The highest §§ point in Key West FREE V o l . 1 , No. 16 Key West, Florida April, 1976 cuisine* daily specials chineke dinner smoothies takeou opervnooa to ten pm closed £ wednesdau AMQIER. 73 adorn ih& body ... <2,5~ Colors, in u/j'//cwy -fropicaJ cottons SV5> Old \$itYe.r Jewelry jfrom the. SaA Plus • - - dutch houiyinjs and European prir HOUSE 6\9 FRONT ST From the Editor My son called out to his mother the other day, "Mommy, mommy, some quick! There's a tick in the shower, with me." His mother looked, didn't see anything and asked, "Where is it?" "There, mommy, there by the lizard." Somehow that's very Key West. So, we hope, is Solares Hill. We've been around before - from 1971 to 1973 - and we think we're here to stay this time. Those familiar with the paper will notice the same gen- eral format, groovy artwork and uptone. We don't want to be scoldsj there is so much here to cele- brate. However, if something looks bad we'll poke around it and hope to nudge it back into a good place. We're monthly - it will be an 11 month year with probably Aug. and Sept. or Sept. and Oat. joined together as one issue. Happy news from our art department. Solares Hill is fortunate to have one Tom Pope, a registered architect who soon will be architeating here, doing the layout with a calmness and skill that soothes the all-too- easily rattled editor. We have a wide range of contributors on tap -in addition to some fantilar names. We hope to be hearing from Art Weiner, Martha Wedel, Gil Ryder, Emma Cates, Thurlow Weed and Malcolm Ross on a fairly regu- lar basis. Former readers will undoubt- ably be pleased to see the Jerry Miller art work review in this issue - including his magnifi- cent trees - as well as an up- dated Thurlow article. Every- thing else is new. We're of ten going to have articles on the rest of the Keys and the paper will be distri- buted throughout them. Our initial press run is 10,000 copies and we will be distributed at all newstands, grocery stores, super-markets, drug stores, motels, etc. If you can't find us and need a copy, please call 4-1044 and leave a message. We'll get copies to you. For a free paper our sub- scription rate of $10.00 for 11 issues is ridiculously high. This is mainly for those who wish to support Solares Hill as patrons. All old subscribers will receive the first issue free and can reeubscribe for $5.00 if they wish. We owe thanks to so many people for the great assistance they have given us - we hope that this paper will be worthy of their efforts Some notes are: our paper is out the first of the month - We 're your community newspaper - Send articles to 821 Duval St., c/o Solares Hill or call 294- 1044 or 294-2400. Many thanks for having us back Bill Huckel THIS IS OUR SUBSCRIPTION FORM HERE IS $10.00 FOR MY SUBSCRIPTION TO 11 ISSUES OF SOLARES HILL. NAME ADDRESS_ CITY STATE ZIP Our mailing address : 821 Duval S t r ee t Key West, F lo r ida 33040 Phone numbers a re 294-1044 & 294-2400 In Marathon c a l l 872-2915 a1' 1 ft, Solares Hill is a community newspaper published every month on the slopes of Solares Hill, Key West's highest point, by Solares Hill Company, 821 Duval Street, Key West, Florida 33040. Annual subscription rate (11 issues) is $10.0,0. EDITORIAL BILL HUCKEL ART DIRECTION TOM POPE COPS EDITOR WEEDS RUSSO With a little help from our friends . . Jerry Pfahning, Lawson Little, John loung, Cecelia, Cheina, Bill and Cathy and "Veep" and Mary of the Florida Press and many, many others. Many thanks. Copyright ©\ 1971. 1972, 1973, 1976 ' Solares Hill Co. All rights re- served. by Bill Huckel On the Today show earlier this month there was a film clip on Key West. Toward the end of that clip, a figure was seen on his bike going down- Duval Street. This was no ordinary guy wheel- ing his Schwinn down the block." This was Sara with his incredible bike. And what a bike! Dual horns, dual lights, dual mirrors, dual warn- ing flags, antlers and statues, a transistor radio, Navy placards, rear red lights, and a black case with the warning on it : IF YOU CAN READ THIS YOU ' RE TOO DAMN CLOSE-! Sam sets- off on his bike early in the afternoons, beeping, waving and smiling his way down the city streets. He can be heard coming - beep-beep, honk-honk - and by the time that he arrives to where you are standing, at least a dozen people have had their days brightened by Sam. But who is Sam? Who is that man on that crazy bike? Is he way-out like his bike? Way-out? Well, he's; been a human pincushion, a light-heavyweight boxer, a blues singer-, a hobo, a fire eater, a dancer, a barker, a construction worker, a cheiver and swallower of glass, a cook, a Navy man, a snake man, an iron worker, etc. Sam (Samuel Sunnier) was born 62 years ago in Tennessee. His daddy, who was what Sam calls a "jackleg"* preacher preacher, left his family when Sam was five years old. A grandmother raised him till be was ten years old. Sam quit school at nine to help take care of a younger sister after Ills grandfather died. He also went to work in an iron yard. Two things happened when Sam was ten. His family situation changed and a. carnival came to town. Sam felt free to leave home and the lure of the carnival was strong. So at the age of ten, he left town with a carnival', the Roger Grater Shows. This carnival went all over the South. A blackfoot Indian named Sam Coons taught Sam to eat fire, chew up and swallow,glass, be a human pin- cushion, and dance on a bed of nailsJ Sam was doing this before he was a teenager. He returned home for a while but got itchy-feet again and took off. He then joined the Royal American Shows out of Tampa and worked for Leon Claxton and his Hipcat Minstrels. He did this for about three years and then joined the Johnny Ward Shows where he ran rides. Next came a time with the Heck, Beck, and Wallace Minstrel Shows. There Sam was a blues singer and dancer with Mary Smith, the sister of the immortal Bessie Smith. Then came a tour with the Whirly Mirth Athletic Show. And this time, Sam was a light heavyweight boxer who would box exhibition rounds with the locals to see if they could stay in the ring with him. This was going beauti- fully, "until a little cat from Mobile, Alabama named Lightening knocked me on the mat, and then I left boxing." He returned to Nashville and worked the Cumberland Valley Side Show, this time in a snake show. Sam worked with pythons - three of them - 12', 14', and 16' long. When he was around 23, he went to Tampa and worked construction, but show business called again and this time he was the head worker with the Sweethearts Rythym, an all girl or- chestra in Tampa. The Second World War caught up with him and he was inducted into the Navy. He remained with the Navy, travelling all over the world with them, until he retired to Maine in 1967. He was stationed in Key West from 1954 to 1959, and got to love it. He returned here in 1970 and has worked as a cook at the Buckeroo Steak House, La Brlsa, Tony's Fish Market, Louie's Back Yard, Midget Bar^ Logan's, and is presently cock- ing on the base. One might well ask what possess- ed Sam to do up the bike the way he has. The answer is unexpected but simple - for safety reasons! "I was going down Duval Street one night and dropped my flash- light and was almost hit by a car. That's when I made up my mind to put the lights on my bike." One thing is sure. If you can't see Sam on his bike, you can hear him. Or if you can't hear him, you can see him. This man with his incredible history of different fantistic jobs and continual wandering has been happily married for 30 years to the same wonderful woman. He and his wife, Alice, have five kids. One of whom is in the Air Force, and one is in the Navy. Sam has become a much loved figure in Key West and he returns that love. "I love Mallory Square, the friendliness of the people and the carnival atmosphere. I love all Key Westers, black and white." * No damn good v HAjR SOLAKfUM 416 GRBBH TAYLOR-QLORE Department; Store SKET j 4»»*-'uJICKER~.0SKETKV — FORM ITU-RE T o y s — FUJ&S— ONE OF /\ Klhlt>-5 "P LASTIC5 — PILKO10 S — A NT 10,0 E5 GI FT.5 — tf AIKCUTT i NQr 328 S1MONTON. KEY U5EST. FL.33040 (3053294*5778 one \r\t\oor or oof4oor dininain Hesters Old phone <£• Lunch |i- 3 pinner 6 - [2 6even DaV^ fl WeeK The cover drawing is by Martha de Poo. LOUIEX WKW DRINKIN6 AND D1N1N6 ON im OOEm IN KEYWE5J LUNCH (2 noon-fo 2pm DINNER 7pm \o \2 305-2?f-2235 Palmas del Mundo seafood & natvral