Since 2002. Published Tuesdays and Fridays
Letters to the Editor with pictures
 [FTR on ‘skeeters] There is a group in FaceBook that calls itself NEVER AGAIN. It’s purpose is to block the use of genetically modified mosquitoes in combating/preventing Zika and allied diseases from coming into our Keys. You really should take a look at the groups writings. To those folks, in that group, I say:
GOOD LORD! You folks in the NEVER AGAIN community really need to get a grip. You folks are coming across as silly Luddites. Look at the picture at your masthead….a picture of a hand dripping with motor oil, or maybe dark Karo syrup. Get a grip! The claim that “Over 270k people has been opposite (sic) to this,” aside from being grammatically tortured, is inane. Monroe County has but about 76k residents county wide. The people who live in Key Haven are but a small fraction of that total. The claimed 270k persons in opposition to the project are but purported digital names on an online petition from all over the globe. I submit that you probably could get that many to sign a petition that supports the idea that the moon is made of green cheeses. In the area immediately affected, Key Haven, some homes have signs protesting GM, but only about 20% of them. Now ask yourself if you can point to a single instance of any human or any naturally occurring organism being harmed by genetic engineering–aside from Jurassic Park of course. The single exception may be some fractional increase in risk in GM food stuffs or supplements. You folks are all abuzz about using vaccines rather than GM ‘skeeters. Perhaps you are unaware that these vaccines are being developed by techniques that are fully involved in genetic engineering. Remember that you are advocating permitting a GM product be introduced directly in your body, and the body of your loved ones. Then, the real, the very real question arises. Why all the panic? Who is fueling the panic and why? The answer is grotesquely simple. Greed and avarice. A very wealthy and influential Key Wester has decided that the release of GM ‘skeeters has the potential to harm him personally. Not by Zika, not by any fever, or any disease but by costing him money. This wealthy Key Wester actually, put it to paper. He clearly stated that the release of GM mosquitoes would harm his property values. This greedy person has investment property that is adjacent to Key Haven. Swift? Actually I believe it to be cynical, crass, and foolish. Especially if you consider that this individual profits hugely from the tourism industry. It does not take a geneticist, a chemist, or a real estate tycoon to realize that our tourist industry will crater if Dengue or Zika takes a big bite out of us. Don’t let greed or greedy investors put you and your loved ones at risk. Exploiting the weaknesses of GM ‘skeeters to drive down their population is smart and safe. |
 |
| I just finished the new Bloodline series on Netflix. A great show, but no matter how rough looking they try to make the actors, they still do not look like Keys people. When they show chain smoking leather-faced women or fat, pony-tailed men with missing teeth, then I will buy it. At least this season more people are wearing shorts. |
[“’Hurricane’ Dave died”] David Oldham passed away peacefully Friday June 17th at 5:45am. A memorial service will be held in the Keys for him. Date and time has yet to be determined. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to those of you that looked out for him and loved him. “Tell your mom and them I said, “Hi!” ~Jessica, Hurricane Dave’s Niece gigisduckie@gmail.com |
| [“Are there any other blogs with balls left in the Keys? (Ed: Don’t you mean any other blog that spews hate and lies? That’s what you want, right)”] Ed used to re-word things, I even gave him grief for it, but he’s doing fine now. Leave him alone. Start your own website. Now, that would be interesting. |
Only old people will understand. |
| I read about the 3 Cuban landings in the Keys just in the last week. It appears that our US Coast Guard isn’t doing the job the taxpayers are paying them to do. Where are they protecting our shores? Oh ya, they’re out there harassing the local boaters and doing a good job of it, too! |
 |
| [Poor Cooks] I understand that Sysco Food Services are a competitively priced product line that enables our restaurants to stay in business, but can’t the restaurants make the food taste good and use their own touches so that the final product doesn’t take a Sysco meal.
Sunset Grill in Marathon has a great view but, Lord above, it’s the cheapest, most tasteless meals going. I’m guessing that Frank’s Grill orders from Sysco’s product line since Sysco operates from 190+ locations throughout US, Bahamas, Canada and Ireland, but the meals at Frank’s are tasty and as a result a hole-in-the-wall, 10-ish table restaurant overlooking the parking lot at Towne Square Mall is always appealing, savory meal. Can some restaurant owners please pipe in here and give their standpoint? |
 Some very nice Gray, aka, “Mangrove snapper” are showing up. It’s getting close to that time of the year. You don’t need a boat, right now; bridge fishing is hot!
