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February 15The Deep Freeze
We have all heard of the micro season - the Dog-Days of summer. But here’s a little known fictional factoid that you may not be familiar with. Right now we are exactly halfway round the calendar from the Dog-Days and deep into the midst of the - Freeze My Ass Off Days! But don’t despair. As our overly perky weather geek informed us today - we will gain 90 minutes of sunlight over the next 30 days. Here’s a few stories to plant some warmer thoughts in your brain. Think warm!
The unofficial ambassador of beach bum escapisim is keeping busy. Jimmy Buffett recently played shows in Hong Kong and a special one for the troops on the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. Jimmy Buffet’s newest Margaritaville is scheduled to open the first week of March in Panama City, Florida. And the rumours of 2008 tour dates are starting to heat up. So far the hot ones are: April 28, 2008 - Pizza Hut Park - Frisco, TX; Summer 2008 - Chicago, IL; November or December 2008 - Hawaii, Australia, Tahiti The only confirmed date so far is May 3, 2008 - New Orleans Jazz Festival - New Orleans, LAPatrick Ó Brien
Tickets are now on saleThe next bit of Jimmy related info is that several of the Buffett themed Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant have closed this week. The restaurant located in York, PA is the third one this week that has closed. The other ones were located in Asheville NC and Lansing MI. The York Daily Record has more info on the closing: “Cheeseburger in Paradise closed” According to a company statement, the location no longer fits the “strategic plans” for the brand. No word as of yet on the fate of the rest of the chain. That bit of news made me wonder if perhaps Jimmy’s popularity has peaked. Maybe some of the casual fans that jumped on over the last few years are jumping off the boat? With all the restaurants and Buffett branded tequila, beer, shoes, blenders, frozen shrimp, and a casino under construction in Biloxi, MS - could the King of Somewhere hot be overexposed? Only time will tell. But apparently I am not the only one looking for answers to questions that bothered him so. Old friend Scott Carboneau sent me this article from the Tampa paper awhile back which I had forgotten about until the Cheeseburger closings rattled my memory.
Death of the Parrot Heads?
ENDANGERED SPECIESWhen the Parrotheads lose their leader will a new hero appear or will it mark the end of an era in pop music?
On Christmas Day, flip-flop prophet Jimmy Buffett, Coppertoned hero to armchair beach-bums everywhere, will turn 62. And his disciples, those party-focused Parrotheads, will beer-crawl that much closer to extinction.Now, now, party people, don’t get your feathers ruffled just yet. The singer of escapist mantra Margaritaville has announced no plans to retire. Not when he continues to have one of the highest-grossing concert tours in popular music. Not when Buffett-branded restaurant chains, clothes, blenders, drink mixes and then some ring up fortunes more. Not when he dumped Corona as a longtime sponsor — only to develop his own brew, Land Shark Lager.But let’s be honest: 62 is still 62, no matter how much you surf. And when he stops, so will a long-standing concert tradition commenced with the Grateful Dead, carried on by jam-banders Phish, and mastered by Buffett: rock shows as all-encompassing fantasylands, rock shows as communal bacchanals that continue long after the lights go up and the mind-altering substances are stashed.Parrotheads: It’s a way of life — and sooner rather than later, that life will come to an end.When Buffett plays Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa this Thursday and Saturday, he will create a full-fledged utopia — an inherently singular experience that has taken on a life of its own.I went through my requisite Buffett phase in college, and indeed, there’s a tremendous lose-yourself joy at his shows — like Disney World with thongs. It’s drunken, it’s bawdy, it’s skintastic. Down with the 9-to-5, up with the fins. I stopped going to his shows when the peaced-out buzz turned a little too frat-boy rowdy for my tastes. Nevertheless, there’s nothing like a Buffett gig. Everyone should try it once; just don’t wear nice shoes.”Parrotheads have feared him retiring — or worse — for the last 10 years,” says Susan Blankenship, 51-year-old commander of the Tampa Bay Parrot Heads in Paradise Club, which, at 1,000-plus members, is the largest of its kind in the world. “But whether he retires or not, that’s not going to affect the music we already have. I’m still going to have the albums I bought in 1972.”