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In The Keys {for current news, see our Daily News Queue} I’m sorry, but that bit of political correctness has just gone a bit too far for some who feel that there’s this vast conspiracy to dilute or minimize the celebration of the word that cannot be said: Christmas. Yes, Virginia, there are people who believe that saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” will somehow make people forget the true meaning of the holiday and turn us all into atheistic solstice-celebrating heathens.
Peace on Earth my hindquarters (and Merry Christmas, Afghanistan)!
Radio talk show hosts, television commentators, and other such pundits have taken a position that equates “Happy Holidays” with “I’m an unpatriotic Jesus-hater.” And just forget “Seasons Greetings” – that’s right out. Some of these voices in the media have declared that there is a war on Christmas being waged by “secular progressives.” Fox News bit player John Gibson actually wrote a book titled, The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday Is Worse Than You Thought.
And you just thought you were wishing someone “Happy Holidays.”
The truth is that there are a number of holidays celebrated this time of year (perhaps that’s why they call it “the holiday season”). Christmas now begins sometime in October, because the first holiday (I mean Christmas) displays go up in the stores before Halloween. November brings us Thanksgiving, which is notable for the arrival of the patron saint of Thanksgiving (Santa Claus) in New York City at the Holiday Temple (Christmas Shrine) known as Macy’s. And December? Christmas is basically celebrated all month long, with parties, decorations, lights, libations, and fattening sugar-laden treats. By the way, there’s also Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and New Year’s Eve.
There are other truths about our Christmas traditions that may not be as well known as others. First of all, there is no biblical reference that states that Jesus was born in December. The early Christian church chose December so that it could compete with pagan solstice rituals going on at the same time. Santa Claus (formerly St. Nicholas) was the Bishop of Myra (located in present-day Turkey) and was reputed to be generous and kind to children before he was given a new red suit and exiled to the North Pole.
Mistletoe was used by Druid priests 200 years before the birth of Christ. Holly was also used in celebrations because, like mistletoe, it remained green throughout the winter months. The first Christmas trees were fir trees decorated in Germany. In those heady holidays before the advent of electricity, candles were used to light the tree. In fact, those candles often really did light the trees, as well as the houses and belongings of those who put open flames on drying pine trees.
The Christmas we celebrate today is a combination of festivities and traditions of many cultures. And it happens at a time of year that combines a number of other celebrations into one big event known as the Holiday Season. And who’s making rules that say we can’t celebrate all of them? The more, the merrier in this merriest of seasons, I say.
One Christmas tradition that deserves to be celebrated is the concept of Peace on Earth to men of good will. Judging from the not-so-peaceful history of the past 2,000 years, there haven’t been too many “men of good will.” That’s a change I’d certainly like to see, and that’s a change we could all believe in. And maybe that’s what the Holiday Season is really all about. Perhaps one day, when we remove our collective head from our collective backside, we may come a little closer to real Peace on Earth. Condemning those who wish us Happy Holidays as anti-Christian warriors, however, won’t get us there.
So Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, Peaceful Solstice, and a
- John Bartus is a singer/songwriter and former Mayor of the City of Marathon. Currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce, Bartus will perform with Storm Watch Friday at Dockside Lounge and Saturday solo at Tom’s Harbor House at Hawk’s Cay. This Wednesday, John plays solo at Sparky’s Landing. www.johnbartus.com.
Three dollars is paid to the Land Trust from the sale of the Journal's promotional item. The item is a 6-pack soft cooler. When enough money is collected, a check is presented to the current Land Trust President Josh Mothner. The photos show Larry Shaffer presenting the check to Josh Mothner. Photos are available for a limited amount of time at http://MarathonJournal.US/journal/press/.
December 20, 2009 - Marathon - Max Sears: Early Morning Boot Key Harbor and Sunset over Boot
We finally got a photo to go with Max Sears submissions to the Journal. Jeri and Max Sears are quite the artists in their field of interest. Max with his photography and Jeri with her succinct articles. Contributors like Max and Jeri are what makes the Journal as good as it is.
We have a number of people who contribute. That way you don't have to read my articles and get bored to tears. We are highlighting all the contributors at the top of each web page. There are too many to list them all, because the ad space up at the top can be only so big. You can't hide the web page header either.
December 22, 2009 - California - Linda Hall: The Vitamin D Newsletter. More Vitamin D Studies of This newsletter may be reproduced as long as you properly and prominently attribute it source. Please reproduce it, post it on Internet sites, and forward it to your friends. Five million dollar randomized controlled trial sponsored by Thrasher Research Fund and NIH Scientists around the world presented their work at the recent Vitamin D conference in Brugge, Belgium. Many, but not all, of the scientists opined that we have to wait for randomized controlled trials (RCT) before recommending Vitamin D. In a future newsletter, I will review many of these presentations. However, one was extraordinary. Professor Bruce Hollis presented findings from his and Carol Wagner’s five million dollar Thrasher Research Fund and NIH sponsored randomized controlled trials of about 500 pregnant women. Bruce and Carol’s discoveries are vital for every pregnant woman. Their studies had three arms: 400, 2,000, and 4,000 IU/day. 1. 4,000 IU/day during pregnancy was safe (not a single adverse event) but only resulted in a mean Vitamin D blood level of 27 ng/ml in the newborn infants, indicating to me that 4,000 IU per day during pregnancy is not enough. 2. During pregnancy, 25(OH)D (Vitamin D) levels had a direct influence on activated Vitamin D levels in the mother’s blood, with a minimum Vitamin D level of 40 ng/ml needed for mothers to obtain maximum activated vitamin D levels. (As most pregnant women have Vitamin D levels less than 40 ng/ml, this implies most pregnant women suffer from chronic substrate starvation and cannot make as much activated Vitamin D as their placenta wants to make.) Complications of pregnancy, such as preterm labor, preterm birth, and infection were lowest in women taking 4,000 IU/day, Women taking 2,000 IU per day had more infections than women taking 4,000 IU/day. Women taking 400 IU/day, as exists in prenatal vitamins, had double the pregnancy complications of the women taking 4,000 IU/day.
December 26, 2009 - Florida Keys - John Bartus: New Year Predictions | Weekly
This new year of 2010 promises to be a year that once again will defy all those technologically optimistic predictions from the 1960s through the 1980s about how life would be so much better. 2010 was the year that Arthur C. Clarke set his sequel to his masterwork, 2001: A Space Odyssey. Cleverly titled 2010: Odyssey Two, published all the way back in 1982, the book predicted that this was the year humans would make their second trip to Jupiter, this one to discover what went wrong with the first trip (extra credit for remembering the quote: “My God… it’s full of stars.”).
The main problem with the book (and movie) is that it was based upon so many things in the first book and movie that never came true. There are no “wheel-in-the-sky” rotating space stations that orbit to the strains of “Blue Danube.” There are no craft that shuttle good-looking people in Spandex back and forth from Earth as casually as we treat commercial air travel. Hell, there still aren’t any flying cars! Where are the flying cars?!?
Checking back on my predictions from last year, I did pretty darn good. I predicted that the Vandenburg would finally sink (it did); I predicted that the Marathon City Council would decide what to do with the Boot Key drawbridge, but that it would run into complications (who knew EBay had all those pesky rules?). I predicted that the 2010 sewer deadline would be eased (it was). I predicted that Al Franken would “entertain” his fellow Senators, although I didn’t realize that he would do to he-who-doth-protest-too-much John McCain what John McCain had done to a Democrat during the debate leading up to the Iraq War. My prediction that the School Board and Superintendent would start working together, however, was totally voided by those pesky indictments, trial, and convictions. Who woulda thunk?
