Conch Pride with Legend Jimmy Weekley

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Thanks for tuning in to the conk, the Bring Joy Podcast.
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I'm your host, Joy Newly.
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I'm a first generation conk raised by a four.
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What does that add up to?
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A whole lot of con crime.
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And that's what this show is all about.
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Celebrating the incredible people of Key West and their stories from every corner of our conk community.
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So sit back and relax, cuz.
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Let's do this thing.
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This episode is brought to you by Southern Most Tattoo, Key West's original tattoo shop.
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I think I found my favorite place.
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My favorite place is in you.
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Like something nice and never fade.
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I think I found my favorite place.
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How are we doing, Conk fans?
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I got a good one for you today.
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We're talking with True Conk Jimmy Weekly, a business and community leader, an all-around good guy.
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Welcome to the show, Jimmy.
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Joy, thank you for having me.
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I appreciate it.
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Hey, we've got a lot to talk about.
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Everything from you being mayor, commissioner, businessman, growing up here on this island, multi-generation.
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But I think I want to start with the celebration of Faustos, 100 years in business.
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Lots going on around that.
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So can we start right there talking about the history of Faustos?
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Absolutely.
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Absolutely.
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Look forward to it.
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So you got it's it's Fausto's been in business, like I said, a hundred years.
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We're celebrating now.
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First opened the doors in 1926.
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And here we are 100 years later.
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He's still going strong, three generations in the family.
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So let's go back to the beginning.
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How to get started.
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Well, you know, my my grandfather worked in the cigar industry, and but he always had a dream of opening a little bodega, basically, is what he wanted to do.
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And so in 1926, that that dream dream came true.
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He opened his first store, which was located on the corner of Packer and Virginia Street.
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A lot of people remember Flame and Boobies was there, and before that it was five-star, I think it was.
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So that's where he started.
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And he he would work in the cigar industry during the day.
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My grandmother would run the store during during the day.
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And when he finished his duties at the cigar factory, he would go in and work in the store himself for until whatever time they closed it.
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Then so it was kind of like a neighborhood thing.
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And um, you know, when he opened the door the first day, um he would probably be surprised that a hundred years, a hundred years later, it's still it's still ticking, you know.
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But so they they were there uh in that location until sometime in the early early 40s, and they relocated then to where Cafe Marquesa is on the corner of Fleming and Simonton Street there.
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Okay.
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So matter of fact, when they were renovating that that building, they were pouring up some of the floorboards, and mainly the boar who was doing the work brought my mother over some old charge books, and it still had charges that people never got paid for.
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My my parents, my parents never got got got paid for.
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I told her, I said, you know, mom, at 18% interest over this number of years, you could probably retire.
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You know.
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So, but you know, my my grandfather was really fortunate because he started the business just prior to the depression of the 30s, you know.
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So I'm sure that there was some times there that he really struggled with the with the business and make, you know, making sure that uh people were able to eat.
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And I know my mother told me stories of my grandfather had such a soft heart that anybody that came to him without anything to eat or or or needed something for a particular meal or anything like that, a lot of times she would just donate it to him, just give it to them to to help them out.
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You know, so that was one thing that my grandfather instilled in my mother about being a friend of the community and helping out in any way that that that we could.
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And we've always done that.
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We've always been been true to uh true to that advice.
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And but uh going on the store, so in 1949 is when the present location uh opened.
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I was two years old at that time.
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And unfortunately, just before the store opened is when my grandfather passed away.
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So originally it was just going to be called the Food Palace.
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And my mom and dad said, no, we're gonna name it after after Mr.
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Faustov.
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That's what my dad would call him.
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And so we did go to Fausto's Food Palace, and over the year, people know it just as Fausto's, you know.
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So but yeah, there's a long, long history there of a lot of ups and downs, you know, hurricanes.
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And, you know, in 19th, August of 1966, the original store in that location burnt down.
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And my parents, you know, rebuilt, opened the following year.
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I think it was like in February or March, that they were able to reopen.
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And that's the building that's there today, and it's it's it's been there every ever since.
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I hope it keeps going.
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Yeah, yeah.
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He'd be he'd be surprised and very proud, I'd say.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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I'm sure he's looking down with a big smile on his face, with my mom and dad there with him, thinking, wow, it's it's it's really happened.
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Really happened.
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My dad was uh stationed in the Navy here.
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That's where he met my mother.
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He was on a uh sub uh subchaser, and he was the uh the cook.
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And so he would go into the into the store on on uh Fleming and and Simon there, you know, to get his provisions, and that's where he met my mom.
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And and he happened to be a meat cutter by trade before he went into the Navy.
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So it all kind of uh pieced itself together like a puzzle, you know, this part here and this part all it all intertwined uh the right way.
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So it was it was a a huge step uh for both of them, actually, and to be able to continue that that tradition that my grandfather had started.
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And it to be honest with you, I never wanted to be involved in the business.
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I saw how hard my mom and dad uh worked in the hours that they put in.
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And, you know, 18, I had other other dreams ahead of me.
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And fortunate or unfortunately, it depends on how you want to look at it, I guess.
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Uh I was living in Washington, D.C.
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at the time, and one morning I I got up and said it was gray and cloudy, and I said, and nothing green.
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I said, I don't have to live like this.
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You know, this is great, this is winter.
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I I don't so I was I was gone for about 10 years before I moved back, before I really got that whack on the side of the head to uh to go home and get involved in the business.
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And when I called my my dad to talk to him about it, he says, Well, I am looking for a meat cutter.
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I said, Well, I don't know anything about cutting meat, but I'm willing to he's willing to train me if I was willing to try to learn.
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And so December of 1975, when I came back, I started cutting meat and been doing it ever since.
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I I that was one of my questions here to ask you is how do you how do you become the butcher instead of the produce guy?
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And so now I know.
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Well, if there was if there was a produce position open at the time, that's probably where I would have ended up.
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I don't know, you know, but I really I I really enjoyed it.
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I never never thought I would, but and I understand why my parents worked the way they did, why they put their heart and soul into into into the business and wanted to see it successful.
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They were hoping that one of one of us would would want to take it over.
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And you know, Alton and I were the the two that came back and you know, working working in it.
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And so it's been uh it's been a journey.
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It's been a fun journey, but it's also had its uh curves and hurdles at times.
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I would say so over a hundred years.
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Just everything's changed with retail.
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You know, yeah, absolutely.
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And you know, when when we had the store, there was only there wasn't any I I guess the only chain store at the time was an old when Dixie that was over on the on Duval Street, actually.
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I didn't know that.
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Yeah, on the corner of Duval and I forget the little side street there, but right down uh right across the street from where 801 is, on the same side of the street there.
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I think at one time it was some kind of outdoor shop or something like that.
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I'm not sure what it is now, but uh when Dixie was was there, and then of course we had Carlos Food Center, which was on the corner of Caroline and Elizabeth Street, and then also uh were the White Street stories.
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Now that was Gulf Stream, and so we were the three uh independent uh grocery stores here at the time, you know.
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So then eventually we had AP and Pantry Pride, and then you know, back in the 80s or 90s, I guess it was whenever it was when publics came to to town.
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So so we've we we we've been fortunate being able to able to survive.
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You know, uh we we bought the Golf Stream store in 1984, took that over, Carlos Food Center, uh the gentleman that owned it, he decided he wanted to close it, and so that's what he did, and then it became a real estate office at one point.
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But so we were, you know, we were fortunate we had the competition and we were able to withstand one of the things that I did back back in the uh late 80s, early, early 90s was I I recognized the fact that we were not going to be able to compete with the with the chain stores, with the Publix's and Win Dixies and and all those that were here.
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We had to find a different different niche altogether.
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So my wife Susan and I went to New York and San Francisco and looked at uh various stores in those areas there and saw that they were geared to a specific market.
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And I said, you know, maybe this is what we need to do.
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Maybe we need to be a little more upscale.
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I'll look at carrying, you know, natural products, organic products, you know, that that type of thing.
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And so we transitioned over the years into that.
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And uh there's a good percentage of the store that is mainly organic and and natural products now.
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I would probably say some in the neighborhood of about 40 percent, I think, if if that high.
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Yeah.
