HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID WOLKOWSKY

David Wolkowsky’s 98th birthday being celebrated this evening. One of Key West finest! The Key West of today would not be were it not for him. He is properly referred to as Mr. Key West.

I will be at the party.

I have mentioned David often in this blog. Even wrote a lengthy article about him in KONK Life last year. Titled: David Wolkowsky. Read and enjoy. Learn much about the man. www.konknet.com/2016-03-04-3/.

Truman Capote died this date in 1984. David and Truman were friends. They became friends when Capote first stayed at David’s new Pier House Resort Motel.

The time 1968. David had recently completed construction of the Motel. The Motel that would grow into what is the fabulous Pier House today. Capote was a visitor. He wanted to see David’s best accommodations before he took one.

Following the selection process, David invited Capote to have a drink with him. David was living in a luxurious 45 foot 2 bedroom double wide trailer parked 10 feet from the Motel’s waterfront.

Capote told David he wanted to stay in the trailer. Capote had come to Key West for the winter. David finally acquiesced to Capote’s request. He moved into a suite in the Motel and gave Capote the trailer.

While living in the trailer, Capote wrote Answered Prayers.

A hero is like an angel. Appears when needed. Assuming you believe in angels.

A hero appeared on the Key West scene yesterday. Actually, a heroine. Jerika Rudolph. Eighteen years old.

Jerika was traveling om South Roosevelt Boulevard when she observed a Chevy Trailblazer jump the seawall and mangroves into the channel.

Jerika did not hesitate. Pulled over. Told the passenger with her to call 911. Ran across the street and jumped into the water.

She saw a man, woman and 6-7 year old child. The adults trying to break the windows. She got the woman and child out. the man was able to get out on his own.

From the time Jerika reached the car and extricated two of the passengers, the vehicle had already been carried 100 feet by the current.

Talking with authorities after the event, Jerika was asked if she was afraid. Never gave it a thought, she said. My concern was to get the people out.

The long awaited Duval Loop begins operation August 31. Part of a new Key West park and ride program. A bus will travel around the perimeter of Duval Street picking up and dropping off people who parked their cars somewhere and wanted to visit certain downtown spots. The ride always free. The aim to relieve congestion.

Hope it works. Parking and traffic impossible.

Hurricane Harvey making its way to the Corpus Christi area of Texas. A big one. Predicted to be a 3 when it hits. High water levels. Three feet of rain expected over a period of a few days.

You read correctly. Three feet of rain!

Hurricanes no fun. Believing discretion the better part of valor, I have always left when a hurricane was predicted. Returned a few days later when permitted to find damage beyond comprehension.

I stayed for a tropical storm once. Forget its name. The tropical storm was a disaster in itself. It hung over Key West without moving for seven days. I was able to get out of the house once. To my deck.

Windows boarded. Power off most of the time. No TV. Alone in the dark or with candles. Impossible to read. It made me wonder how Lincoln studied law by candle light.

The wind blowing loudly and incessantly. The rain beating against the house.

Food supply held out. Primarily peanut butter and crackers. Bottled water.

I sympathize with the Texans. The force of hurricane 3 will be a far more difficult and dangerous experience than a tropical storm.

Americans are a forgiving people. Time to forgive Pete Rose and permit him to be voted into the Hall of Fame.

Rose’s sin was he bet on baseball games. The serious sin, he bet on his own team the Cincinnati Reds while managing the team. Only to win, he said.

Rose was a star of stars in his playing days. Still holds the record for the most hits at bat during a career. Well in excess of 3,000.

Rose was banned in 1989. Twenty eight years ago. He has been humiliated and suffered enough.

The economy is good. Or, so we are told. Especially by Trump. It is. However, primarily for the already rich.

A recent Harris Poll indicates more than three-quarters of American households live paycheck to paycheck. Seventy eight percent.

Tough times. Too many Americans having a difficult time making ends meet.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

HERMINE ON ITS WAY?

I continue to learn.

Had I not decided to spend the last end of my life in Key West, I would have known little about hurricanes. Still little. However more than I knew back then.

The hurricane Gaston is out there some where. It will not make US landfall.

However…..Behind Gaston is tropical wave 99L. Tropical wave and with a number new to me. A tropical wave can turn into a tropical depression/storm. A tropical depression/storm can turn into a hurricane.

We have been told tropical wave 99L is behind Gaston. Also behind Puerto Rico. It is some 900 miles away. Presently over or soon to be over Hispaniola. Hispaniola and Puerto Rico part of the Greater Antilles.

Whether 99L turns into a tropical storm or hurricane depends what happens as 99L passes over Hispaniola. Hispaniola’s mountains are 10,000 feet. 99L could break up as it passes over the mountains. Such would be the end of any hurricane danger.

Whatever 99L is after the mountains will determine what will happen as regards the southern US. Could be a heavy wind/rain storm. Or, a hurricane.

If 99L turns into a tropical storm or hurricane, it will receive a new name. Hermine.

Whether wind and rain, tropical storm, or hurricane, it will be over the Keys sunday, monday and tuesday.

Truman Capote died on this day in 1984. Best known for In Cold Blood.

Capote once spent a couple of months in Key West. He booked into David Wolkowsky’s Pier House as it stood at that time. Wolkowsky lived in a trailer next to the Pier House ten feet from the water.

