KEY NEWS
n WATERFRONT THEATRE
29 “NOISES OFF”
From Key West to Havana:
Sweet days for the ‘Hemingway Suite’
BY PRU SOWERS
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
Culture were also at the concert, led
by Alfredo Ruiz Roche, Director
of International Relations at the
Ministry of Culture.
“We all attended an after-concert
cocktail party at the rooftop bar at the
Saratoga Hotel, overlooking old
Havana,” reports Lorraine. “Our eﬀort
at building a cultural bridge was a big
success!”
Lorraine’s wife, Ann, collected about
15 Key West-themed gifts for the
delegates, all put together in tote bags
and “made beautiful,” in Bill’s words,
“with Ann’s artistic skills.” e Cubans
were apparently very touched by this
gesture of goodwill “and a relaxed
friendship soon developed among the
two groups.”
Ann told Konk Life, “e best
thing about the trip for me was seeing
Bill’s happiness as his musical dream
came true — the concert of his
symphonic composition, ‘e
Hemingway Suite,’ witnessed by
hundreds of classical music lovers
including many of his Key West friends.
I felt privileged to be a part of it,”
adding that, “we were all ambassadors
for Key West. We toured and worked
and partied together and by the end of
the week we were a tight family team.”
An illustration of this cultural
connection at work was a visit to the
National Art Museum, vividly described
for Konk Life by Ann. “After a
| Continued on page 8
Two Key West groups ﬂew to Cuba
last week with about a dozen cultural
delegates meeting with Cuban counterparts while an equal number being
friends of Bill Lorraine.
Both groups arrived in Havana to
attend a performance of Key West
composer Bill Lorraine’s “Hemingway
Suite,” an orchestral homage to the
writer who lived both in Key West
and just outside of Havana.
Lorraine’s music was performed on
Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Teatro Marti
opera house in conjunction with the
Havana Film Festival. Cuba’s famed
female conductor Zenaida Romeu led
what has been described as “a lovely
performance” to much applause.
“Obviously, the music was the
highlight for me,” Lorraine told Konk
Life upon his return. “It was performed
ﬂawlessly and with great energy by the
Old Havana Orchestra. I am still
walking on clouds.”
Among the 700 individuals in the
audience were members of a Key West
Friday lunch group who are friends of
Lorraine plus delegates from the Custom
House and a tour group from Stone
Soup Gallery and the Studios of Key
West. Ed DeMore of Key West was the
delegation coordinator.
A large contingent of high-ranking
Cuban oﬃcials from the Ministry of
3
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
| Courtesy of JANET HINKLE, GEORGE FONTANA and ANN LORRAINE
Among those on the trip were John Andola, Lynn-Marie Smith, Risha Golby, Jerry
Wishnow, Brewster Chamberlin, Jim Stentzel, D.C. Young and George Fontana.
CITY NEWS
december 18-24
Published Weekly
Vol. 4 No. 51
PUBLISHER
Guy deBoer
MANAGING EDITOR
Ralph Morrow
NEWS WRITERS
Mark Howell, John L. Guerra,
Pru Sowers, Sean Kinney, C.S. Gilbert
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Larry E. Blackburn, Ralph De Palma
DESIGN
Dawn deBoer, Julie Scorby
CONTRIBUTORS
Guy deBoer Key News
Mark Howell Howelings
Rick Boettger The Big Story
Louis Petrone Key West Lou
Kerry Shelby Key West Kitchen
Christina Oxenberg Local Observation
Albert L. Kelley Business Law 101
Ian Brockway Tropic Sprockets
C.S. Gilbert Culture Vulture
Ralph De Palma Soul of Key West
Harry Schroeder High Notes
Morgan Kidwell Kids’ Korner
JT Thompson Hot Dish
Diane Johnson In Review
Tim Weaver Bonehead Island
ADVERTISING
305.296.1630
Susan Kent|305.849.1595
[email protected]
Valerie Edgington|305.842.1742
[email protected]
Advertising Deadline Every Friday
PRINT-READY advertising materials due by
Friday every week for next issue of KONK Life.
Ad Dimensions
Horizontal and Vertical:
Full, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/8 page, bizcard
Ad Submissions
JPG, TIFF, PDF — digital formats only
Send to [email protected]
CIRCULATION
Kavon Desilus ASSISTANT
William Rainer ASSISTANT
KONK Life is published weekly by KONK
Communications Network in Key West, Florida.
Editorial materials may not be reproduced without written
permission from the network.
KONK Communications Network
(305) 296-1630 • Key West, Florida
www.konklife.com
Eimers investigation
suspends one oﬃcer,
reprimands another
BY PRU SOWERS
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
police of the death until Dec. 10, 2013.
Oﬃcer Lovette was cited for four incidents.
e ﬁrst was for comments he made after the
arrest that were recorded on his Taser gun
recording device, which he inadvertently left
on after drawing the Taser during Eimers’ arrest.
Lovette did not ﬁre the Taser, concerned that he
might also hit the oﬃcers who were in the process
of handcuﬃng Eimers. However, Lovette was
“making comments to his coworkers and family
members that were lies and exaggerations
concerning his actions during the Eimers incident
at South Beach,” Tripp wrote in his report.
e Taser recording shows Lovette saying
Eimers was “ﬁghting” oﬃcers and “beating the
s--- out of six of us.” He also said, “Me? I dropped
like a (deleted) bomb on his head.” Later, he is
heard saying, “We just killed someone.”
Lovette’s other violations were for chasing
Eimers in his patrol car after being ordered not
to by Sgt. Frank Zamora on the police radio and
for not using his siren and ﬂashing lights during
the chase.
Oﬃcer del Valle was cited for the same two
violations.
Key West Police Department policy states that
oﬃcers must continuously use sirens and lights
during a pursuit as a safety precaution.
Lovette was also cited for turning oﬀ his in-car
video recorder during the pursuit of Eimers despite
Sgt. Zamora ordering all oﬃcers involved to turn
on their recorders.
“As he [Lovette] did not know at that point
where the ﬁnal stop would be, or if Mr. Eimers
would turn around and come back in his direction,
the decision to terminate the video was, at a
minimum, unwise. It also prevented him from
being able to record audio at the ﬁnal stop,
which might have been very important,”
Tripp said in his report.
Tripp made 10 recommendations for police
policy review and modiﬁcations based on what
he called “concerns” of actions taken by oﬃcers
| Continued on page 10
Despite a grand jury absolving 13 Key West
Police oﬃcers of any criminal action during the
arrest and death of Charles Eimers, an internal
police investigation released Dec. 8 disciplined
two of the oﬃcers involved and called for review
and possible modiﬁcation of multiple
departmental policies.
e eight-page report written by Sgt. Joseph
Tripp found several instances of oﬃcers not
following standard police procedure during the
incident that took place on anksgiving Day last
year.
Oﬃcer Gary Lee Lovette has been suspended
without pay for ﬁve days for violating four police
department procedures. Oﬃcer Henry del Valle
was given a written reprimand for two violations.
Ultimately, however, Tripp concluded none of the
oﬃcers acted in a criminal manner or contributed
to Eimers’ death, which the county medical
examiner ruled accidental, caused by a weak heart
and Eimers’ overall poor physical condition.
Police Chief Donnie Lee and Capt. J.R. Torres,
who signed oﬀ on Tripp’s report, agreed.
“e testimony in this case is that Mr. Eimers
was just handcuﬀed and still struggling when he
stopped breathing,” Sgt. Tripp wrote in his report.
“ere is no evidence of positional asphyxia or that
Mr. Eimers stopped breathing due to any airway
obstruction. e use of prone restraint on this
high-risk traﬃc stop was proper and determined
not to be a contributing cause of Mr. Eimers’
death.”
e internal report does outline the details
of the improper conduct by Oﬃcers Lovette and
del Valle and refers to an earlier disciplinary action
taken against Key West Detective Todd Stevens
for failing to keep in contact with the Lower Keys
Medical Center, where Eimers was taken when he
stopped breathing.
Eimers died on Dec. 4, 2013, six days after his
arrest, but Stevens did not ﬁnd out and inform
4
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
CITY COMMISSION
Former City Planner’s
consulting contract
draws concerns
BY PRU SOWERS
SPECIAL TO KONK LIFE
“So now Don’s going to be in
Colorado reviewing the applications to
get rid of himself? It just doesn’t make
sense to me,” Yaniz said about the
contract.
But Commissioner Jimmy Weekley
pointed out that the 12-month
consulting contract can be terminated
at any time. And the eight projects
that Craig would be helping with are
“probably the most important issues
the city is facing,” he said.
“No one is going to be able to learn
these projects in three months or so,”
Weekly said about whoever is hired
to replace Craig.
e eight primary projects with
which Craig will be involved on a
continuing basis include building a new
overnight homeless shelter, developing
the proposed Truman Waterfront Park,
building new aﬀordable housing, and
allocating the new building permits
that have recently become available
in Key West.
Commissioner Teri Johnston said
Craig’s contract was a “no risk situation” because keeping him on for a year
will help prevent an interruption of
critical services for local citizens. Key
West has some of the most expensive
real estate on the Eastern Seaboard
and providing proper planning on a
two mile by four mile island is “an
incredibly diﬃcult task,” she said.
“e unintended consequences if
these projects are not handled property
is just incredible. is is one of the
most important positions in the city,”
Johnston said.
“We shouldn’t be cutting oﬀ our
nose to spite our face,” added Mayor
Craig Cates, who provided the
tiebreaking vote to approve the
contract. n
Former Key West City Planner
Don Craig, who resigned Nov. 21,
isn’t so former.
e City Commission voted Dec. 2
to sign a one-year, $50,000 contract
with Craig’s consulting ﬁrm, Creative
Edge, for him to continue assisting with
at least eight municipal projects in
which he was involved during his
tenure as city planner. Craig will
provide advice on the projects from
his home in Colorado, but the contract
also states he might be asked to ﬂy back
to Key West, with travel costs paid
by the city.
But it was a close vote, with three
of the seven commission members
voting against the contract.
Commissioner Billy Wardlow said
there would be no oversight to prove
Craig works the 20 to 40 hours a week
as speciﬁed by the new contract.
Colorado is just too far away, he
said, and any travel costs could boost
the cost of the contract.
“I doubt if he’ll stay at the Days Inn.
I’m sure it will have to be the Casa
[Marina] or the Westin. It’s going to be
expensive. at $50,000 will probably
be $100,000 by the end of the time,”
Wardlow said.
Commissioner Tony Yaniz, who also
voted against the contract, suggested
hiring Craig for six months, with his
primary job being to help a new city
planner learn the ropes. While calling
Craig “a brilliant man,” Yaniz said he
objects to Craig helping vet the eight
applicants who have submitted their
credentials to become the next city
planner, which is one of Craig’s
consulting responsibilities.
5
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
CITY NEWS
City settles 2 lawsuits
for $250,000
BY PRU SOWERS
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
will pay Karen Cabanas Voss $150,000
for requiring her to take a drug test
after she had been oﬀered the job as the
city’s solid waste coordinator in January
2013.
City policy states that all job
applicants must submit to a urine drug
test prior to accepting any job oﬀer.
Voss was oﬀered the position but
refused to comply with the drug test.
and the job was oﬀered to another
candidate.However, on May 9 of this
year, Judge James Lawrence King ruled
that a blanket drug test policy based on
suspicionless cause was unconstitutional
and violated the U.S. Constitution’s
protections against unfair searches.
Voss, an attorney, said that government drug tests are only permissible for
“safety sensitive” positions.
Attorney Burke, who handled the
case for the city, said the city’s 1999
drug policy was intended to prevent
drug and alcohol abuse in the workplace. But Judge King rejected that argument.
Voss’ case had been scheduled
to go to court on Dec. 1. e $150,000
settlement was paid on Dec. 2.
e city’s insurer will cover most of
the settlement costs.
City commissioners approved both
settlements without discussion. n
Two separate lawsuits ﬁled against
Key West by a former employee and
a job applicant will cost the city
$250,000.
City Attorney Shawn Smith recently
announced settlement of a lawsuit ﬁled
by Kia Scott, a former city employee
working in the Martin Luther King Jr.
Community Center. Scott was ﬁred by
her supervisor in 2011 after taking time
oﬀ due to her pregnancy.
According to the lawsuit, Scott, a
security guard and custodian at the
community center, took time oﬀ in July,
August and September 2011 under the
federal Family Medical Leave Act. Scott
had already used up her vacation and
sick days when she told her supervisor,
Lee ompson, that she needed additional time oﬀ. Scott said she contacted
ompson and showed a note from her
doctor recommending bed rest.
Attorney Michael Burke, who
represented Key West in the case, said
ompson claimed Scott did not contact her, but her phone records show
that the two women communicated
during the week of Sept. 12, 2011. But
when
Scott returned to work on Sept. 19,
ompson ﬁred her.
Burke told City Attorney Smith in
a letter that the city had better than a
50 percent chance at winning the case
but if Scott prevailed, and the judge
ruled that the city committed “willful”
violations of the Family Medical Leave
Act, Scott would be awarded double her
back pay for a total of $151,460. e
city would also incur legal expenses
of approximately $13,000.
As a result, Smith recommended the
city settle the pregnancy discrimination
case for $100,000. e case had been
scheduled to go to trial on Dec. 15.
In the other suit settlement, the city
Library oﬀers
free workshop
e Key West Library, 700 Fleming
St., oﬀers a free workshop on various
computer topics. Class is a one-time
workshop and holds 10 students.