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And and that would you were you were definitely a visionary because you you guys were selling high quality products before that it was trendy to get organic, right?
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My my my dad, as the as a meat cutter, understood understood meat.
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And you know, so he w always wanted the highest grade of beef and the highest grade of pork and the you know the best quality of everything.
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And that's what that's what he built the reputation of the business on was having superior meat in the community of all sorts.
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And well, we're still doing that today.
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You know, say so.
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If you want a good palomia, everybody knows where they're going to get the meat.
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That's right.
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And uh and so you you know how to make the sausage.
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I was told one time that you can't make Italian sausage without fennel seed for the hot Italian sausage.
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And then I use a little bit of granulated garlic.
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I do have the recipe written down for some Italian seasoning in there as well.
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And I measure I measure everything.
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I always start with the fennel seed to make sure I get it in there.
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Did have a customer one time that was allergic to fennel seed, and I used to have to make him special sausage.
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Now we're going to take it, mix it with the with the pork, like you're doing something.
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And the case it is an all-natural caseing.
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Now he's mixing it up until we get it all mixed and even the other sausage we make beside Italian and the breakfast sausages.
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We also make our own chorizo, Mexican-style chorizo.
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That I started making that and found a recipe that I like.
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So we measure it.
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The blade of my knife is six inches, and so that's what we try to do is get six inch sweet and just twist it around.
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So we twist it.
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There we go.
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There's uh there's our fresh hot Italian sausage.
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I make the sa I make the sausage, which was my dad's recipe.
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And the difference is that so I was back there helping my dad make it, and I noticed that he wasn't measuring anything out.
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He would just say, put a little of this, put a little of that, you know, throw it in there.
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And I said, Dad, if I'm gonna do this, I need to have the what the what the measurements are.
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I need to know how many ounces or of this to put in there and all of this.
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I said, No, you don't have to do that.
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Just do it the way I do it.
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I said, I can't do it like that.
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So so one day when he was making it, I made him weigh out everything.
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I wrote it all down.
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So I said, if we're gonna continue, we have to make sure that it's consistent the way that you'd always made it.
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And so so that's that's what I did.
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And and so I have those recipes now.
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Hey, you know, tell me if this is a true story or is it folklore that you're responsible for Jimmy Buffett's cheeseburger in paradise?
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Is that a true story?
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That is true.
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That is true.
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Now, I have to give credit here.
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You know, when Buffett decided to open the cafe here, his business partner at the time, a gentleman by the name of Kevin Boucher, came to me and said, you know, we're we're doing this.
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Jimmy wants to have a really good burger.
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We don't want to get it from any of the food service people.
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We would like to have something locally.
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You think you could do it?
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And I said, sure.
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How what kind of blend you want?
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And he says, why don't you come up with with three blends and we'll we'll sample them out and see which one everyone everyone agrees with.
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So I gave him three different different blends of uh ground beef, and he uh came back a few days later, and the blend number two is the one that we that we really like.
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So I said, okay.
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I was a little disappointed.
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I thought for sure it's Buffett's song, uh, you know, my whole world is waiting behind door number three, that it would be blend number three that would that they would choose.
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But it was number two, and and there's been other businesses in the community that have asked me for that, you know, make them burgers.
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And I said, I'll make it, but I will not use that recipe.
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I I think that would be again something I did specially for Jimmy, and we sold them a lot of of ground beef over the years.
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I mean, I always thought when he first started that it would be, you know, 40, 50 pounds a week, something like that.
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Well, it got to be a hundred, a hundred and fifty pounds a day.
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I mean, that's a lot of cheeseburgers.
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That's a lot of cheeseburgers.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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And when when uh when they went corporate and Kevin had no longer a say in it, and they went to all the food service companies with their with their burger, when the meeting of the mines was down here, the the parrot heads, uh, a number of them came into the store and said, What did you do to the burger?
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I said, I haven't done anything with it.
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They quit buying it from me.
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So they said, Where else can I get it?
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And I said, That recipe, there's nowhere else in town you can get that recipe.
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I said, but I have similar recipes in different places that if you want to try that, that uh I think you would be happy with them.
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So that's that's a great story.
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So, you know, when you grow up in Key West and you travel, or even here when you meet someone and they ask you where you're from, and you say, I'm from Key West, one of the first questions is they'll ask you, Do you know Jimmy Buffy?
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And I would always say, No, I never know him, but I know Jimmy Weekly.
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That's a that's a true story.
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That's a true story.
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But uh, you you and Jimmy Buffett, besides a cheeseburger, you guys end up connecting.
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He he mentioned Faustos in one of his songs, and you and him end up having a special connection.
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You want to share any any of that story?
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Yeah, the first time I met, I met Jimmy, actually, I was still living in Washington, D.C.
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This, this venue.
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Uh, and so my friends and I, we all went, and I was telling, telling one of my one of my friends that Jack Spotchwood was his landlord.
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Okay.
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And so we were sitting there, and uh, there was in between songs, Jimmy was saying something.
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One of my friends belted out, uh, Jack Spottsworth.
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I said, No, it's Spottswood.
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And Buffett, Buffett looks back down at us and says, uh, that's my landlord.
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I said, Yeah, that's what that's what I know.
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And so after the afternoon, talk about name dragging too.
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Yeah.
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It was called the solid door, by the way.
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So after the show, it was coming off stage, and I went over and introduced myself to him.
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And he said, Oh, you're related to the weeklies that own Fausto's.
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I said, Yeah, that's that's my parents, you know.
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So that's that's that's how that started.
00:17:37.519 --> 00:17:41.519
And then through the years, you know, we had acquaintance, uh, an acquaintance over the years.
00:17:41.599 --> 00:17:48.160
Like anytime he would perform at the cafe, I was notified and always had a nice, nice view to watch him.
00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:52.400
And he he called me one one day.
00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:56.720
This was during the Yal Gore presidential campaign.
00:17:56.880 --> 00:18:03.039
And I get this phone call from him early in the morning, and he says, uh, can you come to Tampa today?
00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:05.839
And I said, if I can get a flight, I'm sure I can.
00:18:05.920 --> 00:18:08.720
He says, No, no, you don't need to worry about a flight.
00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:11.440
I'm gonna send my plane down there to pick you up.
00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:14.480
And I said, Okay, give me, give me the information.
00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:26.160
He says, Well, Kevin Boucher will call you later, and I'll I'll talk to uh to Kevin because he's gonna come up with you and let you know what time, what time we'll pick you up and everything.
00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:30.160
And so sure enough, his plane came down, picked Kevin and I up.
00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:34.480
We had to stop in Fort Myers because he had done a conflict there the night before.
00:18:34.720 --> 00:18:41.440
We picked him up and then flew on into Tampa for the big rally, which was in downtown Tampa.
00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:43.759
And I had a cousin that was living there at the time.
00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:48.000
And for some reason he decided to go up to the event, right?
00:18:48.079 --> 00:18:49.200
And he walked over there.
00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:54.160
And when Buffett introduced me, he couldn't believe he was telling her, Oh, that's my cousin, that's my cousin.
00:18:54.400 --> 00:18:55.519
Nobody believed him.
00:18:55.839 --> 00:19:04.480
Yeah, they but they believed me, but you know, it was one of those real special special times, special moments with with Jimmy.
00:19:04.559 --> 00:19:22.559
And then one other time when I, Ed Scales, who's used to be a city commissioner here, now he's the uh chief judge for the third DCA Appeals Court, his firm had a a box there at Tampa Stadium where and Buffett was performing, and Ed invited me to go up with him to that to that concert.
00:19:22.720 --> 00:19:26.160
And Ed says, you know, I never met, I've never met Jimmy Buffett.
00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:29.279
Is there any way you can introduce me to him?
00:19:29.519 --> 00:19:33.519
And so I didn't have Jimmy's phone number, but I did have J.L.
00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:35.920
Jameson, his sound manager's phone number.
00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:36.799
So I called J.L.
00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:39.119
I said, JL, got to judge his.
00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:41.039
He'd like to be, he would like to meet Jimmy.
00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:44.000
Is there any opportunity to do it before the show or after the show?
00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:50.640
He says, Yeah, he says, meet me at the back gate, and he could, I'll introduce him to you, to him now.
00:19:50.880 --> 00:19:51.759
So he did.
