Music On the Rock

Transcription

Music On the Rock
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page www.kwtn.com
KEY WEST THE NEWSPAPER • JUNE 11, 2010
PAGE ONE COMMENTARY
Selling City Property
Could Help Solve City’s
Financial Woes
CITY OFFICIALS SHOULD GET
OUT OF THE REAL ESTATE
MANAGEMENT BUSINESS.
THEY ARE SIMPLY NOT VERY
GOOD AT IT
CITY COMMISSION LIKELY TO GIVE
VOTERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO
APPROVE THE SALE OF AT LEAST
ONE PIECE OF CITY PROPERTY
IN NOVEMBER
by Dennis Reeves Cooper
At the City Commission
meeting next Tuesday, it is likely that the mayor and commissioners will approve placing a
referendum on the November
ballot to give city officials the
authority to sell a piece of city
property that is not being used
for city business. We hope that
the commission does approve
the referendum and we also
hope that, subsequently, Key
West voters will vote “yes” in
November.
If you are a long-time
reader of Key West The Newspaper, you know that we have
asked the following question
many times: Why is the city
in the real estate business
anyway?! Historically, city
management has simply not
been very good at it.
Did you know that the
City of Key West, for some
reason, owns something like
75 pieces of real estate that are
not used for city offices or other
city operations?
Like a commercial real
estate management company,
the city rents out most of these
properties. But unlike a commercial real estate management
company, city management
does not have to worry about
“highest and best use” or making a profit.
Sweetheart deals abound.
In fact, at least 10 of the renters of
city-owned property reportedly
pay less than $10 a year!
One of the best examples
of a sweetheart deal may be the
Key West Yacht Club. Beautiful
waterfront property. Private
club for some of the city’s most
affluent citizens. But, unless you
are a member, you would not be
allowed to go out there and eat
and drink— even though this is
city-owned property.
And even if you have
enough money to join, you may
not be allowed to join. Members can blackball potential
members for any reason. One
of the former publishers of the
Key West Citizen was blackballed because he had fired
the husband of former Judge
Sandy Taylor, the club’s former
commodore. “Commodore” is
what they call the president of
the club.
You may already know
that the Yacht Club leases that
property from the city for $1 a
year. We don’t make this stuff
up.
A couple of years ago, we
told you about another little
scandal that grew out of city
officials’ incompetent property
management. Back in 1999,
the city leased the Cable Hut,
a little building on Mallory
Square, to Larry and Barbara
See PROPERTY, page 5
Just in Case . . .
College Offering
“Oiled Wildlife
Response” Course
TWO ONE-DAY COURSES SET FOR
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
Florida Keys Community College will offer two “Oiled
Wildlife Response” training sessions this Saturday, June 12
and Sunday, June 13, as part of the college’s ongoing efforts to
prepare community members to respond to pending impact
from Deepwater Horizon oil looming in the Gulf. The day-long
course, facilitated by Sarasota-based Save Our Seabirds, Inc., will
be held from 9:00a.m. to 6:00p.m. both days at the college’s Key
West campus. The cost is $50 per person.
This course provides the necessary training, as permitted
by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, for the treatment of oiled
wildlife and the safety and health of responders. The first half of
the course consists of a lecture on protocols and methods used to
stabilize injured wildlife and clean oiled wildlife. The second part
of the course focuses on demonstration and hands-on training in
cleaning oiled wildlife. In addition, participants are required to
take the OSHA “Four-Hour Marine Oil Post-Emergency Response
for Clean-up Workers” course.
The Oiled Wildlife Response course is co-sponsored by
Florida Keys Wildlife Rescue and accommodations have been
provided by Comfort Inn.
Info: Visit FKCC’s website at www.fkcc.edu for the latest
schedule of training sessions. For more information or to register for the course, call FKCC Director of Continuing Education
Cathy Torres at (305) 809-3250.
Music
On the Rock
LISTINGS AND INFO PAGES 11-19
THE ISLAND’S OLDEST INDEPENDENT WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
www.kwtn.com
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page BITCHIN’ PARADISE
Bad Hair Day
by Kimberley Denney
If there was just one rule
of the hair salon, it should be
this: never go with a GBF (gay
boyfriend). I know, I know,
you’d think this would be a
perfect pairing, but in reality
it’s a perfect storm. Trust me
on this one.
I should have known
better after the disaster with
Glenn. But then again, I hadn’t
even realized what a train wreck
that was until after the fact.
Obviously, that memory had
started to fade.
Because here I was on
a Saturday morning, almost
a year after the Glenncident,
meeting Scott for a burger and
a beer a few hours before my
cut and color at a new salon.
We texted each other ahead of
time, agreeing that we would
both be good. Bellied up to the
Strip House bar, our resolve
crumbled when Abby pulled
out the Zing Zang. One Bloody
Mary won’t hurt. Just one. It
was noon on Saturday after all.
Well okay, just one more. We
barely had time for food before I
had to head out to the salon.
Scott decided he could use
a pedicure for his trip to Gay
Days Orlando, so off we biked,
from one end of Simonton to
another. A sense of deja vu
was creeping up on me. I never
expected to be off to the salon
with a GBF again. This time it
would be different. I’d stay in
control. Yeah.
I was armed with an arsenal of knowledge. I knew how a
fun afternoon could turn into a
disaster at the salon. Last year,
the morning of the Glenncident
started out on a similar note.
Glenn and I had flexible
work schedules, and would
meet for breakfast some Fridays. This became more frequent when it was clear he
would be forced to take an
unexpected temporary, yet
still painfully long trip back to
England. Who needed Sunday
Funday? We rocked Friday well
into sunset.
That Friday morning I
warned him I had a hair date
that couldn’t be missed under
any circumstances. That was
the only obligation on my
plate. We started at Schooner
Wharf, but breakfast was over.
We had a Bloody Mary (okay,
maybe two) while we decided
where to go next. Let’s just say
that first Bloody Mary was the
beginning of the end. I can’t
remember all the details of the
day, until we ended up back at
Glenn’s pool, swimming and
drinking champagne until my
date rolled around.
I hate cancelling appointments, but especially hair because stylists take their sweet
time rescheduling you and my
roots couldn’t afford to wait
another day. All I needed to do
was sit it a chair for two hours.
Easy enough. The hardest part
would be getting there. Glenn
decided he’d keep me company,
so hand in hand, we stumbled
off to the salon. Seriously, how
See KIMBERLEY, page 4
www.kwtn.com
news briefs
Free Navy Band
Concerts Friday
The U.S. Navy Band Southeast’s Ceremonial Band will
conduct free public performances Friday in Key West at the
San Carlos Theatre and Mallory Square. Navy Band Southeast’s
Ceremonial Band is in town for Naval Air Station Key West’s
change of command ceremony Friday.
The band’s VIP Jazz Combo will perform at the San Carlos
Theatre on Duval Street today, Friday at 6 p.m. The Dixieland
band TGIF and popular music band Pride will both perform at
Mallory Square this evening, Friday at 7 p.m.
The Ceremonial Band performs for military functions
including change of command and retirement ceremonies and
commissioning and decommissioning of ships and military
units. Highly versatile, the band or any of its various sub-groups
are perfect for the widest variety of musical settings including
military ceremonies, public concerts, parades and much more.
Inspiring pride and patriotism through music, this incredibly
popular unit performs more than 500 engagements annually
throughout the Southeastern United States.
Traffic Flow Change
on Angela
Beginning Monday, the one-way traffic flow on several
blocks of Angela Street will be reversed. From Margaret Street
to Frances Street, along the edge of the Key West Cemetery, the
traffic flow run east to west. It currently runs west to east. The
change affects only those blocks of Angela between Margaret
and Frances streets. That portion of Angela will remain one-way,
just the direction of traffic flow will change.
Fast Buck’s Windows
Feature Street Work
Anyone walking past Fast Buck Freddie’s on Duval Street
will get a primer about Key West’s storm water gravity well
construction, thanks to the window artists at the store. Owner
Anthony Falcone and designers Ann Lorraine, Larry Roybal
and Tim Mills have created another of their renowned window
displays, this time focusing on the construction that has affected
much of Old Town.
