIDA
ug. 31 was supposed to
be a special day for Mike
Petro. e Key West Realtor’s had been
informed by representatives of the
government of Turkmenistan, that by
the end of the month his wife Aziza,
their daughter Mercedes, 11, and their
son Michael, 4, would be boarding a
plane for the long slog home from the
remote Central Asian nation. Instead,
Petro received the frustrating news
that, once again, his family was still
being refused permission to leave the
land of his wife’s birth, as they have for
weeks now, regardless of their U.S. citizenship.
Moreover, Petro said his efforts to
obtain assistance in the matter from his
own government have been given scant
attention.
“Nothing good came about today,
so we’re kind of nowhere,” Petro said
Monday. “My wife is headed over to
the capital, Ashgabat, to beg, basically.
at’s what the U.S. embassy has advised us to do. e help we’ve received
from them has been nothing but lipservice.
Aziza had brought her two American-born kids to Turkmenistan to visit
the grave of her mother, who died two
years earlier. e Petro family’s ordeal
began on June 10, when Aziza was informed that, despite having completed
the necessary paperwork to renounce
sked why he thought the
Turkmenistan government would block his family’s return to
the United States, Petro paused and
replied, “We’ve been trying
to figure out the motivation for that.
“A professor in New Mexico who set
up a sister city with Ashgabat said that
the dysfunction we’re seeing in the government there isn’t really dysfunction
at all. ey’re very calculated and deliberate in what they do.”
Meanwhile, Petro has missed out on
Mercedes’ 11th birthday celebration on
Aug. 4. Both his children have missed
their Aug. 24 school start date.
“I’ve also been told that what is
needed is the [President Gurbanguly
Mälikgulyýewiç Berdimuhamedow]
to sign a piece of paper,” Petro said.
“But I’ve also heard that people are
somewhat reluctant to put the paper in
front of him or ask him to move on it.”
No fund has yet been established to
help his family pay for the mounting
costs of this diplomatic stalemate, but
Petro is hoping that friends and supporters can find the time to reach out
to politicians and diplomatic officials.
A family is at stake. n
A
A
The Petro family during happier times, including older children Lola and
Julianne (top) and Mercedes and Michael (bottom).
her Turkmenistan citizenship—in advance of the trip—she might not be allowed to leave.
Days before their scheduled July 1
flight back to the United States, Aziza
was told that she and the children
would be allowed to depart the country, but
they were refused boarding at the airport. Since that time, the three have
been staying with Aziza’s brother, outside the capital, as Mike Petro has frantically attempted to rally elected U.S.
officials to the cause.
“I’ve asked direct questions, but our
government keepsresponding by saying
we have no further updates at this
time,’ and ‘we’re working on this at the
highest levels,’” Petro said.
“Congressman [Carlos] Curbelo
hasn’t returned my calls, and Senator
[Bill] Nelson’s office has told me that
there’s not much that they can do.
We’ve been told four different times
that they were going to be allowed to
leave, but each time it has fallen
through.”
19
How to help
Sen. Marco Rubio:
(305) 418-8553
Sen. Bill Nelson:
(202) 224-5274
Rep. Carlos Curbelo:
(202) 225-2778
Turkmenistan embassy:
(202) 588-1500
SHORTANSWERS
BY J E F F J O H N S O N n P A U L A F O R M A N
e ‘D’ word
Dear Short Answers: My girlfriend
decided to get a nose ring. It completely
grosses me out. Every time I look at it, I
think she’s got a booger sticking out of
her nose. And I almost say “you’ve got a
booger sticking out of your nose” before
I remember what it is. Would it be wrong
for me to ask her to remove the nose ring
when we are together? I don’t mind piercings in general, but this one is disgusting.
Don
Dear Don: e way you say it, it is
“mission critical.” Start with something
like “you have the cutest nose I’ve ever
seen…” and state your preference for
her’s unadorned. But then it’s over. Say it
once as nicely as you can, then live with
the outcome.
Home free?
occasionally on vacation) recently threw a
big birthday party for her husband and
invited seven other couples. I didn’t think
much about not being invited, since I’m
single and would have had to travel.
However, she invited couples who had to
travel even farther than I. And then she
confided to me how relieved she was that
she was able to honor her boundaries and
NOT invite certain people. Now I’m
wondering if she felt relieved about not
inviting me, too. Is it good manners—
and good friendship—to share party
planning and party success stories with a
friend whom you’re not inviting to the
party? Or should I be just glad she shared
planning this big event with me via
email? Wondering
Dear Wondering: We’ve had this
experience and regret not discussing it
immediately. In our case, NOT
discussing it led to a teary outburst many
months later. Tell her that, after the fact,
you had mixed feelings about not being
included and you want to
talk about it.
Dear Short Answers: Our son has
arranged an unpaid internship at a New
York publishing company
after his college graduation. We’ve agreed to
support him partially, but
have declined to sign a
sublease for him. Does
Dear Short Answers:
that make sense to you?
How do you know when
Parents of the Grad
your partner’s most unlovDear Parents: No, it
able qualities, if you learn
doesn’t make sense—not in
to love, will allow you a
New York City. It is very
healthy relationship versus
unlikely anyone would
losing your temper?
sublet to a kid with no
Not Always Charmed
income. Would you? We
Dear Not Always:
totally support your plan
If it annoys you now, it
to wean him off the dole,
PAULA FORMAN &
will drive you crazy later.
but you will certainly have
JEFF JOHNSON
Annoying behavior never
to guarantee the lease—
gets better over time. Learn
and perhaps pay in advance. Maybe you
to ignore it if you can, because one thing
should pay the rent for an agreed upon
is certain, it will not change.
time period and let him take care of other
expenses.
Dear Short Answers: Is it okay to do
the right thing for the wrong reason?
Dear Short Answers: My girlfriend
Waiting
(we live 2,000 miles apart but rendezvous
Dear Waiting: Yes, of course. n
Why horses
wear blinders
Do right
Talk now or cry later
Life is complicated. “Short Answers isnt. Send a question about whatever is bothering you
to KonkLife@shortanswers.net or go to www.shortanswers.net and a psychologist
and sociologist will answer. A selection of the best questions appear in Konk Life.
