BEGINNING OF THE END

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There is a quaintness to Key West. A contributing factor is the height of our homes and buildings. In modern times limited to 25 feet.

A special election was held yesterday to permit an increase in the building height to 40 feet. The turnout was small. Only 16 percent of the population. It passed!

Surprising.

The permission is limited to a one time construction. A proposed affordable housing development on Stock Island. A 2.62 acre city owned parcel.

Permit it once, it will happen again. Human nature being what it is. The next time a developer wants to do it, he will use the affordable housing complex as justification for permitting another 40 foot structure.

Key West residents have fought developers for years on the issue. No one desired high rises. None want to turn Key West into a Miami, Fort Lauderdale or Naples.

Guaranteed 20 years from now, Key West will be lined with high rise condos.

Spent my yesterday preparing last night’s podcast. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.

I believe we are tired of listening to Trump items all day every day. There are other things going on in the world.

I devoted a considerable portion of last night’s show to other things. Some touched on Trump. Very little, however. My thrust was to talk about things not involving the daily chaos Trump imposes on us.

I spoke about civil disobedience, religion dying, robots in the news (especially Flippy the hamburger tossing robot), and the Miramar SWAT team suspended for rushing over to Douglas High School to help without first getting permission from a Miramar superior officer.

The evening a good change of pace.

A well liked Key Wester died monday evening. Jon “Tosh” Mc Intosh. Tosh was 70 years old. An exceptional artist. Always a smile, always a hello.

Another star in the sky.

Drivers beware. For your own good.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department announced a special program between now and the end of the St. Patrick’s Day weekend: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. Part of a national effort to reduce drunk driving.

Be especially careful on US 1. Let someone else drive if you have had one too many.

It is a few minutes after 10 in the morning at the moment.  High school students all over the east walked out of their schools at 10. In support of National School Walkout Day. In support of gun safety. To present a force that ultimately will compel Washington and the States to change gun laws for the better.

The walkout is 17 minutes in honor of the 17 killed at Douglas High School.

The students hope to accomplish what adults have not. They just might. They fear nothing. Are politely vocal. Cannot be bullshitted. Will soon be voters.

A group arrived in Washington and will walk to the White House at 10. I am not sure the President is there. He was in California last night.

Trump lacks balls. He would never meet with them.

Students will walk out as the clock hits 10 in their parts of the country.

The walkout is organized. The group that arranged the women’s marches have been assisting them.

Weather continues to be cold. Sixty three last night. Froze!

Fortunately, the air conditioning people arrived this morning. A whole new air conditioning/heating unit is being put in. Tonight will be wonderful!

I have a 5:30 Sons and Daughters of Italy dinner and business meeting tonight. Then home. At 9:20, Syracuse and Arizona State meet in one of the first games of the NCAA Tournament. The Vegas Line has Syracuse a 1.5 point underdog.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

MY PODCAST TONIGHT

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Tuesday comes quickly every week. My podcast. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine in the evening my time. A fast half hour of opinionated sometimes eye opening talk. Join me. www.blog talk radio.com/key-west-lou.

Topics include Trump. His Afghanistan position, tonight’s Phoenix rally, Russia and China’s interest in Afghanistan, and challenging Pakistan.

Plus, what the Boston Common Rally really meant, India’s Supreme Court declaring Muslim three times I divorce you unconstitutional, killer robots, biggest gold discovery in history, Johnson and Johnson and baby talcum powder, and more.

A statue of Christopher Columbus was erected in Baltimore in 1792. Last nigh,t it was sledge hammered to the ground. Retribution for tearing down Baltimore’s Confederate statues and memorials?

Dueling bartenders at Aqua last night. Enjoyed Tom Luna and Rick Dery. Always a pleasurable time.

Liz there. We chatted a bit. Joe and Linda, also.

Then to the late Happy Hour at Tavern ‘n Town. Quiet. Very few people. The silence overwhelming.

I enjoyed a couple of drinks and an appetizer. Glanced through the Wall Street Journal.

An interesting article in this morning’s Key West Citizen re the amphitheater. It may be named the Jimmy Buffett Amphitheater. An appropriate name, if so.

Fantasy Fest two months away. Organizers already into the event. Friday evening at 6 at the Southernmost House, the races for King and Queen begin.

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. Police will be out in mass between now and the end of the Labor Day weekend looking for drunk drivers. Drink conservatively or not at all. Mug shots never look good.

I continue to live and learn. Were you aware dance instructor and bouncer were interrelated? Dance instructor is a euphemism for the old fashioned bouncer.

I end with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s comment to the neo-Nazis who marched in Charlottesville…..Your heroes are resting in Hell!

Enjoy your day!

 

ARGENTINE TANGO

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Dance the Tango! The Argentine Tango!

Tonight!

Key West Theater on Eaton Street. Part of the Key West World of Culture Dance Series. Learn or watch. Your choice.

Trump on the receiving end. The tide is turning. It does not seem he can take it as well as he can give it out.

