Local Man Who Allegedly Stole

Thousands of Dollars From 18-Year-Old
Boy’s Trust Fund Goes On
Trial August 13

MARIO LOT, A FORMER COACH
AT KWHS, WAS ENGAGED TO THE
BOY’S MOTHER. HE TOLD POLICE
INVESTIGATORS THAT HE TOOK
MORE THAN $100,000 TO PAY
GAMBLING DEBTS

by Dennis Reeves Cooper

A man charged with
stealing more than $100,000
from his fiancee’s 18-year-old
son’s trust fund will go on trial
August 13.

Mario Lot, 35, had a 13-
year-relationship with Allison
Mayer, a local singer known
on stage as “Baby T”. She was
the founding member of the
Fabulous Spectrelles.

Mayer was married to Jim
Mayer, who was one of the owners
of Sloppy Joe’s Bar until his
death in 1991. The couple’s son,
Cole, was born in 1988. After Mayer died, a sizable trust fund
was set up for Cole, which he
could access when he turned 18.
He turned 18 last year.

SPECIAL REPORT:

The Assassination Of Dr. Corliss Rupp

COURT OF APPEAL RIGHTS
TERRIBLE WRONG

by Rhonda Linseman

Dr. Corliss Rupp came to Key West in 2003 and began
offering much-needed psychiatric care to the under-served
through Medallion Health Services. Many were grateful because
psychiatric care for the working class is difficult to come by in
the Keys.

The myth that psychiatrists make a lot of money is as farcical
as the notion that college professors make a lot of money.
Compared with other medical specialties, psychiatrists earn
considerably less. On average, a psychiatrist earns $130,000 less
than a radiologist or an anesthesiologist.

Obviously, this makes attracting and retaining psychiatrists
and other behavioral and psychological health care professionals
difficult—especially those willing to work under the condition
that they may not be paid in full or at all.

Page One Commentary

Cop Allegedly Uses Patrol Car to Run Down
Suspect; and Then Tries To Cover It Up

STATE ATTORNEY REPORTEDLY SENDS COMPLAINT OVER TO FDLE

by Dennis Reeves Cooper

A Key West cop with a
reputation for using “excessive
force” is now reportedly under
investigation by the Florida Department
of Law Enforcement
(FDLE). We don’t have all the
details because officials will
not comment on an on-going
investigation, but here is what
we have pieced together from
unofficial sources.

Several weeks ago, Sgt.
Pablo Rodriguez allegedly ran
down a suspect in his patrol car
and then, reportedly, attempted
to coerce a fellow officer to destroy
the video from his in-car
camera. Here’s the way we hear
it went down:

OPINION

New Report:
Officer Manny Menendez
Broke Down During
Lie Detector Test

by Dennis Reeves Cooper

Several weeks ago, we told you that Manny
Menendez, the 36-year-old son of City Commissioner
Jose Menendez was apparently given preferential
treatment when he was hired by the Key West Police
Department as a parking enforcement specialist in
January 2005 and, again, when his application to
attend the Police Academy was approved seven
months later.

On his employment application, Menendez
admitted to using cocaine in 2003. According to the
department’s policy on past drug use, that disqualified
him for both jobs. But we now know that his past
drug use may have been far more extensive than what
he put on his application. In any event, it apparently
helps to have a father who is a City Commissioner.
Former Police Chief Bill Fortune waived the drug
policy to enable Menendez to be hired as a parking
enforcement specialist. Chief Bill Mauldin waived
the policy to enable Menendez to attend the Police
Academy.

RHONDA

Spectations At the
Hemingway 5K Run

by Rhonda Linseman

I’ve never chosen to run
3.1 miles all at once, but I might,
now that I’ve witnessed the
Hemingway 5K run/walk for
the first time. My sister—the
one who’ll try anything once—
came to town for the weekend
and decided to run the race
on a whim. I think she did it
mostly to rationalize buying a
cute new running skirt and top.
And since navy blue lollies are
completely unavailable in this
town, she was forced to complete
the outfit with hot pink
hot pants from Fairvilla (size
microscopic).

