Welcome to your dream home on Key Colony Beach! This stunning three bedroom, two bathroom house, built in 2020, showcases high-end finishes and water views from almost every room. The open-concept living and dining area is perfect for entertaining, offering sneak peek views of the ocean. The gourmet kitchen boasts top-of-the-line appliances and finishes, with easy access to the large back balcony, ideal for the avid griller. The primary bedroom features an en-suite bathroom complete with a walk-in shower and a spacious walk-in closet. The split floor plan offers two nice-sized bedrooms on the opposite side of the house, along with a full-size laundry room and full bath. This home was built by the sellers and has never been rented, ensuring meticulous attention to detail and care featuring the highest standards with hurricane impact windows and doors, and a durable metal roof. This exceptional property offers the perfect combination of luxury, comfort, and location, making it an ideal choice for your next home. Easy to show and a must see!
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The number of days left before you can finally enjoy a football game. With NFL training camps underway, the preseason officially kicks off with the Hall of Fame game between the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans in Canton, Ohio on Thursday, Aug. 1. The regular season kicks off Sept. 5 between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.
KEYS TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL BOARD HIRES NEW
CEO/PRESIDENT
Erin Arnett, left, and Lucy Martin wear the rainbow at the 2023 Color Run at Marathon Community Park. The run returns with a colorful and cool way to beat the heat this Saturday. See page 6. ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly
Contract negotiations are underway; Kara Franker says she’s ready to start work
GWEN FILOSA gwen@keysweekly.com
The board of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council voted on July 30 to hire Kara Franker, a destination marketing executive and attorney who has previously worked in South Florida, to take the helm of the Keys multimillion-dollar tourism agency as its first president/CEO.
A county-appointed committee unanimously chose Franker from four finalists left standing, after the job search began months earlier, at a July 26 meeting. Both sides still need to negotiate a few contract terms.
“I am grateful to the TDC board for having the confidence in me to join the team," Franker told Keys Weekly after the vote. "I have so much respect for their leadership and for the current team. I have lots to learn and plan to speak with as many people as possible to get insight and advice. I’m excited."
Franker would officially work for Visit Florida Keys, the nonprofit that employs TDC staff. She will answer to the unpaid TDC board members.
The hiring comes after a tumultuous period for the TDC, which is funded through a bed tax collected from hotel and lodging establishments. The bed taxes fund marketing campaigns, special event advertising and some building projects to promote the Keys, where the main economic engine is tourism, as a destination.
On Oct. 31, 2023, County Clerk Kevin Madok released the first in a series of audits critical of the financial practices at the TDC.
In March, the TDC board unanimously approved a motion by County Mayor Holly Raschein, who sits on the TDC board as a representative of the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners, to fire the TDC's marketing director, Stacey Mitchell.
County leaders, including longtime County Administrator Roman Gastesi, later stuck up for Mitchell, saying the TDC has needed a chief financial officer on staff in addition to a marketing leader, which was Mitchell’s specialty.
Mitchell didn't speak publicly at the TDC meetings where her employment status was discussed. But her attorney, Zachary Zermay, eventually appeared at a meeting to tell the board Mitchell was treated unfairly. Zermay told Keys Weekly he is preparing a wrongful termination lawsuit to file by the end of the year.
Zermay said Mitchell is being “thrown under the bus” because she became a political target over $150,000 in TDC funding of Monroe County’s recent 200th anniversary celebration.
“It’s an election year,” Zermay said.
The request was initially denied because of a deadline issue. But the money to pay for a drone fireworks show in March 2023 was eventually provided by the TDC.
Monroe County Tourist Development board members George Fernandez, left, and Bobby Mongelli, far right, speak with Kara Franker after the board voted July 30 to hire her as the TDC’s first president/CEO. JASON KOLER/Keys Weekly
RAINBOW RUNNERS
Marathon’s one and only Color Run returns this Saturday, Aug. 3, at 9 a.m at Marathon Community Park. The course around the park’s perimeter challenges fun run participants to go at their own pace, building a unique color palette on their shirts as volunteers shower them with bursts of colored powder. Beat the summer heat with water showers from the Marathon Fire Department. A $25 registration fee covers race entry with goodie bags, shirts, finisher medals and more (additional family members registering receive $10 off). To register, scan the QR code. Pictured are Lilly, left, and Hannah Hutchinson at the 2023 Color Run. ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly
BLESSINGS FOR A BOUNTY Keys
Fisheries sends lobster fleet off in style
ALEX RICKERT alex@keysweekly.com
The 2024-25 spiny lobster season commenced in style as Keys Fisheries sent local fishermen into the night with fireworks and fanfare on July 26. The annual Blessing of the Fleet included a prayer for a bountiful catch from St. Columba Episcopal Church’s Rev. Deb Maconaughey and San Pablo Catholic Church’s Father Oscar Perez Dudamel. And in keeping with recent tradition, the restaurant’s upstairs bar will again pay homage to late bartender Shannon Gosselin – the popular sunset destination will take the name of “Shannon’s Crab Trap” until 2025.