Moving on to 2010, here are the Official Keys Disease Predictions For The New Year!
1) The Miami Dolphins will not win Super Bowl XLVIIXMCXIII, but will have the perfect opportunity for great seats at the game seeing as it’s being played IN THEIR OWN STADIUM.
2) South Florida’s economy will get a shot in the arm (maybe the buttocks) from all the post-season football that the new year will bring (the Orange Bowl, the Pro Bowl, the Super Bowl). Beer and potato chip sales will skyrocket nationwide, while local hot dog hawkers and stadium cleanup staff will enjoy working for their wages while watching all those professional athletes earn tens of thousands of dollars for each hour they play.
3) Jimmy Buffett will have proved to be a friggin’ genius for getting the stadium named “Landshark Stadium” just in time for all this coverage. Fins to the left. Fins to the right. Fins, sawbucks, and C-notes in the register.
4) Some of the fans who visit South Florida for the ongoing postseason pigskin spectacular will venture into the Keys. Hopefully, they’ll have a good time and spend some money before they leave.
5) The economy will lurch between life support and recovery. Again, here in the Keys, we’ll be a little more insulated because we’re still the only tropical islands connected to the US mainland by bridges. Orlando, frustrated at their continued low occupancy rates, will rename Interstate 4, “US 1” and the I-4 exit from I-95, “Exit to the Florida Keys and Key West.” The exit into Disney will be transformed through the use of IMAX screens and Animatronics into a drive across “the Overseas Highway” and Disney’s Key West area will feature a bunch of new obscene T-shirt shops and actual drunks imported from the Southernmost City to add ambience.
6) And here’s the prediction I’m most comfortable in making: John Bartus & Storm Watch will be the band that rings in the New Year at our incredible New Year’s Eve celebration at the Key Colony Inn. Please join us there for a whole lot of fun and festivity, and a heapin’ helpin’ of rock and roll to get 2010 off on the right foot. I just might be inclined to reveal my absolutely true and super-top-secret predictions for the New Year after a few cocktails.
- John Bartus is a singer/songwriter and former Mayor of the City of Marathon. Currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce, Bartus will perform solo at Tom’s Harbor House at Hawk’s Cay Tuesday and Wednesday. John will perform with Storm Watch New Year’s Eve at the Key Colony Inn and Friday at Dockside Lounge. Saturday, John plays solo at Tom’s Harbor House. Most Thursdays, John plays solo at Sparky’s Landing. www.johnbartus.com.
December 31, 2009 - Marathon - Max & Jeri Sears: Christmas at the Marathon City Marina. During the
To get ready for the festivities, volunteers at the Marina began setting up tables and chairs the day before Christmas. Christmas day the food started arriving at the Marina. Everyone brought a side dish for the pot luck except Richard and his wife, Arla, who donated 6 -24# turkeys, 6 – 10# hams, 75# of mashed potatoes, 50# of sweet potatoes with 3 large bags of marshmallows, 2 gallons of turkey gravy, 6 – pumpkin pies, 10 cartons of Cool Whip, 4 dozen homemade cookies, and 8 Christmas gifts for the children at the Marina. Jennifer Meany also supplied 8 pumpkin pies and George Garrett cooked 2 of the turkeys with fruit stuffing. The signup list for the dinner grew as time got closer to Christmas from 60 people to about 250 people. Richard and Arla received a standing ovation for all their efforts. Richard and Arla took the pictures that are posted below: Max and Jeri Sears January 2, 2010 - Florida Keys - John Bartus: Looking Back… | Weekly
I did get to see Dan in concert once, during the “End of the Innocence” tour. He had a great band behind him, and he gave a phenomenal performance. I was supposed to have seen him twice more – the first time later in the aforementioned tour. I had camped out and gotten front row seats. He cancelled the show because of tonsillitis. The second time was to have been in the fall of 2004 during a solo acoustic tour that was cancelled after the cancer diagnosis.
The anniversary got me thinking about some of the greats we have lost, many prematurely, and what might have been had they survived. Here’s a little look back, and a tribute to those who touched all of our souls with their music.
Jimi Hendrix – one of the truly consummate musicians. Incredible performer, stellar songwriter, creative studio rat, and one hell of a guitar picker. One can only wonder what he might have accomplished, not only with the Experience, but with the Band of Gypsies and whoever else he may have worked with in a future that was not to be. His influence, however, lives on to this day. Notable protégés include Stevie Ray Vaughn and Prince.
Jim Croce – songwriter and storyteller. He had worked for years to establish himself as a singer and songwriter on the national scene. Just as major success was beckoning, his life ended prematurely in a plane crash that also took the life of his talented guitarist and co-conspirator, Maury Muehleisen. Not many could combine introspective songs about love and relationships with bawdy tales about roller derby queens and various lowlifes the way Croce could.
John Lennon – his murder was one of the true tragedies of music. Just as he was entering another creative phase in his life, an idiot whacko nut-job with a gun robbed us all of what can only be imagined.
Harry Chapin – another incredible songwriter and storyteller. From taxis to bananas to absentee fathers to W-O-L-D, Chapin would draw the listener into a different world with each song. He was an artist who truly believed in helping his fellow man, as a number of his performances each year were benefits for the World Hunger Year. I was lucky enough to see him at a solo acoustic benefit concert, where I also got to meet him, shake his hand, and get an autograph. Within months after that concert, he died in an automobile crash on Long Island.
Roy Orbison – although he didn’t die as young as some of the other legends in this column (52), his death came as a shock to all of us who were witnessing his second coming. That great voice from the 50s and 60s had found new life in both a solo career and his great band, the Traveling Wilburys. Although revered as one of the best rock singers ever, his often-underrated songwriting talents were the structure behind the voice.
Stevie Ray Vaughn – here was another great talent lost far too soon. A guitar slinger equally at home in rock and blues, Stevie made his Stratocaster sing like few others could. After bouts with drink and drugs, Stevie had cleaned up and really connected with his muse just as his life was taken from him. It’s too bad we didn’t get to keep him a while longer.
George Harrison – like Roy Orbison, he wasn’t that young when he died (58). Still, he was a Beatle, and his post-Beatles solo work and Wilburys music left high-water marks that will certainly stand the test of time. His final studio album, Brainwashed, is a wonderful and optimistic musical journey. Like Fogelberg’s Love in Time album, Harrison recorded this album with fellow Wilbury Jeff Lynne and his son, Dhani, knowing that he was dying of cancer.
I don’t mean for this column to be a downer, as the musicians mentioned herein were certainly a source of light. And they all left something of themselves that continues to inspire us (and probably will for years to come). It’s not about the length of one’s life, as a quote attributed to a number of authors simply states, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”
- John Bartus is a singer/songwriter and former Mayor of the City of Marathon. Currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce, Bartus will perform with Storm Watch Friday at Dockside Lounge and Saturday at the Lorelei in Islamorada. This Thursday, John plays solo at Sparky’s Landing. www.johnbartus.com.
