KWTN: The Blue Paper

Trolley Competitor Hopeful that a Franchise Deal is Close

WYTHE: “IT WILL PROBABLY BOIL DOWN TO THE FINANCIALS. HTA HAS BEEN PAYING FOR RIGHTS TO A MONOPOLY FOR YEARS. BUT THERE IS NOT A MONOPOLY HERE ANY MORE”

by Dennis Reeves Cooper

After months of apparent stonewalling, it appears that the Key West City Commission is moving toward a deal that will allow CityView Trolley Tours of Key West to begin competing with Historic Tours of America (HTA) here— possibly before the end of the year.

CityView Trolley Tours of Key West is affiliated with Boston-based CityView Trolley Tours. CityView and HTA already compete in the Boston area.

“We are very close to having a franchise deal with the city,” Greg Wythe told Key West The Newspaper this week. Wythe is vice president of CityView’s Key West operation.

“We have been meeting with City Attorney Shawn Smith to work out the details,” Wythe said, “and we plan to be an active participant in the City Commission workshop scheduled for November 5.

“A final deal will probably boil down to the financials,” he said. “We expect to pay the city the same percentage of gross that HTA pays. But keep in mind that what HTA has been paying has included monopoly sightseeing rights for years. But the courts have riled that there can no longer be a monopoly here.”

Former Employee Suing Conch Color For $24,000

Sonja Jones, who was the director of marketing and sales for Conch Color magazine from August 2006 until April 2008, has filed a lawsuit against the magazine and publisher Tom Oosterhoudt, demanding payment of more than $21,000 in unpaid wages, plus attorney’s fees.

Her complaint also alleges that Oosterhoudt has failed to pay back a personal loan of $3000 she gave him in June 2007 to help him pay his printer.

Jones’ attorney is Patrice Dilorenzo. In a demand letter she sent to Oosterhoudt last April before filing the lawsuit, Dilorenzo detailed the money allegedly owed to Jones, but she also alleged that Jones had been subjected to a “hostile environment” at Conch Color because of her gender and age.

The judge in the case is David Audlin. According to court records, Oosterhoudt has two attorneys— Michael Halpern and Jerry Coleman.

At press time Thursday, Oosterhoudt had not responded to an email from Key West The Newspaper asking for comment.

The City Commission Did What? They Changed the Date of Halloween?

IN THE PHOTO on page 1, the cute kids are Joanna Schoneck, Jaimie Fisher, Daniel Schoneck, and Samantha Fisher, in costume for Halloween, 2008.

Hey, never mind that October 31 has been observed as Halloween since 731A.D. (according to a quick Google search), an apparently powermad City Commission passed a resolution last month changing the date of Halloween in Key West to Monday, November 2. The rationale for the change is that the Fantasy Fest parade, the city’s largest adult street party, is actually scheduled this year on October 31. So, according to the official city press release, parents are being encouraged to keep the kids inside that night. In other words, hide the children.

But as long as a press release was going out anyway, the Key West Police Department took the opportunity to recommend some additional common sense safety tips:

• Though it’s highly unlikely that anyone in our small community would tamper with trick-or-treat goodies, it’s still a good idea to err on the side of caution. Children should be instructed not to eat any treats until they’re back at home and mom or dad has inspected them. Parents should make sure that candy wrappers are sealed. Fruit or homemade items should be thoroughly examined. If there is any doubt, throw it out.

College’s EMT Program Re-Accredited

The Florida Department of Health approved re-accreditation of Florida Keys Community College’s Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) program through September 2011. The EMT program, part of FKCC’s Department of Allied Health and Nursing, goes through the re-accreditation process every two years. The department staff spent the summer compiling information and documentations surveying every detail of the program’s curriculum, instructor qualifications, student requirements and test scores, and affiliated hospitals.

FKCC’s Emergency Medical Technician program, headed by Coordinator Sheldon Goodman, is designed for persons involved in emergency care of the sick and injured. Upon completion of the 11 credit-hour curriculum, students will be eligible to take the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) for certification. Graduates find employment in agencies such as city/county EMS systems, private ambulance services, hospitals, clinics, physician/doctor offices, laboratories, fire departments, and air ambulance services.

