KEY WEST Many Homeless Shun City Shelter
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
WWW.KEYSINFONET.COM WEDNESDAY,JANUARY 29, 2014 VOLUME 61, NO. 9 G 25 CENTS KEY WEST Many homeless shun city shelter around the country mobi- belongings in a backpack, Michael, 48, said he is Volunteers count lize to physically count identified himself as occasionally “bothered” by homeless people, using the Michael, a native of the local police department, city homeless data to inform grant appli- Germany living in the Keys which employees four full- By SEAN KINNEY cations for federal and state for 12 years. time “quality-of-life offi- [email protected] aid. Asked where he slept cers” focused on enforcing The Florida Keys count last night, Michael said, “I local ordinances against “It’s sad, isn’t it?” Joe is managed by the Monroe stayed up all night — no things like trespassing, Pais, a volunteer in the County Homeless Con- sleeping. I’m a bit unusual panhandling, public intoxi- annual point-in-time count tinuum of Care umbrella in so far as I stay up all cation and camping. of homeless people in organization. night and rest on the beach “It’s always the same,” Monroe County, asked Pais, a former member during the day.” he continued. “I think the rhetorically as he walked of the Key West City He said he would never stop and check should end. along the Atlantic side of Commission, and his vol- avail himself of the city’s I have the right to be left Key West on Tuesday. unteer partner Lynne emergency indigent hous- alone if I’m not breaking He was looking down a Sobel-Ragusea, an AIDS ing, the Keys Overnight the law. I became homeless boardwalk, the sun and surf Help property manager, Temporary Shelter on by choice. Yes, there are went from South Beach Stock Island. people who choose it. I just in the background, and a Keynoter photo by SEAN KINNEY man curled up on the slats, around to Higgs Beach, “No way! I’m a loner, don’t like to work. I get sleeping wrapped in rags then on down Atlantic Many homeless are attracted to the Florida Keys for the and I try to stay away from along.” with a pair of worn out Boulevard, successfully near year-round sunny and relatively warm weather, people. I’m interested in “About 11 p.m. when crutches within arm’s completing eight surveys. which allows for sleeping outdoors. Local social service astronomy and science. I the businesses start to reach. The first man they organizations conduct an annual count of homeless spend the days studying. I close, they’ll put food out encountered, walking near don’t like those people,” on the newspaper racks. Each year on Jan. 28, people on Jan. 28. social service organizations Louie’s Backyard with his who use KOTS. See Homeless, 2A TOURISM KEY COLONY BEACH Commission to Moveconsider seeks NavyEngineering lease Command Southeast in Jacksonville, to raise fees dictate $3.75-per-passen- By SEAN KINNEY ger payment to the Navy [email protected] for the first 200,000 pas- se ngers. It’s $3.50 per pas- senger thereafter but not Tonight the Key West less than $225,000 per City Commission will con- year. sider approving a so-called With a passenger pro- “break-even” lease with jection at the Outer Mole the U.S. Navy that, if for fiscal year 2013-14 of adopted, will allow cruise 141,000, the city expects ships to continue calling to lose about $10,000 on on the Outer Mole Pier. the deal. In fiscal year 2012-13, The lease discussion the Outer Mole, also used starts at 6 p.m. in Old City by the Navy (to host the Hall on Greene Street. guided missile destroyer An eye on offsetting USS Cole last week, for that cost, City Manager instance), hosted 74 cruise Bob Vitas, in a meeting Photo courtesy of Jim Glunz ships carrying 173,191 with the commission last Cabana Breezes staff and construction workers gather while preparing to open the tiki bar, recently purchased by passengers. week, broached the subject the Glunz family of Chicago. The city’s current lease, of raising the city’s disem- agreed to in 2007, expired barkation fee. June 30 but was extended He said the first step is until Jan. 31. It gives the to “check out the legality Navy 40 percent of the of establishing impact fees. $10.63 per head cruise ship The plan is to re-evaluate, Chicago family continues disembarkation fee levied reassess, the current dis- by the city. Since 2007, the embarkation fee, which lease has generated around was established in January $10 million for infrastruc- 2004. So it has been 10 buying up East Ocean Drive seen by Jim Glunz, who not push local