Registration required. Classes start
at 10 a.m. (305) 292-3595
• Dec. 18 –— Find and Save: Learn
how to save and then ﬁnd the document
you just created. Bring a USB drive
if available. n
6
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
CITY NEWS
Hold those trolleys;
proposal limits number,
narration on streets
BY PRU SOWERS
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
Congestion on city streets was also
a concern voiced by several residents
in the public workshops.
“It’s real clear vehicles during
peak times are running much more
frequently than allowed,” said
David Kaminsky, a local resident.
As a result, the proposed new
franchise agreement adds a clause
that would help control the number
of vehicles on the street and eliminate a
glut of added vehicles during the busy
tourist season. e proposed number
of vehicles requested by an applicant
must be placed into service within
60 days of the date of the agreement.
If they are not, the number of vehicles
permitted in the agreement will be
reduced by the number not placed
into service.
e new agreement also requires
trolleys and Conch Trains not to “drive
at such a slow speed as to impede or
block the normal and reasonable
movement of traﬃc.”
Sound levels on the narrated tours
were one of the primary concerns
of residents. e new agreement will
require either headsets or other
sound-eliminating devices to be used.
“No sound from such narration shall
be audible outside of the sightseeing
vehicle,” the new agreement states.
Commissioners were to debate other
elements in the proposed agreement as
well, including a clause that would limit
tour vehicles using residential “side
streets” on their route. A side street is
deﬁned as one that runs between the
larger through streets such as Eaton,
Fleming and Duval. A side street would
be streets such as Grinnell, William and
Francis, which are frequently included
in current tour routes.
Hoping to “promote the health,
safety and welfare of the citizens of Key
West,” the city’s legal staﬀ has drawn
up a proposed new franchise agreement
for sightseeing vehicles that calls for
signiﬁcant changes in how the tour
vehicles can be operated.
Hoping to address many of the
concerns voiced in public workshops
held over the past few months, the
proposed ordinance, which will go into
eﬀect in February when the current
10-year agreement expires, calls for
changes in the number of vehicles
allowed on city streets, which streets
the trolleys and Conch Trains can use
for their narrated tours, and a clause
that states the tour narration must not
be audible outside of the vehicle.
In return for these and additional
operational changes, tour operators
will be allowed to add “Ducks,” the
amphibious vehicles that can run on
both city streets and in the water,
to their tour oﬀerings.
And the fee operators pay to the city
will stay the same — with one possibly
signiﬁcant addition. Currently, tour
operators pay either 5 percent of their
gross revenues or $7,500 per vehicle,
whichever amount is higher, to the city
each year.
Fees in the proposed new agreement
stay the same — with the same annual
increase based on the federal Consumer
Price Index — except that vehicle
advertising and shuttle fees must now
be included in the gross revenue ﬁgure.
Historic Tours of America, which
operates the Conch Train and the Old
Town Trolley, is hired by several cruise
ship lines to shuttle passengers into
town when they berth at Outer Mole.
| Continued on page 10
7
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
TO THE EDITOR
Park use
Comment on “Concerns rise over for-profit use
of public parks and beaches”
BY P. WILLIAMS | KEY WEST
To The Editor:
Just a thought on what can quickly become a really
thorny problem: Park Use. Especially when there’s easy
money involved.
e Florida Park Service uses a general, overarching
rule of thumb that, while not providing a magically easy
solution to all park use questions, can help maintain a
good compass heading toward lasting community enjoyment of any park. Long ago, they identiﬁed the average,
daily park visitor as their principal client. So, if you decided to turn oﬀ the computer, right now, and go over to
Fort Zach for a swim, your enjoyment of the natural environment will exceed, in general, any claim to preferential
park use by any for - proﬁt activity organizers.
Are there special events in the park? Yes, but they are
NOT a feature of daily life for park visitors. (ink : Race
Boats, THE National Holy Day of Obligation for Conch
Republicans. Where do rank and ﬁle Conchs go to watch
the races? E-Z. Fort Zach.)
Long experience has taught park management to carefully watch the volume of special events as they try to
show up on the park’s annual calendar. It’s a big part of
what they get paid to do... for their principal clients. And
limiting the noise level, perfectly, is not, as some private
sector virtuosos would have us believe: “all gum’mint boilerplate.” Real Park Managers know: “It’s a park, so less is
often, almost always, more.”
One big caveat to anyone involved on the community
side of the for — proﬁt park use question: ink long and
hard about entering ANY contractual arrangement with
ANY private user for even the ﬁnest reasons. Let one contract go, and you’ll have a line of worthy applicants
around the block in no time. In the future, if there are
community voiced questions about excess private sector in
- park presence, expect valiant attorneys to argue that, no
matter what, THEIR clients have an abiding — Yea! — A
Perpetual Right, to enjoy for - proﬁt, in park use!
Consider, please: As time goes by, the Local Community may come to realize that there are way too many special users present every time they feel like taking a walk in
the park. en what? Will other, newer lawyers will be
found, demanding their newer clients receive “equal treatment” with prior, ‘original’, licensees... with even more
park licenses?
So, how many Private client/operators can you jam
into ANY small, quiet, island park? Whatever the number
is — or isn’t — it needs to support the always great notion
that the casual park visitor is the park’s chiefest client. n
KEY WEST TO HAVANA
| Continued from page 3
personable gentleman named Omar — their
Cuban Tom Luna! — led us on a tour of the museum’s art, he and a retired architect and historian,
Orestes del Castillo, joined our art delegates with
six Cuban delegates from the museum.
“Everyone at the table looked a little stiﬀ at
ﬁrst, because we didn’t speak each other’s languages, but when we gave them each our big gift
bag, a Cuban delegate rolled in a cart full of beautiful tabletop books about the art museum and
gave one to each of our delegates at the table.”
As the Cuban delegates spoke in Spanish to the
Americans seated across from them, Omar and
Orestes began translating, “ﬂawlessly, smoothly
and fast. Soon we all forgot we were speaking in
diﬀerent languages and, looking at each other in
the eye, began planning all sorts of cultural exchanges. We laughed and joked and became
friends, hugging each other goodbye like close
friends as we left.”
And the weather was “as warm as the welcome
we got from all the Cuban people,” added the Lorraines, crediting Ed DeMore and his planning and
support team for the smoothness of events
throughout the trip.
As for reactions to Havana and to Cuba itself
from the Key West delegates, who included members of the Key West Arts and Historical Society,
Tropic Cinema, the Hemingway House and the
Studios of Key West, Konk Life gleaned and
transcribed the following impressions from our
colleague, Shirrel Rhoades:
No soldiers were to be seen in Havana, and
only a few policemen. A trip to the Revolution
Museum displayed tanks and MIGs and groundto-air missiles left over from the 1960s.
Restored parts of Old Havana are scenic, replete with statues amid tree-studded squares,
monolithic museums, clusters of outdoor tables,
local women in colorful garb posing for photos,
musicians at open-air bars, dogs in cutesy costumes, women displaying cigars bigger than a billy
8
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
club, and throngs of tourists crowding the cobblestone streets.
Michael Gieda of the Art and Historical Society was hanging onto the words of historian
Orestes del Castillo who showed oﬀ the area to the
cultural delegates. Yet just a few blocks over were
dug-up streets that defy traﬃc, idle men lounging
in doorways, stray dogs and crowded tenements.
As one Key West group walked down a narrow
side street, several men in a doorway called to the
tour guide in Spanish, asking her if she was showing her tourists “the real Havana.”
At Finca La Vigia, now the Hemingway Museum, the delegates got to go inside the house,
usually forbidden, with tourists allowed only to
peek through the windows. Mary’s Room, as the
master bedroom is called, contained her gardening
and cat books. ere was also a library with books
ﬂoor-to-ceiling, hand-painted bullﬁghting posters,
a Picasso sculpture and taxidermied animal heads.
Every room in the house seemed to have an array
of books and hunting trophies. Out back, where
the tennis courts used to be, the boat Pilar sits on
blocks, restored, the green paint looking fairly
fresh, with “Pilar Key West” painted on its yellow
escutcheon. Buried nearby are Hemingway’s dog
Black and three others. His cats are thought to be
buried just behind the main house.
is was the ﬁrst visit to Finca La Vigia for
David Gonzales,
curator of Key West’s Hemingway Home, so he
and his counterpart had much to talk about, separating oﬀ to exchange contact information.
We also had a tour of the National Museum of
Fine Art, plus some rum-sipping at the Havana
Club and late-night music at the Buena Vista Social Club, also daiquiris at El Floridita and mojitos
served everywhere.
Last word: At the Saturday-night concert, a
Ministry of Culture oﬃcial explained that the box
neighboring to ours was where Raul Castro often
sat. “Can we sit there?” teased Rita Linder of Key
West. “No,” came his serious reply. n
ARMCHAIR
COMMENTS
I can share with you where the grads
have landed. But, there are no college
records for many athletes on his list.
Freshman Ryann Appleby was a middle blocker for Methodist University’s
volleyball team and was second on the
team with 277 blocks and 227 kills as
the Monarchs went 15-18 on the season, playing in USA South. Appleby
played in all 125 sets for Methodist.
At South Florida, junior Ohla Morekhodova came oﬀ the bench on Sept. 13
and recorded a double-double with 13
assists and 11 digs from her setter
position for the Bulls.
Last spring, senior Brittany Wagoner
topped 3.79 meters in the pole vault in
taking ﬁrst for North Florida in the
UNF Spring Invitational. Indoors, she
placed fourth at 3.68 meters in Atlantic
Sun Championship. e previous year,
her best vault was 12 feet, 3 inches.
Wagoner tried the long jump twice last
spring, with her best being 5.32 meters.
Clive Georges, listed as a redshirt
sophomore running back, had no record
this year for the Arizona football team.
Likewise, Elliott Valdez was a freshman
running back at Santa Monica Community College, while Garrett Osteen was
a redshirt freshman linebacker at Lyon
College. n
Wells, Miller making
marks at FSU baseball
BY RALPH MORROW
MANAGING EDITOR
With a runner on ﬁrst, the batter
sliced a double oﬀ the wall in right, but
Steven Wells was on the spot to help
throw out the runner trying to score
from ﬁrst. Nothing Key West High
School fans haven’t seen, but this was
in Tallahassee and the teams were the
Gold and Garnet of Florida State, where
freshmen Wells and Darren Miller got
plenty of action in the fall, although
catcher-inﬁelder Miller is still rehabbing
the arm he injured while a senior with
the Conchs. Next, the season opener
Feb. 13. In that fall scrimmage game,
Wells also drove in a run with a single
for the Garnet, while Miller was the
DH for the Gold.
Wells and Miller are just two of several Key West grads involved in college
athletics. As he does every year, Conch
coach Judd Wise shares with me so that
9
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
not recording for unknown, possibly
technical, reasons.
“ere is a signiﬁcant amount
of information that might have been
captured had these body microphones
been recording,” Tripp says in his r
eport. n
EIMERS INVESTIGATION
HOLD THOSE TROLLEYS
| Continued from page 4
| Continued from page 7
during the pursuit and arrest, including
a “refresher in prone restraint and
recovery” and instructing oﬃcers on
what constitutes “active pursuit”
versus “trying to stop a vehicle.”
Tripp outlined multiple incidents of
police oﬃcers committing traﬃc violations such as failing to stop at stop signs,
passing in an intersection and running
red lights during the chase, although
Eimers was only traveling 25 to 30 mph.
Tripp also singled out the failure of
almost all patrol car and body camera
recording devices during the pursuit and
arrest. In addition to Lovette turning oﬀ
his car recorder, several oﬃcers had their
body microphones turned oﬀ or were
“Should any applicant propose a
route that utilizes a residential side
street, the route shall not include more
than one vehicle per hour on a particular
residential side street,” the new
agreement states.
Operators will also be required to
reduce the number of vehicles allowed
in their franchise agreement if vehicles
are being operated at less than 50
percent occupancy.
Operators must also submit a plan
showing how they intent to minimize
the number of vehicles on the streets
and maximize the percentage
of riders. n
Old Island funds grants
Old Island earns funds for grants to support preservation of Key West
cultural history and maintain the Oldest House through their annual series
of House Tours; the ﬁrst of four monthly tours is scheduled for Dec. 27-28.
e deadline for the next round of grants will be announced. Information
on the House Tours and the grant program online, www.oirf.org
n More OIRF house tours, see page 31
Above, left: Roberta Spencer, president of the Key West Woman’s Club,
receives a check from John Johnson and Kelly Friend of the OIRF. Funds
were needed to improve storm protection for the Hellings House, home
of the KWWC since 1940. Above, right: Misha McRAE and Dave Hubbert
representing the Key West Botanical Society gratefully receive a check
from Kelly Friend, president of the Old Island Restoration Foundation.
KWBGS is repairing the Garden Chapel, a remnant of the era when part
of the historic Botanical Garden was the site of the County Hospital.
10
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
Festive cocktails for company
BY KERRY SHELBY
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
aking that ﬁrst round
of cocktails for a crowd
of dinner guests can be a handful. Everyone (at least the polite ones) arrives at
pretty much the same time andescends
on the bar like a swarm of thirsty mosquitos. Having a batch of interesting,
refreshing and, most importantly, madeahead cocktails on hand can make this
crush much more manageable and even
more fun for the guests. People like to be
oﬀered a speciﬁc drink when they arrive
without having to make a quick decision
about what to have or worry about what
you may or may not have on hand. It
gets the party started easily and sets
a relaxed, let’s-just-have-fun mood.
For a festive, stress free opening
round, try a champagne-based cocktail.
ey are light and refreshing and
everyone likes champagne, right? No
need to break the bank here on ﬁne
champagne. Just go with a good, solid
champagne or even a sparkling Italian
prosecco or Spanish cava.
