December 15 - KONK Network

INTER 

VIEWS 

KEYNEWS 

5 COMMUNITY 

6 

Occupy 

Key West 

12 

Key West Lights Up 

Photography by Ralph DePalma 

Island-Style for the Holidays 

Holiday 

countdown 

www.konklife.com 3 

S P O T L I G H T 

T H E A R T S 

A 25th year remembrance and retrospective 

Vano Eno: A Renaissance Fantasy 

The Key West Art & Historical Society opens a retrospective of 

the work of Key West artist Van Eno on December 17. The exhibit 

runa through February 17, 2012, at the Custom House 

Museum’s Bryan Gallery, 281 Front St. At the age of 29, Van Eno 

moved to Key West,and in the mid- 

1970s joined his peers in the Gingerbread 

Square Gallery of Richard 

Heyman. Van Eno also involved himself 

with the theater community designing 

costumes and sets. It was this 

collaboration that led him to design 

and paint furniture in his trademark 

“drop-paint” style that became sought 

after by art collectors. It was Van 

Eno’s paintings, some bordering on 

erotica, won him acclaim. Van Eno 

died in the morning hours of September 

1986 at his home on 513 White 

St. During his last days, Van Eno insisted 

on signing a number of unfinished 

paintings he distributed to 

friends until he could no longer paint 

his signature. This special tribute to Van Eno was created by guest curators 

Joe Pais, Wesley Calvin and Bob Chaplin. Many locals loaned their 

Van Eno art for this exhibit. KWAHS hosts opening reception 5:30 p.m. 

December 16, free to members. Guests welcome with a suggested $10 

donation to the society. Membership applications available at the door. 

INFO Key West Art & Historical Society, (305) 295-6616

KONK 

Life 

NEWS DIRECTOR 

Guy deBoer 

EDITOR|DESIGN 

Dawn deBoer 

MANAGING EDITOR 

Jenna Stauffer 

No. 1 Vol. 46 

d e c e m b e r 1 5 - 2 1 

Published Weekly 

ASSOCIATE EDITOR 

Michael Shields 

PHOTOGRAPHERS 

Sheel Sheelman, Ralph dePalma, 

Larry E. Blackburn 

COVER by Larry Blackburn 

CONTRIBUTORS 

Guy deBoer Key News, Keys Update 

Louis Petrone Key West Lou 

Steve Calderwood Wining the Keys 

Paul Menta What’s Cooking 

Matt Gardi The Naked Conch 

Rick Boettger The Great Debate 

ON-AIR PERSONALITIES 

BEV ALLEN, PETER ANDERSON, GUY deBOER, BO FODOR, 

KELLY FRIEND, STEPHANIE KAPLE, SHAUNA LEE LANGE, 

VICTORIA LEIGH, LOUIS PETRONE, M. L. PRICE, 

DAVE BOOTLE, MICHAEL SHIELDS, JIM SMITH, SOPHIA 

SKOGLUND, ALICE TALLMADGE, RICHARD TALLMADGE, 

QUEEN KATHLEEN, VANESSA, STEPH WISCHERTH 

ADVERTISING 305.296.1630 

Advertising Deadline Every Friday 

PRINT-READY advertising materials due by 

Friday every week for next issue of KONK Life 

Ad Dimensions 

Horizontal and Vertical: Full, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/8 

page, bizcard 

Ad Submissions 

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Send to production@konkbroadcasting.com 

KONK Life is published weekly by KONK 

Broadcasting Network in Key West, Florida. 

Editorial materials may not be reproduced 

without written permission 

from the network. 

KONK Broadcasting Network 

RADIO y TELEVISION y INTERNET 

402 Appelrouth Lane 

Key West, FL 33040 

(305) 768-0282 Fax 

(305) 296-1630 Office 

www.konklife.com 

4 www.konklife.com 

INTERVIEWS 

THE ARTS 

13 FUNTIMES 

Art Council 

celebrates 

14 

Holiday 

specials 

8 

Fantazimo at The Studios of Key West 

Photography by Ralph dePalma

keynews/ 

‘Occupy Key West’ 

A NATIONAL MOVEMENT 

GETS LOCAL SUPPORT 

n 

I N T E R V I E W W I T H 

Rick Worth 

Key West artist 

Guy deBoer | GD You’ve taken the 

opportunity as an artist and communicator 

to label the front yard of your 

home with messages in support of the 

Occupy movement. What were your 

feelings and thoughts behind that? 

Rick Worth | RW I’ve been following 

it since September 17. I’ve been 

waiting 20 years or more to try to get 

[people] to raise their eyes up against 

what’s going on 

in America 

today. I’m 48, 

and I have seen 

it come through 

for more than 

25-30 years. My 

last little protest 

was trying to 

save the people at House Boat Row, 

which was also my first southernmost 

protest. Our town sent me to jail that 

night. It showed up in the newspaper 

[as did] an outstanding bicycle fine in 

St. Petersburg, Florida, from five 

years ago. ey were to extradite me. 