00:19:51.920 --> 00:19:55.680
You know, and every time I run into Edge Gales, he reminds me of that.
00:19:55.920 --> 00:20:01.599
He says, you know, you just happen to be the right person that I can I could count on to meet Jimmy.
00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:02.240
So, you know.
00:20:02.400 --> 00:20:09.839
And then another time, Jimmy calls me and says, uh, who are you gonna vote for in the presidential in the prime presidential primary?
00:20:09.920 --> 00:20:12.000
I said, Well, I really haven't decided.
00:20:12.160 --> 00:20:14.880
And so he says, I'm here's this phone number.
00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:17.440
I want you to call there and ask for Mr.
00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:18.240
Amari.
00:20:18.720 --> 00:20:19.279
I said, Mr.
00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:19.839
Amari.
00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:21.200
I said, I don't know who who is that?
00:20:21.359 --> 00:20:22.240
He says, that's me.
00:20:22.319 --> 00:20:24.720
That's the name I registered with at the hotel.
00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:30.799
And so, and so he says, you know, like Cal Amari, like Cal Amari.
00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:33.119
That's it.
00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:34.880
And I don't know how you come up with this stuff.
00:20:35.440 --> 00:20:36.319
Yeah, that's pretty that's right.
00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:38.400
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:44.400
So that, you know, I I've got other stories, but that's that's some of the primary ones, I guess.
00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:49.759
And um I'm just the ones that I don't the ones that I'm not gonna embarrass myself about talking about.
00:20:50.079 --> 00:20:50.559
Right, right.
00:20:50.640 --> 00:20:57.119
Some some things um aren't spoken, like you don't give away the recipes and you don't tell all the Jimmy's secrets, right?
00:20:57.359 --> 00:20:58.960
That's that's right, yeah, yeah.
00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:04.960
And and I think that's probably one of the secrets to being in business for so long, right?
00:21:05.119 --> 00:21:09.200
Is is that integrity and showing up and being consistent.
00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:10.640
Yeah, absolutely.
00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:19.519
You know, I mean, one thing my parents instilled in in all of us was to was to do what you say, say what you mean, you know.
00:21:19.759 --> 00:21:22.079
And that that that leads to respect.
00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:31.680
And I think because of my parents, we've been able to continue with respect for so many people in this in this community and and visitors as well come down every year.
00:21:31.839 --> 00:21:34.240
So let's let's go back a little bit.
00:21:35.759 --> 00:21:43.599
Well, actually, no, let's talk about October 9th and 10th, Friday and Saturday, October 9th and 10th.
00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:48.480
You're having a big celebration at both locations on White Street and Fleming.
00:21:48.640 --> 00:21:49.440
Tell me about that.
00:21:49.519 --> 00:21:50.319
What's going on?
00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:52.400
What's going on, and where should people go?
00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:53.680
What time should they be there?
00:21:53.839 --> 00:21:55.759
What should they expect with the celebration?
00:21:56.000 --> 00:21:59.680
Well, we're we're doing a a three day weekend, uh three day uh sales.
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:02.880
Special sales for the anniversary, which starts on Thursday.
00:22:03.039 --> 00:22:03.200
Okay.
00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:05.119
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
00:22:05.279 --> 00:22:07.279
The celebrations start on Friday.
00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:08.799
Uh Friday evening.
00:22:09.039 --> 00:22:10.799
I think around six o'clock.
00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:21.759
We're going to, at both stores, we're going to have some entertainment, and then some of the wine reps are doing some wine tastings and everything for folks.
00:22:22.160 --> 00:22:24.640
So that'll be that'll be Friday.
00:22:25.359 --> 00:22:27.039
Start off kind of soft, you know?
00:22:27.279 --> 00:22:36.480
Yeah, even on Saturday at both locations, uh, we're going to be doing a number of various tastings of product.
00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:40.640
Uh, have vendors lined up to do that at both of the locations.
00:22:40.960 --> 00:22:44.720
Fleming Street, because we have more room, it's a little bit bigger and everything.
00:22:45.039 --> 00:22:46.400
We're going to have a lot of music.
00:22:46.559 --> 00:22:52.000
We've got, I think, if I'm not mistaken, the Bahama Village Children's Group.
00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:52.480
Right.
00:22:52.799 --> 00:22:55.680
We have some steel drum players coming in.
00:22:56.000 --> 00:23:00.559
We have some other kids' music events.
00:23:00.799 --> 00:23:03.359
Plus, the highlight will be the junk of news.
00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:08.720
The junk of news are going to be walking up and down the aisles playing in Fleming Street there.
00:23:08.799 --> 00:23:10.319
So that'll be that'll be a lot of fun.
00:23:10.720 --> 00:23:13.200
You know it's a party when the junk and news show up.
00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:13.920
That's right.
00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:14.720
Yeah, yeah.
00:23:14.880 --> 00:23:19.200
So, and that'll start at 12 o'clock and go until go until 6.
00:23:19.440 --> 00:23:23.039
But of course, the store is going to open at regular hours at 7:30.
00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:30.960
But the other thing is we're also going to recognize a couple of long-term employees that have been with us for many years.
00:23:31.200 --> 00:23:33.920
We're going to talk about the store.
00:23:34.000 --> 00:23:37.119
Uh, Alton and I both will make some comments about that.
00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:46.079
And then we'll have a ribbon cutting uh probably just before six or right around six of opening the store for the next hundred years.
00:23:46.319 --> 00:23:50.400
I just, I just hope there's a few generations that'll that'll keep it going.
00:23:50.480 --> 00:23:56.720
You know, I have my my two oldest children that are uh coming down, my son Jimmy Jr.
00:23:56.880 --> 00:23:57.920
and my daughter Nikki.
00:23:58.000 --> 00:23:59.200
They both will be here.
00:23:59.440 --> 00:24:04.880
Three of my eight grandchildren, actually, four of my eight grandchildren will be here also.
00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:16.960
Hopefully they will get inspired and want to say, oh, maybe maybe we should get involved in granddad's business and uh and and see what we can make it go for another hundred years, you know.
00:24:17.039 --> 00:24:20.640
So that that that'll be that'll be that'll be neat.
00:24:20.720 --> 00:24:20.960
Yeah.
00:24:21.279 --> 00:24:25.920
Yeah, it I'm sure it'll be really it'll be really good for the community and everybody to show up.
00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:29.200
And yeah, you gotta sell them because we need another butcher.
00:24:29.359 --> 00:24:30.799
You gotta keep it rolling.
00:24:31.039 --> 00:24:31.680
Yeah, that's right.
00:24:31.759 --> 00:24:34.559
You know, and there are no pressure, but yeah, yeah.
00:24:34.640 --> 00:24:41.279
They're they're all you know, my youngest grandson is five years old, you know, uh, my son Dakon's son.
00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:45.119
So he'll he'll be there, he'll be like, what are they talking about?
00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:54.880
You know, I can I I can see, but but some of my older, some of my older grandchildren, you know, in their twenties and everything, they're finished school and you know, they're looking.
00:24:54.960 --> 00:25:02.640
And I just keep my fingers crossed that this may motivate them a little bit with being here and seeing seeing the celebration and being part of it.
00:25:03.119 --> 00:25:03.680
I think so.
00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:15.440
When they when they see what what uh part of the legacy that that your family that they're part of has has here on the island, how could they not be convinced to keep it rolling, right?
00:25:15.759 --> 00:25:16.000
Right.
00:25:16.079 --> 00:25:16.240
Yeah.
00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:18.079
Well, I should say inspired.
00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:18.960
Yeah.
00:25:19.920 --> 00:25:24.640
So you talked about the history of the the store.
00:25:25.680 --> 00:25:28.079
Talk about growing up here in Key West.
00:25:28.240 --> 00:25:31.440
When you when you were a kid, you know, what what was Key West like?
00:25:31.599 --> 00:25:35.599
And you grew up in the same neighborhood where you live now, right?
00:25:35.839 --> 00:25:36.720
Yeah, absolutely.
00:25:36.880 --> 00:25:42.240
This is where I've, other than the 10 years I disappeared from the island, this is where I've always lived.
00:25:42.400 --> 00:25:46.720
You know, so it's it was a whole different community then.