For something a little more
interesting, look for a French Cremant,
sparkling wine made using the same
method as champagne, just not in the
M
New Orleans to Harry’s American Bar
in Paris all claim to have ﬁrst concocted
the thing. All that clamoring for credit
should be assurance enough that your
guests will love them!
French 75
Mix 1½ cups gin with ¾ cup freshly
squeezed lemon juice and ¼ cup Cointreau. Chill for 2 hours. When ready to
serve, ﬁll a champagne ﬂute about half
way up with the gin mixture, top with
chilled Champagne and garnish with a
long lemon twist. Makes about 8 drinks
If the occasion is more on the casual
side, a champagne sangria cooler is a nice
opener. e mixture below was adapted
from one featured in Bon Appétit magazine, but any combination of fruit, wine
or even limoncello can make a festive
champagne region. Even the French are
drinking more of the aﬀordable Cremant
in place of champagne these days.
For a nice, candlelit dinner party,
consider leading oﬀ with a French 75.
e French 75 is a World War I-era cocktail that has more claims to its origins
than the Bloody Mary. Everyone from
French generals — it is named for a piece
of artillery, after all — to Arnaud’s in
11
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
punch. I prefer to strain the sangria after
the fruit steeps to give the cocktail a
cleaner ﬁnish.
Blood Orange Sangria
Peel oﬀ the tough outer layer from
a stalk of lemongrass, ﬁnely chop and
muddle, using the back of a spoon or
a pestle, with 2 tablespoons freshly
squeezed lemon juice. Add 2 cups of dry
Riesling, 2 cups freshly squeezed blood
| Continued on page 28
Kerry Shelby is a food enthusiast, cook,
forager, adventurer and a hungry consumer
of life. He is creative director and host of
Kerry Shelby’s Key West Kitchen, a food and
lifestyle brand appearing at kwkitchen.com
and on the Key West Kitchen channel on
Youtube.
SHORTANSWERS
IT‘S YOUR ENVIRONMENT
Please don’t feed the pelicans:
Winter migration challenge for Keys’ birds
Left: This wild egret chose to sit
on the Key West Wildlife Center,
1801 White St. in Sonny McCoy
IndigenousPark, porch last
week. Some birds come to visit
the center on their own accord
after they have been rehabilitated and released.
BY ROBIN MAYER
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
Winter is a very busy season
for migration in the Keys for many
birds heading south. Hawks, pelicans, cormorants, herons and
other birds face environmental
diﬃculties, especially when they
are youngsters migrating for the
ﬁrst time. Many of these birds are
on the endangered species list in
Florida and hindered further by
human interference. When people
try to feed these birds, or prevent
them from feeding on their natural
food sources, they put these birds
in even further danger.
Staﬀ and volunteers at e Key
West Wildlife Center are asking
for help from residents to make
winter migration more successful.
e Wildlife Center’s mission is
to ensure the future of our diverse
native wildlife by providing timely
rescues and quality rehabilitation
with the hope of release back into
the wild.
e center rescues birds every
day from Key West to Mile Marker
15, but vigilance of locals will help
reduce the stress on the birds.
“We are in the thick of hawk
season and just getting into
pelican season,” said omas
Sweets, the center’s executive
director. “is is our busiest time
of year, kind of opposite of up
north.”
When I visited the center, there
were several pelicans, a broad-wing
hawk, a merlin, a kestrel and sandwich terns in the clinic, where
birds recently received medical
attention recuperate. When an
injured or sick bird ﬁrst arrives,
the staﬀ checks it and treats it
for parasites, deworms it, feeds
it and rehydrates it.
Most birds brought in suﬀer
from dehydration and malnourishment, but others come in with
broken bones. Some bones can be
set in the clinic, but if a bird needs
surgery or a specialized treatment,
Sweets takes it to the Marathon
Veterinary Hospital or Dr. omas
Householder of Key West Vets and
Pets, who volunteers his services
to help the ailing birds.
Once birds graduate from the
clinic area, they are sent to aviary,
large cages where they can recuperate and gain strength with room
to stretch their wings.
One of the center’s main concerns is that people avoid feeding
pelicans. It is illegal to feed pelicans, and it interferes with their
migration patterns and their
ability to survive in the wild.
“Don’t interfere with hawks
that are hunting, and don’t feed
| Continued on page 30
BY J E F F J O H N S O N n P A U L A F O R M A N
Perfect for whom?
Dear Short Answers: What do you do
if your boyfriend is perfect in every way
but he just doesn’t make you happy? I can’t
ﬁnd anything wrong with Brandon and my
friends all love him. But I just don’t get excited to see him or really miss him when
he’s not around. Do you think this is a bad
omen for the future? Or maybe I’m just
not the emotional type. e Girlfriend
Dear Girlfriend: ere doesn’t need
to be anything “wrong” with him to make
him not right for you. You deserve to feel
more.
It isn’t about you
Dear Short Answers: I don’t get it. I’ve
been in a relationship with this guy for almost 2 1/2 years. We love each other very
much, but he just doesn’t want to have sex.
I will be naked in bed next to him, and he
just rejects me over and over. What can I
do to make him want me more? anks for
the help. Sexually Frustrated
Dear SF: is sounds like it’s his problem. If you want the relationship, all you
can do is tell him how you feel and ask
him to seek medical/psychological help.
Dear Mom: e balance problem is
everyone’s problem. Don’t assume that
a new job will be more restrictive —
perhaps you will work more hours and
perhaps they can be from home. e
modern workplace is more ﬂexible —
make that a job requirement. Even moms
are entitled to work they enjoy and the
time to enjoy home and family.
Monkey in
the middle
Dear Short Answers: What is our
responsibility to our parents as they get
older and require more time, more energy
and more money from their children?
Exhausted and Broke
Dear E&B: We hear you. is is very
tough and the boundaries are diﬀerent in
every family. Remember that you are an
adult (which is often a challenge even
when dealing with elderly parents) and
determine the limits of your responsibility
based on a realistic assessment of your
emotional and ﬁnancial resources. n
Have it your way
Dear Short Answers: I’m in a big job
dilemma. e place where I work has great
people and a good atmosphere, but it’s not
very challenging. I have been thinking
about going some place more exciting and
aggressive, but my problem is that I have
two young children and I want to spend
time with them. I’m very well-established
at my current job and have a good deal of
ﬂexibility. If I move to a new company, I
will lose that and probably have to work
much longer hours. How do I ﬁnd the
right balance of work, home and children?
Working Mom
PAULA FORMAN &
JEFF JOHNSON
SHORTANSWERS SHORTANSWERS
Life is complicated. “Short Answersisnt. Send a question about whatever is bothering you
to [email protected] or go to www.shortanswers.net and a psychologist and sociologist
will answer. A selection of the best questions appear in Konk Life.
12
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
THE BIG STORY
Yay! We’re not Nazis!
BY RICK BOETTGER
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
on guys in the wrong lane or selling single
cigarettes. Torturing one guy for 47 days before
even beginning to interrogate him. Allowing
here isn’t much good in the legacy
drones to kill 20 innocents in order to get one
of Hitler and the Nazis. In fact, all
“high-value” target.
I can think of is that when I’m feeling bad about
In Germany, National Socialism and its own
what some country, especially our own, is doing
harsh measures were overwhelmingly popular,
wrong, I can always say, “Well, at least it’s not as
as ours are in America today. But unlike them,
bad as the Nazis.” So thanks, Adolf, for cheering
we are allowed to protest. Millions of marchers
me up when I’m feeling down.
in cities across the nation have ﬁlled city streets,
I am indeed feeling a little down about our
well covered by national media. e protests may
nation’s popular response to widespread police
not change anything, but it is comforting to see
brutality and our CIA’s extensive use of torture.
so many go on the record for good.
I’d guess around 75 percent of my fellow AmeriBut not so much in Key West. I have strugcans are in favor of both.
gled to come to terms with the fact that so many
I just watched again, the 1961 movie,
of the nice people I mingle with daily support
Judgment at Nuremberg, about the trial of four
torture and police brutality. At least the “Yay,
German judges. e central speech is by the
we’re not Nazis!” is a start. And then I realized
single judge who admits his crimes and tries
I have some violent-inclining opinions that
to understand and explain what went wrong
others might ﬁnd just as troublesome.
in Germany under the Nazis.
I am on record writing that we should preBasically, the country felt it was in trouble
emptively bomb Iran’s nuclear weapon facilities.
after the punitive Treaty of Versailles, so harsh
I’ll add to that my agreeing with Louis Petrone
measures were necessary to get Germany back
about the nation’s going overboard with the vilion track. For “love of country,” people
ﬁcation and punishment of the black football
overwhelmingly went along with increasingly
players’ beating their wives. It is clear a larger
violent actions by their government. Even when
percentage of the people and media would punit got to their doing things they knew in their
ish these black men for causing injuries than
hearts were terribly wrong.
would punish the police and CIA for killing
I feel close to this because my father was born and torturing innocents.
in Germany. Grandpa immigrated
So there. I am not on such a high
when my dad was three to work in
horse of righteousness. I want to
the Upper Michigan mines that
employ our Sound of Freedom F-18s
produced the copper shells for the
to bomb cities and I am defending
bullets that killed his own relatives.
wife abusers. I live with you, and you
Grandpa got two of his brothers
live with me. Especially in Key West,
over, but the other four died on the
where we have chosen to enjoy a
Eastern Front. Before they died, they
magical fantasy land, so are less
probably committed atrocities.
likely to get any more involved
e remaining family over there
with depressing realities than citizens
does not discuss the war.
of the real world. Let’s hug, and
e Germans were a cultured
RICK
relish our ﬁne weather.
people in the 1930s and are so again,
BOETTGER
Note the following regarding the
as well as extremely peaceful. e
COLUMNIST
recent controversy over saying our
way they went wrong is a threat
police “killed” Charles Eimers. It’s
to any people on earth. Like us. We, too, talk of
from page 11 of the National Association of
getting our country back on track, of justifying
Medical Examiners’ Guide For Manner of Death
any horror because of 9/11 and the continuing
Classiﬁcation: “Deaths due to positional
threat of terrorism. Police departments bolstered restraint induced by law enforcement personnel
with war armaments. Shooting to kill. Swarming | Continued on page 33
T
13
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
KEY BUSINESS
KEY WEST
THE
LOCAL
HOWELINGS
OBSERVATION
Of a feather
BY CHRISTINA OXENBERG
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
Losing at the movies, Part II
BY MARK HOWELL
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
t was after my travels to home in the Keys and
settling in when I heard a certain siren call. I
learned my favorite band, Xperimento, was playing this weekend at my favorite bar, e Green
Parrot. All I could think of was wanting to gather
up all of town to attend the nights of their lives.
is band is a gorgeous work in progress, hence
their name. ey combine all sorts of genres and
their music is ever evolving, sometimes even the
musicians are switched
out for others.
I texted everyone I
know, and Facebooked
those I don’t and urged
them to attend the shows.
As perhaps you know,
the Parrot has a new
dance ﬂoor, so I was glad
to go check it out. It is
CHRISTINA
matte black and ﬂat and
OXENBERG
even like a freshly tarred
LEiGH VOGEL photo
road. It was shocking. e
new ﬂoor felt great under
my ﬂip-ﬂops, and it no longer has the shredded
wooden ﬂoorboards, one side with a dip and trip
area, or the one hundred years of spilled beer
making for a tacky grabby surface where on occasion a ﬂip-ﬂop did get stuck. But it is so ugly, I
can’t love it. Except that I know the young demoiselle who worked on it, helped make that new
ﬂoor, and she is a very special little angel, you
know her as Amy Badass. So I have to learn to
love the dance ﬂoor.
Xperimento has some new songs and they are
mesmerizing. No point me describing, please get
their latest CD and you’ll hear for yourselves.
Goes live December (but you can pre-order)
at www.music.xperimento.com
Life trucks on, yet much has changed. e
dance ﬂoor at the Green Parrot is changed, the
members of the band are changed, I am changed
after my travels.
What has not changed is being up to my old
tricks dancing the nights away, hence the brevity
of this post. And now, as the roosters crow, I
must go to bed.
I love Key West! n
I
Writes Douglas Caddy, a teacher from Houston,
in the Education Forum: “at movie certainly has
Rod Serling’s imprint on it. e dialogue is
uniquely his. And Peter Sellers in the scene near
the end gives a memorable performance. Its
message will be ignored today at our peril as it
was 50 years ago when the LBJ-military-industrial
complex asserted itself after JFK was executed in
Dallas and escalated the war in Vietnam.”
Serling was admittedly a wild man whose war
record left him with a markedly bruised psyche.
Just weeks before his wedding, he earned $1,000
testing a newly invented jet ejection seat. He
survived, but barely, telling friends three other
men had been killed before he made the test.
And it was after being knocked out in a 1961
boxing match with Archie Moore that Serling is
reported to have said: “Man, I was in the
Twilight Zone!”
en in 1972 he wrote the screenplay for “e
Man” from the Irving Wallace novel about a black
senator from New Hampshire (played by James
Earl Jones) who becomes President Pro Tempore
of the Senate, then assumes the U.S. Presidency
by succession.
In 1975, Serling suﬀered a minor heart attack
and was hospitalized. He spent two
weeks at Tompkins County Community
Hospital before being released.
A second heart attack led to 10 hours
of open-heart surgery, already considered
risky at the time.
He suﬀered another heart attack
on the operating table and died two days
later at the age of 50. n
ollowing our column on the movie
and theater travails of Tennessee
Williams and Elia Kazan last week, we have
encountered some information hitherto unknown
to us about a famous television and ﬁlm writer
and director.