PROFILE
“I lost not because of what I had
done [as mayor] but because of my
relationship with a friend. When I
went to the judge and asked for
mercy, people were pissed,” McPherson said. Adding in defense of his effort to win Acevedo a lighter
sentence, “I’m not going to change
who I am. at’s part of the character I practice.”
Now in 2015, McPherson hopes
that his experience both as mayor
and a business owner of a real estate
firm and a credit card services company are in the right place at the
right time. e deep need for affordable housing, the quick rise of property taxes and the soaring cost of
wind and floor insurance are all issues he is familiar with.
“I can bring solutions to the table
and bring a different perspective
with my broad-based experience in
real estate and merchant services. I
see how the individual sectors are
doing. My two strongest attributes
are that I see the big picture and my
ability to find a solution,” he said.
On the need for an influx of new,
affordable workforce housing,
McPherson wants the city to partner
with the Monroe County School
Board to use the current site of the
school administrative offices, and its
surrounding 25 acres of undeveloped
land, into a housing development. A
developer could be enticed to take on
the project if the city grants a 100
percent tax abatement, he said.
“e city has a lot in its hands
now to remedy the problem. We
have what we need. We just need to
bring those things forward,” he said.
If elected, McPherson also plans
to propose that the city create a
quasi-governmental agency to offer
20
affordable windstorm insurance to
local property owners. Essentially a
form of self-insurance using the original model for Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, the state-run
insurer of last resort, McPherson
wants to create a true non-profit
where rates are set based not on
profit-generating insurance models
but on actual costs.
Saving local taxpayers money is a
major reason McPherson says he is
running for the District 2 city commission seat being vacated by Mark
Rossi. A ballooning budget for the
new city hall being built on White
Street and a projected 13 percent tax
increase for the upcoming fiscal
year—on top of the five percent hike
last year—has McPherson fuming.
“When I was mayor we voted for
a city hall,” McPherson said about
his vote to create a more modest city
hall and parking structure on Simonton Street. “Now we have a Taj
Mahal that is going to cost us a fortune.”
While that 13 percent tax increase
is likely to be reduced during budget
hearings this fall, McPherson is still
bothered by it. ere are no new
services being offered by the city to
justify the tax increases in the past
two years, he said. Reminded, however, that the city is offering at least
one new service this year by taking
over emergency medical services
from a third party vendor, McPherson said the EMS division won’t require a large contribution from
taxpayers once its billing function is
up and running. And many of the
same problems that he tackled when
he was mayor are still prevalent, he
said.
“I think there was something that
wasn’t fixed, was broken. Unless
somebody stepped up to the plate,
we were going to miss the mark,” he
said about his decision to run,
adding, “I’m not so presumptuous to
say that’s it’s my time. But the ideas
and experience I’m bringing forth
will work for our community. At this
particular time, we need the expertise to hit the ground running,” he
said. n
T R O P I C S P R O C K E TS
IAN BROCKWAY
Mistress
America
oah Baumbach is best
known for his melancholic indie comedies that have a glib
and facile quickness. Character-wise
they are usually edgy, idiosyncratic
and rich in personality, almost like a
graphic novel.
His latest. “Mistress America,” is no
exception.
Tracy (Lola Kirke) has moved into
a dorm at Columbia. She doesn’t fit in.
At her mom’s urging, Tracy half-heartedly dials Brooke (Greta Gerwig),
whose father is marrying Tracy’s mom.
Tracy agrees to meet at Times
Square.
From first impression, Brooke is a
true Renaissance girl. She has seen it
all and done it twice over. She is
charming, chatty and only 30. Brooke
has supersonic speech faster than a
multi-tasker on 30 espressos and she
never allows anyone to reply.
Despite this flaw, she appears much
N
Tropic Cinema
Four Screens in Old Town.
Rated Best Cinema in Florida.
www.TropicCinema.com
(877) 761-FILM
in demand by the hipster crowd and
seemingly has it all together.
Regardless of her endless chatter,
Tracy likes her. Perhaps she is fascinated or lonely, but more than likely,
it is a little of both.
Brooke is obsessed by her ex-fiance’s new wife, Mamie-Claire
(Heather Lind) believing that the
woman stole her t-shirt design concept, in addition to her beau, Dylan
(Michael Chernus).
Brooke leads a spontaneous confrontation with Mamie-Claire, believing it to be the key to getting her life
back and starting a new restaurant. A
comedy of errors ensues involving her
bohemian acquaintances who are all
grouped together as in a surrealist film
by Luis Bunuel. ere is Tony
(Matthew Shear), an icy writer
painfully seeking attention, his jealous
girlfriend Nicolette (Jasmine Cephas
Jones), and a verbally cutting lawyer (
Cindy Cheung )
Brooke oscillates in friendship from
warmth to indifference and it is unclear what truly holds Brooke and
Tracy together. e two are not entirely likable by themselves. Brooke is
egocentric and vain. Tracy is introverted, passive and clearly a bit of a
voyeur. Mixed together they make an
odd absinthe, jumpy, volatile and hard
to discern at bottom.
e most witty moments are the
party scenes involving Dylan and
Brooke. She is clearly a mess, but the
more incoherent she becomes, the
more Dylan becomes smitten by her,
making a spoof of what is hip, meaningful and of the moment. In his
mad ardor for Brooke, Michael Chernus as Dylan in steals the show.
Like most of Baumbach’s character
films, “Mistress America” works at you
softly and almost lullingly around the
periphery, only to make you wonder
in an instant and pull you in.
Underneath Tracy’s predictable
Woody Allen voiceover, there is mystery. Who is using whom? What is the
nature of dysfunction and its possible
meaningful role in a friendship?
ese questions and some vibrantly
comic dialogue make solid entertainment which will poke at you in its
gentleness coupled with its understated quirks.
Mission
Impossible:
Rogue Nation
than Hunt ( Tom Cruise)
is as red faced and sweaty
as ever in “Mission: Impossible-Rogue
Nation.”
