The Florida Department of Transportation has scheduled a public meeting regarding the Cow Key Bridge repair. The meeting March 26 at 5 pm at the Marriott Beachside.
The State will explain the plan for the repair. Questions and comments afterward.
The State’s representatives better come prepared. Prepared to listen and act on what they will hear.
Key Westers are outraged at the State’s plans for the bridge repair. Eight months. They are not happy campers. The State’s reps will hear loud and clear.
The bridge has 4 lanes. Two each way. The State plans to close one lane at all times to facilitate traffic. Initially, 2 lanes were to have been closed.
Traffic in and out of Key West must go over Cow Key Bridge. No other way in or out. It lies about 300 feet from the intersection of the Boulevards and U.S. 1. Traffic is horrendous.
Bumper to bumper traffic almost to Key Haven Road coming into Key West. Traffic beyond McDonald’s moving towards U.S. 1. Slow moving, when it moves.
Closing one lane of traffic will dramatically increase the delay. Easily add another 20 minutes to one half hour.
Every day for 8 months.
There has to be a better way. An engineer I am not. However, I have heard there is a temporary bridge that can be constructed to handle the traffic. I am sure the issue will be raised at the meeting.
I live on the Golf Course. Going into town at 5 yesterday. Headed towards U.S. 1 from the second road up that leads to the Golf Course. A traffic jam each way. Nothing moving.
I got smart. Or, so I thought. About 200 feet down after I got onto U.S. 1, I crossed over into Stock Island. Decided to beat the traffic by having an early dinner at Hogfish.
The dinner was good. Meat loaf. Can you imagine? Excellent meat loaf at a fish restaurant.
Left about 6:30. Felt like Little Jack Horner…..Pulled out a plum and said oh, what a good boy am I. I beat the traffic jam!
No way. Still bumper to bumper. Not as bad. Moving 30 percent faster.
Need I say more.
Finally made it to the Chart Room. Tammy bartending. David at one end of the bar.
Ran into friend Devin. Sat next to him. We spent a long time chatting.
Devin has a home in Key West. He visits several times a year.
I have written about Devin in the past.
Devin is a farmer. He and 2 brothers have operated a farm in northern Illinois for years. A successful business. Till Trump screwed things up last year.
Devin grows soybeans and corn. His soybeans went to China. Most of the corn turned into ethanol and shipped to China. The rest sold for feed.
A comfortable living.
Except China is no more. Not till the Trump induced tariff war ends.
Devin now flies coach instead of first class.
What has been raised is stored. Devin told me soybeans and corn can be stored for years if done properly. Storing affects cash flow, however. No money coming in. Interest still has to be paid on bank notes.
Whatever warm feelings he had for Trump, now gone. His feelings parallel mine.
The high point of the evening followed. Stopped at Publix to get some groceries. The cupboard bare again.
Arrived home by 9. In time to watch the Syracuse/Pitt game.
A bad first half. Syracuse losing by 6. Tempted to turn to another channel and watch a movie. Fortunately, I did not. Syracuse had a hell of a second half. Won 73-59.
Syracuse’s #1 player Tyus Battle could not play. Injured his tail bone. The coach’s son Buddy Boeheim started in his place. Scored 20 points. A record high for him
Tonight at 9, Duke.
Syracuse and Duke have already met twice this season. Syracuse won one and Duke the other. Syracuse beat Duke when Duke was ranked #1 nationally.
I expect a Duke victory. You never know, however.
The Charge of the Light Brigade has always fascinated me. The poem one of my favorite literary works. First introduced to it in an English literature class in college.
The poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Concerns an historic attack during the Battle of Balaklava.
The battle electrified the world! A suicidal charge. Brave men carrying out orders in spite of what they knew. The inevitable outcome for them was death.
The battle took place October 25, 1854. Tennyson did not observe it. However the world was talking about it. Tennyson read an account of the battle in The Times 6 weeks after it occurred. He sat down and wrote his poem commemorating the event in 15 minutes.
The poem a milestone in literary history.
A few lines. Lines that show why I and millions have been moved by it.
“Half a league, half a league / Half a league onward / …..into the valley of Death / Rode the six hundred /…..When can their glory fade? / O the wild charge they made.”
You may wonder why I write about the poem again today. In the 1930’s the movie The Charge of the Light Brigade was filmed starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Haviland. I watched it on TV yesterday afternoon. Moved me to write about it again today.
Secretary of State Pompeo yesterday said Russia and Cuba are propping up Venezuela’s Maduro. Isn’t the U.S. doing the same thing. Except the U.S. is propping up Maduro’s opponent.
The pot calling the kettle black.
Enjoy your day!