January 7, 2010 - Islamorada - Provided by Dave Purdo; written by Sue Miller: Wastewater - Join the
January 10, 2010 - Florida Keys - John Bartus: Flying the Friendly Skies | Weekly
- John Bartus is a singer/songwriter and former Mayor of the City of Marathon. Currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce, Bartus will perform with Storm Watch Friday at Dockside Lounge and Saturday at the Lorelei in Islamorada. This Thursday, John plays solo at Sparky’s Landing. www.johnbartus.com.
January 10, 2010 - Marathon - Provided by Joan Manges: New Navy Ship. Photos are available at
January 12, 2010 – Marathon – L. E. Shaffer: Marathon City Council held its regular meeting at Marathon
Since www.KeysWeekly.com Blair Shiver covers the details of these meetings, I will take the opportunity to opinionate more often.
There is a digital voice recording of the meeting in the Recordings section.
The council approved the agenda. There is no public input required on consent agenda routine items marked by an asterisk [*].
City Council Items:
B. Code Board Appointments. Mayor Snead talked about committee meetings not making quorum. She suggested that Code Board and Planning Commission appointments should be appointed by each council member instead of by the whole board. This will politicize these appointments which are against the original purpose. Three year terms with whole board vote on each appointee kept the Code Board and the Planning Commission from being political appointments. Cinque did not get a second for the ordinance about this the last time it came up. I would expect opposition to this proposal. The two entities that must stay apolitical are the Code Board and the Planning Commission. The no more than three consecutive three-year terms was crafted to ensure that appointees gain experience to serve adequately on these items.
C. Planning Commission Appointments. This was put off in consideration of possibly changing the ordinances.
D. CDBG Appointment (Worthington). He appointed Lynda Berrigan.
E. Staff Guidelines and Direction (Ramsay). These guidelines addressed staff keeping the council updated on all assigned projects. This will be brought back at a later time.
F. 5 Years of Service Recognition for Austin DiRenzo. Congratulations, Austin. When I worked for the city, I was months short of five years. Maybe I should have resigned after that milestone. The hardware you get looks pretty snazzy.
G. Draft Fill Ordinance. Where, oh where do we put the fill? How is it cleaned? Don’t give it away, but sell it if possible. We got to make it easier to store this stuff without permit and other requirements that get in the way of mitigating all the dirt. Excuse me, fill. John Whalton spoke against this ordinance. Lynda Berrigan had a lot of pertinent questions. There was a quasi discussion about this ordinance that is gathering more opposition.
H. Draft First Time Homebuyer Ordinance (Snead). Now this is a good idea. Whether the great recession is ongoing or fading away, good, qualified people need help to get their foot in the door of a workforce home. She said she was going to work on workforce housing, and she has come through for the City of Marathon. Middle Keys Community Land Trust Executive Administrator Rick Casey provided details and background information.
I. Authorization of the Use of the City Seal by Regions Bank. The bank wants to advertise how great they are helping out our poor city.
J. Valhalla Beach Boat Ramp Discussion (Ramsay). Staff made a presentation on this boat ramp that belongs to the city and is underused. Cheryl Wilcox opposes this being turned into a public boat ramp even if limited to kayaks and canoes. She believes that everyone in the neighborhood is opposed. A number of owners, businesses, and other neighbors spoke to this issue somewhat passionately. Even John Whalton weighed in on this issue. He noted that city’s public property should be open to the public in a low impact fashion. Worthington said that the neighborhood should stay as it has been for over 35 years. Keating agreed. Cinque spoke to the difficulties this spot would be in a number of ways. Snead is worried about the liabilities this site imposes. Ramsay said that the city’s right of ways is important to all residents in Marathon. They voted to hold hearings to vet the public with possibly abandoning the city’s right of way.
K. GLEE Request / Hybrid or Fuel Efficient Vehicles (Worthington). Worthington proposed that new city vehicles be hybrid or fuel efficient. Ramsay opposed this because the savings is minimal. He offered an alternative by committing to mass transit and wastewater/stormwater.
L. FKAA Possible Maintenance & Operation of Wastewater Plant (Worthington). Current contract to maintain is held by US Water. Pete thinks that FKAA management would save money. John Whalton agreed. Cinque said that FKAA did not bid last time. Why is Ramsay persisting in slamming Pete Worthington? Who has more years of service on the council? Worthington is going on 7 years. His opinion and effort to propose items should not be discouraged. Snead said that in 2011 the FKAA can then bid on this when it is up for renewal.
M. National Mentoring Month Proclamation (Snead). Nice proclamation.
N. Live Stream should be live for the Fire Station #14 for all meetings is what Snead said. They all agreed.
O. Worthington spoke about the dust up of all the constructions work. Certain contractors not taking care of business as promised. They voted to force clean up.
Special Orders, Awards and Presentations:
B. City Manager's Report
C. Attorney Report
Citizens' comments: Christopher Boyle presented the welcome aboard bag full of great stuff for newbies to the Boot Key Harbor. Joan Nelson spoke about right of ways. John Whalton warned that investigating abandoning right of ways would open a can of worms.
Ordinances for Second Public Hearing and Enactment A. Ordinance 2009-27, Amending The City’s Comprehensive Plan Table 6-1 “Capital Improvement Program” As Required Annually; Providing For Severability; Providing For Repeal Of Conflicting Provisions; Providing For Transmittal Of This Ordinance To The State Department Of Community Affairs; And Providing For An Effective Date Upon The Approval Of This Ordinance By The State Department Of Community Affairs.
B. Ordinance 2009-28, Amending Section 6-58 Of The Code Of Ordinances Of The City Of Marathon, Florida, Entitled “Expired Building Permits” Prohibiting The Issuance Of A Building Permit To Any Contractor Or Owner Builder Responsible For An Expired Building Permit; Providing For The Repeal Of All Code Provisions And Ordinances Inconsistent With This Ordinance; Providing For Severability; And Providing For An Effective Date.
C. Ordinance 2009-22, Creating Section 6-62 Of The City Code Entitled “Building Permit Completion Deposit” Requiring The Payment Of A Refundable Completion Bond Before The Issuance Of A Building Permit; Providing For The Repeal Of All Code Provisions And Ordinances Inconsistent With This Ordinance; Providing For Severability; And Providing For An Effective Date (Continued from 12/8/09).
Resolutions for Adoption A. * Resolution 2010-01, Approving The Mutual Aid Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) For Fire And Emergency Services Assistance Between The City Of Marathon And Monroe County; Authorizing The Acting City Manager To Execute The Agreement On Behalf Of The City; And Providing An Effective Date
B. Resolution 2010-02, Approving A Contract Between The City Of Marathon And __________, For Community Development Block Grant Program Administration Services; Authorizing The Acting City Manager To Execute The Contract On Behalf Of The City And Providing An Effective Date.
C. Resolution 2010-03, Approving Change Order No. 6 To Contract Dated September 9, 2008 With Lanzo Construction Company For Construction Of Service Area 5 Collection System Project (In The Amount Of $19,126,494.00) Increasing The Contract Payment In An Amount Not To Exceed $145,000.00; Appropriating Funds; Authorizing The Acting City Manager To Execute The Change Order On Behalf Of The City; Authorizing Expenditure Of Appropriated Funds; And Providing An Effective Date.
Citizen’s Comments:
Council Comments: Mayor Ginger Snead: She spoke about the city manager selection process and asked the residents to stay involved.
Vice Mayor Mike Cinque: He agreed with Worthington about the difficult budget session coming up.