Liberty University a major Trump supporter. Liberty’s President Jerry Falwell, Jr. at the forefront. A few graduates are unhappy with Falwell’s support of Trump following Trump’s Nazi and alt right comments. So far, one hundred. They are returning their diplomas.

I have become a fan of the Justice Building Blog. Sometimes bland, sometimes humorous. Today’s on the funny side.

Trump on frequent occasion makes statements that are historically incorrect, nonsensical, just plain stupid. Some quotes attributable to Trump listed today. None said by Trump. Could have been, however.

Like…..”Nazis are people too. Americans.” How about…..”We spend all the money on nuclear weapons and don’t use them. What good are they? Or…..”Lincoln did not believe in global warming. Neither did Patton. Neither do I.”

Confederate statues and memorials being removed. Some in the dark of night. My thoughts move back and forth.

At first, I did not agree. Like it or not, the Civil War is part of American history. The Nation united following the war. Southern peoples have the right to honor their heroes of that moment in American history.

Then I heard the voices of today’s African-Americans. Most of the statues/memorials were constructed during the 1920’s by and in support of the Klu Klux Klan or in support of southern States during the 1960’s civil rights disturbances.

Their voices loud and clear. Whether a statue, monument or flag, we are reminded of our slavery heritage. These items represent a time when our people suffered.

I understood. Or, thought I did. Tear them down became part of my thought process.

Now, I find myself swaying back and forth between both conclusions.

Which brings me to Key West and the issue.

This morning’s Key West Citizen reveals three Confederate statues/memorials. One in Bayview Park. Another, Clinton Square. The third, Mallory square itself. There is a fourth I discovered myself.

The Confederate memorial in Bayview Park was constructed in 1924 by the Stephen Mallory chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Dedicated to the soldiers and sailors of the Confederacy.

The one in Clinton Square erected in honor of Confederate veteran and Judge J.V. Harris.

Mallory Square the best of the best or outrageous based on one’s perspective.

The huge expanse known as Mallory Square is named after Stephen R. Mallory. Mallory was raised in Key West. A United States Senator representing Florida prior to the Civil War. Served as Confederate Secretary of the Navy during the Civil War. Charged with treason following the war. Imprisoned for a time. Then paroled by President Andrew Johnson.

When a U.S. Senator, his first speech was for a return to flogging on U.S. Navy vessels. The nature of the man reflected?

I am unaware if he continued to live in Key West during his Senatorial years or any time thereafter. He died not in Key West, but at his home in Pensacola.

Well my fellow residents of Key West, do we tear down the Bayview Park memorial, the Clinton Square statue, and rename Mallory Square? No thought given so far. I doubt that Key Westers really care.

One more example. Asa Forseyth Tift.

Tift was the first owner of what today is the Hemingway House. He built it in 1851. Tift owned 14 slaves. They constituted the labor force used.

Tift’s bust is located in the Memorial Sculpture Garden at the edge of Mallory Square.

Should the Hemingway House be torn down? Should Tift’s bust be removed from the Memorial Sculpture Garden?

All food for thought. What is good for Charlottesville, Baltimore and other cities, should be good for Key West. Lets have a universal application. Or, cease and desist with the removal of these historical representations.

A confusing issue for those with no ax to grind. Like me.

Enjoy your day!

 

AFRICAN CEMETERY

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There is a goodness to Key West people. Unique.

Key Westers are caring. Be down on your luck and the locals rise to help.

Such is not a recent thing. The year 1860 an example.

The US Navy captured three American owned slave ships. Transported more than 1,400 of the Africans on board to Key West. These were not slaves. They had been captured in Africa and were on their way for sale in Cuba and central America. At which time they would become slaves.

They were refugees at the time of their salvation. African refugees.

Key West immediately pitched in. Constructed housing and a hospital. All in what today is the Higgs Beach area. The hospital needed to care for Africans made sick or injured during the trip from Africa to where the vessels were captured.

More than 100 died. Some believe the figure to be 245. Whatever, the dead refugees were buried at Higgs Beach.

Forgotten by time. Till 2002. Some repair/maintenance work was being done int he Higgs Beach area. A few bodies were discovered. Bones that is. Experts called in. Utilizing ground penetrating radar, the remains of more African refugees were discovered.

Certain locals got together to make sure the graves would never be disturbed. The area was determined to be an African Refugee Cemetery. The area fenced off. A series of pedestals and other items erected explaining and commemorating what lie below.

A Day of Remembrance is held once a year. Today that day. From 6-8 this evening, a ceremony will be held. African dignitaries attend from various parts of Africa. Including a King. The King has become an annual visitor.

Spent three hours late yesterday afternoon sipping, enjoying the view and chatting with others at Louie’s Backyard. The Outside Deck.

Then home. I craved the sauce and meat Fran Dixon from Buffalo had recently brought me. The food was frozen solid. I could not wait for it to thaw. Ergo, microwave required. A problem existed. The sauce and meat were frozen in a plastic container.

