Bahama Village

The big ferment in Bahama Village, as reported in the newspaper is the plan to build a music venue in the waterfront park that is taking shape next door to Bahama Village. The amphitheater planned for Truman Waterfront is the cause of much annoyance. 

Truman Waterfront is under the knife these days and there is no access to the open space anymore. There are paths for cars to travel through between fences and there is access to the Ingham floating museum, but the open space as we knew it has gone. Now the city is waiting to see what will reappear on the 34 acres of land deeded to the city after the Navy declared it surplus and withdrew.

For some reason I cannot fathom, crony capitalism I dare say, the city entrusted plans for the park to the rapacious Spottswood family to design. That may sound like an exaggeration but it isn't. The developers decided to build a marina and use the  revenue from that to pay themselves a fee for managing the property for the city.

Happily the Navy killed that plan telling the city there is no room for marinas in the Navy Basin which the Navy shares with the city on a case-by-case basis (sailboat or  powerboat races typically) but the Navy objected to a moored fleet of private craft in their waters. Exit the marina plan.

Nevertheless the air hanging over the project is redolent of the serving oneself mentality of the worst of government though I'm not sure that's accurate. The thing is the plan to build a marina to make money has created a stigma for the amphitheater which is now viewed by skeptics as the source for money to be made from the park. 

Mayor Cates, the man responsible for the rather well done new City Hall on White Street was vehement in the newspaper arguing that the park will be designed as a public facility not as a profit-making proposition. The citizens are revolting all the same...The question now is how do the narrow lanes of Bahama  Village cope with the flood of cars that will go and come through here to get to the waterfront concert? And secondly how much noise will be created by the amphitheater? 

The architects say it will not produce much noise as it will be designed to deflect the  sound away from the residents. But the anger is there and simmering and the comments in the paper spell mistrust loud and clear.

I suppose it's too much to expect a 34 acre paradise on the waterfront but still I wonder how concertgoers will drive to and from the corner of the island. 

Perhaps it's all a storm in a  teacup. We could hope that the venue will attract talent and perhaps the architects are right and noise won't be deafening. Perhaps all it takes is a little trust.

Trust is a difficult commodity to come by these days and people would rather not trust and not verify. 

So the Truman Waterfront will devolve into a shouting match and we shall have to wait and see what happens.

I don't live in Bahama Village so I am not affected. If I did live there I too would be apprehensive about these issues of noise and traffic. All I know at this point is that I already miss the unregulated wide open grassy spaces that have been torn up ready for cement. I knew it was coming of course but that doesn't alter the fact its not a change I much appreciate one way or the other. 

Much better to have a  field than an amphitheater. Try telling them that.

Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park

It is one of the lesser known state parks in the Florida Keys and for the absurdly small fee of $2.50 you can enjoy wandering around here any day except Tuesday and Wednesday. It's worth a stop when you are driving through Islamorada.

I took my sister in law who was visiting to escape the fearsome cold of Appalachia and she took the time to study the quarry operations that created the park.

From the state parks website:

Formed of Key Largo limestone, fossilized coral, this land was sold to the Florida East Coast Railroad, which used the stone to build Henry Flagler's Overseas Railroad in the early 1900s. After the railroad was built, the quarry was used until the 1960s to produce exquisite pieces of decorative stone called Keystone. Today, visitors can walk along eight-foot-high quarry walls to see cross sections of the ancient coral and learn about the quarry and its operation- an important part of Florida's 20th century history. Samples of the quarry machinery have been preserved at the park. Visitors can enjoy the natural attributes of this island while strolling five, short, self-guided trails. Picnic tables are available. The Visitor Center, open Friday through Sunday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., features educational exhibits about the history of this site. Located at Mile Marker 84.9 on Windley Key near Islamorada.

Aside from being on a leash Rusty had a pretty good time. Every time I stopped to admire the trees he started whining as though bored so it was a bit of a forced march.

I slowed him down a bit to admire the cuts in the coral rock quarry:

Windley Key is a great place to take  a walk:

Rusty worms his way easily into any stranger's affection:

Fishing By Bridge And Boat

Channel Five Bridge is one of two 70-foot tall bridges in the Keys and it happens to provide great shade if you choose to walk the old Flagler Bridge or fish from there.

I was encouraged to see them  keeping the new bridge up to snuff in whatever way they do that kind of thing: 

Fishing, and I am not an angler so I'm theorizing here, requires quite a bit of equipment. He smiled cheerfully from behind his mound of stuff at young Rusty whom I leashed as we walked by, mostly because I remember what a hound Cheyenne was when bait  fish were lying around. The old Labrador was after them like a pig on truffles. Rusty is less food driven but I figure it's better to be cautious.

 It was  a glorious day.

 The temperatures were below 80 degrees, the wind was light but cool, seas were flat.

 Rusty enjoyed himself too I am happy to report, as we strolled all the way to the end of the fishing pier.

 This lot looked terribly disappointed:

 The inevitable exercise enthusiasts:

We stopped and looked and ambled and took pictures:

We had most of the bridge to ourselves. Imagine driving a car down here in 1981 and meeting your neighbor head on. It was a slow tense drive to Miami in those days. 

 These solid cement arches are well over a hundred years old and as strong as ever. Impressive:

Playing Tourist

It happens from time to time that you get out of town visitors who breeze into town and you end up seeing home from the other side's point of view. It was several days of eating out, walking between landmarks and coming up with explanations for the odd and inexplicable.

 My sister-in-law lives in Asheville the home to the terminally hip in Western North Carolina. It reminds me rather too much of California where the social pressure to conform drives non conformists like me to rebellion and drink, and not necessarily in that order. 

She liked the fresh fish in the Keys and I had the first of several tacos in a week of eating out that ended up with me feeling liverish. Alonzo's puts on a good spread.

 The streets of Key West present a colorful spectacle to someone stepping out of the short damp gray days on winter in Appalachia. I don't sit around in bars much and neither does my sister-in-law but one can appreciate the scene.

 And it's good for me to be reminded of the merits of endless summer.

Tourists are on the sidewalks though I have to say traffic doesn't seem as heavy as it has in years past. I wonder if people are leaving their cars at home or not holding onto the ir rentals or what. It's very nice.

My sister-in-law is barely aware of the existence of Ernest Hemingway who is not apparently part of the curriculum when you study to be a doctor so I was spared the almost inevitable tour of the House, one of the more popular destinations in town as you can see:

Passing by the new fire station her insatiable curiosity was aroused by the residentially challenged and their lifestyle and the facilities provided for them. Recycling is definitely not on par with Asheville's heroic efforts but our treatment of street people surprised her with my ability to rattle off shelters, soup kitchens, mental health facilities and so forth. One likes to present a Key West that extends beyond alcoholism and men dressed as women singing on various stages. Three live theaters, independent movies, a symphony and a few extra citizens of the streets. 

She noticed the scooter parking and I made a point of it to say that I didn't see many people using fuel efficient modern scooters in Asheville (neenah neenah neenah) and she allowed as how Key West is thoughtful in providing free parking.

Sometimes it feels as though having great weather and mild winters is as much as we should expect in Key West. It makes it hard when visitors discover you can live a  well rounded life here as well. I just know I'm no hip enough for Asheville and as much as I like to visit the mountains I am fine on flat land surrounded by turquoise water.