Mannequins wearing the faces of the city’s commissioners, the city manager and the mayor are arrayed among orange
construction cones and barricades. Signs explain that federal
stimulus funding is paying the lion’s share of the cost. Explained,
too, is the importance of the wells in maintaining the pristine
quality of the island’s nearshore waters.
The city is in the process of installing 27 gravity wells and
five outfall pollution control devices with the help of federal
stimulus grant funding. Because of federal deadlines, many of
the projects were undertaken at once. That means that most of
the construction will be wrapping up in the next few weeks.
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page www.kwtn.com
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page Kimberley
FROM page 2
gay is that?
My stylist was running
late, and we were offered a
glass of wine. Which of course
we accepted. You just don’t turn
down free salon wine. Raise the
curtain on the final act.
We were the only ones in
the waiting area. Glenn’s elderly
mum called and he chatted with
her on the phone. He said he was
at the salon with a hooker. Being
in the state of mind I was in, I
didn’t pick up on the slang, and
worried what this proper British
lady I never met was thinking
of me. So I took the phone and
reassured her that I was not, in
fact, a hooker. Again and again,
apparently.
My name was called;
Glenn sat in the chair next to me,
laughing at the foil antennas being formed on my head. Overcome by chemicals, he went
outside to smoke a cigarette. I
didn’t hear from him again for
two days.
Surely I’m not the only
person who’s ever shown up
or gotten tipsy at the salon,
right? I figured after six weeks
all would be forgotten. But the
next time I climbed into the
chair my stylist said, “You and
your friend...you were really
having fun the last time you
were here.” Hee hee. Yep. Then
another stylist chimes in, “yeah,
you were yelling to someone
on the phone about not being
a hooker.”
Wah? Yelling? I’m not one
of those jackasses who yells on
a cell phone indoors. But oh my
god, I was. And that’s when I
realized that no matter how
much time goes by, every time
I would walk into that salon
I’d always be the hooker. I’d
always be the drunk girl. I never
went back.
Finally I found another
stylist I liked, at a salon that
did not serve wine. After my
third appointment she told me
she was moving to my hooker
salon. So not only did I not
want to face the stylist whose
client list I disappeared from,
I couldn’t risk going back and
being the drunk girl.
Now here I was with
Scott, entering a new salon
and vowing to myself that I
would not be the hooker here.
I mentally willed Scott not to
make me the drunk girl. Please.
Have strength for the both of
us. Because I’m just a girl who
can’t say no. Unfortunately,
so is he.
Naturally, as soon as I
checked in the receptionist
graciously asked if we’d like
mimosas while we waited.
Three, two one...why yes, yes
we would.
They had to call in a
specialist for Scott’s toes, so he
went to a bar around the corner
and thoughtfully picked up a
couple of Coronas and brought
them back to the salon. At this
point I let him...no, maybe even
encouraged his taking photos of
me with foils on my head and
posting them to Facebook. As
if on cue, Glenn immediately
posted a comment: ‘Is this the
same hairdressers which we
both turned up twisted?’ Ah,
those Brits can make anything
sound civilized.
Cut, colored and coiffed, I
was out of the chair, the pedicure
was underway, and the salon
was dry. Scott implored—no,
begged—me to go on a Corona
run. Now that I was in control
you’d think I could have gotten
just one beer. Just the one, for
Scott, but I was past the point of
no return. The bartender offered
plastic cups for the beer in case
I was walking to Duval and I
said no, I’m just going back to
the salon around the corner. She
said “Oh right, your husband
was just in here.” I just nodded my head in agreement and
laughed to myself as I thought of
my “husband,” who at that moment was having all the colors
of the Gay Pride flag painted on
his big toes.
Then it hit me: my most
fun, most memorably unmemorable salon days are the ones
with GBFs. And from now on, I
won’t have it any other way.
[email protected]
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page www.kwtn.com
There Is a Reason That City
Officials Are Not Allowed to
Sell City Property without Voter
Approval
FROM page 1
Griffiths for $1900 per month.
That was well below market
rate. But that sweetheart deal
was part of a legal settlement
with the Griffiths after corrupt
city officials illegally breached
a previous contract with the
Griffiths that would have allowed them the exclusive right
to establish a duty-free shop on
Mallory Square.
Unknown to the Griffiths,
however, city officials were
secretly negotiating the same
deal with a well-connected
business group, headed by a
former Monroe County mayor.
Guess who got the contract?
The Griffiths sued and
won. And part of the settlement
was the sweetheart lease on the
Cable Hut. And because their
$1900 deal was so sweet, they
were able to quickly sub-let
the property to a businessman for $5000 per month for
a pizza shop. Do the math.
The Griffiths were making a
profit of $3100 a month! But
remember, this was in lieu of
the taxpayers having to pay
them a ton of money in damages for screwing them out of
the Cable Hut lease.
But here’s the rest of the
story. Before the Griffiths signed
the lease with the city in 1999,
the city’s Port Authority offices were located in the Cable
Hut— so the city was paying
the utility bills.
Eight years after the
Griffiths had assumed the lease
and had sublet the property
to the pizza shop, somebody
in city government suddenly
realized that the city was still
paying the electric and water
bills! The owner of the pizza
shop had never changed the
utilities over to his name, and
nobody in city government had
noticed.
City officials immediately
asked the owner of the pizza
shop, as well as the Griffiths,
the master tenants, to cough
up $130,000 to reimburse the
city. So, of course, everybody
sued everybody else and, as
far as we know, those lawsuits
are still slogging through the
court system.
Any questions about why
the City of Key West should not
be in the real estate business?
The property that the city
will be asking the voters for
permission to sell is 529 Front
Street— the spa building at
the Pier House Resort. In addition to the spa, the building
also houses 22 hotel rooms and
several meeting rooms. The
Pier House leases that building from the city for $300 per
month. That’s not a typo. The
Pier House pays the city $300 a
month rent for that building.
Although the lease does
not expire until May 2020,
Pier House management has
reportedly offered to bid on
the purchase of the property
at market value— if the city
can get permission from the
voters to sell it. This could not
only produce big bucks for the
city from the sale, it would also
put the property back on the
tax roll.
Of course, if and when the
city asks for bids, there could
be other bidders than the Pier
House.
Some have questioned
the wisdom of trying to sell the
property at the bottom of the
CONTINUED on next page
www.kwtn.com
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page Property
ber. It was defeated, but not by
much— 225 votes.
After the election, we
FROM page 5
opined that there were several
market. But the way this process reasons why the majority of
works is that, if none of the bids voters voted “no:”
are high enough, city officials
Most voters simply did
can just take the property off not understand it. And because
the market and wait for the they didn’t understand it and
economy to turn around.
because they have mistrusted
Are you wondering why city management for years, they
the Pier House is paying only just assumed that “something
$300 a month for that property? funny” was going on. Mistrust
Back in 1965, city officials want- of city management is why, back
ed to do a favor for the owners of in history, the people voted to
the Key West Handprint Fabrics amend the City Charter to procompany. So they agreed to a hibit city officials from selling
$300 sweetheart lease.
any city property without voter
But in 1987, Key West approval.
Handprint went into bankruptWe also opined that the
cy and Pier House management voters did not recognize that
was acquire the lease— and the the significance of a “yes” vote
sweetheart deal.
goes far beyond the potential
If this pending referen- sale of this one piece of property.
dum question sounds familiar, The city simply owns too much
it’s because the same question property that has nothing to
was on the ballot last Novem- do with city business! And if
the voters approve the sale of
the Front Street property, they
certainly might approve the sale
properties.
www.kwtn.comof other
There is simply no reason
for the city to be in the real estate
business! And selling much of
the property not needed for
city business could generate
millions of dollars for a city
management crying every day
about budget shortfalls.
letters
Nerds Win
One
EDITOR’S NOTE: The
headline was Mr. Barroso’s
idea. We here at KWTN would
never call Mr. Barroso a nerd
without his permission.