Monique’s Purchases

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK. ARREST WARRANT ALLEGES THAT MONIQUE ACEVEDO CHARGED SEXY COSTUMES TO HER SCHOOL DISTRICT CREDIT CARD, SAYING THAT THEY WERE FOR “CHILDREN’S PLAY GROUP”

THE RIDEME-COWBOY OUTFIT (left) as pictured on the Amazon.com website. Here are two additional fantasy costumes available from Amazon.com— the “Sexy Delivery Girl” outfit (right) and the “Sexy Aviator” outfit (below).

The most recent arrest affidavit, prepared by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, alleged that Monique Acevedo, the wife of Randy Acevedo, former superintendent of schools, ordered costumes similar to these from Amazon. com, paying for them with her school district credit card.

Stonewalling on Trolley Competition Could Cost City Millions— Again

AFTER FOUR MONTHS, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS STILL CAN’T FIGURE OUT HOW TO ISSUE NEW TROLLEY COMPANY LICENSE TO OPERATE

IS ANOTHER DUCKS LAWSUIT IN THE CITY’S FUTURE?

by Dennis Reeves Cooper

Another lawsuit similar to the Ducks lawsuit that cost the city $8 million in damages may be just days away from being filed.

“Frankly, we don’t know what else we can do,” Greg Wythe said Wednesday. Wythe is vice president of CityView Trolley Tours of Key West. He plans to launch a sightseeing operation here in November in competition with Historic Tours of America (HTA).

“But, so far, city officials have refused to give us a license to operate,” Wythe said.

“Back in May, we sent letters to the mayor and city commissioners advising them of our plans,” he said. “Then, in July, we applied for a business license. But licensing official Carolyn Walker denied our request, telling us that there is a cap on sightseeing licenses— and HTA has them all.”

SAO Investigator’s Ticket-Writing Days May Be Over

KEMPEL ASKS MAGISTRATE TO DISMISS TRAFFIC TICKET HE WROTE AFTER CHASING DOWN AND HANDCUFFING DRIVER—

AND AFTER LEARNING THAT HE DOES NOT HAVE AUTHORITY TO WRITE TRAFFIC TICKETS

KWTN Team Report

This is a followup on the story we published last August about Andrew Kempel, a 35-year-old investigator in the State Attorney’s Office (SAO), who chased down Everette Wilson, 45, handcuffed him, called the Key West Police Department (KWPD) for backup— then borrowed a citation book from one of the cops and wrote Wilson a ticket for driving the wrong way down a one-way street in Bahama Village.

Wilson protested the ticket and a hearing was scheduled before Special Magistrate Joseph Albury. And Kempel— in a letter written on SAO stationary— told Magistrate Albury that he “would be more than happy” to make an appearance in court to defend the ticket he wrote.

At that time, Kempel apparently assumed what most law enforcement officers assume— that any law enforcement officer in the state of Florida has the authority to enforce state traffic laws.

Report on Bicyclist Fatality Finally Released

FIVE-MONTH INVESTIGATION CONCLUDES THAT 75-YEAR-OLD MAN RAN A STOP SIGN ON HIS BICYCLE AND WAS HIT BY SPEEDING CAR ON FLAGLER.

DRIVER OF CAR WILL BE CITED BUT STATE ATTORNEY SAYS NO CRIMINAL CHARGES ARE WARRANTED

KWTN Team Report

On the afternoon of last April 27, 75-year-old Richard Lionel Clements ran a stop sign on his bicycle and was killed when he was struck by a car being driven by a 32-year-old Big Coppitt woman.

After a five-month-long investigation, the Key West Police Department released the investigative report this week.

Clements was traveling south on 11th Street and, according to a witness, he attempted to cross Flagler Avenue “without stopping or looking.”

Clements’ son, Jonathan Clements, said that his father may have died because the stop sign on 11th Street may have been hard to see and because the driver of the car may have been speeding.

Former County Attorney May Be Sentenced to Prison Today

IN 2004, JACK LONDON AND JIM HENDRICK WERE AMONG THE MOST INFLUENTIAL MEN IN THE FLORIDA KEYS. BUT BEHIND THE SCENES, LONDON WAS A BRIBETAKER AND HENDRICK WAS THE FIXER

by Dennis Reeves Cooper

Back in February 2007, a federal jury convicted former Monroe County Attorney Jim Hendrick of conspiring to obstruct a federal grand jury and witness tampering. He was sentenced to five years probation and 2500 hours of community service. In addition, he was fined $50,000.