I know what it’s like to try to save 

poor people, and I know how hard it 

is. e movement that is going on 

around the country and around the 

world is about making things a little 

bit more level and giving people more 

of that bottom ring of the ladder 

which seems to be cut off. 

GD e national media is saying it’s 

a disorganized movement. ere’s no 

spokesperson or goal or agenda of 

what the organization is trying to 

accomplish. I’ve heard comments 

from people who have supported the 

Occupy Movement say that’s the 

beauty of the movement. is is not 

an individual voicing concerns but 

individuals speaking up for what they 

think is wrong with the United States 


and the way it’s treating the common 

man. What do feel about the 

structure of it? 

RW Let’s address the idea of the mass 

media doing what it can to probably 

misinform the public as to what’s 

really going on. Today anything that 

is being produced has to have some 

kind of backing. Someone from the 

corporate world is funding a lot of 

events, and when it comes down to 

the media, it is no different. Media is 

owned by people with views of what 

gets out is going to be controlled. I 

have heard people say they don’t have 

an aim. I don’t think a movement like 

this needs one. 

GD As I see it, Occupy Movement is 

people who feel money has bought 

political power. Do you feel this way? 

RW Yes, I agree. is is where I 

would say the Bill of Rights seems to 

not be working for us. I know that 

during Martin Luther King’s day it 

didn’t work either. He would say if 

you are going to have something 

written down on paper stand behind 

it, because a lot of Americans believe 

that’s what we have for our protection. 

It at least gives us a voice to say 

something. I’ve been watching all of 

this brutality being put down upon 

these protestors, and the protestors 

themselves are being put down. ese 

guys, as well as I love our country, are 

by no means anti- American. It’s our 

Continued on page 6 

GUY deBOER 


BROADCASTING 

NEWS DIRECTOR

Key West Pops Orchestra n December 29-30 

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” Andrew 

Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s production, stars Marc Crow 

as the boy who makes his fame and fortune with his gift for 

interpreting dreams. Also features Nulita Loder as The Narrator. 

Concert features an all-Key West cast with orchestra conducted 

by Pops’ maestro Vincent Zito. Showtime 7:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s 

Episcopal Church, 401 Duval St. 

INFO (305)296-6059, email info@keywestpops.org 

/keynews/ 

RICK WORTH 

Continued from page 5 

love for our country that gives us 

this overwhelming feeling to not 

overlook her faults and bring attention 

to some of these things. It’s us 

little people that are tired of it. 

[Occupy Movement is] just trying 

to bring forth the truth to the 

public. You have the media doing 

just the opposite of trying to figure 

out some way to muddy it up. I believe 

it’s the Patriot Act and Homeland 

Security Acts which actually 

have dismantled parts of our constitution 

o turn us into dissidents and 

that’s why these people are allowed 

to get waxed. It’s unveiling just how 

unfree we really are. In a country 

that is run by its people and for people 

and by the people, it’s becoming 

a little less understandable as to why 

all these things are happening to us. 

GD When you look at the Occupy 

Movement here in Key West and the 

Florida Keys, what is the message 


you would like to be sent to Washington, 

D.C., because really you are 

talking about not the state level but 

federal level? 

RW I am looking more at if people 

are greasing the roads so they can do 

what they want. It’s under the First 

Amendment that we get the right to 

protest and that’s what makes our 

country strong, but here you have 

someone(s) throwing in money to 

try to stop that protest. Who do 

they think they are? To be looked 

down upon by other people from 

the higherups down to people who 

say they don’t know what we are 

fighting for. Well, we are fighting for 

you — for us and for the future. 

is is a tilted world and has been 

tilted for a long time. e fact of the 

matter is we are finally seeing it, and 

it is being unveiled right before our 

eyes, and a lot of people don’t believe 

it. Wintertime may have 

slowed down some of the movement 

across the country, but things are 

still picking up, and it isn’t going to 

end because the atrocities still continue. 

e 

Forbidden Broadway n Through January 14 

A sketch comedy that parodies 

hit musicals on the 

Great White Way! Local cast 

playing multiple roles — 

sometimes in one number! 

Countless musical sketches, 

75 costume changes, thanks 

to the cast of Eric Cole, J.B. 

McLendon, Gayla Morgan 

and Marjorie Paul-Shook. Directed 

by Broadway veteran 

Becky Barta; musical director, composer Sam Willmott. 