patrons away. maintain the tiki bar’s origi- ture improvements to the Cabana years.” most recently operated the “We felt they were the nal character, but that there pier. Jolly Benson is a local Breezes is the Glunz Bavaria Haus, a key to the success to keep would be some changes. Terms of the new deal lighting technician and the German bar and restaurant, this place going while we That includes a family laid out by Robert public face of the latest purchase in Chicago. didn’t own it. It’s been fun recipe thin-crust pizza being McDowell, the real estate Committee for Glunz told the Keynoter to see the locals come over added to the menu. product line coordinator By RYAN McCA RTHY See Cruises, 3A that purchasing the water- and wonder what we’re The resort has also pur- for Naval Facilities [email protected] front bar and restaurant doing. They’ve been really chased a stretch eight-seat allows the hotel to live up to wonderful,” he said. golf cart that Glunz said The Chicago-based its new Glunz Ocean Beach For now, Glunz said only would pick up and drop off Glunz family is cornering Hotel and Resort name. that the high-end restaurant resort guests anywhere on the market on East Ocean “One thing we wanted would take up the inside Key Colony, as well as Drive commercial property to make it was a resort- dining portion of the prop- deliver food from its eater- on Key Colony Beach. type thing,” he said. “That erty, as well as the outdoor ies. The service will be The well-known family was a little foreshadowing terrace area adjacent to the complimentary. — whose fortune was made because we weren’t a tiki bar. “Our policy is that if in beer and wine wholesale resort at first.” Glunz called it a “fresh anybody would like to be a and distribution — pur- Glunz said the family food restaurant” that will guest of the resort form Key chased the Ocean Beach plans to offer room service feature a smaller menu and Colony, we’ll come pick Club hotel on East Ocean and breakfast options to its “upscale beer and wine you up to bring you,” he roughly three years ago. hotel patrons, and is con- list.” said. “While they’re here Two weeks ago, the structing a high-end eatery The family has yet to they validate the free rides.” Glunz family purchased the that he said will be separate decide on a name or a date In addition, hotel guests popular adjacent Cabana from the existing tiki bar. that the property would will be able to hitch rides to Breezes tiki bar fr om owner “Our family, coming reopen. the island’s other bar and Cole Tracy. The Tracy fam- down for years, we thought “We’re shooting for next restaurants. ily retained ownership of we needed to upscale the week some time,” Glunz “We’ll shuttle our guests Passengers from the Carnival Ecstasy, seen in port on the Cabana Club, a private menu. We’re keeping the said on Jan. 23. “We’re to and from Key Colony swim club next to the bar. Tuesday, are each charged a $10.63 disembarkation fee, Cabana tiki bar and a bar going to be open as fast as Inn, Tarpon Creek or The bar is closed for ren- menu,” he said, insisting humanly possible.” Sparky’s,” he said. which city officials could raise. ovation that’s being over- that the changeover would Glunz said the goal is to INDEX Printed on 100% Classifieds . .5B recycled newsprint Living . .3B Canes Roadway CONTENTS © 2014 Business . .5A KEYNOTER PUBLISHING CO. basketball fatalities Obituaries . .2A Coral Shores earns first Two motorcyclists die in Opinion . .4A victory of season against seperate weekend Sports/Outdoors . .1B rival Key West, Story, 1B crashes, Story, 3A Crossword . .4B 7786790 22222 2A Wednesday, January 29, 2014 KeysInfoNet.com Keynoter NEWS BRIEFS KEY WEST Student chefs hosting fundraiser SomeFrom Homeless, 1Achoose to be homeless They say beggars can’t be Sensitivity Marathon High School choosers but I can.” culinary arts students will prepare a sunset dinner with KOTS a “southern menu” at 8 p.m. required for The commission for on Friday at the school’s years has been kicking Dolphin Bistro. The public around moving KOTS, is invited. For $20, guests which costs about Surveyshomeless show The count survey is a two- can choose between grilled $400,000 per year to run pork chops with roasted page questionnaire asking the 150 beds, although a homelessness apples, buttermilk fried for broad demographic new location hasn’t been chicken or blackened cat- data, plus questions includ- identified. declining in KW fish, along with several ing: “Where did you sleep KOTS was established sides, desserts and sweet tea.