20 Years ago

The organizers of a freedom flotilla to Cuba expected at least 100 boats to leave from Key West to go to the edge of Cuban waters and conduct a ceremony.
 
A team from the United Arab Emirates of Dubai won three of four classes in the Run for the Gold offshore powerboat race.
 
The residents of Houseboat Row had hired a lawyer and formed a nonprofit corporation to fight the city's effort to evict them


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Hurricane Georges came through in 98, and the crappy, unstable boats out on the hook, tore loose and smashed up the nicer Houseboats. That was pretty much the death knell of Houseboat Row. They forced the remaining floating homes into Garrison Bight where they have to pay rent. Now there are some really shoddily built condos out there.
 
For the second time in a month, Key West police arrested an unemployed physician for drunk driving. The man was standing by his car on Truman Avenue while urinating into it when police spotted him.
 
20 YEARS AGO

A federal judge issued an injunction to stop treasure hunter Mel Fisher from blowing holes in the sea bottom in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

The weekend lobster season in federal waters resulted in 89 arrests and 195 warnings for people fishing in state waters.
 
Key West police found a slit cow's tongue with the names of detectives and judges on a card wrapped around flowers with a gold ribbon and left near the courthouse.

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary board asked for limited treasure-salvaging in the sanctuary.
 
100 YEARS AGO

The city and county held a special meeting because of the bubonic plague. The city commission and county commission agreed to jointly defray the expenses of a crusade to rid the city of rats. It was decided to offer 5 cents for rats and 1 cent for mice, dead or alive.

100 YEARS AGO

The rat cleanup ordered by the city had resulted in 131 rats and 32 mice being turned over to the city, which paid a bounty of $6.87.
 
20 YEARS AGO

A father and son were arrested after they tried to steal the massive American flag flying over the bike shop on Truman Avenue.

Police found another slit cow's tongue with a gold ribbon near the Sheriff's Office. The police believed the tongues were Santeria offerings meant to magically influence certain people.

The City Electric System power plant on Stock Island was out of service for a week, causing power shortages.
 
20 YEARS AGO

The Key West city attorney told the City Commission that it could not evict Houseboat Row unless the Department of Natural Resources asked for its removal.
 
20 YEARS AGO

A professional dolphin hunter was hired to capture three dolphins that had escaped from the Ocean Reef Club on Key Largo :huh:
 
City Electric System was warning boaters that the smoke stacks at the old steam plant in Key West were coming down, and with them the lights on top used as navigation aids.

(That used to be an insult if someone said you were "A Smokestack Captain"..meaning you would never go out far enough to lose sight of the stacks)
 
Key West police were investigating a report of a male stalker who was following women on Smathers Beach and videotaping them while they were exercising.

( witnesses said he had on a shirt that said " I Heart Canadian Sausage"...then he tried to swim to Cuba)
 
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