The Blue Paper #65

By

It was early morning July 6, 2000.  In a dark alley in Key West, Officer Michael Beerbower had Daniel Holte Stambaugh, 22, handcuffed in the back of his police cruiser. Beerbower was on top of Stambaugh’s co-defendant Jessie Gene Gregory, 19, also handcuffed.  Other officers were standing watch.  When they yelled, “Clear!” (it meant that there were no witnesses) Beerbower would allegedly then go on, alternately punching Gregory and then Stambaugh in the face.

But that “private” police matter would come out in The Blue Paper and later in the New York Times. In spite of public indignation, the police department appeared unwilling to fire or even discipline any of the officers involved.   Public discontent grew into a grass roots movement to create an independent board overseeing the Key West Police Department.  A referendum passed with 60% in favor on November 2, 2002.   The CRB (Citizen Review Board) was born.

Today, over 10 years later, in the midst of another KWPD scandal (again getting national attention) some CRB members have begun to question whether the Board should wait any longer to start tackling the issues. (more…)

By

By Dennis Reeves Cooper

Longtime readers know that, of all the adventures I have had in my life, I rank my three years of military service at near the top, especially my time as a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne. That time changed my life. I was discharged back into the real world, still young, but way more mature and responsible than before the Army. My brief time in the service does not make me a military expert, but I do have my opinions. Case in point: The prisoner exchange this week that resulted in Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s release from captivity as the only American prisoner of war in Afghanistan.

I remember what I thought when I heard the national news about Bergdahl’s capture back in 2009. How could that happen? What could the situation have been that would have given the enemy an opportunity to capture an American soldier? Well, subsequent news reports provided that answer– Bergdahl was a deserter! He simply left his post and walked off of his base. But regardless, our military has a tradition that we do not leave soldiers on the battlefield. So, during the five years that Bergdahl was in captivity, his fellow soldiers continued to look for him with the goal of freeing him from captivity. And six of them died in that effort. (more…)

By County Commissioner George Neugent

County staff was dealing with a total of six contracts in the solid waste negotiations. Most of which expired at different times. Three objectives to be achieved which was by direction from the board 1. get all contracts to expire at same time, 2. maintain annual assessment to residents, 3. maintain present level of service. * a side note to remember, while negotiations were on-going the recycle contract automatically renewed for five years – now, another contract out of sync.

Another important issue to note, there were (28) twenty eight months left on the “haul out” contract with Waste Management (Oct 2016). This meant without a contract extension all eighteen months of negotiations would be for naught. Extension negotiation direction was given to staff by the Board of County Commission, supported transparently by vote by FOUR commissioners – Kolhage, Rice, Murphy and Neugent. County Administrator Gastesi then directed Rhonda Haag to head-up the effort, our Sustainability Coordinator. (more…)

By Contributed

Twenty-one students from Monroe County High Schools (Key West, Key West Collegiate, Marathon and Coral Shores high schools) are preparing to participate in The Experiment in International Living’s cross cultural programs within 14 different countries. The Experiment in International Living offers immersive summer programs for high school students in Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia and the Pacific.

“Monroe County, Florida, sends more participants every summer to The Experiment than any other school district in America outside of New York City,” according to Executive Director Dr. Aaron Morehouse.  “Since 2006, 125 Monroe County students have participated in The Experiment’s innovative cross cultural programs.”  (more…)

By Kim Pederson

We’re the Ones with the Smaller Brains, Remember?
(Bonobo, Cincinnati Zoo, 2005, Photo by Kabir Bakie, CC Some Rights Reserved)

A while back someone on Facebook posted a link to the Cracked article by David Wong titled “What Is the Monkeysphere?” Wong informs us that, given the size of their brains, monkeys can recognize and interact sociably with about 50 other monkeys and that, not surprisingly, is the normal size for their troupes. Any animal not in the group is outside the “monkeysphere” of those particular animals and thus can be ignored or abused with equanimity by all the “in crowd” monkeys.

Human beings have a little bit larger brain so our “monkeysphere” expands to about 150 people (which seems like way too many to me since I often can’t remember who the bleary-eyed person in the mirror is every day). Still, this is a limitation, one that “allows” us, Wong observes, to do things that harm other people, often unthinkingly, because they are outside of our monkeysphere. On the “front page” of The Washington Post web site on May 6th was a story titled “3 Shot Near Ballou High in the Southeast.” Do most people even notice or care? No, the two 17-year-olds and the one 20-year-old are outside our monkeysphere. (more…)

By Barbara Calkins

 

I learned early on what little is accomplished waiting for someone to do something for you, or even to help you. Consider this one of the gleaming pros to not having your parents around, and I do stress one. Now that I’m a mother myself, I can’t imagine my children grocery shopping for the family or taking taxis by themselves when they were nine years old. Not only did I do these things, but I also created my own income because my mother’s money never seemed to make it down to me.