Three months a conversation was started regarding
the tradition of recognizing
the top academic achievers
in each graduating class, by
bestowing on them the titles of
Valedictorian and Salutatorian.
It was a conversation with origins dating back to the spring
of 2008, when those academic
titles were voted by the School
Board to sunset in 2012 after
claims that: competition was
getting too fierce, the system
for calculating the winners was
flawed, and that not enough
high academic achievers were
being recognized.
After a groundswell of
community support in favor of
saving this long standing and
worthy tradition, and a Board
willing to right a wrong, it appears that the honors of Valedictorian and Salutatorian have
been saved. Going forward,
school administrators will
revise and update calculation
systems to ensure a fair and
level playing field. Additionally, they will look into ways
to further honor high academic
achievers so they all receive the
recognition they truly deserve.
I understand the devil will be
in the details, however, with a
community and Board firmly
on the same page, I know a
mutually-agreed upon honors
system can be reached.
While our society all
too often recognizes success
on the playing field, it’s high
time we treat students who
have reached the pinnacle of
academic achievement just as
we would our beloved baseball
team when they win a state
championship. Throughout
See HONORS, next page
www.kwtn.com
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page letters
Therapist Recommends
Stress Management
Are you worried about
the oil spill we keep hearing
is coming our way? I had a
friend say to me the other
day that we should go to the
beach this weekend because
“it might be the last chance
we get to in our lifetimes.”
That freaked me out!
I didn’t have all the
information. The facts are
not as black and white as
my friend made them seem
to be. I also realized I have a
choice about how to deal with
this situation, which may or
may not even change my life
drastically.
Since I don’t know how
to predict the future (yet), I
decided to use some stress
Honors
FROM page 5
their tenure as students from
kindergarten through high
school, academic standouts
are usually the students that
require the least amount of
attention or work from school
staff. They follow the rules,
rarely cause issues for teachers or staff, and are seldom
recognized for their achievements. After years spent taking the back seat to everyone
else, graduation should be a
time when the best of the best
are recognized and praised
for having hit the academic
ball out of the park. Some
will be named Valedictorian
and Salutatorian, and some
will not, but success will be
measured by the journey
that took them there and a
School Board that has righted
a wrong and continued a most
worthy tradition.
Julio J. Barroso
Co-Valedictorian,
KWHS, 1999
management techniques to get
through this troubling time. It’s a
good time for a refresher in these
tried and true practices, considering the upcoming months tend
to put many of us on high alert
anyway.
There’s a phrase I learned
in 10th grade biology to describe
how animals deal with stress
and change. Adapt, migrate, or
perish. It may seem ridiculous,
but I believe our animal friends
may have something here.
I can either adapt - i.e. learn
to manage my stress, adapt to any
potential change as it comes, and
learn better ways of dealing with
these things, such as find out the
facts first before reacting to media
and comments from my friends.
One way to start doing this is to
find a ritual of dealing with the
stress each day. For example, take
a short walk on the beach each
morning. Then you’ll not only
reduce your stress and improve
your mood when you don’t see
any oil on the beach, but you’ll
also improve your health!
I can migrate - move somewhere else to relieve my life of
the stress or potential stress of
the oil spill. To do this I need to
make a plan. Where can I go?
What are the best options for
me? Even a simple pros and
cons list can often make us feel
more in control. List the top 3
places you’ve always wanted
to move to or where you think
you’ll have new opportunities.
Starting this conversation with
yourself might help you make a
leap you’ve been avoiding!
I can perish. Yes that
sounds a little dramatic. The
stress, or the impending oil
spill (that may or may not be
heading our way) will not kill
you today. But we all know that
living with stress is no way to
live and will ultimately have
long term negative effects. The
strategy for not perishing is to
live each day to the fullest, one
day at a time.
If you have other idea on
how to manage the situation,
I’m happy to let the world know.
Send me an email: BethMoyes@
Yahoo.com. Together we’ll get
through this!
Beth Moyes
Clinical Therapist
Key West
www.kwtn.com
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page letters
Scholarships Honor
Loved Ones
I am so happy that you
are reading my letter. My name
is Sarah Vitale, a 2010 Key West
High School graduate. During
graduation week I was offered
a couple of scholarships. I am
very grateful for the generosity
offered to me. Two of the scholarships were in memory of very
loved and missed members of
our community. Because families offer these scholarships as a
way to forever remember and
honor their loved ones, I want
to ask you to also take a moment
to remember these special Key
West people.
I received the Brian Samson Key West High School Band
Scholarship from his family.
Brian was a class of 2005 Key
West High School graduate who
greatly contributed to the school
and our community with his performance as a saxophonist in the
KWHS Band. Brian absolutely
loved music and marching for
the Conchs, just like I did. I guess
you could say we were both band
geeks at KWHS. Brian was very
talented, popular, friendly, so
good looking, happily enthusiastic and seriously involved in
sports. Brian left us too soon as
a result of an accident at college
involving a skateboard. His family reminds us of the importance
of using a helmet. Brian has a
facebook and I urge you to visit it
to see his beautiful smile. I thank
his family for honoring me in his
remembrance. We will always
remember Brian.
I also received the Franko
Richmond Music Scholarship
in remembrance of world-class
pianist and composer, Franko
Richmond, who left us too soon
on January 9 th , 2009. Franko had
an immense impact to my life
as he taught me so much about
music and even more about
love of mankind and the earth.
Everyone who knew Franko,
greatly loved him because he
was a very special person. He
brought much joy to us through
his breathtaking piano playing.
Please visit his website
at www.frankorichmond.com.
Thank you to his lovely wife,
Gail Lima, for honoring me in
his remembrance. We will never
forget Franko.
I would like to also take
this opportunity to thank the
Key West Sons of Italy Lodge and
SOI President Carrie Trumbo for
offering me a generous scholarship on their behalf. The Sons of
Italy does so much for our community and I greatly appreciate
their recognition and monetary
support as I head to Florida State
University.
Please keep the people that
were honored during the KWHS
graduation scholarship evening
forever in your hearts. They
include Brooke Pazo, Marques
Butler, Kendyll Bliss, Steven
Jones, Glynn Archer Jr., Bobby
Menendez, Franko Richmond,
Brian Samson and many, many
more.
Sarah Vitale
KWHS Class of 2010
www.kwtn.com
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page www.kwtn.com
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page 10
RICK BOETtGER
RHONDA
Liberal Media
Bail Out BP
The Romaniacs
by Rhonda Linseman-Saunders
My mom is visiting, which is why I’ve been
extra chipper lately. Don’t act so shocked. I’ve been
chipper at least half a dozen times since this column
began three years ago.
I don’t want my mom to work while she’s here,
and I have told her as much. But she either knows I’m
lying, or, like most strong women who have raised
successful families and have learned a few things
along the way, she does what she wants. And since
she apparently wants to do my laundry and babysit
my children while I escape with my laptop to write,
I’m okay with it.
What’s even more excellent is that she was here
for my son’s second birthday. If you’re a transplant like
me, trying to raise your own family away from most
of your extended family, it means a lot when special
people are around for special occasions.
My sister, Jill, even drove down from the mainland for the party. She could not afford the time, but
she did it anyway by making it a work trip. This means
she had a group of Romanian businessmen in tow.
“The Romaniacs” as we called them behind their
backs, and also to their faces after a couple drinks, came
to the U.S. to learn how the pizza industry operates,
with my sister’s guidance. And then they’ll go back
and introduce Domino’s Pizza to Romania. And to
think I thought her food marketing degree would be
even more useless than my degrees.
Jill called me first, to make sure it was okay to
bring the Romaniacs. At least that’s why she said she
was calling. But I know her better than that. She was
really calling to make sure my mom and I wouldn’t
act like idiots in a botched effort to be gracious to
her trainees.
She won’t admit it, but she was afraid we would
shout at them, very slowly, things like, “DO. YOU.
MISS. YOUR. MOTHERLAND?”
To which she’d have to say, “Mom, it’s okay.