He is none other than Rodman Edward “Rod”
Serling, the screenwriter, playwright, producer
of live TV dramas and narrator of his own
notorious science-ﬁction anthology TV series,
“e Twilight Zone.”
e new information comes from an online site,
the “Education Forum for Teachers and Educators,”
speciﬁcally its “Controversial Issues in History:
JFK Assassination Debate” division.
Turns out that it was Rod Serling who authored
the 1963 motion picture “Seven Days in May,”
itself a notorious piece of work about a military
conspiracy to overthrow the presidency, which
President Kennedy himself permitted to be
ﬁlmed in the White House.
It also turns out Serling’s “Twilight Zone”
series was cancelled by CBS within months
of his writing a letter critical of the
ﬁndings of the President’s Commission
on the Assassination of President John
F. Kennedy — (whose “chief architect
of various ﬁctions”) in the choice words
of the Education Forum was Allen
Dulles, the CIA Director whom JFK
had ﬁred. Dulles was also a senior
partner at a Wall Street transnational
corporate law ﬁrm where he also
MARK
managed the ﬁnancial portfolio
HOWELL
of CBS chairman, William Paley.
COLUMNIST
*****
A year later, as President Lyndon
Johnson and the Joint Chiefs and the CIA
committed to putting combat troops into Vietnam,
Quote for the Week
Serling then scripted an anti-war plea for cooperation between nations for ABC TV titled “A Carol
“It is diﬃcult to produce a television documentary
For Another Christmas,” starring Sterling Hayden
that is both incisive and probing when every twelve
and Peter Sellers, the only TV movie ever directed
minutes one is interrupted by twelve dancing rabby the great movie director Joseph Mankiewicz.
bits singing about toilet paper.”
It aired once and then was suppressed
— Rod Serling
for 48 years.
F
14
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
K E Y W E S T L OU
COMMENTARY
American Dream revisited
Torture Days
BY LOUIS PETRONE
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
military psychologists. Jessen had once
been a Mormon bishop. Toward the
end of their military careers, they were
ast week’s column described
involved in a program called SERE.
how the American dream is
SERE taught certain American troops
no more. However, there are exceptions
how to survive in case of capture and
to everything. e American dream in
interrogation.
this instance being the economic success
In 2005, Mitchell and Jessen were
of a certain few.
retained by the CIA to help develop, opis past week, the long awaited reerate and assess the CIA’s interrogation
port on U.S. interrogation methods was eﬀorts. Neither had any experience as an
published. Virtuous it was not. It tore to interrogator. Nor specialized knowledge
shreds our image of being the good guy.
of al-Qaeda. In addition, neither had
e United States came across as bad as
any specialized cultural or linguistic
certain other countries when it came to
experience.
torture. e Germans and Japanese in
e CIA did not want to handle the
World War II and the Communist
tortured interrogation of captured alregime in general come to mind.
Qaeda jailed in Guantanamo and other
e media has been replete with the
places worldwide. ey did not believe
story. For purposes of this column, I am torture worked. However, pressure was
interested in only one facet. e people
coming from somewhere.
who devised and implemented what has
Mitchell and Jessen appeared to
become known as enhanced interrogaknow what they were doing. e CIA
tion techniques.
found a way to pass the buck. Mitchell
Two individuals primarily were
and Jessen were retained
responsible. e United
nominally in 2005. BeginStates rewarded them for
ning in 2006, they were contheir eﬀorts with a payment
tracted by the CIA to handle
of $81 million over three
what became known as the
years. eir story triggered
enhanced interrogation of
this supplement to last week’s
captured al-Qaeda.
column e American
Here is where the AmeriDream...gone, Gone,
can dream comes into play.
GONE. e reason being that
Mitchell and Jessen were
they achieved the American
LOU
awarded a $180 million
PETRONE
dream of economic success.
contract. What could be
$81 million and in only three
COLUMNIST
more of a realization
years.
of the American dream?
e United States has a bad policy of
eir primary task was to develop
contracting out many activities involved enhanced interrogation techniques.
with war eﬀorts. One was a torture pro- Mitchell and Jessen conned the CIA
gram following 9/11. e two engaged
from day one. Lacking in signiﬁcant exwere James Mitchell and John “Bruce”
perience, they drew up a list of enhanced
Jessen.
interrogation techniques from those
Neither had spectacular backused by the Nazis and Communists. No
grounds. Neither earned big dollars till
original thought involved, except to
they got into the terrorist business on
copy what had been done in the past.
their own. Both were former Air Force
| Continued on page 30
L
15
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
LOCAL SERIES
n All is true:
The Naked Girl in the
Tree House
Hero in Laramie
A Serial Novel by
MARK HOWELL
CHAPTER XIII
e invading Chevy Impala squealed
into the dead end of the alleyway where
David Carpenter and I were parked with
Hadi and Winona for our impromptu
concert.
“I don’t want this,” I wailed to David,
foreseeing the most violent of trouble.
“We don’t need it — it’s none of our
business!”
“Oh for Christ’s sake, om One,” he
seethed. “Grow up and be a man!”
I was on the edge of tears but David
had both ﬁsts balled up already. For a
moment I thought he was going to hit
me but then he jumped out of the car,
just as the Impala skidded to a stop in a
ﬂurry of gravel and both its doors were
ﬂung open.
“You couple of Sioux suckers!” yelled
the driver.
My eyes were open but my mind
went black. I still can’t believe what was
happening. I have no memory of getting
out of the car or even of grappling with
the door. All I know now is that my face
was right up against this punk’s face,
same height as me, same age, same mad
look in his eyes. And blam! Actually the
sound was more like a nasty crack as my
ﬁst landed squarely on this shit-head’s
upper lip.
He screamed and I inhaled. My ﬁst
hurt like hell. His mouth spouted blood.
David dived into a yelling match with
the other fellow while Hadi and Winona
leaped out of the Plymouth’s back seat
and really started to make a noise. e
dead end of the alleyway echoed with
mayhem.
Without knowing what exactly it was
doing, my right arm swung back once
more and my brain went black again.
Hadi had her arms around me, holding
my upper body from behind and screaming so loud my left ear went deaf. She
pulled me back so my spine went the
wring way and I saw our two adversaries
scramble back into their Chevy, then
squeal into a reverse-gear retreat, the
sound of crunching metal as they did so.
“ey hit a dustbin!” yelled David
with glee.
“Trash can,” I corrected him.
Hadi swiveled me around and violently
kissed me on the mouth, her lips and
tongue willfully violating my facial
space. Many seconds of bliss. No more
pain in my ﬁst. An unbeatable high
point in our journey across America.
What happened next was almost as
good.
As we drove backward out of the alley
at a more seemly pace than the Impala,
but still striking that tipped-up garbage
16
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 4-10, 2014
can, Winona made a pronouncement
from the back seat.
“We got news for you two boys,” she
said as David negotiated the car back
onto Laramie’s Main Street and aimed it
out of town.
“You’re my hero, om,” interrupted
Hadi, massaging my shoulders and neck
and giggling. But there was better to
come.
It began with a pronouncement from
Winona.
“Murray the K is not the ﬁfth Beatle
any more than you two are Rolling
Stones!”
I died a little, my life ﬂashing before
my eyes, littered with images of my lost
girl Mary weeping over my absence.
“What are you talking about, Win?”
protested David.
“I’ll tell you what,” she said. “Pull
over, OK?”
We parked on a side street and she
unfolded a piece of paper and was
| Continued on page 28
WHAT‘S HAPPENING
Schooner Wharf Bar
Marty Stonely
Schooner Wharf Bar
Schooner Wharf Bar
202 Williams St., 292-3302
n
Thursday 1218
Taylor & Clayton 7-11pm
Friday-Saturday 1219-20
The Raven Cooper Band
7pm-Midnight
Raven is a talented guitar player and
singer, who lights up the stage with
her wide range of vocal styles. Her diverse singing ability rivals an earthy
Janis Joplin, orchestral Julie Andrews
and Bluesy Billy Holliday and the low
growl of Johnny Cash. Backed by
some of Key West’s favorite musicians, the show is an eclectic mix of
jazz, country, blues, and more.
Sunday 1221
Marty Stonely/Toko Irie 6:30-11pm
Monday 1222
Marty Stonely/Chris Toler 7-11pm
Tuesday 1223
The Raven Cooper Band 7-11pm
Wednesday 1224
The Doerfels
The Doerfels 7-11pm
Smokin’ Tuna Saloon
4 Charles St., (305) 517-6350
n
Thursday 1218
Clint Bullard/Alfonz 5pm
Caffeine Carl & Special Guests 9pm
Friday-Saturday 1219-20
Nick Norman 5pm
Caffeine Carl & Special Guests 9pm
Sunday 1221
Leetu 5pm
Rusty Lemmon Band 9pm
Monday 1222
Joal Rush 5pm
Nick Norman 9pm
Tuesday 1223
Nick Norman 5pm
Chad Burtch & Friends 9pm
Wednesday 1224
Nick Norman 5pm
| Continued on page 22
Schooner Wharf Bar
The Raven Cooper Band
20
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
Singer-Songwriter
Nick Norman
Norman tours many of the club
scenes in his native South Carolina
as well as in North Carolina, Georgia
and Florida.
Dec. 19-20-22-23-24
Caffeine Carl
Thursday-Saturday,
Dec. 18-19-20
WHAT‘S HAPPENING
Sunset Pier
| Continued from page 20
Hog’s Breath Saloon
400 Front St., (305) 296-4222
n
Thursday-Sunday 1218-21
Cliff Cody 5:30-9:30pm
West Texas singer-songwriter Cliff
Cody first played Songwriters Festival
a few years ago. Cody now a regular
performer in Keys. Soulful voice and
storytelling style
of writing.
Uncle Daddy 10pm-2am
Drummer Paul Deakin, one of the
original members of the Mavericks
and his band Uncle Daddy — night of
jammin’ old-time rock ‘n’ roll on the
outdoor stage.
Monday-Wednesday 1222-24
Chad Burtch/Tim Williams
5:30-9:30pm
Tim and Chad come together four
weeks a year at the Hog to put on
high energy, comedic, acoustic duo
show. Classic rock, modern country,
singer/songwriter and Top 40.
Key Lime Pirates 10pm-2am
Since their worlds collided in Boston,
in 2010, Claire Finley and Jeff Clark
have entertained with their infectious
musical take on living the good life.
Combined they have played countless
solo, duo, and full band shows in the
Florida Keys, as well other national
and international destinations.
Zero Duval St., (305) 296-7701
n
Thursday 1218
C.W. Colt 1-4pm
Rolando Rojas 5-7pm
Friday 1219
Rolando Rojas 1-4pm; 5-7pm
Saturday 1220
The Doerfels 1pm
Happy Dog 4:30-7:30pm
Sunday 1221
Nina Newton Band 1pm
Robert Albury 5-7pm
Monday 1222
C.W. Colt 1-4pm
Robert Albury 5-7pm
Tuesday 1223
Tony Baltimore 1-4pm
Robert Albury 5-7pm
Wednesday 1224
LLB 4:30-7:30pm
La Te Da
1125 Duval St., (305) 296-6706
n
Thursday 1218
Piano Bar: Debra and Patrick, 9pm
This dynamic pair entertains with their
Jazz, Blues and Pop repertoire.
Worked the international club circuit
from New York and Miami to Italy and
the Middle East.
| Continued on page 24
Hog’s Breath
Claire Finley and Jeff Clark
22
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
WHAT‘S HAPPENING
n Howard Livingston
It’s a lot of fun being me
Celebrating MOTM with Howard
and the MM24 Band on Duval
Street. | RALPH DE PALMA
BY RALPH DE PALMA
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
he more you get
to know Howard
Livingston, it seems the more you
like him both as a musician and as
friend. He always has a smile on
his face and it seems his mission in
life is to put a smile on your face.
His music is usually about living
here in the Florida Keys, and his
fans feel connected through him
and his music.
Livingston was born and raised
in Cumberland, Ky. Music was
part of his growing up, as the
family always had a guitar in the
house. ey moved to Marion,
Ind., and Livingston played in a
band in high school, graduating
in1969. He moved to Chicago,
studied engineering, and launched
a business manufacturing parts
T
Christopher Peterson’s
EYECONS
with his characterizations of Joan
Rivers, Better Midler and more.
Piano Bar: Dave Bootle, 9pm
for diesel engines.
e ﬁrst time Livingston
visited the Keys on vacation in the
mid-1980s, he rented a sailboat in
Islamorada and fell in love with
the islands and the waters of the
Keys. He bought a house on
Summerland Key at Mile Marker
24 in the 1990s. According to
Livingston, the Keys caused him
to write music and to begin
performing. He started to write
music about the Keys even before
he moved here. He had photos
of the Keys and Key West on his
Chicago refrigerator door.
Livingston started “working for
my dream,” writing music inspired
by Key West. He jammed with
friends in his basement in
Chicago. ey recorded songs in
Nashville in 2005, producing a
CD and printing 1,000 copies
that he thought would end up
being gifts to his grandkids.
After moving to the Keys permanently, he put a band together
with friends on Summerland Key
where they all lived at Mile
Marker 24, so naturally that became the name of the band. e
ﬁrst album contained Living on
Key West Time and many other
songs that have since become local
favorites. Howard and his wife
Cyndy delivered copies of his CD
to every radio station in town and
on the way home he was listening
to US 1 Radio’s Leigha Fox and
heard one of his songs playing on
the car radio. He was so overwhelmed he had to pull the car
over and listen.
| Continued on page 26
Randy Roberts’ LIVE!