INFO Through January 14 at the Red Barn Theatre, 319 Duval 

St., redbarntheatre.com, (305) 296-9911 [1-6 p.m daily hours]

K E Y B U S I N E S S I N K E Y W E S T 

www.konklife.com 7

holiday/countdown/ 

December 16-17 n Fantazimo 

At the Armory combines years 

of high-level circus training, 

comedy and onstage chemistry 

to create acts that surpass 

expectations. Trixie and 

Monkey are an award-winning 

acrobatic 

burlesque superduo with 

highly skilled sexy-smart 

antics and charming love-hate 

dynamic. Duo showcases 

trapeze, striptease, acrobatics and comedy in burlesque, cabaret, 

variety and theater shows. 8 p.m., $25-$40. 

Studios of Key West, 600 White St. INFO (305) 296-0458 

December 17 n Historic Lighted Inn Tours 

Discover the history and holiday spirit of Key West by touring decorated 

historic inns, featuring Westwinds, Artist House, Cypress 

House, Villas Key West and the Avalon. Visit the inns on one’s own 

or in conjunction with holiday trolley tour by CityView Trolley Tours. 

$25 per person; $40 with trolley tour. INFO (305) 295-1334 

December 17-18 n Harbor Walk of Lights 

Enjoy traditional Christmas music under the stars on the Key West 

Harbor Walk of Lights. Classical violin and Celtic fiddle compositions 

of favorite holiday tunes are to be performed by "Violins in 

Motion" from Fort Lauderdale with talented 4- to 18-year-old South 

Florida and international students, all self-funded. The event 

is free, but donations will be accepted for the fight against 

childhood diabetes. 6-8 p.m. each evening. 

December 18 n Environmental Film Series 

Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center hosts series of free environmentally-focused 

films each Sunday at 1 p.m. through April 2012. 

Free film series continues with National Geographic film “Sea Monsters” 

at 2 p.m. followed by “Lionfish, Dolphins & U.S.S Vandenberg,” 

a WPBT Changing Seas Episode at 4 p.m. Florida Keys 

Eco-Discovery Center, 35 East Quay Road, Truman Waterfront 

next to Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. INFO (305) 809-4755 

December 27-28 n 52nd House and Garden Tours 

5-8pm. $25. Featured: 702 

Whitehead St., 518 and 524 

Frances St.; 1232 South St; 

1311 Truman Ave. — aka 1311 

Division St. — and Bayview 

Park holiday lights sparkle 

across old Division Street. 


INFO (305) 294-9501. December 

to March tours. 

December 27-31 n Florida Keys Art Guild Festival 

Free art festival at Bayview Park for the family. Artists from around 

the country join local artisans displaying work ranging from jewelry 

to sculpture, paintings, photography and fine crafts. 10 a.m. to 5 

p.m. daily. INFO (305) 897-9098, sarasotajoe2000@yahoo.com 

December 31 n Florida Keys’ New Year’s Eve 

Conch shell drop at Sloppy Joe’s Bar, 201 Duval St.; descending 

six-foot red high heel shoe with drag queen Sushi at Bourbon 

Street Pub/New Orleans House complex, 724 Duval St.; pirate 

wench descending from tall ship mast at Historic Seaport. 

INFO (305) 296-2388, (305) 293-9800, (305) 292-3302

K E Y R E A L E S T A T E I N T H E F L O R I D A K E Y S

keywestlou/ 

SANTA CLAUS 

HAS GUNS? 

n L E G A L I T I E S W I T H 

Louis Petrone 

We live in a crazy world. Unquestionably. I am a 

believer in the Second Amendment. e right 

to bear arms. With restrictions, of course. 

Arizona is a less than stable state. Could be described 

as crazy. Immigration problems, shootings and the like. 

Congresswoman Gabriellel Giffords comes to mind. 

e congresswoman who was campaigning at a shopping 

center and was shot in the head. She is still recovering. 

Fortunately for the good. 

Scottsdale is a suburb of Phoenix. It is an affluent 

suburb. A very affluent suburb. Scottsdale has a gun club. 

It is called the Scottsdale Gun Club. 

Last year and this year, the Scottsdale Gun Club has 

provided a Santa Claus for children. Children are invited 

to visit Santa Claus, sit on his lap, speak with him and 

have their picture taken. Same has gone on for years. 

With one difference. An addition. e pictures of the 

children and Santa Claus also contain guns. Guns like 

an $80,000 Garwood mini-gun and an SGC’s belt-fed 

machine gun. 

I am not familiar with guns. I have never shot one. 

I do not personally know of the two type of guns set 

forth. However, they seem to be heavy duty. 

e event is advertised as follows: “Get your holiday 

pictures with Santa and his machine guns.” 

A sell out this year and last year. A no-room-at-theinn 

event. Parents run to have their children’s pictures 

taken with Santa Claus and these weapons. Crazy! 