foods, editorial In an art-late on Rest Beach for the summer '72 Solaves Hill, Di Di Quigley observed that "the undeveloped and wild areas of Key West have almost vanished" but that one was "still free to walk there (Rest Beach) and to contem- plate its special qualities: the presence of native sea-side plants and animalsj the relief and quiet the area provides from the atmos- phere of the public beaehes." If state or federal monies were available, Rest Beach could be replanted^ turned into a beau- tiful waterfront park., "picnic tables could be shaded by trellises covered with morning glory vines, paths could wander through Austra- lian pines, sea grape trees, and palms, and the city could have a lovely and necessary park addition for its residents and tourists. Such does not appear to be the future for Rest Beach, however. What appear to be rows of townhouses are in the planning stages and the sides for two and the foundation for one have already been built. Preliminary plans appear to show two groups of eight townhouses and -one group of four stretching from Stevens Ave. to the White St. pier. A real shame - a special corner of Key West gone, a view blocked, an open space closed in, etc. But there is more - apparent- ly this project is being jammed down our throats without all the proper procedures being followed. It's one thing to have a special area taken away from the city legally but it's another thing if it's being done illegally. For openers, single-family water hook-ups were obtained from the F.K.A.A. on the basis of single-family construction permits but at the same time multiple- family building permits were taken out to fit the city's H2-H building zone (hotel, motel, multiple- family dwellings, etc.) This is a new zoning system apparently - multiple/single-family construc- tion. Sounds confusing. Further, if these units are townhouses then special public hearings must be held to see what objeations would, if any, be raised against them. This has not taken place and townhouses and single- family dwellings are excluded from the R2-H area without public hear- ings. It would appear, also, there is serious doubt about these units following the Florida state coastal setback laws. Fortunately, a team of state engineers is being sent to the Keys to determine the high water mark and to recommend on the enforcing of the coastal setback law. The city ' s master plan pre- pared in '68-'69 by Milo Smith and Associates recommended that the property be acquired by the city with state and federal assistance, and be preserved as a park. Quite obviously there has been little done here. Some of our commissioners have just returned from Tallahassee where they loudly protested the state's labeling of Key West as an area of critical concern. They stated that we had adequate laws and ordinances to govern ourselves perfectly well without the state's interfering in our local affairs. Well, we might have the laws on the books but they are worth- less if they are not enforced. What we seem to have here are indifferent publ-ic officials, powerful development interests and an uninformed and/or apathetic citizenry. If one of these three groups was to change, something could be done^ about the construction at Rest Beach or, at least, to make sure that the rules are complied with. I don't believe the builder is going to back off and the public officials have shown little interest in this affair thus far. Therefore it 's up to the citizens to do some- thing . Solares Hill asks that all registered voters or property owners who are concerned go take a look at Rest Beach. See what is happening. Imagine how beautiful it could be and imagine how it will look all developed. Make up your minds. Send us a post card advising us of your stand. If we receive enough support, Solares Hill pro- mises to pursue the matter further. Thank you. ARTISTS UNLIMITED ^should ajnt work. o CAPT.TONrS THE OLDEST ACTIVE BAR IN FLORIDA! ESQUIRE MAGA2INE... 'ONE OF THE TOP TEN GREAT BARS IN THE NATION" CAP! TONY'S SALOON q.g8C5-REENE ST. REST BEACH White. by Martha Wedel KEY WEST— A fight is brewing over a new townhouse project on Rest Beach which promises to mix citizens, contractors, city officials and state agencies in a confrontation reminiscent of pre-Crit.ical Concern days; . The development in question, owned by Carl Rongo, a local contractor, involves 831 feet of beachfront on the southern tip of the island, an undisclosed number of units, four of which are already under construction. The units will sell for upwards of $110,000 apiece. Three major objections have been outlined by veteran hl-rise fighter William H. Westray, a retired U.S. Navy Commander, who has kept track of the project since he first spotted a construction trailer on the site two months ago. Westray alleges violations of city zoning ordinances, coastal construction setback lines, and of the city's master plan which earmarks the area for public beach. During a Solares Hill interview, Rongo denied any such violations, and said, "It's not fair for people to throw up barricades (to construction) without risking anything themselves. So far it's nothing but talk. Let them put up their money and take me to court." ZONING According to the City of Key West zoning ordinance 69-29, Rongo's property, located between the White Street Pier and Stevens Avenue, lies within an R2-H building zone. This classification allows three types of construc- tion only: "1. Hotel, motel and apartment hotels; 2. Multiple-family dwellings; 3. Bungalow courts." The first building permits taken out by Rongo on Jan. 22, and the three more on subsequent dates, are for single family residences. Westray says the units should be required to have permits as townhouses, since they "precisely fit" the city's definition of townhouse "A one family dwelling unit of a group of three or more such units separated by adjoining fire walls.... Each townhouse unit shall be constructed upon a separate lot and serviced with separate utilities...." Both townhouses and single family dwellings are excluded from R2-H zoning without a Special Exception from the City Commission sitting as the Board of Adjust- ment. Townhouses cannot be permitted without special public hearings with adjacent property owners. Rongo said, however, that "the way I read the ordinances this isn't required." Although Rongo refers to the dwellings as townhouses, he says they are single family, and cites Sec. 412.8 of the Southern Standard Building Code, "A townhouse unit shall be considered a separate unit." The semantic waters are further muddied by city Public Service Director Woodsy Niles who contends that, "It is. a single unit but the overall project is multiple family. It's just a matter of interpretation." Niles avoids the use of the word "townhouse". "They are single units with double walls abutting. When they are joined j they're multiple units." Mayor Charles (Sonny) McCoy also believes that town- houses can be considered single family dwellings. McCoy, an architect, said Rongo asked the mayor if he would design the project. "I said he didn't need an architect's seal because they are single family units. I gave it to my draftsman to draw up, as a favor to Rongo." McCoy said he was not commissioned, and has not received any money for his firm's services. On the basis of the single family construction permits, Rongo persuaded a majority of the 5-member Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority to issue him two water permits in mid-February. Only water requests from single family dwellings were being considered at that time. PKAA Directors Delio Cobo and William Pagden lost a 2-3 vote against granting Carl Rongo Inc.'s request. PKAA Executive Director Royal Newman declared at that time that Rongo had found a "loophole" in the ban against multi-family hookups. Newman told Solares Hill .that with the new moratorium imposed early in March, "There's no way Rongo can get any more." Rongo3 however, is determined to get water when he needs it. The (PKAA) enabling act says it shall furnish water," said Rongo, who quipped that if he is turned down he "may request the Executive Director to carry it to me in a bucket." continued on page 11 Lamp & Widow Designers utilizer a. vAde n unusual EiJZA&EFH ST KEY WEST, M entrance on/D^usL by appdnfcmerifc M IS B 13 IS IS B IS B IS B IS fi IS B IS B IS B IS B IS B IS B IS B IS B IS B B B IS B IS B IS B IS B IS B IS B IS B IS B IS B IS B IS B IS B IS B WEST presents IN CONCERT Easter Saturday with a host of friends TICKETS .