This lifestyle brought forth my signature feistiness which kept me afloat throughout my youth. Even heavy decisions, such as taking a Greyhound bus from Florida to Indiana to attend college, weren’t an issue for me. Although my best childhood friend and I planned on attending the same school, she decided that she wanted to move to Florida at the last minute. I still went because, like her, I needed a change. (more…)

By Barbara Calkins

 

I learned early on what little is accomplished waiting for someone to do something for you, or even to help you. Consider this one of the gleaming pros to not having your parents around, and I do stress one. Now that I’m a mother myself, I can’t imagine my children grocery shopping for the family or taking taxis by themselves when they were nine years old. Not only did I do these things, but I also created my own income because my mother’s money never seemed to make it down to me.

This lifestyle brought forth my signature feistiness which kept me afloat throughout my youth. Even heavy decisions, such as taking a Greyhound bus from Florida to Indiana to attend college, weren’t an issue for me. Although my best childhood friend and I planned on attending the same school, she decided that she wanted to move to Florida at the last minute. I still went because, like her, I needed a change. (more…)

By Society of Professional Journalists

The U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection on Monday of New York Times journalist James Risen’s appeal leaves him in the unenviable position of potentially revealing confidential sources…or potentially going to jail. It is more important than ever for Congress to pass a federal shield law.

Reporters doing their jobs never should have to face that choice. The Society of Professional Journalists strongly encourages the Senate leadership to bring the Free Flow of Information Act to the Senate floor for a discussion and vote.

In July 2013, Risen — who wrote a book on a failed CIA effort to ruin Iran’s nuclear ambitions during the Clinton administration — was ordered by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to testify in the trial of Jeffrey Sterling, a former CIA officer hit with criminal charges after Risen’s reporting. On Monday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Risen’s appeal. (more…)

By Contributed

Thirty-seven Monroe County high school graduates received their commemorative medallions at the Take Stock in Children (TSiC) graduation, Marathon High School this past Saturday, May 31^st.

The Monroe County Education Foundation (MCEF) welcomed Eugene Robinson, columnist for The Washington Post, honored guest and commencement speaker, at the 14^th annual TSiC graduation ceremony. Robinson emphasized the responsibility the grads have to their Monroe County TSiC donors and mentors, as well as to the state of Florida,” noting, Success stories like these are a credit not only to the students and their families, but to the wonderful mentors who guided them during these past few years.”  (more…)

By Larry Murray

Ron and Andy:

The Monroe County electorate owes both of you a big “Thank You” and I could not agree more.  Three seats on the school Board are up for election and it looked as if it was going to be a very dull, ho-hum campaign.  There did not appear to be any captivating issue(s) in the individual races or the election as a whole.  That being the case, it would not be an easy task for the voters to decide how they were going to cast their ballots.

Fortunately for us voters, you two have taken the proverbial bull by the horns and singlehandedly created an issue that will surely excite the voters.  The worst kept secret in Monroe County is your joint decision to ask your associates on the School Board to extend Mark Porter’s contract as superintendent before the August election.  Bear in mind that Porter’s contract does not expire until July 31, 2015, fourteen months from now.  Phrased differently, Porter is barely halfway through his initial three year contract. (more…)

By Blue Paper Entreatment Department

By Larry Murray

Editor:

In a few days, we will be marking the third anniversary of a police riot in Miami Beach in which a motorist was killed and three others wounded when police unleashed a fusillade of 116 shots.  It was during Urban Beach Weekend in 2011 that a motorist ignored orders to pull over, nearly striking several officers and hitting barricades.  The police opened fire until the vehicle came to a stop and then continued firing into the vehicle.

Police would later claim that the motorist had fired first, mysteriously finding a gun three days later under the driver’s seat.  However, tests for gunpowder residue determined that the motorist had not fired a gun.  The general testimony by the police was contrary to the visual images shot by many bystanders using their cellphones and other devices, some of which were confiscated by the police.

There is a lot about the Miami Beach case that is very scary, not the least of which is that three years later the investigation is incomplete.  According to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s office, the investigation “hopefully will be completed by the end of the summer.”  That is a common strategy in controversial cases, especially in instances where police are accused of improper, if not illegal, behavior.  Drag out the investigation interminably until most everyone has forgotten about it, witnesses have disappeared, evidence has been misplaced and so on.

Does any of this sound familiar?  Does the case of Charles Eimers come to mind?

The Blue Paper has done a superb job covering the Eimers case and it is imperative that that coverage continue.  You have already revealed questionable elements about the investigation as well as the case itself.  If we are not careful, the investigation will drag on and on and on….  Please stay on top of this case until it is resolved.

