This Week on the Island 06/11/2006

'This week on the Island' is written by Doug Bennett and is an update to friends about happenings in Key West last week. Everything is true except for those parts that are lies.
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Key West: a city of change. The pictures this week are (1) Peacons Grocery Store build in 1919 0n the corner of Williams and Fleming and (2) The Williams-Fleming House on that corner today (2006).


The Weather: Summer is here (high 80's in the day, high 70's at night), It is hot and humid, but it is still cooler than way up north in Miami, Dallas, Phoenix, Las Vegas. The rains from the first tropical depression of the season started Saturday. It is suppose to rain for a couple of days. We really need it since we went about 6 months with no rain after Wilma.

This week was 'Pride Week' it used to be 'Gay Pride Week'. The island has been packed. Most of these activities take place around the 700 block of Duval. On Saturday they unrolled the Pride Flag on Duval Street. It stretched from coast-to-coast (the Atlantic to the Gulf). This is the same flag they used for the last couple of years. It appears everyone involved had a wonderful time.

This week also kicked off the summer vacation for lots of collage kids. Duval Street around Sloppy Joe's is also packed. I enjoy watching the young kids do the same stuff they have been doing for years.

I met some folks from Orlando at Schooner Wharf this week. They commented on 'This Week on the Island'. I enjoyed talking with them. I also found that I have been posting PHOTO's on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ThisWeekontheIsland/ but no one has been able to see them. I guess I had better work on that.

The White Street Pier (the unfinished Bridge to Cuba) is being repaired. It has been closed since Wilma. Completion is suppose to be in August.

On the left side of the driveway going into Hogs Breath from Duval is a small gravel area (about 4' x 10'). It is fenced in now and the owners must remove the buried propane tank that was put there when 'Ripley's Believe it or Not' was 'Planet Hollywood'.

The block building next to Harpoon Harry's on Caroline Street is being torn down. Wonder what will replace it.

Southard Street goes into the Truman Annex and to property at the old Navy sub pins. This property now belongs to the city and there is a big fight as to rather the traffic should go thru Truman Annex by opening up Southard Street or thru Bahama Village. The City and Bahama Village want to send the traffic down Southard Street. The Truman Annex people say Southard Street belongs to them and they want to put up gates to keep the traffic out. More later.

Key West, You have got to love it
'Meet me at the end of the road' - Conky Tonkin'- Jimmy Buffett
Doug Bennett
Lat 24.5597N, Long 81.8016W

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