One of Key West’s greatest citizens was David Wolkowsky.
In 1978, he purchased the Kress Building at 500 Duval Street for $210,000. The building became for many years the home of Fast Buck Freddie’s on the first floor, Jimmy Buffett’s offices on the second and David’s personal penthouse residence on the roof. Spectacular occupancies containing top shelf occupants.
The building since sold. Some residents have changed. Fast Buck’s gone. Relaced by a CVS. Not sure what is on second floor. A new occupant in the penthouse.
My good friend Cindy Thompson spent many years working for Jimmy Buffett in his second floor operation. She still handles some Buffett matters for his operation in Key West.
Today National Relaxation Day.
At dinner at The Grand wednesday night, Steve and I discussed turtle meat and soup as a spectacular delicacy some 30 years ago in Key West. When we were first in Key West. It was here and prominently ordered everywhere. A delicacy. Key West even had a turtle factory. Turtle as a consumable meal and the factory now long gone. Sad. A delicious food to order till it disappeared.
Turtle was an 18th to mid 20th century delicacy in American and European cuisine. Then became obsolete. Overfished, over eaten.
A status symbol disappeared in the mid 1980’s. Turtle soup considered “exotic.” Meat wise tasted like veal, and had a rich gelatinous texture.
Too bad long gone.
Ancient Romans enjoyed their wines. Huge consumers. Made them sick, however. Beyond a mere hangover.
Reason: Wine was made with a sweet syrupy substance called defrutum. Prepared by boiling unfermented grape juice. The syrup was boiled in a lead lined pot. Absorbed the lead. Romans were not aware. Everyone got sick as a result.
Ice became popular to cool drinks 4,000 years ago. It has grown into a $5 billion a year commodity. In the U.S. alone, the average person consumes nearly 400 pounds of ice per year.
Some of baseball’s most memorable moments: Chicago Black Sox throwing the World Series, Babe Ruth calling “his shot” in the 1932 World Series, Lou Gehrig’s retirement speech, Joe Di Maggio’s 56th home run, Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier, Willie Mays’ 1954 World Series catch, Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth’s career home run record, and Ted Williams as a special pilot. A highly skilled war pilot in World War II and the Korean War.
The most famous telegram message in history: Samuel Morse’s “What God hath wrought.”
The Alaska Summit will test Trump’s peacemaking credentials.
Read “Zoom.” This friday’s Fred C. Klein blog. Always good!
On this day in 1969, the Woodstock Festival opened in Bethel, N.Y. Two popular Key West people there: Larry Smith and Christine Cordone. Many others I know also.
Big day! On this day in 1899, Henry Ford left Edison to start his own automobile company.
What a day this was in 1914! The Panama Canal opened to traffic.
Napoleon Bonaparte was born this day in 1769.
A Jimmy Buffett holiday soon to be in Key West. Crazy Sista and Musical Friends to lead the Key West Events beginning August 31.
Enjoy your day!
After arriving in Key West on vacation, one of my first stops was always Fast Buck’s. They had stuff in there that you never seen anywhere else.
I wonder if Dave was the store buyer?
Hey Lou, no matter what Trump does in Alaska the crazy left will find failure! If he makes peace the left will claim he made Ukraine give up land and Trump is in the pocket of Putin. If peace is not made the loony left will say he is a peacemaking failure and wants the war to continue! Th
Sounds like you have a very bad case of TDS, even for a less than honest troll, here on Lou’s blog, who has been predicting doom and gloom for everyone but Trump for the past several years.
….and aren’t you the hypocrite that keeps urging Lou to post more about KW and less about politics?
Didn’t Trump say that he could fix the Russian/Ukraine War on the very 1st day of his presidency? Didn’t he also say that he wasn’t going to Russia (meaning Alaska) to help negotiate, only to observe.
Why do you feel it is necessary to twist this around and blame the honest press, when there is a long history of the legitimate press criticizing Trump accurately and appropriately and the right wing press making things up as they go?
Who is the crazy press, really!
Russia and Ukraine are at war with each other, Why is Trump involved at all?
Now here is an important question. Whose plane was bigger?
Word salad was the main course at the post Alaska meeting presser.
I felt sorry for Trump.
I feel sorry for China!
China’s economy showed signs of weakening in July, with Beijing openly acknowledging that U.S. tariffs are taking a toll, multiple outlets reported Friday.
But, but…. US Tariffs aren’t actually in effect yet, are they !!!!!
…and besides, it was only a loss of growth that has everybody talking, not an actual loss.
Besides, any economic downturn in China, means disaster for America.
Only a fool would cheer, at this point.
Lou, a great blog today with some KW info and other trivia. Very enjoyable while not focusing on negativity.
Putin was sporting his old sweatshirt with the big USSR logo on it.
He kept it from back in the days when Ukraine was part of Russia.
Now there is a clear signal of his intentions if there ever was one.