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January 27, 2011 - Marathon - L. E. Shaffer: The Indomitable Vice Mayor Dick Ramsay. We ended up at
We talked about what is ailing us. I suppose that marks my new era as a 60-year-old. Dick is 70 something and mumbled some thoughts of his on that particular situation. I forgot my hearing aids and did not pick up everything. I am satisfied that he is in good health. Me? I got appointments with Miami Surgery Urology Clinic. You know, technology, now all sorts of procedures can be accomplished, and they send you back home. How convenient...
Dick and I discussed the state of our fine city and concluded we are not doing so bad notwithstanding our differences. What? You expect us to agree on everything? The state of the City of Marathon is good. We enter the second decade with infrastructure needs like satellite fire stations, public works facility, and even a city hall before it floats away in the next hurricane.
As Dick reminded me, we have to finish the wastewater, stormwater, and gray water systems. We cannot get too far ahead of ourselves. Just the job of maintaining our fair city is so very important to councilpersons.
I call for respect from all sides. We can accomplish much together, and fail if not. And failure is not a choice.
Dick Ramsay is the first of a new program for the Marathon Florida Keys Journal. Periodic face-to-face meetings at LeighAnn's where we can look one another in the eye and shake the other's hand. If we let the political barriers down, there are many items that we all agree on. Of course, getting there is the sticky point and produces multiple answers. Some would say that is government moving at the pace of a dead snake (R. Mearns). Others would say that the whole thing is a "process". Yes, you know who you are!
Regardless, working together as a community gives us the extraordinary ability to accomplish anything no matter how hard or impossible. Marathon is our community. Marathon is family. Marathon is my home.
January 28, 2011 - Marathon - Blair Shiver Report: Saga of the Trees Signs, palms and lighting discussions continue |
But after Vice Mayor Dick Ramsay questioned the costs for initial installation and watering of the high-maintenance coconut palms, the saga appeared to conclude at Tuesday night’s regularly scheduled council meeting.
In a memo to the council, City Manager Roger Hernstadt estimated time commitment for maintenance – one day per month for two Public Works employees plus the cost of materials and solid waste fees for any palm fronds – to total an estimated annual expense of $9,500.
Ramsay further referenced the City of Key West’s current efforts to replace existing coconut palms at the island’s main entrance.
“With coconut palms, maintenance on these things is short of horrendous,” Ramsay noted. The proposed site is on the gulfside of Coco Plum Drive and the highway. He added that the greenery provided by existing mangroves at the site prompted him to question whether or not the council should consider installing the trees further west into Marathon.
“It will beautify and give a more tropical appearance,” said councilman Pete Worthington. “Is it the best location? Probably not. But any beautification is good.”
Mayor Ginger Snead asked whether the $9,500 was available in the current budget, to which Public Works Manager Carlos Solis said “No,” saying the money would have to be appropriated from somewhere else in the current budget.
Halioua contended that maintenance on the trees would be nominal after the first year or two, and installation and watering could likely be completed for $5,000-$6,000.
“I’ve been waiting for many years, and I want to plant them before I lose them,” he insisted. “You supply a little good will, and maybe we can change the image of Marathon, sir!”
Finance Director Peter Rosasco said at the council’s direction, he could possibly qualify $9,500 from the general fund or monies earmarked for street maintenance.
“Capital infrastructure would include planting at cost,” he elaborated. “Maintenance is not something that can be paid out of capital infrastructure.”
Hernstadt’s memo also included a reminder that the city’s Land Development Regulations require 75 percent native plantings, and all of the city’s park and wastewater projects have abided by that standard. Halioua agreed to increase the percentage of native trees in his proposal to 40 percent.
In other business: • Ramsay brought forth a proposed partnership study with the Florida Keys Electric Co-op and the city to install lighting along the Aviation Blvd. bike path. Former city manager and FKEC board member Mike Puto said the utility would like to conduct a feasibility study on a couple different types of light fixtures with input from residents in that area. He estimated a preliminary cost for the lights to be at about $12-14 per month and confirmed that the study would be conducted at no cost to the city.
