KATE MIANO…..1,000 STRONG

 

Everyone wants to be the next Mayor of Key West. Twelve candidates have announced already. Two or three more expected.

Though our small island is a world wide vacation destination, Key West has its problems. Most cities are concerned with snow removal and garbage collection. Snow not a problem here. Garbage collection down to a science.

Key West’s problems involve continued recovery from Irma, affordable housing, the homeless, parking, traffic patterns, and whether Duval Street should become a pedestrian walk way. We have growing pains. More and more tourists visit each year. I sometimes think the island will sink under the weight of them all.

Kate Miano one of the candidates. I support her. I am sure her views are not totally in line with mine. People differ. I support Kate because I know her. I know her to be a woman of character, honest, a successful business person, kind, always available with a helping hand to those in need.

Key West recognized her nature in January when she was awarded the prestigious Humanitarian of the Year Award.

All of which bring me to last night. Kate’s campaign kickoff party. At The Gardens. Her Gardens. The community came out to wish her well, to extend their support. At least 1,000 strong! Perhaps more!

A turnout exceeding expectations. Evidence of the esteem in which Kate is held.

My friends…..Kate Miano, the next Mayor of Key West!

I was with Catherine, Donna,and Terri at Kate’s event. Afterwards, we went to Le Petit Paris for dinner. Robert the owner. Originally from Paris. Opened his dream in 2012. A success. His food spectacular. Prices reasonable. Located at Duval and Olivia. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

We had a good time.

Terri has been told by her doctors to go out and live. She started in the last two weeks. Good to see her out and about. Most importantly, enjoying life without fear.

The weather sucks. Sixty one degrees last night. My heating unit on the blink. New one will not be here till wednesday. Two heavy blankets and I was still cold! Today will be better. Mid 70’s by day, low 70’s during the night.

I do not understand police behavior involving the recent Douglas High School shootings.

The police officer on duty did not go in the building. I would have assumed his first responsibility would have been to confront the attacker.

Two more officers appeared on the scene. They did not go in. The claim is they were told to establish a perimeter and not enter.

In the meantime, people were being killed inside. I have to believe if they did do something, some lives would have been saved. Even one would have justified their engaging the attacker.

The story gets better.

Two members of the Miramar Police Department were in the area. Both detectives, both members of the SWAT team. They immediately responded. What they did when they arrived, I do not know.

They have been suspended. They have been required to surrender their SWAT issued rifles. The reason for the chastisement: They failed to follow protocol by not getting permission from a superior prior to rushing to the scene.

Unusual circumstances call for unusual activity. Initiative becomes the order of the day. Not with the Miramar Police Department, however. The two officers are being punished for doing the right thing.

The Russian revolution began about this time in 1917. In Petrograd. Russia’s army was fighting the Kaiser somewhere else. Czar Nicholas II leading the Army. An inefficient, timid man. The cost of the war breaking Russia’s back. Food scarce. The people were demonstrating in the streets. The demonstrations turned into outright rebellion.

The rebellious leader was Alexander Kerensky. The leader of the White Bolshevists.

Czar Nicholas II was quickly deposed and abdicated.

Germany wanted Russia out of the war. The Kaiser offered Kerensky a good deal to withdraw Russia from the conflict. Kerensky opted to keep Russia in the war.

The very thing which brought the Czar down brought Kerensky down. The war continued to be expensive, the people still starving.

Vladimir Lenin was the leader of the Red Bolshevists. He returned to Russia and overthrew the Kerensky government. Communist Russia was born.

Kerensky was a doomed man. He fled Russia. First to England. Then to the United States.

I was fortunate to have had Kerensky as a professor while in college. I took two courses in the Russian revolution from him. Exciting! To hear it first hand from a man who was an integral part of the revolution.

Lets suppose for a moment.

If Kerensky took Germany’s offer to get out of the war, history would have been different. Lenin’s group would have failed. Probably not even have attempted to overthrow Kerensky. There would have been no Stalin. There would have been no Hitler. Germany would have won the war and the depressed Germany which resulted in Hitler never would have been.

Kerensky’s mistake was that he wanted to establish a democratic monarchy. Lenin was smarter. He knew the people had had it with the Czars. They wanted to run the country.

Interesting might have beens.

Enjoy your day!

 

LE PETIT PARIS

I discovered a new place! Le Petit Paris. A tiny restaurant on Duval. Dining inside and out. The outside tables a taste of Paris.

My mid afternoon lunch yesterday absolutely delicious. Lobster Benedict. Served by a cheerful pretty waitress. Cooked obviously by a skilled chef. Though I did not meet him, I testify to the quality based on what I ate.

I would have enjoyed meeting the chef. I understand he is the owner, also. Next time.

The menu suggested meals ranging from breakfast to lunch to dinner. Mouth watering.

Prices neither cheap nor expensive. Down the middle.

I intend to return. Soon!

There will be no blog tomorrow and perhaps wednesday. Maybe not till thursday. I am moving. Reducing the size of my home. From 3,600 square feet to 1,600.

When I bought my Key West home 19 years ago, I had a wife, 4 children and 7 grandchildren. Wife no more. Children and grandkids do their own thing. It’s all alone by the telephone for me.

I am moving to the Golf Course. The Sanctuary. A single two story home. Huge front porch. Small yard surrounded by an 8 foot wall. Jacuzzi in the corner. Waterwise, I am downsizing also. From ocean to jacuzzi.

Comcast screwed me up today. Turned off my internet, TV and land line at 5:30. Supposed to be done tomorrow.

Donna saved my ass! She is concierge at the Fairfield. I am in Fairfield’s lobby working.

First time in Fairfield. A modestly priced hotel. Gorgeous lobby! Looks like a good place to stay.

Met Mike Kelly and Eric Bove. Mike is the general manager of Fairfield and three other new hotels on the Boulevard. Called The Keys Collection. Eric general manager of the Fairfield.

Comcast hookup at the new house wednesday or thursday.

It is good for me to be out with the people as I describe it. I rarely run into what other people come up against.

Gross impoliteness this morning! Two places.

Comcast the first. Nothing is ever easy with them. I was returning the old equipment. Everything else done in a 3 hour phone call friday.

The woman simply was impolite. Did not care about me or my problems.

I observed everyone was treated in a similar fashion.

Then the Post Office.

I have found in the years since the Post Office went private, most of the employees don’t care. They have an attitude about them

All I wanted to do was file a change of address  card. The place was not busy. Empty most of the time.

I was boring the counter person. She was bothered answering my questions. Handed me a package and said do it.

The Post Office must make a ton of money off advertisements. There had to be a good dozen in the packet. Filled out the wrong form. Not an advertisement. It looked like the right one.

I had a concern. Back to the counter asking if I had done it properly. I had not. She looked at me as if I was an idiot. Bothering her. No other customers at the time.

I miss the days when someone else took care of Comcast, Post Office and other problems. I am an 81 year old inexperienced man when it comes to every day mundane things.

On top of which, I am tired. Two days of packing. Anna working with me. The upstairs air conditioning went kaput late saturday. Fun packing the upstairs!

I apologize for complaining. Needed to vent.

Let me close with something I do not understand.

The U.S. Supreme Court rendered an intermediate decision with regard to the Trump travel ban law. A victory for Trump. The Court is going to render a full decision in the Fall. Suggests to me the Court will go with Trump again.

I disagree with the decision. My country is falling apart. Not just because of one decision. In most respects.

In addition to no blog for a couple of days, I will not be able to do Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou tomorrow night. Need my land line. I suspect I will be getting the Facebook videos in. Done on the cell phone.

Enjoy your day!