Our 40Th Fantasy Fest Brought out Everyone's Colorful Alte
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OCTOBER 31 -NOVEMBER 6, 2019 Our 40th Fantasy Fest Brought Out Everyone’s 2019 Grand Marshall LOFTON “COFFEE” BUTLER Colorful Alter Egos! Florida Keys 3-9 • Upper Keys 10-13 • What's Happening 14 • Real Estate 26 Photos: Guy DeBoer • Cover: JT Thompson FLORIDA KEYS Crosstown Greenway Bahama Hurricane Public Workshop Relief Effort November 5th, 6 pm, Commission Chambers, City Hall s. Julie McEnroe from the Conch fleet will be the flagship of the Conch MRepublic Navy and Key West Republic Navy, the schooner Wolf. Ms he City of Key West is seeking in- art, and other in-street infrastructure. Cares Transportation Coordinator will McEnroe will be speaking at the One Tput from the community for the Working with urban planning firm review the progress of the Bahama’s re- Island Family, 801 Georgia St, service creation of a Neighborhood Greenway Street Plans, the City will be testing lief effort. She will talk about the plans on Sunday, November 3. The service along Staples Ave. and Von Phister St. out the selected design strategies using for delivery of boat loads of donations starts at 11:00 AM. This event is open between 12th and Reynolds Streets, low-cost, temporary materials, a project to Green Turtle Cay and Marsh Har- to the public. For more information called the Crosstown Greenway. approach known as Tactical Urbanism. bor. One of the boats in the delivery call Dave Arnold 757-285-1609. n A Neighborhood Greenway is a street The community is a crucial component with low motorized traffic volumes -- of this process is you. Once the project less than 3,000 vehicles per day -- and team decides on a design, we’ll all go The Lower Keys Democrats speeds of 20 mph or less, that is desig- out and build the project together. nated and designed to give bicycle and On Tuesday, November 5th at 6 meeting on Nov 4 pedestrians travel priority. This project pm, the community is invited to come he Lower Keys Democrats will meet at 5:30pm for some socializing. Guest could include more street trees, inter- to the Commission Chambers at City Ton November 4 at the Blue Room, Speaker will be David Walker, candidate ventions to slow traffic, new crosswalks Hall for the first public workshop to 1128 Simonton St, Key West, Fl. The for Florida House seat 120. This meet- and pedestrian infrastructure, asphalt help shape this project. n meeting starts at 6:30pm, doors open ing is free and open to the public. n GET IT Stunning design. TODAY Worry-free installation. Coastal CHIC AT Amazing results! featuring FLOORING by Mohawk: FURNITURE Carpet INTERIOR DESIGN Wood & Laminate WINDOW TREATMENTS specializing in KITCHENS & BATHS Ceramic & Porcelain Tile FLOORING Call 305-481-1790 to schedule a complimentary in-home consultation, or stop by any of our three stores: KEY LARGO MARATHON KEY WEST 305-451-5700 305-743-4397 MM 50 Oceanside 305-295-6400 MM 99 Median www.RoyalFurnitureAndDesign.com Searstown by Publix 2 www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 6, 2019 K E Y N E W S Key West greenhouse gas reduction only 20 percent of 10-year goal BY PRU SOWERS perature. Greenhouse gases are created devices that require constant recharg- basis, including requiring garbage col- KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER locally primarily by electricity use and ing. Convincing people to reduce their lection waste to be converted to elec- production, which accounts for 62 per- electricity use is difficult, she said. tricity, creating an educational part- hen it comes to cent of the gases produced in Key West. “That’s harder to control. It’s not ours. nership with Keys Energy, replacing Wenergy conserva- Also contributing locally are gasoline We don’t own it,” Higgins said, referring the streetlights on Duval Street and in tion in Key West, crit- fumes from cars and other vehicles, 23 to private properties in Key West. the Key West Bight with energy-saving ically important to an percent; diesel fuel, 5.3 percent; pro- Despite the discouraging progress LED bulbs, and allowing houses in the area affected by sea level pane, 4.2 percent; and emissions from in reducing greenhouse gases, it could historic district to install white roofs to rise, a recent report indicated the city the local landfill, 2.2 percent. have been worse. Higgins said the city help repel the sun’s rays. is far behind where officials expected Higgins pointed out that over the has made strides in creating building Higgins said another option city to be. past 10 years, the number of new and planning policies that have helped officials are discussing is to apply the In fiscal year 2005, city officials es- city electricity accounts has shot up to hold down energy use. There are “green” building codes to properties tablished a 10-year goal to reduce all as residential and