Their hearing’s good and so is their English. They
speak five languages, in fact.”
So I read between the lines and instructed my
family to act completely normally and not to act like
we are afraid they’re actually some kind of leftover
Cold War spies. Even though that was a different
country.
Well, Oops. I suppose I ought to have asked
them to act like “a normal family” instead of asking
them to act “normally.”
At some point during the beginning of their
birthday party visit, my husband made some coffee
and sang, “My coffee brings all the boys to the yard,
cause my beans (hold a beat) are better than yours.”
He did not sound at all like R & B singer Kelis, whose
“Milkshake” he was mimicking.
“Hoes, honey. Hoes to the yard, please? Instead of boys?” I asked my husband. He nodded and
changed it up.
After our boys and hoes interlude I immediately
shifted my attention to our international guests.
“So gentlemen, is there still a lot of political
unrest in your area?”
“Um, no. No. Is all very good now,” the most
tolerant of the Romaniacs said. “Is been good for
something like, say, many years now. Okay?”
“Oh, well that’s great news,” I said. “Because I
used to work with a woman who barely escaped your,
um, your area. Her husband, a PhD scientist, escaped
your, uh, homeland at least a year before my friend,
and she was left with their baby to try to get out and
join him in the United States.”
The Romaniacs were not aware that I am also
fluent in body language, so I saw them as each other,
“Is it just me or is this lady’s a complete fruitcake?”
I tried hard to recover. “But I guess that was a
long time ago,” I said.
“I guess it sure was, yes.” he said. He used a
patient tone that I did not deserve.
We also forgot to warn the Romaniacs that our son
would be opening a pink dollhouse for his birthday.
What? The dude wanted a doll house. So what?
But what’s worse than the impression of American family life we gave them down here is that they
had to spend the rest of their time in Miami. Need I
say more?
Remarkably, despite my family’s best accidental
attempt to start an international incident based on
cultural ignorance (ours), the Romaniacs reported
having a great time, learning a lot, and loving our
island.
[email protected]
WHAT’S YOUR OPINION?
Send a Letter
to the Editor:
[email protected]
WHAT’S
YOUR OPIN-
Let us be crystal clear about the twin oil crimes in
the Gulf: it’s all BP’s fault. Their first crime was cutting
corners so drastically their rig blew up, killing eleven
and spewing at least 20,000 barrels of oil per day into
our waters. The second crime is ongoing, as BP refuses
to retrieve the vast bulk of their lost oil from, choosing
instead to let it keep poisoning our Gulf.
Yes, BP is coldly, profitably, choosing NOT to
take hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil out of the
water, which they could do easily. How? The simplest
and most obvious technology, one tested and used
over and over again: simply pump the oil out of the
ocean into tankers. When the tanker is full, bring the
tanker to shore, unload the oil to refineries, and go
back out for more.
It can’t be that easy, you say, for if it were, we
surely would have heard of it, and of course it would
be done. Well, to me, the most sickening aspect of this
whole tragedy is that the simple suck-up-the-oil plan
has been reported widely, starting on the internet, then
a long magazine article, next the cable news, and, just
last weekend, the major network news. The story is
short and simple: do what Saudi Aramco did with a
similarly immense disaster in 1993: spend months
See BOETTGER, page 23
Key West
Key
T H E
N E W S P A P E R
Key West The Newspaper is published every
Friday, all year 'round, 52 weeks a year.
Free distribution weekly: 9,000
News tips and letters to the editor are welcome.
Editorial and advertising office:
422 Fleming Street
Mail: P.O. Box 567, Key West FL 33041
Phone: (305) 292-2108. Fax: (305) 292-1882.
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: kwtn.com
Subscriptions: $40 for six months
Editor/Publisher Dennis Reeves Cooper, Ph.D.
Associate Editor Rhonda Linseman-Saunders
Photography Richard Watherwax
Art Director Art Winstanley
Contributors Michael Barnes, Hal O’Boyle,
Kimberley Denney,
Harry Skevington, Rick Boettger,
Ken Davis
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page 11
www.kwtn.com
ENTERTAINMENT • EATING & DRINKING • NIGHTLIFE • EVENTS • ARTS
Weekend Music
at Turtle Kraals
Caffeine Carl & Raven
at Schooner Wharf
THE CAFFEINE & RAVEN
BAND— featuring Caffeine
Carl and Raven Cooper— will
be at Schooner Wharf Bar
tonight and tomorrow night,
Friday and Saturday, June 1112, 7 ‘til midnight.
Chas Blakemore & Band
at Cowboy Bill’s
CHRIS CASE (left above) and
KEITH RICKS will be on stage
at the Turtle Kraals tonight,
Friday, June 11. JEFF CLARK
takes over on Saturday night
Showtime both nights 8 ‘til 11.
CHAS BLAKEMORE & THE MOONSHINE OUTLAWS will be headlining a huge array of live
music at Cowboy Bill’s this weekend. They’ll be on the main stage Friday, Saturday and Sunday,
starting at 10.
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page 12
www.kwtn.com
more entertainment
MUSIC ON THE ROCK
Larry Smith and
Guests at the Pier
House Wine Galley
PIANIST LARRY SMITH (above, right) performs with guests
Friday through Monday in the Wine Galley at the Pier House
Resort. This week, guests are singer-songwriter Adrienne tonight,
Friday, June 11. On Saturday night, drummer Roger Van Zant
joins Larry. The Sunday Showcase stars singersinger-songwriter
Gregory James(above left). Larry begins at 7. His guests join him
at 9. Monday is jazz jam night, starting at 9.
www.kwtn.com
MUSIC ON THE ROCK
3 Peace at Lazy Gecko
3 PEACE— Sparky, Shane and Redawg are rocking the Lazy Gecko (next door to Sloppy Joes’s
on Duval Street) every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 7 ‘til 11.
Douglas and Colt
at Hogfish Bar & Grill
ROBERT DOUGLAS (right) will be entertaining at the Hogfish Bar & Grill on Stock Island ,
Friday, June 11. CW COLT takes over on Saturday night. showtime both nights: 6 ‘til 10.
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page 13
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page 14
www.kwtn.com
MUSIC ON THE ROCK
Yankee Jack at the Bull
YANKEE JACK has been
entertaining at the famous
Bull Bar almost forever.
Catch him this weekend
from 1 ‘til 5pm Friday,
Saturday and Sunday. He
is also on stage during the
week, every day except
Wednesday.
Lenore Troia:
Jazz at the
Gardens
LENORE TROIA & Friends will be entertaining at the Gardens Hotel this Sunday afternoon, June 13, 5 ‘til 7:30
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page 15
www.kwtn.com
MUSIC ON THE ROCK
At the Parrot: Paul Cebar’s
Tomorrow Sound all Weekend
PAUL CEBAR’S TOMORROW SOUND (formerly Paul Cebar and the Milwaukeeans) will be
at the Green Parrot Bar all weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 11-13. “Sound checks”
every afternoon at 5:30, plus 10 o’clock gigs on Friday and Saturday nights.
Raven Owns Thursday
Nights at the Groove Lounge
RAVEN’S regular Thursday
night gig at the Groove
Lounge at the BottleCap, is
continuing to pull in her fans.
Showtime is 10 o’clock.
www.kwtn.com
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page 16
MUSIC on the rock
Live Music on the Island
KEY WEST IS FAMOUS FOR ITS LIVE
MUSIC. HERE’S A LISTING OF SOME
OF THE TOP MUSIC VENUES IN THE
SOUTHERNMOST CITY
EDITOR’S NOTE: Music
schedules are subject to change
without notice. To be included
in this listing, venues may email
music schedules to [email protected] by end of day
Monday.
The Bull One of Duval
Street’s last open-air bars— actually three bars: The Bull on the first
floor, the Whistle on the second
floor and the clothing-optional Garden of Eden on the roof. Live music
all day and late into the night.