Snead prodded Puto to simultaneously revisit the possibility of moving utility lights further from the bike path – a project she said the city had been quoted a very high price in the past.
• The city granted a temporary Certificate of Occupancy to the Keys Fisheries for their 800-foot expansion of the elevated bar above the restaurant dining area. Planning Director George Garrett said both he and the building inspector had examined the expansion and recommended issuing the temporary CO so they could open earlier than the planned date of March 8.
• Council approved a contract with Keys Grafix & Sign of the Florida Keys, LLC for $30,878 for new city entrance signs and establishing individual facility signs pricing for future facility signs.
“You have individually and collectively expressed concern with how the signs look,” Hernstadt told the council, further clarifying that there was “wiggle room” with the conceptual sign design over which many in the meeting expressed disappointment.
Keys Grafix co-owner Jeff Pinkus promised the company would work with the city in any way necessary to draft a design on which the entire council can agree.
“Your sign is the face of your business, and your business is the city,” Pinkus offered.
Worthington cautioned that the proposed entrance signs would be the third set the city had installed in 11 years of existence.
“I’m on board with changing, but I’m not on board with how fast this is moving,” he cautioned.
Councilman Mike Cinque motioned to direct staff to work with Pinkus on the conceptual design and moving forward, but Ramsay vocally opposed the motion.
“I’m sick and tired of how many signs we keep putting up and taking down just because we don’t like them,” Ramsay expressed. “I believe there are alternatives.”
• Solis reported that the council’s proposed test plan to temporarily extinguish every other industrial street light along U.S. 1 had not yet been implemented because a circuit shortage had extinguished all the lamps between 41st Street to Aviation Blvd.
January 29, 2011 - Florida Keys - John Bartus Keys Disease: You Just Can’t Make This Stuff Up
Let’s start with those wacky Mexican smugglers. Getting marijuana across the border into the United States is nowhere near as easy as it was in the days of Cheech and Chong. The authorities have so many ways of finding herbal contraband that it doesn’t make sense to truck it through the border checkpoints. What’s a smuggler to do?
CNN’s online outlet released some photos and video footage, courtesy of the Department of Homeland Security, that shows the latest in how the Mexican hooch haulers are getting their packages closer to their final destinations. The headline reads: “Giant Pot Catapult Found At Border.”
In other drug-related news, Orlando TV station WKMG recently produced a piece on the dangers of a new high that carries serious health risks. The headline: “Synthetic Cocaine Sold as ‘Bath Salts.’” I had no idea that anyone would actually entertain the idea of shoving personal hygiene products up one’s nostrils… but there are things I’m just not meant to understand. In addition to bath salts, some of this ersatz blow is sold in little gram bags labeled, and again, I’m not making this up, Pixie Dust “plant feeder” or Snow Blow “herbal party snuff.” I suppose that if there are such things as legal (fake) pot (legal buds, spice), then legal coke wasn’t far behind.
The legal synthetic marijuana substance was even the subject of a CBS Evening News piece last summer. Although legal, there have been some nasty side effects reported to health care professionals and poison control facilities. Although I’m sure he didn’t mean for it to come out like this, Dr. Gaylor Lopez, director of the Georgia Poison Center, was quoted as saying (and I’m not making this up), “We started seeing a mushrooming of calls.”
This just in on CNN: Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich Sues Over Olive Pit in Sandwich! (Does anyone really care?)
(As I typed the above parenthetical question, my web browser quit unexpectedly. I’m not making this up. I guess Congresspeople have their little feelers out all over the place…)
Also from CNN: “Megachurch pastor Joel Osteen Says Criticizing His Wealth is an Insult to God.” Really.
From Yahoo News: “Body of TV Quizmaster Snatched From Grave.” Why someone needed to exhume the body of an 85-year-old former game show host and former person is a mystery. According to the story, however, it is not the first time that the body of a famous personality has been snatched in Italy. It must be zombies.