Councilmember Pete Worthington: He spoke to the city’s future and the imminent budget crunch coming this year.
Councilmember Dick Ramsay: He praised Frank Greenman, but he went on to challenge Greenman’s assertions. Here we go again with wanting to know how much affordable housing do we have and we need.
Councilmember Rich Keating: Great evening.
January 13, 2010 - Marathon - Jeanette Hobbs: Dear Save-A-Turtle members, I received a call tonight from
January 17, 2010 - Islamorada - Provided by Dave Purdo: Essentially Letters to the Editor. Each submission ends 1) The Village of Islamorada tonight, just passed 3-2 vote - a "Resolution of Intent for Wastewater Non-Ad Valorem (not tax deductable) Assessment". The vote by our "Gang of Three" (Aschenberg - Zima-borski - Gillis) was to pass this special assessment, that does not say what the amount of the assessment will be, nor does it say for how long the assessment will be for, and who in the village will be assessed. Voting against this special assessment, that is being imposed, in October 2010 was Boerner and Reckwerdt, while the village .. still DOES NOT HAVE A PLAN. Remember the latest estimate is, it will cost over $200 million and that will be divided between about 5,000 residents. My calculator will not tell me how much it will be for each resident. So far our only assessment has been for 17% ($22 million) of the total cost. Please start saving your pennies. THANK GOODNESS THE NEXT ELECTION IS JUST A SHORT TIME AWAY - MARCH 9, 2010. Please make sure you have signed up for an absentee ballot. It will only be a "one day voting time". Call Supervisor of Elections office at 305-453-8740 to give them the address you want the ballot mailed to. You can use any address that you will be at during the weeks before the election date. Robert Page 2) Another 3-2 vote by the village council tonight to prepare for a new assessment for 2010. January 17, 2010 - Florida Keys - John Bartus: Cancer Dance | Weekly January 17, 2010 - Marathon - Blair Shiver: Shiver Report 01.17: Council Moves to Surrender Sliver of Property. Courtesy of The Weekly Newspapers. Residents Oppose Possible New Boat Ramp. January 18, 2010 - Marathon - L. E. Shaffer: T-shirt City Sandal Factory. There are two other locations The main post office almost across from Wendy’s that is where you find T-Shirt City Sandal Factory. Once inside there is just way too much stuff to get a feel for all their wonderful products. And, the sandals, I never seen so many. Some of the brands they carry are Reef, Roxy, Mephisto, Croc, Sanuk, Onex, Oakley, and Teva. There are more brands not mentioned here. Their business card lists a lot of brands, and then announces at the end that there are brands besides those listed. The staff was attentive and provided great customer service. The store was spotless. With all that stuff, the store still looks good and the aisles easy to navigate. While all the above is okay, the store is more tourists oriented. And the prices reflect that. I wanted to buy one of their sandals, but the prices drove me to KMart to purchase a pair. January 19, 2010 - California - Linda Hall: What does this huge randomized controlled trial mean? We January 20, 2010 - Marathon - L. E. Shaffer: A funny thing happened at t After ten years, our city government has matured into councils that represent the voters for the most part. Committees, boards, and commissions have matured as well to know and abide by the code. There are some who want to go to a strong mayor system. Whoa, baby, that is asking for trouble. Instead of experience and professionalism, a politician elected as mayor would make decisions based solely on the vocal few. Like, today we aggressively enforce code violations; tomorrow we go back to being reactive in violations. You see though the strong mayor system would be a lot of fun, for the newspapers that is. There is no accountability. The system is ripe for graft, corruption, and failure. We have seen it time and time again. Yet, an interesting thing happened in this discussion. A proposal was made to change to a strong council. Well, now, maybe this will work provided the weaker city manager is kept in the loop. What happens in a strong council is that the various city departments are divided up between the five councilmembers. This allows for more direct relations that would make communications back and forth smoother resulting in faster, more effective decisions. Councilmembers go to the city manager and the department head and interface with their assigned department. That allows for the flexibility to serve the voters more directly and efficiently. I think that a strong council model might work. Still, why are we considering this to begin with? Is it because strong city managers get in the way of councilmembers and what they want? Is it to gather more power in a select few? The city manager, whether in a strong manager or strong council system, must be kept in the loop. Otherwise, you break the chain of command. So, you are a city employee. You got a great job with good benefits. You work there for a couple of years and become the expert in your chosen field benefiting everyone in the city. You get promoted to department head. Throughout the years you had only one boss. Suddenly, the rules of the game changed. Now you have five councilmembers and a city manager to deal with. That is an untenable situation that leads to negative consequences. Tinkering with the original city charter is a minefield and a path to failure. Trying to clean the charter up and make it a better document is a good goal. Once every ten years is a nice number for evaluating changes. Changes proposed for the Charter can go wrong, very wrong. A resident committee should be setup to take public input. They would study the issues. Then after careful and intense consideration the committee would render decisions that would go to the voters to decide at the next election cycle. The changes must benefit all residents not just the political elite. Well, enough ranting, raving, and rambling. Only Marathon residents and voters can hold these councilmembers accountable. Please call or email your councilmembers and let them know how you feel about the conduct of the city's business. Below is the list of councilmembers and their contact information. Mayor Ginger Snead, sneadg@ci.marathon.fl.us, 305-304-7842. Now be nice! January 23, 2010 - Marathon - Keys Weekly Editor Jason Koler Interviews Planning Commission Courtesy of The Weekly Newspapers. Photos obtained from online public venues. January 23, 2010 - Florida Keys - John Bartus - Keys Disease: Tid Bits | Weekly
We have learned throughout the years that the Department (of Transportation) giveth, and the Department taketh away. We have also learned that the Department is a multifaceted and somewhat underfunded agency with occasionally contradictory goals. One part of the Department deserves our sincere thanks for helping the Keys earn the All-American Road designation for the Overseas Highway. Another part tries their hardest to secure the necessary funding to maintain our system of roadways and bridges – not an easy task in these days of decreasing revenues.
But there is another part of the Department that seems never to have heard of the old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” This part is comprised mainly of traffic engineers who believe that the only purpose of a road is to get traffic from Point A to Point Z in the shortest amount of time, Points B through Y be damned. That’s why some of those engineers made a case to raise the speed limit to 45 mph on a narrow and challenging four-lane stretch of highway through Old Town Marathon several years ago. Another frustrating aspect of this part of the Department is that they all of a sudden, without any warning whatsoever, arbitrarily change the rules and procedures. Rights-of-way that the DOT ignores for decades suddenly become sacrosanct parcels of hallowed ground that can’t be used by anyone… unless they’re willing to cough up $300K for the privilege.
I’m not sure if these people in the Department have heard, but THE ECONOMY SUCKS! Local businesses like the merchants at Plaza 101 likely don’t have an extra 300 large lying around to pay what some see as legal governmental extortion. I’ll be the first to admit that the DOT has every right to do what they will with their right-of-way. It seems, however, that the public good would be just as well served by allowing the parking to continue at Plaza 101 and not “fixing” what isn’t broken.
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Our recent record-breaking cold snap was too much for a lot of our local plants and animals to bear. Witness the recent fish kills and lifelike actual size iguana statues. This past week, when driving through the sewer construction zone between Vaca Cut and Coco Plum, I watched the workers lay sod in the median of the highway. Brown sod. Sod with nary a blade of green grass to be seen, pallet after pallet. Dead brown sod.