An example of gun support which goes a step too 

far. In fact, too many steps too far. It is neither good 

for society nor for the children themselves. 

What will be said, what will be written, 20 years from 

now, when one of these children shoots up a school room 

or shopping mall with his or her machine gun? 

e 

LOU PETRONE 

TALK SHOW HOST 

10 www.konklife.com

keysliving/ 

IN SEARCH OF DRAKE 

n 

I N T E R V I E W W I T H 

Pat Croce 

Pirate Soul museum founder 

Guy deBoer | GD What is your 

origin and your fascination 

with pirates? 

Pat Croce | PC I get that question 

all the time, because people think 

I’m piratical financial. It started 

when I was young, and I watched 

Earl Flynn’s first movie, “Captain 

Blood.” I remember watching it 

with my dad and just fell in love. It 

never left my pirate soul, and from 

then on I was carving skull and 

crossbones on my hands and rulers. 

e nuns would beat me with those 

rulers, but I never stopped! 

GD Along with starting the St. 

Augustine Pirate and Treasure 

Museum, you’re also searching for 

pirates. It’s been reported you found 

Sir Francis Drake’s sunken fleet. 

Where did that search lead you? 

PC I just wrote the book “Black 

Beard.” It’s a young adult, illustrative 

book. I have a pirate series. As I 

was writing it, I was on the porch 

overlooking the harbor in St. Augustine 

where Sir Francis Drake 

sailed in and plundered the town of 

St. Augustine. I went deep into my 

researching. I know he was buried 

off Porto Bello in a lead-line coffin 

in the harbor in the mouth of the 

Caribbean. I wanted to know where, 

so I engaged a researcher who gave 

me more clues and journals of captains 

who were with Sir Frances 

Drake and his fleet of 1595-1596. 

It’s been researched that 27 ships 

left Plymouth, warred against 

Puerto Rico, plundered Nombre de 

Dios, and when they finally got to 

Portobello in January, Sir Frances 

Drake died January 28, 1596. 

Within a week, they scuttled two of 

his fleet, Elizabeth and Delight. is 

was my quest, and I was lucky 

enough to meet Panamanian Australian 

joint venture which owns the 

exploratory rights of the Panamanian 

waters, East and West Coast. 

ey were setting a six-week expedition 

to look for sunken galleons and 

treasure. My treasure is all about pirate 

history, so I carved out a 10-day 

Drake expedition. We got lucky. I 

got to use the marine archaeologist 

James Sinclair. We found all kinds 

of novelties and hotspots and what 

we believe to be the two vessels they 

scuttled. Not only did they ground 

them and take off all the rigging, 

Continued on page 19 

GUY deBOER 


BROADCASTING 

NEWS DIRECTOR 

www.konklife.com 11

keymoments/ 

KEY WEST LIGHTS UP FOR THE HOLIDAYS 

RALPH dePAMA photography 

12 www.konklife.com

keymoments/ 

ART COUNCIL FRIENDS, HOLIDAY JOY 

RALPH dePALMA photography 

www.konklife.com 13

The Green Parrot 

Bobby Lee Rodgers | December 16-17 

d e c e m b e r 1 5 - 2 1 

Smokin’ Tuna 

Scott Kirby 

December 19-January 1 

The Pier House 

Christine Cordone, December 18, at The Wine Gallery 

14 www.konklife.com

funtimes/ 

The Smokin’ Tuna 

4 Charles St. off the 200 

block of Duval Street 

n 

Through December 17 

The Massacoustics 6-10pm 

n 

December 19-Jan 1 

Scott Kirby 5-9pm 

n 

December 26-Jan 1 

Woody Jenkins Band 

10pm-1am 

n 

January 2-8 

Noll Billings 5-9pm 

n 

January 3 and 6 

Nick Norman 10pm-1am 

n 

January 8 

Lewis Brice 10pm-1am 

n 

January 9-15 

Chris Cook 5-9pm 

www.smokintunasaloon.com 

www.konklife.com 15 

SUNSET PIER 

Ocean Key Resort & Spa, 

Zero Duval St., 296-7701 

n Thursday 

1pm Rolando Rojas; 

5pm Robert Albury 

n Friday 5pm Robert Albury 

n Saturday 5pm Robert Albury 

n Monday 1pm Rolando Rojas; 

5pm Robert Albury 

n Tuesday 1pm George Victory 

5pm Rolando Rojas 

n Wednesday 

1pm George Victory 

5pm Rolando Rojas 

SALUTE! at Higgs Beach 

Thursday, December 15 

n Sunset Music series (4:30- 

6:30pm) every Thursday with 

Bobby Nesbitt singing and 

drummer Skipper Kripitz in the 

indoor dining room. Sunset 

music on Fridays, outdoor patio. 