La Te Da
1125 Duval St., (305) 296-6706
n
| Continued from page 22
Friday 1219
Cabaret: Randy Roberts LIVE! 9pm
The Randy Roberts Show is an all
live tribute to some of the world’s
most loved performers. Randy’s
uncanny impersonations of Cher
and Bette Midler have kept him
in the spotlight for over 20 years.
Piano Bar: Debra and Patrick, 9pm
Saturday 1220
Cabaret: Randy Roberts LIVE! 9pm
Piano Bar: Debra and Patrick, 9pm
Sunday 1221
Tea Dance with DJ Rude Girl , 4pm
Key West’s infamous Tea Dance,
every Sunday at La te da. Music and
dancing with resident DJs Rude Girl
and Molly Blue.
Piano Bar: Debra and Patrick, 9pm
Monday 1222
Piano Bar: Dave Bootle, 9pm
Well known for his big sound and
hilarious antics on stage, Dave
Bootle is the ultimate entertainer and
enjoys a great following who knows
he lives up to his slogan of “sing,
dance, laugh . . .”
Tuesday 1223
Cabaret: Randy Roberts LIVE! 9pm
Piano Bar: Dave Bootle, 9pm
Wednesday 1224
Cabaret: Christopher Peterson
EYECONS, 9pm
Christopher Peterson is a master of
impersonations, and his comic timing
is impeccable. The show is all live, no
lip-sync, and audiences will be thrilled
24
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
McConnell’s Irish Pub
900 Duval St., (949) 777-6616
n
Mondays
8-11pm — Eric from Philly
Tuesdays
8-11pm — Fiona Malloy
Wednesdays
8-11pm — Tom Taylor
Thursdays
7-9pm — Trivia Mania
9pm-1am — Chris Rehm/Open Mic
Fridays 8pm-Midnight —
Love Lane Gang
Saturdays
9pm-1am — Eric from Philly
Sundays (Brunch) 11am-2pm
Rick Fusco/Oscar Deko/Kerri Dailey
9pm-2am — Industry Appreciation
Pinchers
n 712 Duval St., (305) 440-2179
Carl Hatley 1-5pm
Bobby Enloe 1-5pm
Carter Moore 7-11pm
TROPICSPROCKETS
TROPIC CINEMA
416 Eaton St. • 877-671-3456
Week of Friday, Dec. 19, 2014
through Thursday, Dec. 25, 2014
Wild (R)
Fri - Thu: (1:30), 3:45, 6:10, 8:25
The Theory of Everything
(PG-13)
Fri - Thu: (1:45), 4:05, 6:30, 9:00
Dear White People
n style and content, Justin Simien’s
“Dear White People” speaks about
the daring and inﬂuence of Spike Lee as
much as addresses Obama’s intent for
harmony. In big bold images akin to a
graphic novel. e director places his
audience within the pastoral, yet claustrophobic realm of Winchester College,
an Ivy League institution.
With dry tones reminiscent of Whit
Stillman’s “Damsels in Distress,” college
radio host Samantha White (Tessa
ompson) presents a biting show titled
“Dear White People” and a newsletter
“Ebony and Ivy.” As a protest, she runs
for her residence, wanting to make the
hall exclusively for black students.
is sets oﬀ an acidic war with Kurt
Fletcher (Kyle Gallner) an aloof and narcissistic boy, son of the college president.
Coco (Teyona Parris) is the princesslike student who wants to uphold
stratiﬁcation and keep the status quo
of Winchester just as it is.
Lionel (Tyler James Williams) is the
bookish outsider with a wild Afro who is
approached to get the story on the racial
tension through these hallowed halls.
No one gets oﬀ easy in this ﬁlm.
Every character presents a ruse, a masquerade or a mania, and the ﬁlm empties its ammunition upon every persona
and type. All of the characters bite and
jab one another with the exception of
Lionel, who is a walker on the fringe.
Every person becomes embroiled in a
nest of scorpions.
Sly is the concoction reserved for
Obama whose complacency and hopes
are well lampooned: His positivity is
jabbed upon in Samantha’s ﬁlm “e
Re-Birth of a Nation” showing people
I
Interstellar
(PG-13)
Fri - Sun: (2:15), 8:15
Mon: 1:30, 9:00
Tue - Thu: (2:15), 8:15
St. Vincent (PG-13)
Fri - Sun: 6:00 PM
Mon: (4:40 PM)
Tue - Thu: 6:00 PM
Birdman (R)
Fri - Thu: (2:00), 6:35
Gone Girl (R)
Fri - Thu: 4:20, 8:50
A Christmas Story (PG)
Mon: 7:00 PM
in white face makeup, disappointed
in the Obama Dream.
e most corrosive accents are engineered for Spike Lee’s oeuvre as his
charged characters are satirized by turning obsessive and narrow in intent.
ere are still shots of silent men in
rigid impassivity as if in parody of and
tribute to “Do e Right ing.”
A party scene presents racism with
an appropriate stinging sleaziness, showing humans locked in their own stereotypical prisons of cartoons, ill-realism
and coercion. With Obama in oﬃce or
not, racism rears its ﬁlthy, anemic head
under the All Hallows’ Eve of inappropriate kitsch, and Money, its green-eyed
cousin, waits to brand itself and consume every person regardless of his or
her persona or spirit. n
Write Ian at [email protected]
25
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
‘At left, Poinciana Elementary
School students learn where their
food comes from and how to make
it happen.
HOWARD LIVINGSTON
| Continued from page 24
According to Livingston, the “Key
West Spirit” was all over the ﬁrst album.
He was writing music about how he felt
about the Keys and as it turned out a lot
of other people felt the same way. A few
nights after the US 1 Radio experience,
Howard Livingston and the MM24
Band played their ﬁrst gig at Mangrove
Mama’s. e CD’s sold like hot cakes
and were sold out in a week. While playing that ﬁrst time at Mangrove Mama’s,
Howard looked out at the audience and
could see people singing along. ey
already knew the words to the songs.
Several local stations had been playing
his songs for almost a week and
people loved them.
Some venues have a playlist or other
rules and whenever anyone tells them
to play something or not to play some-
thing, Livingston just tells them, “I’ll
do my job and you do yours.” Before
almost every song, Howard tells a little
story of how that song came to be and
what or who inspired him.
Livingston says the impact of Jimmy
Buﬀett on Key West is enormous. Buffett music piques the curiosity of people
to visit Key West. When they arrive,
they start looking for good music. Key
West is compact and safe, allowing visitors to go from venue to venue day or
night and enjoy the music. Music is a
big part of life here day to day. Everyone
embraces music in Key West and
musicians are respected here.
One day, Livingston saw Barry Cuda
pushing his piano down the street
between gigs. He thought Cuda was a
Key West version of the Pied Piper —
he said, “I’m following him anywhere.”
Yes, there’s still a lot of magic in
Key West. at sounds like a song! n
e “Keys To Be
e Change’ has
active November
BY KONKLIFE NEWS STAFF
e holiday season is upon us
and the students of Monroe County
are very busy giving back to the
community. Keys To Be e
Change had several diﬀerent events
in which they participated in November and shares pictures and information on the organization on
its website www.keystobethechange.com
ere was enthusiasm from their
Youth Leaders as well as from the
volunteers.
Executive Director Heidi Golightly also was thanking the organization’s newest sponsors:
Roostica, Dolphin Deli, Pepsi,
Home Depot, Southernmost Coconut Castaways and Tom & Barbara Callahan. “Our organization
could not exist without generous
folks like them!” said Golightly. n
n Key West Artisan Market
‘Shop Local’ bonus holiday
edition this Sunday, Dec. 21
e Key West Artisan Market:
Holiday/Shop Local Edition will be
held Sunday, Dec. 21 from 10 a.m. to
2 p.m. at the Restaurant Store parking lot, 1111 Eaton St. e market
focuses on fresh and local holiday gift
ideas and includes culinary, textile,
jewelry, wood, artisans and crafters,
curiosities, the Local Author’s Nook,
a live variety show, beer, wine and art
in Garage Mahal, food concessions
and a newly expanded produce
market component.
Guests are encouraged to ride
bikes or take the bus which conveniently stops in front of the Restaurant Store. Parking at Strunk Ace
Hardware (which is open for business) and Manley deBoer Lumber
Company will be extremely limited.
Alternative parking only two blocks
away in the city garage at Grinnell
and Caroline. Please BYOB (bring
your own bags).
Current vendors include culinary
artisans, jewelry craftspeople, artisans
and craftspeople.
| RALPH DE PALMA
Howard Livingston releasing his album “A Six Pack and A Tan.”
26
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
The X 104.9 Variety Show
Featuring local musical performances and interviews and a short
dance by Coﬀee Mill Dance Studios.
Garage Mahal
Free wine tasting and $5 wine
by the glass served by Shawna Allen
from Southern Wine and Spirits
Extensive craft beer selection and
beer by Bone Island Brewing.
Mark your calendars
Entire season of Artisan Markets:
January 4
Green & Sustainability edition
February 1
Key West Food & Wine Festival
Wine Market
March 1
Free Wheelin’ edition & Custom
Bicycle Show
April 5
Mote Marine Ocean Festival edition
May 3 (tentative)
Conch Republic Days edition n
CULTURE
VULTURE
By C.S. GILBERT
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
Holiday hoopla:
Hanukkah et al
e are now happily
in the midst of the
annual, frenetic entertainment of the
winter holidays, and while Hanukkah
(Dec. 16-23), Solstice (Dec. 21) and
Kwanzaa (Dec. 26-Jan. 1) — sorry,
Muslim holidays all seem to have
followed Ramadan in October, have
received a nod or two — thanks for the
Hanukkah cookies, Elsa! It’s Christmas
time, folks. As unlike an ally of mine as
fundamentalist Christians might seem,
I agree with those who lament the
absence of Christ and family from
Christmas — and often frantic focus
on buy-buy-buy, spend-spend-spend.
Still, it would be criminal to miss
the holiday-themed art and entertainment. Running till the end of the year
are the Arts Council’s e Road Less
Taken and Lucky Street’s Ornament
show; both recommended. Don’t miss
the council’s giveaway of six-inch by
six-inch canvases for their annual
Mosaic Project. Give yourself the gift
of your own creativity! Pure entertainment, see a review of Nutcracker Key
West (page 29) for additional holiday
performances, see below.
***
B’nai Zion, 750 United St., began
kindling the Hanukkah lights on their
giant menorah on Dec. 16 and will host
the annual gala celebration and traditional holiday feast at 6 p.m. Sunday,
Dec. 21. It’s open to the community.
and folks are invited to bring personal
menorahs and seven candles. Cost is
$25 adults, $10 children under 12 and
under age three are free. Phone Alan
Solomon, (305) 849-9001 for reserva-
W
Tatah DuJour and Key West Burlesque
close their show at Blue Heaven
Bordello Friday.
tions, which are strongly advised; this
tends to be a sellout.
***
Having a nasty virus wipe out the
entire ﬁrst week of celebrations, the
reported raves the FKCC Keys Chorale
Holiday Concert received, to say nothing of the audience conservatively estimated 500+, are simply over-the-top
wonderful. What a downer to miss
singing in it! Eternal thanks to expert
new director Professor Jim Cutty, to the
loyal and hard-working singers and
to the college administrators, especially
Dr. Frank Wood. Everyone was determined that the chorale would not die,
and Dec. 5 may be noted as the
Day the Music Lived . . .
***
And speaking of lively. . .
“Singing! Stories! Striptease! All by
the sexiest Santas you’ve ever seen,”
promises Key West Burlesque’s Tatah
DuJour and Moana Amour as they host
a holiday spectacular in Blue Heaven
Bordello, upstairs at Petronia and
omas streets. It opened last weekend
and closes Friday, Dec. 19, with two
shows — 6:30 p.m. (doors open 6 p.m.)
and 8:30 p.m. (doors 8:15 p.m.). “e
Sexy Santa Sing-a-long features a bevy
of beautiful Santas who sing, dance and
take oﬀ their clothes accompanied by a
live band and superstar vocalists,”
| Continued on page 30
27
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
O N STAG E
Fringe stages ‘e Price’
at Fisher’s Garret
KEY WEST KITCHEN
n Dec. 26-28, Jan. 2-4, Jan. 8-11
| Continued from page 11
orange juice, ½ cup fresh grapefruit
juice and ½ cup fresh lime juice.
Chill 2 hours, then strain into a clean
pitcher. When ready to serve, ﬁll an
ice-ﬁlled wine glass about half way up
with the juice/wine mixture and top
with chilled Champagne. Garnish
with an orange twist.
Makes about 8 drinks
e play will be presented Dec. 2628, Jan. 2–4 and Jan. 8–11 with all
shows at 8 p.m. at the Museum, 200
Greene St.
Tickets are $39 ($67 for opening
night and reception) and may be
obtained at keystix.com,
(305) 295-7676.
Arthur Miller’s “e Price:”
Estranged brothers. Old scores. An
ancient furniture appraiser. A look
at family relationships, the price
of furniture and the price of one’s
decisions.
“…An American masterpiece…”
| LARRY BLACKBURN
Fringe actors Michael McCabe, Bob
Bowersox and Melody Moore rehearse
in the Garret at the Mel Fisher Maritime
Museum.
SPECIAL TO KONK LIFE
Fringe eater of Key West is presenting Arthur Miller’s “e Price” at
the Garret, otherwise known as the
attic at the Mel Fisher Maritime
Museum, for three weekends, Dec. 26
to Jan 11.