Hendrick appealed his conviction and government lawyers cross-appealed the sentence. Hendrick’s appeal failed, but the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the sentence was too lenient and ordered that Hendrick be re-sentenced.

That re-sentencing is scheduled for 10:30 this morning, Friday, September 11, in federal court in Ft. Lauderdale. That sentence could include some prison time.

The charges against Hendrick stem from a May 2004 indictment of former Monroe County Mayor John “Jack” London on charges of tax fraud and making false statements to the FBI. Hendrick was also indicted in May 2005 on charges of conspiring to obstruct and tamper with witness involved in the grand jury investigation of London.

FOLLOWUP REPORT Police Officer Will Not Prosecute Man Who Stole His Gun, Badge, Wallet— As Well As His Pickup Truck

THIEF CAUGHT SPEEDING NEAR PORT ST. LUCIE AND JAILED IN LIEU OF $115,000 BAIL. OFFICER SAYS HE IS LEAVING KEY WEST AND DOES NOT WANT TO RETURN FOR DEPOSITIONS AND TRIAL

by Dennis Reeves Cooper

Lt. Alan Newby, the Key West police officer whose pickup truck was stolen here two weeks ago— along with his gun, badge, police identification card and wallet— says he will not prosecute the thief.

According to Detective Michael Malgrat’s investigation report, Newby said he knows the perpetrator. Newby also told Malgrat that he has recovered his truck and other property, and that the truck was not damaged.

He also said that he is retiring and leaving Key West and he does not want to be required to return for depositions and trial proceedings.

Newby reported his 2006 Ford pickup stolen on Saturday August 22, while it was parked near the police equestrian facility on Truman Annex. According to the initial police report, Newby had left the vehicle unlocked with the keys in it.

ANOTHER I’M A COP AND YOU’RE NOT STORY

State Attorney’s Investigator Makes Traffic Stop; Slaps Handcuffs on Driver

DRIVER’S INFRACTION? HE WAS GOING THE WRONG WAY ON A ONE-WAY STREET

POLICE REPORT: ASKED WHY INVESTIGATOR HANDCUFFED DRIVER, HE SAID “BECAUSE I WANTED TO”

by Dennis Reeves Cooper

On July 28, Everette Wilson, 45, drove the wrong way down a one-way street in Bahama Village. That’s against the law. But he wasn’t ready for what came next. He later told Key West police officers that, after he parked his car near the apartment that he shares with his wife and two grandchildren, a man wearing a gun approached his car, opened the door on the drivers side and, with his hand on his gun, demanded that Wilson get out of the car.

Wilson said that, as soon as he stepped out of the car, the man handcuffed him. He said that when he protested, the man told him to shut his mouth. It turned out that the man with the gun was Andrew Kempel, an investigator with the State Attorney’s Office (SAO) Wilson told Key West The Newspaper that Kempel, who was dressed in civilian clothes, never identified himself as a law enforcement officer or told him why he was being handcuffed.

CAMPAIGN 2009: Meet-the-Candidates Forum Set for Next Friday

McPHERSON VS CATES RACE MAY GET MORE INTERESTING IF FORMER CITY COMMISSIONER JIMMY MIRA THROWS HIS HAT INTO RING

WEEKLEY WANTS DISTRICT 1 SEAT BACK. COMMISSIONER VERGE STILL UNDECIDED ABOUT RUNNING FOR REELECTION

BILLY WARDLOW MAY BE ABLE TO JUST WALK AWAY WITH DISTRICT 3 WIN

MARQUARDT CHALLENGING LOPEZ IN DISTRICT 6

KWTN Team Report

The Hometown! Political Action Committee has scheduled a meet-the-candidates forum a week from today, Friday, August 21, at the Key West Botanical Gardens on Stock Island.

The date is timely because noon on that day is the deadline for candidates to qualify to run for Key West mayor, city commission seats for District 1, 3 and 6, and two seats on the Key West Utility Board.

As that deadline approaches, 19 people have picked up candidate paperwork at the city clerk’s office, but only 12 have officially declared their candidacy by setting up a campaign bank account and naming a campaign treasurer. This allows them to solicit campaign contributions and spend money on campaign literature, signs, advertising and other expenses.

