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It Breaks a Village
KONK REACTOR column
[Published in the KONK Life newspaper on December 6, 2012.]
It Breaks a Village
Hillary’s expression “It takes a village [to raise kids]” is turned on its head in Key West. The (grown) children of the community must work to foster the village itself – especially the oldest neighborhood on the island: Bahama Village. I ashamedly have to admit, though, that our neglect has broken this Village…
The Bahama Village neighborhood dates back to the earliest days of our settlement and once covered the westernmost quarter of the populated island (when New Town was a salt marsh). Many descendents of African/Caribbean settlers ended up in this neighborhood. Over time, (more…)
Developers Never Sleep
KONK REACTOR column
[Published in the KONK Life newspaper on June 7, 2012.]
Developers Never Sleep
The last week of May showed how absolutely important it is that we remain ever-vigilant in our efforts to defend our environment and quality of life in the Keys. The always-lurking developers attacked on several fronts. Thankfully — unlike our old days of Bubba-power, Navy-pressure & Cronyism — this time they have been temporarily fended off by wise and honest actions of the Key West City Commission and the Monroe County Planning Board. But these are just skirmishes in the ongoing battle.
In Key West the shady backroom campaign by British real estate giant (more…)
Reactionary Voices
KONK REACTOR column
[Published in the KONK Life newspaper on April 26, 2012.]
Reactionary Voices
It’s been a while since I compiled a batch of my reactions to other local reactionaries. This time I can quote the exact words I’m responding to, because the exhortations came into this very paper, in the “Island Voice” column. Off we go…
Now more than ever the community needs help and direction with affordable housing, elderly care and assistance. Whatever will happen with the dedicated 6.6 acres for Truman Waterfront. Has the community lost that, too? (more…)
Crusader Torment
KONK REACTOR column
[Published in the KONK Life newspaper on March 1, 2012.]
Crusader Torment
I didn’t attend the trial of Norma Jean Sawyer but I can state categorically: if she goes to jail, there is no justice in this town.
Back in the 1990s, Norma Jean Sawyer voluntarily took on a task that nobody would step up to. She put her life managing a small mortuary on hold and rededicated it to saving residences in Bahama Village for the families who had owned them for generations. For those families who were being approached by people with briefcases full of cash offering to buy them out (at bottom dollar) if they’d move away. To allow them to become cheaply-renovated gentrified residences for sale to speculators at top dollar. (more…)
Why we need Last Stand
Key West Reactor column
[Published in Key West The Newspaper on December 16, 2011.]
Why we need Last Stand
Let’s take an imaginary road-trip to the olden days….
You drive your ox-cart to the end of the road at the end of a small valley, to a nice little village. You’ve visited it in the past, love it — and decide now to settle down there. From time to time other villagers move away, so the population is pretty stable and most of the villagers get to know one another.
Eventually a few long-time villagers and a few well-off newcomers acquire significant properties in the village. And some of them get a “fever” to acquire more and more. And more. To make matters worse, tycoons from other towns hear about the beauty of your village and are also struck by the fever. Even some of those without much to show for themselves find that there are money-lenders willing to stoke their feverish flames. (more…)
Resisted Living Facility
Key West Reactor column
[Published in Key West The Newspaper on October 7, 2011.]
Resisted Living Facility
Back around the turn of the century, a group of Key West movers and shakers decided that the small assisted care facility on Stock Island – Bayshore Manor – wasn’t cutting it when it came to providing a facility where they’d be willing to “age in place”. And this is true. Bayshore can provide assisted care for less than 20 seniors. Many are subsidized, the waiting list is long. Though it does a good job taking care of those folks, it’s really not the kind of place where upscale Key Westers would want to spend a portion of their twilight years.
So the group got together to discuss what they could do about the situation. (more…)
Attacks on BCCLT hurting those it serves
David Lybrand guest editorial
[Published on the Key West Citizen Opinions Page on July 27, 2009.]
Attempts to tear down the BCCLT
are only hurting the people it serves
Here’s a Board of Directors executive “Dream Team”:
- President: Cecil Bain, a respected lifelong resident of the community and past teacher of many among us (including the esteemed Commissioner Lopez),
- Vice-President: Claude Halioua, a planning commissioner and respected businessman with many civic contacts,
- Treasurer: Glenwood Lopez, community and church leader (and Clayton’s big brother)
- Acting Secretary (previously President): Bob Kelly, community activist and Key West dynamo.
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Add the rest of the Board (no slouches there) and you get a team that should command a level of respect on par with other local housing-related organizations (e.g., Aids Help, Habitat for Humanity) or other community organization, period. (more…)
{ Key West Senior Care blog }
This is a special case post, just directing you to the
Key West Senior Care blog
That blog is another repository of all of the letters to the editor, editorials, and radio appearances that I undertook during the push by the Florida Keys Assisted Care Coalition (FKACC) to have a portion of the Truman Waterfront assigned to them, during the second half of 2007. The repository is in reverse date order and includes additional editorial content by me that was only posted to that blog.
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Follow-up: The blog was discontinued at the end of 2007, however the lease process and RFP handling continued for at least 4 more years. I wrote a new article for the Blue Paper on this topic in 2011 ( HERE ). As of the time of this follow-up, the lease agreement with the selected builder is still being negotiated.
Proposal includes non-assisted upscale complex
Editorial by David Lybrand
[Published in Key West Citizen's Solares Hill on June 29, 2007.]
Proposal Includes Non-Assisted Upscale Complex
We need an assisted living facility in Key West. The Bayshore Manor facility is very limited at 16 units. Consequently, many of our elderly must look elsewhere (e.g., to the mainland) if no one locally is able to assist them through their twilight years. Virtually nobody in Key West would disagree with this need. It’s a given.
What’s not a given is that the so-called “assisted living” facility being planned for the Truman Waterfront is the best way to meet this need. Yes, it’ll provide more assisted units, but at what cost?
Is it really the only way to accomplish this? (more…)