00:25:46.799 --> 00:25:48.720
You know, we were dependent upon the Navy.
00:25:48.880 --> 00:25:53.359
The Navy was a big economic driver at the time for the for the city.
00:25:53.519 --> 00:26:02.559
And so, you know, we look forward to the the the paychecks on the 5th and 15th of the month, and it was as what paid paid bills for us.
00:26:02.720 --> 00:26:06.480
And you know, that's that's when that's what when things were.
00:26:06.640 --> 00:26:12.240
And, you know, I was able to hop on my bike and go anywhere without any without any concern.
00:26:12.319 --> 00:26:18.240
My parents didn't have any concern as long as I made it home before the streetlights came on, as they say.
00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:24.799
You know, so I mean I would hang out down at QS Bike by the, you know, because that was where all the shrimp boats were.
00:26:24.960 --> 00:26:30.240
And I would go down, you know, run my bike down there just to see if any of the boats were bringing any shrimp in.
00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:33.279
And at that time they still had the turtle crawls, also.
00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:44.319
So, you know, I would watch, I hate to say this now, since I'm kind of somewhat of a a strong environmentalist watching them butcher the turtles at the time.
00:26:44.880 --> 00:26:47.119
You know, and it was it was a different time, you know.
00:26:47.200 --> 00:26:48.000
You learned.
00:26:48.400 --> 00:26:49.440
Before we knew better.
00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:51.440
Yeah, before we knew better, you know.
00:26:51.599 --> 00:26:59.440
So and I remember like on the summers, what we did was that where the library is today, it used to be a playground.
00:26:59.599 --> 00:27:04.880
And that's where we spent spent most of our summer days was over there playing.
00:27:05.039 --> 00:27:08.160
And kids don't do this anymore, but playing corkball.
00:27:08.400 --> 00:27:12.720
You know, I don't know if you remember people playing corkball or anything.
00:27:12.880 --> 00:27:19.599
So you know, we had a little neighborhood league, uh, because they only had you know you had a pitcher and a catcher, and that was it.
00:27:19.680 --> 00:27:20.799
And each team had that.
00:27:21.039 --> 00:27:22.880
You had to have a lot of corks.
00:27:23.680 --> 00:27:24.240
Oh, yeah.
00:27:25.680 --> 00:27:29.519
That that and that and broomsticks, broomstick handles.
00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:32.079
We had a we had a lot of all of those.
00:27:32.240 --> 00:27:34.240
So it was it was a lot of fun, you know.
00:27:34.559 --> 00:27:35.839
Who were some of your friends?
00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:37.440
Name name drop for me.
00:27:37.519 --> 00:27:39.839
Tell me some of your friends that you hung out with.
00:27:40.559 --> 00:27:42.240
Oh wow, let me think.
00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:46.880
A guy named Al Al Alton Griffin, Victor Nehra.
00:27:47.599 --> 00:27:52.960
Uh, and actually Victor was one of the people that taught me to cut meat years later, many years later, Victor Neira.
00:27:53.359 --> 00:27:54.640
He lived across the street.
00:27:54.880 --> 00:28:00.480
Alton Griffin lived in the, I think, six or seven hundred block of Elizabeth Street.
00:28:00.640 --> 00:28:07.599
And then there was uh Brass Russell, Harry Russell, you probably knew Harry from yeah, you know, uh Harry.
00:28:08.079 --> 00:28:10.720
There was kids that like Cookie Maching.
00:28:10.799 --> 00:28:11.599
I don't know if you know that name.
00:28:11.920 --> 00:28:12.319
I'm sure.
00:28:12.480 --> 00:28:13.920
Yeah, he was he was around.
00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:20.160
Uh the Curries, Richard Curry and his brother Donald, lived down this down the street from us from me here.
00:28:20.319 --> 00:28:22.079
And a lot of Navy kids, you know.
00:28:22.240 --> 00:28:22.480
Yeah.
00:28:22.720 --> 00:28:28.720
So uh no, there was one family named Rafferty that had a bunch of kids that we we played with all the time.
00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:35.359
And then a kid across the street, also Navy family, Wayne Hendrick was his name.
00:28:35.519 --> 00:28:40.960
So, yeah, there's some of the people that I I played with and everything.
00:28:41.119 --> 00:28:49.440
Jimmy Lowe was another one that lived in the neighborhood that we would play, you know, corkball with and everything.
00:28:49.599 --> 00:28:55.359
So when you're walking around the neighborhood, do you still reminisce about the good old days?
00:28:55.839 --> 00:28:57.279
Sometimes I do, yeah.
00:28:57.359 --> 00:28:58.160
Yeah, you know.
00:28:58.319 --> 00:29:03.119
And the thing is, is that uh, you know, the neighborhood has changed, you know, over the years.
00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:06.559
And there's so many vacation rentals on this street now.
00:29:06.640 --> 00:29:12.240
It's you know taking away the true fabric of what Key West was, unfortunately.
00:29:12.960 --> 00:29:18.160
So you you attended Mary Macklet High School and graduated from Mary Mackley.
00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:21.119
Was that was were the nuns still there at that time?
00:29:21.440 --> 00:29:22.799
Yes, they were still there.
00:29:22.960 --> 00:29:24.880
Yep, yep, they sure were.
00:29:25.119 --> 00:29:26.240
So you went there?
00:29:26.559 --> 00:29:27.039
Yeah.
00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:32.000
I was gonna say my dad, my dad George, he ended up finishing high school there.
00:29:32.160 --> 00:29:38.720
And I think if I remember the story right, he was one of the first class where the boys went.
00:29:38.880 --> 00:29:41.519
And he told a lot of stories about the nuns.
00:29:41.599 --> 00:29:42.559
They didn't play around.
00:29:42.799 --> 00:29:47.279
No, no, they were they they knew how to use that ruler on your knuckles.
00:29:47.920 --> 00:29:49.119
So that's a true story.
00:29:49.200 --> 00:29:50.400
He wasn't making it up.
00:29:50.640 --> 00:29:51.920
No, that's a true story.
00:29:52.079 --> 00:29:54.319
I have I I was never knuckled.
00:29:54.720 --> 00:29:56.720
I know I was a good kid?
00:29:56.960 --> 00:29:58.799
I was a I was good.
00:29:59.039 --> 00:30:03.440
Yeah, that's a good I just never got caught what I was doing, you know.
00:30:03.599 --> 00:30:08.400
So, and the you know who my high school baseball coach was?
00:30:08.640 --> 00:30:09.839
Buddy Owen.
00:30:10.160 --> 00:30:10.720
Really?
00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:15.119
I was gonna say Tony Hirsch, but that would be uh a little bit ahead.
00:30:15.440 --> 00:30:16.319
So Buddy Owen.
00:30:16.960 --> 00:30:22.640
Buddy Owen was my actually, he was my football, baseball, and basketball coach.
00:30:22.799 --> 00:30:24.160
And he taught me how to drive.
00:30:24.240 --> 00:30:26.880
He was my it was the driver's ed instructor.
00:30:27.200 --> 00:30:30.880
And there were some good times with Buddy when he took us out driving.
00:30:31.039 --> 00:30:34.799
I I I would imagine you you might not have got back in time.
00:30:35.039 --> 00:30:36.799
And there were some good athletes.
00:30:36.880 --> 00:30:40.000
I didn't know, I didn't know that you played football also.
00:30:40.480 --> 00:30:43.839
There were some good athletes that we don't talk enough about.
00:30:44.000 --> 00:30:57.519
I w I was talking actually to Todd Hurst recently, uh, because he graduated in the 80s from Mary MacLean, and we were talking about doing a show, trying to get some some of the guys back, because there's definitely a lot of good baseball players.
00:30:57.839 --> 00:31:14.720
Yeah, you know, you know who was there early on was Randy Sterling and Kenny Wardlow were the the the two that, you know, after after they left Mary Immaculate and they dropped their programs, you know, they went to the high school, of course, and both of them did did well.
00:31:15.759 --> 00:31:18.480
They're probably they didn't want to play against them, right?
00:31:18.640 --> 00:31:21.440
They didn't want Key West High to play against uh those guys.
00:31:21.759 --> 00:31:24.400
Well, actually, we we beat Key West High.