By MIKE daddy bones TOLBERT!

Daddy Bones BBQ is hosting a Working Class Appreciation Day. They are providing FREE food to thank all the blue collar workers of Key West! Starts this Sunday June 8th at 2 p.m. and ends when the food runs out!

Ok, if you work three jobs, you live on a boat, your van, hell even KOTS, as long as you work and put into this little island home of ours. If you’re just a little tired of everything city government does hurting us the ones that feed the city, turn on the lights, make the beds! WELL DADDY BONES WANTS TO SAY THANK YOU! COME EAT SOME LOCAL BBQ, LISTEN TO LOCAL MUSIC, and blow off some steam!

By The Family of Charles Eimers

By Contributed

Monroe County and the Florida Association of Counties are offering a FREE Wind and Flood Mitigation Workshop on Thursday, June 12^th in Key West and Friday, June 13^th in Key Largo. The workshops have been designed for homeowners, utilities, governments, developers and contractors, realtors, insurance agents, businesses, and homeowner & condo associations.

The workshop includes how recent changes to the National Flood Insurance Program will affect flood insurance rates in our cities and County, steps to lower flood insurance rates as well as wind and flood grant programs for residents, governments, commercial properties and homeowner developments. (more…)

By Contributed

Carol Munder’s photogravure
“Beaumont Still Life.”

Carol Munder’s photogravure retrospective is upstairs at The Studios of Key West through June 13.

Photogravure, an intaglio printmaking process in which a copper plate is coated with light-sensitive tissue and then etched, has been described as the most beautiful, challenging and labor-intensive of traditional photographic processes.

Evocative, haunting and masterful scarcely describe the exhibits depth, which might be compared to catching glimpses “through a glass darkly” into stories that have just begun to be imagined or perhaps were imagined long ago and now only shadowy vapors remain. Munder exhibits widely, both nationally and internationally, and is the 2013 recipient of the prestigious South Florida Cultural Consortium prize. For more information, visit tskw.org.

By Contributed

One mystery fiction fan will win a walk-on cameo appearance in New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Heather Graham’s next novel.

Organizers of the upcoming Mystery Writers Key West Fest have announced that one Fest guest will walk into the pages of New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Heather Graham’s next story.

All fans of mystery fiction who have registered for the inaugural Mystery Writers Key West by midnight June 6 are eligible to win a walk-on role in the prolific author’s next work. Graham, who has more than seventy-five million books in print, is slated to be a panelist at the upcoming “Murder & Mayhem in Paradise” themed Fest, a gathering of premier South Florida based true crime, mystery and suspense writers, to be held in Key West June 13-15.

Her most recent book, The Cursed, released in late May, is set in Key West and involves a haunted B&B, a murder, salvagers, a sunken ship and a curse.

For registration, hotel room booking link and a full event schedule, visit www.mysterywriterskeywestfest.com.

By Contributed

Down in paradise at Pier House Resort & Spa in Key West, a feast of ice and fire is brewing at the 5th annual Key West Bacchanalia. James Beard award winning Chef and author, Norman Van Aken reunites with the Pier House’s stellar executive chef, Maria Manso. It was here at the first full-service resort in Key West during 1978 that Norman Van Aken began learning under the tutelage of Pier House head chef, Annie Donovan under the watchful and helpful eye of Betty Howard. You can still hear the laughter and the soulful scents from that kitchen years ago, as an emerging Chef Norman Van Aken launched off the hot line into the fires of culinary sunlight.

On the upcoming evening of Friday, June 13th guests celebrating the Bacchanal will enjoy the collaborative verve of these 2 magnificent chefs as they create dishes from Norman and Justin Van Aken’s book, “My Key West Kitchen”. During this feast of sunlight, guest will also enjoy the cold, icy creations of Mark Drobiarz of ABC Bartending School fame as he mixes concoctions from the Rums of Puerto Rico and Barbancourt Rum. There will also be incredible wines brought by the first family of wine in Australia – the DeBortoli family!  This Feast of Ice and Fire will help benefit Darrell’s quest (of the Darrell Gwynn Foundation) to provide a cure and mobility to paralysis.

Menu Sampling:

(more…)

By Contributed

By Contributed

Michele Meck and Lydia Firefly dance with fire at a previous Midsummer’s Night Dream & Spectacle.

Calling musicians, actors, painters, card-readers, filmmakers, poets, dancers, storytellers, jugglers, fire-breathers, clowns and fairies, nymphs and satyrs to take the stage and celebrate the arts in our community, Saturday, June 21, at the 8th Annual Midsummer’s Night Dream & Spectacle at the Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden.