Coconuts Bar & Package Store supports Donald Trump. We also support, the Methodist Food Bank, The Boy & Girl Scouts, Our Local Bird Lady, The Moose lodge, Monroe County Sheriff’s Dept. Big Pine Fire Dept, Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce, The M,A.R.C. House, Vineyard Community Church, V.F.W., Wounded Warriors, Salvation Army — just to name a few. Thank you for your concern about our customers and their thoughts. Blessings to you & yours. ~Joe, Coconuts Bar & Package |
| Arguing with a woman is like reading the software license agreement. In the end you ignore everything and click “I agree”. |
After many years of fishing and reading the articles about fishing in the Keynoter I’ve realized the writers of those articles are full of shit. |
| The Turkey Point nuclear power plant has created a saltwater plume that is threatening to intrude into the Biscayne Aquifer, the main drinking water supply for the Florida Keys. The plume is 7 miles from aquifer.
The utility intends to begin drawing the plume back to its cooling canals with a series of retraction wells and then flush the salty water more than a half-mile underground into the boulder zone and away from the shallow, porous aquifer with a deep injection well, according to a plan the DEP approved Monday. FPL has also proposed to add more brackish water to the cooling canals to lower the salt content. |
 |
| [“Debit cards”] They are only good for people who find it difficult to manage their money. There is no other benefit to using them. |
[“’Hurricane’ Dave died”] Sad to confirm that Hurricane Dave, aka David Oldham passed away last week. He was a talented tile installer, great fisherman, lover of being on stage with his washboard. His journey has ended, but I would like to think that he is in a far better place. Lots of memories of the good times! |
| [New Rules] The FWC board agreed to reduce the recreational mutton snapper bag limit from 10 fish per person per day to three fish per person within the 10-fish snapper aggregate bag limit in all state waters. It agreed to increase the size limit from 16 to 18 inches, which will reduce harvest by 74 percent. |
Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys – Good Old Mountain Dew at the Richmond Folk Festival. Video |
| [“Dolphin Marina redevelopment”] Central sewers were never about protecting the environment. They were about enabling dense development and a cumulatively massive transfer of wealth- one toilet at a time. But with the goal of saving money by not drilling a deep well for plant effluent, the treatment plant in Cudjoe was built with inadequate capacity. A resort room produces twice the wastewater of a home with one bedroom, even before you add in a restaurant with reusable dishes. This is shown in engineering texts and 64-E6.008 of the Florida Administrative Code. Thanks to DEP’s ineptitude or collusion, the Cudjoe plant already has a full third more expected influent permitted than the plant is capable of properly treating. And that is if you believe FKAA’s claim that 40% of water through the meter is used outside for irrigation and such. Insufficient treatment capacity to accept additional flow from the Dolphin Marina proposed development is a legal bar against development approval- just as it should have been for the Knights Key redevelopment in Marathon. But as we have seen, Noble House is allowed to do whatever they want. Just revisit this expose if you doubt that read this: Link |
 |
| [Marathon Tourist Attraction] The only reason Florida is spending $77 million dollars (includes $14.2 million the BOCC pledged to give from the Monroe County Infrastructure Sales tax funds) is to pacify those very rich members of the Pigeon Key society. That organization is in the City that both Commissioners Nugent and Rice live. Interesting, the three Commissioners who live on the rich side of the 7 Mile Bridge appear to be backing the Governor’s mandate by directing their partner, oops, contractor to design the cheapest sewer system for the CRWS, so they could skim the infrastructure sales tax money to give to Florida to repair Florida’s bridge. Makes you wonder if there might have been Sunshine Law violations along with misappropriation of taxpayers funds. I keep on asking, how is the State of Florida’s infrastructure becoming a tax burden for Monroe County Taxpayers? and nobody answers. |
 [Dog poop] A little song to explain what walking the dog really means (sung to the tune Walkin’ the Dog by Rufus Thomas).You see them in the early morning and just before it’s dark You may not hear them coming but you’re sure to hear a bark They’re carrying a plastic bag and a little scoop They tell you that they’re walking but they’re up the poop Poopin’ the dog, Poopin’ the dog If you don’t know how to do it, I’ll show you how to poop the dog |
| [Corruption] I ran into an out-of-town contractor last week who was down here to bid on the new gated Dolphin Marina development. He said it was a ‘done-deal’. If there isn’t corruption involved, then what? They haven’t even gotten the land-use changed or the zoning changed and they’re already going ahead with contractors! Do they know something that we don’t? |
 Custer’s last stand 140 years ago Saturday, June 25. The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to Lakota as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and commonly referred to as Custer’s Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota,Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes, against the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army. The battle, which occurred June 25–26, 1876, near the Little Bighorn River in eastern Montana Territory, was the most prominent action of the Great Sioux War of 1876.