VIRGILIO’S 

524 Duval Street in back of La 

Trat restuarant, (305) 296-1075 

n 

League of Crafty Musicians 

Pat’n’Deb Quartet 

9pm Tuesday 

Festive dance music. Pat 

Lawler on keyboards and guitar 

along with singer Debra Dean, 

Bubba Lownotes on bass and 

Skippo on drums. 

The Green Parrot 

Watermelon Slim 

5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. December 18

funtimes/ 

PIER HOUSE RESORT 

The Wine Gallery Piano Bar 

One Duval, 296-4600 

n 

7 pm Friday through Monday 

LARRY SMITH jazz, pop, 

originals. Guest instrumentalists 

and guest singers at 9 pm. 

n Holiday Sunday Showcase, 

December 18 

Christine Cordone, Kathleen 

Peace, Adrienne and local children 

Amethyst Peterson, Brittany 

Mira, Erica Criss, 

Erika Dam, and 

Caleigh Lutz performings 

songs of 

the holidays. A 

highlight of the 

night will be a 

Pier House 

Kathleen 

Peace 

Pier House 

Adrienne 

performance by 

Marathon singer/ 

songwriter Adrienne 

of her original 

composition, 

“Feels Like 

Christmas” 

with local 

children 

Amethyst 

Peterson, 

Brittany 

Mira, Erica 

Criss, Erika 

Dam and 

Caleigh Lutz 

contributing vocal support. NEXT 

WEEK, Christmas Day: Guest 

singers Christine Cordone, Kathleen 

Peace and guest singers and 

holiday songs for Christmas 

n 9pm Monday Jazz Jams 

Featuring drummer Skipper 

Kripitz, bassist Tim McAlpine. 

n Pier House Beach Bar 

2-5pm Saturdays LA WOOD 

jamming islandy conch rock. 

GREEN PARROT BAR 

601 White St., 294-6133 

n Wayne Hammond 

10pm Thursday, December 15 

Festivus for a night of funk, rock 

and reggae. Gather round The 

Festivus Pole with Wayne Hammond, 

Jeff Clark, Eric Holt and 

Randy Morrow. Thursday's 

show is part of Parrot's Annual 

Christmas Party. 

n Bobby Lee Rodgers 

December 16-17 

Songwriter, vocalist and 

guitarist, Bobby Lee Rodgers 


Schooner Wharf Bar 

Cool Breeze 

December 16-17 

7pm-Midnight 

was jazz, rock’n;roll band The 

Codetalkers mainstay. Unique 

sound comes from rotating 

Leslie cabinet. 

n Watermelon Slim 

December 18 

Award-winning blues artist Bill 

“Watermelon Slim” Homans 

brings hard-driving blend of 

slide guitar, harmonica and 

gravel-and-chains vocals. 

SCHOONER WHARF 

202 Williams St., 292-3302 

www.schoonerwharf.com 

n Cool Breeze 

December 16-17, 7pm 

Motown, rock, Detroit funk, island 

music.One of the premier 

entertainment bands in the 

Southeastern U.S. 

n The Real Malloys 

December 19, 7-11pm 

n Thursday, December 15 

Noon-5pm Michael McCloud 

n Friday, December 16 


7pm-Midnight Cool Breeze 

n Saturday, December 17 


7pm-Midnight Cool Breeze 

n Sunday, December 18 


6:30-11pm Latin Calypso Party: 

Marty Stonely and George Victory 

n Monday, December 19 

Noon-5pm Raven Cooper 

7-11pm The Real Malloys 

n Tuesday, December 20 


7-11pm Raven Cooper 

n Wednesday, December 21 


7-11pm Gary Hempsey and 

Will Hoppey 

l Magic of Frank Everhart 

9pm-1am 7 days a week


A KEY WEST BOAT PARADE 

www.konklife.com 17

BOATS PARADE THE KEYS 


18 www.konklife.com

keysliving/ 

PAT CROCE 

| Continued from page 11 

canon and anchors and anything of 

value, but they burnt them to the 

waterline. You can see these two vessels 

at 90 degree angles from each 

other in about 10 feet of water. 

ere is no 100 percent guarantee 

they are Drake’s vessels, but based 

on the size and positioning as well as 

research and identification of the 

square nail holes and stuff remaining, 

there is a high probability these 

are two of Sir Frances Drake’s fleet. 

GD e most interesting part is that 

it’s known he was buried in a lead 

coffin. Are you continuing the search 

to find 

the remains of Sir Francis Drake? 

PC My ultimate goal was to find 

this lead coffin, because through research 

we know it was a 6x2x2 

wooden casket encased in lead sheeting 

and he wore his battle armor. We 

have not found it, but my dream 

would be to find the casket and 

make some sort of bond between the 

British Empire and the Panamanian 

government so they allow this coffin 

of the greatest naval war hero to be 


brought back to his hometown. at 

would be perfect! 