1. Boats stacked high with lobster traps head out for their first trip of the commercial season.
2. ‘Shannon’s Crab Trap’ is the new name for Keys Fisheries’ upstairs bar, named after late bartender Shannon Gosselin.
3-4. Reverend Debra Maconaughey and Father Oscar Perez Dudamel offer a blessing for the fleet before showering guests with holy water.
5. A parade of commercial lobster boats heads into the Gulf with a fireworks show to light their way.
Photos by ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly
LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST GOLF COURSE PROJECT
Complaint pushes to void development agreement over construction timelines, flooding concerns
ALEX RICKERT alex@keysweekly.com
Already under fire from Marathon residents in recent months, an upcoming resort at the Florida Keys Country Club will contest legal challenges from a lawsuit filed against the resort owners and the city of Marathon on July 19.
Naming developer Michael Aranda Jr.’s corporation QOF Inc. as its plaintiff and both the city of Marathon and property owner Florida Keys Resort Holdings LLC as defendants, the suit requests injunctive relief to enforce the resort’s existing development agreement.
QOF owns two newly-constructed homes on the west end of Sombrero Boulevard, past an extremely floodprone area of the road that has become nearly impassable at multiple points during rain events in the last two years.
The 159-page complaint alleges, among several other items, that the upcoming Florida Keys Resort has violated multiple conditions of its development agreement and that the agreement should be voided.
The suit details what it claims are failures to adhere to the agreement’s timelines for commencement of construction – focusing largely on required workforce housing units attached to the project – and the development’s adverse effects on surrounding properties by exacerbating flooding on Sombrero Boulevard.
An earthen berm constructed in early 2022, already the target of residents’ ire, remains in the spotlight throughout the complaint for its alleged role in severe flooding.
Resort owner Peter Rosasco has previously told the Weekly that the berm’s construction was required for the development to retain its stormwater on site, and that before this point, the golf course property had functioned as a drainage area for the majority of Sombrero Boulevard, including properties on the road’s north
side with no stormwater retention capabilities.
The suit acknowledges the “drainage pattern along almost all of Sombrero Boulevard is from north to south.”
In previous workshops to address the flooding, city staff and engineers have acknowledged a combination of impermeable soil on the road’s southern edge, construction of the berm, an inadequate drainage system and extreme rain events as contributing factors to heavily-publicized flooding on the road. Recent rain events have left multiple vehicles disabled and in some cases have prevented residents from accessing their homes.
In addition to allegations that the berm was not included in plans submitted for permitting to the South Florida Water Management District, the suit states that “the Developer erected the berm to alter the normal stormwater drainage pattern of Sombrero Boulevard for the benefit of its sitework operations on the Golf Course … (and) because the retention ponds on its property are at capacity.”
Other language states that the berm’s construction runs contrary to policies in Marathon’s comprehensive plan for management of stormwater and prevents area residents from safely and efficiently evacuating their homes in the event of a hurricane or similar storm.
Marathon is in the process of addressing the flooding with an upgraded pump system projected to cost upwards of $1 million. Details of that plan, including a three-pump system capable of forcing 4,500 gallons per minute each down existing stormwater injection wells, were outlined in a report sent to South Florida Water Management District bureau chief Jesse Markle by engineer Steve Suggs of Weiler Engineering on July 19. The report includes an analysis of factors contributing to the flooding, while the city
claims that the upgraded system will be capable of clearing historic storm events, such as the deluge on May 20 of this year, in four to six hours.
Along with removal of the berm or installation of culverts, the suit suggests that responsibility for completion of the pump system should shift to the development owners, in line with Aranda’s public comments during Marathon’s June 25 workshop to address resident concerns over the flooding.
“What I’m hearing now is that taxpayers are going to pay for (the drainage system),” Aranda said. “When you come to do a development, would it not be reasonable for the taxpayers to ask the city council or staff to ask the developer, ‘Have you done an assessment of the area surrounding it? And if so, how is it going to impact it?’ I don’t see how in the world you expect taxpayers who had their homes flooded from a guy developing a golf course into a resort to pay for these improvements.”