I telephoned Fran in Buffalo. She and Tom were in the car on their way to dinner.

Explained my plight to Fran. She said micro 2-3 minutes. The frozen block will slip out. Plastic container will not melt.

I performed as directed. No problem. Transferred the food to a large microwavable bowl. Twenty minutes later, hot sauce, meatballs and pork.

Dinner simple. Dunked bread in the sauce. Ate the meatballs and veal. Nothing left at the end. Magnifique!

I live and learn. This time via Diana Millikan.

Diana is renting an apartment on a canal running along side Hilton Haven Road. Boats are parked on the canal. The boat in front of Diana’s place is named the Head Honcho.

The toilet on a boat is referred to as the head. Perry Chaing’s business is cleaning out the heads. A big business. Name of boat derived therefrom. Head Honcho.

What I learned. Years ago, toilets/receptacles were placed at the bow or base of the bow. The head of the vessel. The splashing waters would clean the toilets/receptacles.

Today, boat owners and boats world wide are sophisticated. Head Honcho’s hired!

Head Honcho’s business in Key West is known as Marine Sanitation Solutions Inc.

Tomorrow the eclipse. The moon will block out most of the sun. A shadow will be cast over the Earth. Around 3 in the afternoon. Wear the special glasses!

St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church is located on Truman Ave. The Church was dedicated this date in 1904. Still stands more than 100 years later.

I attend Church infrequently. However when I do stop into St. Mary’s, I am subjected to the warmth of a small island Caribbean house of worship. Sun shining in. A touch of warmth. A flavor not experienced elsewhere.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

BERLIN’S ON A FRIDAY NIGHT

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It had been a couple of months since my last visit to Berlin’s. It had also been a couple of months since Jenna and I were last together.

We had dinner last night at Berlin’s.

It was catch up time.

Jenna is studying for a realtor’s license. Difficult, she said. Still filming and modeling. The modeling primarily in Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

I keep telling her to find a rich man and get married. She complains the ones with money are all too old. Jenna a mere 30. Seeks a contemporary age wise. Key West a difficult place for two heterosexuals to come together.

She traveled quite a bit this summer. Two weeks home in Indiana, a trip to Los Angeles to visit a girl friend, Chicago, etc. A tough life!

She leaves for a one week trip to Hawaii in two weeks.

I told her maybe if she stayed home in Key West more, she might score guy-wise.

Jenna is a knock out! No question about it. Thirty has not affected the freshness of her beauty in any way.

We laughed our way through dinner.

Jean Thornton and the ladies showed up. Sort of a girls’ club. They dine together frequently. Sweet Janyne was with them.

I had run into Jean earlier in the evening when I stopped at the Chart Room for a drink before leaving to meet Jenna.

English Peter showed up. He had been at the Chart Room earlier when Jean and I had. Peter came for a drink and ended up having dinner. Jean and I wanted to treat. We could not agree who should pay. We ended up sharing his bill.

Ran into two interesting couples.

Tim and Susie from the midwest. Middle aged. Impressed me. They kissed even when she left to go to the ladies room.

Tim and Susie have been coming to Key West for 20 years. They have a time share at Banyan Court. One problem this year. They miscalculated their week and arrived a week too early. No room at the inn.

They stayed at the new Perry Hotel on Stock Island. Absolutely loved it! View and room spectacular. Service outstanding. Cheap. $170 a night.

Another couple was from Coral Springs. Did not catch their names. The husband said, “You’re the novelist!” No one ever called me a novelist before. The sound of it felt good. I am aware that even though I write, a novelist I am not.

The couple remembered me from the Chart Room on a previous trip. That triggered my memory. They are in the real estate business. Have a boat. Come down to Key West every 3-4 weeks for a long weekend. Sleep on the boat.

Stopped at the Chart Room first. Already mentioned I visited with Jean and Peter. John, also.

Several years ago, I met an extremely nice couple. Thirty-forty years younger than me. They had a home by the cemetery and visited Key West often. We got together frequently. Then about 4 years ago, we never saw each other again. Why, I don’t know. Maybe they disliked me.

I did not have their number. The wife had mine. She would make the arrangements.

I am having a senior moment. I cannot remember their names.

Last night, I did recall their faces. They were in the Chart Room. Went over and jokingly chastised them for having forgotten me. Both laughed. The wife and I hugged. Always a sweet woman!

She said forgotten I was not. She continues to read my blog every day.

His father was with them. I told him the kids should be ashamed having cast me aside.

I left asking them to call me for dinner.

On the way to the Chart Room, I stopped at Publix. Don’t laugh. I bought 10 Power Ball tickets. Picking today. The prize $535 million.

I never buy lottery tickets. In all the years they have been out, I probably have purchased them six times. Maybe I’ll have beginner’s luck.

A good night!

Two rallies today. The nuts and anti-nuts. One in Boston and one in New York City. At noon and 1 respectively. Will watch both on TV.

Enjoy your day!