SAD DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY

President John Kennedy was assassinated this day in 1963. All America cried. It was the end of Camelot.

The excitement and anticipation of his Presidency has never returned.

It seems impossible! The year is rapidly moving to its end. Major holidays ahead.

In two days, Thanksgiving. Christmas one month later.

Key West gets into holidays big time. Especially, Christmas. Two big parades.

The first December 3. Key West’s annual Christmas Parade. More exciting than Macy’s parade. For real!

The parade on Truman. The whole community turns out. The beads of Fantasy Fest are candy for the children. Thrown from the floats.

Robert and Ally go crazy. Waiting to catch as many goodies as they can. They come prepared. Each with a large bag.

The Lighted Boat parade December 10. An experience. Out on the water in a boat decorated like a Christmas tree. Forty or fifty other boats similarly attired. Generally cold. Nothing like being on the open water on a cold December evening. You wear everything! Even long johns if you have them.

The bigger the boat, the more fun. A band. Dancing. Great food. Alcohol.

Nance Frank is Key West personified. She operates an art gallery on Greene Street. Gallery on Greene. Many a local artist has become successful because of her efforts.

The City Commission is dancing around with a parking garage on Greene Street. Nancy wrote a Letter to the Editor which appears in this morning’s KONK Life E-Blast.

Stay away, she says! The 600 block of Greene Street is one of the last vestiges of old Key West. A concrete two or three story parking garage destroys the flavor of the block.

An excellent letter from one who knows best!

I recall building sand castles on the beach with my children. Not a lost art. The children of yesterday the adults of today. Some still build sand castles. Only bigger. Much bigger. Huge!

The Third Annual International Sand Art Competition this week. Wednesday to sunday at the Casa Marina.

Stop by daily and watch the artists work. Beginning friday evening, the sculptures will be lite. Wild!

A premature slap on the back in this morning’s Key West Citizen.

Work was begun a few months ago on the Truman Waterfront Park. After 15 years of screwing around with the project by the City Commission and others.

A major announcement in this morning’s newspaper. First two steps on schedule for the planned December 2017 completion.

A year away!

Guaranteed it will not be on schedule December 2017. Excuses, reasons will be forthcoming. Behind. Over run costs accumulating.

The City Commission is ultimately responsible for the project. History will repeat itself. Behind! Excuses numerous!

Does anyone in government really pay attention to these things?

Podcast time. My blog talk radio show tonight. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine o’clock. Join me for a fast moving thoughtful eye opening half hour. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Topics include the technological revolution making humans obsolete, people of Flint still without clean drinking water, Maduro continues to screw up in Venezuela, Secret Service having lost or cannot find 11,780 items.

Also, CIA appointee Pompeo a supporter of torture and anti-GMO labeling, Attorney General appointee Jeff Sessions wants to reverse marijuana legalization, Russia withdrawing from UN’s International Criminal Court, and more.

I will not be writing today’s installment re Key West Rotary history. The Key West Rotary and Boy Scouts. Boy Scouts were big nationally and in Key West in the 1930s.

My research not completed. Yesterday busy getting ready for tonight’s podcast.

Tomorrow, Installment 20.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

8 comments on “SAD DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY

  1. Louis, sorry to read that there is no Rotary report today, but I have one now about today’s KW Rotary. I just read in KW Citizen about Mr. Demes (‘But Demes is currently working on balancing his Rotary and work duties with the honey-do list that grows at home each week.’). Could we name Mr Demes as a present day KW hero? Remarkable person.

  2. Louis, I have another comment about your today’s blog citing that sad Nov 22 tragedy – the assassination of JRK. I feel excitement and anticipation re: the Trump Administration. I did not feel it during the JFK one as you wrote that you did. I did feel it about his gracious and talented wife Jackie however. I made scrapbooks of her activities posted in the press. I got a Jackie hairdo. I bought copies of her clothes. I learned French. I became interested in fixing up the home decor in my mom and dad’s house – I was in high school then. To this day I feel the excitement and anticipation about that First Lady. I feel that Malania Trump will be a great First Lady too as will her husband be a great USA President.

    • Comparing Melania and Jackie Kennedy is ridiculous. They have one thing in common–they’re white first ladies. I’d encourage you to check out some of Melania’s photoshoots, particularly the one where she’s in a topless, standing next to a jet, holding a gold-plated handgun. Then close your eyes, and compare that to Jackie standing next to a saluting John Jr. as Kennedy’s body was moved through DC. I think Michelle was much more closely aligned to the memory of Jackie Kennedy, but I have a feeling you disagree with that.

    • “The excitement and anticipation of his Presidency has never returned.”

      Well, we know the KKK is excited so there is a great group of Heroic Americans Making America Great Again.

  3. Sage on November 22, 2016 at 2:27 pm said:
    Melanie is an immigrant as well. Has her status been checked. She maybe on the wrong side of her husband’s wall.
    end quote

    ??????? I thought this had been beat to death long ago. Mrs Trump is a US citizen and has been for a long time. She came here as an immigrant. applied correctly and always worked while becoming a citizen.

  4. 11/22/63 is one of those days that everyone remembers where and what they were doing when ‘ it ‘ happened.
    JFK was a different President than the norm. He was actually a conservative and best friends with Nixon [ until the debate]. He was a democrat only because daddy said thats what he had to be. Family is family.

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