00:31:24.720 --> 00:31:28.799
We played, I think we beat them like two to one or three to two, something like that.
00:31:29.039 --> 00:31:29.680
You know.
00:31:30.160 --> 00:31:35.920
We've got to do a whole episode talking about that because they're those are untold stories right there.
00:31:36.240 --> 00:31:36.720
Yeah.
00:31:36.880 --> 00:31:38.240
Yeah, a lot of people don't know that.
00:31:38.480 --> 00:31:40.000
So so when did you start?
00:31:40.079 --> 00:31:42.559
Did you have a a job when you were a kid?
00:31:42.640 --> 00:31:45.039
And did you have did you work in a grocery store?
00:31:45.279 --> 00:31:47.279
Yeah, we were 10 years old.
00:31:47.519 --> 00:31:51.279
I made five dollars a week every other week.
00:31:51.599 --> 00:31:52.559
Every other week?
00:31:52.799 --> 00:31:54.880
Yeah, because I had to share it with my brothers.
00:31:55.039 --> 00:31:57.119
So all of us could work at the same time.
00:31:57.359 --> 00:32:00.640
So two two of us worked one week that we had a week off.
00:32:00.799 --> 00:32:07.519
Yeah, you know, so we bagged potatoes and onions and you know, things like that before they came in self-bagged already.
00:32:07.599 --> 00:32:08.640
So that's what we did.
00:32:08.720 --> 00:32:13.920
We would, you know, bag up potatoes, onions, black beans we had to bag up.
00:32:14.240 --> 00:32:19.119
You know, so it was it it taught us a lot, you know.
00:32:19.200 --> 00:32:24.880
It it it it gave us a work ek ethic that's still with us.
00:32:25.359 --> 00:32:27.440
And you know, thankful to my mom and dad.
00:32:27.920 --> 00:32:35.519
So it was so when you talked about going to Washington, what what was your what was your plans?
00:32:35.599 --> 00:32:39.279
What what career path did you expect to to go down?
00:32:40.000 --> 00:32:43.599
Well I wanted to become an FBI agent.
00:32:44.079 --> 00:32:44.640
Really?
00:32:44.960 --> 00:32:45.200
Yeah.
00:32:45.680 --> 00:32:46.400
That's cool.
00:32:46.640 --> 00:32:47.759
You still can.
00:32:48.160 --> 00:32:49.440
Well, no, you no, you can't.
00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:54.319
Not at my not at my age and not what's going on in Washington now.
00:32:54.640 --> 00:33:04.319
No, and so you know, I I I left here, went went to Washington, worked worked in the Bureau as I was what they call a name search name searcher.
00:33:04.480 --> 00:33:10.160
You know, there's various a lot of similar names and a lot of exact same names.
00:33:10.319 --> 00:33:19.599
And if an agent requested something, what I mostly did was provide names to the agents of people that were in different files for anything.
00:33:19.680 --> 00:33:24.720
It didn't have to be anything criminal or civil, just just whatever.
00:33:24.960 --> 00:33:30.160
You know, so they kept a they kept an eye on everybody in those days, and still do probably.
00:33:30.400 --> 00:33:42.160
And so, like if the White House was having an event, we would get the guest list and we would have to find if there were articles about these individuals, if there was anything derogatory, anything like that.
00:33:42.319 --> 00:33:44.000
All we had was a card to go by.
00:33:44.319 --> 00:33:52.960
And so then we would find, uh, locate the file and take the file and send it to the agent that was doing all the background stuff.
00:33:53.279 --> 00:33:55.920
So I did that for like two years.
00:33:56.160 --> 00:34:01.519
And then I uh came home and worked for, I finished, I finished, I think I had a year left.
00:34:01.599 --> 00:34:05.599
I finished my last year at the community college here at the time.
00:34:05.759 --> 00:34:12.559
Uh, when I was still over in in Douglas, Douglas School, and when I was over there when it first started.
00:34:12.639 --> 00:34:15.119
And so I was able to finish up over there.
00:34:15.599 --> 00:34:18.800
And then I went to uh Florida Southern College in Lakeland.
00:34:18.960 --> 00:34:23.360
And I when I finished uh there is when I went back to Washington.
00:34:23.840 --> 00:34:29.360
But I worked at that time I got a job in the court system as a courtroom clerk.
00:34:29.599 --> 00:34:30.639
So yeah.
00:34:30.960 --> 00:34:38.320
So it was uh it was interesting, and it was an interesting time because I was there during all the Watergate, all the Watergate stuff that was going on.
00:34:38.559 --> 00:34:40.960
So it was a real interesting, interesting time.
00:34:41.119 --> 00:34:50.880
When I didn't have court, we would walk over to the Senate, the Senate hearing room and sit in on some of the the hearing hearings that were going on at the time on Watergate.
00:34:51.039 --> 00:34:56.400
So it was it was really uh an exciting, interesting, interesting time.
00:34:56.800 --> 00:34:58.000
Yeah, I'd say so.
00:34:58.239 --> 00:35:09.039
Definitely part of Americ American history to be right there in the middle of it and young and energetic and enthusiastic, and that that's good stuff.
00:35:09.360 --> 00:35:19.039
So it kind of brings us to you cut you come back home and uh start working, you know, the wet the weather brought you back home and you start working in the store.
00:35:19.360 --> 00:35:23.679
In 1985, you ran for commission.
00:35:23.920 --> 00:35:25.840
And I wanted to tell you this.
00:35:26.079 --> 00:35:36.079
I think about it and and doing my research to talk to you today, my whole adult life, you've been a community leader.
00:35:36.400 --> 00:35:41.519
I graduated in 86, 1985, you ran for commissioner the first time.
00:35:41.679 --> 00:35:42.000
Right.
00:35:42.159 --> 00:35:46.159
And you served as commissioner in '99, I believe it was, mayor.
00:35:46.719 --> 00:35:50.880
Did six years as mayor, and then another stint as commissioner.
00:35:51.119 --> 00:36:02.960
So if my if my research is right, of all the city leaders we we've had, you're you're the only one that could say 35 years as an elected public official.
00:36:03.039 --> 00:36:04.960
That that's that's big time right there.
00:36:05.119 --> 00:36:05.920
That's something to say.
00:36:06.239 --> 00:36:06.719
Well, thank you.
00:36:06.800 --> 00:36:11.039
Yeah, I you know when I first ran, I didn't know.
00:36:11.119 --> 00:36:14.400
I didn't know, first of all, if I would if I would like it, but I would want to do it.
00:36:14.559 --> 00:36:27.920
And I did, you know, I mean, it was something that I I guess I remember my my grandmother during the 1960 presidential election with Kennedy and Nixon.
00:36:28.159 --> 00:36:34.000
I remember anytime she saw Kennedy on on TV, she had me by her side watching it.
00:36:34.159 --> 00:36:38.719
And so I started getting interested in in politics, politics then.
00:36:39.039 --> 00:36:44.000
And so that's where I caught the fever, I guess, just just watching that.
00:36:44.079 --> 00:36:48.239
And uh never never thought that I would I would run for office.
00:36:48.400 --> 00:36:50.960
I was involved in a number of of campaigns.
00:36:51.039 --> 00:36:55.519
When I lived in when I lived in DC, I lived in Virginia, in Virginia, actually.
00:36:55.679 --> 00:37:01.920
And there were like local races that I would volunteer to help out in, pardon me, in that, and that type of thing.
00:37:02.000 --> 00:37:08.320
So and then when I when I came home, you know, my brother Alton ran for office and was elected.
00:37:08.400 --> 00:37:14.159
He did one term on the city commission, and I helped him, you know, campaign for him and helped him get elected.
00:37:14.480 --> 00:37:16.559
And so then one day some people came to me.
00:37:16.639 --> 00:37:24.960
This would have been in 80, 84, I guess, came to me and asked me if I would if I would think about running for city commission.
00:37:25.119 --> 00:37:27.039
I said, nah, that's that's not who I am.
00:37:27.119 --> 00:37:28.559
That's not that's not me.
00:37:28.800 --> 00:37:31.519
I don't I don't know how well I would do.
00:37:31.679 --> 00:37:44.719
You know, I I uh I like working in the campaigns, but as far as sitting up there and and making decisions and hope hopefully making the best one for the communities, I don't know if that's me.
