•fj The highest • point in Key West FREE V o l . 1 , No. 18 Key West, Florida June, 1976 restaurant francais serving lunch & dinner in a provincial atmosphere ^Reservations accepted 305-294-6252 Harbor House Arcade Upstairs 423 Front St. Key West, Fla. 423 Simonton St., Key West, Fl In the Heart of "Downtown '76" George Fielder, Director From the Editor Well, let's start with a few statistics. Our circulation last month was 11, 000 copies. Our subscription list now con- tains 55 names. Our advertising has held up very nicely, O.K., that's enough about sta- tistics. I would like to add, how- ever, our thanks to our subscribers. The money that we get from them is playing a big part in helping us to keep afloat. I had forgotten to list our art- ist for the Olivia Street page last issue. 'Her name is Cae Lowther and I thank you again for the nice work, Cas . Malcolm Rose should be heard from again soon. We had his splendid 'Cesar and Zelda1 article the first issue and some truly lovely little sketches for the Benedict Thielen ar- ticle this issue. I had hoped to get another article from him for this is- sue but he has been in the process of moving his shop to the Harbor House Arcade this month and has been too busy to write. I think that we will be able to get Art Weiner to do a column for us on the ecology of the Keys. This should be good. Hey, special thanks to Gil Eyder and Richard Cummings for some splen- did late hour aid. Thanks are due also to Doug Johnston- and "Dink" Bruce and Donna Marsh (Richard, too) . It was a real pleasure to do the article on '"Crip" Lastres. Not only did I meet some really nice people while I was 'doing the story but also I had a nice experience getting to know what a fine man "Crip" Lastres was. The other day we had very strong winds in Key West. Many people felt that something was burning nearby be- cause the smell of burning was very evident in the air. Earlier that day, great billows of smoke had been' seen coming from Fleming Key. The Navy had been burning a lot of something at their dump there. Gil Ryder points out in his article on the cattle quarantine station that is planned onxx~ THIS IS OUR SUBSCRIPTION FORM HERE IS $10.00 FOR MY SUBSCRIPTION TO 11 ISSUES OP SOLARES HILL. NAME ADDRESS_ CITY for Fleming Key that nearly three tons of "unpleasant material" (ma- nure, mainly) will be incinerated at the facility daily. If the incin- eration doesn't work to kill all the odor (and Gil says in his article that this is subject to doubt), what a horrible time the residents of Key West are going to have on those days when the wind is out of' the North. Read the article and decide whether this project benefits any- one in Key West other than those who get the contract to construct it. Hey again! This is really a very important election coming up for the residents of Monroe County. Three seats on the County Commission will be up for election. Monroe County, like Key West, is an endangered species.. We desperately need com- missioners who are dedicated to the preservation of this wonderous area. Commissioner Jerry Shipley could do with some support in his battle to keep Monroe County from being ravaged by land speculators, hi-riae develop- ers, no plan/quick profit builders, and others who seem to view our home as a source for a quick profit and nothing more. Regretfully, I didn't run Emma Gates' horoscope column last month. In it she predicted that in the month of May word would come that the mili- tary would stay in Key West. The headline of the Citizen of May SO reads Military Likely To Remain Here For A While Yet. Her other prediction was that animals would play an important part in our island life in May. Anyone who reads the papers will notice that dogs have been in the news a lot• in May. That'8 all for now. Thank you. STATE "Crip" Lastres by-Bi l l Huckel t Had Will Rogers known "Crip" Lastres he might have remarked, "I never met a man who didn't like "Crip" Lastres." This enormously well loved man died about 1 year back at the early age of 46. The whole 'town poured out in tribute to him in what was one of Key West's largest funerals ever, "Crip's" real first name was Aurelio, the same name as his father. He was born September 25, 1922 in Key West, the first son of Aurelio and Mary Lastres. When we think about the Kennedy clan we think politics. When we think about the Lastres clan* we think baseball. The Lastres Srs'.. had six boys and three girls. Of the boys, Gabe was with the Newark farm club of the New York Yan- kees, Danny played in the .farm system of the Dodgers, and George with the farm system of the Giants. When one figures' the odds against one.boy out of the millions who play ball being good to make a farm team in the ma- jors one can see they don't make odds high enough for three brothers to rise so high in this sport. And George who was speaking for his brothers said they all agreed the best ball player in the family was "Crip". He said, "There is no doubt in my mind that "Crip" would've gone all the way in the Majors except for ..." Except for what? Except for the fact that /'Crip" had one leg 6 inches shorter than the othen'. To try and re- alize what a disadvantage this is, ex- periment by walking with one shoe on and one off. This is clumsy. Imagine a 6 inch difference and see what an enor- mous handicap this is. Getting around See p. 17 with such a handicap is akward but play- ing ball would seem impossible. But "Crip" played ball, and in this baseball-crazy town of Key West which traditionally has great players, he was considered according to friend, Ralph Arnold, as one of the two best 1st base- men in the league. Everyone remembers the fantastic ballet splits that "Crip" would execute when snaring a wild peg from another player. "He would do a perfect split - one leg out in front of the other - snare the ball with his glove way out- reached keeping his other leg on 1st base and then would push himself up af- ter the play." "Crip" was a good batter and would run the bases with a loping run. Ralph remembers "Crip" stealing bases as well. "Crip's" leg got messed up as a re- sult of a -freakish boyhood accident.' He fell while playing on a pair of scissors that jabbed him in behind the kneecap. It didn't appear serious at the time but "septicemia" (blood poisoning) set in and he was desperately sick for months. The Lastres's decided to go to Ha- vana for further medical attention part- ly at the urging of a Dr. von Cosel, a friend of Aurelio Lastres, Sr., who would himself play quite a role in the history of Key West. And it was there ijn Havana that the doctors had to re- move young Aurelio's kneecap. "Crip" was a powerful young man and even with his bad leg he could climb a coconut tree like a monkey. Among his other accomplishments at this time were dancing (he would wear a "brace), riding a bike by pedaling with one foot» and of all things, boxing. ZIP Cover drawing by Joe Regan Our mailing address 821 Duval Street Key West, Florida 33040 Phone numbers are 294-10411 & 294-2400 In Marathon call 872-2915 (Shown in this photo are the members of the 1939 Sons of the American Legion ball team. (Standing) A. Lastres, Mgr., G. Garcia, E. Vargas, L. Anitas, G. Lastres, J. Menendez, D. Roberts, G. Alonso,' R. Thomp- son. (Seated) R. Arnold, C. Lastres, 0. Cordova, C. Albury, 0. Es- quin'aldo, G. Albury, Red Hogan. (Kneeling) "Fito"Lastres. of Solares^^^^ S^t^iir^J^SL^lT Street, Key West, Florida **oA. Annlal subllrTplZTrllV'(\Tfs7u\s7 **' EDITORIAL.. .:.... BILL HUCKEL ART DIRECTION TOM POPE EDITOR WENDY RVSS0 With a little help from our friendt Solares Hill Co. All rights re- served. Open 7 Days The Mosf Exci+ing Shops in town are in ihe 423 FRONT STREET, KEY WEST, FLORIDA 33040 Ralph remembers him as a good boxer who won a few fights in the pre- liminaries before the main bouts. He and Jon Menendez, another good friend, remembered one time when "Crip's" dad was managing a team the brothers and they were playing on. Lastres, Sr. was a strict manager and when one of the boys showed up out of uniform he ordered him out of the