Capote was in a suite. After arriving, he was in Wolkowsky’s trailer having a drink. Wolkowsky’s trailer was very well done. Capote said I want to stay here. Wolkowsky said this is my home. So the conversation went on. Wolkowsky finally relented and gave up his trailer to Capote. Wolkowsky moved into Capote’s suite.

I intended to start my evening at the Back Door with Mark Watson. Closed. Mark never shows up if it is raining. The Back Door is outside.

It was not raining at 5. It had stopped around noon. The sun was out and blazing hot at 5.

Mark just wanted a night off.

I went inside to Aqua’s main bar. Rick Dery bartending. My Joe’s Chicken Shack friends Tim and Todd at the bar. Sat and talked with them. Good guys. One drink only.

Then to Sq. 1. John recently purchased it. Wanted to congratulate John. John not there. Met Ryan. The new bartender. All the employees were new. Recognized none of them

I asked if Jay was cooking. Ryan asked me who Jay was. Guess Jay is gone, too.

Ryan has only been in Key West one month. From Montana.

I enjoyed an appetizer and one drink.

Then home. Before 9. Early to bed.

Disaster!

I fell going up the stairs! Stubbed my toe on the last step. Went flying.

My fault. I was hurrying up the steps and not looking. At my age, I am not supposed to do either. No reason to hurry. No one waiting for me in bed.

At my age, when you fall, you fall hard. My nose. Where the bridge of my glasses rest. Thought I broke my nose. Swollen this morning. A bit bruised. A couple of small cuts. Talked to my doctor. Does not think it is broken. Don’t worry about it.

My wrists and knees hurt. Really bad. My left arm/shoulder, also.

I had a cut on my left foot shin bone. Bled more than a small cut should have.

My major problem after a fall is getting up. Big time difficult!

Whatever, I am alive and well this morning.

The Custom House celebrates its 125th birthday this year. Construction was completed 1891. At the time, housed federal offices. Courts, post office, etc. The building plans used were from a previous federal construction.  The new federal building in Aberdeen, Mississippi completed in 1887.

The William Hackley saga continues. Baby still sick. Fever till 2 in the afternoon. Fever returned in the evening. Matilda’s breasts continue to be a problem. Boil on one broke. Painful.

Hackley called for the doctor in the evening. To check out Baby. The doctor had a bit of a concern. He had just returned from treating a smallpox patient. He was concerned whether he should visit the child.

The doctor finally decided it was ok. He had no knowledge of anyone becoming infected by a doctor who had recently cared for a smallpox victim.

Glad we live today rather than back then.

Bob Saraceno and wife Sue are in town. Will be getting together with them at some point.

Enjoy your day!

 

TED WILLIAMS HAD IT RIGHT

Ted Williams…..An All-American great!

Famous baseball player, Hall of Fame, World War II fighter pilot, and fisherman. It is the fisherman portion I am concerned with.

Williams loved fishing in the Keys. Especially for tarpon. He bought a home in Islamorada in 1943. Became a Florida resident. Stayed 45 years. Left in 1988.

The reason…..He said it was time to leave when he could no longer make a left turn on US 1 because of the traffic.

He will not be the last to leave for that reason.

I open with two great men today. The other is David Wolkowsky. Besides being my new found friend at physiotherapy, David is a Key West icon. Loves Key West. David is responsible for Key West’s development as a fun funky off beat place.

David is the reason for the Pier House. It was 1967. Where the Pier House sits today was nothing more than a ruddy dirty part of the waterfront. David was a visionary. On this day in 1967, construction began on the Pier House Motel. Fifty units.

Truman Capote was a guest at the Motel. Took over David’s trailer on the site. Capote referred to the Pier House Motel as “elegant inefficiency.”

The Pier House Motel was completed one year later in 1968.

Big trees from little acorns grow. Today’s Pier House.

My yesterday began with the anti-gravity treadmill. Love it! One problem, however. I have a lot of get up and go when on the treadmill. Once I am off, I am dead tired.

I began researching for a subject to write about for this week’s KONK Life column. Came up with nothing. I will come up with a topic. Generally, a gem. But it is always last minute that it hits me.

Last night was Schooners and the Waterfront. Schooners packed, as was the Waterfront. Waterfront food great again. Fried calamari, wings, and fish and chips.

There was a traffic jam of traffic jams yesterday. Construction on US 1 in the Cow Key Bridge area. One lane traffic for about 300 feet in the north bound lane. Traffic held up on Northern and Southern Boulevards, as well as Flagler, as far as the eye could see and beyond. Down to Sears Shopping Center on Northern Boulevard, around the curve on Southern, Flagler to Habana Shopping Center.

A one to two hour delay at noon time.

Police directing traffic would have helped. The delay would have been less. Only one officer directing traffic. At US 1 and College Road. The one place an officer was not needed. The construction and one lane traffic ended at the College Road intersection.

Don called me. The team won 2 out 3 at bocce thursday night. Though not playing, I plan on following the team.

Syracuse/Pitt this afternoon. Syracuse a 3 1/2 point favorite. I think Syracuse will lose. Definitely if the team plays as it did against Louisville.

Syracuse needed Louisville and Pitt wins to guarantee a bid to the big post season tournament. If Syracuse beats Pitt today, Syracuse will be on the bubble.

The game is at 2. Dan Reardon, I will be watching the game at Don’s Place.

Enjoy your day!