Both Mutts and Purebreds at the Animal Shelter

ANIMAL SHELTER OFFICIALS SEEKING CONTIBUTIONS FOR SPECIAL FUND TO HELP PAY FOR CARE FOR ANIMALS THAT ARE BROUGHT IN SICK OR WOUNDED

It’s one of those preconceived ideas that never seems to go away: That the dogs you’ll find at animal shelters are all mutts. (The Florida Keys SPCA prefers to call them one-of-akind designer dogs.)

The fact is that, according to The Humane Society of the U.S., as many as 25 percent of dogs in shelters are purebred. The FKSPCA, for instance, has recently had four Pomeranians, an English Bulldog, two American Eskimos, two Pekinese, a Jack Russell terrier, a Miniature Pinscher, several Chihuahuas and two Silky Terriers in residence at the Stock Island shelter.

The two Silkies were just 12-weeks-old when they were seized by the FKSPCA during an investigation of a local puppy mill distributor. As is often the case with dogs bred in puppy mills, Ralph and Tigger were very sick and under the care of All Animal Clinic for several weeks where they were treated for pneumonia and coccidia, an intestinal parasite.

KWPD Gets More Than $1 Million in Grants

MONEY WILL BE SPENT T0 HIRE MORE OFFICERS AND TO UPGRADE COMPUTERS

With over $1 million in federal grant funding, the Key West Police Department is focusing on improving the city’s safety and quality of life.

The largest chunk of that funding will go toward hiring four new police officers.

Key West will receive nearly $813,000 over a 3-year period as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Under the provisions of the grant, the officers’ salaries and benefits are fully paid with federal funding for three years. The city must agree to fund the four officers for a fourth year.

Owner of Security Firm Hired by Post Office Here Has Heavy Baggage

PHOENIX SECURITY OWNER ARRESTED LAST JANUARY FOR TAX EVASION. FIRED FROM KWPD AFTER MONEY WENT MISSING.

HE IS ALSO BEING SUED BY FORMER EMPLOYEES FOR UNPAID WAGES

POSTAL OFFICIALS: “PROPER PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES FOLLOWED”

KWTN Team Report

Phoenix Security Services, a local company hired to provide security services for Key West’s main post office, is owned by a man who was arrested last January and charged with 127 counts of state tax evasion— including two felony charges. According to the arrest affidavit, David Allen Disgdiertt was also charged with failing to file unemployment compensation reports as well as proper tax documentation to operate as a business. The charges were associated with a now-defunct company, Majestic Security & Investigation.

Two months ago, on June 11, Circuit Judge David Audlin signed a deferred prosecution order that requires Disgdiertt and another defendant in the case to make monthly payments to repay the State of Florida more than $43,000 within 12 months.

Disgdiertt is also being sued by several former employees of Majestic Security for thousands of dollars in unpaid wages.

Disgdiertt, a former Key West Police Department detective, was fired from the department in 1988 following an internal investigation into the disappearance of money confiscated as part of a criminal investigation. According to documents in his personnel file, he was fired for “wanton and willful neglect in the performance of assigned duties, immoral, unlawful, or improper conduct or indecency either on or off the job.”

Update on Pig Story: Adisano Found Guilty

SUNSHINE— Now living at sheriff’s animal farm

by Kimberley Denney

This past Wednesday, July 27, Robert Adisano was found guilty by Judge Peary Fowler on all six counts of the county Animal Control Division citation filed against him March 20, stemming from the lack of care of his pet pig. The charges included confining an animal without food or water, cruelty to animals, and the keeping of wild animals or livestock.

When jailed in March for allegedly dragging a pig down Duval Street, Adisano mentioned that he had another pig at his home. He refused to provide the location of the pig, now named Sunshine, to SPCA Officer Chuck Best.

Verbal Confrontation at Meeting after the Meeting

PHOTO: THE MEETING AFTER THE MEETING on June 30. The participants were, far left, school board attorney Richard Collins; school board member John Dick, back to camera; school board member Steven Pribramsky, far right; and across the table, Latour Lafferty, the school board’s special counsel, and Richard Fetcher, the board’s forensic investigator.

by Dennis Reeves Cooper

Supporters of suspended Superintendent of Schools Randy Acevedo are becoming increasingly more vocal and they are letting school board members and their staff know what they think in no uncertain terms.

For example, when a group of Acevedo supporters, including local accountant Freddy Varela, spotted school board members Steven Pribramsky and John Dick meeting at the BottleCap Lounge with school board attorney Richard Collins after the school board meeting on June 30, Varela reportedly approached the table and accused Pribramsky and Dick of violating the state Government-in-the-Sunshine law.