game. The rest of the team except for the Lastres brothers walked off the field in protest and for two weeks there were such hard feelings between the groups that they didn't see one another (the whole team practically lived at the Lastres home acros's from the P.O. in those days). Finally to clear the air a boxing match was set up between the groups. "Crip" was the Lastres and Jon was the friend. After the bout everything was groovy and'all were friends again. "Crip" played ball for the P.G.B. store which sponsored a team. Jon re- called that it cost the store all of $3.96 to clothe the team. This was the cost of flannel and the parents helped make the suits. The owner of P.G.B. gave the boys each a free soda after each game they won. However after the team won almost all their games for three years in a row the owner complained, "Hey., when are you guys going to lose a game anyway?" It was during the depression and all those sodas make a difference. "Crip" played ball with the Sons of the American Legion and the .legendary • Red Raiders which is considered one of" the best teams ever fielded from Key West. It was at this time,'DeWitt Roberts remembers, during the district champion- ship against Palm Beach the famed sports- writeT Jack Bell wrote in the Miami Her- ald that "Crip" Lastres deserved a spe- cial award for playing such great ball under such a great handicap. In 1941, Pearl Harbor day, the Red Raiders were playing ball out by Trumbo Field. Within a week o"r so the whole team volunteered for the draft. "Crip", however, was rejected. continued on page 16 mm era b- CLOSED TUES. ^BROWSE d 1CBRAUN SHOPPE Art Gifts Handcrafts Harbor House Arcade 423 Front St. 294-3900 Open Daily OF THE LA CONCHA 430 PUVAL ST. the son and fhe «eou ds'ily far a, dr ink." 11 am. — "4am. some remarks Except for a belated article by a retiree who was present, the Bicenten- nial Forum on Volunteerism and Citizen- ship which was convened at City Hall on May 10th, was not covered by either of our daily newspapers. Tis a pity. For it was a very unique, newsworthy event, well attended. Some of our more serious problems were surveyed, and there was positive, constructive discussion as to how they might be worked at by an in- formed citizenry acting independently or through concerted group action. And we do have problems. Hugh Morgan, head of the Monroe County Bar Association,cited findings of the ongo- ing, environmental impact study of what would happen should the Naval Air Sta- tion be phased out. This appears to be a less likely, though still distinct, possibility. It was suggested that in the development of.the old Navy Base there be greater citizen involvement with the development corporation, to insure that the common good of all the people of this area be kept in mind. Ernest Szetela, a social worker, described health facilities and services available currently and in the near fu- ture. He also pointed out unique local problems in providing adequate outpa- tient care for all medicaid recipients, particularly indigent mothers-to-be. A suggestion was made from the floor that the possibility of an outpatient clinic providing needed medical services at the old Navy base be looked into, Roger Swift, a city administrator, outlined possible ways of handling the problems of sewage and waste dispbsal. Mrs. Ivan Mast recommended looking into what was being done in Ames, Iowa, where a small city's waste was used as fuel to produce electricity. Lee Roberts capably explained prob- lems related to our water supply and • utilities . A key fact which emerged was that the desal plant, built to last 10 years, is now 12 years old, badly needs repairs, and could easily break down. It supplies all the water for Key West. Participants questioned the wisdom of issuing new water permits until after this crisis situation is resolved. Dave Heart, a counselor' with Vo- cational Rehabilitation Service, sur- veyed problems related to alcoholism and drug abuse. Rev1. David Adams, represent- ing the Key West Ministerial Association, expressed the deep concern of his organi- zation, over' the lack of specific concert- ed law enforcement programs in either the sheriff's department or in the city po- lice department in the drug field, and the lack of any specific program to aid the victims of drug abuse here in Key West. HAIR SOLAKTUM 416 C5KEENB SI •SUMMER HOOKS • U-6 Anthony Calzadilla, Youth Services, described how young offenders are •handled by his'agency, and cited the need for uniform legislation throughout the nation to alleviate problems In this area. Sup- port for the new oceanographies program' to rehabilitate youthful offenders was voiced. Further discussion led to strong backing for continuing an alternate school, as some program to keep problem youths under age 15 off the streets is badly needed. After the Forum, many wh'o took part stated they fe'lt it met a real need. It provided an informed 'survey of related local problems, and made it clear that they are not insurmountable. It pointed the way to increased Involvement by con- cerned citizens of Key West as individ- uals, and as members of organizations, in working toward solutions which best serve the common good. Walpole's policy of salutary neglect may have helped set up optimum conditions for an American revo- lution in 1776.' But It was concerted action, not apathy, which resolved the problems of the original 13 colonies. Perhaps in this Bicentennial year the citizens of Key West will take steps to . work together to bring about what needs1 to be done. If this happens, the Bicen- tennial Forum convened by lazy Weintraub will have been newsworthy Indeed. E.S. A lot of people want to know what is happening with Rest Beach. Early this May an Administrative Appeal was sent to the city. An Administrative Appeal is an ap- peal from the decision of the building inspector that he issued the building permit for the project Improperly, i l l e - gally and not in the public welfare. It is an appeal to the Board of Adjustment. The Board of Adjustment i s , by law, the City Commissioners of the city of Key West. It is required that within a rea- sonable time the Board of Adjustment hold a public,hearing to hear arguments concerning the appeal. By law all work on the project is supposed to be stopped when the appeal is filed unless there is imminent peril to life or property. To date there has been no work stoppage and no date has been set for the appeal hearing. T COISIM& DINNER 6-11 PfA. 425 FRONT-ST-^g^Si ?*&*> FLA. |«r editorial The last two editorials in Solares a i i i have dealt with the townhouse devel- opment at Rest Beach. Not unsurprisingly, many people have felt just as 'strongly a- ° ° u t this building as we have. This is t h e point of editorials - to expose what we feel are wrongs, to get public support Dehind us on these issues, and to seek remedies to them. This is what we are do- J n S with Rest Beach. An Administrative Appeal has been sent to the City of Key West asking for an investigation into t h i s matter. And, until tne city responds "to "Cnis Appeal, we probably will not be editorial izing on i t . I would like to point out that this k i n d of editorial (Rest Beach) carries w i t h i t a lot of public interest. It is an easy suoject to write about and one t h a t arouses people. What: I'am going to w r i t e ' about today does not carry the same i n t e r e s t with i t . By July 2>\ no one who hasn't regis- t e r e d to vote will be allowed to do so i n the primaries. And, unfortunately, t h e very people who should be con- cerned about getting registered before t h i s date are the very people who r e a l l y are not interested. What turned tnem off? A good part of today's apathy can be t r a c e d to the disappointment of the young w i t n tne promise of tne sixties. Hope end optimism were in the air. Everyone felt a p a r t of a great change that was coming. America was going to realise her ideal as t h e moral leader of the world, peace was around the corner, we had young, concerned l e a d e r s who would lead the way and, in s