00:37:44.960 --> 00:37:47.039
And so they said, well, why don't you think about it?
00:37:47.119 --> 00:37:50.719
So I remember coming home talking to to Susan about it.
00:37:50.880 --> 00:37:52.880
She said, Well, if you want to do it, yeah, do it.
00:37:52.960 --> 00:37:56.079
You know, you don't know until you unless you find out.
00:37:56.239 --> 00:37:58.400
The only way of doing it is by by running.
00:37:58.559 --> 00:38:00.079
You know, so so I did.
00:38:00.239 --> 00:38:12.400
I had a a good campaign, and I was fortunate that I that I was able to win, you know, and never did I realize it would be there as long as I had been, you know.
00:38:12.559 --> 00:38:16.880
I mean, there were there were, you know, I've got I've got some accomplishments that I'm quite proud of.
00:38:17.199 --> 00:38:20.559
I wasn't that's I wanted to ask you, what were some of those highlights?
00:38:20.719 --> 00:38:22.960
Thirty, thirty-five years, what were some of the highlights?
00:38:23.280 --> 00:38:29.840
I think the w I I think the one that I'm most proud of is the Key West Bike, getting the city to to buy the Key West Bight area.
00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:32.559
And that that happened by by luck.
00:38:32.719 --> 00:38:35.440
I was at City Hall one day, walked into a planning meeting.
00:38:35.519 --> 00:38:48.559
There was somebody, a gentleman there making a presentation about what he wanted to do if he could buy that property from the singletons, what he wanted to do, what these galleon-type buildings up on the waterfront there.
00:38:48.800 --> 00:38:54.320
And I remember going over to the city attorney's office and say, How can I stop this?
00:38:54.480 --> 00:38:56.239
We can't have this, you know.
00:38:56.559 --> 00:39:00.079
And we brought our lobbyist in.
00:39:00.159 --> 00:39:03.199
I talked to the lobbyist about it, what what I what I wanted.
00:39:03.280 --> 00:39:06.559
And he said, You're dreaming technicolor, you know.
00:39:06.719 --> 00:39:10.559
I said, So that's the only, I was always taught that's the only way to dream.
00:39:10.639 --> 00:39:13.039
Don't dream black or white, dreaming technicolor.
00:39:13.199 --> 00:39:13.519
I love that.
00:39:13.840 --> 00:39:18.239
And so and the lobbyist said, Let me let me think about this.
00:39:18.400 --> 00:39:20.320
Let me talk to some people in Tallahassee.
00:39:20.480 --> 00:39:24.400
And a few weeks later he calls me and says, I've got a gentleman I want you to meet.
00:39:24.480 --> 00:39:25.840
His name's Dale Allen.
00:39:26.000 --> 00:39:30.079
So we're coming down, just want to make sure that we set up a time to meet.
00:39:30.239 --> 00:39:35.440
And so Dale Allen was with this organization called uh Trust for Public Lands.
00:39:35.599 --> 00:39:39.599
And so he wanted to see what my vision for the for the bite was.
00:39:39.760 --> 00:39:41.760
And so we went over there.
00:39:42.000 --> 00:39:42.800
We walked around.
00:39:42.960 --> 00:39:54.800
I told him about all the all the shrimp boats that used to be tied up there and all the other uh commercial fishing boats that were there from the spongers and and in the old days, some of the turtle, uh, some of the turtle fishermen.
00:39:54.960 --> 00:39:57.119
And this is something, it's our history.
00:39:57.280 --> 00:39:58.800
We've got to preserve this.
00:39:59.119 --> 00:40:15.920
Remember sitting at uh at one of the benches there at the uh at the half shell having a beer with him, talking, and he says, Well, he said, I'd like to help you, but I haven't heard one word from you about something until I I really can't do anything unless I hear that word.
00:40:16.159 --> 00:40:19.679
And I said, I don't understand why one word matters.
00:40:19.840 --> 00:40:24.639
I said I gave you my vision of what I what I would like to see there to be able to preserve it.
00:40:24.880 --> 00:40:28.320
I said, we have to maintain public access to this.
00:40:28.639 --> 00:40:32.559
He slammed his head down and said, that's the word I was looking for.
00:40:32.800 --> 00:40:33.840
Public access.
00:40:34.079 --> 00:40:36.400
I said, oh, so now we can do this.
00:40:36.960 --> 00:40:39.199
And so yeah.
00:40:39.519 --> 00:40:45.599
So he asked me who in the community that I think would help could help sell it.
00:40:46.400 --> 00:40:47.679
Sell it to the community.
00:40:47.840 --> 00:40:53.840
And I my thought was, okay, who do I believe could be opposed to this?
00:40:54.159 --> 00:40:59.519
And that's the people that I wanted to bring in, to try to hear their opposition.
00:40:59.679 --> 00:41:07.280
So if we had to go to referendum, or when we went to referendum, we had an argument for whatever whatever their opposition was.
00:41:07.440 --> 00:41:22.159
Well, to identify Ed Swift, Johnny Parks, Tony Falcone, Debbie Haran, uh, which is David Haran's sister-in-law at the time, Debbie Haran, and there was a gentleman, I can't recall his last name.
00:41:22.239 --> 00:41:23.199
His first name was Sam.
00:41:23.280 --> 00:41:27.199
He was uh a retired uh coast Coast Guard person.
00:41:27.280 --> 00:41:31.760
And so come to find out that no one was really opposed to it.
00:41:32.000 --> 00:41:36.880
Everybody wanted, I said, I thought I was putting people on that were going to be opposed.
00:41:36.960 --> 00:41:42.480
So we had an argument where we knew what the opposition was going to say, but you all are part of it.
00:41:42.559 --> 00:41:44.000
How can how can we do this?
00:41:44.159 --> 00:41:56.480
And so that committee was formed, and we looked at the highs and the lows, and one of the things that we said all the way through was this was a money-making opportunity for the city.
00:41:56.719 --> 00:41:58.480
And that's exactly what has happened.
00:41:58.559 --> 00:42:05.199
That we we have been very fortunate uh that the businesses all over there, you know, came on board.
00:42:05.440 --> 00:42:12.079
Most of the original ones are still around there, you know, and so we were we were fortunate in that.
00:42:12.320 --> 00:42:24.079
And here we are 20 plus years later, and it's it's still very successful and still bringing in revenue to the uh to the city, which helps keep our property tax ad valorum tax base uh down.
00:42:24.239 --> 00:42:35.440
I think I think we give the uh city, I think around, I don't know, somewhere between three and five million dollars a year to help offset any uh any ad valorum taxes.
00:42:35.519 --> 00:42:38.000
And so, and still quite profitable.
00:42:38.239 --> 00:42:43.119
So that was that was one of the things that I was most uh most proud of.
00:42:43.360 --> 00:42:47.440
And the other the other would be the Truman Waterfront Park.
00:42:48.079 --> 00:42:52.880
Originally, they uh when that property came up, we thought we were gonna have to purchase it.
00:42:53.039 --> 00:42:56.960
And I remember Commissioner Carmen Turner was on the commission at the time.
00:42:57.119 --> 00:43:07.360
And she and I went to went to Washington and negotiated with GSA about giving us the property at a no-cost conveyance for economic development.
00:43:07.679 --> 00:43:13.280
And the economic development part was going to be the marina that was supposed to have gone in there.
00:43:13.519 --> 00:43:13.920
Okay, yeah.
00:43:14.159 --> 00:43:25.519
Uh, but after after 9-11, the May the Navy reconsidered that and decided they better hang on to the and you know, that that water aspect of it there.
00:43:25.599 --> 00:43:28.800
So but you know, we have a beautiful park there now.
00:43:29.199 --> 00:43:31.039
It's what the community wanted.
00:43:31.360 --> 00:43:34.079
We have the amphitheater that seems to be doing quite well.
00:43:34.239 --> 00:43:39.920
And that's that's the other thing that I that I did that I was quite quite proud of of doing.
00:43:40.239 --> 00:43:50.559
Those are my two favorite places to go in Keywess, and my my dog's laying here next to me, and we we go down and walk on the park four or five days days a week.
00:43:50.960 --> 00:43:51.119
Right.