“Fringe eater Key West, where
you expect the Un-expected, has gained
access to the museum attic which has
never been open to the public,” said
Artistic Director Monnie King. “is
secret space is quite a gift for local
theater enthusiasts. e architecture
contains historic furniture and other
treasures. e immersion seating style,
with the audience seated among the
museum pieces, serves as the play’s set.”
LOCAL SERIES
| Continued from page 16
smoothing it out and glaring at us as
we swiveled around to ﬁnd out what
was going on.
“is is a press release I ripped out
of a magazine from some fellow
named Andrew Loog Oldham, OK?”
David and I both swallowed hard.
Yet, our determination actually
seemed to harden, I could feel it. Such
is the power of the satanic, which by
now we certainly had in common
with Mr. Jagger and his band.
“I’m going to read these little biographies of Brian Jones and Keith
Richard and we’re gonna quiz you
about them to see if you’re real.
“Go right ahead,” I murmured.
“You’re my hero, om,” breathed
Hadi.
But at this particular moment I
could not get Mary out of my mind.
David spoke up. “is is blood
curdling, Win,” he laughed. “We
can’t wait for your little test.” She
blew him a kiss and sighed sarcastically.
“So here we go,” she began, piercing me with her eyes. “Brian Jones,
you were born in Cheltenham.”
“at’s true, I was!” I said, a little
too eagerly.
“You smoke 60 cigarettes a day.”
“True!”
“You’ve had a lot of diﬀerent jobs
in your 19 years, including coal lorry
“e Price” begins when Victor
Franz (Michael McCabe) and his wife,
Ester (Melody Moore), arrive at the attic
of the family residence to dispose of old
family furniture. ey begin wondering
whether Victor’s estranged brother,
Walter (Bob Bowersox), will show up.
Victor is a policeman who sacriﬁced
his education and a promising career as
a scientist to care for his ruined, invalid
father.
Walter is an eminent surgeon who
walked out on the demands of family
to concentrate on medicine and personal
success.
Victor has arranged for Gregory
Solomon (Peter King), a crotchety,
humorous, and wise old furniture dealer,
to purchase the items in the attic.
Little does he know that Solomon —
long since retired — is thrilled to be
back in the game, and is in no hurry to
set a price without giving the brothers
his prolonged views on them and the
value of used furniture.
e brothers parry and thrust,
revealing their characters to themselves,
each other, and the audience with
surprising poignancy.
e truth — as each of them sees it
— is ultimately revealed. n
28
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
driving. What’s a lorry?” she asked triumphantly.
“A truck,” I answered, triumphantly.”
“You spent a years hitchhiking on
the Continent,” she read. “What’s
the Continent?”
“Europe,” I shouted.
“You’re fascinated by railways.
What’s a railway?”
“e railroad, Win! And I win!”
“All right. Now, Keith, it’s your
turn.”
All four of us were giggling at this
point.
“Black-haired Keith,” read
Winona, “was born in Dartford 19
years ago and has worked in a post ofﬁce. What’s a post oﬃce?”
“Where you buy stamps and mail
letters,” answered David.
“Has one romance in his life — his
guitar —and would like a house-boat
on the ames.”
She pronounced it with a soft “th,”
not as in “Tems.”
“It’s ames!” declared David with
the English pronunciation” “I win!”
“OK, I give up,” said Winona.
“But why don’t you just list the hits
you’ve had on … Decca, is it?” she
read from the cutting.
I swallowed hard at this, not sure
either of us could do it.
“‘Paint It Black,’ ‘Long, Long
While,’ ‘Have You Seen Your Mother,
Baby,’ ‘Who’s Driving Your Plane,’
‘Let’s Spend the Night Together,’
‘Ruby Tuesday,’ ‘We Love You’ and
‘Dandelion!’” said David, truly triumphantly. I was proud of him.
“So, Brian and Keith,” said
Winona while Hadi laughed long and
hard. “Welcome to the wild, wild
west.”
David and I immediately broke
into a rendition of “If I Fell” by the
Beatles.
“I have fallen in love with you,”
Hadi told me a couple of hours later
at a White Castle hamburger joint,
sitting separately from David and
Winona, both busy cooing at each
other.
“at test was easy,” I told her.
“But why did you both think we
weren’t really the Rolling Stones?” n
O N STAG E
IN REVIEW
Waterfront opens 75th
season with ‘Noises Oﬀ’
Nutcracker Key West
A gift that keeps on giving
BY C.S. GILBERT
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
own right. It’s certainly true of Lee,
who dances the role of the Tanzanite
amidst the treasure trove of nine
ance in Key West is a
female and two male dancers.
relatively rare and preAbout 60 local children dance the
cious gift. Student recitals are held
roles of party guests, baby chicks, reef
annually by CoﬀeeMill, the Dance
ﬁsh and shrimp and every single one
Factory and Allison Mayer’s Florida
of them is adorable. ey seemed not
Keys Community College Ballet/
as rigidly disciplined as in the past —
Southernmost Dance eatre. Kyla
but this was a dress rehearsal, in fact
Piscopink’s Dance Key West, based at the ﬁrst of two dress rehearsals, after
the CoﬀeeMill, periodically produces all. Some of the adult costumes were
superb full length danceworks such
still incomplete. Nevertheless, it was
as last season’s ﬁne two-character nar- a captivating show.
rative, “After ese Messages” (coAmong the principals (stars) who
starring equally gifted Jordan Fife).
were magniﬁcent were the Siamese
As a dance-hungry community,
Fighting Fish Josh Christopher,
however, we can look forward to a
Jayson Douglas (Jan Czerny) (whatbiannual feast in Joyce Stahl’s origiever that parens means) and Amanda
nal version of that beloved holiday
Diehl as the Sea Star Fairy and her
chestnut, “Nutcracker Suite” with
Cavalier Preston Swovelin.
music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
In truth, the most puzzling thing
and motion by scores and scores of
about this year’s Nutcracker is the
talented choreographers the world
program, which Marketing Director
over. “Nutcracker Key
Peter Arnow generously
West” combines Stahl’s
provided in PDF format
work with that of a numwhen printed programs
ber of other ballet profeswere not yet available for
sionals and a theme
the ursday dress reamong creators of the varihearsal. (What is a review
ous numbers and the
without naming performers
provenance of more than a
worth the mention and,
few dancers is Alun Jones
hopefully, spelling their
and e Louisville Ballet.
names correctly?)
C.S.
Now, add our own multiGILBERT
ere is Cast A and Cast
[email protected]
talented Mary Kay Lee,
B. OK. Double casting is a
who is today, amidst a bevy
standard practice. I was inof modern, jazz and variety dancers
formed I was to see Cast A — except
led by Piscopink, Key West’s prima
that the lead children I saw were sibballerina. She is credited with chorelings Echo and Jaden Burchﬁeld as
ography for the very important Jewsiblings Clara and Fritz
els of the Atocha in Act II, probably
Patterson, designated Cast B. Other
by its placement the major corps de
dancers are listed in parentheses in
ballet /pas de deux/solo combo in the addition to A and B dancers.
production.
erefore, except for the handful
Unlike a corps in years past, this
of dancers I know, it’s anybody’s
ensemble is very good, good enough
guess who played whom.
that I believe Stahl’s assertion that
| Continued on page 30
each dancer is a star in her (or his)
D
| LARRY BLACKBURN
n Dec. 18 to Jan. 10
SPECIAL TO KONK LIFE
e Waterfront Playhouse kicks-oﬀ
its historic 75th season with the classic
comedy, “Noises Oﬀ” by Michael Frayn
at 8 p.m., Dec. 18 to Jan. 10.
is hilarious romp about the onand oﬀstage shenanigans of a British
acting troupe is a tour de force of precise
timing and comic ability. Slamming
doors, feuding actors, missed cues, girls
in their underwear, guys in their underwear and errant plates of sardines are all
part of the choreographed chaos.
“Noises Oﬀ” will have a gala opening
night on ursday, Dec. 18, with an
after party sponsored by Susan and
Stuart Kaufman. Low-priced previews
are on Dec. 16 and 17.
e cast includes David Black,
Brandon Beach, Carolyn Cooper,
Matt Hollis Hulsey, Tony Konrath,
Erin McKenna, J. B. McLendon, Joan
O’Dowd and Susannah Wells. e
two-level set with nine doors will be
designed by the Waterfront’s resident set
designer, Michael Boyer. David Bird will
design the lights and Carmen Rodriguez
is in charge of costumes and props.
29
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
Trish Manley will act as stage manager
and traﬃc cop.
Preview tickets are $25. Tickets for
opening night are $50, which includes
the after party. Tickets for other performances are $40. Student, military
and senior discounts, as well as the
Friday night special of two tickets
for a total of $60.
Call (305) 294-5015 or online,
WaterfrontPlayhouse.org for ticketing
service. Also call or go to the website to
buy season subscriptions, memberships
or individual tickets. Student rates also.
Season sponsors for the 2014/15
season are Digital Island Media, Royal
Furniture and Key West Web Design.
“Noises Oﬀ” is a farce about putting
on a farce with very funny insights into
the challenges of putting on a play. Act I
introduces the cast and crew during a
spectacularly bad dress rehearsal for a
mediocre sex farce called, “Nothing
On.” e actors struggle with getting
their lines, cues, entrances and exits
right, as well as keeping track of the
many plates of sardines that go on and
oﬀ the stage.
Act II takes place a month into the
run. In a coup de theater the entire set
revolves 180 degrees, and the audience is
watching the action backstage during a
performance. Physical altercations, misplaced props, pranks and a roving cactus
plant are all part of the silently choreographed action backstage.
By Act III, the tour is coming to an
end, and the production descends into
complete and hysterical chaos. e
Daily News called it “Bumper car brilliance...If laughter is indeed the best
medicine, ‘Noises Oﬀ’ is worth its
weight in Cipro.”
“Noises Oﬀ” manages to serve as a
send-up of the modern farce and a
valentine to the form, mocking its
triviality while simultaneously delivering a well-crafted example of the genre.
| Continued on page 30
IT’S YOUR ENVIRONMENT
| Continued from page 12
the pelicans,” pleads Peggy Coonts, the
center’s animal care director, a wildlife
biologist who has been working as a rehabilitator most of her life.
If a bird gets used to ﬁnding food too
easily, it will take the easy route and just
wait to be fed instead of learning to
hunt. It may stop migrating entirely,
which also interferes with breeding.
“Almost every bird that comes
through here is a ﬁrst-year migrator,”
Coonts noted. ese birds are not yet
skilled in hunting or migrating, and
often get into trouble.
Pelicans may eat things that are bad
for them, such as ﬁleted ﬁsh with bones
or whole ﬁsh over eight inches long. Eating a ﬁsh with exposed bones or a whole
ﬁsh that is too big can kill it.
e wildlife center responds to calls
for rescue 24 hours a day. Sweets or
Coonts respond quickly to these calls at
any time. To report an injured or sick
animal, call (303) 292-1008.
e Wildlife Center on the grounds
of the Charles “Sonny” McCoy Indigenous Park is an upland scrub habitat that
contains about 75 species of plants native to the Keys and about a dozen found
only in the Keys and is also a bird sanctuary. Visit keywestwildlifecenter.org
Tips for protecting
wild birds
 Pelicans
cannot digest bone-in ﬁsh
carcasses or whole ﬁsh over eight inches
 Pelicans’ wild behavior is altered by
feeding and they will look to human
beings for food instead of hunting
 Pelicans being fed from marinas
will stop migrating and beg year-round
 Do NOT toss ﬁsh scraps or ﬁllets
to pelicans or any wild birds
 Report pelican feeding violations
to the FWC, (888) 404-3922. n
LOU PETRONE
CULTURE VULTURE
| Continued from page 15
| Continued from page 27
Technically, the contract was with a
company known as Mitchell, Jessen and
Associates in Spokane, Washington.
ough there were seven partners,
Mitchell and Jessen were the principals.
Obama’s election in 2008 screwed up
Mitchell and Jessen’s contractual relationship. In 2009, Obama banned enhanced interrogation. ere was no
further need for Mitchell and Jessen’s
purported expertise. e government
terminated the contract. Mitchell and
Jessen had been paid $81 million up to
that time.
Mitchell and Jessen initially provided
20 enhanced techniques. e CIA acting
general counsel at the time described the
20 as “.....sadistic and terrifying.” e 20
were reduced to 10 techniques. Included
were water boarding, rectal feedings,
sleep deprivation, mock executions and
intense psychological manipulation. One
technique which they recommended that
was tossed involved a mock burial.
Mitchell and Jessen basically performed three functions for $81 million.
ey developed the list of enhanced interrogation techniques. ey conducted
interrogations of the more signiﬁcant
detainees using their methods. ey
evaluated detainees’ psychological state
to determine if a detainee could handle
more enhanced interrogation.
e contract also provided Mitchell
and Jessen initially with $1,000 a day
tax free retainers.
A sense of wrongdoing was developing by 2007. Complaints were arising.
e CIA at that time provided a multiyear indemniﬁcation agreement to
Mitchell and Jessen’s company. e purpose of the additional agreement was to
protect Mitchell and Jessen’s company
and its employees from legal liability.
e CIA has since paid out more than
$1 million per the indemniﬁcation
agreement.
No question, Mitchell and Jessen experienced the American dream big time.
We should all experience an $81 million
windfall over a three-year period!
I cannot help but wonder how
Mitchell and Jessen will be received
when they meet St. Peter at the Pearly
Gates. n
they note. Special guests are Franki
Markstone, Addison Panic and Jenna
Beth and “special surprise Santas will ﬂy
into town” for the performances. Tickets
$25 in advance and can be purchased
at Blue Heaven gift store; reservations,
call (305) 296-8666.