“We have no plans of stopping,” says Rachel Keller, Blankenship’s daughter and the “chief officer of media” of the Tampa Bay club. “We like to say we’re not fans of Jimmy Buffett — we’re fans of the fans of Jimmy Buffett.”That’s a nice thought and all. And sure, after Buffett retires, his fans may continue to gather at the neighborhood bar for a group singalong of Boat Drinks. But there’s no mistaking that the concerts are the thing. And when the house lights go up for good, the thing just won’t be the same.Don’t expect another Buffett or Grateful Dead to come along anytime soon either, says Billy Altman, famed rock writer and assistant curator at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Those acts owe much of their sustained popularity to being birthed during the folk and singer-songwriter movements of the ’60s and ’70s. “Their fanbases grew organically,” Altman says. “I’ve talked to Jimmy before, and he says he really had nothing to do with [the Parrothead craze].”Back then, music labels had patience with their acts — both the Dead and Buffett were only modest successes at first. But the labels stayed with them, sending them out on the road, spending money to make money. And their fans, embracing the full hippie aesthetic, eventually started following these new engaging voices around the country. There was an excitement, a soul behind this antiestablishment music. But then the music industry changed. Along came the ’80s, the reign of synthy dance-pop and vapid frontmen. In the ’90s, there was grunge, a gloomy genre of music best heard in your sad, shadowy room. Grunge has aged horribly, as has most rap and hip-hop, under-30 pursuits for sure. The current pop marketplace is singles-driven and, alas, utterly disposable. It’s hard to build a loyal following around a one-hit wonder. There’s a reason why the best-attended concert acts remain those born decades ago: the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Neil Diamond, the Police. You can only blame ticket prices so much. The allegiance just isn’t there for most modern bands. ”We haven’t had a significant movement in pop in a long time,” says Altman. “Well, outside of Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake and the celebrity-based music, of course.” These days, Altman adds, “bands seek to make connections with fans very actively: YouTube, MySpace. It’s forced.” In other words, there’s nothing “organic” about it. Instead of singular concert celebrations, we’re seeing the emergence of more and more summer festivals — Coachella, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo — in which a smorgasboard of acts are available all at once, the sum being far greater than the individual parts. You party for a weekend, and then you go home. Some acts have tried to position themselves to be the next Grateful Dead or Jimmy Buffett. After tweaking his approach, country singer Kenny Chesney has been able to stuff stadiums on the promise of a Buffett-esque paradise. However, sales of his last album, Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates, were tepid, a sign that listeners could be growing tired of his lost-in-paradise schtick. Crunchy roots-rocker Dave Matthews appeals to suburban hippies and related stoners — a thinner, taller Jerry Garcia. But the sense of community at his shows is ephemeral. You see him, you go home, wait ’til next year. And truth be told, Matthews’ crowds don’t look any different from most others because, well, they’re really not. Nope, chances are, we won’t see another Jimmy Buffett anytime soon. For some of you, that comes as very good news. But for Blankenship and her Parrotheads, it’s not just losing music — it’s losing a little hope, too. “A lot of people accuse Parrotheads of escapism,” she says. “But what’s wrong with leaving your troubles at the door? “Life is hard enough.”