$, Environmental Circus Key West's Oldest Music Store^ Established 1970 518 DUVAL STREET / KEY WEST, FLA. 33040 / PHONE 305-294-2260 B fl SI SI SI SIaa El SIaaa sia sia sia 9a sia iss! EQTT-flGES Ei EFFICIENCIES 727 Truman Ave. Key West, Fla. 305-294-6222 33O4O PEACHES Floor Covering Co. Oldest floor company "in -\h& 62! Fleming S t CONCH CURE 0,m Flo Torg or Tile •Cat-pel Floor ̂ a Fte [ It was not an insect bite that started the two-year misery with my husband's eye but it did feel "like one. Just a sudden sharp sting on the right lower lid which made him rub the eye over and over. The next day not only was the eye swollen but also the right part of his face. We applied eyedrops and some cold compresses and within a few hours the swelling receded. The eyelid, however, looked worse. We consulted a doctor who pre- scribed an ointment and said to give it some time. Time did not help; the lid looked inflamed and started protruding into a kind of open tri- angle which not only impaired my husband's looks and made him look ten years older, but also was a constant irritation. We visited an eye-specialist who started with a penicillin injection which did not help. On the next visit he removed a tiny piece of the lid for examination, but there was nothing malignant. In spite of new drops, ointments, hot-cold.treatments and another session with the scalpel, it did not get any better. Wherever we went, medical centers and specialists in the States as well as in Europe, my husband got the same treatments and always to no avail. We learned the Latin name of the symptom, that it usually happens to both eyes, and that it is found more often in elderly women than in elderly men. But it did not ge't better. After two years my husband was advised to submit to an operation in two parts which sounded involved, disagreeable, and expensive. Before we made a decision, however, we went for a vacation to Key West. For the first time in his life my husband, who is a mediocre swimmer, swam under water with his eyes open because he became fascinated by what he saw on the bottom of the sea. The first few times his "drooping eye" hurt very badly from the salt water but his fascination kept him diving. After a week we noticed that the sick lid looked less fierce, and after little over two weeks the eye was com- pletely and miraculously cured. The symptom has never recurred and we keep coming to Key West to swlin under water with wide open eyes. When we recently met one of the doctors who had treated the eye, my husband told him the story of the cure. The doctor confessed, "There is a lot we do not know. The water of the ocean contains components with healing powers which are as yet unknown to us. But you found in Key West what we could not give you in our office." THE PO8Tm-ALLEN CO., INC. insurance t 2162Oearn|eeft rdi I CONCH CURE It was not an insect bite that started the two-year misery with my husband's eye but it did feel'like one. Just a sudden sharp sting on the right lower lid which made him rub the eye over and over. The next day not only was the eye swollen but also the right part of his face. We applied eyedrops and some cold compresses and within a few hours the swelling receded. The eyelid, however, looked worse. We consulted a doctor who pre- scribed an ointment and said to give it some time. Time did not help; the lid looked inflamed and started protruding into a kind of open tri- angle which not only impaired my husband's looks and made him look ten years older, but also was a constant irritation. We visited an eye-specialist who started with a penicillin injection which did not help. On the next visit he removed a tiny piece of the lid for examination, but there was nothing malignant. In spite of new drops, ointments, hot-cold treatments and another session with the scalpel, it did not get any better. Wherever we went, medical centers and specialists in the States as well as in Europe, my husband got the same treatments and always to no avail. k A A A A We learned the Latin name of the symptom, that it usually happens to both eyes, and that it is found more often in elderly women than in elderly men. But it did not g£t better. After two years my husband was advised to submit to an operation in two parts which sounded involved, disagreeable, and expensive. Before we made a decision, however, we went for a vacation to Key West. For the first time in his life my husband, who is a mediocre swimmer, swam under water with his eyes open because he became fascinated by what he saw on the bottom of the sea. The first few times his "drooping eye" hurt very badly from the salt water but his fascination kept him diving. After a week we noticed that the sick lid looked less fierce, and after little over two weeks the eye was com- pletely and miraculously cured. The symptom has never recurred and we keep coming to Key West to swim under water with wide open eyes. When we recently met one of the doctors who had treated the eye, my husband told him the story of the cure. The doctor confessed, "There is a lot we do not know. The water of the ocean contains components with healing powers which are as yet unknown to us. But you found in Key West what we could not give you in our office." THE PORTED ALLEN CO., INC. insurance -since \®\\ WILLIAM A.FREEMAN s * . WILLIAM A. FREfr/AAH JR. PAVIP W. ANP PINNBR AT PINIMG ON 512 CLAM5 ANP T - \Ofrt\ HALp 6HELL s9 12,4- Dmelf i t* 1930 ffegLer aye. MOTHER NATURES 60UNJY, Frusfand Vegetable Juice Bar 1616 PwvaJ^h -*- %M-VbO& IV MUEttNIM jeans .shirts KEY WEST § TjORQSCOPE earzs Key West birthday: January 18, 1828 Key West is a Capricorn town with Gemini ascendant. An Astrology buff will know immediately what that por- trays - the people here, native Conehs, are reserved and proper but will will- ingly extend themselves to assist a non-Conch in a helpful and friendly manner. Always, the reserve is there! The unspoken awareness that this is their island; never awed or excited by any outsider visiting their town no matter how famous or infamous he may be elsewhere. Never any advances made to in- trude on famous visitors for auto- graphs; that would be rude, and an invasion of privacy. Capricorn is too concerned with propriety, and besides no matter how world-renowned the visitor - a Conch knows he is "Lucky" to be enjoying the treasures of Key West. Portrayal of Capricorn pride? Another facet of Capricorn clearly visible in Key West - Politics. A small town, yes, but super-large in attention to political matters. Communication: friendly, gossipy, youthful, fun-loving; the Cuban in- fluence is depicted by the aspect of Gemini ascendant. The sign Gemini rules friends and brothers. Rules forms of commun- ication: verbal, written or visual. Gemini rules writers. Note the number of writers that call our town "home". Solares Hill is resuming publi- cation with a new moon aspect in the 10th house (career) of the chart for Key West. A good aspect for this newspaper. During the month of April , we will see more of the changes that have been occuring in our town. Key West will continue in the transition (8th house, sun) from a military-oriented economy to one bolstered by tourists and private enterprise. Be assured, however, that the military will always play an import- ant part in the life, of Key West. As history has recorded, and the future will continue to show, Mars and Jupiter conjoined in Scorpio i s a potent configuration. Scorpio rules the military. During the last two years, while Saturn in Cancer has been t ransi t ing the 2nd house (finances) of the Key West chart, money problems have beset our city. Cancer is the natal sign of our country, and .Gemini is its" ascendant also, so the res t r ic t ions imposed by the planet Saturn have been felt locally and nationally in much the same manner. Values have been tes ted , and the lessons of Saturn will make us better able to evaluate money and i t s worth when Saturn moves into the sign of Leo in June, 1976. Saturn also rewards when i ts tough lessons are learned, so the summer will bring improved financial conditions. Our moon in Pisces on the M.C. (mid heaven) gave us an uncommon amount of publicity, in March; Boca Chica Airfield, drug t r i a l s , e t c . , all on national television, including NBC's Today Show. Spring .Equinox: Aries, the only fire sign in the Key West chart will mark April as a month of new beginnings for the business climate of Key West. Good aspects in the 11th house of friends, hopes and wishes bodes good tidings. Future events forecast prosperity for Key West. caidfeM TIKAL1MDIN6 COMPANY CENTRAL AMERICAN 400 a YELLOW BUTTEJFU N«ftT ^«iA.