Here again, he gets a beating and
takes it on the chin, exuding as much
smirky confidence as Indiana Jones
E
21
without snakes. And even though we
have seen the bicep bashes and the
tendon-tearing tumbles all before,
it makes for some satisfying buttercrunches to go with your popcorn.
After a near torturous few
moments with a sadist named the
“bone doctor,” Hunt goes to a vintage
record store, shoulders bulging, and is
TRANSIENT LICENSE
city commission meeting.
“e City Commission was concerned about the creation of additional
hotel units and the loss of residential
housing that could be rented on a longterm basis, and therefore imposed the
condition ensuring the units would be
non-transient,” wrote Kevin Bond, the
city’s senior planner, in a July 7 letter to
Scholl explaining the original intent of
the transient license restriction.
By withdrawing the transient license
request, the project will move forward
as originally agreed, with 20 two-bedroom, 2.5-story apartments, each with a
private elevator and parking underneath. Whoever purchases one of the
units will pay $15,000 into the city’s affordable housing trust fund but since
the development is classified as redevelopment, not new development, Brytex
will not be required to set aside onethird of the units as affordable.
“We simply wanted to enjoy the
same rights as other property owners in
the same district are able to enjoy. We
were offering to provide six affordable
units in order to do so. We have no
choice but to withdraw our proposal to
amend the major development agreement at this time,” Dierman and
Georgelas wrote in their letter.
“e original development agreement that the commission approved
some time ago remains in full force and
effect,” City Attorney Shawn Smith told
commissions. n
SCHOOL HEALTH PROGRAM
Superintendent of Schools Mark Porter
has publicly praised the program, which
last year provided more than 36,000
services for 3,767 patients, over the
course of 6,900 client visits.
No-cost primary care services were
provided to students, their siblings, and
even some uninsured parents, Cunningham said. And some District employees
also availed themselves of the services,
with AHEC billing their insurance companies.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
All this was accomplished with
$250,000, utilizing two full-time medical providers and one visiting MD at
clinics located at Key Largo School,
Coral Shores High School, Horace
O’Bryant School and Sugarloaf Shores.
is year, with the program short
about $25,000, “We’re utilizing three
full-time providers at six sites, but are
unable to offer all the services we’d like
to,” the AHEC CEO said. “And we’ve
been very, very busy. A lot of students
and families were familiar with the clinics from last year, and we’re meeting
some of the real basic needs of the students for medical services.”
Cunningham had been worried that
this year’s $115,000 grant from the
South Florida Health Foundation would
expire if he failed to come up with
matching funds, but that concern seems
to have been alleviated.
Nevertheless, Cunningham now has
his sights set on the City of Key West’s
settlement cash from BP’s Deepwater
Horizon oil spill of April 2010, to help
make up this year’s shortfall.
“We’ve sent a proposal to Commissioner Clayton Lopez and City Manager
Jim Scholl asking for $15,000 of that
money,” Cunningham said at press time.
“About half of our participating students are in Key West. If they approve
our request, we’d be just about whole
for this year. We’re still waiting to hear
back whether or not we’ve been added
to the agenda for their Sept. 15 meeting.”
Cunningham said that AHEC would
also be offering the health clinics during
the summer, for three six-hour days per
week at three or four sites, based on the
summer school schedule. n
keysscribe@aol.com
LEADERSHIP MONROE COUNTY
of Monroe County education, all levels
of government, the judiciary and law
system, the significance of the military
in the Keys, emergency management
and emerging best practices, the increasing impact of the arts and creative in-
dustries, and the non-profit sectors, and
the rapidly changing media platforms
that inform the citizenry and affects and
influences public policy, and new this
year is an expanded focus on health care
and human services, along with ongoing, intensive leadership development.
Program Coordinator Michael
Shields reports that in addition to the
ongoing monthly sessions during the
year LMC will continue to sponsor
Florida Keys Day in Tallahassee during
the next legislative session Feb. 17,
2016.
Begun as a Class XVII project, it is
now an annual summit to advocate and
lobby on behalf of Keys’ residents and
their concerns.
President Henry Rosenthal stated,
“Leadership Monroe is a unique
opportunity to gain insights into the
workings of our county and make
meaningful connections with other
leaders—to make a difference in our
community.”
LOU PETRONE
incoherent. His public personality
suffered.
Williams died Feb. 25, 1983.
It is obvious Merlo was good for
Williams. e two appear to have been
good for each other. ey were given
significant time together. ey made the
best of that time.
It would be remiss not to mention
Williams’ impact on Key West itself. By
1979, he was one of Key West’s most famous faces.
He was open about his homosexuality. A fact which encouraged other gays
to come to Key West to live and work.
Key West progressed with their influx.
Williams became known as the Gay
Grandfather of Key West. A fitting
title. n
22
Conservation
in the Keys
n REEF Fest 0924-27
Marine researchers and divers at
the nonprofit Reef Environmental
Education Foundation celebrates
marine conservation programs in
the Florida Keys during REEF Fest,
Sept. 24-27. REEF Fest events open
to the public.
Activities and education initiatives include a lineup of seminars,
social gatherings and diving opportunities at America’s best dive sites
along fish-filled coral reefs, accompanied by some of the most prestigious names in diving and marine
preservation.
Festivities begin ursday with
afternoon seminars followed by a
welcome party at the Caribbean
Club, a setting for the Humphrey
Bogart film “Key Largo” and a sunset locale situated
at mile marker (MM) 104.
Friday and Saturday are full days
with diving in the mornings, seminars in the afternoons and social
events in the evenings.
Attendees meet famed underwater naturalists and photographers
Ned DeLoach and Paul Humann,
who are to sign books at a Friday
evening open house.
Saturday, a celebration dinner
party features live music by e
Scuba Cowboy, silent and live auctions and a three-course meal featuring Valencian paella,
a classic southern Florida dish.
Free, educational seminar topics
include Fish ID and Behavior, e
Lives of Blennies, Coral Restoration, Grouper Moon, Invasive Lionfish, Sharks. All seminars free.
