FILM NEW YEAR’S EVE So long 2011 and hello 2012 In L’Attitudes Photo courtesy McCLATCHY-TRIBUNE Keys ring in Kevin Clash and Elmo attend the Kennedy Center Honors new year with on Dec.4 in Washington,D.C.The Kennedy Center Honors are awarded annually for lifetime achievement in the unique fun performing arts. New Year’s Eve partiers can find exuberant celebra- n tions in perhaps the warmest ‘Bei g Elmo’ weather in the continental Happy New Year! We have the skinny United States right here in the Florida Keys. In fact, it’s one of the 10 director: A best places in the U.S. to ring in the new year, accord- ing to Yahoo! Travel, joining New York City; Florida’s on all of the Keys’ New Year’s Eve labor of love Walt Disney World; Atlanta; Miami; New Orleans; San Marks discusses KEYS There are Antonio, Texas; Vail, Co.; FILM lots of Las Vegas; and Boston. how documentary hats to be Revelry in the Upper worn — Keys is to include fireworks got to screen most of and other activities at popu- them are happenings. Story, lar Key Largo and Being Elmo: A not pretty, Islamorada restaurants and Puppeteer’s Journey. Rated not glam- resorts. In Key West, merry- PG. One hour, 16 minutes. orous. makers can get the drop on Playing at the Tropic Q: the new year at any of three Cinema, 416 Eaton St., Key Where did unique takes on the Times Charitable giving West. the money Square tradition as midnight Craig Wanous come approaches Dec. 31. “Being Elmo: A from? 5B Puppeteer’s Journey” is the A: That’s an area I’m not Key West Thousands of people story of Kevin Clash, the really comfortable talking G Thousands of people crowd Duval Street in man who gives life to Elmo, about, if you don’t mind. I are expected to gather on Key West during a past one of the most popular rais 14 Days to ed some money on the Duval Street to ring in 2012 Sushi drop at the characters on the “Sesame outside, I borrowed some by watching a gigantic man- Bourbon Street Pub. ogram. money from people but I made conch shell drop at Meanwhile, pirate d don’t really feel comfortable Sloppy Joe’s Bar, 201 t the details of wench Evalena Don’t like that present you just got? Duval. Festivities are mceed by a rooftop host Worthington ensures 10 p m and, as the ‘2012’sign on the tall ship at the Schooner Wharf is in working order before the festivities. Consider using KeysReuse to get it to a local nonprofit group that needs it. Story, 3B JanuaryBayview 14 ParkFREE th WWW.KEYSNET.COM Looking back at 2011 SATURDAY,DECEMBER 31, 2011 As the year inches to a close, this newspaper took a look back Wednesday at the past NEW YEAR’S EVE 12 months at Monroe County government and the village of Islamorada, and at loved ones who VOLUME 58, NO. 105 died the past year. ● Today, we do the same for the School District, 25 CENTS the cities of Marathon and Key West, and the environment. However, those entities were hardly the only ones making headlines in 2011.Also creating their own news were the Key Largo Wastewater Treatment District, the Mosquito Control District, Florida Keys Community College and the U.S. Navy. There were also big changes to fishing regulations. To read about all of those, go to .KeysNet.com Wednesday, we’lland take click some on News. of those This comingonline recollections and put them to print. www 2011: A LOOK BACK Budget crunch crushes the As visitors head south to welcome 2012 in the Florida Keys, traffic at some areas like the Snake Creek Bridge has School District backed up for miles this week.This was on Thursday. Jara takes over Tourists jam in during a time and city of Key West over the 56-foot height of one of the of money woes new Horace O’Bryant Middle School buildings that By SEAN KINNEY violates the city’s 25-foot [email protected] height limit. for the holidays The renovated $36 million The Monroe County school, scheduled for a sum- School District learned in mer 2013 completion, is U.S. 1 is packed, 2011 to live with a lot less, financed through a low-interest cutting more than $9 million federal stimulus loan obtained rooms are scarce, in expenses largely by slash- by former Superintendent hoteliers happy ing teacher pay and putting Joseph Burke. off a number of planned ini- Following mediation, the By KEVIN WADLOW tiatives. district agreed to lower the Senior Staff Writer And based on the fiscal planned heights of other [email protected] outlook for the coming year, HOB buildings to less than the lean times are far from 30 feet. Florida Keys roads and over — administrators are resorts