STANDING ROCK SIOUX STANDING STRONG

Spent a part of yesterday organizing and fine tuning last night’s podcast. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.

I did a different show. Generally, I discuss ten different topics. Last night, one. Harder to do one than ten. With ten give or take, I can easily judge time. Easy to stop when my time is up. Cut short a topic.

With one topic, I was not certain when I would run out of time. Be left hanging in the middle of a part of the story. Even worse, not telling the whole story.

I practice beforehand. Practice and reality work out to different times.

I was thrilled last night. My material ended as the 30 minutes ended. Perfect! Accidental, of course.

The subject matter motivated me to do one issue. The Standing Rock, North Dakota Native American protest and the Dakota Access Pipeline. I felt the media was not providing sufficient information or a clear picture. Unknown facts that should be revealed.

If you missed the show, it is archived on my Key West Lou website. You may wish to read it. www.keywestlou.com.

I began with the Great Sioux War, Custer’s last stand at Little Big Horn, the Black Hills gold rush, and the U.S. government cheating/screwing the Indians. I ended with yesterday. That current.

Woe is me! Syracuse got beat again last night. By Wisconsin. 77-60. Syracuse looked terrible. As bad as when it lost to South Carolina a few days ago.

I have faith. Boeheim can pull it together. Look at last season. Syracuse was having a bad year. Ended up being one of the Final Four.

Looking forward to Happy Hour today. At Martin’s. With Joseph Lyles. Joseph recently retired as the Hot Tin Roof’s manager. Will be good to see him again.

Martin’s food excellent. A terrific combination. Joseph and Martin’s. Joseph is well read. A thinker. Great conversation anticipated.

Photographer Larry Blackburn is having a show. In 2 days. On December 2. From 6-9. The show is part of the First Friday Upper Duval Art Show.

Larry has titled the show Absence and Presence of Color. Photos of Key West and Ecuador.

The show is at the New York Pasta and Ocean Grill Restaurants in Duval Square.

Recommend you go. Larry’s work spectacular!

There is a bit of sadness attached to today. I will be writing the last installment of my rendition of Wright Langley’s History of the Key West Rotary. Covers the years 1915-1991. The history ended with 1991.

This final installment is #26.

Key West Rotary celebrated its 75th anniversary on April 6, 1991. At the Holiday Inn Beachside. The same place they had celebrated the Club’s 25th anniversary.

Charley “Sonny” Mc Coy was master of ceremonies. Keynote speaker Ralph Renick. A former TV Channel 4 anchorman.

Both speakers delved into the Club’s history.

The Club had 98 members at the time. The Rotary had grown decidedly from its 1915 inception.

Accomplishments many. Those noted included the continued support of the Fourth of July fireworks at the White Street Pier, providing a $6,000 college scholarship, providing 2 $100 and 8 $50 Citizenship Awards, donations to over 16 local charities and youth organizations, and acting as a major sponsor of D.A.R.E.

Additionally, the Club’s ability to continue bringing top people in the community into the Rotary.

In 1991, the Key West Rotary was one of 47 Clubs in District 6990. With a membership of 2,600. District 6990 included Monroe, Dade, and Broward counties, as well as Grand Bahama Island.

No question. Both the Key West Rotary and Rotary in general had grown over the years. When the Key West Rotary was formed in 1915, it was only the third Rotary Club in Florida.

Big trees from little acorns do certainly grow.

The Key West Rotary at the time of its 75th anniversary felt the Club had fulfilled founding President Jefferson Browne’s mission that it would attract top men from the community and be a first class Club.

Three persons were of assistance to me presenting the Rotary story.

Wright Langley’s wife Joan Knowles Langley. A fourth generation Conch. She now resides in Gainesville.

Wright and Joan’s son Mark. Mark still lives in Key West.

Finally, Key West snowbird and friend Diana Millikan. She is the person who sent me a copy of Langley’s History and induced me to write this rendition.

Enjoy your day!

WRIGHT LANGLEY

Periodically, readers suggest material they believe I might find interesting. They are generally correct.

Diana Millikan provided me with the History of the Rotary Club of Key West 1915-1975. On the surface, sounded bland and boring. It was not.

I discovered interesting names, tidbits, etc. A little research and I came upon stories to be told. Local color items.

I have decided to use the History of the Rotary Club of Key West 1915-1975 as a road map. I will deviate from the History as required. Boring will not be discussed.

This will be an installment piece. Exact number, I am not sure. I will write till there is no more to write.

Today’s introductory piece concerns the author of the History, Wright Langley. A photographer, newsman, historian, and publisher. He left his imprint on Key West.

Langley’s life spanned 1935-2000. Born in Tarborough, North Carolina and raised in Four Oaks, North Carolina.

He found his way to Key West through marriage. In 1958, Langley and Joan Knowles were married. Joan a fourth generation Conch.

Joan gives her father credit for convincing Langley to settle in Key West. “My father took him lobster fishing. After that, he couldn’t wait to move here.”

Langley had earlier received one of the Rochester Institute of Technology’s first bachelor degrees in photography. Several years later, a Masters of Science in Journalism from Boston University. His thesis concerned photography.

Nineteen sixty found Langley interested in telling turtle fishing’s story via photos. Turtle fishing a major Key West industry at the time. He lived and worked on the turtle fishing boat A. M. Adams out of Key West. The trip took him through the Cayman Islands, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

He became a reporter and photographer for the Key West Citizen in 1965. Three years later, he went to work for the Miami Herald as Key West Bureau Chief.

Nineteen seventy-seven found Langley in a new position. One where he had the opportunity to do much good for his adopted community. He became Director of the Historic Florida Keys Preservation Board. A position he held till 1993.

Langley collected photos from all eras of Keys. Where the camera was in use, of course. He also photographed anything and everything during those years.

During the same years, he became a community leader. Respected and admired. Loved. Langley spearheaded amongst other things the restoration of the San Carlos Institute, the Armory, the Bat Tower, and the old City Hall.

In 1982, Langley started a publishing business. Not so much for money. Rather to assist Key West’s many writers who otherwise might not have been published.

He co-authored several books. Some with his wife Joan. Three of the co-authored books were Key West-Images of the Past, Key West and the Spanish American War, and Yesterday’s Asheville.

Wright Langley. A newsman who became an historian. A man who preserved Key West history. He came, he saw, he photographed, he collected, and left behind a treasure trove of history.

Big trees from little acorns grow. I am as curious as you to see how the installments based on Langley’s Key West Rotary history work out.

My yesterday was uneventful. Did nothing all day, but read and watch TV.

Dinner last night at Tavern ‘n Town. Bobby Nesbitt time. Sat with Dick and Susan Buckheim. The Buckheims seem to have dinner the same evenings I do at Tavern ‘n Town. Last night was the first time we actually talked.

I remember Dick from the Key West Yacht Club. He would lunch at the bar as I did.

Dick has an interesting Key West background. He owned and operated Bagatelle’s for 17 years.

I started watching the Cleveland/Chicago game at the bar after dinner. Only a handful of us. Bobby Nesbitt was watching from the piano. Three others watching. Left after a few innings to finish watching at home from my bed.

Chicago has a lot of work ahead. Going to be interesting to see if they can catch up and win.

Enjoy your Sunday!