Pre-registration is recommended.
Each is held at the Murray Nelson
Government Center, Mile Marker
(MM) 102 bayside in Key Largo. n
INFO
reef.org/REEFFest2015
IN REVIEW
‘Blood of the Dragon Tree’
Rogue Nation
TROPIC CINEMA | Mission
given a vinyl record where he is told of
his next mission.
It seems the IMF has been informing
on its members, while Hunt is persona
non grata. Meanwhile there is a reptilian
Syndicate baddie, Lane (Sean Harris)
who has gone rogue, hence the film’s
title.
How or why this happened is not all
that important and one doesn’t need to
see the previous films to enjoy this chapter. Suffice to say, our strapped and
sweaty Hunt has to maneuver (or Maneuver) away from multiple baddies, that
is, several men and one woman with a
gun.
After a few near escapes, Hunt is on
the trail of a digital disc that looks like a
zip drive, but the real fun to be had is in
the cat and mouse chasing and the madcap combat scenes.
If the over confident Tom doesn’t get
you as he hangs off the side of a plane, in
Total Cruise Mode, there is one terrific
tease-tilting scene where Ethan Hunt
stealthily leaps ladder after ladder while
a full Puccini opera is going on below
him. Absurdly, the more Hunt is
punched, the more he smirks. And it is
testament to the charisma of the actor
Cruise that we take it all in, in enjoyable
bursts and happily so.
Hunt is obsessed by a dangerous
woman Ilsa, (Rebecca Ferguson) who
may or may not be lethal. ough her
Bond Girl type has often been seen, Ferguson has a smoky vivacious quality that
equals Cruise and fills the screen.
ough the trappings of the film are
pure Broccoli, it is the Hollywood ham
of Cruise himself that makes this outing
satisfying and meaty. Who else but
Ethan Hunt / Tom Cruise is able to survive a face fracturing crash and then take
off on a methamphetamine motorcycle
along the roads of Morocco that turn
and twist like Arabic scroll. In an earlier
scene, a car crashes into the cliche of a
fruit stand, but rather than a bore it
comes of as Camp.
Given that the franchise has endured
episodes, director Christopher McQuarrie (Jack Reacher) can dispense with explanation and logic, speeding full
throttle into dizzy escape. Fortunately,
“Rogue Nation” doesn’t hold its punches
while Tom Cruise has a fun sometimes
silly and cultish charm, all the more entrancing by his self-conscious awareness.
Yes, we have seen this bunch before
with co-stars Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner and Ving Rhames, and there is
nothing really new. Yet the action is swift
and clever and the devil-may-who-cares
attitude that Cruise has perfected will
have you mugging for the camera as
well.
Finally, the last scene is singular perfection, a perfect “just desserts” that
skirts along the edges of an “Alfred
Hitchcock Presents.” n
Write Ian at ianfree1@yahoo.com
Tropic Cinema
Four Screens in Old Town.
Rated Best Cinema in Florida.
www.TropicCinema.com
(877) 761-FILM
21st Century Key West, this adventure unfolds.
e richly embellished, deeply researched tale is history, mystery, magic
and more, including theology and romance. Most interesting to the uninitiated, I suspect, is the real skinny on
Santaria, the polytheistic, magical
Afro-Cuban religion around which
much of the story revolves and which
is commonly mistaken for voodoo or
satanic witchcraft, which it is not.
Ritchie’s much praised first novel
was a biting satire of then-contemporary Key West. Little of this critical
spirit remains, although Cayo Hueso’s
main character, journalist Mac
McKinney, returns as the central character here; it is through him, helped
by Caridad Cabrerra, his lover and a
santera, a holy woman or priestess
of Santaria, that Julia tells her tale. A
couple
of minor characters previously
BY C.S. GILBERT
skewered
return, just for fun, but
satire is the furthest thing from the
good number of literary thematic richness and depth of this
locals, this writer instory. e author’s six years of research
cluded, have been holding our collecwere well spent.
tive breath waiting for a
Many a literary vessel
sequel to Michael Ritchie’s
founders on the rocks of disscreamingly wonderful
parate points of view;
Cayo Hueso/Cuba Libre—
Ritchie’s omniscient observer
and after six years, here it
skillfully sails through. If
is. Hot off the SeaStory
there were anything to be
Press is “Blood of the
wished for, it is illustrative.
Dragon Tree: e Saga of
is book is hardbound and
Congo Julia.”
the
dramatic dust jacket art
C.S.
“Blood of the Dragon
credited
to Isaac John; it is
GILBERT
Tree” is an historical novel,
quite
stunning.
It would
csgilbert@.com
beginning in 1838 in Africa,
have been nice to have end
in a village in the Congo.
papers depicting maps of
(ere is one important flashback and Cuban (or even African) settings. Next
Chapter 1 is set in Key West’s Bahama edition!
Village in about 1920.) Congo Julia
Congo Julia is Book 1 of e
was in 1838 a young woman named
Dragon Tree Trilogy, publisher Sheri
Elegua Naladi (Star Child), daughter
Lohr reported. Ritchie’s first novel,
of the king. Slavers come, decimate
“Caya Hueso/Cuba Libre” is to the
the village and take her with some of
trilogy as “e Hobbit” is to “Lord of
her people and hundreds more, enthe Rings,” she said. It is due out next
slaved, to Cuba. ere, mostly on
year. We will be holding our breath
Cuban soil but moving toward the
again. n
book’s end to mid-19th Century, then
At last!
A
23
THE HAPPIEST HOUR
with M A T T D U K E S J O R D A N
Bagatelle has a
dangerously good
Happy Hour
BY MATT DUKES JORDAN
Bagatelle is a dangerous place. e
classic Key West restaurant is in a beautiful old historic Conch house down at the
touristy end of Duval and offers fine dining, complex cocktails, and awesome bar
snacks during happy hour. e danger
happens when you get a bowl of the lobster mac as a $5 snack between 4 pm and
7 pm and after savoring it you find yourself licking the bottom of the bowl for the
last tiny droplets of the luscious cheesycreamy sauce. is could be embarrassing. I used my fork instead.
