Winter Flowers

I read one of those strange articles in the newspaper that took some time to digest and I still struggle to understand the meaning. You read words and think you get it but upon reflection you realize you have no clue what the words mean.

I have written here previously about the city's decision to shut down the Duval Mall for evaluation next February. The argument is it isn't working out which is a surprise as lots of people seemed to have enjoyed it. Perhaps the businesses outside the 2 block pedestrian area got fed up. Which, were it the case would seem to be an indication perhaps the experiment should be expanded. 

In the latest odd moment at city hall the mayor says she wants to reduce the number of city commission meetings. She says she wants to meet once a month instead of every other Tuesday. The weird bit is the idea of reducing the number of meetings to increase public access and ease staff workloads. 

"By meeting during the day, the Key West City Commission would have more time to discuss important issues and receive more input from staff. Currently, the commission has to vote to extend its meeting if it doesn’t end by 10 p.m.

If people are unable to attend, the city has set up an “e-comment” portal on its website that allows people to email their comments to commission agenda items, Johnston said.

Having it once a month instead of twice would also give staff more time to work on items before bringing them to the commission, Johnston said."

At the moment the city meets in the evening to allow citizens to attend easily and the commission has to vote to prolong meetings after 10 pm so they don't accidentally drag on into the night endlessly.

Daytime meetings the mayor says would allow the commission to discuss things at greater length and allow staff more time to join the discussions. I suppose all too often the residents of the city (I'm not one) don't have that much to say. However I know there are times when people get seriously miffed and crowd the evening meetings. 

I suppose in the end the city commission will do as it pleases and in its defense the mayor did point out the county commission already meets during the day. Once a month doesn't seem very often though.

For me Key West is a place of work and recreation, of street walks filled with light and color in a kaleidoscope that never seems to bore me. Spanish moss:

Fleur de lis that reminded me of my recent visit to New Orleans where they like the distant connection to the French Bourbon royal family.

May the sun never stop shining. Carbon dioxide levels could happily be reduced of course.

The Library

Technically it's the Monroe County Library, Key West Branch and it is said to be the oldest library in the state. It may well also be the prettiest.

Life in a  county 112 miles long and frequently less than half a mile wide presents a challenge when it comes to offering services. The library system does a remarkable job keeping branches open all along the island chain and you can order books through the computerized system for delivery. In the Lower Keys there is this the main branch with libraries also in Big Pine and Marathon.

I enjoy spending time in the library perusing the stacks and checking out the readers intent on their books. One gets a comforting feeling that as long as people crave reading all is not lost in our civilization.

I took this picture (below) in 2008  when public computing was still relatively new and clunky compared to our pocket computers today. The library now offers wi-fi as well as computer screens.

On my most recent visit the library had a bunch of ship dioramas scattered around the reading rooms and they were most enjoyable. They are on permanent display as of last October from the Key West Historical Society and they are the work of artist David Harrison Wright.

They are under glass and thus impossible to photograph with any hope of capturing even a tiny part of how beautiful and expressive they are.

 I loved the attention to detail and the short histories that accompanied each ship as part of the Society's drive to remind Key West of its fascinating maritime past.

 They need to be seen in person.

The library is a forum for local art of all kinds alongside the books and tapes and CDs.

Do Not Reshelve Books. I suppose we cannot be relied upon to do even that correctly. Mr Dewey would be disappointed.

The library is a refuge, often for homeless people with a day to spend once more accomplishing not much.

Also for people who want to get out of the heat to enjoy a serene and quiet place to think and browse or read (from 2008:). I like sharing the reading space surrounded by books and readers whoever they may be:

 Lots of parking for cars and bicycles and the occasional scooter too...

Though curiously enough there is lots of free scooter parking painted into Elizabeth Street outside the library. The library parking lot is gravel which is tough for motorcycle stands.

This picture from 2015 I add simply for effect:

Southard And Elizabeth

He wasn't wearing a  tutu but standards have dropped a bit in the Key West eccentricity stakes so a bizarre hat will have to do:

 Rusty decided it was time to imitate Cheyenne and started rooting around under a car for no apparent reason. I did hear some satisfying crunching after a bit.

 The front of the car puzzled me. I figured it was just some driver with a light grasp of Biblical characters, like the parent who named a child Cain when they meant Abel.

 We knocked off the state primary election at the end of last month and now we are in the final weeks of tortuous electioneering which will culminate in all these signs being taken down. Maybe.

This rather incoherent message  has made its way onto Southard Street:

And then there are all those lovely signs that brighten up Old Town so much and make it so much more attractive than it would be without them: 

 Yesterday's urgent message, today trampled underfoot:

 Through it all Key West remains tranquil and lovely.

I still like to receive a printed newspaper daily in my driveway but I wonder how much longer such old fashioned print will survive.

The State Attorney election is a funny race. Not many people realize the state attorney (in some states the District Attorney) is the most powerful local politician, the one who chooses who and when will be charged  with any crime ranging from battery to bribery. In Monroe County there has been a furious back and forth since Mark Kohl was ousted a couple of election cycles ago.  He was replaced by Dennis Ward, and Kohl's assistant Catherine Vogel left to take a job in Ocala. Then Dennis Ward prosecuted a popular local man and lost the Conch vote when former Schools Superintendent Randy Acevedo went to jail over his wife's pilfering (she got eight years in state prison). So the vote turned and Vogel saw her way back to Key West and got herself elected. Dennis Ward hasn't given up so now they are having a rematch this fall. And so it goes. If you don't have a private income in Key West you leave town when you lose your job. Acevedo is getting married to a nice woman, not a kleptomaniac apparently, and he has another job outside the school district. Its a shame because he was a great superintendent even if his then wife was mad. 

Finally Key West has quieted down a bit after a prolonged busy summer and its safe to use the streets for a few short weeks until snow starts to fall Up North again.

I overheard the letter carrier and the UPS guy talking about the relative merits of their jobs. These days the postal service seems like a tricky career with the attitude in Congress toward the postal service.

 There was lots to see here apparently, and a scooter rider with sandalled feet arouses no surprise in Key West. But I hate the way amateurs drag their feet as they ride. It doesn't improve their balance, rather the reverse and should their feet hit the ground at speed they will hurt themselves badly.

Unwanted parrots are now on Elizabeth Street but the cat looks quite well wanted. Rusty was just out of the frame and far too smart to get close to the cat which looked quite capable of taking care of itself.