This Week on the Island 04/13/2008

'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.----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The picture this week is 'ashes' at Schooner Wharf Bar. The bar opens at 7:00 AM for its first happy hour (there are 3 each day, only 2 on Sunday) and doesn't close until 2:00 A M, but some people don't ever want to leave Schooner Wharf Bar. After they are gone and are cremated, they have some of their ashes placed on the beams of the bar.

The Weather: Beautiful --BUT---The predictions for the 2008 Hurricane Season are out and it doesn't look good. The weather guys are predicting a more active season. We here in Key West have not been hit by a hurricane since Katrina and Wilma in 2005.

The book this week was 'Orange Crush' by Tim Dorsey. I have now read all of the Tim Dorsey books and the adventures of Serge the serial killer.

I tried to send a 'Thank You' to everyone that sent me a message about Wyleigh going to Doggie Heaven. If I missed yours, then 'Thank You'.

The State of Florida Bicycle Law is that a bicycle is a vehicle and will follow all vehicular rules, except in places where the sidewalk is the designated bicycle path. South Roosevelt Blvd sidewalk is the bicycle path from the entrance to Key West to Old Town. The problem has been that the sidewalk was in terrible shape and very hard to ride on. Key West has blacktopped the sidewalk as a temporary fix. It is wonderful and makes it much easer to ride up to the stores from old town.

We have a couple of places in Key West where large construction threatened an old existing building and both won. On Front Street there is a bar where some of the locals liked to hang out. The Pier House was built and the old bar was saved. 'The Chart Room' is still there today and is part of that complex. There was also a motel complex, The Key Wester Resort Inn, on South Roosevelt where the Beatles stayed (1964), The Hyatt Windward Pointe Resort now stands there but the Fab Four's cottage stayed and is part of that complex.

John Lennon's art show, 'In My Life', was on display in Key West over the week end.

The Schooner Western Union came back to Key West this weekend. It had been in dry dock for repairs in Miami.

More treasure from sunken Spanish ships. A small box of pearls valued at $500,000 was discovered at the site of the Santa Margarita, the sister ship of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha. They both sunk in a hurricane in 1622 off the coast of Key West.

For all you Parrot Heads out there. Captain Tony is home from the hospital and is doing well.

The Captain who will be 92 in August has gained 5 pounds while in the hospital. They did an angioplasty to relieve a blocked artery.

Key West, You have got to love it

'Living the life that others dream'

Doug Bennett

Lat 24.55967N, Long 81.80169W

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