Under the ownership and guidance of
Damian DeAngeles since October 2013,
this legendary escape -- home to 1970s
after-hours parties that were so insanely
wild few can even remember them -- has
again become a magnet for locals. It's
been spruced up and offers $6 cocktails
during happy hour -- in a bar downstairs
that is open-air, an enclosed air-conditioned bar upstairs, and a moon lounge
out on an upper deck where full-moon
parties take place monthly.
During my happy-hour visit I had two
cocktails and two bar snacks. I got there
at about 4:30 and left at 6:30. When I arrived a few young dudes were at the
downstairs outside part of the bar (which
extends inside). By the time I left the
downstairs bar -- was full and people who
arrived were going upstairs to the moon
lounge outside and to the inside bar up
there. A number were locals.
My first cocktail was a jazzy variation
on lemonade made with organic vodka,
cane syrup, and some homemade blueberry jam and basil and a splash of soda-tasty! It's on the specialty cocktail menu
as blue-berry-basil lemonade. Jessica was
the bartender, a hip woman with fascinating tats (tattoos). A Conch! Funny! I had
the luscious mac and cheese with lobster
and some tasty tacos made with pork
belly that had been slow-roasted for six
hours! Very good but the mac and cheese
was the winner for me. I had a specialty
mojito as my second drink—it was made
with fresh raspberries, fresh mint, fresh
lime juice, blackberries, and Veev—sort of
like vodka made from the acai berry in
Brazil. is was my fav of the two cocktails. ey also make a mango mojito, a
Kentucky Sunset with bourbon and orange juice and lemon and agave. Rum
punch made with Cruzan mango rum
looks good!
Like I said, the bar downstairs was full
when I left, the happy hour in full swing.
I'll be back for the mac and cheese and
other cocktails made with fresh fruit,
fresh juices, and interesting spirits like
Veev. n
Happy Hour 4-7 daily. Prices for cocktails,
$6. Snacks, $5. 115 Duval St.,
(305) 296-6609; bagatellekeywest.com
Climate
summit!
n Dec. 1-3
Monroe County, City of
Key West, City of Marathon,
and Islamorada, Village of Islands, host the 7th Annual
SE FL Regional Climate
Leadership Summit,
Dec. 1-3, in Key West.
e Climate Leadership
Summit is a major regional
event which provides a
forum for facilitating climate-related collaboration
and knowledge. summit attracts innovative thinkers
and leaders from business,
government, academia and
the non-profit community to
exchange ideas and dialog at
panel discussions and networking. Last year’s Summit
in Miami-Dade County was
attended by 600 guests, including national and international experts.
SE FL Climate Leadership Summit is an event of
the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change
Compact, a regional partnership of Monroe, MiamiDade,Broward, and Palm
Beach Counties, their municipalities and partners.
e Compact partners
have been working together
since 2009 to develop a strategy that will enable the region to adapt to the impacts
of Southeast Florida’s changing climate, such as sea level
rise and to reduce its causes.
Summit is at the Casa
Marina Resort in Key West.
(Discounted event registration
available to those registering
by TODAY ursday, Sept.
10.) Space limited.
Register online.
INFO
GreenKeys.info
24
RED BARN
Shows last year sold out in only hours,
so tickets will be dear.
Also tucked into two weekends Feb.
21-22 and March 6-7 will be Conchs,
Cowboys and Tales of Old Key West
featuring John Wells, Paul Cotton,
Gary McDonald, Tom Murtha and
George Halloran. e Made In Key
West Band will rock through a collection of country, cowboy, folk, rock and
blues and original compositions about
legendary Key West characters.
Mark Saturday, Feb. 27, on the calendars as that night will see the annual
Red Barn Gala. is year’s festivities
take place at Truman Little White
House, and rumor has it dancing and
eating everything Havana. Watch the
Red Barn website.
“Out of the City” by Leslie Ayvazian hits the stage March 22 to April 16.
Directed by Murphy Davis, the play is
a B&B in the Poconos where two couples who have been friends for years
arrive for a birthday celebration, but
things don’t go quite as planned.
Starring Mimi McDonald, Seth Yates,
George DiBraud and Michael McCabe.
e classic “e Cripple of Inishmann” by Martin McDonagh centers
on the people of Inishmann, Ireland,
who learn a Hollywood director is
coming to a neighboring island to film
a documentary. No one is more excited
than Cripple Billy, an unloved boy
whose chief occupation has been gazing at cows and yearning for a girl who
wants no part of him. is play garnered six Tony nominations last year
and directed by Carole MacCartee.
Lastly, “e Story Goes On” features the real-life mother/daughter
team of Camille Russo Toler and Erika
Monet Butters, who enchant with renditions of songs loved. A multi-generational musical journey features two
of Key West’s best vocalists.
ere are two season subscription
options available—one for opening
nights and one for regular nights.
Individual tickets purchased as well.
Visit online or call (305) 296-9911.
INFO
redbarntheatre.com
Happy 75th
Birthday
Sue Puskedra...
the old girl still
looks great!
Photo: Larry Blackburn
Cover: JT Thompson
Welcome to the
Waterfront
Brewery
King and
Queen
Kickoff
PETE ARNOW | PHOTOGRAPHER
his year’s four Candidates: Vicky Shields, Cameron Zambowski, Jodyrae Campbell, and Mark Watson
T
he new Waterfront Brewery at the Key West Bight had
its Promotion Director Kate Gernaat and Paul Murphy
welcome first time visitors to the soft opening of the massive facility
last Wednesday.
T
26
Waterfront Brewery to Brew Key West Beer
he new Waterfront Brewery (located at the site of the former Waterfront Market in the Key West Bight) has installed a massive brewing
room to make beer here in Key West. When fully operational, the facility will contain a downstairs restaurant with pool tables and a more
upscale upstairs restaurant overlooking Key West Harbor. The two restaurants will be able to seat over 400 for dinner. Like other venues, the Brewery will also feature a gift shop with stylized clothing.