***
e Fabulous Spectrelles will add
doo-wop to the holidays with A Fabulous Spectrelle Christmas presented by
Southernmost Dance eatre with the
support of the Anne McKee Artists Fund
and Monroe County TDC. Appearing
with the fab retro trio will be Denis
Hyland and Clayton Lopez with special
guest appearances by original Spectrelles
Penny Leto and Melody Cooper. It’s one
night only (Monday, Dec. 22) at the San
Carlos. Curtain is at 8 p.m., doors open
7:30 p.m. Tix $25, Keystix.com
For more information, contact Allison
Mayer, (305) 879-1987.
Happy Holidays, whatever your persuasion. at’s all for now. Gotta ﬂy! n
IN REVIEW | NUTCRACKER
| Continued from page 29
All, however, acquitted themselves
very well. I would wish more focus on
the entertaining undersea dancer from
both Clara and her Prince (Jack Willis).
e balletic demands on the young leads
are not strenuous, but the performers really have to be good actors, concentrating and in character at all times. I trust
that skill will increase.
My favorite has to be Jeordan Gasche,
a young professional from Key West; she
was an absolute standout in a student
performance I reviewed a few years ago
and she is, not surprisingly, even more
polished now. is past year, she performed in her ﬁrst professional company,
Columbia Classical Ballet. “Jeordan
came back home to have major knee surgery by Dr. Loeﬄer and planned it perfectly so she would be fully recovered to
perform in the Key West Nutcracker
again this year,” said the program.
Younger sister Sidney was eﬃcient
and lovely as the maid and mother Nikki
danced like a pro (she is in real life an
artist) as Mayor Patterson’s wife in Act I.
30
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
e Mayor was played by Gary Burchﬁeld, dad of Echo and Jaden.
Credit goes, in addition to all those
cited, and to Ballet Mistress Kathy Holtgrave, Executive Director Elizabeth Love,
Stage Manager Patricia Mahoney, Company Manager David Goud, Art Director
Michael Epperhardt and TWT sound
guru and Technical Director Matthew
Rawls. Arnow noted lighting design and
direction, which was excellent, was for
the ﬁrst time fully the work of TWT pro
and production veteran Anthony Palmer
and, in fact, that this was the ﬁrst year
that all the show’s tech was in the hands
of TWT’s professionals. It was a wise
move. ey burnished the show’s technical polish to a new shine.
Angela Whitehead, Dick Moody and
Lauren McAloon assisted Stahl in costume design; in their construction she
was joined by Carlos Gaitan, Sonja
Romero Julieta Alverez and Sophie Van
Hamm. e LED lights purchased by
the Anne McKee grant and sewn into the
costumes of the corps showed to ﬁne effect.
Sponsor credits were given the Hyatt,
Marriot Beachside, Dogwood Foundation, Helmerich Trust, Hunter-Ward
Foundation, Anne McKee Artists Fund
and the Florida Keys Council of the Arts.
Although the usual level of professionalism of “Nutcracker Key West” had
not been reached by its ﬁrst dress, Arnow
reports ticket sales $13,000 ahead of
where they were at this time in 2012,
and we can heartily recommend this
heartwarming holiday tradition. Better
get those tickets now. n
WATERFRONT
| Continued from page 29
It has been a hit on Broadway and
the West End — twice. It has also been
translated into dozens of languages and
revived throughout the world, making
it one of the most produced plays
in the repertory.
Directing the high-energy production
will be the Waterfront’s Managing Artistic Director, Danny Weathers, who says,
“‘Noises Oﬀ’ is the most challenging
show I’ve ever taken on, and I’ve done
some doozies. I think all of the
actors who are bearing scrapes and
bruises from rehearsals would agree.” n
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
n
Dec. 27-28
OIRF tour features houses
that rose fron 1886 ﬁre
SPECIAL TO KONKLIFE
Old Island Restoration Foundation House Tour
kicks oﬀ its 55th season of house tours from 4 to
7 p.m., Dec. 27 and 28, by featuring a sector of the
city settled soon after the 1846 hurricane nearly
leveled the nascent port and a property that rose
from the ashes of the great 1886 ﬁre.
Tickets for e Spirit of Key West Past and Present tour are $30 and available in advance. For credit
card purchase, buy tickets online at www.oirf.org or
call 305-294-9501.
Tickets are also available for purchase by check or
cash at Capital Bank, (Old Town & North Roosevelt
Branches in Key West; MM30.4, Big Pine; 2348
Overseas Highway, Marathon); Royal Furniture
(3326 N. Roosevelt Blvd.), and the Oldest House
(322 Duval St.). During tour hours, tickets will be
sold at the featured houses by cash or check only.
Visits may be split over two days, and homes may
be seen in any order. e 2015 tours include: Jan. 1617, 4-8 p.m.; Feb. 13-14, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; March
13-14, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
e Conch Shell Blowing Contest will be held
noon, Saturday, March 7.
OIRF welcomes new volunteer docents and
nomination of houses for this annual event. Visit
www.oirf.org to volunteer or for more information. n
O N STAG E
‘Last Night of Ballyhoo’ opens Red Barn season
n Through Jan. 17
SPECIAL TO KONKLIFE
riting his TonyAward-Winning play
Last Night of Ballyhoo was for playwright Alfred Uhry unlike anything
he’d done before.
“It was the most bizarre experience,”
Uhry said in a recent interview. “I really
entered 1939. I could see the door handles on the cars, I felt the streets…time
travel. It doesn’t happen a lot, but it happened that day. It was strange, exciting.”
Red Barn eatre invites audiences
to travel to 1939 and feel the excitement
Uhry did with the ﬁve-week run of “Last
Night of Ballyhoo.” e giddy world
of pre-war Atlanta, Georgia, will be
W
recreated on the Red Barn stage, coming
alive in a warm upperclass home, and
populated with rich, real characters
dressed in authentic period costumes.
“You’re going to love the characters,”
said director Joy Hawkins. “Fabulous,
ﬂawed human beings trying to make
sense out of their lives, played by a terriﬁc mix of actors, young and seasoned.
It’s a wonderful story with depth and
meaning, and a rich humor that catches
you by surprise. It’s the perfect play to
open our 35th Anniversary Season.”
Ballyhoo stars Laurie Breakwell,
Karen Grant, Jessica Jackson, Lisa Elana
Monda, Kaleb Smith, Rock Solomon,
and Seth Yates. Hawkins is particularly
happy to bring several new faces to the
Red Barn stage, including Jackson,
Monda, and Yates.
“All have terriﬁc theater backgrounds,
but they’ve not done any work in Key
West before,” Hawkins said. “It’s great
to bring new faces to our audiences.”
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
n Jan. 17
South Florida Symphony
features piano virtuoso
ﬁcionados of classical music can enjoy a
performance by the South Florida Symphony featuring acclaimed pianist Christopher Taylor
7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 17, at Tennessee Williams
A
Ballyhoo is a very funny play that
uses its romantic comedy to probe
deeper messages. e play is set in the
upperclass German-Jewish community
in 1939 Atlanta. Hitler has recently conquered Poland, “Gone With the Wind”
is about to premiere, and Adolph Freitag
(Yates), his sister Boo (Grant) and nieces
Lala and Sunny (Monda and Jackson) —
a Jewish family so highly assimilated
into mainstream society that they have a
Christmas tree in the front parlor — are
looking forward to Ballyhoo, a lavish
cotillion ball sponsored by their very
restrictive country club.
Into this mix comes Adolph’s employee, Joe Farkas (Solomon), an attractive eligible bachelor from Brooklyn
with Eastern European Jewish roots,
who is familiar with prejudice but unable to fathom its existence within his
own community. His presence prompts
hilarity and introspection, particularly
in college student Sunny as she begins
Fine Arts eatre. “Continuous Crescendo” concert
is part of the symphony’s 17th season. e Jan. 17
program also includes Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero” and
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an
Exhibition.” Tickets $25-$75 at www.keystix.com
Taylor, renowned for his virtuosity and intense
interpretations, has appeared with leading orchestras
(Boston Pops, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles
Philharmonic) and at venues from Kennedy Center
and Carnegie Hall to Chicago’s Ravinia Festival.
He earned notice for his programming of Olivier
Messiaen’s “Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus.”
31
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
to examine her Jewish identity (or lack
thereof) and the beliefs with which
she’s been raised.
e beauty of the play is in the way
Uhry has interspersed his serious message with sparkling banter, comedic
non-sequiturs, and hilarious characters
and characterizations. Breakwell is
side-splitting as Adolph’s sister-in-law
Reba, but the comedy is spread liberally
across all the characters. And there’s also
romance, but not in the modern-day
sense, says Uhry.
Expect to see some sweetness in the
play, particularly in a wonderful scene
between Joe and Sunny that has them
falling in love on a train.
“It’s an all-around great play,” Hawkins said. “Deserving of its laurels.”
Subscriptions available at the box ofﬁce. Also two rifty ursday performances, Dec. 18 and Jan. 8, that oﬀer
two tickets for $70. n
INFO redbarntheatre.com
Led by award-winning conductor and Key Wester
Sebrina Maria Alfonso, the South Florida Symphony
pairs preeminent classical musicians from the country
with selected American and international soloists.
A symphony chat with classical pianist and music
historian Edward Pitts is before the performance.
A post-concert reception scheduled with Alfonso,
Taylor and orchestra members.
Season’s masterworks series also includes concerts
Feb. 18 with violinist Chee-Yun Kim and March 26
with pianist Svetlana Smolina. n
INFO southfloridasymphony.org
COMMUNITY
CALENDAR
Dec. 31
Going to the Dogs
n
Some 200 short-legged, tail-wagging canine “revelers” are to stage a
promenade before thousands of spectators Wednesday, Dec. 31, during
the 10th annual Key West Dachshund Walk. e procession of
pooches and human companions begins noon at the corner of Whitehead
and Fleming streets in downtown.
e walking route encompasses
the 400 block of Fleming Street, 500
block of Duval Street and one-block
length of Appelrouth Lane. e 2013
“wiener walk” included 200 dogs,
many costumed, including miniature
and standard shorthaired, wirehaired
and longhaired dachshunds. Since
pedigrees aren’t checked, even “wiener
wannabes” can strut their stuﬀ.
Dogs accompanied by a supply
wagon carrying water for thirsty
walkers and plastic bags for quick
cleanup of any accidents — as well as
providing transport for dogs that get
tired along the way.
No cost to participate but donations of dog and cat food requested
for the community pet-food pantry
operated by St. Mary Star of the Sea
Outreach Mission. Spectators can
meet the canines on Fleming Street
between Whitehead and Duval.
INFO
[email protected]
n
Dec. 31
New Year’s Eve!
Southernmost City celebrates with
a conch shell drop at Sloppy Joe’s Bar,
201 Duval St.; the descent of a supersized red high-heel shoe carrying drag
queen Sushi at Bourbon St. Pub, 724
Duval St.; the lowering of a pirate
wench from atop a tall ship’s mast at
Schooner Wharf Bar, 202 William
St.; and the splashdown of a Key lime
wedge into a giant margarita glass at
Ocean Key Resort and Spa, 0 Duval.
INFO
www.sloppyjoes.com
www.bourbonstpub.com
www.schoonerwharf.com
www.oceankey.com
FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Ho! Ho! Ho!
at the foot of William Street.
Sponsored by All Animal Clinic,
a $20 (cash only) donation gets a
professional high-resolution
photo with Santa plus goodies
and treats — pet bandanas, dog
treats, gift cards for free nail
trims and candy for the kids.
Proceeds beneﬁt Boys & Girls
Club of the Keys. Island 107 FM
broadcasts live onsite. n
INFO KeyWestChristmas.org
Christopher
Peterson’s
Christmas!
COMMUNITY
CALENDAR
n
2015
Eric Anfinson calendar
It’s the most FABULOUS
time of the year. Celebrating it’s
15th Holly Jolly Season, yes it’s
Christmas with Christopher Peterson’s EYECONS starring
Marilyn Monroe, Julie Andrews,
Reba McEntire, Liza Minnelli,
Bette Davis, Barbra Streisand,
Judy Garland and cameos from
Cher, Eartha Kitt, Joan Rivers
and a
heavenly host of others. Celebrate with seasonal songs and
MARYment in the way that only
Peterson can do. Oh, come all ye
faithful, down to La Te Da, 1125
Duval St., (304) 296-6706, 9
p.m. Dec. 24-25. So put on your
toque and scarf, grab some
mistletoe, kiss your signiﬁcant
other and join us in ringing in
the shopping season. Happy
Holidays! n
Pet pictures with
Santa this Friday
is Friday, 5:30-8 p.m., Dec.
19, bring the critters and kids for
Pet Pictures with Santa at the
Historic Seaport Christmas tree
Oakleigh Waits, son Cormac
and dog Lennon take quality
time with Father Christmas at
last year’s annual Pet Pictures
with Santa.
Robert the Doll
| CAROL TEDESCO
Author and Key West Ghost
Hunt proprietor David L. Sloan
reads a passage from his latest
work, “Robert the Doll,” to its
namesake, Robert, an antique
doll and ward of the Key West
Art & Historical Society, whom
many believe to be haunted.
Robert and his own stuffed pet,
a lion named Leo, reside at Fort
East Martello Museum in Key
West, where they receive visitors daily. Sloan’s tribute to
Robert is available in the museum store.