Capt. Tony’s Saloon A
Key West landmark at 428 Greene
Street, just off Duval. Since the
1850s, the building has been an ice
house, a telegraph station, a cigar
factory, a bordello and a series of
THE BULL
CAPT. TONY’S SALOON
bars, including the original Sloppy
Joe’s. This is where Hemingway
drank 1933-37. The legendary
Capt. Tony Tarrecino, a charterboat
captain and a former gunrunner,
bought the place in 1958. Tony
was the Mayor of Key West 19891991. Live music every day from
noon. The Carl Peachey Band is
the house band.
Cowboy Bill’s Honky
Tonk Saloon Duval Street’s only
Country Bar. 610 Duval Street. Live
music every day. Two stages. Ladies drink free Wednesdays 9-11.
Sports venue, too. Come ride the
bull. Music this weekend: Chas
Blakemore & the Moonshine Outlaws will headline a huge array of
live music over the weekend. They
will be on the main stage Friday,
Saturday and Sunday night, starting at 10.
El Alamo is the newest live
music venue on the island. Located
on Charles Street, just across Duval from Sloppy Joe’s. Live music
nightly.
CONTINUED on next page
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page 17
www.kwtn.com
Behind Bars
RICHARD WATHERWAX
BARTENDER OF
THE WEEK
MICHELLE tends bar at
Don’s Place. Her specialty
drink is a Raspberry
Kamikaze
Tell us who your favorite
drink server is:
[email protected]
music on the rock
FROM previous page
Finnegan’s Wake An
authenic Irish Pub, off the beaten
path at 320 Grinnell Street. Finbar
B. Dingle will be on stage tonight,
Friday, June 11. Samuel Smedley
and his Silly String Band entertain
Saturday. Showtime both nights
8pm.
FINNEGAN’S WAKE
Gardens Hotel Jazz on
Sunday. This week, Lenore Troia
and friends will be playing 5 ‘til
7:30.
Green Parrot Bar A Key
West landmark since 1890. A favorite of locals and visitors alike. But
even regulars were mystified when,
in May 2000, Playboy magazine
named the Parrot one of the 24 Best
Bars in America. We don’t make this
in the world! Live music this weekend: Robert Douglas will be on
stage tonight, Friday, June 11. CW
Colt will take over Saturday night.
Showtime both nights is 6 ‘til 10.
Pier House Resort Larry
Smith and special guests Thursday
through Monday nights. Larry begins at 7pm; guests join him at 9.
GREEN PARROT
Rick’s and Durty Harry’s
stuff up. Located on Whitehead at 208 Duval Street. Live music every
Southard, just a block off Duval, night.
this is the home of great drinks and
Rum Barrel A popular resbad art— and one of the top venues taurant, bar and music venue at the
for live music on the island. This corner of Front and Simonton.
weekend: Paul Cebar’s Tomorrow
Schooner Wharf Bar
Sound will be in the house Friday, Another top music venue. Famous
Saturday and Sunday, June 11-13. mostly-outdoor bar located right
“Sound checks” every afternoon at on the water at Key West’s His5:30, plus 10 o’clock gigs on Friday toric Seaport at the foot of William
and Saturday nights.
Street. “This must be the center
Groove Lounge at the of the universe,” wrote newsman
BottleCap One of the oldest and Charles Kurault. Voted Best Locals
most famous watering holes on the Bar six years in a row. The irreverisland. A block off Duval Street ent Michael McCloud is on stage
at 1128 Simonton Street. Raven every afternoon except Tuesday,
Cooper continues to entertain at noon ‘til 5. The Caffeine & Raven
the BottleCap on Thursday nights, Band will be on stage both Friday
starting at 10.
and Saturday nights, June 11-12, 7
Hogfish Bar & Grill Funky ‘til midnight.
waterfront venue on Stock Island.
Maybe the best hogfish sandwich CONTINUED on next page
www.kwtn.com
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page 18
music on the rock
FROM previous page
SCHOONER WHARF BAR
NOW
HIRING
Sloppy Joe’s One of the
most famous bars in the world. This
was Hemingway’s favorite bar in
the 1930s. Right in the heart of the
Duval Street action. Live music
every day from noon ‘til late.
Sunset Pier at the Ocean
Key House, Zero Duval. Talk about
a waterfront venue! The pier sticks
right out into the harbor.
The Keys Popular piano
bar at 1114 Duval Street. Live mu-
sic 7 ‘til late. Closed Monday and
Tuesday during the summer.
Turtle Kraals Ricks & Case
will entertain tonight, Friday, June
11. Jeff Clark takes over the stage
Saturday night. Showtime both
nights: 8 ‘til 11.
Virgilio’s Live music every
night.
www.kwtn.com
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page 19
www.kwtn.com
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page 20
film
What’s on at the Tropic
by Phil Mann
The Tropic has been busy
this week with a couple of
wide-release movies --KILLERS and SPLICE--that are a
bit of a change of pace from
the usual fare. Both are getting
raves from locals. SPLICE, in
particular, seems destined for
cult movie fame. These two are
being held over, now joined by
two other popular films, assuring that there will be plenty of
cool entertainment for the hot
weather.
LETTERS TO JULIET
stars Amanda Seyfried (Chloe,
Mamma Mia!) as a young
American romantic bent on
helping an older British woman
(Vanessa Redgrave) find her
long-lost Italian love. The terrain is Tuscany, the search is
exciting, and even if we know
how it’s going to turn out, who
doesn’t enjoy another trip to
Italy?
On the other hand, if
you’d prefer to travel all over
the world encased in a metal
suit, IRONMAN 2 is the movie
for you. (Can someone tell me
why it isn’t IRONMAN II? If
ever a movie called for the selfimportant escalation of Roman
numbers, this would seem to be
it.) Anyhow, Tony Stark (Robert
Downey, II) is back in his XXI
Century armor, doing battle
with adversaries that include
the Russian scientist Ivan Vanko
(Mickey Rourke). It’s all a CGI
festival, but with the human
enhancement of these great
actors. Just plain fun.
But there’s also plenty for
serious Tropic habitués.
In the face of government
censorship and repression, an
underground arts movement
persists in Iran. Several film
directors have been jailed, and
others have chosen to continue
to work in exile. Director Bahman Ghobadi shot his film
in secret over 17 days inside
LETTERS TO JULIET
the country, knowing that the
subject matter would never be
approved. NO ONE KNOWS
ABOUT PERSIAN CATS is
the story of a group of young
Iranian musicians trying to get
passports and visas to perform
at a concert in London. They
have to rehearse in basement
rooms, insulated with walls
covered in egg cartons. The only
source of travel documents is a
black market forger who promises he can produce anything
from an Iranian passport to an
American green card.
The movie takes us inside
Tehran, into the cellars, and
through the streets on motor
bikes. It weaves the music
throughout--Iranian indie rock,
Iranian rap, and even traditional Iranian music, all with
a political message. I guess
they’re all “Persian cats.”
Ghobadi got out of Iran
and was able to premier his film
at Cannes last year. He can’t go
back. But his film will get you as
close as you’re likely to get.
EVERYONE ELSE also
takes us to Italy, but to the island
of Sardinia, much wilder and
more remote than the Tuscan
mainland. A pair of German
vacationers, Chris and Gitti,
are given the opportunity to
explore the extent of their love
while alone at Chris’ parents’
vacation villa. But a couple of
dinners with a more established
neighboring couple confuse
the situation. It “might not be
perfect, but so much is right and
true in this lovely, delicate work
that it comes breathtakingly
close,” says Manhola Dargis in
the New York Times. Or listen
to Kevin Lee in Slant Magazine,
a publication that loves to be
contrary: “Not only is Everyone
Else an instant contender for the
pantheon of breakup movies,
its manifold splendors evoke
entire periods of great cinema.”
It’s not usual to get these critics
on the same page.
On the Special Events calendar, the Tropic is joining with
The Studios of Key West and the
Coffee Mill in a Modern Dance
Festival revolving around a
visit to Key West by Mauricio
Nadal and Daniel Fetecua Soto,
principal dancers of the Martha
Graham and Jose Limon Dance
Companies. They’ll be teaching
a course at the Mill and giving a
talk at the Studio... and screening a couple of documentary
films at the Tropic. A unique
opportunity.
