Email Author Kirk Semple

1997 Stories by Kirk Semple

• First the Homeless, Now the Jobless

  published October 9, 1997

  Brother Paul Johnson, executive director of the venerable homeless shelter Camillus House, says he's never had a problem firing people. During the... More >>

• Temporarily Grounded?

  published October 9, 1997

  Any day now the Clinton administration is expected to announce a decision that may determine no less than the fate of South Dade and the... More >>

• Barroom Brawl

  published October 2, 1997

  Cafe Iguana. Thursday, August 28, 9:00 p.m. It's surprisingly easy to forget that this nightclub is located in the middle of a suburban mall. The... More >>

• Preserve Our Pilings!

  published October 2, 1997

  The legends and truths (but mainly legends) that tell the story of Stiltsville represent local history at its most colorful -- from the... More >>

• It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a Noise-Abatement Issue!

  published September 11, 1997

  It's not that Patrick McCoy hates airplanes -- after all, he's a pilot for a major commercial airline, so his livelihood pretty much depends on... More >>

• One Sick Trickle

  published September 4, 1997

  "!Barca!" An adolescent voice pierces the heavy midafternoon air. "!Barca! !Barca! !Barca!" Four others have joined the first; now five, six.... More >>

• Worship Satan, but Protect Your Assets

  published August 28, 1997

  The Beatles had drummer Pete Best. The Rolling Stones had keyboardist Ian Stewart. Pink Floyd had guitarist Syd Barrett. Unfortunate schlubs who,... More >>

• Witness for the Prosecution

  published August 21, 1997

  Bruce Udolf could not have joined the U.S. Attorney's Office at a more auspicious time for an attorney who wanted to prosecute public corruption.... More >>

• What's a Little Gunplay Among Friends? Part 3

  published July 31, 1997

  Nearly a year ago insurance mogul and multimillionaire Jose "Pepe" Alvarez became embroiled in a traffic dispute outside his Miami Beach manse.... More >>

• A Cocked Pistol

  published July 17, 1997

  The Miami Herald spared no newsprint in touting the recent literary efforts of two of its columnists. Newly published novels by Tananarive Due and... More >>

• "It'll Never Get Off the Ground"

  published June 12, 1997

  The morose expression on Julie Romero's face spoke of vanishing hope, of a woman betrayed. Along with more than two dozen other Homestead... More >>

• Right in the Middle of Nowhere

  published May 22, 1997

  TONY "Last week I sold $5000 of Budweiser, you believe that? We're like a -- what they call it? -- a premium account or something like that.... More >>

• That's Infotainment!

  published May 8, 1997

  Things get stale very quickly. And when something feels stale or something needs to be updated or something needs to be re-energized, we do it. We... More >>

• It Isn't Easy Being Green

  published April 10, 1997

  Linum arenicola, commonly called sand flax, is a frail sprig that stands about eight inches tall and sports a tiny bright-yellow five-petaled... More >>

• South Beach Goes Palm Beach

  published April 3, 1997

  So you thought that barbecue you held last weekend was a blast? Check out these eyewitness testimonials to a recent shindig on Miami Beach: ... More >>

• Goo Grief

  published March 20, 1997

  During a recent tour of the Miami River, Dade County's chief biologist Susan Markley reported a highly unusual sighting. "Look!" she said,... More >>

• No Need to Get Nude About It

  published March 20, 1997

  For the past few years, attorneys have been wrestling over the fate of Coco's Lounge, a nightclub in north-central Dade. Oddly, though, none of... More >>

• Great Job, Terry! Now Pack Your Bags

  published February 20, 1997

  Col. Terry L. Rice of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers appears to have -- as they say in wildlife documentaries -- no natural predators. This is... More >>

• A Revoltin' Development

  published February 20, 1997

  If this were a movie, the scene would be enshrouded in a haunting predawn fog, burning cigarettes the brightest source of light. The reality is... More >>

• How Green Is Too Green?

  published February 13, 1997

  Anyone who wants an illustration of the incongruity of human settlement in Miami need only look as far as La Gorce Country Club the day after a... More >>

• Into the Wild White Yonder

  published February 6, 1997

  While Audrey Peterman was using the communal bathroom at a campground in Washington's Olympic National Park, another black woman walked in.... More >>

• Arrested Development

  published January 16, 1997

  Seems that around every corner these days there's a cabal of disgruntled citizens plotting civic revolt: Some are forming new cities, others are... More >>

• New Year's Revolution

  published January 2, 1997

  It being the time of year when hope gets a steroidal shot in the arm, we thought it might be illuminating to (temporarily) put aside our... More >>