h o r t , everything was going to be alright. Many 3 many young people became very ac- t i v e politically for the first time in t h e i r lives - everyone felt that he was a p a r t of something big and fine. Then crueler realities swung into f o c u s . Our leaders were assassinated, cynical men took the lead in governing, the war was escalated, the young were roughed up a n d , in some cases, killed and the bright promise of the sixties .became the cynical d e s p a i r of the seventies. Then came Water- g a t e and-it seemed to prove to many of t h e young that all government was self-. s e rv ing and blind to the interests of the peop le and that worse, i t was so deeply entrenched that nothing could remove i t . This is where we stand today. Too many feel that nothing can be done. Look a t Monroe County they say. The whole county has been declared an area of cri- t i c a l concern. You don't earn that t i t le by being an example of good enlightened government, do you, they asm. The answer t o t ha t is , no, you don't. But i t doesn't h , v e to remain that way, does it? And the answer is NO! continued on 21 REQUIREMENTS TO REGISTER TO VOTE You must be 18 years of age or you must a t t a i n 18 by the next e lect ion {September 7, 1976). You must be a c i t i z en of the United States. You must reside in Florida for 30 days prior to the election. In essence, if. you live in Monroe County or Key West now, you may register to vote in the Sep- tember 7th Primary up until the registra- tion books close at 5 p.m. on July 2l)th. You must have a registration address to establish your, voting precinct. You may change this address any time you move and you have up to one year to report an ad- dress change, during which time you may continue to vote from your last address. You must be mentally competent. You must not have been convicted of a felony unless* you have had your civil rights restored. Contrary to some belief, registra- tion does not have any bearing whatso- ever on whether you are subject to taxes of any kind. The only possible effect voter registration might have is to sub- ject you to jury duty. The voter rolls are used to select names for jury duty on a random basis. THE PRIMARY In Florida, as•in many Southern states, most local elective offices are subject to the "one-party" system — a carryover from the post-Civil War Re- construction era. There are. rarely any Republican or independent candidates for local offices. The effect of this is that most local candidates are effec- tively elected in the Democratic Pri- mary which occurs on September 7th. So if you wish to have a part in electing local officials such as, county com- missioners, sheriff, state attorney, school board, tax collector, etc., you need to register as a Democrat. The voting registration office (Supervisor of Elections) is located in a separate building directly behind the Monroe County Courthouse Annex at 500 Whitehead St. in Key West. Branch of- fices are located at the Sheriff's sub- stations in Marathon and Plantation Key. They are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. It takes only five minutes to register'and there is no red tape. GET REGISTERED NOW. Key Piaza Shopping Center discover a wonderful world of fashion Estee Lauder & Aramis Franchise Dealer Tuxedo Rentals Hours: Mort-Sat 10:00-6:00 A couple of weekends ago, two young Key Westers put on clown outfits, took a tank of helium gas and many balloons and set off for Searstown. Their pur- pose was to sell balloons to the kids and to have a good time. Permission had been granted them to appear at Searstown by the property manager. Almost all the owners of the stores there had agreed it would be nice, also. The clowns, Tim Wegman and Bill Berg, started preparing about 10:00 in- the morning." It was hot being in those outfits but they didn't care. As Tim said, "The little kids get so excited when they see us and they squeal and keep looking back and have such a good time - the whole thing is just good. " It wasn't that profitable, however. For around ten hours preparation and work they netted between $20 and $25 apiece. They would have worked even later but they got arrested. Arrested? What for? They were arrested around sundown that evening by a city policeman for selling without an occupational license. Not only that. They were taken to po- lice headquarters in one car while an- other car was called to bring in their balloons. They were booked, mugged, fingerprinted and jailed. A friend came down with money and they were released after paying a fine of $37-00 apiece. This is so wrong. Not only is it wrong to treat a very minor infraction with such ponderous seriousness, and not only is it wrong to use up police manpower on a nit-picking situation, but the whole philosophy of a city is made to appear wrong as well. Are we such heavies that clowns selling balloons to kids become animals because they don't have licenses? Is that Key West's philosophy? Let's hope npt. Why not set up a system of warning violations and giving them a chance to correct what is wrong. It would give the police officer a chance to relax, i t would give thef offender the chance to be lawful and it would help allow the t ra - ditional Key West philosophy cf consid- eration to others a chance to rebloom. Key West Island Bookstore Utfa ol hofa tn. oJi A I 619XDuval St. P.5. 10c AiUX fax- (ThA. puwua MOTHER NATURES BOUNTY, wefkar Art Weiner Phd. Dr. Art Weiner is a well-known name up and down the Keys . Some say infamous. Mention Dr. Weiner's name at a cocktail party and you'll get a knee-jerk- reaction. Arguments will break out. Friendships strain and the room will divide into opposing c amp s. Listen: "He ruined the economy of the Keys with that fight against hi- r i ses . " "He saved us from over-develop- ment ! Without him we'd be living in another Miami Beach in five years." "He caused trouble at the college - he's a rebel!" "He's a saint. Lost his job to stand up for what's right!" "Yeah, but those state controls put a lot of my friends out of work. I t ' s his fault!" "But he knows what he's talking about. There's only so much land and water and the reef is dying and he did something about i t ! " So Dr. Weiner's name and what i t stands for bounces back and.forth. Whether saint or sinner resides s t r ic t - ly in the eye of the beholder. To some he is an ideal is t , ecologist trouble- maker while to others he is the Man of the Mangroves - the Don Quixote of the Keys who dreamed an impossible dream that has come true. One thing is certain. Dr. Art Weiner is the man responsible for long- term planned growth in the Florida Keys, like i t or not. And since the Keys have been designated an Area of State Critical Concern Dr. Weiner and his planned growth concept have come under criticism. Dredge and fil l ing has been stop- ped and there has been a slow-down of new housing s tar ts due to restrictions on the number of water hook-up permits issued. But this situation is only tem- porary according to Dr. Weiner,.as the economy of the Keys adjusts to the new concept of planned growth and con- struction which is in harmony with the environment and density limits of the area. 218 DUVAL5T. (294-3717) AN EXCITING DISCO WITH EVERYTHING YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. And once you find that special person, get to know each other at the New Street Bar and The Top. It will also seem strangely out of character to many of Dr. Weiner's detractors that he is now working in the building tra'de himself, helping to plan, design and actually build homes in the Keys. Homes with dry t o i - lets and cisterns that assure man's peaceful co-existence with Nature. "I carnlTto the Keys in 19-65 as a graduate student from the University of Miami and discovered a truly 4 unique environment. When I received my Doctorate in Biology I moved my family to the Keys and decided th is would become my permanent home." "And because I wanted to preserve the quality of life I found here I be- came involved in the community, both as a biologist and politically as a concerned citizen. That was when the trouble began." "Dredge and filling was rampant and development nearly unchecked. Mangrove swamp and hardwood hammocks were being swept away and this was wreaking havoc with the ecosystem.. 