^WJ> The ^Coffee Beans'' 0.0varieties \o choose from freshly grind yoor coffee, as you like IT b̂ • spices • imporfeci Teoi 41.6_6REENE. 5T Fully Qualified FreePicMJp& Delivery COMPETENT MECHANIC ANY MAKE AMERICAN! CAR • ELECTRICAL SYSTEM « IGNITION • CARBURETION • TRANSMISSION REPAIR 296-9616916 JAMES ST. CLIFF & ISABEL ADAMS RARE RUGS - TAPESTRIES AffTlQUCS . WORKS OF ART 423 5IMONTON ST. KEY WEST FLORIDA 3 3 0 « 10 Greene Street Gardens Greene Sbr&eb KEY WEST PERFUMES. made by Nelson Palmour, the third generation Palmour to manufacture fine perfumes. Key West 's original and oldest•perfumery. 425 Green Street is the only loca- tion where original Key West Perfumes can be purchased. ALL BREED HOT DOGS Let us relish your buns in our tropical garden. THE LEATHER SpUL Key West's oldest leather shop specializing in the finest quality handmade leather goods invites you to stop by any day between noon and 5 PM to browse around and watch our craftspeople at work. SWEET SUZJ'S SWEETS Sliced cakes, cheese- cakes and other home baked goodies. Special orders with advance notice. 296-2326 "Sweet to eat!" BAHAMA MAMA'S has it all, from bikinis to straw. Carribean imports, hand craft- ed jewelry ~ pottery from our studio. Featuring the work of Vaughn Cochran. Treat yourself to the only tropical open-air shop in Key West. OPEN: noon to 8 P.M. • MOVIE DINE* every 5undgy and Monday Pinner and <»Mojor UMi Pjfa MUTE'S ALLEY in historic OLDKRHSSI See Ouolity Hand-Made Cigars ROLLED DAILY Prompt Attn. to Mail Orders .o gallery "§ garden ^ ^ J 400 front street ^ T " key west, florida 33040 tf\ 305 294-6035 paintings . graphics sculpture portraits - $10.00 (while ypu wait) all exclusive! all price ranges open 7 days a week 10:30 - 5:00 HOES 1000 S. IWsevdt 0lvdM Key VMesf- T l H # H 2000 SHEP rest beach continued from page 5 COASTAL SETBACK Rest Beach is a relatively narrow strip of sandy beach seaward of Atlantic Boulevard. Although the depth, according to the deed's metes and bounds description varies between 72.5 feet and 160 feet, Westray suspects the actual property above mean high water may be consid- erably less. A state law requiring a 50-foot coastal construction setback, if en- forced, would make some of the 831 foot strip unusable for Rongo's units which are 40 feet deep along a 20-foot setback from the boulevard's right-of-way. Alerted to the Rest Beach con- struction by Monroe County Commissioner. Jerome Shipley, and by a half dozen private citizens, the Division of State Planning and the Department of Natural Resources have ordered an engineering study of Keys beaches to determine where to enforce the 50- foot setback. According to a March 16 letter from Attorney General Robert Shevin to Westray, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Division of Marine Resources, will send a team of en- gineers to the Keys by mid-April to examine the beaches and decide whether to enforce the coastal setback law. Shevin told Westray that the state DNR had put off its surveys of Keys beaches because most were non- sandy and not subject to erosion. The law is designed to protect beaches from erosion and construction from being washed away. Eastern Tin, director of the Division of State Planning, the agency which is administering Critical Concern guidelines for land and water manage- ment for the Keys, was "greatly disturbed" to hear of possible viola- • tions of local and state ordinances and is following the'progress of the debate. Rongo'said that he doesn't "want to bend any laws," in the use of the beachfront, but "Will probably exercise my riparian rights in accordance with state and federal laws." He indicated he intends to fill to the limits of his property, as described by the metes and'bounds. If others' estimates are correct, it could involve from 20 to 40 feet beyond present mean high water. PUBLIC VS PRIVATE The beach property in question has long been privately owned. However, public access has been allowed histor- ically. Old men sit in the city park, across the street and watch the lazy waves. One ancient conch says the ritual won't be the same without that quiet, empty spot. The city's master plan prepared in 1968-69 by Milo Smith and Associates recommends that the property be ac- quired by the city with federal assis- tance, to be preserved as a park. Key West's Mayor McCoy said, when interviewed about the city's failure to acquire it, said "We approached the State three or four years ago. Ney Landrum, (Parks and Recreation Director, DNR) said the state had no money." McCoy said he did not approach the federal government. Admitting that he "hadn't the slightest idea" how many units he would eventually build, Rongo said limitations would include supply and demand and restrictions on the use of the land itself. Whatever pro- perty Rongo said would not be built upon he would retain as his private beach, stating public access would "absolutely not" be retained. "This is private property with all the rights that private property carries," he said. The loss.of this land to the public irks Westray. "If the city had exhausted every avenue in pro- .curing that land for public use and been turned down at every point, then I really couldn't complain if they allowed private enterprise to develop the area. However, no formal request has ever been made for federal or state or any other assistance." Rongo said he bought the pro- perty for $250,999 and has another $50,000 sunk into construction so far. He pays $500 a week interest on his loan. "This represents a size- able investment, so I have to be as close to being right as I can be." Rest Beach, formerly Picnic Tree Beach, named for ancient button- woods, hasn't an exactly pristine history— once a dump, later a site for a slaughter house. But it has somehow fixed its place in island.lore- Consider the name alone-.-a gentle pro- test against the evolution of the land's use as a place to have fun, to a commodity to be sold. • hair styling •electric razor repitfr •men's cosmetics • hair coloring •wholesale suoplies HALF SHELL RAW BAR ICE COLD BEER clams oysters lobster shrimp stone crab conch chomder conch fritters smaked fish & shrimp and more Lands End Village Foot of Margaret St. Key West, Florida Near the Turtle Kraals Phone 294-7000 •SB* CATHERNE 10 Greene Straefc Gardens Greene Street KEY WEST PERFUMES- made by Nelson PalmouVi the third generation Palmour to manufacture fine perfumes. Key West's original and oldest perfumery. 425 Green Street is the only loca- tion where original Key West Perfumes can be purchased. ALL BREED HOT DOGS Let us relish your buns in our tropical garden. THE LEATHER SfiUL Key West 's oldest leather shop specialising in the finest quality handmade leather goods invites you to stop by any day between noon and S PM to browse around and watch our craftspeople at work. SWEET SUZY'S SWEETS Sliced cakeSj cheese- cakes and other home baked goodies. Special orders with advance notice. 