GD What strikes me the most about 

Sir Francis Drake is the two sides of 

him, because under the British side 

he is not a pirate but a man protecting 

the British realm; to others he 

was ruthless. 

PC He went where no Englishman 

ever went before. He circumnavigated 

the world in 1577-1580, went 

through the Magellan straits westward, 

then came up into what was 

called the Spanish Lake — Pacific 

Ocean. No English vessel had ever 

journeyed there, and he plundered at 

will. He was a privateer, but before 

all of that he was pure pirate. He 

had no license from the government 

of the English crown and wasn’t 

born of high society. He had a wink 

and a nod from Queen Elizabeth, 

but she would always tell Phillip II 

that she didn’t know where he was 

and he wasn’t doing anything on 

their behalf. England loved him. 

at’s one of the things I love best 

about pirates.ey are just like us. 

e

THE GREAT DEBATE 

Great Debates? 

On the lookout 

for opinion-makers 

Jobs and the economy: 

Who’s right and who’s wrong? 

Is our lingering recession caused 

by a communist president or 

corporate lackeys in the 

Republican party? Or is there 

a different cause entirely — 

one that is beyond the politics 

of left and right? 

KONK-AM and KONK 

Life have offered me the 

chance to attack and, I predict, 

solve the great issues of the 

coming election on the air and in 

print if only I can find people in our 

community with the passion and 

confidence to debate with me on the 

air. Politically, I am a “radical centrist” 

tending to defend stimulus 

spending and policies on the left, 

nationally, while leaning to the right 

on local issues. So my primary opponents 

would be rock-solid Republicans 

and Tea Party or Libertarian 

supporters. However, I would also 

like to talk with Progressives who 

criticize our government from the 

other extreme, when I would take 

the relatively conservative position 

of defending our policies. 

A talk show like this, one-on-one 

for a whole hour, basically does not 

exist. Shields and Brooks are a 

Democrat and Republican who 

spend about 10 minutes a week 

jousting on PBS, and that’s the closest. 

But station manager Guy de- 

Boer has faith that the Keys’ 

community can come up with 

enough brave and strongly opinionated 

people to take me on week 

after week. We can create 

something that has not been done 

before — a strong and continuing 

dialogue between people with opposing 

views, listening to and responding 

to each other on the 

pressing issues of our day. 

So I’m talking to the public 

voices on the right in particular, like 


David Carter and Sal Gutierrez. 

Will any of you care to publicly 

confront my positions? which 

basically are the following: 

1. e stimulus worked. 

Government spending 

creates real jobs. 

2. Tax breaks for millionaires 

does NOT create jobs. 

3. e deficit does NOT cause 

recessions. FIGHTING the deficit 

by cutting spending is what causes 

recessions and general economic 

decline. 

4. e American and Western 

economies are fundamentally sound. 

All that is wrong is a shortage of 

spending cash, which we can fix 

by simply printing and spending 

more of it. 

5. We are not on the edge 

of impending collapse. Rather, the 

West can begin an era of unequaled 

prosperity, with ample healthcare 

and housing for ourselves and our 

children, if only we conquer our 

main problem, which is simply 

the current craze for the politics 

of austerity. 

Please email Guy deBoer at 

guydeboer@konknet.com or me 

at rd.boettger@gmail.com if either 

you are passionate and confident 

enough in your beliefs to argue in 

public, or, if you’d like to nominate 

someone you know for me to 

contact. I’ve been a talk show host 

before, so I would be able to handle 

the technical aspects. All you have to 

do is show up at the station or stay 

on the phone for an hour on 

Wednesdays10 a.m. to 11 a.m. 

e gauntlet is thrown! 

Any takers? 

e 

Rick Boettger 

THE GREAT DEBATE 

rd.boettger@gmail.com

WINING THE KEYS 

‘W I N E A B I T, Y O U ‘ L L F E E L B E T T E R’ 

Bubble, bubble,toil & trouble 

Must be the holidays! 

Now that the holiday season 

is upon us, it seems as 

though every party has 

corks-a-popping all over the place. 

Champagne and sparkling wine sales 

go through the roof, and on New 

Year’s Eve we consume more of it 

than on Valentine’s Day. I hear you 

ask what fun facts can I use to amuse 

my friends at holiday parties. 

Volumes have been written about 

champagnes and sparkling wines, so 

let’s cover some of the more salient 

points: Champagne comes only from 

the Champagne district of France. 