1 had moved away from New York City to' Miami for a better environment and then away from Miami to the Keys as a last refuge. One morning I woke up and a b u l l - dozer was ripping a road through the mangroves next to my home. That was the last straw and I began to fight." SWIFT'S Ttechnics by Panasonic •i ! t I : \ 1 W UtfcJInecy Invest One Half a Thousand Dollars and Net One Million No, not even the Hi-Fi magician of Swift's can get you that kind of return on your money, but when we invest $506.12 of your money in this stereo sound system, you'll enjoy a million dollars worth of musical pleasure. Technics SA 5350 receiver $349.95 Kenwoods KP 1022 turntable 109.00 with Stantons 600EE cartridge 55.00 Ultralinears 3 way 100 A speakers 239.95 Total Retail $753.90 The Magician of Swift's says 506.12 SAVE $247.78 Here you have superior equipment no o n e would be ashamed of owning! The Magician of Swift's rates this super package System AAA. (Advanced Audio Area). What can you say when you're offered a name brand like "Technics", one of the fastest growing audio companies in America today!! Delivering 56 watts of RMS power at 8 ohms featuring: 2 speaker selection switch, 2 tape monitors, high cut filters, speaker protection circuit, wide sweep FM dial with fantastic FM sensi- tivity and selectivity!! You can get WSHE, you can get WMYQ, you can get 96X and YlOO. You can get the Technics receiver in this pack- age system thanks to the Magician of Swift's. And if the FM pleases you, just listen to a re- cord on the KP 1022 turntable Kenwood is so proud of. They give you two full years of parts and labor warranty. Complimenting the accura te and stylish 1022 turntable is the hottest pickup around, Stantons 600 EE stereo cartridge. Stan- ton is synonomous with crisp, clean quality and this high riding "Professional Standard Series" cartridge is no exception! These, put together with Ultralinears, widely acclaimed 3-way 100 A speaker system make this package system a fantastic buy at only $506.12, a savings of over $247.00!! That's why the Magician of Swift's says hurry now and get yours. It's an investment you don't want to miss!!! The Man of the Mangroves by Richard Cummings Professionally I was teaching at the local college and politically I began to organize support for con- trolled growth in the Keys through the creation of the Florida Keys Citizens' Coalition. I worked with officials in Tal- lahassee and testified as a profes- |sional.. biologist in many of the hear- jlngs on environmental concerns of the Keys . I recently wrote the Coral Pro- tection Bil l that was voted into law by'the Legislation and at the same time I am working with a local con- 'tractor building single family dwell- ings that conform to the guidelines of the Crit ical Concern constraints. • I believe we can have an eco- nomic cake and eat i t too in the Keys if we do i t r ight. I t is vitally im- portant to preserve the uniqueness of this area by building properly because 80$ of the private sector cash flow comes into the Keys from tourism. The tourists come to this area precisely because i t is not like Miami Beach or New York Gity or Hometown, USA. We must develop a way of life here based on the compatibility of Nature and human habitation within the environment. If we do not, then we wil l lose our high quality of life - our clean air and water, our wild- life and wilderness areas - in short our peace of mind. In the short term the Keys will suffer adjustment stress from Critical- Concern designation. But in the long run we are preserving the Keys for generations to come so that our chil- dren and their children will inherit perhaps one of the last high quality living environments in North America." To s i t across a table from Dr. Weiner is an education in ecology, in humanity and idealism. He is our res- ident professional ecologist, sought out as a consultant by state agencies and neighbors alike for advice on the Keys1 environment. Dr. Art Weiner is a name that is known up and down the Keys, famous and infamous; a name and a person you'd probably like to know better. (The following quoted remarks have been taken from an essay on local land use by Dr. Arthur .Weiner.) Th^re is an invisible but demand- ing bond\ that exists throughout the Flor- ida Keys\and one which, in recent years, has becomV more and more apparent to all i ts _citizens as population grew. This oond stretches between the nat- ural ecological systems of the Keys and the absolute need to protect them,and the commercial developers who are boosting the economy by giving it employment through construction, additional homes, more resort faci l i t ies , etc. How do you get a stable, growing, healthy economy and at the same time strongly preserve al l the vital require- ments of nature that, in themselves, give this region its very reason for its extreme popularity? The problem is nearly impossible to answer simply. Scientist'arid teacher, Dr. Art Weiner, one of this county's major forces in the conservation of i ts one-of-a-kind ecological systems-, emphasizes "that . 'Still accummulating scientific evidence has made i t abundantly clear that all life on earth is part of a vast commu- nity much larger than any human civil- ization." The "web of l ife," he calls the "eco- system, a network whose carrying capacity for any individual life form is depen- dant upon the health or quality of all i ts parts." The microscopic plankton, the t ini- est bits of nutrient at the edges of man- grove swamps that line all the islands in this county, feed the smallest of the fishes, provide the places for breeding, for protection of the young, food for shrimp and crawfish — and they, in turn, when grown will migrate out to the ocean and become the catch for all our hun- dreds of fishing boats and shrimpers. The shrimpers and fisherman live here. They earn wages and support the human life economy system on the land, which might be termed another "life sup- port system," - an "econ-system." Reconciling the two, the "ecosystem and the econ-system," so that the c i t i - zens can live here comfortably and yet support a growth in people and businesses, and also protecting the natural resources from rampaging, careless development of the land without regard for either nature in the availability of essential services like water supply, trash disposal, sewage disposal, educational fac i l i t ies , e t c . , is the foremost problem in the county. Weiner has remarked that the pre- vious years of virtually uncontrolled development without proper and stringent laws for land use, population density, zoning and conservation have led in- evitably to last year's mandate from Tal- lahassee which declared Monroe County an • "area of critical concern to the State of Florida." "Perhaps nowhere else in Florida" are so many people so dependant on the natural beauty and ecological s tabi l i ty of their land, which provides not only a high quality of life but also generates the circulating capital which fuels the local economy . . . " "In order to create a stable healthy economy, new development must be coupled with both an increase in income, from out- side the county which would stay and r e - circulate and not be taken out and enough financing for the essential support ser- vices." "It is impossible, over the long run, to expand and stabilize the eco- nomy solely through land development beyond the carrying capacity." The tourist industry, carefully regulated in i t s continuing develop- ment of new "structures, increased faci- l i t i e s , appears to be the economic an- swer to the Florida Keys, which would also save the strictly guarded natural ecosystem here. In the Key West and Lower Keys d is- tr ic ts of the county where great Toss -in a constant military' income is soon to be felt in many sectors — real estate, r e - t a i l