The Sunshine law prohibits two or more members of any public board from meeting privately to discuss any issue that may come before the board for a vote in the future.

According to an eye witness, Collins told Varela, “No, we’re in the shade.”

State Attorney Looking at Possible Sunshine Violation by School Board Members

KWTN Team Report

It is a violation of Florida’s Government in the Sunshine Law for two or more members of an elected board to meet privately and discuss matters that may come before the board in the future. In the photo, right, two members of the Monroe County School Board— Steven Pribramsky, far right, and John Dick, back to camera— are seen relaxing at the BottleCap Lounge following a School Board meeting on June 30.

Others in the photo are School board Attorney Richard Collins, far left, Attorney Latour Lafferty, the School Board’s special counsel, and Richard Fetcher, the School Board’s forensic investigator.

Both Pribramski and Dick told Key West The Newspaper that the short get-together was social in nature and that nothing was discuss that would constitute a violation of the law. Pribramsky said that he went to the BottleCap after being invited by Attorney Collins. “When I arrived, only Collins and Dick were there,” he said Wednesday. “We were joined in about five minutes by Fetcher and Lafferty.”

Another Ducks Case in the Making?

SO FAR, CITY OFFICIALS HAVE NOT FIGURED OUT HOW TO GIVE COMPETING TROLLEY OPERATION A LICENSE TO OPERATE

IS THIS DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN?

by Dennis Reeves Cooper

Several weeks ago, Mayor Morgan McPherson and the six city commissioners received letters notifying them that CityView Trolley Tours, a company that runs sightseeing operations in Boston, Salem and Cambridge, Massachusetts, had formed a new Florida corporation— CityView Trolley Tours of Key West— to launch a sightseeing operation here in competition with Historic Tours of America’s (HTA) Old Town Trolley operations. Greg Wythe, vice president of the new company, told Key West the Newspaper that he hopes to begin operations here with four to six trolleys by November.

This announcement came in the wake of the City of Key West’s $8 million payout to Duck Tours Seafari to settle a longrunning lawsuit. As a result of that lawsuit, the Third District Court of Appeal ruled that part of the city’s exclusive sightseeing franchise agreement with HTA violated the state antitrust law. The court had also ruled that city officials had illegally forced the Ducks out of business in 1996.

Although the city still has a franchise agreement with HTA, which requires the company to pay the city a percentage of the profits of the Conch Tour Train and Old Town Trolleys, the agreement can no longer restrict where competing sightseeing companies can sell tickets or pick up passengers.

Rick Boettger: Gonna Get a Witness

by Rick Boettger

It’s real life mystery time! And I hope someone out there can help us solve it.

We’ve recently reported on one bicyclist killed and another injured. In March still another was run down in the bumper-car streets of Key West. This time it’s poor Coco Ono. Two months after she was unjustly fired from her janitorial job at the Unitarian church, as detailed in this paper earlier this year, a jeep ran her down on North Roosevelt.

The good news is she survived with “only” a hairline fracture of her arm and severe internal bruising. After 4 months, she is almost recovered. But she suffered an aftershock of the crash when she picked up the official accident report from the police department. Reading the report hurt her almost as much as the crash itself did.

Cops Will be Out in Force Friday

The Key West Police Department will be conducting a STAR night Friday to ensure a safe holiday weekend on the roads. STAR— Strategic Traffic Accident Reduction— enforcement means that added patrols will be deployed throughout the city in order to reduce reckless driving or driving under the influence. Motorcycle units, extra road patrols, and possibly equestrian units will be on hand from 5Ppm until midnight.

With the 4th of July weekend beginning on a Friday, the KWPD will have additional officers on duty Friday night, not only for traffic enforcement, but for downtown crowd control. Key West, like many communities across the nation, relies on STAR efforts to deter unsafe driving.

While there is added law enforcement on the road, this is a good weekend to remember to fasten your seatbelt. Though they’ve been required for years, the Florida Legislature this year made driving without a seatbelt a primary offense. That means if an officer sees you driving without a seatbelt, he can pull you over. In the past, law enforcement could only ticket for an unfastened belt if they pulled you over first for another offense.

Now, as of June 30, a traffic stop can result from an unfastened belt and the driver can face a fine of up to $114.