The fight was an overwhelming victory for the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho, led by several major war leaders, including Crazy Horse and Chief Gall, inspired by the visions of Sitting Bull (Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake). The U.S. 7th Cavalry, including the Custer Battalion, a force of 700 men led by George Armstrong Custer, suffered a major defeat. Five of the 7th Cavalry’s twelve companies were annihilated; Custer was killed, as were two of his brothers, a nephew, and a brother-in-law. The total U.S. casualty count included 268 dead and 55 severely wounded (6 died from their injuries later), including 4 Crow Indian scouts and 2 Pawnee Indian scouts. Public response to the Great Sioux War varied In the immediate aftermath of the battle, but over the next years and decades Custer and his troops became iconic, heroic figures in American history, a status that lasted into the 1960’s. However, American’s views of the fight have largely changed dramatically since that time. The battle, and Custer’s actions in particular, have been studied extensively by historians. Link |
| NOAA’s Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary recently welcomed Boy Scouts of America-National High Adventure Sea Base of Islamorada, Fla. as the newest participant in the sanctuary’s Blue Star education and conservation program.
Launched in 2009, Blue Star recognizes dive and snorkel operators working to protect the Florida Keys coral reef ecosystem by promoting responsible diving and snorkeling practices and educating the public about the impact human interactions can have on the marine environment. Unlike some of the causes of reef decline, such as climate change, damage to reefs from diving and snorkeling is considered easily preventable. Home to the third-largest barrier coral reef in the world, the protected waters of the Florida Keys attract millions of visitors each year and contribute an estimated $2 billion in annual tourist revenue. The reef’s close proximity to land and an abundance of boat operators in the Keys make it easily accessible to both novice snorkelers and seasoned divers. |
 |
| [Zika Is A Sexually Transmitted Disease] The CDC estimates that about a quarter of Puerto Rico’s 3.5 million people could be infected with the virus. Mosquitoes transmit some of the biggest killer diseases, from malaria to yellow fever.” These data support the hypothesis of sexual transmission (either oral or vaginal) of Zika virus from Patient 2 to Patient 1.” Zika can also be found in saliva and urine, and the doctors note that saliva may be the culprit. There’s no treatment and no vaccine against Zika. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization say the best way to protect against any of these infections is to avoid sexual contact with infected travelers, use repellent and by staying inside air-conditioned spaces. It’s of huge interest in countries now affected by Zika — there are 60, according to WHO. But experts also predict local outbreaks in the U.S. as mosquito season gets going and Zika-infected travelers pass the virus to the biting insects. “Within 9 months from now — by the end of 2016 and into early 2017— pediatricians working in poor urban areas of the Americas (including the U.S. Gulf Coast) where Zika virus is now emerging can expect to see babies with microcephaly and the full-blown fetal brain disruption sequence,” predicted Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of tropical medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine. Only a small fraction of contraceptives donated in Puerto Rico to prevent Zika-related birth defects are expected to get to the women who need them this month, public health officials told Reuters. The donations – tens of thousands of intrauterine devices and birth control pill packs – came from major healthcare companies as the virus spreads rapidly through the island. The delivery delays illustrate the struggles of Puerto Rico’s healthcare system, which is faltering amid the commonwealth’s financial crisis. Money is essential to train and pay medical professionals, many of whom are barely surviving because of the island’s financial crisis and historically low reimbursement rates from the U.S. government’s Medicaid insurance program for the poor, which covers nearly half of residents. |
 [“Credit vs debit cards”] I only use credit cards for a few reasons. I get points/rebates (1-3%), I get time to pay the charges (float), I am protected against unauthorized charges, and most are free or have benefits greater than the cost. I never carry a balance (except for those 0% promotions). The new chip security (new to the US, anyway) greatly reduces the hassle of stolen card info too.
I don’t see the appeal of the debit card. There isn’t much protection, and I’ve never seen any benefits or discounts. I don’t get it. |
| Where can I launch my boat, that has parking, now that the Little Torch ramp is closed all summer? |
 [Conspiracy Man] The other day while sitting at the bar with several friends, I heard them discussing the Orlando shooting. They all had their point of view concerning what took place in Orlando, and each person gave their opinion. When it was my turn to give my opinion. I simply stated the facts according to my research. I explained to them that I’ve noticed a trend that as far as I’m aware, no one else that I know of hasn’t noticed. The Fort Hood shooting, the LAX shooting, the Sandy Hook shooting, the Boston Marathon explosion, the San Bernardino shooting etc. were all covered by the media with spectacular ratings. Because today’s media are nothing more than ratings whores, and will report anything they can for ratings. Even made-up news. I’m fully convinced that the above mentioned incidents were ‘false flag’ situations conspired by our government and it’s intelligence agencies, including law enforcement and the media. I believe this because the same crisis actors were used over and over again in each of the above incidents. These crisis actors were portrayed as victims and witnesses. In every one of these incidents, an exercise drill by law enforcement was taking place either the day before or on the same day the event occurred.