stores, employment, loss in school revenues, taxes — tourist development through more attractions, seems to be uppermost in the minds of the counties leaders. The solving of the two ends of the paradox between strong voices for con- servation and those for development and building, would seem to be headed for settlement when 'all those human beings agree on reasonably regulated growth for the tourist industry while s t i l l holding onto strong protection of the natural resources. MJR$ERY s3^30ATyL6M/3 ORLUNCHE new AMP HOUfcS 7ms Cycle the Island ^ C BICYCLES TOURS - RENTALS - ACCESSORIES See Key West close-up on Wheels. New, safe, 3-speed guys' and girls' bikes. Lightweight adjustable tandems, great for kids, too. SIGHTSEERS Wheels has personalized maps and guide folders. Ask about our packaged tour. THRILLSEEKERS Ride an old-time Big Wheel. SHOPPERS Wheels' bikes have luggage racks and locks. Whatever your thing, Wheels will help you do it. Call us. Wheels 1601 N. Roosevelt at Truman 294-6542 : • , . - . . i COMMON SENSE by Gil Ryder ' PROFITABLE PESTHOUSE? A public meeting was held in the Key• West High School on September 18, 1975 concerning the projected "Fleming Key Animal Import Center, Key West, Flor- ida" - often referred to as the "Cattle Quarantine Station". Most of those residents showing an in- terest in the matter at the.time have s.ince received a rather large document entitled, "Final Environmental State- ment for Fleming Key Animal Import Cen- ter, Key West, .Florida" from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. There were, and are, opposing opinions as to whether or not the Center should be located in this area. Arguments by both sides seem to be fairly represented in this Final Environmental Statement. A comment was made by an individual res- ident of Key West that his home was ap- proximately 500 yards from Fleming Key. Investigation shows that the Center it- self will be 3,180 yards from Key West. (See page 93 of FES). In any case, it is obvious that the Center, if con- structed, will be very close to the densely populated area of Key West, It would be impossible to quote the en- tire Environmental Statement in this space. Therefore, the quoted will be confined to subject matter most readily understood by the average resident of the Key West area - in the opinion of the writer. The points made that might be attrac- tive to local residents seem to be: "Locally, the effect to the City of Key West would be to provide job opportu- nities for approximately 3-M unskilled persons on a permanent basis"; and - "Many supplies for the facility would be purchased locally". (See page 22 FES). Comment:' At the September 18, 1975 meeting it was brought up that the 34 unskilled loaal resident jobs would be largely clean-up an~d manure handling. Do you know 34 persons in Key Vest seeking a career in aow dung? The foreign cattle,will be checked for: Foot and Mouth disease, Tuberculosis, Brucellosis, Leptospirosis, Bovine Leu- kosis, Vibrio fetus, and Trichomonas be- fore arriving in Key West. (See page 3 of 'Statement). FERNS, BROMELIADS & GLOXINIAS CERAMIC AND MEXICAN POTTERY MACRAME BASKETS 1102"White St. Phone 294-7688 10 am-6 pm HAND CRAFTED SUN BONNETS Now at our shop "All personnel working in the animal .holding building will be required to shower in and shower out of -the build- ing". (See page 27 of FES). According to the table given, (fig. 7, page 30), there will be 4,500 lbs. of dried manure and 1,440 lbs. of dried bedding to be burned each day. ' Comment: Anyone who ever worked in a stable or cowbarn knows that the soiled bedding of the animals is just about as much of a mess as the manure itself. AlsOy the two items together total 5,940 lbs. (nearly 3 tgns) of unpleasant mat- erial. This is to be burned daily less than 4,0-00 yards from heavily populated and tourist attraction section of Key West.- DAJNDY MAN OF KEY WEST Pandy Man of feu We t 13 \METAL I |SCULPTURE a i B IS IS IS IS CREATIVE DESIGN Ti I i I i Ti 1 Ti BRASS COPPER SILVER IRON WORK WE DO CUSTOM WORK COME IN AND WATCH US PRINTINGS — PHOTOGRAPHY — GRAPHICS WATCH FOR SOMETHING SOON, MAYBE OR WHENEVER STUDIO — WORKSHOP — GALLERY 1 Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum A Registered National Historic Landmark This Site Possesses Exceptional Value In Co*nm*mOfa?ing or Illustrating The Histsry c! The United Ststes OPEN DAILY SAO AM. So &00 EM. 907 WHITEHEAD STHEET KEY WEST. FtA. ADMISSION SIM CHILDHEH S0< TELEPHONES: S36-5811 or O4-1S7S A l«in*»J? to** o* &*> ***** awl $ar-4**s. «l H»* *«*» Kab«i Pni* W:-1?n«fJ £?«««-* Hwâ rasgwoy, Th« immm WOT* Sxti'ii in Spg«i»fc C*Swi«s Sift* of «*tsv» fsfck h#w* horn fH» gr»«SKfs with fur«i*fc;*»*, rv* t , t i lo, c»«tmt*i .*•* bruujSa ht H» Hmminq- mays Item Sjwtiffl, Afc»*« wW C*zba. L^*urisMe «*ef:.c ptftrrts and ?r««» « • firo« *5t »w*r *&m w w i i It wsl h*r» ***s» Mr- wrstv Par #Ham fK» &v'! Tot^s, 0>r*«-n HMFs of A Fo rn t ! ! » A B U , Tt» Fifrd Ca!uv% T5w Sm»»* of Xi)in«*ni««, «W Tfc« Mo<«««W AS6s.». Mr. H»»>«*-«j M I ttm first i*npa?«a7*!l wri*«* p« «£iftc»v*r «"*! «»&](.» Ksy 'M**1! l*ii Iv-m.. B» w w < * • ha** hr- have err i ~ i pilot vl a Harva ., >-.. boat, ar truck a J - spends h_ On one c± t <• islands r i _ I have zi t •> with a ' -I- L- i man, wh li ~ - T- - , dog and t <- He is al r i-i ̂ i known wi c <—t _ i I h~ ~ ~" i r r trailer , n t- i T- , waterfrrr *• 1 the pinf= i^._ grounds cf Z _ ir_ , Sugarloaf, n u ~- - ^ ? * road on Cud,, <- sound of th>= i-t fifc tt- ̂ i r Naval Air Stir n _r. L,ca :...__, across the channel from Key 'west. I doubt, though, whether many of their. still live in the village of Marathon. When I first saw Marathon its population was 100. Today, in spite of the havoc caused by Donna, it is 6000 the year round and more than double that during the winter. Most of this groxrth has taken place in the past seven years. Everywhere the bulldozers are lurching and crashing, the dredges are sucking up new land from bay or ocean bottom. The mangroves along Sister Creek, where the fishermen tied up their boats when they got word of an approaching hurricane, have been chopped down. "The skyline which was silhouetted once by gnarled trees is now silhouetted by imposing structures," the Chamber of Commerce says proudly. There are other developments on the Keys .but Marathon is the most vivid example of boom-town progress and wildly unzoned confusion. From the tarpaper shack and the trailer park to the luxury resort motel, there is something for every taste, and for every lack of it. You can join the Sombrero Yacht and Golf Club, which features "shark and barracuda as a natural hazard." At Key Colony Beach you can hold a convention and choose from any of several brand-new hostelries. If none of these suits you, you can stay in a "botel" where there is parking space for your car and your boat. If you'd like to settle down In a "botel" 'you can buy one for $20,000. Since they are constructed as double units you can live In one half, rent the other, and spend the rest of your days fishing unplaeued by financial worries. If you haven't any financial worries to begin with you would probably feel more at home on Duck Key, a few miles 3.W3.V 'its brochure auite frankly states that it is "a way of life for people of means." A handsome hotel called Indies House bears this out, and if you don't want to make the trip fror-i Miami by car you can land your airplane on a nearby airport. In the fifty miles between Marathon and Key West there are still places_ where you can turn dovn a ruttea s.ae road ana at its end come out on a shore as deserted ana silent as iv was on that Kay morning in l:>^ wnen the Spaniards first sanea past ir.. There are still sheltere^cc-ves^wnere the white herons st-sna ™ ^ ^ ^ - " --'* the shallows and the ccraorar.ts ary _ their spread wings on a sun-c cashed . rock. But they are fast assappearing, routed by the earth-mover ana me areage. Qicusy as j acts, opaque ana ciuily ponsne he skin he Gull Stream1 t ^ U ^ 1.3 ^l"1 'l^ ^ *j t h a t t h S Y. '•" '''•T" "̂ 6: •''•!