Facebook friends may be even friendlier than we thought, as this headline affirms: “Social Networking Leads To Sex Faster.” It’s the new “digital intimacy.”
Here’s a shocker from the Lone Star State: “Texas Only Has Enough Lethal Drugs For Two Executions.” I guess it’s break-out-the-rope-time. The existing supply should last through Tuesday.
Next, a story from the City of Brotherly Love: “Housing Agency Spent Thousands of Dollars on Belly Dancers, Luxury Bags.” In addition, the authority’s executive secretly spent more than $500,000 in housing authority funds to settle sexual harassment claims.
According to this story from ABC News, it seems that many of the nation’s low-income housing programs are plagued by theft, mismanagement and corruption at local levels, including millions in federal tax funds spent on housing for sex offenders and dead people.
We’ll wrap this up with an update to a story that’s been making local headlines; namely, the piano on a sandbar in Biscayne Bay. It seems that a local South Florida teen and his father are behind the stunt. Nicholas Harrington, 16, told WPLG that he was behind the mystery, with a little help from his friends. “I liked the idea of an anonymous piano out there, no explanation to it,” he said, adding that he viewed it as art for a portfolio in a future college application.
So why did Harrington come forward with his story? It’s because someone else falsely claimed responsibility for placing the piano on the sandbar! William Yeager (a noted prankster) said he and a fellow filmmaker have placed pianos in various cities. Since the real story surfaced, however, Yeager has been humming a different tune. Officials say no charges are likely to be filed against anyone in this case of the piano that went to sea.
- John Bartus is a singer/songwriter, former Mayor of the City of Marathon, and past President of the Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce. John performs Saturdays at the Key Colony Inn, Mondays at the new Cabana Restaurant and Tiki at Banana Bay resort, and Thursdays at Sparky’s Landing! www.johnbartus.com.
January 31, 2011 - Florida Keys - Gary Roberts: OF LIFE AND DEATH
The meaning of life, I suppose, is somewhat vague to most of us. Particularly when we consider that some people are born into a life of ease and luxury while others are born into a life of constant hardship and suffering. Though much has been written on this subject, the various theories are inadequate for complete understanding. Personally, I do not question the reason seriously, though perhaps curiously. All I know is that God gave me life and also gave me direction in what to do with it. My only real concern is in following those directions.
As to death; death is inevitable. It has been written that “we are born to die,” which simply means that if we are physically born, we shall surely physically die. The creation and immortality of the soul is something again that mortal man cannot completely understand. Physical life, as we know it, is completely insignificant in the time span of eternity which is promised by God for the soul. Whether we die in infancy or live to the age of Methuselah is of no consequence as long as we obey God’s commands in the years of accountability. This is the important thing of life. We should not be concerned about how long we live, but rather about these years being in accordance with God’s direction. If we are at peace in conscience with God – death should not be greatly feared. True death, due to its unknown qualities, is feared by all, but trust in God can alleviate these fears. For God has promised that he would not forsake those who trust him, “Oh death where is thy sting, oh grave where is thy victory.” The victory is in immortality which conquers death; therefore, death is actually a wonderful transformation from this mortality to immortality. So let us not pray that we may be spared from death, but rather let us pray that we may understand the real meaning of death.
G. B. (Buster) Roberts March 26, 1914 – February 27, 2004
Buster Roberts was a seven year resident of Marathon. He lived almost 90 years on this earth and now through his Savior, Jesus Christ, he is a recipient of the eternal life with God of which he wrote many years ago.
February 1, 2011 - Marathon - Provided by David Purdo. Welcome to Marathon Wild Bird Marathon Wild Bird Center (MWBC) enjoyed two summers with Eckerd College student intern Rob Qually. Rob is a dedicated soul whose passion for birds only became deeper after his experiences in the Keys. When our local residents repeatedly bring us injured birds we dub them “bird magnets” and it seems as if Rob has become one of “those” back on campus. Since returning to school, Rob has rescued a number of injured birds--some he’s spotted himself and others that were pointed out to him by colleagues. Rob transfers the birds to a local wildlife rehabilitation facility in St. Petersburg and often follows up with the staff on their progress. Below is an email we received from Rob recently. He had spotted a pied-billed grebe in a pond on his college campus that had a six-pack holder caught around its neck. Rob made it his mission to help this ailing bird. Consider this Part I . . .