Full info and schedules at
TropicCinema.com.
Comments, please, to
[email protected]
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page 21
www.kwtn.com
EATING & DRINKING
Finnegan’s Wake:
More Than Irish
by Kerrie Mortimer
Finnegan’s Wake is located
at 320 Grinnell street in Old
Town and has been known by
locals for their stick-to-your-ribs
traditional Irish entrees. Their
cheery and friendly atmosphere
and impressive selection of over
85 different varieties of beer—
with 25 of them on draft­— has
kept locals and visitors coming
back for years. And while there’s
no doubt they show their “true
Irish style,” this pleasant pub
offers many tasty alternatives to
the typical Irish pub menu.
Owner/Manager Wayne
Keller, who has worked diligently to perfect his recipes to
please just about everyone.
Finnegan’s Wake now offers an expanded menu. New
choices include a fresh “Fun with
Veggies” option and “Chef’s
Features” menu, which changes
monthly.
Wayne also knows that every successful restaurant needs a
few family favorites for the kids,
so he offers gooey grilled cheese
with fresh apple sauce and fun
finger foods including pigs in a
blanket with fried baby corn.
A special vegatarian menu
is also available.
My husband and I were
lucky enough to be invited to
dine at Finnegan’s Wake last
week. We anticipated a great
culinary experience and Wayne
definitely didn’t let us down!
The refreshing AC welcomed us into Finnegan’s where
Robin, our enthusiastic server,
escorted us to our spacious
booth in the dining room, adjacent to the bar.
We each ordered a frothy
Guinness draft to start.
While we read over the
huge menu, the hum of customers enjoying the bar filtered
gently through the room, help-
RICHARD WATHERWAX
ROBIN AND WAYNE AT FINNEGAN’S WAKE
ing to create a relaxing serenity,
perfect after a long, hot day.
Wayne soon appeared
to discuss our dinner options.
We decided to let it be chef’s
choice and placed our fate in
his hands. My husband and I
had not even half-finished our
beers before Robin served our
first course.
Wayne chose one of his
“Appeteasers” from the Fun
With Veggies menu that consisted of a sample of the
Colcannon’s— a kind of fritter
made with mashed potatoes,
scallions and cabbage, served
with a melted cheddar cheese
sauce. He paired it with Plantin Eggs— spicy fried eggplant served with a chipotle
ranch dipping sauce. He also
introduced us to his Gringo
Banditos— miniature ground
beef tacos with black beans,
cheddar cheese, fresh salsa and
sour cream. They were a perfect
start to our meal.
Wayne then chose one of
his “Chef’s Features,” which
change every month— a delightful salad called Mommy’s
Edam. It starts with the rich
flavors of baked Edam in a
light soy sauce over fresh spin-
ach, shredded cabbage, smoky
roasted red peppers, dressed in
a wasabi ginger vinaigrette. It
was fantastic and we shared it
with delight.
Our entree was next and
Wayne chose the No Bones
About Them, also from this
month’s “Chef ’s Features”
menu. Robin served our large
certified Angus boneless beef
ribs with perfectly herbed
mashed potatoes and decadent
french green beans tossed in
olive oil with pecans and blue
cheese!
When you meet Wayne
and the staff, you can’t help but
be in a good mood. But when
you go to Finnegan’s Wake to
enjoy the “good food, good
drinks, good laughs and good
friends,” don’t be surprised to
find they offer much more than
traditional Irish fare!
Finnegan’s Wake is open
seven days, 11am ‘til 4am. Full
menu available ‘til 1am. All
major credit cards accepted.
Finnegan’s now delivers ‘til
midnight— 293-0222. Also,
Finnegan’s has a backup generator— so when the power
goes out, Finnegan’s is open.
www.kwtn.com
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page 22
art
23 Keys Artists Get
McKee Grants
Each year local artists
submit proposals to the Anne
McKee Artist Fund for consideration of funds to help produce
their creative visions. This year’s
grant awards ceremony was
held at Kate Miano’s Gardens
Hotel, where the Fund’s board
presented awards to 23 artists
for work in a diversity of mediums, including photography,
literature, music, performance,
painting, print-making, sculpture, and sequential art.
Award recipients for
2010 are: Steve Allerton, Claire
Perrault, Katharine Doughty,
Nancy Henning, Alisa Mealor,
Tim Marshall Curtis, Jonathan
Schork, Tayler Bryan, Richard
Watherwax, Capt. Jack Hackett,
Valerie Carr, Rosanne Potter,
Lucy Paige, Kelsey Morris,
Durf, Marlene Koenig-Cantrell,
Anja Marais, Diana Reif, Vivien
Segel, Nancy Henning, Jane
Newhagen, Shari Schemmel,
and Jane Gilbert.
The Anne McKee Artists
Fund of the Florida Keys is
unique in that the grant monies
awarded each year are raised
by artists, for artists, through
an annual fine art auction. The
next Anne McKee Fine Art Auction is scheduled for Saturday,
January 29, 2011, at Fort East
Martello Museum. Those artists
interested in contributing to the
auction or applying for the 2011
grant awards may visit the organizations web site, mckeefund.
org for more information.
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page 23
www.kwtn.com
Boettger
FROM page 10
having supertankers pump
the oil out of the Arabian Gulf
and into their holds. The man
in charge then, Nick Pozzi, has
been doing everything he can
to get a venal BP and our government Idiot-in-Chief, Admiral Thad Allen, to start work
on sucking up the oil. He has
been powerfully joined by the
retired CEO of Shell oil, who
is telling the same story, helpfully offering to coordinate the
marshaling of tankers.
BP just refuses to listen.
Their reason? Money. Serious
money, as in tens of billions
of dollars. The tragic catch-22
is that BP will be fined $4,300
for every barrel of oil that can
be proven to have polluted
the ocean. Thus, if they were
to suck up the oil, it is easy to
measure exactly how much
money they owe. So their plan
is instead to, first, concentrate
on the well head, as they have
been doing through a month of
“top hats” and the like. They
have by their standards greatly
succeeded in sucking perhaps
half of the spurting discharge
into their pipe, which goes
into their tankers as “production.”
Second, they “disperse”
the oil, converting a $4,300
finable barrel of oil into five
barrels of messy, poisoned
water that warrants NO fine,
because it’s not oil anymore.
Get it? Also, the longer the oil
circulates in the water table, the
more of it naturally degrades,
still poisoning the water, but
not as badly as with the dispersants. Much of it eventually
shrinks in size to tar balls, and
sinks or otherwise gets lost.
Hooray for BP! Buried in the
bottom mud, the oil residues
can’t be found and can’t be
fined.
So, they could do the
right thing, and get the damn
oil out of the water with proven
20-year-old technology: supertankers with pumps. But
that hurts their immediate
bottom line. Hiring the tank-
ers would cost around half a
billion dollars, right now. Also,
every barrel sucked up is a
sure $4,300 off their immense
profits. But if they compound
their criminality, adding a
second monstrosity to their
irresponsible blow-out failure,
they pay relative peanuts now
and who-knows-how much in
the future.
Understand that for all
the talk of “making BP pay,”
BP won’t be paying much
now and possibly far into the
future. They will fight in court
for decades, as in the Exxon
Valdez case. Note their refusal
to stipulate any reasonable estimate for the amount spewing
up out of the hole. It will be their
billion-dollar legal team against
the government’s million-dollar legal team, and Big Business
wins most of those. And even
if they take a $10 billion hit 20
years down the road, heck,
their profits last year were $17
billion, and current cash flow is
what pays the bonuses of their
rapacious senior executives
The callous decisions
they made in the past led to the
Texas refinery explosion that
killed 13 and injured 170 last
year, earned them hundreds
of safety violations, and made
them rush the Horizon rig
when everyone working there
knew the blowout preventer
was broken and dangerous.