00:43:51.360 --> 00:43:58.639
And watch the sunrise or the sunset and the holidays, the the bite during the holidays.
00:43:58.800 --> 00:44:02.320
Any anytime that's To me, that's like the best part of Key West.
00:44:02.719 --> 00:44:08.079
Hopefully we'll do something with Mallory Square and reinvigorate that space sometime soon.
00:44:08.400 --> 00:44:13.679
But the bike, the harbor is is really where you want to take people when people come to visit.
00:44:13.760 --> 00:44:14.800
It's just beautiful.
00:44:15.119 --> 00:44:15.920
Right, absolutely.
00:44:16.320 --> 00:44:23.920
And like you said, the business is really stepped up to to keep it going and the community embraced it in such a way.
00:44:24.079 --> 00:44:38.239
I love to see the Miss Key West, the old shrimp boat still there because when I see the when I go there, I still see in my head all the shrimp boats, you know, so it is nice to to see the at least one working shrimp boat there.
00:44:38.480 --> 00:44:38.719
Right.
00:44:39.039 --> 00:44:39.760
Yep, yep.
00:44:40.000 --> 00:45:01.440
Joy, when when I was uh w working at the store as a kid and we delivered, uh the strippers would come in and and do all their purchasing, we would have to deliver and I remember delivering to these shrimp boats, and it wasn't like one dock next to the dock, there were like three or four or five docked to one another, hooked up to one another.
00:45:01.599 --> 00:45:06.960
And without a fail, if I had to take an order over there, it was always the one that was the furthest away.
00:45:07.119 --> 00:45:14.480
So I had to climb over all these different boats in order to get to the boat that it ought to be uh ordered the groceries, you know.
00:45:14.719 --> 00:45:19.280
So that was that was that was what the bite was.
00:45:19.440 --> 00:45:31.119
I mean, that's what you know, you know, and I remember all the ladies there on Lazy Way, on Lazy Wave that would head the shrimp, and I think they got like 25 cent a bucket, something like that.
00:45:31.280 --> 00:45:41.039
You know, in those days probably decent money, it wasn't great, but you know, they were they were in the store after they after they'd finished heading shrimp and you know, buying whatever they wanted.
00:45:41.119 --> 00:45:46.079
And so, yeah, that's that's memories that other people will never have.
00:45:46.400 --> 00:45:48.159
That was a big statement right there.
00:45:48.320 --> 00:45:50.239
Memories that other people will never have.
00:45:50.480 --> 00:45:56.480
It is special to have to grow up in Key West at any time, especially those times.
00:45:56.639 --> 00:46:03.519
I was a you know, 70s, 80s kid, and uh it was still very much like that.
00:46:03.599 --> 00:46:19.519
I I enjoyed photography at an early age, and George and Dale McDonald were good friends, worked, you know, with firemen together, and and Dale took me to the shrimp docks to learn how to take pictures and use the color the color meter the first time.
00:46:19.599 --> 00:46:22.480
You know, uh for Christmas, George got me a camera.
00:46:22.559 --> 00:46:23.760
I'll I'll never forget it.
00:46:23.840 --> 00:46:26.960
I was like fourth grade, that was a big, you know, gift.
00:46:27.119 --> 00:46:36.639
And Dale took me down there one day and taught me how to use the camera, and invariably when I go over there and visit, I still have that, you know, those that vision.
00:46:36.880 --> 00:46:38.559
Yeah, that's that's how I remember it.
00:46:38.639 --> 00:46:39.599
Good good times.
00:46:39.920 --> 00:46:45.199
But we we live in a in a beautiful island and and not nothing stays the same, you know.
00:46:45.360 --> 00:46:47.199
You've seen a lot of change.
00:46:47.519 --> 00:46:51.840
What's one thing that you hope will always remain the same?
00:46:52.159 --> 00:46:56.639
I think the diversity of the island, I think that's important.
00:46:56.800 --> 00:46:59.360
I think that that's who we are anyway.
00:46:59.519 --> 00:47:10.480
But I just hope that always stays where people accept diversity and understand that that the people are who they are, and there's no need to hold anything against people.
00:47:10.719 --> 00:47:14.320
And our diversity is just way, way so important.
00:47:14.639 --> 00:47:16.000
And the weather.
00:47:16.320 --> 00:47:19.119
It's beautiful, it's a beautiful day today, that's for sure.
00:47:19.599 --> 00:47:20.159
Yep, yep.
00:47:20.239 --> 00:47:23.039
We're very fortunate to be here.
00:47:23.280 --> 00:47:25.360
You know, a lot of people wish they were.
00:47:25.599 --> 00:47:26.960
They just can't do it.
00:47:27.199 --> 00:47:27.599
Exactly.
00:47:27.679 --> 00:47:30.000
You gotta be tough to be here in Key West.
00:47:30.639 --> 00:47:31.599
That is for sure.
00:47:31.840 --> 00:47:37.920
You know, in in more ways than one, even like you talk about while we started the conversation, you talking about your grandfather.
00:47:38.079 --> 00:47:39.679
You know, he's a hustler.
00:47:39.840 --> 00:47:42.880
More than one job, whatever whatever it took, right?
00:47:43.039 --> 00:47:44.480
Yeah to make it work.
00:47:44.639 --> 00:47:47.440
And uh what what a legacy he he built.
00:47:47.599 --> 00:47:50.800
We're gonna go ahead and wrap up because uh I I know you got things to do.
00:47:50.880 --> 00:47:52.719
You got a celebration to to run.
00:47:52.880 --> 00:47:53.599
Let me ask you this.
00:47:53.760 --> 00:47:55.440
Will there be cake at this celebration?
00:47:55.679 --> 00:47:57.599
Oh, yeah, there will definitely be cake.
00:47:58.079 --> 00:48:12.000
With cake, and not only not only that, I'll re we're going to put I'm not sure what it what it's gonna be like, but little chips of some type uh in different parts of the cake when they when they bake the cake or they show up at different places.
00:48:12.480 --> 00:48:23.280
And if you get one of if you get one of those, you're gonna either have a get a cap, a Fausto's cap, uh t shirt, or one of our shot one of our bags.
00:48:23.360 --> 00:48:24.480
So Hey, I love that.
00:48:24.559 --> 00:48:26.159
I need I need a Fausto's cap.
00:48:26.800 --> 00:48:28.239
Yeah, yeah, there you go.
00:48:28.719 --> 00:48:31.039
Well, I'm glad I asked you about the cake then.
00:48:31.280 --> 00:48:32.639
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:48:32.719 --> 00:48:36.639
So So speaking speaking of that, this question is is somewhat similar.
00:48:36.960 --> 00:48:39.360
What's your favorite conch cuisine?
00:48:39.519 --> 00:48:40.880
What's your go-to dish?
00:48:41.119 --> 00:48:42.400
Conch chowder?
00:48:43.119 --> 00:48:44.400
Conch critters.
00:48:44.960 --> 00:48:51.840
In the old days it was there was turtle, you know, and uh Jewfish.
00:48:52.639 --> 00:48:53.039
You know?
00:48:53.199 --> 00:48:53.440
Yeah.
00:48:53.679 --> 00:48:54.880
A lot of that I miss.
00:48:55.679 --> 00:48:55.920
Yeah.
00:48:56.400 --> 00:49:10.880
Uh one time I ordered a box of conch, and they came in these 50 pound cases, and I'm going through it, taking it out just to thaw the the the uh conch out, and I opened this one box and it was a five-pound box of tuna.
00:49:11.119 --> 00:49:12.480
I mean not tuna, it was a turtle.
00:49:13.280 --> 00:49:14.800
Five-pound box of turtle.
00:49:15.119 --> 00:49:20.159
I went up to my mother and said, Mom, look what came mixed in with the con with the conch.
00:49:20.480 --> 00:49:23.679
This box box of turtle, what should I do with it?
00:49:23.760 --> 00:49:24.639
She says, Eat it.
00:49:26.079 --> 00:49:26.639
That's what we did.
00:49:26.719 --> 00:49:29.840
We we took it, uh we took it home and you know.
00:49:30.400 --> 00:49:35.519
She cooked it the way she would, and it was just like, oh my god, it was fabulous.
