Iares hilI IIlI V011IME 19 APRIL 11,1996 NUMBER 15 m. \ a I or 20 years, Solans mi has celebrated the life and fought the battles of Key West. Take a quick look back, beginning on page 4. ||j P AGE 2 soiares hill APRIL 11, 1996 NICE PRICE for PARADISE! HOMES from $139,900 at KEY WEST GOLF CLUB 2-Bedroom homes for $97038 per month. * Monthly Mortgage Payment $626.72 Monthly Real Estate Taxes ..,. .$109.00 Monthly Homeowner's Assoc. Dues $169.00 Monthly Homeowner's Insurance $ 65.66 Total Monthly Payment $970.38 •Assumes safe price of SBMflfl.'«) yeai amortization. %3m APR,'toncmg fees and closing assts not included RMI estate calculations a^ume homestead exemption 200 acres lush tropical landscaping . Pre-construction prices available • 18-hole championship golf course Private, gated residential community 24-hour security Classic conch style architecture On Site Sales Office Open Daily (30?) 292-0020, U.S. I at MM 5, turn on College Rd. Sales Office at Truman Annex |3O5) 296-7078 in Bldg. 21 on Front Street APRIL 11, 1996 solares hill PAGE 3 Solares Hill: Twenty Years In Margaritaville ByPamDoto drugs, affordable housing, Duval with David Ethridge and Anne Carlisle Street's trashy condition, and, of course, morality. Does anybody hear olares Hill is 20 years old this an echo? month. Or maybe 25. Actually, In the mid-70s, Key West was S the earliest editions of the just beginning to shake off effects of paper appeared in 1971, but after a an economy stunted by Navy down- two year straggle, publication was sizing in which we lost 25 percent of suspended and it wasn't seen again our population, and the stable pay- until April of 1976. That's the date rolls that went with them. founder, owner, editor and navigator Money was seeping back into Bill Huckel chose for his paper's town. A few tourists were dribbling birth, so that's plenty good for us. in during three or four winter 20th anniversary it is. months and rich folk from the main- The newspaper is named after land were beginning to winter here the highest point in Key West, and finance the renovations of the Solares Hill, 18 feet above sea level. houses of Old Town. Marijuana The area was named after the cigar- smuggling was joining a slowly grow- making Solares family. ing tourism industry and a waning We're not going to chronicle the commercial fishing industry as one first two decades of Solares Hill, nor leg of our economic triad. all the significant news stories of the In those days, nature gave us town during that period, because very sure sips when the Columbian what we learned in looking back over and Jamaican ganga crops were old issues is more instructive: "The being harvested: fancy cars sold for more things change, the more things cash as did fancy boats, big tippers stay the same." would spend a $100 each for cham- Guess what the significant issues pagne dinners at Pier House and were 10 and 20 years ago? Too much bankers would nod and smile at you building, the comprehensive plan, the on the street, vaults fat with cash. It KWPD, offshore drilling, sewage, was our own mini-agricultural revo- Bubbas versus "outsiders," noise, lution and the early age of Buffett. The town was bestirring itself, and as transportation, parking, congestion, West, drinking mint juleps and host- it did, Bill Huckel, with the help of ing lively picnics. There's also the some friends, launched his newspa- first mention of a continuing theme per to record the tick tock of Key in this town: Coming to Terms with West. Huckel, from the beginning, Body Parts. Artist Robert Winisch had an extraordinary feel for the did a mural at the Atlantic Shores town and her people; he knew who Motel featuring a nymph with a "sur- and what to celebrate and he had a real smile and wildly swinging, bul- very fuss-budgety approach to mat- bous breasts." The then-owner of ters of public policy. It was obvious Atlantic Shores was disappointed from the start that the paper loved that the work wasn't more family-ori- Key West. Writing on national dis- ented. What? Breasts aren't family- cord: . oriented? "While other places were being Prom inception, Solares Hill was overcome by the rush and bigness of in the thick of the battle over too industrialization, while little towns much building, and an early issue were disappearing and giant suburbs predicted a skirmish over an 831 unit were created... while warmth for townhouse project on Rest Beach. one's fellow man was replaced with If they had only known: 1800 caution towards him, Key West was Atlantic, Casa Cassels, Key West going its own independent way — it Beach Club, The Reach, the has been outside the ways of dissen- Sheraton, La Brisa, the Hyatt, and sion that are ravaging this country," the Hilton, Ocean Key and Galleon Photo: Nancy Spievak McGinn Huckel wrote. "Heart is the very timeshares, all got zoned and built. quality that could save our country The current Solares Hill staff, from left to right: Looking back after the first 10 Front row: Donna Brown, Kim Works, Patti Anthony, Pam Doto, Delia Badart and from its present agonies and it is found here in Key West." years, editorial guru and urban Patfloswell. Back row: Valerie Templeton, David Ethridge, Jerry Dykhuisen and guerilla Bill Westray wrote: Nancy McGinn. Not pictured: Frank Taylor and Linda Evelyn. The first issue featured tips on "Though we never did stop the how to survive the summer in Key runaway development, jamming our solares hill is published 52 times a year by Solares Hill Newspaper, Inc. 330-B Julia Street, Key streets, clogging our sewers, pre- West, Florida 33040. Phone: 305-294-3602. Fax: 305-294-1699. Classified: 305-294-3343. empting the beaches, driving taxes and utilities sky-high — one thing we did stop (so far that is) — the High Rises! They never built the 20-story David Ethridge Frank E. Taylor Kim Works Pam Doto Aldersgate, the 17-story Key West EDITOR & PUBLISHER ASSOCIATE EDITOR GENERAL MANAGER AST. EDITOR Condominium, the 11-story Harbor Cay West and some others... With our Patti Anthony Donna E. Brown Jane Phillips Delia Badart successful anti-high rise referendum BUS. ADMINISTRATION ART DIRECTOR HOME & GARDEN EDITOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE petition, we held the line at four sto- Pat Roswell Nancy S. McGinn Linda D. Evelyn Valerie Templeton ries." ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE PHOTOGKAPHER ART ASSISTANT EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Actually, we did a little bit better than that. The Salt Ponds haven't Peter Rosasco, C.P.A. Jim Eldredge Jerry Dykhuisen Cover by been completely filled in and now we OF COUNSEL DISTRIBUTION CLASSIFIED Linda D. Evelyn © 1996 SOLARES HILL NEWSPAPER, INC. mi... 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KEY WEST, FL 33040 (305) 296-7700 FAX (305) 296-7160 (8OO) 664-8238 Jj|| Models Shown by Appointment Only. P A G E 6 soIareshHI APRIL 11, 1996 ANNIVERSAEY Continued from page 3 have a real cornp plan and land •• M ; , . ' i i A >' I! i.