DECEMBER 20- 26, 2018 Dan Skahen and Our New Police Chief Sean Brandenburg Joining In Holiday Cheer at KW Fine Wines Florida Keys 3-10 • Upper Keys 11-12 • What's Happening 14 • Real Estate 26 Photo: Larry Blackburn • Cover: JT Thompson LETTER TO THE EDITOR Resignation Personal attack BY MELODY TYRRELL BY ROGER C. KOSTMAYER tion. These looming pressures will unite the American people, to re- increase the President’s instabili- turn to the norms, precedents, law My son & I have been here for over a Following the 2018 elec- ty and disdain for the rule of law, and to have the White House func- week. Several times a day, whenever we walk tion, which broke the one party what’s best for the nation, and for tion effectively and ethically both by the skin cream predators at 119 Duval, near power monopoly, and after the the truth. domestically and internationally. Bagatelle, launch into a personal attack against Mueller investigation report is The Watergate scandal and res- Today, such a negotiated transi- my disabled son with Cerebral Palsy and myself. made public in 2019, the U.S. will ignation of President Nixon un- tion strategy as resignation would I have never felt so victimized and bullied. They face an ugly, dangerous and chaotic der threat of impeachment are in- be difficult even when the dangers yell insults at both of us and my son no longer period that could last for years. structive in the Trump case. The are clear and present. But watch- feels safe here because of them. He was bullied The walls are closing in, and Republican Party backed their ing an American president run as a child by children, but this is the first time there will be investigations, hear- Republican President - until the amok in the White House raises we have experienced bullying by adults. Because ings, subpoenas and impeachment facts were undeniable - and then it so many terrifying possibilities, it of his disability, he is lonely. This morning, I proceedings that will probably re- was over when they told Nixon he just may cause enough politicians asked my son to walk on the right side of me, sult in more criminal indictments, must resign the presidency. Then, to grow some spine and do what’s hoping they would not see me. It didn’t work. both federal and state, up to and as now, there was tremendous best for their country. The female started taunting us, yelling is he your including the President, his family pressure to find a way to move the As President Trump often says: and members of his administra- country forward, to heal and re- we’ll see. n X Continued on page 9 FURNITURE • INTERIOR DESIGN • WINDOW TREATMENTS KITCHENS • BATHS • FLOORING Stunning design. KEY LARGO MARATHON KEY WEST Worry-free 305-451-5700 305-743-4397 305-295-6400 installation. MM 99 MM 50 Next to Publix, Amazing results! in the Median Oceanside Searstown All work performed by LOCAL, www.RoyalFurnitureAndDesign.com LICENSED & INSURED contractors. 2 www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 20-26, 2018 K E Y N E W S Mounting environmental concerns at Mount Trashmore BY PRU SOWERS Gerald Adams Elementary School. mend possible future uses for the site. tainability board already has several KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER Key West City Commissioner Sam “We need to see how it can fit nice- major tasks it is tackling, including as- Kaufman attempted to tackle the issue ly next to an elementary school and sessing the 25 recommendations made It’s been one of Key at the Dec. 4 commission meeting, across from a nursing home, which is recently by the Parking and Alterna- West’s dirty little se- proposing that the city create a land- next to a hospital,” he said. tive Transportation Group as well as crets. Literally. fill/environmental advisory taskforce While acknowledging the environ- continuing efforts to oversee sustain- What is possibly to evaluate potential concerns “so as to mental concerns, the other commis- able and “green” building in Key West. leaking out of the bot- promote a cleaner, healthier and more sioners worried that creating a new “I have concerns the sustainability tom of Mount Trashmore, the city’s pleasing living environment in and task force would overburden City Hall board already has a significant agenda on garbage landfill on Stock Island? The for the community,” according to the staff, some of whom would be tasked their plate. They have only six meetings landfill, which closed over 20 years resolution. Saying there is “really bad with providing administrative and scheduled for 2019,” Kaufman pointed ago, has a plastic cover on its top stuff under there,” according to a state research assistance to the new board. out. “There’s just a ton of environmental but one was never