Key West Police Chief Donie Lee says that the increased visibility of law enforcement officers during a STAR night helps remind motorists to drive safely.

LOVE IN BLUE: Detective Del Cid: Safe at Last. Judge Extends Restraining Order against Her Lover’s Ex-Wife

LAWYER QUIZZES OFFICER CALVERT: “HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HAVING SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH DETECTIVE DEL CID?”

JUDGE CAUTIONS COPS: ORDER IS A SHIELD, NOT A SWORD

Commentary by Dennis Reeves Cooper

The best show in town finally ended— maybe— in Judge Tegan Slaton’s courtroom Wednesday afternoon.

The case was a request by Key West Police Detective Janeth Del Cid that a permanent restraining order be issued against the ex-wife of Del Cid’s current boyfriend, Key West Police Officer Thad Calvert.

Del Cid, who carries a gun, says she is afraid of Donna Calvert, a now-single mother of two young children and a teacher at Mary Immaculate Star of the Sea school.

After hearing hours of testimony, Slaton reluctantly extended a temporary restraining order for three months while appealing to both Del Cid and Mrs. Calvert to “get over it” and move on.

City Demolishes Virginia Street House

Someone had once called it home, but the house on Virginia Street has been slipping further into a state of disrepair over the years. No longer safe for habitation, the rundown structure was becoming unsafe to its surrounding community. Pieces were falling off. The entire house itself actually shifted on its foundation during hurricanes.

For some time, the city of Key West has been attempting to get the property owner to do the right thing and make the house safe— to no avail. Finally, last week, the city took the neighborhood’s public safety into its own hands and tore down the structure.

Now parents can rest easy knowing that their kids won’t be playing in the unsafe building and nearby homeowners won’t have to worry about falling debris.

In the meantime, the city has tracked all of the costs involved in tearing down the house so that a lien can be placed on the property and taxpayers will have a chance to be reimbursed for the cost of making this private property safe for the entire community.

Randy Acevedo Arrested

by Dennis Reeves Cooper

Monroe County School Superintendent Randy Acevedo was arrested yesterday morning after a Grand Jury indicted him on a third degree felony charge of official misconduct. According to public corruption prosecutor Mark Wilson, the indictment is linked to a letter on MARC House stationery that Acevedo produced back in February, which indicated that MARC House directors had requested a satellite radio subscription that Acevedo’s wife, Monique, had purchased with her school district credit card. At that time, Mrs. Acevedo was the district’s adult education coordinator.

She resigned on March 3 after questions arose about her alleged use of her district card for personal purchases. She was arrested on April 30.

MARC House officials have reportedly told prosecutors that they never requested a satellite radio subscription and that, apparently, the letter was a forgery.

Followup: The Pig Story

KWTN Staff Report

If you’re a regular reader of this newspaper, you will recall reading Kimberley Denney’s “pig reports” about the young man who took his pig for a walk on Duval Street during Spring Break. That adventure led to his arrest, charged with animal cruelty. On the way to jail, the cops left the pig in a holding pen outside the animal shelter— where it was found dead the next morning.

A second pig was rescued from the man’s house and is currently in residence at the shelter. The current issue of the shelter’s newsletter includes a followup report.

The pig, which has been named Miss Sunshine, has been under the care of Dr. Kristen Jensen of All Animal Clinic and, reportedly, has been nursed back to health.

According to Chuck Best, the shelter’s humane law enforcement officer, she enjoys playing with the dogs at the shelter and she loves the pool. Miss Sunshine’s medical costs so far total about $350. That expense has been paid for by Oscar’s Fund, a special fund to pay for the treatment and medication of sick and injured animals.

If you would like to make a contribution to Oscar’s Fund, you may mail a check to the FKSPCA, 5230 College Road, Key West, FL 33040. Call 305.294.4857 to make a credit card donation.

Click It or Ticket Will Be Real after June 30

If you’re accustomed to ignoring the “click it or ticket” sign that greets motorists every so often, think again. As of June 30, law enforcement officers will be able to pull you over for that unfastened seat belt. The Florida Legislature, during the 2009 session, passed a change to the Seat Belt Law making it a primary offense to drive without a seatbelt. In the past it was considered a secondary offense, and officers could only issue a citation after conducting a traffic stop for another offense.

According to the Florida Department of Transportation, 83 percent of motorists already buckle up. Legislators hope to up that rate with the new status of the law. Anyone stopped for driving without a seat belt is subject to a $114 fine.