11:20 PM | Add a comment | Send a message | Permalink | View trackbacks (0) | Blog itFebruary 10
The Winter of Discontent
I really am no fan of winter but I would have been a lot more content had the Packers been able to beat the Giants in the NFC Championship game, but…Hard to believe it has been a month since I did an update. Must be a bit of brain freeze after back to back trips to Lambeau to see the packers in the Playoffs. The combination of weather and the Pack’s performance made the first game a lot more fun. The NFC title game didn’t go as we hoped but when the season started most of us never figured they would get that far. We enjoyed both games and are looking forward to another playoff run next season. Check out the pictures.There were pleanty of interesting things happening down island while I was carousing in Green Bay so let’s get to the news.You gotta love these guys. Can the Cuban Cross Country Ski Team be in our future? Jamaican bobsledders to train and compete in the US In a bid to qualify for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada, Jamaica’s bobsled team will move its training camp to Park City, Utah in the USA, for the next three weeks. While in Utah, the four member bobsled unit will engage in a full schedule of training and competition with teams from within the Western Hemisphere. A team member said ”Based on where we are now and looking ahead, it should be a cool run up to the Olympics, we are expecting to be there” Bank Sells Checks, CDs — and Tequila? Key West Citizen When can I open my new checking account? KEY LARGO — Liquor stores are hardly uncommon in the Florida Keys, but one that’s open for just three days and auctioning a $1 million cache to the highest bidder certainly is. Especially because the seller is a bank. Marine Bank was unloading 72,000 bottles of rum, scotch, tequila, vodka and wine it inherited when the Kraus Supermarket and Deli in Key Largo declared bankruptcy and closed last year, leaving behind its inventory of mostly high-end liquors. Proposed Law Would Regulate Imported Lobster Size - Key West Citizen Give this some thought next time you head out for seafood The South Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean fishery management councils met recently in Islamorada on proposed laws to change the allowable size of spiny lobsters imported into the United States.Some Caribbean spiny lobster fisheries managed by Brazil, Nicaragua, Ecuador and other countries are reportedly heavily exploited and exporting millions of pounds of lobsters a year to the U.S. that are at or below their mean size at reproduction. Requiring Caribbean spiny lobster products marketed in the U.S. to meet a minimum size could help stabilize the species’ reproductive potential. The harvest of juvenile tails in other Caribbean countries affects U.S. lobster stocks because the larvae is carried in currents that travel throughout the Caribbean and South America. Lobster is a shared resource in that it has no national boundaries.Establishing a minimum conservation standard for spiny lobsters imported into the U.S. would assist law enforcement officers in restricting illegal product in the market. The U.S. imports more than 90 percent of the spiny lobster harvested in Brazil, Colombia, Central America and the Caribbean countries. One federal proposal would prohibit imports even smaller than the existing U.S. minimum size limits, which say the main body — minus the tail — cannot be less than 3.5 inches long. If the tail is sold without the main body, called the carapace, it must be at least 5.5 inches long. Sea Turtles Under The Weather - Key West CitizenThe folks at the Turtle Hospital do a lot of great work and here’s a real easy way you can help them out. Next time you need to do a search on the web use www.goodsearch.com and choose the Turtle Hospital as your charity. For each search you do a donation is made to the Turtle Hospital. Searches are powered by Yahoo so the results are about the same as any other search engine. The Turtle Hospital is nursing back to health two loggerhead turtles found floating off Key West and Marathon last Thursday. The turtles, which showed no visible injuries, were unable to dive below the surface, said Turtle Hospital rehabilitation coordinator Ryan Butts. One loggerhead, now called Smitty, was found by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers floating in the bay a quarter-mile north of the Coast Guard Station in Marathon. Another turtle, Gypsy, was found by fishermen off Kemp Channel Bridge and brought to the Key West Wildlife Center, which handed it over to the Turtle Hospital, Butts said. Turtle Hospital staff has rescued four loggerhead sea turtles in the past week, and has had many calls on dead Loggerheads throughout the Keys, They suspect recent cold fronts may have compromised the turtles’ health. “There were no visible signs of trauma, they were not hit by boats, no garbage was digested and they were not wrapped in fishing lines,” Butts said. The turtles, who were dehydrated and emaciated, are being given fluids, vitamins and antibiotics, Butts said. Tall ship heads homeward - Key West Citizen Having been out for a few sunset sail trips , and the stargazer sail the night before our wedding, I am certainly glad that the Western Union is settin’ sail back to Key West where she belongsThe Schooner Western Union is coming home. The 130-foot-long relic will sail away from a Miami shipyard with some new planking, a repaired transom and a renewed Coast Guard certification, if all goes according to plan over the next 10 days, said Theo Glorie, owner of the Coffee Plantation, who spearheaded restoration of the historic schooner. The ship was in disrepair and in danger of losing is certification last year. Historic Tours of America, which had been operating it for