commercial devel- 500 to 600 new building permit unit that are being redeveloped, not just greenhouse gases produced in Key opment increased. There are also new allocations that require the properties newly-build structures. West by 15 percent. But in an Oct. city-owned buildings and services, in- to be green building certified. The city “We’ve done a lot on the residential 16 report to city commissioners, Sus- cluding the amphitheater at Truman also has a Climate Action Plan that lays side. But we’ve got no policy that helps tainability Coordinator Alison Hig- Waterfront Park and two new water out 98 “action tools” to reduce energy on the commercial side. When we’re al- gins showed that greenhouse gas pro- splash pads at the waterfront park and use. Of those 98 tools, 25 are complet- duction by city-owned operations has Cozumel Park, that have boosted elec- ed or are being done on an on-going X Continued on page 4 gone down only three percent over the tricity use. 10-year period. And the result from “We’ve added hundreds of more non-city operations, which includes all [electric] accounts over time. We’ve residential and commercial buildings, added major new buildings,” Hig- showed that greenhouse gas output gins said. “We’ve actually decreased has been reduced even less, by three- [city-produced greenhouse gas pro- tenths of one percent during that same duction] by three percent while adding time period. other uses. So, we’ve actually done a While the result of the 10-year plan really great job to get there.” is nowhere near expectations, Higgins On the community side, Higgins outlined the difficulties in attaining said the three-tenths of one percent a 15 percent reduction in greenhouse reduction in greenhouse gas produc- gases, which have been proven to re- tion is going to be a challenge to im- duce the earth’s protective ozone layer, prove. She pointed to the boom in leading to an increase in planet’s tem- smart phones and other new electronic 3 www.konklife.com • OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 6, 2019 o c t o b e r 31 - n o v e m b e r 6, 2 0 1 9 FLORIDA KEYS Published Weekly Vol. 9 No. 96 Tom Walker Selected Executive PUBLISHER/EDITOR Guy deBoer Director of FKAA NEWS WRITERS Pru Sowers om Walker will succeed Kirk Terry Schmida TZuelch as the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority’s Executive PHOTOGRAPHERS Director. Ralph DePalma, Bill Klipp, Guy deBoer Mr. Walker brings extensive experience to the Authority, hav- DESIGN Nand K. Pandey, [email protected] ing previously served for 11 years as the Deputy Executive Director PIXEL WRANGLER and Chief Operating Officer for JT Thompson the organization. CONTRIBUTORS In addition to his previous Jeff Johnson & service with the Authority, Walk- Paula Forman er has 35 years’ experience in Short Answers municipal utility services and Ian Brockway has led public and private en- Tropic Sprockets Tammy Fox-Royer terprises in water treatment, November 22. and Middle Keys, critical infra- Florida Keys SPCA advanced wastewater treatment As Executive Director, Walk- structure in the effort to protect Sylvia Bogart and streamlining operations. er will manage the operations of nearshore waters and the imper- Astrologically Yours “It was a difficult decision, the water and wastewater utility. iled coral reef. Joanna Brady Reviewer with three highly qualified can- The Authority is the sole pota- Mr. Zuelch is retiring after 15 didates,” stated Authority Chair- ble water supplier for the entire years with the Authority, eight of SUMMER INTERN man, J. Robert Dean. “In the Florida Keys serving over 77,000 those as Executive Director. Mr. Emily Bracher end, Tom’s extensive and diverse residents and two million vis- Zuelch will continue to remain experience gave him the edge.” itors per year. The Authority active in the community and ADVERTISING looks forward to spending more Jose DeLaRosa – 585.203.5156 Walker is expected to assume additionally provides wastewater Ashley Williamson – 410.999.4917 the Executive Director duties services in portions of the Lower time with his family. n 305.296.1630 Advertising Deadline Every Friday Key West greenhouse... said. “We were supposed to have ously, the city continued to pay PRINT-READY advertising materials due by X Continued from page 3 $1.7 million in salaries just geared Keys Energy for 12 months of Friday every week for next issue of KONK Life. towards climate action plans and lighting usage at the beach even Ad Dimensions most all redevelopment because we just haven’t gotten there.” though the lights were turned off Horizontal and Vertical: Full, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/8 page, bizcard we’re built out, that is the only On the positive side, former six months of the year during sea Ad Submissions place you’re going to find [energy city Energy Manager Terrence turtle nesting season.