T
27
26
Happy 75th Birthday Sue Puskedra
PHOTOS BY LARRY BLACKBURN
Happy Birthday Sue Puskedra!!!!!
7KH
.H\:HVW
:RPDQ
V&OXE
6DOXWLQJ
&RPPXQLW\
3DUWQHUV
4BMVUFT8JUI0VS%FFQFTU(SBUJUVEF
Specializing in Urgent Care, Internal Medicine & Psychiatry
Open 7 Days a Week
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
SERVICES OFFERED
*OLJOE%POBUJPO
Walk-ins Welcome – Urgent Care Services
X-Ray – EKG – Full Laboratory
In-Office Rapid Lab Results – Drug Screening
Ultrasound – Lacerations Repair
Orthopedic Injuries – Abscesses
Skin Lesion Removal – Biopsies
Physical Exams
'PS,.hT1SPWJTJPO
PGUIF
)JTUPSJDBM4USVDUVSFT3FQPSU
UPUIF
'MPSJEB%FQBSUNFOUPG4UBUF
#VSFBVPG)JTUPSJD1SFTFSWBUJPO
3FIBCJMJUBUJPO3FTUPSBUJPO
,FZ8FTU8PNBOhT$MVC
Dr. Gerth & Dr. O’Lear
305-295-6790
Dr. Zivko Z. Gajic, MD
URGENT CARE SERVICES
100 Years of Dedicated Service to Community
319 Duval Street • KeyWestWomansClub.org
305-735-4177
2505 Flagler Avenue, Key West, FL 33040
www.keywestmedicalcenter.com
)
)&--*/(4)064&.64&6.03(
Museum Hours: 8FE-Thurs 10am-4pm, Sat 10am-1pm
29
Deb Bent & Stephanie Hellstrom.
ML Price rings the dinner bell.
Valerie Edginton & Kris Pabian.
The birthday girl and Queen for a Day.
30
ML Price with Bob & Kris Pabian.
Fire code prevented putting the appropriate number of
candles on Sue’s cake.
Deb Bent serves while Tim Greene waits in anticipation.
31
Brewfest 2015 Kickoff at the Waterfront Brewery
The new Key West Waterfront Brewery is open and ready.
All of the usual faces were on hand for the Sunrise Rotary’s Brewfest Kickoff.
A full house kept the Waterfront Brewery staff busy.
Raquel Crummit & Ben Hennington.
32
Brewfest 2015 Kickoff at the Waterfront Brewery
Jim Young & Sarah Sandnes.
Even the dogs get a drink and a toast at the Waterfront Brewery.
You can even escape the crowds at the Waterfront Brewery as Tony and Rebecca did.
Mikey Moe in a hand painted shirt enjoying a hand crafted beer.
33
Key West Business Guild Candidates Forum and Luncheon @ Beachside
Clay Ratliffe won the 50-50 drawing.
Richard G. Payne - Commissioner
District IV Candidate.
Moderator Todd German.
Executive Director Matt Hon and Board Vice President Dan Skahen.
34
Margaret Romero - Commissioner District V Candidate.
Incumbent Tony Yaniz - Commissioner District IV Candidate.
Mike Mongo - Commissioner District V Candidate.
James Marquardt - Utility Board Group I Candidate.
35
Donna Bosold - Utility Board Group 1 Candidate.
Incumbent Mona Clark - Utility Board Group 4
Candidiate.
Incumbent Charlie Bradford - Utility Board Member Group 5 Candidate.
Christine Gorham -Utility Board Group 4 Candidiate.
Morgan McPherson -Commissioner District II
Candidate.
Samuel J. Kaufman - Commissioner District II Candidate.
36
Life in Key West is Never a Drag
Yes dear...gently tuck the dollar in but not
too far.
No, seriously....we really thought that
they were women!!!!
Faith Michaels with Ryan Ginsberg.
Of course I’m beautiful. What did you expect?
37
Why yes my dear, I am a man under this façade. And you?
Marluxe Duval in her tropical best.
We would never do this at home!!! With Candy Veneer.
I don’t care if it’s Beatrix Dixie or Donavan Pavlicek...I like them both!!
38
Go ahead, give them a squeeze.
Marluxe Duval enchants Roger
Are they real? With Maya Montana. Harmon.
KONK Life News Hour”
“K
on the X Radio FM104.9
Money dammit....it’s the money that we want. It takes a lot of it to look Charlize Angel brings her all.
this cheap.
premiers Sunday, September 6 @ Noon.
Hosted by Guy deBoer, KONK Life’s
Managing Editor & Publisher.
We’ll have all the local
news that affects your life,
your family, your business and our community!
39
Labor Day Pool Party and Luau at the Bourbon St. Pub
Yep...we’re on vacation and we’re at the Garden Bar!!
Joey Schroeder, Bourbon Street Pub & New Orleans House complex owner.
SPLASH!!!!!
Enjoying cocktails and eye candy for
the boys.
These two couldn’t get enough of this pool party.
RJ & Kyle out and about.
40
A Very Special Happy Birthday Debo Dingler
Debo Dingler shares a birthday hug with Larry Blackburn.
41
Magnificent Meadows moderne
by C. S. GILBERT
KONK LIFE REAL ESTATE WRITER
ears ago I spent many
happy hours visiting my
friends Athena and Jim at 800 Georgia
Street, on the corner of Petronia. Built
in 1948, it was a roomy, comfortable
Key West duplex with lovely plantings,
a great pool and some outbuildings.
Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore.
This incarnation features settings
out of Architectural Digest (more
about that later), exquisite and exotic
woods, dramatic stone, exceptionally
beautiful décor and highly unique
furnishings that are included in the
sale. (Only the owners’ personal art
collection and Marlin are not.)
The white picket fence is probably
the same, but the warm wood gate
door is new. Once inside the pool and
foliage, especially an ancient, orchid
and elkhorn fern-draped mahogany
tree, were familiar, but that was it.