00:49:36.400 --> 00:49:39.760
That was the last time I had any any uh turtle.
00:49:40.079 --> 00:49:49.360
Yeah, I don't I don't remember having any, but I re I remember the turtle cross, and I remember my mom and dad talking about it and turtle turtle soup, you know.
00:49:49.519 --> 00:49:53.920
You know, I could make every Christmas I go down there and and I get conch.
00:49:54.719 --> 00:49:55.920
Oh, look at all that conch.
00:49:56.159 --> 00:49:57.679
That's conch childed, cousin.
00:49:57.760 --> 00:49:58.880
You better believe that.
00:49:59.039 --> 00:50:00.559
It's food up with good conch.
00:50:00.639 --> 00:50:02.639
I got it from Fausto's this morning.
00:50:02.960 --> 00:50:03.679
Ooh, wee.
00:50:03.920 --> 00:50:06.000
Roasted them peppers and everything.
00:50:06.320 --> 00:50:07.199
Oh man.
00:50:07.360 --> 00:50:09.119
Just dropped the potatoes and the carrots.
00:50:09.199 --> 00:50:11.440
They gotta cook for about 20 minutes.
00:50:11.599 --> 00:50:12.719
It's gonna be righteous.
00:50:12.800 --> 00:50:13.840
We're gonna tear it up.
00:50:14.159 --> 00:50:15.360
Fam's gonna eat good.
00:50:15.519 --> 00:50:17.599
Christmas Eve, believe that so we can sleep.
00:50:17.840 --> 00:50:20.480
I wait when the fat man comes, we'll be night night.
00:50:20.960 --> 00:50:23.199
Woo! Merry Christmas from God.
00:50:24.320 --> 00:50:25.440
Much love, fam.
00:50:27.840 --> 00:50:31.519
I make a big old pot of corn chowder for the family.
00:50:31.599 --> 00:50:34.239
That's our that's our Christmas Eve dinner.
00:50:34.400 --> 00:50:36.719
This year I'm gonna bring you, I'm gonna bring you some.
00:50:36.880 --> 00:50:38.000
Because I'll make it pretty much.
00:50:39.679 --> 00:50:40.480
Don't forget me this year.
00:50:40.719 --> 00:50:41.119
I'm getting it.
00:50:41.280 --> 00:50:42.320
I'm part of the family now.
00:50:42.480 --> 00:50:43.039
Yeah, that's it.
00:50:43.119 --> 00:50:43.760
We're family.
00:50:43.840 --> 00:50:45.119
You've been on the show, that's it.
00:50:45.199 --> 00:50:45.920
Forget about it.
00:50:46.000 --> 00:50:46.639
That's right.
00:50:46.960 --> 00:50:49.599
All right, one more question, and then I'll let you go.
00:50:49.760 --> 00:50:50.960
This is the big one.
00:50:51.199 --> 00:50:53.280
What brings you joy, Jimmy Weekly?
00:50:53.519 --> 00:50:54.320
Your joy.
00:50:55.039 --> 00:51:00.079
Meeting people, you know, uh working with people, working with the customers in particular.
00:51:00.320 --> 00:51:01.760
I I really have a lot of fun.
00:51:02.079 --> 00:51:14.800
Plus my family, you know, you know, with with my my grandkids and my children, and you know, some of five of the eight grew up in Chattanooga, uh, Tennessee.
00:51:14.960 --> 00:51:18.239
That's where they that's where they were all born and raised and everything.
00:51:18.400 --> 00:51:23.920
And so, you know, anytime I'm with them now, it's just such a joy to be with them.
00:51:24.079 --> 00:51:29.679
And, you know, they would come down every summer over the holidays, you know, every other holiday, that type of thing.
00:51:29.920 --> 00:51:35.199
But uh now that I have my youngest grandson, Otis here that's with me, that's here all the time.
00:51:35.280 --> 00:51:44.079
I get to see him quite quite frequently, and watching him uh grow, that that brings me, you know, tremendous lot of a lot of joy.
00:51:44.400 --> 00:51:44.960
I love that.
00:51:45.119 --> 00:51:47.199
Thank you for spending time with me today.
00:51:47.360 --> 00:51:52.000
Thank you for your service to Key West and um congratulations.
00:51:52.239 --> 00:51:52.960
A hundred years ago.
00:51:53.119 --> 00:51:53.760
Well, thank you, Joy.
00:51:54.079 --> 00:52:01.199
I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna see you down there on Saturday and uh hope to meet some some of your family that that I haven't met yet.
00:52:01.280 --> 00:52:02.159
Thank you so much, Jimmy.
00:52:02.480 --> 00:52:04.000
You you you will, I'm sure.
00:52:04.079 --> 00:52:05.119
So I look forward to that.
00:52:05.440 --> 00:52:06.079
Thank you for doing this.
00:52:06.159 --> 00:52:07.679
This is a real pleasure for me.
00:52:07.920 --> 00:52:15.360
And anytime I have an opportunity to talk about about the store or this city, uh I love I love doing it, you know.
00:52:15.519 --> 00:52:17.599
And I just want to say something real quick.
00:52:17.840 --> 00:52:30.159
When I was mayor at one time, I was flying out of out of Washington back to Key West, and there was a gentleman in front of me in the in the in the ticket line that was really giving the ticket agent a really rough time.
00:52:30.320 --> 00:52:33.039
And she maintained her cool and everything like this.
00:52:33.199 --> 00:52:35.440
So eventually she was able to take care of him.
00:52:35.599 --> 00:52:40.719
And then when I walked up and she kind of snapped at me a little bit, like, where are you going?
00:52:40.960 --> 00:52:42.239
I said, Key West.
00:52:42.880 --> 00:52:44.880
Her whole attitude changed.
00:52:45.039 --> 00:52:50.000
A big smile came on her face and said, Can I go with you?
00:52:52.079 --> 00:52:53.760
That's that's all it took.
00:52:53.840 --> 00:52:56.559
It was just like, you know, that was it.
00:52:56.639 --> 00:53:01.920
That was the magic word to her that changed her attitude and brought a smile back on her face.
00:53:02.079 --> 00:53:04.159
It really she knew she knew Key West.
00:53:04.320 --> 00:53:04.559
Yep.
00:53:04.960 --> 00:53:05.679
It really is.
00:53:05.840 --> 00:53:07.039
We're we're lucky.
00:53:07.280 --> 00:53:11.119
Yeah, we're we we're very that's a very true statement.
00:53:11.199 --> 00:53:11.920
We're very lucky.
00:53:12.079 --> 00:53:15.280
We're we're chosen, and now and now we gotta take care of it, right?
00:53:15.440 --> 00:53:15.920
Yeah, that's right.
00:53:16.000 --> 00:53:16.400
That's what we're doing.
00:53:16.559 --> 00:53:18.559
We'll continue, continue to take care of it.
00:53:18.800 --> 00:53:19.679
Yeah, yep.
00:53:20.000 --> 00:53:26.079
Gotta make sure that our next generations enjoys the same thing that we that we're doing now.
00:53:26.400 --> 00:53:26.960
I agree.
00:53:27.119 --> 00:53:37.440
I'm uh I'm up for it, and that's part of why we do this show is to preserve the stories and inspire people, you know, to keep it going and keep doing great things in the community.
00:53:37.679 --> 00:53:38.320
Yeah.
00:53:38.800 --> 00:53:40.079
Thanks for being on the show.
00:53:40.320 --> 00:53:40.800
No, thank you.
00:53:40.960 --> 00:53:41.599
Thank you, Joy.
00:53:41.760 --> 00:53:42.719
Thanks for having me.
00:53:42.960 --> 00:53:46.559
I'm Joy Newish, and I appreciate you tuning into my podcast.
00:53:46.719 --> 00:53:50.000
My purpose is to bring joy into my life and the lives of others.
00:53:50.159 --> 00:53:55.199
If you enjoyed this episode, drop a review, share, and subscribe because there's a lot of good stuff on tap.
00:53:55.519 --> 00:54:01.199
You can also follow Bring Joy on YouTube and Instagram, or check my website at joynoolish.com.
00:54:01.280 --> 00:54:03.519
Now go bring joy to the people in your world.
00:54:03.679 --> 00:54:05.760
Until next time, much love.