Subject: Operation Grebe . . . failure So I received emails from 25 students saying that they would help me use seine nets through a large two-sectioned pond to capture the grebes. Only six volunteers showed up. I was very unhappy about this, but we tried anyway. We tried to herd them as best as we could into a possible corner for capture, but as I was the only one willing to go swimming, they just easily bypassed us and kept diving and hiding. I was walking through some reeds and saw a brown shadow in the muddy water. I grabbed it with my hands, but unfortunately it was an anhinga so I had to release it back into the pond. I was intrigued to find that this anhinga is not nearly as strong as any cormorant I have handled before.
One volunteer told me that there is a very large seine net that spans the entire width of the pond, so I think that I will try using that after spring semester has started when it is warmer and there are more students on campus, and hopefully more that are reliable to help.
I’m starting to lose the numbness in my fingers and toes now after that cold water so I’m gonna go run my hands under hot water some more, have a great night.
MWBC executive director (and Rob’s mentor) Kelly Grinter responded:
Operation Grebe was NOT a failure!!! You learned a lot from your FIRST attempt and will surely be successful next time! You learned that 1) one-fourth of those who say they will show up actually show up; 2) that your net wasn’t large enough; 3) that the water was dangerously cold on this particular day; and 4) that anhingas are easier to handle than cormorants . . . but to be fair, that needle-sharp bill can take an eye out in an instant so NEVER let your guard down!!! YOU ARE AMAZING!!! xoxo Kelly :-)
New intern jumps in as our season takes off Arya Poppema-Bannon is, like former intern Rob Qually, a student at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. As a matter of fact they’re friends! The Qually family graciously made their condo in Marathon available to Arya so she, too, could get some hands-on experience at the MWBC during her winter break. Currently a junior majoring in marine biology Arya has quite a history with birds. She has spent time assisting her mother, who is a wildlife rehabilitator in Maine, and has raised chickens her whole life. She has spent two semesters and one summer doing field research observing Florida shorebirds’ behavior and nesting populations. Having also interned at the Florida Aquarium, Arya hopes to pursue a career as a veterinarian. Her first day with us she observed our volunteers attempting to recondition a rehabilitated Swainson’s Hawk in a field using a technique called “creonse flying.” The bird was tethered to a line and given the opportunity to strengthen its wing muscles. On day two she observed as our local veterinarian, Dr. Geraldine Diethelm, performed surgery on a Yellow-crowned Night Heron in our own hospital. Because her time with us is limited, Arya has been working non-stop since her arrival, but she expects to be exploring the rest of the Keys before she heads back to college at the end of the month.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Can you help us start 2011 on the right foot? A gift of any size helps the Marathon Wild Bird Center continue its efforts to rescue, rehabilitate and release birds--and you’ll get a tax break for this current year. It’s easy. You can mail a check of any amount to Marathon Wild Bird Center, P. O. Box 501328, Marathon, FL 33050, or you can visit our web site at www.marathonwildbirdcenter.org to donate online. Because we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your donation is tax deductible. Remember: if you ever find a sick or injured bird, please give us a call at 305.743.8382. We answer this line 24 hours a day. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Projects never cease Even though our budget is tight this year, especially without funding from the Board of Monroe County Commissioners, we still have many projects that NEED to be accomplished. Slowly, but surely, we’ve been purchasing the materials, wood and wire, to complete these endeavors. Here’s a summary:
Volunteer Chris Rottier is working hard to revamp our ICU and food prep area. The carport, which was our original “center” before we expanded to include a hospital unit and outdoor habitats, is in dire need of being rat-proofed. Chris is removing the chain link fencing that has enclosed this area since 1995 and is installing one-quarter inch hardware mesh. The project is not only time-consuming, but also a major task for him to complete almost single-handedly.