* t i l e ebbing tide the banks turn :"S.uive aiu as a storm apcroachss t-hs sky seŝ ns washed in blue-black ink. Ir. summer the thun- derheads pile up en the horizon, cream- white by day, gold and crimson in the tremendous risings ana settings of ao t _Z . 1 Z*i- 3i _rc par f ur *• :. ::c--i _:-»i luce i l lus t ra ted by Malcolm Ross 16 Come, Sample, Knjoy! 528 front Street 540 Greene Street Key West, Florida 33040 Over 100 Unique Fragrances — beautifully packaged! Fine Cosmetics, Sun, and After-Sun Products - Made from high concentrations of Aloe extract in our own loboratr-y in Key West...where the Aloe grows. YOU AMytUCQMt TO.WATCH pJM i.AlOKAlO*f_ AT W0«Ki Also: Milemarker 82. Islamorada. continued from page 3 This didn't stop him, though. Twice he managed to take the place of another volunteer and got on the bus to Camp Blanding, GA. And twice-he got sent back. He began to get more into music and became a fine drummer. He played with many of the musicians well-known in Key West including Harry Chipchase, "Coffee" Butler, Ellie Russell, Sylvia Shelly, etc. His fellow musicians thought a lot of "Crip". One day, when he was very ill with the cancer that was to kill him, a truck pulled up outside of his mother's home and a group of musicians including Don 'Albin, Sylvia Shelly, Ellie Russell and Len Chetkin and Jim Gamble put on a concert for him. Another time still another group of musician friends including Harry Chip- chase and Jim Gamble drove up to play outside the house. Salutes like this are given to peo- ple who have done something special to win the hearts of their friends. "Crip" was always helping people. Some of the people were famous such as "Boog" Powell who has publically stated that "Crip" helped get him to where he is today. George Mira is another who benefited from "Crip". George had a bad arm and he would come by to see "Crip" and get a rubdown until he got healed. Glynn Archer recalled that during the 1953 season "Crip" had a special rubdown mixture known as "Crips Concoc- tion" which he used to minister to those with aches and pains. "He would look after those boys like a mother hen. All of them, not just his brothers." Always free with a helping hand "Crip" also brought a fantastic knowl- edge of baseball with-him to share with others. His sister Christine said that she, also a baseball fanatic, and "Crip" would discuss baseball for hours. He knew about hitting, fielding, pitching, av- erages, teams, etc. He would argue with Christine about who was the most impor- tant play-er on the team. ' He felt the 1st baseman and she the catcher. In his mem- ory each year Christine presents an award to the most outstanding - you guessed it - catcher in the league. George Lastres when talking about his brothers involvement with baseball used this example. He said,"I'd.be up at bat and I'd be thinking about a girl I just spotted in the stands but "Crip" would be up there remembering what the pitcher had thrown last and concentrat- ing on what he might throw next." This dedication to the game and . sharing of information helped many a young ball player in Key West. Doing things for people just came naturally to "Crip". "Coffee" Butler, a fellow musician and also a fellow ball- player, graduated high school back in 1948 around when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier and joined the Dodgers. "Crip" whose brother Danny was play- ing in the Florida-Georgia League wrote a letter to Danny's manager in "Coffee's behalf. Nothing came of it but "Coffee" Overseas Fruit Market Complete line oF fancy fruits an4 vegetables $2& TM ocn has never forgotten what "Crip" did f o r him. -. • And i t wasn't just ball players who were helped by this man. Lola Hernandez, .for example, says he was the sweetest , kindest and most thoughtful man she'd ever met. Everyone recalls "Crip's" sense of humor. His mother wondered where he g o t al l of his jokes from. He would star*"fc telling jokes and keep going until every- one was rolling on the floor. Vince Catala said "Crip" would s l e e p with.his bad leg straight up in the a i r and Ralph mentioned that sometimes in the movies "Crip" would raise his leg s t r a igh t above his head (remember he had no knee - cap and his leg was exceptionally f l e x - ible) before a startled audience. And sometimes "Crip" would concoct a great caper. George remembers that one day "Crip" and his brother-in-law,. Al , were watching local T.V. to catch the weather forecast. Back in those days the cameras would endlessly sweep back-and. forth in front of the gates of WKWF and i the time and temperature on Stock I s l and ; would be repeatedly given. "Crip" f i g - ; ured out a way to enliven that dull scene., As viewers were watching for the , time or weather "Crip-" suddenly appeared j on the screen. He was running and c a r - \ rying a large watermelon. He stopped, "on [ camera", pulled out a handkerchief t o wipe his brow, casually looked over h i s shoulder and suddenly took off in a r u n . Next his brot"her-in-law appeared running before the T.V. camera. He had bor- rowed "Crips" brother's police hat and nightstick and looked like a Mack Sennett cop chasing a watermelon thief. Thanks to "Crip" and his brother-in-law, the T.V. weather was a joy to watch that af- ternoon. There was another side to "Crip" . He had the strange ability to see in - his dreams future events. He knew when h i s brother Gabes boat.was torpedoed in t h e war. Another time he asked his family to delay a picnic because his brother Gabe was coming. No one had heard from Gabe in a long time and the family d e - cided to hold the picnic. But i t go t rained out and when i t was held on t h e day that "Crip" had said the family was startled and delighted to see Gabe walk up and join them there. .He prophesized correctly that his mo-ther was going t o receive two checks on particular day and when she did, she was grateful but asked him to stop prophesizing because i t made her nervous. . "Crip" made one last prophesy. To several friends he said he was going to die the same way his father died - o f throat cancer. Both men had been bo rn on the same date and on almost the same hour. ' "Crip's" last prophesy came t r u e . He died of throat cancer just like h i s father had and on almost the same hour . Talking about "Crip" s t i l l makes people feel good and say nice things . "Coffee" Butler when talking about "Crip" said, "If there's a heaven, "Grip" will be there. If not, I want to go where he is!" La Cultura Cubana '*Except for brother "Fito" who once was eject&a from a baseball game because he l e t a grounder get by him while he was on his hands and knees looking for grass- hoppers. "Fito" was a fine basketball player, however, and was high scorer when -Key West High School played the University of Havana years ago. KEY WEST PHOTOGRAPHY CENTER • Photographic Instruction • •Wedqmgs • Fbr+naite- • Candid Chi 14 Photography 2+ HOOT ptack and White. R-oces HOOT Color Frank A. Falcone General Manager Phone (305) 294-2140 1026 Truman Avenue Key West. Florida 33040 una varl- i fue nacidi ^ , * o " l rr\ c~s r p a v"j *• •- r — manifies-^, -'_*•- a dia , ez*~z z' j la cultui .;..__ venoia - la ,u- sea, que •- . - - vida nos al , i x nos lien*. ̂ ~ . « de ser. T it. "'. nacio' de 1- *•!- v _ tiempo, ĵa'.a i ' - ' revel a aut "-i •: . ^ de la pai^a, al ^ Sobresale ^ *" j brillantr f ii* tanto tier c perd ids. Que la cul" i quese las alma; , modo de pensar, tal siendo una ̂ -i "~i . spectiva cusana t inspir-a ai espi'i- *• , con armonicas p l̂ .