filled this holiday already projecting at least a Union change week as visitors headed south $4 million shortfall for the In June, Leon Fowler, 26- in droves to celebrate the fiscal year that starts July 1. year president of the United new year. Teachers of Monroe union, “It’s always insanity down HOB mess handed off the top post to for- here between Christmas and March saw the beginning mer UTM Vice President New Year’s,” said Jodi of a nearly yearlong dialogue Holly Hummell-Gorman. Weinhofer, president of the between the School District Kimberley Lowell, a Lodging Association of the Florida Keys and Key West, “but this year has been 2011: A LOOK BACK ● Eric and Lynne See Schools, 3A incredibly busy.” Perry of Derby, Traffic delays on U.S. 1 were frequent all week in all England, A year of change the usual spots, said Deputy celebrate their Becky Herrin, spokeswoman last day of a for the Monroe County three-week Keys for Marathon Sheriff’s Office. vacation poolside in Islamorada ● See Tourists, 2A during what has Fire chief out, been a busy new businesses December for 25-year les- KEY WEST tourism. are coming in see Health Management By RYAN McCARTHY Keynoter photos by Associates in KEVIN WADLOW [email protected] June and City is down to one bookstore Tennessee- A transition at Fishermen’s based Bargain Books Community Hospital, big Quorum LEFTWICH shutting doors Robert Frost, Judy Blume, changes at Marathon Fire Health Robert Stone, Jim Harrison, Rescue, redevelopment at sev- took over on July Resources1. The com- this Thursday Maria Bishop, Mark Books, 513 1/2 Fleming St., eral major U.S. 1 properties pany runs day-to-day opera- Childress and many others as the only bookstore in the and the settlement of a major tions while the nonprofit board By SEAN KINNEY have called Key West home. Southernmost City. Fitness, that Nick Chew, the lawsuit dominated headlines of trustees assumed financial [email protected] But if Key West Island The timing of the closing sole remaining employee, in Marathon in 2011. responsibility for the hospital. Books doesn’t have any of is a bit ironic, since it corre- said has paid the bills the The Dec. 14 hiring of new Leftwich, 56, was one of While Key West has a their works, good luck finding sponds with the Jan. 5 kick- past few years. Chief Executive Officer Hal 67 applicants for the top job long and rich literary tradi- a copy except at the library. off of the Key West Literary Leftwich capped a lengthy and one of just seven to inter- “The gym has kept the tion, boasting Ernest Over the summer, Seminary, which has grown place open and paid the process by which Fishermen’s view in Marathon. He spent Hemingway as the crown Borders Express on North in prominence since its 1983 bills,” he said Thursday. Of transitioned from a for-profit the last 15 years at Hancock jewel, you certainly wouldn’t Roosevelt Boulevard closed inception. Flagg: “It’s just too much to to nonprofit business model. Medical Center in St. Louis, know it if using the presence along with the rest of the Bill Flagg opened Bargain deal with, [the Alzheimer’s] The hospital cut ties with Miss. of booksellers as a gauge. national chain while inde- Books, which sells used books combined with the way Other than Hemingway, pendent bookstore Voltaire along with newspapers and books have been selling.” ● See Marathon, 2A who lived in Key West for Books on Eaton Street shut- magazines, in the early 1980s; Chew said that since cus- more than a decade, noted tered after five years. now he’s facing the advanced tomers found out the store is INDEX writers Tennessee Williams, Add to that list come Jan. stages of Alzheimer’s and has closing, business has been 5 is Bargain Books at 1028 moved to the Philippines to be Classifieds . .8B noticeably better than any Printed Truman Ave., leaving Island with his wife’s family. time in the past year. Living . .2B on 100% In the rear of the book- “People are kind of rush- recycled store is a gym, Able Body ing in trying to grab what Business . .5A newsprint CONTENTS © 2011 ● Opinion . .4A KEYNOTER PUBLISHING CO. See Bookstore, 2A Sports/Outdoors . .1B Crossword . .4B Credit Union 77 86790 22222 consolidates Keys Federal Credit Union is consolidates two Key West offices and opens a new headquarters Jan. 17. Story, 5A 2A Saturday, December 31, 2011 KeysNet.com Keynoter 2011: A LOOK BACK Down to one From Bookstore, 1A the estate of former owner In Key West, some finality Marshall Smith, who passed they can,” he said, adding away in 2009.