296-2326 "Sweet to eat!" BAHAMA MAMA'S has it allj from bikinis to straw. Carribean imports, hand craft- ed jewelry - pottery from our studio. Featuring the work of Vaughn Cochvan. Treat yourself to the only tropioal open-air shop in Key West. OPEN: noon to 8 P.M. PGRORELLW • MOVIE DINE** every Sunday and Monday Pinner ami a Major Wbfton Picture 1000 S. Roosevelt dlv4., Key West Teleh 2*4' 2000 C M FACTORY mm in historic OLDKETHESC .2 gallery "§ garden • — (0 § 400 front street key west, florida 33040 305 294-6035 paintings . graphics sculpture portraits - $10.00 (while you wait) all exclusive* all price ranges open 7 days a week 10:30 - 5:00 Sfl See Quality Hand-Made Cigars ROLLED DAILY Prompt Attn. to Mail Orders ixaes SHOP rest beach continued from page 5- COASTAL SETBACK Rest Beach is a relatively narrow strip of sandy beach seaward of Atlantic Boulevard. Although the depth, according to the deed's metes and bounds description, varies between 72.5 feet and 160 feet, Westray suspects the actual property above mean high water may be consid- erably less. A state law requiring a 50-foot coastal construction setback, if en- forced, would make some of the 831 foot strip unusable for Rongo's units which are 40 feet deep along a 20-foot setback from the boulevard's right-of-way. • Alerted to the Rest Beach con- struction by Monroe County Commissioner Jerome Shipley, and by a half dozen private citizens, the Division of State Planning and the Department of Natural Resources have ordered an engineering study of Keys beaches to determine where to enforce the 50- foot setback. According to a March 16 letter from Attorney General Robert Shevin to Westray, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Division of Marine Resources, will send a team of en- gineers to the Keys by mid-April to examine the beaches and decide whether to enforce the coastal setback law. Shevin told Westray that the state DNR had put off its surveys of'Keys beaches because most were non- sandy and not subject to erosion. The law is designed to protect beaches from erosion and construction from being washed away. Eastern Tin, director of the Division of State Planning, the agency which is administering Critical Concern guidelines for land and water manage- ment for the Keys, was "greatly disturbed" to hear of possible viola- • tions of local and state ordinances and is following the .'progress of the debate. Rongo said that he doesn't "want to bend any laws," in the use of the beachfront, but "Will probably exercise my riparian rights in accordance with state and federal laws." He indicated he intends to fill to the limits of his property, as described by the metes and''bounds. If others' estimates are correct, it could involve from 20 to kO feet beyond present mean high water. PUBLIC VS PRIVATE The beach property in question has long been privately owned. However, public access has been allowed histor- ically. Old men sit in the city park, across the street and watch the lazy waves. One ancient conch says the ritual won't be the same without that quietj empty spot. The city's master plan prepared in 1968-69 by Milo Smith and Associates recommends that the property be ac- quired by the city with, federal assis- tance, to be preserved as a park. Key West's Mayor McCoy said, when interviewed about the city's failure to acquire it, said "We approached the State three or four years ago. Ney Landrum, (Parks and Recreation Director, DNR) said the state had no money." McCoy said he did not approach the federal government. Admitting that he "hadn't the slightest idea" how many units he would eventually build, Rongo said limitations would include supply and demand and restrictions on the use of the land itself. Whatever pro- perty Rongo said would not be built upon he would retain as his private beach, stating public access would "absolutely not" be retained. "This is private property with all the rights that private property carries," he said. The loss.of this land to the public irks Westray. "If the city had exhausted every avenue in pro- curing that land for public use and been turned down at every point, then I really couldn't complain if they allowed private enterprise to develop the area. However, no formal request has ever been made for federal or state or any other assistance." Rongo said he bought the pro- perty for $250,999 and has another $50,000 sunk into construction so far. He pays $500 a week interest on his loan. "This represents a size- able investment, so I have to be as close to being right as I can be." Rest Beach, formerly Picnic Tree Beach, named for ancient button- woods, hasn't an exactly pristine history— once a dump, later a site for a slaughter house. But it has somehow fixed its place in island.lore- Consider the name alone—a gentle pro- test against the evolution of the land's use as a place to have fun, to a commodity to be sold. HALF SHELL RAW BAR ICE COLD BEER clams-oysters lobster-shrimp stone crab conch chomder conch fritters smoked fish & shrimp and more Lands End Village Foot of Margaret St. Key West, Florida Near the Turtle Kraals Phone 234-7000 CATHEWC • hair styling •electric razor repifir •men's cosmetics • hair coloring •wholesale supplies 12 Old Town Antiques loe Duval Sfreef Tortoise - Bamboo, Oak , Chinese, Deco, Jewelry, Wicker, Ewiskets, Pir4s qn4 ^4 I2if West Ghosts This Island City lures the visitor with elemental aharmsj the tales of blood and passion^ earthy, open living^ sea and sun. The Isle of Bones seduces something cloistered deep within the tourist. He will never know it stayed behind until he reaches home. The missing part expands a ghostly partial population that inveigles the return from dreary lives of self-discovered artists and adventurers, who never knew what they were meant to he until a piece of spirit was collected as a souvenir by Old Key West. from Again In Complete Steel by Richard Marsh H O U S E fk/ilrin fl24, The &lfa Ifaze & # tradifioml khJ-L fatel. Tranquil, yd Ifyity^nd Vjry tofojf& hH clecoh Com' M I BETTLE'5 NUf̂ ERT f f "have mrrfhm far pstio i q4t4m hanging bymcfe u& tytcieMy One of the most magni- ficent trees in Key West is the enormous Spanish Laurel that juts out be- fore the Paul and Reta Sawyer house at 1029 Fleming Street. Surface roots, the size of a man 's torso, stretch for,two blocks around and are firmly anchored in the three cisterns' of the house. In the last century, another Spanish Laurel of just such proportions grew directly across the street but was brought down by a hurricane. At that time Karl Thompson, five years old, planted a limb from the fallen tree and from this grew the tree we now see. Be was one of five children of a retired Norwegian sea captain who had a grocery store on Eaton Street. A.t 'that time the 1000 block of Fleming Street was far be- yond the town limits. i .Another immense Spanish Laurel grows at the corner of Simonton and Baton before the Old Stone Church. Mrs- Myrtle Houston, who has been a member of the congregation for 70 years, remembers playing under the tree as a little girl. She says that she is sure the tree was already ma- ture during the fire of 1886 which destroyed many buildings, in the area. She also said that there once stood a row of these huge trees along the whole south side- of Southard Street between Simonton Street and Duval. They had all been planted in the mid- 1800' s by banker John White. A spectacular banyan or fiaus .tree dominates the compound between Canfield Lane and Margaret Street. Mr. Stevenson who's lived below^this tree for many years' said that it must be constantly trimmed back since it drops runners which become new trunks. In this way, the ficus con- tinues to spread and he re- calls seeing one in Singapore that covered several acres. The fruit, purplish and edible, is a great favorite of migrating finches and other birds passing through. A piaturesque wild fig tree grows in the center of the First National Bank parking lot at Duval and Front Streets. Mr. Robert Lewis, who has worked years for the city, ten year's for the county and the past twenty-one years for the bank, recalls the large rooming house of Mrs. Cripe which once stood there._ The house burnt down fifty- seven years ago and the tree grew out of the brick cis- tern which remained. It has been a lovely and familiar sight to Key Westers ever since. CANFIELD LANE FICUS THEE SAWYERS SPANISH LAUREL memorable TREES of old key west Text by Jim Coan Dry Brush by Jerry Miller SPANISH LAUREL AT THE OLD STONE -t. .15 & Zelda written and illustrated by Malcolm Ross "East Meets West" might well apply to Cesar and Zelda Catala, a matched set, two bookends support- ing a bundle.of well-worn, dog- eared anecdotes of Old Key West and Early Americana, a pair of salt and pepper shakers--similar in many re- spects, yet highly individual in content. Cesar was born in Key West, a fourth generation Conch whose pater- nal grandfather was a Spanish diplo- mat - - a captain of the Court of Customs, comparable to our present day State Department - - sent to this part of the world by the Court of Madrid as a mediator between Cuba and Spain during the tense times at the beginning of the Spanish- American "War. Cesar's great grand- mother on his mother's side came to these shores by less glamorous means, the victim of a shipwreck. His grandmother's brother, one Rollins Pierce, piloted the battleship Maine from Key West to the high seas and turned her over to her captain. History notes that her sailing days were numbered at this point - - no fault of Mr. Pierce, of course. Cesar's memories of growing up in Key West are of an island swept by hurricanes, a