The city has maintained that the upgraded system should finish construction between June and October of 2025. Speaking with the Weekly on the morning of July 31, City Manager George Garrett said it was unclear whether the new suit would affect this timeline.
Though he declined to comment on specific allegations in the suit, Marathon City Attorney Steve Williams told the Weekly that “on its face, a preliminary review of the Complaint appears to outline contention between the Plaintiff and Florida Keys Resort Holdings LLC, with no damages being sought against the city.”
The Weekly reached out to resort owner Peter Rosasco by phone for comment on the suit, but was unable to reach him before press time.
The case is currently assigned to Judge Mark Jones. A hearing date has not been set.
The role of a berm in flooding on Sombrero Boulevard is central to a new lawsuit filed against the city of Marathon and the owners of the upcoming Florida Keys Resort. ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly
MERRILL RASCHEIN
Dedicated to Monroe County
County Commissioner Holly Merrill Raschein has dedicated herself to serving on the county commission with honor and integrity, tirelessly working to help improve the lives of Monroe County’s families, businesses and students.
With two decades of public service representing our community, Holly’s unwavering commitment is focused on making Monroe County the best it can be.
Merrill Raschein is always fighting for the Florida Keys!
PRIORITIES
• Strengthen and retain our teachers and staff
• Increase student achievement by providing the necessary resources to ensure their success
• Make the Career and Technical Education Program a priority. Collaborate with the business community to offer more job training opportunities • Continue to maintain a safe and secure campus for our students, teachers and staff.
The Misadventures of Holly Raschein
ENDORSEMENTS EXPOSE RIFT IN KEYS GOP
Individuals break with Republican Executive Committee
MANDY MILES
mandy@keysweekly.com
With the Aug. 20 primary election three weeks away, the race for supervisor of elections in Monroe County has been getting an unlikely amount of attention.
Two Republicans — Margaret Romero and Sherri Hodies — will face off in the Aug. 20 primary. The winner of that will face Democrat Ron Saunders in November.
All three candidates have been collecting endorsements from groups and individuals, some of which highlight a growing divide within the Monroe County Republican Party.
Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay, a Republican, issued one of the earliest endorsements in the race, supporting Saunders shortly after he announced his candidacy.
In May, the county’s Republican Executive Committee (REC) endorsed Hodies, who is the treasurer of that group, despite opposition from several members, who said Hodies did not receive the required number of votes for the endorsement, which came with a $20,000 check.
Other members of the REC opposed the endorsement on the basis that it should not have occurred in a primary that included another Republican.
“You don’t endorse a same-party candidate in a primary when you have two Republicans running,” former Key West city commissioner Mark Rossi, a longtime member of the Southernmost Republican Club in Key West, told the Keys Weekly in May.
In response to the Keys Weekly’s questions about the REC endorsement, Hodies said on July 30, “This is the facts: There is an application process. Any Republican (you do not need to be a member of the Republican Executive Committee) can ask for the application, money and/or an endorsement. There are rules for this application process. I followed the rules. My opponents and their supporters want to paint me as if I don’t follow the rules when in fact, I do. Several other Republicans asked, followed the rules and received funds as well.”
More recently, Monroe County State Attorney Dennis Ward, also a Republican and a member of the REC, endorsed Romero, in opposition to the REC’s support of Hodies. School board member John Dick, who is also a member of the REC, endorsed Romero.
The competing endorsements highlight an ongoing divide in the local Republican party.
“Over the past months, I have witnessed rudeness and disrespect in local and countywide REC meetings by certain leadership and become aware of various internet postings,” Romero told the Keys Weekly. “My opinion is that a few people will do and say anything to achieve their personal agendas. Such behaviors seem to have created a divisiveness in the party that is neither becoming, nor beneficial to our entire Keys community – especially as voters are seeking people who will impartially serve in responsible positions with high ethics, respect for all and follow the rules.”
Romero also received the endorsement of the Key West firefighters, while Hodies was endorsed by the South Florida Police Benevolent Association (PBA), which includes about 400 members of Keys law enforcement and more than 1,000 members in Miami-Dade County.
Hodies’ PBA endorsement, like the REC one, also came with some pushback, as no PBA members in the Florida Keys were consulted before the group endorsed Hodies.
Steadman Stahl, president of the South Florida PBA, told the Keys Weekly last month that he was approached at a PBA gala in the spring by Rhonda Rebman-Lopez, chair of the Republican Executive Committee, and Hodies, who asked him for the PBA’s endorsement.
