Published Tuesdays & Fridays Since 2002
(garbage days on Big Pine Key)
![]() An administrative law judge has handed down a harsh ruling in what can be described a neighbor dispute on steroids that could result in a $1 million-plus, oceanfront home on Sugarloaf Key being demolished. The ruling, issued last week, also severely chastised a Monroe County building official for what the hearing judge described as “irregular” and “unacceptable behavior.” Administrative Law Judge John Van Laningham revoked the building permits and elevation certificates the county granted the home on State Road 4A on Sugarloaf Key, which has already been built. Link |
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![]() All I Have To Do Is Dream – Everly Brothers |
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[Gossip Update] Milagro Restaurant moved to Simonton Street in Key West. Not enough people on Big Pine to make it work. |
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[Cruise Ship Control] A proposed bill in Tallahassee to reverse the new cruise ship restrictions in Key West was approved by a subcommittee in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, clearing the way for the bill to move to the next step. The bill was amended to apply to only four of the state’s 15 seaports — including Key West — putting those four under state, not local, control. The amended bill now goes to the House commerce subcommittee for a hearing. The amended language was a “surgical” effort to overturn the cruise ship-limiting referendums that Key West voters approved in November. Link |
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[Equator] One of the earliest known photographs of the Equator. In those days, slow-moving, sail-powered vessels such as this barque often had difficulty hurdling the line. |
[Marathon Island Sold] Who bought a private island in the Florida Keys? At $11 million, someone very wealthy! But they’re not telling. The 3.6-acre island that sold this month, Palm Island, is located on the ocean side at 1740 Overseas Highway accessible by a small bridge from the Middle Keys city of Marathon. Palm Island has many appeals, but one particular selling point is its deep-water dockage, which is able to accommodate multiple vessels, and even large boats more than 100 feet long. The Keys may be surrounded by water, but most of it is shallow. There is a demand for properties capable of docking larger vessels. Link |
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[Smoke and Fire] New York assembly approves ‘impeachment investigation’ into Andrew Cuomo. Judiciary committee authorized to look into sexual misconduct allegations against governor by six women. Link |
![]() The Keys become a quarantine region as the GMO mosquitoes reproduce in ever increasing numbers. The World Health organization ponders how to eradicate the spreading problems from the world. WHO considers the only way to kill the mosquitoes is to freeze them at below 5 degrees F for 12 hours or longer. Local authorities are powerless to stop what happens next. Arrangements are made with the weather control division of the newest world order to produce snow and freezing conditions in the Keys for the necessary period of time. The Great Freeze Plan is forced on the Keys for the greater good. Local folks, unprepared for this level of extended cold, suffer and many die along with much of the tropical flora and fauna as a result. A few visitors and locals escape the great freeze and make their way north, carefully avoiding fluorescent test lights on the interstate. Only time will tell what the future holds for them. |
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[Milagro Restaurant] I was very sorry to see Milagro leave. It added some class to our island. It was a nice place run by nice people. I heard they were moving to Key West. Not too long ago there was a For Sale sign on the building and now it’s gone. Milagro was renting the building. I wonder if it may have been a rental price issue with the new owners that prompted them to go? |
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[COVID-19] We are not frightened enough to eat tofu yet. |
[Governor waives COVID fines] Governor DeSantis has waived all fines for people and businesses that violated local COVID-19 restrictions going back to the start of the pandemic in March 2020A categorical, statewide remission of fines related to COVID-19 restrictions is warranted in light of the unprecedented local government restrictions imposed on individuals and businesses over the course of the past year. |
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[Sharing Netflix for Free] Netflix is trialing a crackdown on password sharing. In the trial, users can verify they are allowed to access the account by a code, sent via text or email. Netflix is trying to crack down on ineligible users, though it is unclear how many people use the platform against their terms of service. Some users have reported seeing a screen saying, “If you don’t live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching.” A spokesperson told the BBC: “This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so.” A decision has yet to be made as to whether the company will roll this out across its network. Link |
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[Text and Drive] She still had the phone in her hand. One text message ended 3 lives. Show your kids. |
[“How many of us have left the Keys but still look at the Sheriff’s crime report”] This one does. It seems like a lot of divorces start with a trip to Key West for a few drinks and end with 1 felony count of: Commit Domestic Battery By Strangulation. |
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[Hiring Wetbacks] The two companies in Key West that furnish contract labor have been closed by federal authorities for investigation of alleged illegal hiring practices. Link |
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The term “domestic housewife” implies that there are feral housewives, and now I have a new goal! |
[Friday Joke] I talked with a homeless man this morning and asked him how he ended up in such dire straits. He said, “Up until last week, I still had it all. I had plenty to eat, my clothes were washed and pressed. I had a roof over my head, I had HDTV and Internet and I went to the gym, the pool and the library. I was working on my MBA on-line. I had no bills and no debt. I even had full medical benefits coverage. I felt sorry for him, so I asked, “What happened? Drugs? Alcohol? Gambling? Poor Investments? Business Failure? Divorce?” Oh no, nothing like that,” he said. “Because of Coronavirus, I was unexpectedly paroled.” |