Pulp Friction

King doesn't speculate about how the competition for advertising dollars will play out. Carpenter maintains that coexistence for the two papers -- if not their editors -- might be possible. "Key West has three or four papers," she says. "Competition is healthy for the spirit and can make both papers better."

Glenn Terry doubts that the two papers can thrive while covering the same small neighborhood with the same basic editorial format. "I'm afraid they're going to kill each other off," he offers. Terry further laments that neither paper seems truly in touch with what the Grove is about. "The newspaper that appeals to the broadest base will recognize that Coconut Grove is more than shopping, yuppies, and crusty old white people comparing sailboats," Terry says.