Anything else is sparkling wine, and 

several countries have their own 

names for it — Italy, it’s Asti; Germany, 

Sekt; Spain, Cava; France, 

outside of Champagne, it’s called 

Crémant. In the states, we call it 

sparkling wines. Only here will you 

find sparkling wines that say Champagne 

on the label not made in 

Champagne. In 1992, the U.S. 

signed a European Union agreement 

banning use of the term outside of 

the Champagne region, but our law 

grandfathers in people already using 

the term. So that $4 bottle of Andre 

Brut Champagne doesn’t come from 

France, but Gallo refuses to quit labeling 

it Champagne. 

So why the bubbles? 

is is due to sugar and 

yeast added to the bottle 

after fermentation and 

bottling. e by-product 

of the yeast eating sugar 

is alcohol. What you may 

not know is that the yeast 

really do fart.e other 

byproduct of fermentation 

is carbon dioxide. 

is isn’t an issue for a still 

wine, because fermentation occurs in 

vats open to the air. e carbon 

dioxide just dissipates. But when the 

wine goes through a second fermentation 

in a corked bottle, the carbon 

dioxide builds up inside the bottle 

and creates the bubbles. 

Most wine geeks say Dom 

Perignon invented Champagne, but 

Steve 

Calderwood 

WINING THE KEYS 


it was actually Brit Sir George 

Etheredge who first made Champagne. 

e bubbles in Dom 

Perignon’s wine were viewed as a 

major flaw in the wine of Champagne. 

Nobody wanted fizzy wine. 

As it turns out, the climate in 

champagne is one of the world’s 

coldest wine growing regions and, 

though wine makers didn’t know it, 

cold weather would make the yeast 

hibernate and stop the fermentation, 

then they would bottle the wine. In 

the spring, when the weather would 

warm up again, fermentation would 

start all over again in the corked bottle 

and the bubbles couldn’t escape. 

One of Dom Perignon’s goals was to 

get the bubbles to stop forming. Not 

only was the wine fizzy, but added 

pressure caused by the carbon dioxide 

kept bottles exploding. 

is method of making champagne 

is Méthode Champenoise or 

the traditional method and produces 

the best sparkling wines. ere is another 

method, the Charmat bulk 

method. In this process, instead of 

the second fermentation to occur in 

the bottle, it occurs in sealed vats 

and then piped into bottles. Check 

the bottle’s label for which method 

was used. If it says Charmat, the 

message is BEWARE! is process 

makes wine with large bubbles 

which can mean large headaches the 

next morning. One thing 

about sparklers is the 

smaller the bubbles, the 

better the wine. 

One final point is most 

champagne is made from 

red grapes. e most predominant 

grape in cham- 

pagne and sparklers is 

pinot noir, a red grape, 

followed by chardonnay 

and then pinot meunier, 

another red grape. e 

juice is not in contact with the skins 

after pressing, so you end up with a 

white wine; unless it’s a Rosé 

sparkler, where the juice and skins 

co-mingle for a while; or a Blanc de 

Blanc, 100 percent chardonnay. 

at’s it for this week, so until next 

time — wine a bit, you’ll feel better. 

e 

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THE NAKED CONCH 

‘Kick the Can’ remains a 

popular schoolyard game. 

Too bad it’s adults playing. 

Ahhh yes, who can forget the 

glorious days of childhood 

playing Kick the Can in the 

schoolyard with friends. More importantly 

in this age of technology, 

video games and diverse challenges 

facing our youth, it is refreshing to 

see the age old childhood pastime is 

still being played in Monroe County 

schools. e only problem is this 

version of “kick the can” is being 

played by adults. e very same 

adults we trust to operate the school 

system. e “can” they are kicking is 

the almost guaranteed financial Armageddon 

sure to eclipse our school 

system one way or another. Instead 

of meeting the most certain challenges 

and financials constraints 

head on, leadership presents us with 

another “solution du jour” which 

will solve our problems all the way 

up until next week. Maybe. 

Last year we were told by the administration 

that it had “cut to the 

bone,” but now faced with the continued 

decrease in revenue, we are 

told the admin is going to make 

some cuts. Next year, more than 

likely, we will be told it is going to 

get serious and really address the expenditure 

issues. And on and on. 

Projections are not changing anytime 

soon for some miraculous recovery 

that will generate an increase 

in revenue to allow our school system 

to dig out of the 

hole we have fallen into. 

On recent shows of the 

Naked Conch Hour on 

the KONK Broadcasting 

Network, neither School 

Board Chair John Dick 

nor Vice Chair Andy 

Griffiths suggested they 

differ with that analysis. 

Still both men are advocating 

for passage of a referendum 

in January that will 

continue the allocation of tax revenue 

meant for the capital budget 

into the general fund so the School 

district won’t risk having its reserve 

fund fall below levels that would initiate 

state intervention in the management 

of the district. 