Son of Bicyclist Who Died in Traffic Crash Last Month Has Questions, Allegations

COPS: INVESTIGATION IS STILL ONGOING

DRIVER MAY HAVE BEEN SPEEDING CITY QUICKLY CHANGED SIZE OF STOP SIGN ON 11TH STREET AT FLAGLER

MAN’S FAMILY HAS NOW RETAINED AN ATTORNEY

by Dennis Reeves Cooper

Back on the afternoon of April 27, 75-year-old Richard Lionel Clements reportedly ran a stop sign on his bicycle and was killed when he was struck by a car being driven by a 32- year-old Big Coppitt woman. Clements was traveling south on 11th Street. According to the preliminary crash report released by the police last week, a witness said that Clements attempted to cross Flagler Avenue “without stopping or looking.”

But Clements’ son, Jonathan Clements, said that his father may have died because the stop sign on 11th Street may have been hard to see and because the driver of the car may have been speeding.

Alyson Crean, the spokeswoman for the City and the Key West Police Department, told Key West the Newspaper this week that the investigation of the crash is still ongoing and is therefore still confidential. But Jonathan Clements said that the source of his information is the investigating officer.

Police Stepping up Drug Enforcement in Bahama Village

Stepped up drug enforcement in the Bahama Village area is sending a clear message to users and sellers alike: Keep the drug deals out of the neighborhood, according to a press release sent out by the Key West Police Department this week. Over the past four weeks nearly 50 people have been arrested for drug related crimes.

“We’re combining the TIF officers and specials ops for a two-angle approach,” said Detective Sgt. Pablo Rodriguez, who is spearheading the new push to stop drug sales in Bahama Village. “By using uniformed officers in conjunction with undercover officers, the Key West Police Department has a constant presence in the community – a presence that helps deter drug activity.”

Fallout from Ducks Case: Boston Company Wants to Compete with Trolleys Here

VICE PRESIDENT OF CITYVIEW TROLLEY TOURS OF KEY WEST IS ED SWIFT’S FORMER SON-IN-LAW

COMPANY WANTS TO START OPERATIONS HERE IN NOVEMBER

by Dennis Reeves Cooper

Part of the fallout from the long-running Duck Tour Seafaris lawsuit is that the court ruled that part of the City of Key West’s exclusive sightseeing franchise with Historic Tours of America (HTA) violated the state antitrust law. Although HTA still has a franchise agreement with the City which requires the company to pay the City a percentage of the profits of the Conch Tour Train and Old Town Trolleys, the agreement can no longer restrict where competing sightseeing companies can sell tickets or pick up or drop off passengers.

As a result, CityView Trolley Tours, a company that runs sightseeing operations in Boston, Salem and Cambridge, Massachusetts, has formed a new Florida corporation— CityView Trolley Tours of Key West— to compete with HTA here. Greg Wythe, vice president of the new company, has sent letters to Mayor Morgan McPherson and the six city commissioners, telling them that he hopes to begin sightseeing operations here with four to six trolleys by November of this year.

“Between now and then, we will be finalizing whatever licensing or franchise contracts are required,” Wythe told Key West The Newspaper this week. “We also will be hiring and training drivers, ticket sellers, maintenance workers and other staff.”

Wythe said that he hopes to be able to fill all positions with local residents.

Needless Death: Two Short Stories

BICYCLIST KILLED IN COLLISION WITH CAR AFTER HE RUNS STOP SIGN

KWTN Team Report

Last month, on the afternoon of April 27, 75-year-old Richard Lionel Clements reportedly blew through a stop sign on his bicycle. According to the crash report, released this week by the Key West Police Department, Clements was traveling south on 11th Street, where it intersects with Flagler Avenue. He was able to make it across one lane of traffic, but as he was trying to cross the second lane, a car being driven by a 32-year-old Big Coppitt Key woman slammed into Clements and his bicycle.

According to witnesses, the impact threw both Clements and his bicycle into the air and into the turn lane on the other side of the median.

Clements was treated at the scene by fire and rescue paramedics and was subsequently airlifted to Ryder Trauma Center in Miami, where he reportedly died. That very same week, Police Chief Donie Lee told Key West The Newspaper, “Bicyclists running red lights and stop signs is a serious problem. Bicyclists must obey most of the same laws as vehicles if they choose to ride in the street.”