Perhaps the sod is like the iguanas. Warm it up, water it, and fresh green grass will grow from among the dead blades. Hope springs eternal, and I hope that one day we will see the green, green grass of the median growing again.
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Please don’t forget that tonight, Saturday, January 23, the City of Marathon’s Relay for Life team will host the second annual Dancing With The Stars event at 6:30 p.m. at the Key Colony Inn. The beautiful Pavilion at the Key Colony Inn is the venue for what’s become a very popular fund-raiser. Yours truly will be the MC for the event, and my band Storm Watch will provide the beats to which one can boogie. The Weekly’s own Jason Koler will be one of our dancing stars, and that right there should be enough to pique your curiosity.
There will be prizes for the best dancing couples in the categories of Twist, Swing, and Freestyle, and the winning Star will also get a special prize. Please remember that you don’t have to dance in order to help out. It might be very fun to come out, make a donation, and just watch our local Stars dance! We’ll see you tonight at the Key Colony Inn as we dance the night away… with the Stars!
You can make donations in advance to your favorite dancing Star, or to Connie and Clara with the City Relay Team.
- John Bartus is a singer/songwriter and former Mayor of the City of Marathon. Currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce, Bartus will perform with Storm Watch Friday at Dockside Lounge and Saturday at the Lorelei in Islamorada. This Thursday, John plays solo at Sparky’s Landing. www.johnbartus.com.
January 24, 2010 - Marathon - Max Sears: "A foggy day in London Town" - Oops - it's not London - it's Boot Key Harbor! 2010 (c) Copyright Max Sears Photography.
January 24, 2010 - California - Linda Hall: Vitamin D Series. Amazing study just
Dr. Tami Bair and Dr. Heidi May, of the Intermountain Medical Center in Utah, report yet another study showing that your risk of heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure and death are dramatically increased by Vitamin D deficiency. In a presentation at the American heart Association meeting, they found that people with low levels (< 15 ng/ml) had a 45% increased risk for cardiovascular disease, 78% greater risk of stroke and double the risk for congestive heart failure, not to mention a 77% increased risk of death, compared to people with Vitamin D levels > 30 ng/ml. All that disease and death occurred in only 13 months of follow up for the 27,000 people in the study.
New York Times: Vitamin D Shows Heart Benefits in Study
So how many Americans died this last year from Vitamin D deficiency? Ten thousand? A hundred thousand? More? How many will die next year? Someone is responsible. Medical scientists who want more money before recommending that Vitamin D deficiency be treated have to assume responsibility. I am all for more studies but we have to act now, like we did with cigarettes. Remember, no human randomized controlled trials exist showing cigarettes are dangerous, so we have much more and better science than we did when we warned about smoking. If we fail to act on the dangers of Vitamin D deficiency, someone will end up with blood on their hands.
The Great Disappearing Act
We are currently witnessing one of the great mysteries of the natural world. The H1N1 outbreak is rapidly disappearing, despite a wealth of potential victims without antibodies to the virus, and yes, in spite of plummeting Vitamin D levels. In several weeks, the CDC will announce that perhaps one-third of Americans were infected in the last nine months and now have Swine flu antibodies, leaving the majority of the population still susceptible.
But this H1N1 virus is rapidly refusing the invitation to infect the two-third of Americans who are mostly immunological virgins and will soon recede until the next widespread outbreak, which may come this spring or next fall and winter. When H1N1 returns again, I predict it will cause more illness and death than it did this fall despite the fact it will attack a population with more H1N1 specific antibodies. Measles, another virus thought to transmit via respiratory secretions, would never forego the opportunity to infect so many virgins.
Influenzologists have no idea why this Disappearing Act happens. Dr. Edgar Hope-Simpson believed the reason lay in the mode of transmission; the current outbreak is ending despite a wealth of potential victims because the people transmitting the flu are suddenly no longer contagious. I recommend Hope-Simpson’s book:
The Transmission of Epidemic Influenza (The Language of Science).
I also believe that only a small population was transmitting, not all those infected. If these good transmitters – and not all the sick – usually spread the virus, and their transmission period is limited, the epidemic would end shortly after the good transmitters lose their infectivity. Why they lose their infectivity is yet another mystery, but a mystery that fits the epidemiology of influenza.
Another incredible Disappearing Act, one that usually follows the introduction of a pandemic virus, is the rapid and usually complete replacement of seasonal flu with the pandemic one. It is as if the pandemic virus murders the seasonal flu. We will have to wait to see if that happens worldwide with this pandemic, but in the USA it has already happened. Last week the CDC reported that more than 99% of all influenza viruses identified in the USA were Swine flu. Only 1 of 1,874 influenza A viruses identified last week was seasonal flu. Where did the seasonal flu virus go?
Thanks to those who volunteered!
If your email address begins with A through E, you may have gotten my email asking for volunteers to help give feedback on our new website. We were overwhelmed with the response, ten times more than we needed. Thank you.
The reason for the request is that the Vitamin D Council has contracted with Minervation Ltd for $40,000 to build a new website over the next several years. We can only afford $1,000 per month so it take three and a half years to pay them, however; the first version of the new site is scheduled to go up in the late fall of 2010.
We decided to make our site more accessible, so if you only want to know about Vitamin D and pregnancy, you will be able to pull up the information quickly. Our new website will also update Vitamin D articles in the press and scientific studies from the National Library of Medicine automatically every day.
We also want to clearly separate fact from opinion, so readers can easily see what the science is and what our opinion is. Finally, as you know, the Vitamin D Council unfortunately has to market products, like the in-home Vitamin D blood test, to stay in business. The new website will prominently display all of our potential conflicts so readers will know them up front.
If you want our new website up and running sooner than 12 months, consider making a dedicated donation, either by using the snail mail address below or via PayPal on our website. We are now going on our seventh year of operation and plan on 20 more years, in spite of the fact that all 15 of our requests for grants were recently turned down.
Did you know that when you Google “Vitamin D,” you will get more than 12 million hits? Our current website is usually ranked either number 1 or 2 of those 12 million, beating out the NIH, Mayo Clinic and Wikipedia on most days? This is almost entirely due to our webmaster Dana Clark. However, we believe we can dramatically improve our website, with your help.
John Cannell, MD
This newsletter may be reproduced as long as you properly and prominently attribute it source. Please reproduce it, post it on Internet sites, and forward it to your friends.
Remember, we are a non-profit and rely on your donations to publish our newsletter, maintain our website, and pursue our objectives. Send your tax-deductible contributions to:
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January 25, 2010 - Marathon - Jerri & Max Sears: Dear Council Members: There has been a lot of discussion in the
The City Manager has to be able to wear many hats: 1. Someone who can take direction 2. Someone who can prioritize 3. Coordinator 4. Delegator 5. Monitor 6. Must have Interpersonal Skills 7. Team Organizer 8. Budget Director 9. Handle the day to day business of the City
The City Manager must be able to take direction from the City Council, prioritize assignments, coordinate with the Department Heads, delegate the assignments, monitor the progress of the assignments, encourage the employees to work as a team, and oversee the budget. The City Manager must also be able to run the everyday affairs of the City. This is a huge undertaking.
If any of the steps are removed the whole process fails.
The City Council was elected to instruct the City Manager as to the assignments they wish to have undertaken and to monitor the progress of these assignments.