community very close to the seas, with a railroad its only link to the United States and a ferry to Havana - - closer to Cuba than Miami both culturally and geographically. The keys were all very different then - - remote and wild and sparsely populated. Islamorada was still "the purple isle", so named because of its purple hue when approached by sea. This color was due to a species of wildflower which grew in profusion about its shores. As a prominent character on the Key West scene, Cesar na- turally has played parts in many of the dramas of Old Key West. For four years he served an ap- prenticeship in a Key West cigar factory, holding both the positions of "picker" and "packer". A "pick- er", who was required to memorize . over 150 colors of tobacco leaves, "picked" out the completed cigars according to color. The "packer" then packed the selected cigars and arranged them attractively in •the box—particularly the top layer. An interesting aspect of cigar factory life was that one could become "well read" without opening a book. In the days 'before radio and muzak the cigar factories em- ployed men called "readers", who read aloud in both English and Span- ish everything from classics in world literature to newspapers and poetry to the cigar workers. This diversion was of course a great boost to the factory workers' morale and made the earning of the daily bread a little less painful. Since his cigar factory days Cesar has turned to other vocations such as that of professional rhumba dancer in both Miami and Havana. Awards were there to be won in dance competitions and Cesar once danced before Cuban Dictator Batista in Key West's Cuban Club on Duval St. A stint as a chauffeur found Cesar behind the wheel of the first automobile in Key West - - that owned by Dr Maloney of Simonton St.. Pipes and drains became his com- panions and another calling to master was that of professional plumber. Cesar did plumb .well and the original plumbing code for the City of Key West was co-authored by him and another plumber. The frontier of solar energy has also been pioneered by Mr. Catala and he has constructed solar heaters for several houses in the city. Cesar is also an avid fan and accurate forecaster when it comes to that local spectator sport called hurricane tracking.- No statistics are available but his accuracy is astounding. A neighbor, Peter Whelan, says - "There was a hurricane coming in late September, '75. It came up through E. Cuba to ! ^ Oriente and moved west. At that point I wondered if it would go through Havana to Key West. I asked Cesar and he said he'd been tracking hurricanes for 25 years and that there was no likelihood of that and that it would go much- further west before north and it did just that." Cesar's professed interests are birds and good Spanish cooking." His interest in the former has taken such various forms as bird cage construc- tion, one of which won an award at the Chicago World's Pair of 1929. These cages are generally crafted from local materials, such as "co- conut straws" or the hard center spines from palm fronds. His fas- cination for. our feathered friends -also extends to the imitation of the calls of various local birds. An amusing anecdote in this regard is related by Cesar as to how a domino game was broken up by an irate mocking bird which Cesar lured from its tree into the #3 Fire Station, As Cesar explains it he casually gave the call of a female mocking bird in distress - - as when her brood is threatened by a snake or similar intruder. At any rate a mocking bird suddenly flew into the Fire Station and buzzed the heads of the domino players.. A late arrival on the scene was totally unbelieving. As the man stood scoffing at the story and fanning himself with his hat, Cesar repeated the bird call. Apparently the movement of the man fanning himself attracted the angry bird for it immediately flew down from its tree again and pecked the man on the top of his bald head! It's difficult to say where Cesar's fascination for cooking began, but no doubt it started with his first realization as an Infant that food can taste good! Naturally, growing up in Key West, his speciality is Spanish-Cuban Cuisine. It is a tradition in the Catala household to have an open house for about three days every Christmas. Both Cesar and Zelda prepare for this event for weeks ahead. The accent,, of course, is Spanish and dishes ranging from baked ham to black beans are prepared in great quantity and with great,finesse. Cesar's unusual method of "iron- ing" a Christmas ham with an electric iron to seal in its juices so im- pressed one visitor that it was written up in a northern newspaper. Other taste delights abound and are equally sensational. On the third day after Christ- mas it is possible to stop by the house and view the fatigued pair in a state of near collapse surround- ed by mountains of dirty dishes - - totally exhausted from entertaining the scores of friends who have stop- ed by to extend their season's greet- ings. Cooking for the multitudes has never been a problem in this house- hold and in earlier times Cesar and Zelda have combined their talents to cater large dinners - - some in excess of 100 persons - - and particularly for Navy functions. In preparing for one such'affair Cesar was cautioned that amoung other local dignitaries, the Admiral who was commandant at Fort Taylor would be in attendance and that he and his ulcers were extremely difficult to please. Ignoring this warning Cesar, as head chef, went ahead with preparations for a fine Cuban meal with molletes, black beans and other typical dishes. Nothing could deter Cesar or make him alter his plans. x/y t/ Finally at the dinner, Zelda in an eleventh hour gesture to avert disaster, kicked under the table at Cesar who was ladling out the black beans and doling out the molletes. Ignoring her again, he heaped the black beans high and plopped the largest mollete on the Admiral's plate. Zelda gritted her teeth and prepared for the worst. What reac- tion would the Admiral's ulcer take? It was her shock-, however, in a short time to see the Admiral back in line for seconds! Cesar's strength and physical endurance ar.e almost legendary in Key West. Once Cesar pitched a double header of 18 innings against the Tampa Browns - -when he was 14 years old! Another incident from earlier days involved an automobile accident in which a young girl was pinned beneath the wheels of the vehicle. Cesar's reaction time was much quick- er than most who would have sought the aid of a jack or other mechanical means to hoist the heavy car. With his bare hands he slowly raised the car body and allowed the girl to be pulled to' safety. Another episode in Key West history which called upon thevher- culean strength of Cesar, centered about'the fire which destroyed the old Baptist Church, a beautiful land- mark which ohce.sto.od at the corner of Eaton and Bahama Streets. (A new structure of less classic proportions now stands on the same site*) As had happened numerous times in the past the night sky over Key West took on a distinctive red glow. To those who had seen the glow it could mean but one thing - - fire! All volunteers including Cesar were quickly on the scene along with the Key West and Navy fire brigades. The Baptist Church was very much afire and the old wooden structure which had survived hurricanes and other natural shocks was going fast. It soon became clear that the building was doomed and further efforts to save it might prove fruitless Suddenly, Cesar noticed that the railings and porch timbers of the house next to the church, owned by painter and friend Eugene Otto were starting to smoke and catch fire from the intense.heat. Without so much as a "By your leave" Cesar grabbed the fire hose away from the four men who had been training it on the burning church and directed the extremely heavy piece of equipment at the smoldering porches. The incredulous stares and' remarks of the onlookers and fire fighters were countered by Cesar's classi/c shout: "That's a Conch's house that's on fire! Let God take care of His .Church!" Well, Mr. Otto took care of Cesar and presented him with a case of Pedro Domecque brandy the next day. In contrast to Cesar, Zelda1s origins are western and WASP. Her early memories are of northern Cal- ifornia and Oregon, a land of Indians and logging flumes. Although a born Californian, Zelda was taken in by grandparents at four years of