Volunteer Dave Duraney has designed and will soon start construction on a small bird aviary that will house “lost” pet birds until we can either locate their owners or find them adoptive homes.
Volunteer Ralph Slawson is picking up where he left off last year, finishing a habitat design to display our non-releasable shorebirds. This project has been put off for many years because of lack of funding, but our birds, a Black-bellied Plover, Red Knot and Ruddy Turnstone, deserve to move into a habitat with more natural-like conditions. We also use these birds to make shorebird patients feel at home, which in turn speeds up their recuperation time.
Volunteer Alain Morris is busy checking smaller projects off his to-do list with the latest being a new cover for our hot water heater which just happens to be in our Turkey Vulture habitat.
And, in addition to all his other responsibilities, intern Gunnar Zollinger is constructing a drop-box to be situated at the entrance of Crane Point. This will make it easier for the public to drop off the injured birds they find without having to drive into the hammock. The road to the Bird Center also is part of the nature trail that visitors to the museum use and reducing traffic on this path will help ensure the safety of our guests.
Every critter counts For as long as the MWBC has been in operation, since 1995, we’ve been an advocate for the humane treatment of our fellow furry wildlife, namely raccoons and opossums, with squirrels also having been added to that menagerie in the last few years. We act as a liaison with other local rehabbers, Ark Angels in Tavernier and Raccoon Rescue on Big Pine Key. We rescue and administer emergency treatment to injured and orphaned mammals found throughout the Middle Keys but transfer the furry critters as soon as possible. The reason we don’t keep them on-site is twofold. One, we specialize in wild birds and, two, there are already expert rehabilitators available who can provide the animals with the proper knowledge and caging required to rehabilitate them so they can be returned to the wild. Raccoon Rescue has just announced the introduction of their website, which is loaded with simple-to-read, easy-to-understand information for the public. The content is excellent and more photographs will adorn the site soon! Check it out at http://home.earthlink.net/~raccoonrescue/. Also, while you’re surfing the web, check out the Tavernier facility’s site at www.arkangelswildliferescue.com .
Raptor data from Curry Hammock In November 2010, we told you the story about the hawk watch at Curry Hammock State Park, Mile Marker 56. For details, read the November issue of our online newsletter on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marathon-Wild-Bird-Center-Inc/115018061874987. Recently, we received the stats for the raptors counted at this site in 2010 and would like to now share them with you: Black Vulture: 2 Osprey: 444 Bald Eagle: 21 Northern Harrier: 638 Sharp-shinned Hawk: 1,318 Cooper’s Hawk: 227 Red-shouldered Hawk: 24 Broad-winged Hawk: 4,043 American Kestrel: 1,297 Merlin (falcon): 176 Peregrine Falcon: 1,512 Snail Kite: 3 Mississippi Kite: 15 Swallow-tailed Kite: 89 Short-tailed Hawk: 16
That makes for a grand total of 10,098 raptors counted flying over Curry Hammock State Park between September 15th and October 31st! In approximately six weeks, these 10,000 + birds once again made the Middle Keys a major migratory flyway for migrating birds.
