This Week on the Island 01/17/2010

'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 (click to enlarge) is ‘Margaritaville is 25 years old’. Picture copied from BuffetWorld. This is the old store at Lands End next to Turtle Kraals. The first Margaritaville was a gift shop and it did not have a Café. When they moved to Duval it became the ‘Margaritaville Café’.

Weather: The coldest on record for Key West is 41 degrees set in 1898. Monday morning ‘Weather Bug’ said it was 42 degrees. It broke the record of 48 degrees for that date. Friday it was in the 70’s. Lots of dead fish everywhere. The cold has killed them. The pelicans also seem to be dying off. We are just not prepared for this kind of weather. I have friends that have gone to the mainland in hopes of finding space heaters, but it is cold up there also and no heaters are available.

The book this week was ‘Key West in Black and White’ by Tom Corcoran. Lot of pictures.

This week the ‘Snotty Yachties’ are back in town.
The parking lot on Carolina Street is covered in a big tent so there is no parking left in down town. They use up all the street parking and complain about the lack of parking. The boats in the bight have to move so the Yachties have a place for their boats. They race in the day and go to their party tent at night so most business are not making any money from them. No wonder most of Key West dislikes them.

The temperature is back in the 70’s this weekend. The skies are blue and it feels wonderful. The heavy coats are put away and we are back to sandals and shorts. It has been a long cold winter (14 days) and we are glad it is over.

The Key West Seafood Festival was held at Bayview Park on Saturday. Lots of good seafood from lots of local restaurants.

‘The Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride’ bikers arrived in Key West around noon on Saturday. They came from Key Largo.

‘Sculpture Key West’ public art exhibition runs thru April 16th and can be seen at Fort Zack.

North Roosevelt from Eisenhower Drive to The Triangle (the light where you enter Key West from Stock Island) is slated for roadwork and sidewalks. It is suppose to start in October 2011 and be completed by June 2013.

‘Hawkeye’ is docked in the Key West Bight. I was told it belongs to Radar O’Reilly from the Mash series.

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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Sassi dancing to Schooner Wharf Bar Dog. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow_l9kgPmuQ