age and raised on an Oregon ranch. Both grandparents were from Missouri and had come west by different means - - her grandmother having crossed the plains as-a child on the Oregon Trail and her grandfather having come around "the Horn" by ship to the western frontier. As a child Zelda heard stories of the seven month crossing of the plains in a covered wagon, the hardships, the loss of two sisters and a brother in Indian attacks. The family which had started out with 200 head of cattle and 'some degree of affluence.arrived penniless and with one yearling at their destination in Portland, Oregon! . Her grandfather, on the other hand, had been a school teacher and left Missouri at 27 years of age with "lung fever"(today's tuber- culosis) and six months to live. He arrived'in San Francisco when mud was knee deep in the streets. His "lung fever" somehow disappeared in the fresh western air and the ex-teacher, rancher and school superintendent lived well into his 80's. Zelda and her forebears have felt a closeness to the 16th presi- dent of the United States and rightly so. Her grandfather's brother had served as. a "scribe", or secretary, to Lincoln, but during the days when her grandfather was a child on the Missouri-Illinois border it was his fascination to sit atop a rail fence and yell "Hooray for Abraham Lincoln!" at the Union troops who rode by on maneuvers. One day when he yelled "Hooray for Abraham Lincoln!", one of the riders on a large black horse pulled away from the others and reined up by the startled boy. The rider leaned over in the saddle and handed the boy two pennies and it was then that he realized that the rider was none other than Lincoln himself! The pennies are still the family's treasure and the' recounting of this incident in an essay won Zelda an award in a statewide Oregon competition in 192 4. The award turned out to be a copper replica of a Lincoln penny about five inches in diameter and weighing about two pounds! Zelda1s reason for ending up in Key West is simple enough. 28 years ago she came here with a suitcase planning on staying for a two-week vacation. The wind blew the '"will resume classes in two weeks" sign from her ceramics studio door in California before she made it back west years later. Just what part. Cesar played in this drama is un- certain. The environment which Cesar and Zelda have created for themselves out of a once condemned cottage is not only liveable but visually very attractive.. Decorators and antique dealers have "oohed and ahed" over their collection of wicker (some of Spanish origin) and the assortment of artifacts and antiques of Old Key West. Some have even tried to buy whole rooms but the answer is always the same: "It's not for sale. It's our home." As Key West is from the sea so is Cesar and Zelda's house from Key West and the sea. An analysis of the decor reads like a history of the island. Here among driftwood that is so beautiful it looks more like sculp- ture are artifacts from the days of the sailing ships - - water casks and buckets, a set of over 200 "dead- eyes"* (ranging in size from about eight inches in diameter to the size of a dime) from the sailing ship "Nonpareil", which was broken up in Key West. Mementos from Key West's cigar- making era abound - - a leather slung cigar maker's chair, cigar molds, a tobacco crock which was used In the cigar factories to keep the tobacco leaves moist. Here, too, are desks from the first school in Key West, the Key West Free School. Hidden among Zelda's collection of copper are two copper hanging kerosene lamps from the coaches on Flagler's railroad. Here hangs a hat which Cesar wore at the opening of the Casa Marina about 1919. A gray streaked, white marble table top was once a fixture in the Rest Beach slaughterhouses. Everywhere, is something func- tional or decorative made from a piece of an old Key West building - - a candelabrum and a creche made from turned porch ballusters, floors of Bahama pine which were originally part of' St. Joseph's Catholic School, a cabinet made from shutters to the old Convent of Mary Immaculate. tetf'/m -hkcto _16 Cypress is everywhere, the wood of an antique pie safe gleaming softly •in the subdued light, its finish Cesar's secret formula made from the sap of the gumbo limbo and other indigenous trees. The Bahama pine table which is polished to a glass- like finish was once the door to an old Key West drugstore. A cypress aquarium filled with fish and other glass baubles was once a lighted sign from another Key West store. Here, too, are such odd pieces as a pair of candlesticks used at funerals and called "coffin lights", a brass oil lantern carried by the slaves to light the way for carriages, an unusual rattan-like crawfish trap, from the Virgin Islands, a beautiful string of wood floats from a turtle net, Cesar's ornate bed which was once slept In by Cuban patriot, Jose Marti. Evidence of Cesar's artistry is everywhere evident. A cabinet which he fashioned from an old pigeon coop, chandeliers made from wrought iron pieces and broken demijohns, a collec- tion of porcelain doll heads from diggings at Rest Beach. The list is endless 3 but everywhere is beauty, the beauty"of natural wood, the mellowed beauty of an antique. One thing which It is not possible to find here, however, is curtains. Zelda doesn't like them and feels she doesn't have anything to hide any- way! Framed in a cypress panel from a door to the old Convent of Mary Immaculate is a 200 year old glazed Spanish tile bearing the Image of a - leaping deer. The tile was brought from Spain as a gift to Zelda from Pauline Hemingway, the writer's second wife. Zelda and Pauline had many inter- ests in common - - antiques and drift- wood among them - - and during Pauline's stay in Key West the two became very good friends. Zelda recalls, however, only one encounter with Hemingway himself. The two women and a friend had spent an active morning beach- combing and the sensible thing seemed to be to have lunch at the house on Whitehead Street. The carrage house where Hemingway did most of his work was undergoing repairs and as they entered the kitchen Zelda noticed Hemingway writing at the kithen table surrounded by three of four sleeping cats. " "Ernest, would you like some lunch?" his wife asked. The next sound which came to Zelda's startled ears was something like a combination between a groan and a loud grunt. The response, which Mrs. Hemingway interpreted as negative was delivered without a break in his longhand or looking up from his work. Pauline prepared lunch which the three of them ate in a corner of the kitchen without disturbing the creative process or the sleeping cats.The practice of voodoo is, of course, not unknown in Key West. There are many who scoff at its alleged powers and probably equally as many who believe in it and/or respect it the way one would respect a poised scorpion. The object of this anecdote is not to put down the prac- tice or offend its followers. It is merely an account of th(e reaction of individuals to a situation. I I It seems*that a number of years ago some strangers moved into the house at the back end of the lane (or "The Alley", as it is known affectionately to its residents) -where the Catalas live. It soon became clear after attempts at friend- ship that these new people did not wish to mix with the Cohens or other residents of the lane. It was re- marked that there were strange comings and goings there at all hours of the night, that guns had been seen and suspicion was rife that something the music lows choke SWIFT'S 423 Duval St. Key West, Fl. 33040 Phone 296-8576 100A Kenwoods KR 2400 receiver $219.95 Garrards 440M Changer 114.85 UHralinears Fantastic 100A/S 240.00 Regular price $574.80 The Magicians Price 397.90 SAVE $176.90 Can you believe power, sensitivity response and class for under $400.00. Well, we didn't believe it either until the Magician of Swift's opened our eyes!! He's put the widely acclaimed Kan- wood KR 2400 receiver, a full size receiver de- livering 32 watts (RMS) into an eight ohm load, including the Kenwood quality and depend- ability together with Garrards record breaking 440M record changer and Ultralinears 3-way 100 A/Speaker systems. The 100-A's incorpor- ate a complete circuit protection system which will cut the speaker off if anything goes wrong before damaging the speaker which lets ultralin- ear feel at ease when they offer a 5-year war- ranty on all