PAGE ONE COMMENTARY: FWC Officers Gone Wild!

NIGHTTIME RAIDS ON ANCHORED BOATS WITHOUT WARRANTS: SAFETY INSPECTIONS OR HARASSMENT?

ON A RECENT RAID, OFFICERS FOUND YOUNG WOMAN UNDRESSED AND ASLEEP.

THEY ONLY GAVE HER TIME TO WRAP HERSELF IN A BED SHEET BEFORE COMING ABOARD ANOTHER BOATER PROTESTED THE OFFICERS COMING ABOARD WITHOUT STATING A REASON— UNTIL A TASER WAS HELD TO HIS CHEST

by Rick Boettger

Residents on boats legally anchored in Key West Harbor have reported repeated police invasion of their homes, search and seizure without warrant or probable cause, unannounced, and at all times of the day or night.

“I was in bed. It was about 11 p.m. when I woke up to repeated knocks and callings. I saw a bright searchlight and heard the sound of a siren. It was the police and they said they were coming aboard for an inspection,” said 26-year-old Andrea Quigley.

Smirk Is 36

THEY GROW UP SO FAST, DON’T THEY? BIRTHDAY PARTY THIS AFTERNOON INCLUDING A GROUP PHOTO

This afternoon, Friday, April 1, well-wishers from near and far will gather at the Green Parrot Bar to wish “Smirk,” the bar’s longtime icon, a happy and healthy 36th birthday.

They grow up so fast. Yes, it’s been 36 years since since that enigmatic countenance, that sphinx-like kisser, appeared on the plywood shutter on the Southard Street facade of the Green Parrot.

Facing the barroom when the Parrot is open and facing the street when wthe bar is closed, Smirk, has, as they say, “seen it all.”

Inspired by an image from a National Geographic magazine, in the then-owners’ effort to dress the place up, Smirk leapt from the pallete of artist and former Green Parrot bartender Saul Paul Stewart in 1975 when, amazingly, the only other things resembling art that adorned the Parrot’s walls was a rather grisly knock-off of the famous Karsh Hemingway portrait, also by Stewart, and an equally disturbing snow shovel with a few bullet holes in it.

To celebrate the occasion, a prized re-issue of the Smirk T-shirt will be for sale along with Smirk masks for what promises to be a most unusual, if not downright bizarre, group photo.

BITCHIN’ PARADISE: Delta Sucks

by Kimberley Denney

Me and four guys I didn’t know 24 hours ago in an old sedan heading to Key West. Thank god I’ve got shotgun, because the Bulgarian sure does like his cigs.

That could have been the intro to what would eventually be a screwball comedy, but it was actually the final leg of the horror story I’d been living for the last 15 hours. I should have been home from Paris, waking up in my own bed for the first morning in 11 days.

Instead, there I was on the road with the men I call Alpha Male, Fish, Bulgaria, and our driver, Ricky Ricardo, on account of his laugh. And he liked me because his daughter’s name is Kimberly. That’s why I got shotgun.

RHONDA: Going Places: Funding the Journey

by Rhonda Linseman-Saunders

It sure sucks to be one of my kids when it comes time for college. They’re on their own as far as footing the bill. Sure, I’ll send them off with clean socks and underwear, and I’ll send them grocery money for Christmas and birthdays, but the burden, er, challenge of paying their way through college will be all theirs.

It’s not cruel and it’s not something I haven’t done, myself. I begged, borrowed, and worked my way through, and so did my sister and all four of my brothers (and yes, it was in six feet of snow, uphill both ways.) We survived and I know my kids will, too.

Besides, I’m hardly in a position to help much— I’m still paying off my own student loans from grad school. But, hey, look at this lucrative position I landed as a result of all that schooling. And my siblings have met with EVEN WILDER success, as hard as that must be to imagine.

Keys Kids Presents The Nightingale

KEYS KIDS presents their final musical of the season, THE NIGHTINGALE, at Key West High School from March 31st – April 2nd. The NIGHTINGALE is based on the Chinese folk legend by Hans Christian Andersen of an emperor’s special friendship with a singing nightingale. This production is directed by Mimi Mc Donald, choreography by Penny Leto, musical direction by Nancy 3.Hoffman and Nora Revelin. The production opens Thursday, March 31st at 7:30 and runs Friday, April 1st at 7:30 and Saturday, April 2nd at 2:00 and 7:30. Tickets can be purchased at Mac Arthur Music, keystix.com or at the door one hour to curtain with discounted tickets for students, military, senior citizens, and military. For information visit http://www.keyskidskeywest.com

Two Concerts Will Benefit Playhouse

The Waterfront Playhouse will present two very special concerts at the San Carlos Institute: Howard Livingston and the Mile Marker 24 Band (April 12) and Terri White (April 16.) Both concerts are at 8 pm and tickets are available on the theater website, http://www.waterfrontPlayhouse.org or by calling 294-5015.