32
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 4-10, 2014
Local painter Eric Anﬁnson knows
how to help people embrace the passing of time. e artist’s ﬁfth annual
calendar of paintings is now at Salt
Island Provisions on 830 Fleming St.
e calendar features 13 original oil
paintings that celebrate Anﬁnson’s
distinct ﬁgurative style with Synthetism inﬂuences — a post-impression painting style based on
two-dimensional areas of color,
strong lines and symbolism as pioneered by artists like Paul Gaugin and
Emile Bernard.
Anﬁnson also applauds his love of
language by including a work of ﬁction accompanied with a centerfold
painting — this year featuring author
and journalist Brad Zeller’s short
story, “e Heart’s Ventriloquist.”
Zeller is a native to Anﬁnson’s hometown of Minnesota.
e limited edition calendar is designed by Kimberly Narenkivicius,
artist, publisher of Salt Editions publications and proprietor of the rustic
pop-up shop on Fleming Street. e
two have collaborated on Anﬁnson’s
print designs for more than a decade.
e collectable, $24.99 calendar is a
glimpse into the world he creates at
Mockingbird Studios. Purchase at
Salt Island Provisions or via the
artist’s website.
INFO
(305) 986-2980
FOR THE HOLIDAYS
| SHEEL SHEELMAN
A Holiday doo-wop with
e Fabulous Spectrelles
Get ready to deck the halls and jingle
your bells with tbe world-renowned e
Fabulous Spectrelles this holiday season.
e Southernmost Dance eatre
along with e Anne McKee Artist
Grant and e Monroe County Tourist
Developmant Council present “It’s A
Fabulous Spectrelle Christmas!” — the
Conch Republic’s oﬃcial girl group in a
special evening of incredible doo-wop
and dance.
ose diva’s of Doo-Wop and producer Allison Mayer invite you to a family frindly evening of song and dance.
Enjoy elements of timeless holiday classics in this family friendly revue.
e seasonal spectacular stars e
Fabulous Spectrelles, Baby Tracy, Shelly
and Raquelle and features performances
by
original Spectrelle members Melody and
Penny Leto.
Special guests include e Southernmost Dance eatre, Denis Hyland,
Clayton Lopez and many more. Southernmost Dance eatre performers will
ﬁll the San Carlos Institute stage with
delightful dance pieces, while Denis Hyland and Clayton Lopez, wow the audience with their special guest
appearances.
e one-night-only event will be held
at the San Carlos Institute stage on
Monday, Dec. 22, at 8 p.m. Doors open
at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are only $25 for
this special event and on sale at
keystix.com n
RICK BOETTGER
| Continued from page 13
or to choke holds or other measures to
subdue
may be classiﬁed as Homicide. In such
cases, there may not be intent to kill, but
the death results from one or more intentional, volitional, potentially harmful
acts directed at the decedent (without
consent, of course). Further, there is
some value to the homicide classiﬁcation
toward reducing the public perception
that a ‘cover-up’ is being perpetrated by
the death investigation agency.” n
33
www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 18-24, 2014
Keys Chorale Christmas 2014
RALPH DE PALMA | PHOTOGRAPHER
34
www.konklife.com • December 18-24, 2014
Classy Casa Marina lady
by C. S. GILBERT
KONK LIFE REAL ESTATE WRITER
y proper Bostonian
mother was inflexible
in her insistance on certain beliefs and
behaviors, primarily having to do with
grammar, deportment and fashion.
I pretty much ignored the latter
(much to her chagrin) but certain
lessons will be with me to the end of
my life. First, one must never, never
be ostentatious. Good taste—her
absolute guru—required that one be
understated and subtle but always
insist upon the highest quality. If that
meant a single cashmere sweater set
instead of a rainbow collection of
ordinary wool, so be it.
The extraordinarily magnificent,
four-bedroom, six-bath property at
711 South Street is the epitome of my
mother’s standards. It is so perfectly,
subtly high-end without being in any
way gaudy or overdone that I could
imagine her rising from her grave to
grant her approval.
Driving down South Street, as one
has done hundreds of times, all one
sees is a long, long white picket fence,
nice landscaping and the peak of a
fairly ordinary Key West roof above an
enclosed porch the width of the
building. This is best described as the
tip of the iceberg. The 15,252 squarefoot lot (all figures are from the MLS)
seems even deeper than it is wide; at
the rear a two-car garage reached from
Villa Mill Alley . . . but more about
that later.
Come through the front gate to the
brick path winding past the first
promise of a sculpture garden to a
huge covered side porch affording,
M
The only word for the resort-like home at 711 South Street is exquisite.
through four sets of eight-foot high
French doors, access to the 3,274square-foot home. Three sets of the
doors open onto a majestic 35-foot
long by 12-foot deep reception hall,
off of which open the high-tech office
conversion to the front (that enclosed
porch) and two large, family
bedrooms with ensuite baths and their
own dominant French doors onto a
private, deep sitting porch serving all
the bedrooms. Eleven-foot high
ceilings put an exclamation point on
the wing’s airy elegance. A fine John
Martini sculpture graces that quiet
side garden.
Realtor Doug Mayberry noted that
The main entrance is a winding brick path through a lush sculpture garden.
36
www.konklife.com • December 18-24, 2014
The path leads to a magnificent covered porch with four majestic sets of French
doors affording entrance to the main house.
A 35 by 12-foot grand hall anchors the entire, expansive structure.
The great room features skylights powered by remote control.
Kitchen and indoor dining are upscale and spacious.
Elizabeth Eakin of NY and CT was
commissioned to create a palm frondthemed rug for the great hall, which is
furnished with fine antiques including
a French bread table; equally
impressive antique pieces are found
throughout the home. “Many of the
hers vanity and closets plus an extra
closet housing a stack washer and
dryer (separate from the family
laundry) for extra convenience. All
baths share the same handsome décor
of travertine marble walls and floors in
shades of beige and brown; travertine
furnishings are available to convey
with the house,” he said.
The master bedroom suite, at the
rear of the home, not only shares
access to the side and rear porches
(the latter via double sliders: modern
pocket doors) but features a his and
37
www.konklife.com • December 18-24, 2014
tiles grace all floors in the main house
with the exception of the grand hall,
which is of ceramic tile.
The main living area truly puts the
term “great” in great room. Its soaring
cathedral ceiling contains power
Continued on next page.
Classy Casa Marina lady
skylights which may be opened,
closed or shaded by remote control.
Similarly, a large screen lowers on
one wall to create a home theater.
There is, of course, surround sound.
The far wall of the living area is
entirely open to a large back dining
porch and a few steps down to the
pool deck. A breathtaking, top-ofthe-line kitchen also opens onto the
rear veranda; the fourth set of
French doors off the entrance porch
open onto the dining area adjacent
to the kitchen, which also contains
wine coolers, a GE Monogram range
with grill and griddle and stunning,
burled wood cabinetry, a tuckedaway Meile washer-dryer plus a
handy powder room with coppery
fixtures and a basin fitted into an
antique, painted chest of drawers.
Beside the resort-style pool with
its subtle waterfall is that two-car
garage, with storage rooms and a
full indoor-outdoor bath on the
Continued
first level. On the second is a large,
two-level guest cottage with
pristine white-painted wood floors
(“amazingly easy to maintain,”
attested property caretaker
Bert Whitt) and a lovely sense
of serenity. Direct entry is via
Villa Mill Alley.
Built in 1948, 711 South Street
has clearly recently benefitted from
the current owners’ superlative taste
and the talents of architect and
designer Alexander Baer (of
Baltimore, Key West and Fire
Island). This classy, top drawer,
one-of-a-kind Key West estate is
offered by Doug Mayberry of
Doug Mayberry Real Estate;
reach him at (305) 304-3267.
Konk Life welcomes subjects for
other articles about Keys homes
currently for sale. Contact Guy
deBoer at (305) 296-1630 or
(305) 766-5832 or email
[email protected].
Above the
two-car
garage is a
lovely, serene
guest cottage.
The master
bath is the
epitome of
handsome.
38
www.konklife.com • December 18-24, 2014
1
2
Featured Home Locations
Key Haven
3
2
1
Stock Island
4
Featured Homes – Viewed by Appointment
Map # Address
#BR/BA
Listing Agent
Phone Number
Ad Page
1
1901 S. Roosevelt Blvd., 306W, Key West
2BR/2BA
Dawn Thornburgh, Beach Club Brokers, Inc.
305-294-8433
800-545-9655
40
2
414 Louisa St., Key West
2BR/2BA
Frank Kirwin, Preferred Properties Key West
305-294-3040
305-304-5253
40
3
1217 Packer St., Key West
5BR/5BA
Doug Mayberry, Doug Mayberry Real Estate
305-292-6155
42
4
405 South St., Key West
5BR/4BA
Doug Mayberry, Doug Mayberry Real Estate
305-292-6155
42
41
www.konklife.com • December 18-24, 2014
Key West Association of REALTORS®
keywestrealtors.org
Phone (305) 296-8259
Listing Agency
Lower Keys
Coldwell Banker Schmitt
RE/MAX All Keys
Century 21 Schwartz
KeyIsle Realty
Coldwell Banker Schmitt
Century 21 Schwartz
Waterfront Keys Realty
Coldwell Banker Schmitt
Coldwell Banker Schmitt
Coldwell Banker Schmitt
KeyIsle Realty
Century 21 Schwartz
Prudential Knight & Gardner
Key West
Compass Realty
Royal Palms Realty
Gale L. Shepard
Truman & Co.
Doug Mayberry Real Estate
Florida Keys Real Estate
Truman & Co.
Sellstate Island Properties
Mia Howe Realty
Truman & Co.
Key West Properties
Truman & Co.
Selling Agency
Sold Date
Coldwell Banker Schmitt RE
American Caribbean Real Estate
Century 21 Schwartz
Keller Williams Realty Premier
Coldwell Banker Schmitt
Coldwell Banker Schmitt
Internet Realty of the Florida Keys
Coldwell Banker Schmitt
Keller Williams Realty Premier
Coldwell Banker Schmitt
Datashare Office
Southernmost Realty
Location 3 Real Estate
12/4/14
12/11/14
12/9/14
12/8/14
12/9/14
12/4/14
12/5/14
12/5/14
12/5/14
12/5/14
12/9/14
12/5/14
12/4/14
Florida Keys Real Estate
Southernmost Realty
Gale L. Shepard
Keys Property Management
Doug Mayberry Real Estate
Florida Keys Real Estate
Doug Mayberry Real Estate
Preferred Properties
Mia Howe Realty
Sun Source Realty
Seaport Realtors
Prudential Knight & Gardner
12/10/14
12/5/14
12/8/14
12/10/14
12/8/14
12/11/14
12/8/14
12/9/14
12/5/14
12/5/14
12/5/14
12/10/14
List Price
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
43,000.00
319,921.00
599,000.00
239,900.00
135,000.00
699,000.00
159,000.00
439,000.00
175,000.00
15,000.00
269,900.00
525,000.00
374,800.00
Sold Price
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
40,000.00
310,000.00
560,000.00
230,000.00
135,000.00
650,000.00
125,000.00
425,000.00
145,000.00
9,487.00
269,000.00
527,500.00
346,000.00
Street #
29859
1633
612
24969
14
1048
701
22821
163
13
17180
5020
15
Fax (305) 296-2701
Street Address
Island
Built
Description
Bdrms
Wtrfrnt
MM
Overseas Hwy #LOT 2
Lantana Ln
Blackbeard Rd
Palm Ln
Redfish Ln
Calico Jack Cir
Spanish Main Dr #10
Buccaneer Ln
Sawyer Dr
Date Palm Dr
Mosher Dr
5th Ave #20
Driftwood Dr
Big Pine Key
Big Pine Key
Little Torch Key
Summerland Key
Cudjoe Key
Cudjoe Key
Cudjoe Key
Cudjoe Key
Cudjoe Key
Sugarloaf Key
Sugarloaf Key
Stock Island
Key Haven
N/A
1989
1995
1987
N/A
1990
1999
2014
N/A
N/A
2004
1972
N/A
Lots
Single Family
Single Family
Single Family
Lots
Single Family
Mobile Home
Single Family
Lots
Lots
Single Family
Single Family
Lots
0
3
3
2
0
2
2
3
0
0
3
3
0
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
30
29
28.5
24
23
23
23
23
21
19.5
19.5
5
5
1997
1991
1967
1999
1943
1963
1963
1935
N/A
1963
1991
1938
Townhouse
Condo
Condo
Single Family
Single Family
Single Family
Single Family
Single Family
HOA/Condo Lot
Single Family
Condo
Single Family
2
3
2
3
3
3
3
2
0
3
2
3
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
No
4
4
3
3
2
2
1
1
15
0
0
0
$ 279,000.00
$ 268,000.00
165 Golf Club Dr
Key West
$ 299,750.00
$ 290,000.00
3930 S Roosevelt Blvd #W109
Key West
$ 349,900.00
$ 320,000.00
2601 S Roosevelt Blvd #409A
Key West
$ 829,000.00
$ 860,000.00
2639 Gulfview Dr
Key West
$1,464,000.00
$1,360,000.00
715 Frances St
Key West
$ 525,000.00
$ 470,000.00
3717 Cindy Ave
Key West
$1,349,000.00
$1,300,000.00
827 Eisenhower Dr
Key West
$ 392,000.00
$ 500,000.00
529 William St
Key West
$ 250,000.00
$ 225,000.00
11 Park Rd
Saddlebunch
$ 699,000.00
$ 660,000.00
910 17th Terr
Key West
$ 269,000.00
$ 255,000.00
3930 S Roosevelt Blvd #212W
Key West
$1,495,000.00
$1,350,000.00
1126 Washington St
Key West
Based on information provided by the KWAR MLS from 12/04/2014 to 12/11/2014
Good Deeds sponsored by
3
4