Coincidentally, law enforcement was practicing a drill of the exact situation which actually took place? How convenient to have a prepared police emergency rehearsal take place as an exact situation arose. But then I also wondered, why hasn’t the media ever covered the funerals of all the alleged victims. That would surely serve 2 great purposes. 1. More Media ratings. 2. This will be felt by all the viewers, seeing all the dead bodies in caskets, and should really help with the demand for gun control. But no. Never any funeral coverage by the media. Why? Because they were really crisis actors and no one really died? But the Orlando shooting was different. No drills were being rehearsed, and no crisis actors were shown, and the media has actually covered some of the funeral proceedings of the dead victims for the 1st time. It seems as if the Conspirators in charge of these false flag events have realized that the ‘truthers’ researching these events and posting their findings on the internet has thrown a monkey wrench into their works, and now they went to plan B. Which is to begin a new tactical format of the false flags from now on. The gun shop owner who sold Omar Mateen the guns, notified the FBI right after Mateen left his shop, and told the FBI that a suspicious Arab man had just purchased an abundance of ammunition, rifles & guns and body armor. The shop owner gave the FBI the address, name and all the information he had on Mateen. Several other people had notified the FBI about Mateen also. Mateen’s father is allegedly, a CIA asset and has been working with the CIA for several years as a Taliban front man. On top of the fact that Mateen has been under investigation by the FBI several times, this should’ve alerted red flags for the FBI. Yet, the FBI didn’t do anything to prevent this massacre. Why? |
 |
| The next meeting of our Big Pine Computer Club is coming up this Saturday, June 25, 10 am at the senior center. Hope to see you there. Full Menu > Ongoing Events |
 |
| If the County would accept the continuing tax money offered by AirBnB instead of fighting them, the County would have enough money to pay their share of repairs made to the Old Seven Mile Bridge. |
 When the 2nd Amendment was passed, the right to bear arms was for a musket and it was as part of a militia, not individual use. I have to believe our forefathers would be looking at this debate today thinking we’re nuts to need assault rifles and other weapons whose sole purpose is to kill people.
Our Senate decided not to pass a law to ban gun sales to people on no-fly lists or with mental health issues (like most of these whack jobs in Orlando, South Carolina, and Connecticut) I hope the Canadians don’t build a wall. I may be headed that way soon! We have 160 times more gun murders in the US than Britain has. Of course, we’re 3 times the size, but that’s still 50 times more gun violence. Not 50% more, 50 times more. What’s the difference? Britain banned assault weapons 20+ years ago! |
| As I sat in last night’s City Commission meeting, I was first amazed, then shocked, then angered that our elected officials had time to talk about their pet peeves with the Navy at Truman Waterfront and street performer noise, but did not have time nor inclination nor even awareness to stop, acknowledge the Orlando incident, mourn the horrible loss of life, and commit to a timely sharing with the community of the plans they will help us develop here in Key West to address such situations.