installed under its Department of Environmental Protec- Instead, the commission agreed to issues they are already addressing. bottom. That has worried residents tion (DEP) report, Kaufman wanted give the project to the existing Key Key West Utilities Director John over the years about possible leach- to give the new task force one year to West Sustainability Advisory Board. Paul Castro told commissioners his de- ing of contaminated material into the evaluate and provide guidance on how But Kaufman, while making the vote ground, which abuts the ocean and the to protect the area as well as recom- unanimous, is still worried. The sus- X Continued on page 4 HAND-ROLLED CUBAN LEAF CIGARS POINT BREAK CIGAR FACTORY 3 LOCATIONS: • COHIBA • ROMEO Y JULIETA • MONTECRISTO 600 Duval • 921 Duval • 403 Greene • ROCKY PATEL • ARTURO FUENTE 305.295.6110 ~ All Brand Name Cigars ~ PointBreakCigars.com Hookas, Hookah Tobaccos, & Tobacco Accessories 3 www.konklife.com • DECEMBER 20-26, 2018 d e c e m b e r 20 - 26, 2 0 1 8 FLORIDA KEYS Published Weekly Vol. 8 No. 51 Giving Back with Bikes make PUBLISHER/EDITOR Guy deBoer this Holiday Season Special for NEWS WRITERS Pru Sowers Terry Schmida Key West Youths PHOTOGRAPHERS BY GUS WILSON Larry E. Blackburn, Ralph De Palma KONK LIFE STUDENT WRITER DESIGN Nand K. Pandey, [email protected] This holiday season is going to be very spe- cial to some students. Key West High School social studies teacher Robert Hill is doing a bicycle drive PIXEL WRANGLER for this Christmas and Hanukkah, similar to last JT Thompson year, and any youths who are in need of a bike this CONTRIBUTORS year can contact him to help make their holiday Jeff Johnson & special. In addition, anyone who would like to do- Paula Forman nate to this cause would be more than welcome to Short Answers join in the spirit of the giving season. Ian Brockway Hill, with the help of his friends Dave Stro- Tropic Sprockets Tammy Fox-Royer bele of Island Mystique and Ryan Smith of Is- Florida Keys SPCA land Bikes, is continuing the tradition of giving Sylvia Bogart back with a bike drive that they first initiated Astrologically Yours last December. Joanna Brady Key West teacher Robert Hill (left) helps spread Reviewer Hill explains that the bicycles will being going to holiday cheer by giving Nelson Alejandrez a bike donated for Christmas during last year’s INTERN X Continued on page 9 holiday bicycle drive. Divya Navani ADVERTISING Mounting environmental... RESTAURANT GUIDE & KONK KOUPONS X Continued from page 3 305.296.1630 partment is finalizing a feasibility report on what it ments and the levels of contaminants are with the Advertising Deadline Every Friday PRINT-READY advertising materials due by would cost to dismantle the landfill mound. While acceptable levels,” Scholl said. “Right now, the city Friday every week for next issue of KONK Life. the final report is not complete, he was not encour- staff’s goal is to not do anything out there that’ll Ad Dimensions aging, calling it “quite an undertaking.” cause any environmental problems.” Horizontal and Vertical: “To clean out the landfill, we’re looking at a price Commissioners Jimmy Weekley and Billy Ward- Full, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/8 page, bizcard Ad Submissions tag of $70 million to $190 million, based on the low both said they have been worried about the JPG, TIFF, PDF — digital formats only number of trucks going in and out of there daily and landfill. Weekley said he tried to bring up the issue Send to [email protected] hauling the waste out of the Keys,” Castro said. of dismantling the landfill in 2005, until he heard the City Manager Jim Scholl said the city regularly cost estimates. And Wardlow remembered that when CIRCULATION maintains the landfill and tests for possible ground- he was the city’s fire chief, he regularly had to send Kavon Desilus ASSISTANT Ben Neff ASSISTANT water contamination in compliance with the DEP. crews out to the dump to extinguish fires caused by So far, the test results are within state limits, he said. the methane gas that built up inside the pile. KONK Life is published weekly by KONK Communications Network in Key West, Fla. A series of pipes throughout the landfill capture the “I’d like to see us work with Keys Energy Ser- Editorial materials may not be reproduced soupy, chemical brew that leaches to the bottom of vices to put some sort of solar farm out there or without written permission from the network. the mound. But Scholl confirmed that there is no one of those test sites for metals and paint materi- liner on the bottom of the landfill. And attempting als,” Wardlow said. “Because I think it’s going to be KONK Communications Network to move it could cause its own problems.