use on day sails and charters, was going to sell the vessel, but instead agreed to donate it to a nonprofit organization Glorie established to preserve the last tall ship built in Key West. The Schooner Western Union Preservation Society thus far has raised more than $100,000 in donations from individuals and corporations to finance its restoration. Despite rumors that HTA was reclaiming the historic vessel, a nonprofit corporation continues to own the ship, said Chris Belland, a partner in HTA. “I sit on the board of the preservation society formed to restore it, and plans to continue with that restoration are still moving forward,” Belland said on Monday. Some basic work has been completed in Miami to regain the Coast Guard certification, but an extensive restoration plan will continue once the ship is back in Key West and again generating income. “Everything is going great,” Glorie said on Monday. “Our goal has been to get her healthy enough to get back to work. Then, once she’s back we’ll continue with the major restoration.” The preservation society still is accepting donations for the ship, which will be used to pay the shipyard bill, as well as crew salaries and other bills. Glorie is planning additional fund-raises for when the ship sails back into Key West, but plans have not been finalized, he said, confident the vessel will be back to work soon. “This is not a yacht, she’s a working girl,” he said. The ship was built in Key West in 1939 to service underwater telegraph cables for Western Union Telegraph Company until 1974, when a group of businessmen bought the ship and restored it. Its name was changed in 1984 when it became a floating classroom for troubled adolescents. In 1997, Historic Tours of America bought the ship and brought it home, where Glorie hopes it will remain foreverThe Usual Suspects KEY WEST — Dive boat runs aground on reef. Five people aboard a 42-foot charter dive boat, including the captain, were brought ashore when it ran aground on Rock Key Reef and began taking on water. No one was hurt. Capt. Edgar Hinkle was driving the Island Diver, of the Subtropic Dive Center’s fleet, when it hit the reef off Key West. Personally I like mine with Lettuce and tomato, Heinz 57, and french fried potatoes A Key West man apparently wasn’t thinking about surveillance cameras when he allegedly dumped a variety of condiments onto a neighbor’s car Sunday night or early Monday in the parking lot of their apartment complex. An officer came to Riviera Drive on Monday morning to investigate a vandalism complaint, and noted there was ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and eggs on the black Mazda. Police said tapes from the parking lot surveillance camera showed the man making several trips from the car to his apartment, carrying several small bottles. The Mazda owner identified the man as one of his neighbors. The suspect had a yellow stain on his white shirt, police said. When questioned, he reportedly said he had doused the car with A-1 Steak Sauce a few nights prior, but didn’t do anything Sunday night. The tapes allegedly showed otherwise. As police readied to arrest the man, his girlfriend commented from another room, officers said. “I told you that was a bad idea,” she reportedly yelled. The suspect went to jail on charges of criminal mischief.It would not surprised to learn that the folks from Massachusetts in these next two items are related. KEY WEST — A Massachusetts man was arrested Sunday after officers saw his genitals while he peed off the balcony at Rick’s Bar on Duval Street, reports say. The 21-year-old construction worker was charged with a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct. “I was just taking a leak,” he reportedly told police. Several people ran off the sidewalk and into the street to avoid the downfall, reports say. The report noted that the man appeared drunk. - Ya don’t say KEY WEST — A Massachusetts woman lost more than her shirt at a clothing-optional bar on Duval Street Friday night. The victim told police she had been at the Garden of Eden bar with a black Coach wristlet wallet. She had shed her sweater and left it with her wallet on a seat. When she returned, only the sweater was left, reports say. Not sure why she didn’t put the wallet in her pants, but considering how things go at the Garden of Eden, maybe she had shed those too. I hear that as this guy exited the store the checkout girl was overheard asking him if that was a T-Bone in his pants or if he was just happy to see her - pa dum bum! TAVERNIER — A Tavernier man was arrested Monday on shoplifting charges after allegedly walking out of the Tavernier Winn-Dixie with a six-pack of beer in his hand and two packages of meat in his pants, reports say. History Lessons 50 years ago Big-name Major League Base-ball payers including Micky Mantle were arriving at the Hotel Casa Marina for the annual convention of the Major League Baseball Players Association. While in town they also played a a charity game before 6,500 fans at the Key West High School Stadium. The American League won 4-3 over the National league Capt. Tony Tarracino reported a catch of 98 bluefish and 57 mackerel on the party boat Greyhound. - Not surprising that any vessel Capt. Tony wnet fisihing on would be described as a party boatCasey Campbell was elected president of the Coral Twirlers Square Dance Club. I may be wrong but I think this is the group that inspired one of my favorite songs penned by Jimmy Buffet - Nautical Wheelers Free Cuban Bread - yum! 100 years ago A city street car collided with the Cuban bread wagon and strewed the street with “cocos.” The wagon was wrecked, but the driver and horse escaped injury.1:36 AM | Add a comment | Send a message | Permalink | View trackbacks (0) | Blog itJanuary 11Patrick Ó Brien
Happy New Year
Happy New Year!