̂ en ei idioma, la - ' eomunicar- nos r por modo de nacl- v " r- -. en espanol, el - c espanol, el moa- un moao de ser, por nedio de apr- -r por medlo de cc r i ya es otro canii -. (Fran Beacr, : ^ -^ tribute to the Ci' -""-:'_ on Key West, 3tea ̂ F :'u- as well as Englic i e n Cr-' feels so strongly *• "*" « lingual (espeaicll ir -* she is teaching 3p^^_ J" courses here nc;>.) Standat£f cPub of^KeyWest ft i i c f . ! '* •V ' f fS, IS nr An English Pub m ike Okie Trxdiliox 615 Duval St. Key West, Fh 294-7234 Whitbread Brewnaster Draught Harp Lager Bass Ale Guinness Stout Michelob on Tap Fine Wines Hot h Cold Sandwiches CAPT.TONFS GREENE ST. THE OLDEST ACTIVE BAR IN FLORIDA! ESQUIRE MAGA1INE... •ONE OF THE TOP TEN GREAT BARS IN THE NATION" CAPT.TONTS SALOON g G-REENE ST. -BUTTER! -.0: santon studio "the most unique tittle gallery in Key West" come sue our n«-ii' udition of ntunuit . plant limited vdittcn print* - in roll open ) 0 : 3 0 - 5 : 3 0 da i ly 400 front street key west, f londa 33040 sandi & tony juliano DISTINCTIVE GIFTS FROM SOUTH AND NORTH AMERICA QUALITY LEATHER PURSES AND TOTES ESWMQ SOAPSTONE AND WHALEBONE SCULPTURE HAMDCRAFTEO JEWELRY 4 ,-> I" APPAREL• BIKINSS 4 o o a:08 m uzz new o ui 18 THE SANDWICH DECK THE SANDWICH DECK: KEY W E S T ' S MOST DELIGHTFUL PATIO CAFE, SECLUDED AND QUIET WITH AN ADDITIONAL AIR CONDITIONED ROOM FOR YOUR COMFORT. > * • ' THE SANDWICH DECK 124 DUVAL STREET KEY WEST phone 294-7677 KEY WEST'S OLDEST AND LARGEST BIGGEST AND BESTEST Thurlow goes The Editor asked, "What happened to you when you went to New York to be on that television program? What was i t like behind the scenes? I t wil l make a good article for Solares Hi l l . " The first thing that happens is that the phone rings with a strange voice identifying herself as a staff member of the "To Tell The Truth" program. "I heard you playing your conch shel l over WOR radio he.re in New York yesterday." Check. News had leaked out about the person in Key West who plays music on the shell — things like folk songs and spirituals, and more serious music by Beethoven, Verdi j Khatchaturian, etc. Radio stations had called from various parts of the country for telephone in- terviews and samples of the playing, for their broadcasting. She went on: "We heard you play- ing Beethoven's "Ode To Joy" and we want you to bring the shell to New York and appear on our program. We offer transportation, housing, and a per diem allowance for expenses. ' Plus, of course, whatever you win on the program; we guarantee you win $50 and some Turtle Wax. There will be two people posing as you, and a panel of four celebri t ies will question you and them and try to. determine which of you is the rea l shell player. Garry Moore is M.C. , and the others are Peggy Cass, Kitty Car l is le , Allan Ludden, and Bill Cullen." (Right: heard of Moore and Carlisle before. ) . Can things be arranged in Key West to be absent from the island for a few days? They can. The choice is to go by train, and AMTRAK says the t icket is paid for and is waiting at the s tat ion. Just pick i t up and get on the t r a in . Come the dawn, and i t i s Washing- ton's Birthday at the train s tat ion — which is .firmly and ominously CLOSED. The prepaid ticket is inside there . Train time is very near. Other people are arriving in a stream and discover- ing the CLOSED situation. Porter says that the ticket agents must think they have the day off. Crowd growing larger and more vocal. Those holding t ickets will be allowed on the t ra in , a l l others must deal with a ticket agent. Much discussion, gesticulating, and disgust in the crowd. Eventually a young ticket agentess, heavy with flu and kleenex, arrives and in a show of daring virtuosity manages to deal with the assembled t rave l le r s as the rai ls begin to tremble and cross- ing gates lower. Safely on the train, In a chair car, all seems at last to be well. I t will be a long sit — 2k hours — but the chair car is almost vacant and is nicely quiet. Two small children at the far *>nd-talk in murmurs. All the same it will be nice to come back in a couple of days in a private compartment with a bed, instead of sitting up both ways. All private compartments.were booked in ad-, vance for the journey north. An hour "north of West Palm Beach the truth comes out. At each stop nu- merous families have boarded, pushing and shoving and yelling. The splendidly quiet and peaceful chair car has become a Kindergarten Car. A swift tour of the whole train, twenty miles later, includ- ing diners and bar ears, reveals that it is in fact a veritable Kindergarten Train. For those who have not had the ex- perience, a Kindergarten Car involves such things as: — "Honey, don't hit that nice man with that book." -- "MOMMY-MOMMY, Jimmy won't let me have my ..." — "LOOK OUT!" — "Now look at that! You've gone and spilled it all over the "lady." — "I'm telling you for the last time ..." ,(A litany done antiphonally every seventeen miles by the same choirs). — "I flushed it like you said, but I didn't know my car fell in, and I WANT MY CARRRRR." — Diapers that get filled suddenly, which is sensed almost immediately by every adult in the car except the one at epicenter, who usually notices three state lines later. to tell the truth Something sticky on the arm rest that wasn't there when you went to the diner. You can imagine the rest. Being slugged by stuffed animals, tripped'bv gleeful l i t t l e bright-eyes six seats from the end of the car, et very cetera. The only haven is the men's room three cars forward. It contains refu- ' gees : a Miami Beach man of 70 with a cigar, two students returning to New - Yorlc y a Los Angeles type with sunglasses, and a floating population of miscel- laneous. Long before Jacksonville every- one gets together and organizes it as a club, even discussing the possibility of an admission charge for those under 16. Se t t l e for falling silent and gazing steadily whenever the door opens to re- veal a selection from the zoo outside. By mid-Georgia this men's room has be- come the most-occupied and least-used on t h e entire train, the armchairs f i l l e d by the regulars, who take turps making the dangerous expedition through the wildlife back to the diner to fetch food and drink. A night and a dawn l a t e r , as if the contagion has reached the locomotive cab (causing it to speed up), the train arrives ten minutes early in Penn Station. Then comes an afternoon visit to the offices of the producer of "To Tell .The Truth". The waiting room there is populated by three incredibly exotic- loolcing young females dressed in strange South Seas costumes and speaking French among themselves, an ordinary-looking middle-aged man in street clothes, and a military-officer in uniform with medals. The three turn out to be one Royal Tahxtian Dancer with two imposters, and the other two prove to be those who will pretend to be you tomorrow at the taping of the show. Off to a conference room with pro- ducer, staffers, and three "T. Weeds". Blowing of conch shell to see what we are a l l getting into. (Something on the wall ra t t les . ) Snapshots of th.e three "Weeds" taken. Contracts signed (giving them the right to use anything said or done on the program in any way they choose: they can add to, subtract from, rearrange, e t c . , these rights perpetual and world-wide.) Staffer working on pad of pink • forms. "What Is your mailing address?" — Te l l her. "Here," she says. — . "What's this?" - - "Oh, that 's the re- c e i p t for the vacuum cleaner you won on the show tomorrow." Another pink slip. "That 's the rug shampdoer you won to- morrow." A third one. "The Turtle 'Wax". Oh. "You'll get it all In the mail." And then an intense session brlel ing the two phonies. They have to zl: at least a few right answer' under th^ questioning tomorrow, in case some- one on the panel is knowledgeable aboi Key West or playing conch shells. It takes a long time, trying to anticlpat together the areas where Questions wl. be asked, preparing answers for specif key questions you agree are likely, sr a lot of talking around the edges «hll two people try to take on new identit: and areas of competence. "What's the name of a hotel in Key West? Hew do ;. make a conch shell play music? Do you, have holes cut in it? What's the test way of eating conch?" There comes another dawn, and noi. It is time to join the fakes at the lit studios at Rockefeller Center for the taping of the show. Everyone assemble in an alcove with a gigantic monitor screen which is permanently on, showir everything happening out on the sound stage. People walking around, ""'.'ikes being tested. Cables dragged across the floor. Thirty people are in the alcove. "To Tell The" Truth" tapes once = week, since it is a five-day-a-week program. and since each program has two set? of real-and-fake, five times three tine.: 'two gives ten central characters and twenty phonies. Each little group of three is huddled together in drawn-up chairs earnestly asking each ctr.er guestions, with the real cne doing iii; or her (that Tahitlan!) best to provi: everv slice of information co^slolv u.