What would happen if each of the members of the City Council went to the same Department head or employee with special requests? Since the City Manager is not involved with these assignments the Manager cannot do the job they were hired to accomplish. Which City Council member would like to take on all of the City Manager’s duties. If you do one of the jobs you must be responsible for all of the duties of the position.
An old saying comes to mind – “Too many cooks spoil the soup”.
If the City Council decides to change the duties they were elected to perform – shouldn’t the voters of Marathon have a voice in this decision?
Sincerely, Max and Jeri Sears Marathon, Fl.
January 26, 2010 - Islamorada - Sue Miller: [Islamorada wastewater project is the gift that keeps giving back
REMEMBER WE ARE SPENDING OVER $100,000 A MONTH.,...YES .. EACH MONTH ... on a flawed non-existent wastewater treatment plan, and on a failing and malfunctioning treatment plant, producing over 30,000 gallons a day, full of salt water, while our $2 million dollar RE-USE system sits there not being fixed, while our FKAA water bill just keeps climbing. And the incompetent and shady manager is costing us over $226,000 a year, as we approach bankruptcy. Robert Page
January 26, 2010 – Marathon – L. E. Shaffer: Marathon City Council Regular Meeting Marathon at the
1. Call to Order 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Roll Call 4. Approval of agenda and consent agenda [Approval of Consent Agenda passes all routine items indicated by asterisk (*). Consent Agenda items are not considered separately unless a council member so requests. In the event of such a request, the item is returned to the Regular Agenda.]
5. City Council Items *A. Approval of Minutes – Strikeouts are items deleted.
B. Tallahassee Meeting Report (Snead) – She updated everybody.
C. Extending Expired Permits Amnesty Period (Cinque) – After some discussion and questions, they extended amnesty for one year. Otherwise, it is not interesting, although important. D. Draft Ordinance Concerning After the Fact Permitting (Cinque) – Lots of talk but this is routine bull.
E. July 2008 planning meeting audiotape missing? - Keating added this one. Planning Director George Garrett could not explain why this one is missing. They don’t use tapes anymore; it is now all digital recordings.
6. Special Orders, Awards and Presentations A.
B.
A. New item. - The council heard a report about the city’s insurance by a US1 Insurance Services. Councilman Ramsay questioned the high level of employee benefits and requested a staff report on ways to reduce those costs to the city.
C. Beautification Advisory Board Update – Curtis Tookes provided the report as Peter Chapman was unable to attend tonight’s meeting.
D.
E. Faro Blanco Update – Until the economy improves chances for an adequate loan and start construction.
F. Chappy’s ROW Appeal Discussion – A council hearing needs scheduled.
G. City Manager's Report 1. Grassy Key Fire Station Update & 2. Wastewater Plant for Grassy Key Update – Community Director Susie Thomas provided a detailed report.
3.
4. Donation of Tiki Hut from Advanced Construction – Whoopee!
5.
6. Expired Permits List - Routine
7. Emergency Change Order - Routine
8. Waiver of Planning Fees for Walgreens Liquor License Appeal. – Waiver granted. This one is going to be trouble. They agreed to no liquor sales and restricted hours; now they want to renege. Remember Clinton and his “What is the definition of ‘is’ is?” This issue revolves around the definition of liquor. Is only the hard stuff liquor? Or is it all alcohol including wine and beer?
7. Citizens' comments on agenda items not scheduled for public hearing and items other than those appearing on the agenda [Those who have signed in will be given the first opportunity to speak. Time is limited to 2 minutes per speaker and 30 minutes total time for this agenda item.] TIME CERTAIN TO 6:30 PM OR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THEREAFTER – Several residents made comments about this and that, nothing earth shattering. Stacy Kidwell spoke about Sombrero Beach sand not staying on the beach and not in nearby canals.
8. Ordinances for First Public Hearing A. Ordinance 2010-01, Creating A First Time Homebuyer Assistance Program; Providing For The Repeal Of All Code Provisions And Ordinances Inconsistent With This Ordinance; Providing For Severability; Providing For Inclusion In The Code Of Ordinances, City Of Marathon, Florida; And Providing An Effective Date. - This item is a no brainer. Anything to keep our valuable workforce in Marathon benefits all of us. Karen Wilkinson was opposed and instructed the council about real estate and the like. She referred to qualified applicants as “those people” three times. This is a clear example of elitism not at its best but at its worst. She scolded the council for their supposed naiveté. Worthington suggested a better use of that money in today’s economy and the wastewater/stormwater burden would be helping people hook up to the sewer system. Ramsay wanted to hear from the other side and asked Middle Keys Community Land Trust Executive Administrator Rick Casey to enlighten the council on how to make workforce items work. He refuted a number of Karen Wilkinson’s previous points. Cinque kind of agreed with Wilkinson. He suggested that a deed restriction be applied until the money is paid back. The ordinance passed without the deed restriction requirement. It helps with the workforce housing crisis; so good on the council.
B. Ordinance 2010-02, Amending Section 10-5 Of The City Code Establishing The Procedure By Which Code Compliance Board Members Are Appointed And Setting Forth The Term Of Service For Each Board Member; Providing For The Repeal Of All Code Provisions And Ordinances Inconsistent With This Ordinance; Providing For Severability; And Providing For An Effective Date. - No matter how they slice it or dice it, this is dissolving the current Code Board and reestablishing it with one of five appointed member for each councilmember. Where the Code Board was apolitical is now going to be full of petty politics. Karen Wilkinson agreed with this new setup saying that it is not political. Wrong! Dolly Sadowski asked what was wrong with the existing selection method. John Whalton spoke to the issue. Keating and Worthington were against this new system. Keating and Worthington voted no. Cinque move to amend the ordinance so that removal required the full council vote.
9. Resolutions for Adoption *A. Resolution 2010-04, Approving An Interlocal Agreement With Monroe County, Florida, To Establish A Mooring Field Pilot Program, Authorizing The Mayor To Execute The Interlocal Agreement On Behalf Of The City, And Providing An Effective Date.
*B. Resolution 2010-05, Approving An Agreement With Government Services Group, Inc. (GSG) For The Creation Of Three Separate Annual Wastewater Utility Non-Ad Valorem Assessment Programs (Service Area # 4 & 6, Service Areas # 1, 3, 5 &7, And Little Venice) For Fiscal Year 2009-2010; Authorizing The Acting City Manager To Execute The Agreement On Behalf Of The City; And Providing For An Effective Date
*C. Resolution 2010-06, Approving Change Order No. 17 To Contract Dated August 8, 2007 With Globetec Construction, LLC For Construction Of Service Areas 4 & 6 Wastewater And Stormwater Project (In The Amount Of $28,916,180.00), Increasing The Contract Payment In An Amount Not To Exceed $154,744.29; Authorizing Expenditure Of Budgeted Funds; Authorizing The Acting City Manager To Execute The Change Order On Behalf Of The City; And Providing An Effective Date.
*D. Resolution 2010-07, Approving Certain Purchases in Excess of $10,000 And Less Than $25,000; And Authorizing the City Manager to Enter Into Agreements in Connection Therewith; Authorizing Expenditure of Appropriated Funds; And Providing for an Effective Date. This expenditure is to buy asset management software to manage the city’s infrastructure, especially the wastewater/stormwater system.