By now 2008 is well underway which means presidential primaries, abandoned resolutions, speculation on Brett Favre’s retirement, another Britteny Spears meltdown, and something very special - playoff football on the frozen tundra of Lambeau field! The Packers will be hosting the Seattle Sea-hags this Saturday. Hopefully the Pack will be victorious and the Dallas Cowboys will fall to the Giants so that we can have the NFC title game back at Lambeau the following week.But since many of you don’t read this for Packers news - on to news from places without frozen tundra.Patrick Ó Brien
US Virgin Islands to get commemorative quarter
The language authorizing the quarter was inserted into the spending bill at the last minute by Rep. Jose Serrano of New York, who was born in Puerto Rico. Congressman Serrano is now the chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services, which oversees the US Treasury.
Man looking to buy shrimp charged with reckless driving - from Key West Citizen
I know some people get real strong food cravings but this guy seems to have a more serious problem. Addiction is an ugly thing - first you are driving recklessly in search of shrimp, next thing you know you are strung out, living in your car and dumpster-diving for leftovers at Red Lobster in the middle of the night. I hear police cited the man with a DUIS - Driving under the influence of seafood. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail and requires joining Shrimpaholics Anonumous.
ISLAMORADA — A Miami man who said he was in a hurry to buy shrimp in Key West was arrested after forcing at least three northbound vehicles off the road, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
He was charged with reckless driving after he skidded off the road near Mile Marker 76 in a police chase, reports said.
The police received several calls reporting a southbound reckless driver in a red Jeep illegally passing and forcing other cars off the road. A deputy spotted the vehicle at Mile Marker 84 and the chase was one. The driver reportedly pulled into the northbound lane twice, forcing three vehicles off the road, reports said. When taken into custody and asked why he was in such a hurry, the man allegedly said he was headed to Key West to buy some shrimp.Sex-change Icon Seeks Top Post
For those familiar with the Keys, this sort of thing is no surprise. My opinion is - if Stanton is the most qualified, then give her (formerly him) the job.
From Key West Citizen
ISLAMORADA — The former Largo, Fla., city manager who was fired a month after announcing plans to undergo a gender change operation is among 20 people who have applied to be Islamorada’s next village manager.
Susan Stanton, formerly known as Steve Stanton, for 14 years headed the 75,000-resident, mainly working-class city south of Clearwater. The Largo City Commission in March sacked her on a 5-2 vote — a decision that garnered considerable regional and national attention and was denounced by activists for gay and transgender rights.
The village will have to decide whether her gender change matters, Stanton said.
“That is one of the things the community has to determine. Are they going to evaluate someone by their skill, knowledge and experience as opposed to their gender?” Stanton asked.
Last May, Stanton was a finalist for the city manager position in Sarasota, but eventually was passed over. Gender made a difference in that decision, she said at the time. “It is too soon for a transgendered city manager,” she told the Associated Press. “I don’t think the world is ready just yet.”When the Volcano Blow…
Naples isn’t the only place where a whole lot of people live close to an active volcano. El Popo may not be one of the best known attractions to outsiders but I guarantee that the folks in Mexico City pay close attention to the big guy’s moods. Several years ago on a business trip to Mexico City, the people that I met with showed me damage to their facility that was only a week old and the result of one of El Popo’s little tantrums. It’s nice to see that teh Mexican government has come up with a color coded warning system to alert residents to any possible danger - I wonder where they ever got the idea for that system? Bet that nice color scheme makes them all feel safer when El Popo starts rumbling and the ground starts shaking.Mexico’s Popocatepetl volcano put on a spectacular show recently, spewing out a huge, billowing cloud of ash and steam eight kilometers (five miles) high, but creating little danger, officials said.
“Judging by the altitude, it is the biggest smoke cloud we’ve seen in the past seven years,” Popocatepetl Operation Plan director Ramon Pena told AFP.