= ful." "Tell trie again ROW you pronounce "konsh". 'Where did you go to ochcol? What did you study there? What i.~ t:v; most important thing about; pi ay in,: ruu I WHY PAY MORE??? when over 100 DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS supply us with FASHIONS FROM ROUND tho WORLD for your discrimin;itint| selection India Impum - I:;idi:d (Jlnry Jeans — Liberty Jeans — S.O.B. Jeans - Prime Cut Ji-un,s ~ Men's Dress Shirts - Men's C.IMIJI Shirts - Men's S]i»r( Shirts - Hal - Ni'fkLu'es — Bracelets — lUngs - Eai Bags - Belts - Herbs - Pipes - Papei - Kiiin.1 Sutra Love Pruducls - Choker Skirls Halters- Huaraches - Flip-flop: ig Suits -- Suits - Jarkels - Leallier s - Iljininiu-k* - Walrrhedi ete.. ett\, ere. Air Beds - Cll WE'VE PRETTIED UP - STOP BY AT 517 DUVAL STREET Phdne: 294^260 ma- TK3MVII,\W Iim/A&td vfr/toh'n, muck ftai a/w or SL. trhe pocxiA- am HE WAS! And Jerry £ zl ing to get good thir~ _, ?- County. It is somet r" i He needs company. T -r~ for County Cammissi r* - ~ election this Fall. At this point someone : sure there are seats coming same people are going to fill then ana Monroe County will continue to be an area of critical concern. But how do we know that this is sc? Suppose that a candidate r.r candi- dates came along and, wow, you would real!; feel that here was someone who you believ- ed in and someone who you wanted to get behind and vote for and you hadn't re- gistered. Then, of course, you couldn't vote for that person. There are important seats coring up for election on the School Board and the Aqueduct Commission also. Read the little box on the editorial page. It shows how easy and painless it is to register. Remember Jerry Shipley ret elected. Get registered. This is a very criti- cal period in the history of Monroe_Coun- ty. We need your help in keeping this pa- radise intact. After all, unless you fortunate enough to be born here, yc here now because It is so beautiful. KUKJIJUJ mo N US.J AT 6112. were MCfl&TEK SHOE REPAIRING RKPAIR W24IRIMVS %M>M * .**•* V*EST ilIIFM«M'irM-lM8 tide r Sew Ownership FAST SERVICE! 23 22 bub. ftxm UdCfK TO OIA£A tcktt 0 (n^ iiu TOUUL Up HAA dA d (I %k (L lMXM.QJY~Wy 0 OP- m1 LiruL f lAjLp (MA, LukiAA ULX> Ouu. IAMAAJA J A ^ • / / l / 4 ^ -HJL HAJUL-. c M-̂ ' Ch&%flmk 201 Dwal Street Key West < Florida Tlh f*j-Oennq service i5 happy, ic that ufe hove. acauir&a orts • LIT YOUR FINSIR* DO TNI •> urr us po m MI«HtNB...IIUNNIira TOUR CRRANDS THAT If I M N I OAY MCK Or AMD DiUVIRY ANYWHIM IN THI Kl VH1 (FECIAl OtUVMI* none "To better serve the of the Florida -Call Old Island Anecdote by Bud Jacobson One of the better known local t l e n t s in the 19 3<5's and 40' s was a e r i o u s looking, much loved Cuban gentleman who went by the monicker of Cuco . As usual, only a few close f r i ends knew his real name - nicknames w e r e as valid as passports. Cuco was employed as the house man for the then-commanding officer of the Key West Naval Station, a four- s t r i p e r in charge of what we.s mostly a stopover point. Guco, on the job, w a s sober, serious and courtly in his demeanor and affected a great leve for a l l the colorful trappings of military Epaulets, bands of colored medals, a ve r i t ab le rainbew of battle ribbons s p r e ad impressively across the chest of his naval greatcoat. Scrambled eggs on the peak of one of his caps, and braided gold aiguilletes draped and looped over his shoulders. "He had everything including the ribbon for most attendances at Sunday school," recalls one old Conch. But Cuoo's surpassing favorite was his naval-styled Napolean hat, with ruffs and plumes, worn fore-and- aft - not the daffy sideways style we see in cartoons about the funny fac- tory . Not for Cucc. He was VERY mi l i t a ry when he had that commodore- admiral ' s hat on . Thus i t was one sunny day in summer when Key West's Naval Station was v i s i t e d by a tourirtg Italian, warship, cru is ing the Caribbean. As is the custom with naval types, they l i ke to exchange l i t t le courtes- i e s and the skipper of the Key West Sta t ion was formally invited aboard the I t a l i a n cruiser for a spot of refreshment with the captain. Cuco, on hand when the big ship : t i ed uo with al l her brilliant flasa and penants snapping in we traie- winds , immediately donned his most : flamboyant uniform, all the medals, ; the sreatcoat flowing to his ankles and, of course, fore and aft on his head, the highest symbol of rank - h is Napolean hat. He strode down the dock toward the sh ip .; The gangway watch came alive, posit ioned to receive him, pipes . sounded and Cuco was saluted stilt ly : and escorted with much pomp to the cap ta in ' s stateroom. There they sat sipping coffee and nibbling l i t t l e cakes when the : rea l commander of the naval station walked in. Those foods which keep the pores of the skin open and the body mobile are most in harmony with the; sign lau- These foods are beet, spinach, horse radish, Swiss chard, cauliflower, radish, cucumber, onions, and * Herbs to produce perspira-, tion, and rid the body of superfluous Water are yarrow, burdock and ground ivy. A little embarassing episode like that didn't dim Cuco's lights - he was also famous for his railroad train act that he would perform for the regulars at Sloppy Joe's. . Up onto the bar he would-climb, fully decked out in his military ensemble, and announce: "This is the first train from Miami to Key West! All aboard!" . Reason that Cuco was in Sloppy Joe's, it should be noted, was that he played guitar for the combo on the stand in those days. The guitar, though, had no strings. Then, chuffing and puffing, moving his arms slowly in rhythm like the huge pistons of the-old steam engine that made history in Kenry Flagler's time, Cuco would begin his journey from Miami to Key West. Ding, ding, ding - he'd sound the bell, and wail for the call of the whistle as she trundled down the railway tracks. Feet shuffling, arms moving, Cuco would slowly move along the bartop - ding, ding, whistle going, and then he'd sing out: "Homestead!" or whatever station he'd pulled into with his train - Cuco had all the stops memorized - Tavernier, Key Largo, Indian Key, Marathon, from Miami to Key West. Every now and then, one of the barflies would yell, "Hey, Cuco, you forgot Perrine," or some station, and sure enough Cuco would back the train all the way to Perrine - it was a performance you don't get any- more, bubba. ^CLBOII ̂ » f "T 26 fWMr m A FULL VISUAL IMAGE OF KEY WEST HAS BEEN CREATED FOf^ASHIRT BY COMRADLA1V\AA*S!LK- SCREENED ON FINE- QUALITY COTTON IN DAZZLING COLOR,. W OHTWE COVER, OF LAST MONTH'S Soteres f/VV\YSU $10 AT YOUR, FAVORITE KEY WEST BOUTIQUE AND OTHE^LOSAL S H O f ^ OUT-0F-T0WMER^ MAYOR.DER. DIRECTLY-SEMD ${O (CHECK OR MONET ORDER) PLUS 50J^ FOR MAILING (Pi-ORIPAp.ES- X-L 27 SIHCW A /HCTICN DICTUEE ALTERNATIVE FCC SUN 6 HELLSTROM CHRONICAL (American] 13 LAST TANGO IN PARIS Marlon Brando [English -French] ZACHARIAH Wistam {American] Country Joa & The fish 7US SWEPT AWAY lltallanl /now il * l x l t c 1 MON 1 HELLSTROM CHRONICAL [Amerlcanl 184 LAST TANGO IN PARIS Marlon Brando (Engllsh-Ffanchl ZACHARIAH Waiinn [Amarlcml Counlry JOB & TUB Flltl fir Ĉ y SWEPT AWAY (Italian] TIME^ JLNE TiUjE WEIC 11 2 HELLSTROM CHRONICAL [tmiricin] 8. 9 LAST TANBO IN PARIS Mitlon Brando lEngllsh'Fnnchl 1(5 113 ZACHARIAH Wnlifn lAmatican] Countn Set 8 Tin Flit 3?2 23 SWEPT , AWAY [Ilillm •29 3€ THE LITTLE PRINCE mnuc 3 HELLSTROM CHRONICAL Mnwiton] 1

1976-06 Solares Hill Newspaper, Vol. 1 No. 18, June 1976

Publication

Florida Keys History Center

Name/Title

Collection