Howard Livingston will bring his Island-flavored tunes to the beautiful San Carlos on Tuesday, April 12th. Joining him onstage will be the Mile Marker 24 Band. One of the most popular singers in the Keys (and beyond), Howard and his Mile Marker 24 Band were voted “Best Band in Florida, 2010” by Florida Monthly Magazine. Livingston is now the host of a national television show “Key West Time” reaching 33 million households.

On Saturday, April 16, Broadway star Terri White will take the San Carlos stage with her musical director, Bobby Peaco. Terri’s Broadway appearances have been star-turns in “Chicago,” “Finian’s Rainbow,” “Barnum,” “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” and many others. She is currently in rehearsals for Stephen Sondheims’ “Follies” at the Kennedy Center in D. C. Her 2010 sold-out concert at the Waterfront still has people raving. There will be a post-performance party held at the Gardens Hotel with catering by Franko’s Deli.

O'BOYLE: Scum Floats

by Hal O’Boyle

“The government consists of a gang of men exactly like you and me. They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the business of government; they have only a talent for getting and holding office. Their principal device to that end is to search out groups who pant and pine for something they can’t get and to promise to give it to them. Nine times out of ten that promise is worth nothing. The tenth time is made good by looting A to satisfy B. In other words, government is a broker in pillage, and every election is sort of an advance auction sale of stolen goods.” ― – H. L. Menken

Americans love a contest. We love the winner of a fair fight. We know that competitive sport builds strength and character. We know that competition in the marketplace improves everything that men compete to produce. The cream floats to the top.

Free markets welcome and reward innovation. New entrants fly or flop on the power of ideas and strength of will. Efficient producers thrive. Obsolete producers disappear. Each accepts responsibility for its actions. Good ideas are rewarded. Mistakes are punished. […]

Continue reading here.

THEATRE: “The New Century” Opens Tuesday at the Playhouse

The Waterfront Playhouse continues its smash 71st season with the outrageous comedy, “The New Century” by Paul Rudnick. “The evening contains so many gut-busting one-liners that those with heart conditions are warned,” says the NY Post.

“The New Century” opens Tuesday, April 5th at 8 pm and runs until April 23rd. (Please note there are no performances the week of April 10 to 18.) The production is sponsored by AT&T, The Real Yellow Pages and the opening night party is sponsored by Kathy and Tom Cawley and Charlie Allen.

Directed by Carbonell award-winner Rich Simone, it stars WFPH artistic director Danny Weathers as the gleefully flamboyant Mr. Charles; Linda Bernhard, a Carbonell award-winning actress as Helene, the proud mother of three gay children; Annie Miners who stars as Barbara Ellen as a craft-crazy mom from Decatur, IL; Rhett Kalman as the boy toy Shane and Maggie Meiers as a new mom who wants her son to be fabulous.

FILM: What’s on at the Tropic

by Phil Mann

The King of the Beasts must be the big cat du jour. Apple has named its newly upgraded operating system for Mac computers as “Lion.“ And there are two new movies about these magnificent animals coming to the screen.

The first of these is THE LAST LIONS. Filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert spent seven years living in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, getting to know every one of the resident lions as family, while focusing expert nature cameras on them. Made with the support of the National Geographic, this movie takes up the story of one grouping, a lioness and her three cubs.

The male head of their pride is killed, and she retreats to an island in the Delta to raise the cubs on her own. It’s difficult not to anthropomorphize the situation of this single mother, and the Jouberts don’t even try. Using the magisterial voice of Jeremy Irons and almost miraculous cinematography, they have produced a documentary with narrative drive.

Live Music On The Rock

Key West is famous for Live Music! Here’s this week’s top music venues, in alphabetical order:
To be included, email your music schedule by 5pm Monday. Music schedules subject to change without notice.

Bobalu’s On Southard near Whitehead is becoming a live music hot spots. MUSIC THIS WEEK: Bo Fodor & the Hitchhikers will be on stage tonight, Friday, April 1. Moose & the Bulletproof Blues Band move in Saturday night. The Southernmost Magnolia Cajun Band has the Sunday night gig. Showtime is 7 ‘til 11 all three nights.

B.O.’s Fish Wagon Locals know this funky place on the corner of Caroline and William. But if you’re from out of town, you gotta go here just to say you’ve been. B.O.’s square grouper sandwich is famous around the world. On most Friday nights, Barry Cuda rolls in his piano about 6, invites a few musical friends and boogies for a couple of hours.

The Bull One of Duval Street’s last open-air bars,€” actually three bars: The Bull on the first floor, the Whistle on the second floor and the clothing-optional Garden of Eden on the roof. Live music all day and late into the night.