Spread the word Enjoyed this newsletter? Please forward it to a friend! And don’t forget to visit these three websites for lots more information and photos: http://www.marathonwildbirdcenter.org/ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marathon-Wild-Bird-Center-Inc/115018061874987 http://www.marathonwildbirdcenter.blogspot.com/
Marathon Wild Bird Center P.O. Box 501328 Marathon, FL 33050 MM 50 at Crane Point Hammock Phone: (305) 743-8382 Fax: (305) 743-8172 Website: www.marathonwildbirdcenter.org February 20, 2011 - Florida Keys - John Bartus Keys Disease - The More Things Change…  Imagine, for a fleeting moment, an elected official in Germany who inexplicably would put forth the idea of commemorating an anniversary of a World War II Nazi victory by issuing a special license plate in honor of a Nazi general. How long would that little idea last before getting ripped to shreds by other German elected officials and worldwide media outlets?Now imagine something like that happening in these United States (former Ohio Congressional candidate and SS Trooper-dresser-upper Rich Iott aside). Well, it is happening here, in the state of Mississippi, where the State Legislature will consider a proposal for honoring the sesquicentennial of the Civil War by issuing commemorative license plates. One of these plates, set for 2014, will honor Tennessee native and Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Before we delve deeper into Forrest’s background, let me start by explaining, for those who don’t know, that in the Deep South the Civil War is still big business. The War Between the States, or the War of Northern Aggression (as it is known in the South), is highlighted, celebrated, and revered as if the South had won and the Union had been rent asunder. There are Civil War reenactments all over the place. Charleston (South Carolina) was the location of a period costume “Secession Ball” that was touted as a “joyous night of music, dancing, food and drink.” Inside the Municipal Auditorium, descendants of Confederate soldiers and plantation owners celebrated the anniversary of South Carolina’s secession from the United States. Outside the auditorium, descendants of the slaves who picked cotton for the great grandfathers of those inside held their own gathering. Lucky for the rest of us, for the next four-and-a-half years, we’ll be (over-) exposed to every Civil War anniversary, from the firing on Fort Sumter, to the surrender at Appomattox Courthouse. Back to General Nathan Bedford Forrest: before the Civil War, Forrest was one of the South’s richest men, having amassed a fortune of over $1.5 million – and that’s in 1860-value dollars! He earned his fortune as a riverboat gambler, plantation owner, speculator, and slave trader in his home city of Memphis. Upon the war’s commencement, he enlisted as a private, but quickly rose through the ranks and became a Confederate general. For the South, he was a war hero, a worthy strategist and tactician, and a pioneer of the concept of mobile warfare. The 1864 Fort Pillow massacre, however, made him a war criminal and butcher. After the war, his leadership role and ascension to the title of Grand Wizard in the Ku Klux Klan did little to enhance his legacy. In his later years, he expressed regrets and became an advocate for reconciliation between North and South, and black and white. While forgiveness is perhaps the ultimate virtue, and redemption can be earned, there are things that simply can’t be overlooked. While there are cities, streets, parks, and schools (including one in Jacksonville, Florida) named after General Forrest, I’m not so sure that here in the 21st Century, any state should further honor someone who’s actions at Fort Pillow were described like this by one of his fellow Confederate soldiers (Tennessee calvaryman Achilles Clark): “The slaughter was awful. Words cannot describe the scene. The poor, deluded, negroes would run up to our men, fall upon their knees, and with uplifted hands scream for mercy but they were ordered to their feet and then shot down. I, with several others, tried to stop the butchery, and at one time had partially succeeded, but General Forrest ordered them shot down like dogs and the carnage continued. Finally our men became sick of blood and the firing ceased.” These are not the actions that earn a person a place of honor on a license plate. Let’s spend some time and effort honoring real American heroes, and not continue to embarrass ourselves on the world stage by opening old wounds and showing just how insensitive a people we can be. 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 Looe Key Tiki, Tuesday at Dockside, and Thursday at Sparky’s Landing. http://www.johnbartus.com.February 25, 2011 - Collector's Corner Stan Haines Forbids Access to Town Square Mall – L. E.  Shaffer: I am 60 years old and disabled by my military service, but I will not accept dishonorable behavior. I have been asked why no new articles. I have been busy being psychotic for about fifteen days. I committed myself to the Miami VA for 11 days to deal with fibromyalgia pain level of nine. You know the scale; 10 is the doing the harry carry thing. That is not my cup of tea. I also had worsening urologic symptoms. During my 11-day stay, I got the entire pre-op done. You see, I would not leave until Urology took care of my needs.
I have a mass in the bladder and on top of my right kidney along with other things that will be addressed in surgery March 9.
