"Only in the darkness can you see the stars."- Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 21, 2020









Alicia

 "Only in the darkness can you see the stars."- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Key West hosts its very own Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration each year, and it has been a number of years since I went down to check it out, but for some reason this year, I really wanted to go down and see it and watch the short, intimate parade that is part of the annual celebration. Maybe the constant high level of stress in our public discourse drew me to go and witness something that was a positive affirmation of goodness and hope, which is the message that I always get from King’s life and words.



Chaka







The event is held each year starting at the Martin Luther King Jr. recreation center and pool in Bahama Village and there was a small but dedicated crowd on hand to memorialize Dr. King and celebrate and spread his message of hope and understanding. A number of civic groups and activists were on hand along with the Key West Mayor, Chief of Police and other local dignitaries who led the small procession as it left the area and made its way over to Duval Street where the crowds along the street would be able to take in the parade.











I was a little disappointed that more members of the community were not on hand to see it, though the ones who did turn out were enthusiastic and happy to be a part of it. I fear in our ever divided country that everything seems to have become a political statement and an “us vs. them” mentality has taken over so many aspects of our lives. Dr. King’s words and vision impact all of us and were always about bringing people together rather than tearing us apart which is in part why I thought it was so important to attend.

KW Police Chief and Mayor





As usual at any large public event in Key West, I ran into a bunch of my friends and fellow citizens, many who carried signs and placards recalling Dr. King’s good works and dreams. It was especially gratifying to see a number of young children on hand to participate and watch the festivities. The MLK parade was just the start of yet another busy week during high season on our island.









Seemingly we had stuff to do almost every evening, which is fun, but also exhausting. One of the highlights of the week was the return of the Old Town/ New Folk concert series at the Studios of Key West. After a hiatus the folk music series returned this week with a performance by fellow Hoosier Carrie Newcomer. Newcomer was touring in support of her latest CD release, “The Point of Arrival”.

Carrie Newcomer







It was the third time we have seen her perform as part of this series, the previous show was at the old Key West Armory location of the Studios. This time it was just her on acoustic guitar and a gentleman playing the piano to accompany her. She played about 90 minutes and it was a pretty good night of folk music. We are thrilled that this series has returned again this year as it has brought a ton of talented folk artists to the island and is a great addition to the thriving Key West music scene.



Tony





I had some friends from Indianapolis in town for a few days as my longtime friends Corey and Jill and their entire family arrived for a quick vacation and I spent an evening at the Green Parrot with them as the Miami based fusion band Experimento played a late night set. It was great to see them, but as many visits go, it went by so fast, I feel like I hardly got to see them at all.





Experimento





Other events this week included the two day Florida Keys Seafood Festival at Bayview Park. The huge seafood festival featured a plethora of great vendors including a number of our friends, entertainment with a line-up of local bands and of course bountiful seafood from local fishermen. Shrimp, Lobster, Stone Crab, Fish and more were all plentiful as fresh seafood was in abundance. The event benefits the local fishermen association as is packed with people both days gobbling up the seafood bounty.



Dani