This drastic transformation from
comfy duplex to upscale single-family
home is entirely the work of owners
Tony and Cyndi Chatman, both are
engineers, designers and decorators of
immense talent. Nothing—nothing!—
has been overlooked in the creation
of this magnificent residence.
“It’s a hobby we both enjoy,”
said Cyndi modestly.
They bought the property in 2007,
she said, “partly because it’s on Georgia
Street and we’re from Georgia, and the
mature mahogany in the yard.”
Under that tree is a new outdoor
living room with a sectional that could
sleep two and a huge travertine coffee
table/fire pit. Armchairs face the pool
and, at the far end, a freestanding
workshop/artists studio sports a wall
of mirrors backing a curtained dining
pavilion. Around the corner, between
the house and its one-car garage off
Petronia, is an outdoor semi-kitchen
Y
A covered porch, dining pavilion, outdoor living room, lush foliage and nine mahogany double doors embrace the large
backyard pool.
BARRY FITZGERALD | PHOTOGRAPHY
This dramatic kitchen contains a dining bar as well as a large, backlighted onyx
island and all Viking Professional appliances.
42
with a serious grill just outside the
kitchen door.
Alongside the pool nine sets of
mahogany double doors footed by
Ipe steps marry outdoors with in. As
spectacular as the outdoor
living/dining areas are, the interior
outdoes them, first with a flat-out
gorgeous, immense great room divided
by a 12-foot freestanding tropical
aquarium, which, via Tony Chatman's
artistry, appears solidly built in. A
dining table of coconut wood slats
seats at least six; from the dining area
is a view of the front hall and the
floating staircase of mahogany and
wenge wood with horizontal stainless
cable beneath a mahogany bannister.
“That took six months,” noted Tony.
“He built everything,” added Cyndi.
The dining area is accented by the wood-beamed ceiling and the view of the
floating, arte moderne staircase in the front hall.
A 12-foot free-standing aquarium, a work of functional art, divides the living area
from the kitchen.
Warm wood accents a wall and the full ceiling of the master bedroom, pointing up
the “nautical theme” of a stateroom on a grand yacht.
“Window-walled” and “a tub in the treetops” describe this half of the two-room
master bath.
Beyond the aquarium is a kitchen
almost beyond description. Most
dramatic is the backlit, predominantly
yellow-gold onyx island housing the
four-burner plus grill and griddle
range. All the stainless steel appliances,
which include an expresso machine,
wine cooler and jumbo refrigeratorfreezer are by Viking Professional.
Storage is copious on all four sides.
mahagony and teak accented
stateroom on a majestic yacht. Indeed,
that was motivation for the fine
woods—teak, wenge, spalted maple
and several mahoganies—throughout
the house, including the powder room
reminiscent of a ship's head and the
uniquely crafted wood ceilings
throughout the first floor.
The master bath is similarly unique:
There are quartz counters,
complementary glass tile backsplash
and a dining bar—too grand to be just
for breakfast. “We always eat here,”
they said.
The balance of the substantial first
floor, originally two bedrooms, a bath
and a hall, is filled by the nautical
themed, poolside master suite
intended to evoke the luxurious
43
it’s two rooms, really: the shower room
contains a single sink of floating black
granite on a teak base “his” between
doors to twin walk-in closets the size
of some Key West bedrooms. There are
two open, glass-tiled shower stations
with four showerheads, a sitting bench
and slatted flooring over polished coral
rock, symbolic of the ocean, they said.
Continued on next page.
1
Magnificent Meadows
moderne
Continued
To the right is a long sunroom, ten
windows now casting wood-shaded
light on a vanity with a similar
“hers” sink, a toilet and a deep
soaking tub—in addition to a huge
NordicTrack Elliptical home fitness
machine.
The front hall soars 24 feet of
coral tile, topped by a glowing,
multicolor mosaic glass and bead
Turkish chandelier. Beyond the
substantial stairwell landing are
three rooms, all with vaulted ceilings
of the original Dade county pine;
two bedrooms have closets, while
the third room is a media room,
connecting to the 22x7-foot office
located in the upstairs sunroom.
There is also, of course, a bathroom.
In the upstairs hall hangs a
framed, four-page, illustrated
article from Architectural Digest,
featuring an earlier Chatman
project: their home on Lake Lanier
in Gainesville, GA.
As with another recent property,
space simply doesn’t allow a
description of all this home’s special
features and fine details. (Example:
The fact that this property includes
two ROGO units, the incredible
vacation rental and booking history,
and the orchid-filled outdoor
shower off the master bath, open to
the pool patio.) See for yourself.
Contact listing agent Lori Langton
of Bascom Grooms Real Estate at
(305) 923-1685.
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.
2
The most unusual
feature of this totally
unusual master bath is
an open party shower
with twin stations, slatwood flooring for
drainage and glass and
coral rock tiles.
A side yard near the
dining pavilion is
equipped with a deluxe
stainless grill, smokers,
a small sitting/dining
area as well as a freestanding heater and
direct access to the
kitchen.
3
4
5
Featured Home Locations
4
6
5
7
2
1
Cudjoe Key
Sugarloaf
Key
3
Key Haven
Stock Island
Featured Homes – Viewed by Appointment
Map #Address
#BR/BA
Listing Agent
3BR/3BA
Dawn Thornburgh, Beach Club Brokers, Inc.
Phone Number
Ad Page
305-294-8433
800-545-9655
781-249-6623
44
44
305-587-0087
45
45
47
47
1
522 Petronia St., Key West
2
2601 S. Roosevelt Blvd., Key West – Multiple Units
3
51 Drost Dr. Cudjoe Key
4
65 Sunset Key Dr., Key West
2BR/2BA
Kirsti Madeo, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services
Knight & Gardner Realty
Mike Caron, Compass Realty
5
2310 Staples Ave., Key West
6
2817 Venetian Dr., Key West
3BR/2BA
+ Cottage
3BR/3BA
Ellen Gvili, Engel & Völkers
Cindy Kaye, Engel & Völkers
Doug Mayberry, Doug Mayberry Real Estate
508-269-8565
305-296-7078
305-304-2933
305-731-5000
305-292-6155
7
3030 Riviera Dr., Key West
4BR/2.5BA
Doug Mayberry, Doug Mayberry Real Estate
305-292-6155
1BR/1BA
+ 2BR/1BA
2BR/2BA
Patricia McGrath, Century 21 Schwartz Realty
46
45
Key West Association of REALTORS®
keywestrealtors.org
Phone (305) 296-8259
Listing Agency
Lower Keys
A Key Real Estate Inc.