“But I would have done things differently with the endorsement,” Stahl told the Keys Weekly, adding that he was unaware that any other candidates were in the race for supervisor of elections and acknowledging that no PBA members from the Keys were consulted.
Hodies told the Keys Weekly, “I have the utmost respect for the PBA, their membership and their endorsement process. If you want to question their process, you will have to contact them. But I will say that my family, my husband and I have always supported the blue, as well as all first responders. We respect and love them; and have taught our children and grandchildren to do the same.”
The endorsement war also includes a national one for Hodies, who was mentioned last month in an article by the right-wing news site Gateway Pundit with the headline, “There are MAGA candidates up for election in Florida challenging the RINOs.”
TRUSTS • WILLS POWERS OF ATTORNEY LADYBIRD DEEDS
Whether you are a resident or a snowbird, it is important to have your assets properly titled in a way that will avoid those assets going through probate.
KATHLEEN HENDRICKSON
ATTORNEY AT LAW
MASTERS
COMMERCE CORNER
Established in 2024, Francesco Sweets is a Cuban and French bakery that also offers a variety of wraps and sandwiches. This family owned business specializes in sweets and cakes made with fresh, natural ingredients in a classic Cuban style. Our key to success is to provide our customers with a unique, delightful experience by sharing homemade, traditional treats that will keep them coming back for more. Visit our food truck at 1480 Overseas Highway or contact us for your next party or event.
ALEX RICKERT alex@keysweekly.com
AND … GO!
Best of Marathon nominations open for 2024
As this paper hits driveways across Marathon, nominations are officially open for the 2024 Best of Marathon Awards.
For the 15th time, the team at the Keys Weekly Newspapers is thrilled to honor the standout businesses, individuals and places that make Marathon the treasured heart of the Keys. And to do it right, we made sure to take a close look at the ballot, taking your suggestions into account to add multiple new categories for our awards show on September 21.
In our Food and Drink awards, we’ll pay tribute to the amazing Cuban food in Marathon by adding a Best Cuban Sandwich category. And since we have so many excellent restaurants, it’s only right that we give a nod to the best place to satisfy your sweet tooth after a savory meal – enter the Best Dessert Spot category.
Our Best Alternative Health Care Provider category, new in 2023, has been re-named in 2024 to Best Health and Wellness Service. This category is to spotlight services outside of a traditional primary care provider – it could be your favorite chiropractor, acupuncturist, physical therapist and much more.
Since we had considerable overlap in our nominees and votes, the Best Water Sports and Best Leisure Cruise categories will now compete for one Best Water Sports/Best Leisure Cruise award.
We’ve had several requests to include cleaners and detailers in the Best of Marathon, so we took the plunge this year, adding Best Marine Detailing, Best Car Wash/Detailing and Best Pool Service to our categories.
And finally, just for fun, we added Best Hugs. Let’s admit it: We all know someone in town who gives amazing hugs. Let’s crown an official Best Hugger in Marathon.
To nominate your favorites, visit keysweekly.com from Thursday, Aug. 1 at noon until Aug. 18 at midnight. Voters can vote once per day for all categories, and must fill out 75% of each ballot to cast a valid submission. So visit often, or daily, throughout the nomination process to propose your favorite finalists. The top three vote-getters will become finalists for the Best of Marathon, plain and simple.
We may have gotten more than we bargained for when we asked for category suggestions in the 2024 Best of Marathon Awards. While we’re excited to add six new categories to this year’s contest, there were plenty that, while hilarious, didn’t make the list. With that said, here are our…
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
2 bedroom, 2 bath mobile home centrally located in mid Marathon. Large screened porch. 50 X 97lot. Reduced $325,000 MLS# 610518
LARGE SOMBRERO WATERFRONT DUPLEX
2 Bedrooms, 2 baths each side in this 2,752 sq ft duplex located on a 10,000 sq ft lot.. Great deep water access to the ocean or Gulf. Listed at appraised value. $1,800,000
7 DAYS A
Mon - Fri 11am to
HAPPY HOUR 1-4PM $7 Menu
• Chicken wings, chicken livers and More!
• 32 beers on tap 1/2 off 2pm - 3pm
* $2 Pints of Yuengling and Bud Light!
BREAKFAST SERVED UNTIL 2PM
• Unique & interesting menu
• $3 Mimosas • $5 Breakfast Shots
LUNCH & DINNER
• Lobster Enchiladas
• Diver Speared Local Fish
• Prime Rib • Local Lobster our Own Catch
• Great Seafood Selections
We would appreciate your
TRINITY JACOX
trinityjacox@gmail.com
SMALL BUT MIGHTY
David Hernandez’s courageous fight against osteosarcoma
The Hernandez family was never prepared for the devastating news they received at Fisherman’s Community Hospital in Marathon on July 20. What they thought was a visit to address 8-year-old twin David’s discomfort and pain in his elbow quickly turned into a nightmare. David, a well-loved student at Stanley Switlik Elementary, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer, in his right shoulder.