But these executives have made
themselves obscenely rich by
buying off politicians, corrupting their supposed oversight
agencies, and breaking every
safety and common-good rule
they need to in pursuit of even
more exorbitant profits. And
that’s just what they’re doing
again, by refusing to pump out
their mess.
Now I want you to hear
their side of this story. Understandably, they wouldn’t be
comfortable selling the “Screw
the environment and our workers, we top dogs need to get
even richer” true explanation.
But their public defenses are so
lame I have to give them to you
word-for-word for you to trust
me not to be slanting their story
to make them sound ridiculous.
The dumb but coherent answer
to the question asked on The
Week last Sunday, “What about
using supertankers to vacuum
up the oil?” was given by Chief
Toady Thad Allen: “The supertankers would have to be
modified. And we already have
20 to 30 boats in the one-squaremile area above the leak, and it
would not be safe to have other
craft working the area.”
My jaw fell. First, the
modifications are trivial. We’d
have had all the tankers fully
modified weeks ago if they’d
undertaken this plan when it
was first presented to them.
Second, the tankers don’t need
to be near the leak. They need
to be where the giant, twentyCONTINUED on next page
www.kwtn.com
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page 24
Boettger
FROM page 23
square-mile plumes of oil have
coagulated. The answer made
no sense.
But at least it was in
English. Below is the exact incoherent quote from the BP guy
who is usually their smoothest
silver-tongued devil on the
tube, Managing Director Bob
Dudley. He was asked, “There’s
been some talk about bringing
supertankers in to help with
the cleanup effort. Is that something BP is considering to vacuum off the oil?” He answered,
“We have looked at that. It’s a
— we have looked at that. It’s
an interesting, interesting idea.
Those have you — been used
in the — in the Arabian Sea in
the Gulf over there for spills.
What we’re finding with this
oil, it’s — it’s light, it’s relatively
volatile. And with the use of
dispersants, it tends to string
out a number of miles long but
very narrow. And so, as we look
at this, it’s — it’s not the same
concept to be able to work. And
— and our spill responses at
the surface now are being very,
very effective.”
These are irrational, evasive, guilty answers. The real
reasons were explained above:
money. Tons of it. For BP, and
for the executives making the
criminal decisions.
Why is our government
going along with this? Where
is the “boot on their neck”?
The problem, sadly, is incompetence. Admiral Thad was not an
absurd choice. He was in charge
of the Katrina response after
Michael “Way to go, Brownie!”
got fired, so superficially he
had relevant experience in Gulf
disasters. But I’ve looked him
up, and he’s out of his depth.
He’s a manager, not an engineer
or scientist, and not especially
gifted. His tenure in the Coast
Guard was undistinguished.
Worse, he has chosen to
align himself with BP instead
of controlling them. Early on,
the Coast Guard rode on BP
boats chasing media away from
filming oily marshlands. Thad
mouths their talking points, as
in the bone-headed “modifications” and “too many boats”
arguments above. Tellingly,
he now uses corporate-profitsjargon to describe the oil being
collected from the collared
well: “production.” As in “a
producing well.” While ignoring the millions of gallons of
oil already poisoning our Gulf,
BP, aided and abetted by Thad
Allen, has focused their attention on making as much money
as it can out of their ongoing
ecological catastrophe.
So who is the liberal left
blaming this week? Obama!
For NOT GETTING VISIBLY
ANGRY ENOUGH. Over a
dozen twits in the NYT, Washington Post, MSNBC, and the
major networks had not a word
to say about this well-publicized possibility of sucking
up the oil plumes into supertankers, but instead decided
the way to save our waters is
to have our President pump
up his method acting skills. In
effect, their diversion bails BP
out of their responsibility to
save our ocean—NOW.
Of course, the Right
blames Obama for not having
already fixed their 8-year demolition of oversight agencies, like
the now-disbanded MSS that
drunkenly enabled BP in its
crimes. Instead of health care,
the Great Recession, education,
infrastructure, jobs, Supreme
Court nominations, our auto
industry, Iraq/Afghanistan, nuclear arms safety, etc., he should
have instead been restaffing
all of the federal agencies gutted in 8 years of “Set business
FREE” conservative rule. If the
Hoover Dam springs a leak, or
a nuclear generator anywhere
leaks radiation, that too will
somehow be Big Bad Daddy
Obama’s fault as well. With
the liberal media joining in, to
righteously pull his beard.
My thanks to Joel Biddle
for his insights, research, and
relentless passion to protect
our oceans.
[email protected]
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page 25
www.kwtn.com
IT’S THE LAW
What do I Need to Know About Renting a
Home or Apartment— Part 2
by S. Brandon Dimando &
Michael R. Barnes
What’s In Your Lease?
Know that there are no
hard and fast rules for how a
residential lease agreement is
supposed to be laid out - even
though most residential lease
agreements do resemble each
other a majority of the time.
The first thing listed in
a residential lease agreement
that is listed is the landlord’s
information. This will include
their address and contact information.
The second thing listed is
usually referred to as “Terms
of Use”. These terms include:
whether or not the landlord
allows sub-letters, information
about parking and whether it
is permissible for the tenant to
run a home based business out
of the address.
The third thing listed is
the tenant’s information. This
will include their new address
(the address of the rental) and
any other relevant contact
information. Sometimes, if a
co-signer is needed to close
the deal on the residential lease
agreement, the information
of the co-signers may also be
included here.
The fourth thing is the
term of the lease. Options for
this include fixed terms: such as
one year or two years or stating
if this residential lease agreement is on a month to month
basis. Things like whether or
not the lease will terminate at
the end of the fixed term or
automatically renew will also
be included in this section of the
residential lease agreement.
The fifth thing listed is the
amount of rent, when it is due
and where to send the rent payment. Other information here
may include information about
your security deposit (amount,
whether it is refundable or not
and how long the landlord has
to return it upon move-out).
This is usually where information about pets and whether or
not a pet deposit is required.
The sixth thing is a list
of applicable fees: late fees,
returned payment fees (i.e.
bounced checks).
The seventh thing is an
explanation of the maintenance
and repair, namely who will
take care of what. If a residential lease agreement is modern
and not a form template found
at an office store, you will also
find a list of appliances that are
offered with the apartment as
well as who to contact in case
any of them malfunction.
The eighth thing is all the
pertinent information regarding the unit’s utilities and who
S. BRANDON DIMANDO
MICHAEL BARNES
is to pay what.
The next thing in any
good residential lease agreement contains addendums,
disclosures and any other
information a landlord feels is
important enough to give out.
Some examples of addendums
are: pet agreement, military
clauses about early termination of the lease and HUD arrangements. Some examples of
disclosures: lead-based paint,
mold and asbestos. Information documents include: what
to do in case of an emergency,
a welcome letter and neighborhood maps.
Lastly, there will be several other areas that should
be included. These areas include: right of entry (giving
the landlord certain rights
to enter your apartment in
emergency situations or with
proper notice.), whether or not
renter’s insurance is needed to
rent the apartment, as well as
landlord remedies in case there
is a breach of any terms of the
lease by the tenant.
You want to make sure
you are using a legal residential lease agreement. There are
many forms you can find online
that are not specific to Florida
and Monroe County.
S. Brandon Dimando and
Michael R. Barnes are attorneys
licensed to practice law in the
State of Florida. These com-
ments are provided as a pro
bono community service and
are not offered as legal advice
for a particular set of circumstances. The law is continually
changing. If you are concerned
that you may need a lawyer,
you are encouraged to contact
one about your legal rights
and responsibilities and follow his or her advice for your
individual situation.
www.kwtn.com
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page 26
If your club or organization has something
special happening, let us know:
• [email protected]
• PO box 567, Key West FL 33041
• Fax 305-292-1882
To help us help you, try to get the
information to us by noon on Tuesday before
Friday publication.
the community
FKCC OFFERS OILED
WILDLIFE RESPONSE
COURSE--Florida Keys Community College will offer two
training sessions this Sat., June
12 and Sun., June 13, as part of
the college’s ongoing efforts to
prepare community members to
respond to pending impact from
Deepwater Horizon oil looming
in the Gulf. The day-long course,
facilitated by Sarasota-based Save
Our Seabirds, Inc., will be held
from 9am to 6pm both days. $50
per person. More info: www.fkcc.
edu. To register, call Cathy Torres
at (305) 809-3250.