Coldwell Banker Schmitt
Key West Sunshine Realty
KeyIsle Realty
Rose Dell & Associates
KeyIsle Realty
Waterfront Keys Realty
Action Keys Realty
BHHS Knight & Gardner Realty
Keyswide Realty
Century 21 Schwartz
Key West
At Home in Key West
Preferred Properties
Doug Mayberry Real Estate
Truman & Co.
Truman & Co.
Sellstate Island Properties
Shirley A Flenner
Truman & Co.
SBX Real Estate
Selling Agency
Fax (305) 296-2701
Sold Date
List Price
Sold Price
Street # Street Address
A Key Real Estate
At Home in Key West
KeyIsle Realty
Keys Commercial Real Estate
RE/MAX All Keys
Shoreline Properties
KeyIsle Realty
Conch Realty Sales
8/28/15
9/1/15
9/1/15
9/2/15
9/1/15
8/27/15
8/28/15
8/27/15
8/31/15
9/1/15
8/31/15
8/28/15
8/31/15
9/1/15
8/31/15
8/27/15
8/31/15
$ 160,000.00
$ 399,000.00
$ 139,900.00
$ 335,000.00
$ 249,000.00
$ 200,000.00
$ 39,000.00
$ 110,000.00
$ 459,000.00
$ 415,000.00
$ 459,000.00
$ 249,000.00
$ 545,000.00
$ 285,000.00
$1,299,000.00
$ 199,000.00
$ 525,000.00
$ 150,000.00
$ 325,000.00
$ 127,000.00
$ 315,000.00
$ 235,000.00
$ 200,000.00
$ 36,000.00
$ 110,000.00
$ 465,000.00
$ 410,000.00
$ 426,705.00
$ 240,000.00
$ 505,000.00
$ 265,000.00
$1,150,000.00
$ 195,000.00
$ 525,000.00
Compass Realty
Seaport Realtors
Century 21 Schwartz Realty
Keys Commercial Real Estate
Seaport Realtors
Truman & Co.
Florida Keys Real Estate
Truman & Co.
Southernmost Realty
Florida Capital Realty
Elegant Florida Living
SBX Real Estate
8/27/15
$ 649,000.00
$ 620,000.00
91 Seaside Ct
Key West
8/28/15
$ 699,000.00
$ 670,000.00
2412 Linda Ave
Key West
8/28/15
$ 325,000.00
$ 320,000.00
3029 N Roosevelt Blvd #53
Key West
9/2/15
$ 289,000.00
$ 265,000.00
3314 Northside Dr #145
Key West
8/31/15
$2,800,000.00
$2,725,000.00
540 Greene St
Key West
8/28/15
$ 550,000.00
$ 522,500.00
1116 Packer St
Key West
8/31/15
$ 959,000.00
$ 916,000.00
1419 Reynolds St
Key West
8/31/15
$ 795,000.00
$ 745,000.00
1226 South St
Key West
9/1/15
$ 798,000.00
$ 810,000.00
1017 Windsor Ln
Key West
8/28/15
$ 975,000.00
$ 910,000.00
82 Key Haven Rd
Key Haven
8/28/15
$1,625,000.00
$1,550,000.00
608 Angela St
Key West
8/28/15
$ 339,000.00
$ 325,000.00
2601 S Roosevelt Blvd #118C
Key West
8/31/15
$ 220,000.00
$ 210,000.00
3312 Northside Dr #616
Key West
9/1/15
$ 950,000.00
$ 825,000.00
1203 Johnson St
Key West
9/2/15
$ 375,000.00
$ 345,000.00
3625 Seaside Dr #25-108
Key West
Based on information from the KWAR MLS for the period of 08/27/15 through 09/03/15
31447
31136
30933
109
30381
21
7
0
29182
1585
24449
701
23017
701
21460
17
5020
Avenue E
Atlantis Dr
Mercedes Rd
W Sandy Cir
Oleander Blvd
Newfound Blvd
Horvath Rd
Independence Ave
Orchid Ln
Pandorea Ln
W Caribbean Dr
Spanish Main Dr #434
Sailfish Ln
Spanish Main Dr #445
Overseas Hwy
Cross St
5th Ave #13
Island
Built
Description
Big Pine Key
Big Pine Key
Big Pine Key
Big Pine Key
Big Pine Key
Big Pine Key
Big Pine Key
Big Pine Key
Big Pine Key
Big Pine Key
Summerland Key
Cudjoe Key
Cudjoe Key
Cudjoe Key
Cudjoe Key
Stock Island
Stock Island
1973
1970
1971
1970
1993
N/A
N/A
N/A
1988
1990
1987
1979
1998
1982
2007
1970
N/A
2005
1950
1999
1987
1973
1938
1938
1943
1963
1969
1890
1967
1980
1958
2001
Good Deeds sponsored by
6
Bdrms
Wtrfrnt
MM
Mobile Home
Single Family
Mobile Home
Single Family
Single Family
Lots
Lots
Lots
Single Family
Single Family
Single Family
Mobile Home
Single Family
Mobile Home
Commercial RE
Mobile Home
Single Family
2
2
3
2
3
0
0
0
4
2
3
1
3
2
0
3
3
No
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
31
31
31
31
30.5
30
30
29.5
29
29
25
23
23
23
21.4
5
5
Townhouse
Single Family
Townhouse
Townhouse
Commercial RE
Single Family
Single Family
Single Family
3-4 Units
Single Family
Single Family
Condo
Condo
Single Family
Condo
2
2
2
2
0
3
2
3
6
4
3
2
2
7
2
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
4
3
3
3
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
7

September 10, 2015

Transcription

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