I have worked with numerous agencies to develop such “which if” plans. In the wake of the shootings in the church in Knoxville, i worked with the congregation I was serving to develop a thorough emergency plan around intrusion and violence. Publicly we made the people aware that we had such a plan and what the bare bones of it were. More details were kept confidential within leadership so that a person or persons could not work around the plan for the sake of harm. The plan was tested several months after that when an intruder sought entry to the building on a Sunday morning …. plan implemented, person removed, police summoned, no harm done …. all without disruption of the morning’s activities. It worked and most people were not aware, until after the fact, of the threat we had faced. At the very least last night the Mayor should have announced that he was summoning a Response Summit on the issue of such threats, calling together all the relevant agencies of our community in a series of meetings, some private, some open, to assure the citizens of Key West that their welfare was the top priority of the city leadership. All I can say, things will change when the leadership changes! (Kudos to Commissioner Sam Kaufman, District II who finally brought the issue to the Commission in his Comments toward the close of the meeting!!! His leadership on this, in the absence of leadership from the Mayor, is refreshing.) |
Which of these 2 firearms that I own is considered to be a semi auto assault weapon? |
| The public has until July 5 to visit the Old Seven Mile Bridge, one of the Florida Keys’ premiere attractions, before it closes for nearly four years. |
 At a farm of the University of California, scientists are growing pigs with fully human organs, like pancreases for example. They call them “chimeras” like the multi-species creature in Greek mythology. The chimeras are created by injecting human stem cells into pig embryos. The experimentation is funded by the Defense Department. Even that is weird.As scientists become more emboldened at playing God, expect the human-pig hybrid to become more human than it and the current cow-human are now. (if you get drunk and “get lucky” with a heifer from Boondocks in the future, is it bestiality? Or simply more bad judgment?) What becomes of the hybrid human-pig carcass? (dog food? canned lunch meat?) If you kill a half human pig, is it murder, or manslaughter? You thought swine flu was bad? You ain’t seen nothing yet! Who would have thought that “blending of the races” would become “blending of the species?” Link |
 |
| [“’Hurricane’ Dave died”] I heard he died some time ago, then lo and behold, I saw him on a bicycle. I knew him too when he had a tile business and a truck. As far as his Dad goes, which he lost not too long ago, genius always skips a generation (maybe two in this case). |
What are they going to do to the Little Torch boat ramp that is going to take until September? |
| [Remodeling] I was at Winn Dixie yesterday and was unable to get through an aisle that had a display with a customer looking at the merchandise without bumping into the customer. I brought this to the attention of one of the managers and his comment was not to worry, it was only temporary. Tell that to the man who was in danger of being hit by my shopping cart. |
 Did you know that Pocahontas was on the $20-dollar bill from 1865-1869 and Martha Washington was on a $1.00 dollar bill in the late 19th century. The House refused to consider Iowa Republican Steve King’s proposal to block currency changes. Link |
| [Scam] Whenever an email ends in ‘regards’ or ‘salutations’ you can bet it’s a scam.
“I’m sorry to bother you with this but it is a bad time for me. I had to make a sudden trip to Ukraine due to some urgent matters to help my sick cousin, she was diagnosed with (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) a type of Blood Cancer and had been undergoing treatment lately. The news of her illness arrived to me as an emergency. Please, let me know if you can be of help so I can advise on how to transfer the funds. I’ll be happy to hear from you soon regarding my request and please remember to keep this private. Kind Regards” |
International Yoga Day on the 7 Mile Bridge. (Ed: How come there’s never any men doing yoga?) Video |
 |
| [“Russian athletes don’t do dope, according to Putin”] Watch the Aaron Russo interview. These greedy bankers don’t want some, they want it all! |
[“Automatic Assault Rifle”] Bushmaster with 60 round mag and slide fire stock. Perfectly legal. Video |
| I love the old bridge, but still think it’s a total waste of money. I wonder what kind of heat FDOT is going to get when some backwater town’s bridge collapses and lives are lost after pissing away $77,000,000 on a bridge that goes to Pigeon Key. |
That bar of soap doesn’t weigh much until it lands on your toe in the shower! |
| [Black Fathers Matter] Which poses a bigger threat to black communities: Racism? Or the absence of fathers? Drawing on a sea of official data and his own upbringing, talk-show host Larry Elder shows just how important black fathers are in turning boys into responsible and happy men–and how their absence has had a tragic impact on millions of black Americans. Video |
 |
| I just bought four new Michelin tires from my tire dealer, Island Tire Distributors in Marathon and am completely satisfied. Many are aware that Island Tire Distributors is one of the better tire dealers in the Lower/Middle Keys. Owner Rick is retiring and has sold the business to a young married couple, Ryan and Nicole. Before Rick left he didn’t need to teach them about quality work and responsibility because they already have what it takes to keep everything status quo and continue growing the business – like brand name tires at reasonable prices, professional balancing and rotation, tire repair and top customer service and follow up. I’ve bought tires from many auto repair places and tire dealers in the 30 years I’ve been in the Keys and have to say that they all are decent. However, Island Tire Distributors tops them all. Give Ryan and Nicole a shout the next time your truck, SUV or car needs tires or tire repair because you may be pleasantly surprised by the pricing, the quality and the customer service. |
 |
| Deer Anita, Cheers to you on your house selling at a nice price! Way to go Hunter and company. You picked the Keys best agents, clever girl. ‘Word’ to Fred and the fam. |
That Summerland Key surf shop has been there for 20 years and has quality products! (Ed: Why the photo? It doesn’t show a surf shop, only a strip mall?) |
| Why was it never discussed to only rehab a 1/8 or a 1/4 mile of the old bridge? Spend, spend, spend–the way of Government |
| Submit anything but National Politics to island@bigpinekey.com For National Politics go directly to that page, log in, and post your comment. NATIONAL POLITICS |