ON THE SONNY SIDE:

On The Road To Recovery

by Charles “Sonny” McCoy

It was a warm summer day in Key West and I
was back in my hometown for a few days and some
old classmates and friends invited me to join them
for a beer at the Mermaid Lounge in the LaConcha.
We were reminiscing about our growing up on the
Island, when they suggested we step outside onto
Duval Street. They said look north toward the Gulf
and the street and sidewalks were deserted; they then
pointed south on Duval Street and again there was
no activity.

My friends had a motive and it was to interest
me in running for political office and to utilize my
practice in architecture and engineering to revitalize
the Island’s economy. Since the nineteen forties,
Key West had been one of the main military bases in
the war against the U-Boat menace of WW-2, but by
nineteen seventy, the military was de-commissioning
its presence here. The absence of the military and its
payroll had left the Island devoid of its main source of
income. Whether it was the beer or the challenge, they
ran me for Mayor, and much to my surprise I won and
returned to my hometown to assume my duties.

Mud Wrestling with Patriot II

by Hal O’Boyle

The Domestic Security Enhancement Act, (Patriot Act II) is a secret piece of legislation. Its authors at the Justice Department marked it "Confidential-not for distribution” and sent to Vice President Chaney, Speaker of the House Hassert, and executive heads of several federal law enforcement agencies. No member of Congress got a copy. It is only through the efforts of a reckless liberty mole that a copy was leaked to and published by the Center for Public Integrity. It’s long. It’s scary. You can find it at their website:  http://www.publicintegrity.org/dtaweb/home.asp under Patriot Act II.

It is ominously similar to the Enabling Laws that handed power to Hitler in 1933 Germany. Those laws were passed in response to a crisis created by the Nazis themselves. Patriot II is also being sold as crisis management. I’ll go over some highlights for you, but first I want to examine the question, why this and why now?

RIDENOUR REPORT

by Valerie Ridenour

Did you catch C.W. Colt
last week? It’s not too late! You
can turn on cwcolt.com and
hear him live on radio, this
week from Colorado, or from
wherever he’s playing. He’s
number one on the independent
charts! He’s one of those
artists who just get better. The
Alien Doug (Raver) was with
him. I hadn’t talked to Alien
since he and I had a gig at Sunshine
Key. He forgot his bass.

Kid you not! Fortunately, I had
two keyboards along, so we
got through the night. I hope I
never have to do that again!

BARNES LAW: Q&A

Adopting a Child
What About Adopting?
– Part One

by Michael Barnes

The act of adopting a
child establishes a legal parent-
child relationship between
a child and the adult or adults
who are not the birth parents.
The adoptive parent or parents
and child acquire the same relationship
and the same rights
and responsibilities as the birth
parent-child relationship.

A successful adoption is
probably one of the happiest of
all legal proceedings. There can
be complications and pitfalls,
however, and because of this,
anyone thinking about adoption
should be fully aware
of any problems that may be
encountered along the way.
Basic adoption policy is that
the first concern is always for
the natural parents and then
the best interest of the child.
The interests of anyone else
connected with the case are
secondary.

Group Wants Charter Change

To Require Voter Approval For Annexation

Last week, when four members of the City Commission
voted against putting a non-binding referendum on the ballot
to allow Key Westers to weigh in on whether or not Wisteria
Island should be annexed for the purpose of development, they
were telling the citizens of Key West, in essence: “Butt out. You
have no say in this.”

Businessman Bruce Ritson’s reaction to that was, “Oh,
yeah?!"

Ritson has put together the Wisteria Island Committee
that will be gathering signatures on a petition to force the Commission
to put a binding referendum on the October ballot. That
referendum would call for a change in the City Charter to require
voter approval for any annexation action.

Ritson said that he and his committee members hope to
begin collecting signatures next week. Signatures of 10 percent
of the almost 14,000 registered voters in Key West are required to
get the question on the ballot. About 1400 signatures are needed.
Ritson says the committee has 30 days from Monday to get the
the required number of signatures.

Want to get involved? Contact Ritson at 292-0532 or
ritsonb@bellsouth.net.