parts and labor. The Kenwood re- ceiver gives you 2 years parts and labor and of course, the explosive, clear distinction of qual- ity sounds when these 3 components are play- ed together. Look at the price. After listening to Hi-Fi systems such as this you'd expect to pay way over this $397.90. The Magician of Swift'* prices this at $397.90. But then what is he there for?? He gets you Hi fidelity, qual- ity components, fantastic sounds and a price you can afford! Unbelievable !!! If single play turntables are what you want; don't worry — The Magician has thought of you for only $21 extra. The Sony PS110 belt drive angle play system it for you "fishy" was going on. What was "going on" was uncertain but the alley's residents had no intention of letting it interfere.with their lives and they developed a blase but watchful atti- tude towards the new neighbors. In a short time certain un- friendly acts became difficult to overlook. Some people, particularly Cesar and Zelda, whose house was directly adjacent to the neighbors, noticed on numerous occasions strange objects in their yards, on their porches or under their homes - - bundles of strange weeds, parts of chickens, charred oil-soaked rags that looked as if they had once been ignited. A curious heart-shaped lobe of a cactus was im- paled on a spike at the end of the lane. Someone said that this was a voodoo charm designed .to kill all the people, in the alley. Suspicion led to annoyance. The last straw.occurred one after- noon when neighbors had gathered in a backyard for a birthday party. The cake and ice cream had barely been passed-out when acrid, foul-smelling smoke filled the alley and sent people running for water to bathe their eyes. It was no surprise that the source of the smoke was the house at the end of the lane. The untimely end of the party and the disappoint- ment of all attending - - not to men- tion the 15 year old girl whose birth- day it was - - caused Zelda's anger to flare and her mind started working on a plan of mischief. Donning a black raincoat with hood which was so large it dragged on the ground and filling one of the pockets with crumbled Cuban bread, Zelda took a quantity of Blue Cheer laundry detergent and a lighted seven taper candlestick and headed for the alley. Wildly gesticulating and muttering some unintelligible sounds she set down the candlestick in front of the gate of the house in. question. .Repeating her incantation she carefully sifted the Blue Cheer in straight lines across the alley at about three foot intervals. Then re- turning to the gate and picking up the candlestick she took from her pocket the crumbs of Cuban bread and scattered them (with appropriate syllables) onto the area in front of the gate. SVice of b brd "land 100 FRONT STREET UOS) UWU KEY WEST, F l , 1SH9 Well, apparently some people take their voodoo very seriously for sud- denly Zelda was attacked by the occupants of the house. The ensuing battle attracted neighbors who man- aged to break up the fight. Zelda made good her escape, and the next morning as the alley watched, the unfriendly neighbors "hopped like kangaroos" down the lane trying to avoid the lines of Blue Cheer. Upset by the attack on Zelda, the alley residents urged her to press charges against the offensive neigh- boor. Charges were subsequently pressed and everyone in the alley went to court. The offending party was roundly fined and the resulting trial with Conchs and Miami lawyers 'turned out predictable to be one of the more entertaining episodes of Key West courtroom history. Cesar occasionally makes odd short yelps in his sleep - - "Aiyee! Hiyee!!" - - which used to startle Zelda, but she says it's nothing to worry about. He's driving cattle. In his dreams he goes back to the days of his youth when cattle were unloaded from boats at the north end of the island, then run through the streets of town to the Rest Beach pens at the other side of the island. All this is gone.now, of course, and only in some folks' memory or in dreams can it be recaptured. Perhaps this is true 'of Old Key West as well. I FEATURING THE WORLD'S FINEST FRENCH & DANISH ICE CREAM Because we feel that eating Ice Cream is an exper- ience to be savored we have spared no difficulty in bringing you the world's finest. You may have to wait a little longer, go a little further and spend a little more but don't you feel you're worth it? We do!! ********* What is a Creation? What is a Battle Ship? What is a Sun Burst? What is a 5 KW is .where some maintain that DePoo \ Hospital is the best reataurant in {town. KW is the back room at the bodega, • especially on Saturday afternoon. KW is dog-packs in the early morning streets, and discovering that they are friendly. KW is Cayo Hueso Transit, the Gus-gua, chuckling through the town. Bus passengers once looked grim; now they smile. KW is hearing the leap-frog effect of crowing chickens, how it starts 'way •. over there, passes loud through here, and subsides faintly 'way off that way. KW is where if something can possibly go wrong, it won't; but sure things generally have a wheel come off some- where . ' KW is planting tender tomato vines in December and the next morning finding a chicken family scratching for roaches there. You chase them away and replant. The next day it may be a duck. KW is swatting something on your neck and finding out it was a termite. KW is planting fruit trees inside your wall by one rake handle's length, plus one foot. KW is the parrot coming over each sunset. There are some who say that it squawks, but we all know that his wing needs oiling. KW is a huddle of City Pigeons thwap- ping out of the bell tower at St. Paul's as Joe Lowe begins to play the carillon. It is also standing around Duval St. on Sunday morning at nine while he plays fanfares. KW is trying to explain Key West to outsiders, what it is about here, and wondering why. KW is the best place to come back to now. KW is trying to remember a person's real name, instead of what everyone calls him, while looking in the phone book. KW is where you can open a cheese store on all the moons you've been promised, and then sometimes having the moon itself, against all expec- tations, presented to you. KW is where you're desperate to get away from and can't wait to get back to. KW is where the rules are seldom enforced, where the traditions usually are, and where people tell you either everything or nothing. It is useless to wonder about that. Never try to explain it. KW is watching wintering Vultures circle over the area known as Middle Spring. That is where the bus station is, and other neighboring buildings. Why do Vultures so often circle just there? Air currents? KW is where a lot of people could be named by name, but don't want to be. This may well include you.. KW is going to the sunset and being blinded by the star performer. Unfortunately, sunsets must be witnessed from the east. KW is the sound of the conch shell being blown, a phenomenon noticed mostly by strangers. KW is not part of the Real World. If you don't believe it, go to Marathon, to Miami, or even to Bangkok (as some have done). When you get back you'll find that Key West is more real than you had thought. KW is about like any other small town — different from any other. And yet, after a while, you begin to think that Key West is probably valid after all. e Weartiouse 512 Duval Street At the wearhouse ladies will find today's finest fashions at very exciting prices. Our motto "Every Day Is Sale Day" is meant to tell you that we keep our prices low for you every day of the year, without sacrificing . the quality of our fashion selec- ' , tions. \ c the upper cru/t inbernabional gournnQt -/hop f r ench bread baked J s l Gourmet Gadgets ^ Cheese f Wine Open |O:«£o- £:^odaily pnday aneach ( Puvd Street 305-2^4 The Art of Well Digging & Other Ftertlnent Articles r- GREENE ST. THEATRE PREMIERE PRODUCTION SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER BY TENNESSEE WILLIAMS lg&> KESEKVEI) TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE THEATRE CORNER 01'' GREENE AND DUVAL STS. | 27 PICTURE SHOW A MOTION PICTURE ALTERNATIVE ECU KEY WEST APRIL MCN TUE WIEID THUC IFICi SAT I 71 31 0. H. lawnnce's D. H. lawranca's D. H. Llwiflnco'i THE VIRGIN THE VIRGIN THE VIRGIN AND AND AND THE GYPSY THE GrPSY THE GYPSY 4

1976-04 Solares Hill Newspaper, Vol. 1 No. 16, April 1976

Publication

Florida Keys History Center

Name/Title

Collection