Here are the Mad Ramblings of the Gentleman from Islamorada who has held sway over the State of Florida to the point that they are entertaining the idea of CLOSING THE WATERS OF ISLAMORADA TO ALL ACTIVITIES! Come to the hearing tomorrow. Here is an e-mail from the Gentleman Hello Everyone: I want you to be the first to know that I am thinking about writing a book. Not sure yet if it will be fact or fiction but it surely will need to be vivid and engaging to get the attention of Village, County and State officials who are generally and genuinely swamped if not overwhelmed with all kinds of stuff, both official business and personal lives. ********** The title will be Life or Death. ********** The first chapter will be called The Beheadings. Some of you may remember the beheadings. In Islamorada, Florida. Where some of us live, then and now. Since I am a native oldtimer in Florida, and have been very active in state affairs for more than 50 years, I knew Dick Pope, the grand-master and founder of the famous Cypress Gardens. In Winter Haven. Chapter One is about his son, Dickie, and it is a sad and frightening story. In Islamorada. Dickie and some of his friends stayed out too late one night, and drank too much. In Islamorada. About 2:00 a.m., the gang joined Dickie in his boat. In Islamorada. Dickie drove very fast , standing up in the boat, near the shore. In Islamorada. All but one of his friends stood up in the boat, near the shore. In Islamorada. Dickie steered the boat between two pilings, near the shore. In Islamorada. There was a board mounted between the two pilings, near the shore. In Islamorada. Dickie and his friends were beheaded . . . by the board . . . between the pilings . . . near the shore. In Islamorada. There was blood and guts all over the place. And heads, near the shore. In Islamorada. One friend survived. The most drunk guy. Passed out in the deck of the boat. In Islamorada. Some of the families of of some of the beheaded ones then sued the property owners.. The board got in the way. In Islamorada. ********** The second chapter will be called Keeping Our Heads but Dying Anyway. The setting for Chapter Two is Florida Bay, near the shore. In Islamorada. This is the waterfront, described and defined by Monroe County in such a profound, eloquent and powerful manner, as a dangerous place. The improved waterfront, near the shore. In Islamorada. This is not two pilings with a board between. It is a nice dock, built in 1981, with a permit. One of the few to survive Hurricane Wilma. Intact but with a little raise in the middle, but quickly re-seated by a local contractor. Competent, and a great guy. Nice lot, nice yard, nice garden, nice house, nice family. Caring people. Good citizens. Good neighbors. Grandparents, children, grandchildren. But, without good government and good governance, everyone and everything is at risk. A dangerous place, near the shore. In Islamorada. Repeatedly, every day and every night, for weeks and months, this law-abiding, tax-paying family -- and their neighbors -- are invaded by human beings from all over the place. Some good folks, but mostly bad folks. Simple differences between good and bad folks. Start with measures like loud-mouthed, foul-mouthed, profane, vulgar and threatening.. So, one night about 10:00 a guy from Naples, FL, with several young people -- 20s and teens -- or maybe a guy from Augusta , GA, with several teens -- apparently drunk -- pulls up in a small, overloaded boat. Near the shore. In Islamorada. Danger lurks. The County told us so. Near the shore. In Islamorada. The grown man driving the boat cannot see his bow because of all the bodies up front, all armed with bullynets. Bullynets. Such a strange moniker that it alerts spellcheck every time. Suddenly the captain rams the boat into the dock. Near the shore. In Islamorada. One of the 20-year-olds, and one of the teenagers, are thrown from the boat. Their heads hit the piling or the dock. They fall in the water and die from head wounds. Another of the 20-year-olds, and one of the teenagers, are thrown off the boat and into the water. They drift into the propellers of their boat and are slaughtered. Blood and guts all over the place. Near the shore. In Islamorada. But they kept their heads. And their parents sued the property owners. The dock got in the way. In Islamorada. ********** Im thinking about the third chapter. So far, I have lots of material from which to choose. Near the shore. In Islamorada. ********** Best wishes to all. Walter iPhone 305 / 905-4050
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 05:39:36 +0000