The expert observer, however, said the volcano’s activity 60 kilometers (38 miles) south of Mexico City did not change the ongoing yellow alert — signaling no risk — for nearby populations.
The column of smoke, ash and steam rising from Popocatepetl’s crater was expected to fall within over several Puebla state towns and villages, Pena said.
The 5,452-meter (17,900-foot) Popocatepetl awoke from a dormant state in 1994 and since then has been cordoned off by the Mexican army who keep civilians at a prudent 12-kilometer (7.5 mile) distance.
3:16 PM | Add a comment | Send a message | Permalink | View trackbacks (0) | Blog itDecember 24Merry Christmas
Happy Holidays!
Wow life has been crazy since the last entry. I just wanted to share this cute down island Christmas story with you this Christmas Eve. I hope you are all prepared for the Holidays, but if not, just relax, it’s too late to worry about it now. Try to remember not to get stressed out with all the gift-giving commercialism nonsense. Be thankful all the good things life has brought you and treasure your time with family and friends. To me, that’s what matters most about the Holidays.
Merry Christmas to you all. I wish you all the best this Holiday Season.
Patrick Ó Brien
Ever wonder how Santa gets around to all the islands in that sleigh? Well he actually makes the most of modern transportation and uses a sea plane. But sometimes even Santa has trouble with his travel plans. Here’s a recap of his recent mis-adventure from the Miami Herlad
The plan was for Santa Claus and an elf to arrive at Snapper’s restaurant by seaplane about 6 p.m. Thursday for the holiday celebration of the members-only Turtle Club.
But the Maule seaplane’s landing on rough waters went awry. One of the pontoons hit a prop, causing the aircraft to take on water about 200 yards from shore, according to Bobby Dube, spokesman for the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Santa had to be rescued.
”It just so happened that a FWC boat was in the area and our officers rescued all four before it sank,” Dube said. “Nobody even got wet.”
The seaplane was piloted by George Wilson, a real estate agent for Prudential Keyside Properties in Key Largo.
”It caught a gust of wind while landing, hooked a float and spun around,” Wilson said. “Just broke the float and a wingtip, no big deal. It was only 2 feet of water.”
Wilson said Santa Claus was Jeff Sarver. He did not know the name of the female elf. The fourth passenger was a friend, Jay Jackson.
The four were delivered to Snapper’s, located at Mile Marker 95 of U.S. 1, on the FWC boat.
”Santa Claus was fine and the kiddies were happy,” Wilson said. “And the [seaplane] will be fine. I sent it to the Maule factory.
8:39 PM | Add a comment | Send a message | Permalink | View trackbacks (0) | Blog itNovember 29Tales From The Tropics
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We had a great time “up north” visiting family and carrying on the annual tradition of venturing into the great north woods to cut Christmas trees after our Thanksgiving meal. And of course this year was made even better by the Packer victory over the Lions. The Pack now has an impressive 10-1 record heading into tomorrow nights big game with the 10 -1 Dallas Cowboys. Too bad for football fans that the NFL and Cable companies are feuding over the money which means hardly anybody will get to see the game in their home.
The end of Hurricane season seems to trigger lots of activity in the Keys. Here’s a look at some things that have been happening lately, and some interesting things from Keys history.
Patrick Ó Brien
History Lessons
1905 - A general strike of the cigarmakers was ordered. Several meetings of the Manufacturers Union and the Cigar-Makers Union failed to settle the strike.
1946 - President Harry Truman submerged to 440 feet on a captured German submarine manned by a U.S. Navy crew
1949 - President Harry Truman arrived for a three-week vacation at the Little White House. His wife, Bess, and daughter, Margaret, were with him.
1987 - Jimmy Buffett held a benefit concert for Save the Salt Ponds and Reef Relief at Wickers Field before a sellout crowd. Wish I had been able to make that show!Key Deer Refuge Marks 50th Anniversary
If you ever find yourself driving through the Keys make sure to pay attention and obey the spped limit on Big Pine Key, home of the tiny Key Deer. They are North America’s smallest Deer and when the refuge was established in 1957 there were only 27 left. Through the protection of the refuge they now number around 600.