*E. Resolution 2010-08, Authorizing The City To Enter Into Continuing Services Agreements With B & M Construction Co., Inc., Bat Construction, Coral Marine Construction, D.L. Porter Construction, Inc., Finer Lines Design and Construction, Inc., Royal Crest, and Upper Keys Marine for Building Contractor Services On An As Needed Basis.
*F. Resolution 2010-09, Approving An Agreement With Government Services Group, Inc. (GSG) For Annual Stormwater Improvement Non-Ad Valorum Assessment Program City Wide For 2010 In An Amount Not To Exceed $18,500 (plus first class mailing and travel)
*G. Resolution 2010-10, Approving And Accepting A Warranty Deed For The Conveyance Of Land From John C. Hotz On Behalf Of Charles Hotz, Recipient Of A Residential Dwelling Unit Allocation Award; Authorizing Its Recording In The Public Records Of Monroe County, Florida; And Providing An Effective Date.
*H. Resolution 2010-11, Approving And Accepting A Lot Density Reduction BPAS Allocation Restrictive Covenant From Charles Hotz, Authorizing Its Recording In The Public Records Of Monroe County, Florida And Providing An Effective Date
*I. Resolution 2010-12, Authorizing the City Manager to Sign the Standard Local Agency Program Agreement to Initiate the Florida Department Of Transportation (FDOT) Coordination and Approval Process to Receive Federal Funds for Sombrero Beach Road Landscaping Project.
J. Resolution 2010-13, Authorizing The City To Enter Into Change Order # 1 In The Amount Of $152.46 To Contract Dated December 14, 2009, With Atlantic Civil, Inc , For Construction Of The Sombrero Beach Road Extension Project (In An Amount Not To Exceed $856,365.71) Appropriating Funds for the Project and Providing an Effective Date – Routine.
K. Resolution 2010-14, Approving Change Order No. 18 To Contract Dated August 8, 2007 With Globetec Construction, LLC For Construction Of Service Areas 4 & 6 Wastewater And Stormwater Project (In The Amount Of $28,916,180.00), Increasing The Contract Payment In An Amount Not To Exceed $425,006.52; Authorizing Expenditure Of Budgeted Funds; Authorizing The Acting City Manager To Execute The Change Order On Behalf Of The City; And Providing An Effective Date. – Routine. Worthington voted no.
L. Resolution 2010-15 Approving And Accepting A Grant Of Conservation Easement From Charles Hotz For Property Identified By Real Estate Number 00358230-000101; Authorizing Its Recording In The Public Records Of Monroe County, Florida; And Providing An Effective Date. – Routine.
M. Resolution 2010-16 council accepted contract for new city manager. His name is Roger Hernstadt; see photo right. He starts February 1.
10. Citizens' comments [3 minutes per individual - Each individual has one opportunity to speak.] – None.
11. Council comments
12. Adjournment
January 29, 2010 - Marathon - Blair Shiver: Shiver Report 01.29 Council Hires New City Manager.
After rounds of public interviews last Friday morning followed by private, one-on-one interviews with each council member in the afternoon, the council agreed Hernstadt, who is currently serving as Assistant City Manager for the City of Miami, was the best fit for the position.
Hernstadt began his initial interview by noting that his wife was already on the hunt for a new home Friday morning.
“Our family visits the Keys often, so we consider ourselves semi-local,” Hernstadt laughed. He came to the interview with more than 30 years of municipal government experience in South Florida in both the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County.
Councilman Dick Ramsay expressed concern over Hernstadt’s long-time friendship with Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi, but Hernstadt assured the council that he would never let personal relationships interfere with the direction of the council.
Vice Mayor Mike Cinque grilled Hernstadt on his vision for the future of the community, to which he responded that the down economy will eventually recover and now, while costs are still low, is the operative time to coordinate capital improvements throughout the city.
He also brings decades of experience in water and sewer operations in a much larger municipality to this city currently in the midst of a central sewer system installation.
“I’m a stickler for detail and very forward thinking,” he continued.
Interim City Manager Peter Rosasco gladly handed over the reins Tuesday evening during the council’s regularly scheduled meeting.
Hernstadt told the council that though there were terms of his contract “could use some tweaking, nothing was a deal breaker.”
The International City/County Management Association (ICMA), states that he has the option to vacate the position within two years of accepting the contract.
“I have to make that commitment to you whether you make it to me or not, but I intend to be here a lot longer than that,” Hernstadt said Saturday morning as he and the council hammered out the fine print of his contract. “While I intend to be here and am moving my family here, I think you should have the same type of commitment to me.”
Mayor Ginger Snead told Hernstadt that the length of the contract was “a moot point because if we don’t like what you’re doing, we can get rid of you after 90 days.”
In other business: • Snead gave glowing reports of their recent visit to Tallahassee regarding the city’s effort to purchase the island of Boot Key, and Rosasco echoed her sentiments, saying lobbyists spoke admirably of the city’s efforts toward land acquisition.
• The council discussed extending the expired permit amnesty period. Cinque called the burden of expired permits a “double-edged sword” because even as staff and contractors have been working diligently to close out long expired permits, there are still more than 2,000 open permits, a large portion of which remain when Marathon was under county governance. Building Department Official Ron Wampler confirmed that his staff had been coordinating administrative permit inspections for several homeowners in order to resolve any outstanding issues. The council also discussed permitting issues that arise once work has already been completed. After a bit of debate, council directed staff to return with the draft of a policy that reflected their concerns.
• Councilman Rich Keating asked staff how and why audio recordings from a July 21, 2008 planning commission meeting cannot be located. Planning Director George Garrett explained the process of transferring audio recordings from the meetings, adding that the particular meeting involved a request for beer and wine license at a new Walgreens located next door to Publix.
“I’m not concerned as much with the language of the meeting as much as I want to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Keating said.
• USI Insurance Services representative Steve Golden appeared before the council at Rosasco’s request to discuss possible amendments to city employee insurance policies. Rosasco said around budget time later in the year, council as well as constituents often suggests sending out Requests for Proposals for the city’s insurance services.
“Were we to have some sort of employee participation in an insurance program, we’d be looking at a cost savings,” Ramsay said. “With reductions in our property values, we’re going to have to tighten our belts.”
Councilman Pete Worthington suggested USI provide the council with a report on what neighboring municipalities offered their employees.
“That’s called benchmarking, and we’re currently in the middle of that process with the City of Miami,” Golden said, adding that over the past year, his company’s focus has been reevaluating benefits packages for companies across the country.
“That is part of our contracted service with the city.”
Often vocal Grassy Key resident John Walton commended the council for their efforts to get a jump on budgeting issues before the process begins later this year.
• Peter Batty, representative from The Spotswood Companies, updated the council on the progress of the Holiday Inn Express development as well as the stalled Faro Blanco project. Regarding the Holiday Inn Express, Batty reported he expects the facility will be open by mid-October of this year.
“We consider ourselves lucky to have financed the Holiday Inn Express project, but with the current economy, we have not been able to secure investment funding [for Faro Blanco redevelopment],” Batty said.
• The first reading of a proposed ordinance that would provide $10,000 for first-time homebuyers in Marathon was approved after lengthy debate regarding a proposed conditional deed restriction on the property.
January 31, 2010 - Florida Keys - John Bartus: Automated Termination Tribulation. | Weekly
For at least 15 years (maybe longer), I’ve had the same bellsouth.net e-mail address. It’s been my primary business and personal e-mail address for all that time, and I’ve transferred the address to a few different BellSouth accounts that were my primary business lines.