Co-produced by Michael Shields’ Java Studios to benefit The Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden, Midsummer’s Night Dream & Spectacle celebrates the creative Keys community, and gives artists a voice and platform to share the power of their dreams. To participate as an artist or an event sponsor contact Michael Shields at 305-394-3804 / javastudios@gmail.com. More information at keywestupdates.com.

By Contributed

Michele Meck and Lydia Firefly dance with fire at a previous Midsummer’s Night Dream & Spectacle.

Calling musicians, actors, painters, card-readers, filmmakers, poets, dancers, storytellers, jugglers, fire-breathers, clowns and fairies, nymphs and satyrs to take the stage and celebrate the arts in our community, Saturday, June 21, at the 8th Annual Midsummer’s Night Dream & Spectacle at the Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden.

Co-produced by Michael Shields’ Java Studios to benefit The Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden, Midsummer’s Night Dream & Spectacle celebrates the creative Keys community, and gives artists a voice and platform to share the power of their dreams. To participate as an artist or an event sponsor contact Michael Shields at 305-394-3804 / javastudios@gmail.com. More information at keywestupdates.com.

By Contributed

Photo by Sheelman Photography

The Love Lane Gang is a locals band that knocks the socks off tourists and locals alike.They play music that spans generations as well as embodies them. With an age range among the members of over thirty years, they bring a wide variety of experience and musical tastes to bear. They’ve brought back skiffle and updated it for the present.

The emphasis is on ragtime and swing: classics from the 1930s and 1940s, done in a refreshing new style that incorporates the Hot Club approach with island flourishes. Dust Bowl ballads, old school country from Hank Williams and Dolly Parton, rockabilly and surf music classics and little-known gems, tunes from Sixties stars like The Beatles, The Kinks, and The Rolling Stones, and carefully chosen songs from current artists like Andrew Bird, Mason Jennings, and The White Stripes all fit in alongside original songs that sound like they could have come from any of those eras.

Offbeat instrumentation, including mandolin, ukulele, accordion, fiddle, washboard, and a kazoo horn section, added to familiar guitar, bass, and harmonica, creates a broad musical palette which they use to color their performances.

But you needn’t pay too much mind to all that serious musical analysis – they’re just plain fun!

Their regular gigs are at McConnell’s Irish Pub And Grill on Fridays at 8 PM and Saluté On The Beach on Sundays at 5:30 PM. They will also be playing at Duval Street Pub on Saturday,at 8 PM.

Scheduled Appearances: (more…)

By Contributed

By Contributed

Photo by Sheelman Photography

The Love Lane Gang is a locals band that knocks the socks off tourists and locals alike.They play music that spans generations as well as embodies them. With an age range among the members of over thirty years, they bring a wide variety of experience and musical tastes to bear. They’ve brought back skiffle and updated it for the present.

The emphasis is on ragtime and swing: classics from the 1930s and 1940s, done in a refreshing new style that incorporates the Hot Club approach with island flourishes. Dust Bowl ballads, old school country from Hank Williams and Dolly Parton, rockabilly and surf music classics and little-known gems, tunes from Sixties stars like The Beatles, The Kinks, and The Rolling Stones, and carefully chosen songs from current artists like Andrew Bird, Mason Jennings, and The White Stripes all fit in alongside original songs that sound like they could have come from any of those eras.

Offbeat instrumentation, including mandolin, ukulele, accordion, fiddle, washboard, and a kazoo horn section, added to familiar guitar, bass, and harmonica, creates a broad musical palette which they use to color their performances.

But you needn’t pay too much mind to all that serious musical analysis – they’re just plain fun!

Their regular gigs are at McConnell’s Irish Pub And Grill on Fridays at 8 PM and Saluté On The Beach on Sundays at 5:30 PM. They will also be playing at Duval Street Pub on Saturday,at 8 PM.

Scheduled Appearances: (more…)

By Contributed

By The Publishers

The expressed opinions, informational content and links displayed on https://thebluepaper.com/ pages do not necessarily reflect a position or policy of Blue Pimpernel LLC, Key West The Newspaper [The Blue Paper], its affiliates, or advertisers. No official endorsement by Blue Pimpernel LLC, Key West The Newspaper [The Blue Paper], its affiliates, or advertisers of the viewpoints expressed on https://thebluepaper.com/ pages should be inferred.

By The Publishers

The expressed opinions, informational content and links displayed on https://thebluepaper.com/ pages do not necessarily reflect a position or policy of Blue Pimpernel LLC, Key West The Newspaper [The Blue Paper] or its affiliates. No official endorsement by Blue Pimpernel LLC, Key West The Newspaper [The Blue Paper] or its affiliates of the viewpoints expressed on https://thebluepaper.com/ pages should be inferred.