If the measure passes, the schools 


will only face a $5 million shortfall; 

if it fails, the district will be staring 

down a potentially $14 million 

shortfall. is reallocation began 

eight years ago and was supported 

again four years ago. Either way, the 

shortfall is ugly, and there is no reason 

to expect the trend to change. 

My question is when do we have 

the great reset? When do we make 

cuts and accept changes so draconian 

we put ourselves on a financial 

footing stable enough to dig out of 

the hole? Instead of selling the public 

on the latest solution to the latest 

crisis, when will the effort turn to 

being honest with the public about 

the reality of finances and adjust accordingly? 

e point is, regardless of 

the referendum’s passage, we still 

must adjust. We must address the 

decades, if not generations, old expectation 

of what government can 

provide and sell the public that bill 

of goods instead of the latest way we 

can kick the can down the road. 

In doing so, the public has to adjust 

to the facts we may not have the 

best kept sports fields, or be able to 

pay teachers what we have been up 

to now, or be able to pay administration 

what we have been paying 

them. We must experience the most 

severe sacrifices now, ensuring we 

have a reasonable discussion about 

where cuts are made versus having 

those cuts forced upon us in a crisis. 

is has to be done at all levels of 

government, but the schools need to 

take on this painful campaign more 

than any other agency. 

Ideas such as capping pay 

at $80K for administrators, 

eliminating pay and 

benefits for the school 

board and reducing administrative 

staff by 50 

percent should not be 

Matt Gardi snickered at. Some might 

THE NAKED CONCH argue those ideas are 

www.nakedconch.com drops in the bucket. I 

agree. I call it penance 

and sharing in the sacrifice. 

For those who argue we need the 

best and brightest to lead the district, 

defined by their salary, I argue 

it is exactly those individuals who 

have led us into this crisis. Maybe 

it’s time to try those eager to prove 

they can lead, inspired by the challenge 

to save a sinking ship. e

NOW WE’RE COOKING! 

LIFE IS A BOWL OF PASTA 

Everyone loves pasta because 

it’s a fun, easy and satisfying 

meal. Let’s get to know our 

Italian dish and even make a classic 

one at home that will give you some 

energy and help prevent a cold. Ever 

since President omas Jefferson 

brought macaroni to the USA from 

Naples, Italy, it has been a hit at the 

dinner table. Being of Sicilian descent, 

I can state the following: the 

Chinese made it first, the Germans 

had their versions, and then the Italians 

made it famous! Let’s look at 

some pasta facts and two types. 

Pasta is made from Durham 

wheat. We get whole grain pasta by 

leaving the husk, germ and bran on 

the kernel to make the pasta. Regular 

pasta is made with semolina 

flour, which removes the husk, germ 

and bran, then it gets refined and 

fortified which means they put back 

the vitamins it lost. ey both eat 

well. Whole grain has a heartier 

taste; refined is a smoother taste. 

Pasta is a carb. It will 

produce energy, so include 

a walk after this 

meal and watch sunset. 

Just so you know, any 

pasta with more than 6 

percent egg is a noodle. 

Let’s make a classic 

pasta dish: garlic and oil. 

No tomatoes. Italians 

did not cook with tomatoes 

until early 1700s 

when a Spanish explorer 

brought them back from Mexico. 

Boil the water, add oil and salt to 

make it boil faster. Salt raises the 

temperature making it hotter. e 

Paul Menta 

EXTREME CHEF 

Now We’re Cooking 

nwcooking.com 


oil will help to keep pasta from 

sticking. Whole grain takes about 

12 minutes to cook after a boil; regular 

pasta, 6 minutes. 

Tip 1 Cook pasta first and shock it 

with cold water when you take it 

out of the pot to stop the cooking 

process. 

Need fresh garlic, sea salt, pepper 

and olive oil. Extra virgin is great, 

stay away from “pomace” olive oil as 

it’s the final press of the olives and 

can be bitter. Separate some garlic 

cloves for cooking. Crush to remove 

the skin. 

Tip 2 e smaller you cut garlic the 

stronger the flavor of the garlic. It is 

a chemical reaction that occurs only 

when cutting. If you want to eat 

this dish, cut big pieces. 

is dish is cooked in steps: 

Line everything up and heat a wide 

pan with about a half-inch olive oil 

in it. Add small piece of garlic. 

When you see it sizzle, add rest of 

garlic. Key to knowing when it’s almost 

ready is a sweet 

smell. 

Add pasta to cooking 

oil and garlic, sprinkle sea 

salt and pepper and take 

it off the heat. Mix well 

and you are ready to 

serve. Add a little parm 

cheese on top, and you 

have an awesome, quick 

and healthy meal. 

is stores well in 

refrigerator and is even 

better the next day, so make extra! 

Please eat with fork and spoon! 

Eat local and Eat with a friend 

e

December 15 - KONK Network

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