Imagine my surprise when my longtime faithful e-mail address disappeared from the ether this past Saturday morning. Just vanished without a trace. No matter how I tried logging on, it wouldn’t accept my password or acknowledge the fact that I was looking for my mail.
Anyone who doubts the existence of Hell on Earth has but to utter two seemingly simple words: Customer Support. A quick look on the Internet revealed the Customer Support number, and I called them up. The first “helpful” AT&T Customer Support rep I spoke with disconnected me after I had gone through the layers of “Marque numero ocho para español” and “Press 1 for technical support, 2 for…” and waited ten minutes for “the next available support representative.”
Undaunted, I call back. Same scenario, but this time a different outcome. The friendly rep told me that I had called the wrong line, and the number I really needed to call was 1-888-ROT-IN-HELL (not the real number). Okay… take a deep breath, and dial the new number. More layers of crap. I finally get a new “helpful” rep on the line, and in her barely disguised Indian accent, says, “Thank you for calling AT&T Customer Support. This is ‘Sarah.’ How may I exceed your expectations today?” I swear, most of the people I spoke with said a variant of “Sarah’s” introduction.
For the first time (of what turned out to be literally dozens of times), I explained my situation. I got nowhere. “Sarah” forwarded me on to a sales rep who knew nothing about technical support or why I was even forwarded there. Call tech support again, and this time I got the lovely “Carol.” She told me that my e-mail address was canceled, deleted, removed, and totally irretrievable. After I protested that someone in the AT&T Universe must know how to flip whatever switch it was that could turn on my e-mail address the way it was turned off, she then told me that I would be placed in a queue and to call back in 24 hours. Thus ended the first hour and a half of “expectation-exceeding” Customer Support.
After the requisite 24-hour wait, I called back. I explained the situation each time I was forwarded to the next representative who couldn’t help me. One of the lovely ladies in India was so certain that nothing could ever be done, and that my e-mail address was lost forever. I asked to speak with the highest supervisor she could connect me with, and she transferred me (again) to sales. After several more rounds of explanations and transfers, and after having been transferred around the world literally five times within one outgoing call, I was finally connected to a person whom I believed was a real supervisor and someone who could help me out. After more detective work revealed what had actually happened that started the virtual wheels of e-mail address cancellation in motion, the supervisor said, “I think we have a way to get your e-mail address back. I’m going to transfer you now.”
I was transferred to a person who told me that in order to keep my address, I’d have to open up a dial-up account, pay for it with a major credit card, and maybe my old e-mail address would work. The cost for “possibly” getting my old e-mail address back was going to be $22.95 per month. Bear in mind that I have a current existing AT&T DSL account.
It took most of the fibers of my being for me not to explode at that point. I calmly explained (again) to the new rep that I have an AT&T DSL account, and I just want my old bellsouth.net e-mail address operational under the existing AT&T DSL account. There was another call to AT&T tech support, and the rep from India said that the old BellSouth team would have to determine whether or not my e-mail address would still be available.
Yet another transfer. After waiting another eight minutes for the BellSouth rep, the cumulative effect of having one outgoing call transferred around the world multiple times was just too much. As the BellSouth rep answered the call, the line faded and went dead, two and a half hours into the call.
Please be sure to read this column next week to find out if I ever got my old e-mail address back. And one piece of advice for AT&T: if you’d really like to exceed my Customer Support expectations, then just provide some actual
- John Bartus is a singer/songwriter and former Mayor of the City of Marathon. Currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce, Bartus will perform with Storm Watch Friday at Dockside Lounge and Saturday at the Lorelei in Islamorada. This Thursday, John plays solo at Sparky’s Landing. www.johnbartus.com.
Kitty Talk
Abby: Retire? What's that? Ebony: We get more catnip and catnaps. We old cats now. Abby: Speak for yourself. I still a cute kitten. Ebony: Yeah, right. Cute you are not. Don't fret none though; we will meow stuff now and then. Abby: I think human bean retarded. We are the only great thing about this newspaper. Ebony: Human bean listen to my meows and decided to let us finally retire. Abby: As long as human bean pass out the yummy nummies, I suppose I can cope. But I is not old. Maybe human bean old and you too, but not me. So what is human bean a boy cat or a girl cat? Ebony: Such a question! Uh, um, I don't know. How can you tell? Abby: I not nose! I asking the question. Ebony: I not nose either. No matter he or she is a good human bean what mama cat us all the time. Abby: So human bean is a girl cat. I knowed it. Ebony: Sigh. You are just hopeless. Well, I get to meow the ending this time. Me and Abby love all our fans both feline, canine, and human beanine. Goodby till next time! >^..^<  Internet Stuff
Interesting websites we visited recently:
All opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of this magazine, company, or its advertisers. Inputs, email, suggestions, and letters to this journal are subject to approval by the Editorial Board. Submittals may be edited for content and length and become the creative property for the one-time nonexclusive publication of:
Internet URLs: www.MarathonJournal.US http://www.keysweekly.com/ Publication date: January 28, 2010
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Marathon Florida Keys Journal
Thank you one and all for the 16th year of the Marathon Florida Keys Journal. You will notice that the Journal is transitioning to a new look. There is a more focused effort toward content. We are supposed to be the leading newspaper on Marathon local politics, although we do stray with a rare comment on county stuff once in a while. Much of the personal artwork is gone. And, once again, we are going to try to phase out Kitty Talk, unless there is a riot that is.
Key Harbor Photographs. Max is a talented photographer who captures the essence of Marathon. He has a natural talent for spotting the perfect photo. You have seen a number of his feature photographs here on the Marathon Florida Keys Journal. As the article title says, these photos are early morning on and sunset over Boot Key Harbor. We live for days like this.
Christmas season we all think of getting together with friends and family; however, many people are away from their loved ones during the holidays. This year Richard Tanner, City of Marathon Marina and Ports Manager, and his wife, Arla, decided they would like to share their Christmas Day with their friends at the City Marina and the employees of the City.
Richie Morretti at the Turtle Hospital regarding the cold weather we've been having. As you're all aware, this has been the longest sustained cold weather that we've had in decades. As "cold-blooded" reptiles, turtles normally respond to gradually cooling water by migrating to warmer waters, but when the water cools very suddenly they are unable to maintain their body temperatures and they become torpid. They are washing up on Florida beaches in record numbers. On Monday, we had about 40 turtles strand in the Keys alone, and the total for the state was running at about 2500. I haven't been able to get updated numbers because FWC and Turtle Hospital staff are too busy to slow down, but the Hospital website states that they have taken in more than 100 turtles in the last few days. 
at Key Largo and Islamorada. I visited the one in Marathon to save gas, you know. After the manager cleared me, I took over 300 photos. I got the number down to 16 great photos, if I do say so myself. The photos are located at 
JK: Currently, Marathon’s Planning Commission and Code Board members are selected by a majority council vote after an application process. The council is now considering filling these positions through individual appointments. After three years of service on the Planning Commission, are you worried about losing your non-paying job?
Government Center, 2798 Overseas Hwy. Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 5:30 p.m. Photos, if any, are available at 
$99.00 &
Tyrone's Mobile Car Wash & Detail
Sam Kennedy, Photographer 1-305-393-3939, 699 116th Street Ocean, Key Vaca, FL USA 33050