According to an article in the Key West Citizen, in the early years of the refuge the deer were also protected by a rather colorful refuge manager. Locals still tell stories of Jack Watson, who they say used just about any means to stop illegal hunting. The Citizen article noted that “He didn’t think twice about sinking somebody’s boat and leaving them a note telling them not to come back,” said his son, Kip Watson, a Big Pine Key resident. “Everybody pretty much got the point.”
Narrow miss by drifting casino
Those who joined us for our wedding in the Keys might remember seeing this sight anchored in Key West harbor. It appears there may be a little luck left in the floating casino.
The 100-foot, 500 ton steel casino boat, named the “Pair-O-Dice” broke free and drifted across the harbor in gusty winds before coming to rest along the docks of the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center — just feet from millions of dollars in law enforcement and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary vessels.
Remarkably, the vessel did not strike any of the dozens of boats that lined its journey. Maybe even more remarkable is that the owner received only a $65 ticket
for an expired vessel registration. The Pair-O-Dice has not operated commercially since Hurricane Wilma in 2005.
Couple discovers home listed as endangered species habitat - As if the real estate market wasn’t messy enough. Imagine having to deal with this headache!
According to an article in Keys News, a couple on Tavernier are living a nightmare after learning their $700,000 dream home was identified as endangered species habitat. The couple learned of the situation when their check for $549 was returned last month from a federally-subsidized flood insurance company. It read: “Unable to process this application as it is on the Monroe County list of ineligible parcels.”
The couple thought they were buying a property clear of any issues and obtained title insurance. But there were unforeseen problems.
On Sept. 12, 2005, U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore ordered a halt to all new flood policies on properties with endangered species habitat in the Keys. An initial list included 50,000 parcels, but an environmental group’s attorney convinced Moore to revise his order to exclude development that existed as of Sept. 12, 2005.
Monroe County issued the builder a permit for one of those properties on July 27, 2005, just 46 days before Moore’s order. That permit was never rescinded and the builder finished the house and sold it to the couple, who have hired an attorney to investigate their legal options.
Pirates Attack Key West
This week is the Pirates in Paradise Festival at Fort Zachary Taylor in Key West. Think of Pirates of the Caribbean meets Renaissance Festival.
The festival features tall ships firing their cannons and performers with black-powder weapons on the beach. They also do a re-enactment of the “Pyrate Tryal of Anne Bonny and Mary Read,” based on the original transcripts of the trial, as found in Tamara Eastman’s book
They will also have the Official End of America’s Hurricane Season Party & Conch Republic Pirate’s Shipwreck Ball, and the third annual Walk the Plank National Championships. Sounds like there will be plenty of Rum drinkin’ too! Organizers say “The pub will be pouring ‘til the last pirate leaves,’ so who knows when that will be,”
Cubans land on aristocrat’s exclusive island
I love fishing the flats in the back country off Key West. One of the prettiest spots I have ever been is fishing the flats off Ballast Key. Here’s a story from the Key West Citizen of some folks that weren’t there for the fishing. Reminds me of the story that inspired Jimmy Buffett’s song “Everybody Has a Cousin in Miami”
The island’s owner, a Key West, businessman and arts patron David Wolkowsky was awakened by a phone call from Ballast Key’s caretaker, describing the morning scene. He immediately boarded his boat to investigate.
The immigrants, having landed on American soil, will be permitted to stay in the country. Coast Guard officials told Wolkowsky a boat would pick up the migrants, who were given water and were in good health.
Despite the 24-acre island’s position as the true southernmost point in the continental United States, Cuban migrant landings there are rare, Wolkowsky said.
“They usually land on [nearby] Woman Key,” said Capt. Taylor Williams, who skippers Wolkowsky’s private boat. “This group, their story was that their boat had sank right off Ballast Key.” Wolkowsky didn’t buy it, and assumes, like many others, that hired smugglers had dropped them off several yards from shore before zooming away in their go-fast boat undetected.
“They do have a lot of guts, and I admire that,” said Wolkowsky, a local aristocrat now in his late 80s known for building the Pier House Resort & Caribbean Spa and owning the Kress Building on Duval Street, which houses Fast Buck Freddie’s upscale department store and Margaritaville.