FUNDRAISING WATCH
PARTY, USA VS. ENGLAND-Grim’s Grill will host the Key
West Soccer Club fundraising
watch party the day of the USA’s
first World Cup match against
England on June 12. Grim’s Grill
wil actually open at 10am that day
to accommodate the Nigeria vs.
Argentina match and the party will
continue ALL DAY! Tickets: $40 for
adults and $15 for kids under 18.
Ticket holders will be entitled to
free continental breakfast starting
at 10am, a lunch buffet starting
at 2pm and unlimited draft beer
during the USA vs. England game.
Tickets will also double as raffle entries for plenty of giveaways over
the course of the day. Ticket info:
(305) 304-1080 or (305) 923-0297.
MANA PROJECT FUNDRAISER AT THE BOTTLECAP-The Bottlecap at 1128 Simonton
Street is hosting a Happy Hour
Tips Benefit for Mana Project from
5 to 8pm, Fri., June 11. Celebrity
bartender Susan Sullivan and others will host the bar, 50/50 raffle,
delicious food, and Pete Whelan
on the piano playing blues and
jazz. Mana Project, located in
Nancy Forrester’s Secret Garden
is dedicated to the earth, the arts
and environmental artists.
SOUTHERNMOST REPUBLICAN CLUB MONTHLY
MEETING--At the Key West
Yacht Club on Tues., June 15 at
6pm. Dinner, offered for $17,
includes chicken, salad, and a beverage. Tea or coffee or soft drink.
More info: (305) 766-9919. This
month’s speaker will be Morgan
McPherson current candidate
for State Representative. Please
bring a friend. www.southernmostrepublicanclub.com.
INGHAM & USS MOHAWK CGC NEEDS VOLUNTEERS!--Located on the
Truman Waterfront at the foot of
Southard St. Two WWII era US
Coast Guard ships open 7 days
a week from 10am-4:30pm for
self-guided tours. Welcome guests
from around the world. Voted a
top tourist attraction in Key West.
Morning and afternoon 3 hour
shifts available, very flexible.
For more info call Nick at (978)
479-3864.
SANCTUARY ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING-Agenda to include presentations on OIL SPILL RESPONSE
PREPAREDNESS. The Florida
Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Advisory Council will meet June
15 in the Board of County Commissioners Room at Harvey Government Center (1200 Truman Ave.,
Key West) from 9am to 4pm.
PET FOOD PANTRY
NEEDS HELP--Pet food donation
boxes are set up at Albertsons,
Pampered Pet, and Fausto’s Fleming Street location. Pet food can
also be taken directly to The Salvation Army where the Pet Food
Pantry is housed (1920 Flagler
Ave.) or to the FKSPCA’s shelter at
5230 College Road on Stock Island.
To make a monetary contribution,
checks can be made payable to the
FKSPCA Pet Food Pantry and sent
to 5230 College Road, Key West, FL
33040. Credit card payments can
be made by calling (305) 294-4857.
The Pet Food Pantry is open during
the normal working hours of The
Salvation Army. Call them at (305)
797.3110 for details.
REEF RELIEF CORAL
CAMP--Slots for Coral Camp 2010
are now open and filling fast. Weekly
sessions run from June 21 – August
13. Coral Camp provides a unique
and fun summer learning experience
for 6-12 year old students. Campers
learn all about our living coral reef
ecosystem through interactive field
trips, film and activities at the Reef
Relief Environmental Center. More
info: (305) 294-3100
LOCAL OIL SPILL WEBSITE IS UP--www.KeysSpill.
com is now live! In an effort to be
proactive in protecting our Florida
Keys environment, this website has
been created to help link all partner
projects with volunteers, including
boat captains, businesses, organizations and individuals. The primary
purpose is to collect volunteer info,
provide a calendar of local oil spill
related info/events, and provide
links to updates. Coming soon will
be protocols on pre-assessment and
pre-clean ups.
HEALTHY AGING CLASSES OFFERED BY KEYS AHEC-Enhance Fitness Class- New class at
Keys Senior Plaza in Key West and
runs Mondays, Wednesdays, and
Fridays from 2-3pm. Living Healthy
Workshops- New class at Keys Senior Plaza from 1-3:30pm. Also, the
Living Healthy program The classes
are for adults 55 and greater. Info:
(305) 743-7111x206. Free.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
AT KEY WEST TROPICAL FOREST & BOTANICAL GARDEN’S
VISITOR CENTER--Become a
greeter and use your talents to help
the garden grow. Two 3-hour shifts
per day available to do your part
to help Key West’s original “green
CONTINUED on next page
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page 27
www.kwtn.com
the community
FROM previous page
team.” If you can’t commit to a regular schedule but are interested in
helping as a fill-in, that would also
be appreciated. Training provided.
More info: (305) 296-1504.
GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE-To find out when the bloodmobile
will be at a location near you, call
your Community Blood Center at
(305) 294-7668.
REEF RELIEF--Join Reef
Relief for only $15 and get many
membership perks in addition to
helping helping raise awareness
about protecting coral reefs. www.
reefrelief.org or (305) 294-3100.
WANT TO BE A LITERACY VOLUNTEER? More than
100 students waiting to be tutored.
You do not have to speak another
language to be a tutor. Info: Mary
at (305) 294-4352.
GRANTS AVAILABLE
TO WRITERS, MUSICIANS,
ACTORS, ARTISTS--Contact the
Florida Keys Council of the Arts,
(305) 295-4369.
BOATING COURSES--The
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary conducts boating courses throughout
the year. Info: 1-888-470-5566
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED-AIDS HELP, INC. needs volunteers to help with transportation,
office work, special events, etc. Call
(305) 296-6196.
LA LECHE LEAGUE— Free
monthly meeting for pregnant and
breastfeeding moms; mother to
mother support and current info.
Non-denominational, non-profit.
Held 4:30-5:30pm on the second
Thurs. of each month at the Key
West Library, 700 Fleming St. Info:
Eva (305) 295-8597.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED-The local unit of the American
Cancer Society seeks volunteer
drivers to provide transportation
for cancer patients to treatments
and licensed cosmetologists,
or hairdressers, to help cancer
patients feel good about their appearance while undergoing cancer
treatment. Info: 292-2333 x 112.
OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS--on Tuesdays at 6pm ‘til 7
and Saturdays 10-11am, at United
Methodist Church (Old Stone). 600
Eaton Street. Info: Mary at (305)
294-6931.
USS MOHAWK NEEDS
VOLUNTEERS--The most interesting volunteer work in Key West
is at the USS Mohawk Memorial
Museum on the water at the foot
of Southard St. at the Truman
Waterfront. Very flexible, 3-hour
or more schedules. Many jobs
available. Meet interesting people
from all over the world. More info:
(305) 896-3600. USSMohawk@
bellsouth.net.
DONATIONS NEEDED
AT ST. MARY’S STAR OF THE
SEA OUTREACH MISSION-Please deliver any unused food
and other basic survival items
to the mission location at 5640
MacDonald Avenue on Stock
Island, Monday through Friday.
10am-5pm. The mission serves
needy families in the Key West area
Undressing
and assists over 1,000 people per
month. Info: (305) 292-3013.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
AT TROPIC CINEMA—All areas
of operation. Flexible schedules,
free passes, popcorn, and t-shirts.
Info: Lori Reid, (305) 433-4183
or volunteer@keywestfilm.
org.
CITIZENSHIP CLASSES-Literacy Volunteers offers free
Citizenship classes for intermediate English as a Second Language
students. Info: (305) 294-4352.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
AT WILDLIFE CENTER--Key
West Wildlife Center has reopened to accept injured animals.
Volunteers and donations are
needed. Questions and info: (305)
292-1008.
Key West THE NEWSPAPER June 11, 2010 Page 28
www.kwtn.com