During my Miami VA hospitalization, my meds were changed around. They finally got my fibromyalgia pain level down to 7.5. An increase in dosage of the meds found to actually do something along with other medical actions were the reasons why. With Urology pre-op done and my fibromyalgia slowly, very slowly returning to my 24/7 normal of six I decided to go home to Marathon, my paradise. Many people, friends, and my family were tremendous in their support and understanding. For that, I am very thankful.
There will be an article with three or four parts coming soon. Sourcing everything takes patience and time. Facebook, tweet, and Word Press contain all the lines of investigation going on right now.
After being falsely Baker-Acted, I came out of those five days with renewed energy and ready to get back to the work of muckraking. I’m sure that the few who were not supportive or even took time for an explanation will fill you in on all the details. Just remember though; there is always the other side. You know, Paul Harvey, Page 2, the rest of the story.
I stopped in to Keys grafix & Signs to talk to my “father-confessor” Jeff Pinkus. Then in barges Stan Haines from Collector’s Corner; he was a friend I was glad to see again. Stan Haines was my Marathon City Council Campaign Manager for the 2010 elections. Stan talked me into running again; that is not all his fault though. I bought into that “sure winner” thing. I digress.
Stan announced with seriousness of face that I was no longer welcome at Town Square Mall. He told me to leave, or he would call the cops. I made a mistake and actually left. I should have stood up for myself as I always do, as many of you know. That would have forced the issue arrest or not, because he and the owner cannot apply an injunction to keep me, the public, out of the Town Square Mall parking lot or the businesses who welcome me. After polling those businesses, many quite helpful during the 2010 campaign, I found one business that did not want me in their store, Collector’s Corner and Stan Haines.
Now Stan, raising his scariest voice, admonished me about terrorizing the poor Kolers and the Weekly Newspapers staff. Stan told me that the Kolers and Weekly staff had locked their doors when I arrived on scene as it were. Funny thing though Jason and I talked on cell phone about when I could get back to doing his online version. While I was disappointed, he wanted me to wait until I was better. I liked the extra money too, but Jason offered to loan me some. I refused because I really did not need the money. I had just fallen in love with doing their online version of the Weekly Newspapers. I still hope to resume that job when Jason is comfortable that I am well enough, probably after my surgery plus a few weeks of recovery. The bottom line though is that all the above does not indicate what Stan was telling me in a threatening manner.
I was becoming concerned that he was going to do my physical harm and not thinking about what was really going on, I left somewhat dazed and confused. As I left, I observed people coming and going at the Weekly Newspapers offices. Why in the world did Stan say the Kolers locked their doors because of me?
There is a post office at Town Square Mall, a federal public place. I am going to buy my stamps from there, because it is the closest post office to where I live on 91st Street. Town Square Mall’s owner and Stan, the man, Haines will just have to call the deputies to drag me out of the post office and off of their public parking lot. Additionally, there are quite a number of Town-Square-Mall’s business that always welcomed me into their shops, and still do. I might get to eat at Frank’s Grille now.
O, but wait, according to Stan, I will get hauled out of there by the deputies as well. Imagine that.
I spent 25 year in the Navy to defend our freedoms and rights. Do you think I am scared to stand up for my rights and those others that exercise those rights every chance they get?
Friends, you know the answer to that. My hallmarks are honor, integrity, and character. Bring it on. --- As I said before, there is a multipart article coming with more details. I am ashamed of nothing. My honor, integrity, and character are still intact no matter what. My 88 days of combat spread throughout my 25-year career are my bona fides!
 The Dull Stuff 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 Journal Editor. Submittals may be edited for content and length and become the creative property for the one-time nonexclusive publication of:
Publication date: March 31, 2011
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Florida Keys Journal Digest of Last Month's Daily News
WELCOME TO THE JOURNAL'S MONTHLY DIGEST
LeighAnn's Coffeehouse, my unofficial official office. I stepped up to the counter to order us some drinks, but Dick paid for them already. I did not object. My mom taught me to accept gifts graciously and say thank you. Thank you, Dick, the Cafe Mocha was great.
Courtesy of 
Center’s online newsletter
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