Kasey Platt, whose son John is David’s classmate, felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness when she heard the news.
“I just wanted to do whatever I possibly could to try to help them in a situation like this,” Platt said. This drove her to start a GoFundMe campaign to support the Hernandez family.
David’s journey has been particularly challenging, not only because of the severity of his diagnosis but also due to his unique communication needs. “David is nonverbal, meaning he does not speak at all, and he mostly communicates through expressions and behavior,” Platt said, adding that the unique obstacles with David’s autism diagnosis add uncertainty to the road ahead. “He can’t really communicate how he feels, and that can be challenging.”
Initially, the family believed David’s pain was from a dislocated elbow. However, imaging at Fishermen’s Hospital revealed a tumor. The situation rapidly escalated, leading the family to take David to Miami Children’s Hospital for further testing.
“A big concern with osteosarcoma is the potential for it to spread,” Platt said. “Unfortunately, upon doing imaging, it had spread to both his lungs, which is the worst-case scenario.”
As if battling cancer wasn’t enough, David also contracted COVID-19 upon admission to the ER.
“It is super confusing for him as he is sick and just began taking treatments for the cancer,” Platt said.
David started his first round of chemotherapy July 26. He is scheduled for 29 weeks of chemotherapy, with the goal of performing surgery at the end of the treatments to remove any remaining tumors in his lungs.
“One of the biggest challenges is that David’s brother, Daniel, is also autistic,” Platt said. “He’s a lot higher-functioning, but he is having a really difficult time with separation from his mother and brother.”
David’s mother, Yani Hernandez, has remained by David’s side, staying with family in Miami to be close to him. His father, Alex Hernandez, has had to stay in Marathon to continue
working and supporting the family from afar.
“From my understanding, he has been going back and forth to Miami every single day,” Platt said.
Kasey and the community are rallying to raise money in hopes that Alex can spend more time with his family during this critical period. “The money that we’re going to be fundraising and continuing to collect is going to be so that (Alex) can hopefully spend time with the family and not have to work during this time,” Platt said.
The Hernandez family, well-known within the community, has received an outpouring of support.
Alex is the general manager of the fish house at Keys Fisheries, where he has worked for 15 years, and Yani works at Stanley Switlik Elementary School, which both boys attend.
“(Alex’s) relentless dedication and perseverance with our company is a reflection of the strength this family has,” Keys Fisheries wrote in a Facebook post requesting donations.
Even before his diagnosis, David, at just 8 years old, was already making an impact on those around him. CONTRIBUTED
“Yani (works at Switlik) because she wanted to be with them on a regular basis and have some oversight on their day-to-day activities,” Platt said. “That just speaks for how much those kids mean to her.”
“David, Daniel and Yani are members of our Switlik family and our love and support are with them in this very difficult time,” principal Linda Diaz told the Weekly. “It’s heartbreaking.”
“David is also well known around the campus, and he has made an impact on quite a few people, more so than the average kid,” Platt said.
Among the pressures of frequent hospital visits and managing daily life, Yani Hernandez has one simple yet profound request: “We ask for your positive thoughts and prayers for David to have the strength to fight this cancer,” she said.
Those wishing to support the Hernandez family can make a donation by scanning the QR code:
The Hernandez family stands strong in their journey through David’s battle with cancer. From left: mom Yani, son David, dad Alex and son Daniel. CONTRIBUTED
FEATURED LISTINGS
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27725 SEA WHIP STREET LITTLE TORCH KEY | $1,100,000
Open water views abound at this Little Torch Key retreat with proximity to community boat ramp and just one minute to open water! Open concept living area is bright and inviting, with stunning water views and loads of natural light. Spacious screened-in porch boasts stunning views of Keys’ famous sunsets and the pristine
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Welcome to your dream home on Big Pine Key! Nestled on a quiet street and surrounded by County-owned property, enjoy abundant privacy from this charming home! Step inside and enjoy a perfect blend of modern updates and classic comfort. Chefs will love the updated kitchen which blends seamlessly with an open-concept main living space, ideal for entertaining. Conveniently located just minutes from town!
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Customize your island dream home on this massive 20,000 sq. ft. lot with stunning ocean views! The existing home needs redevelopment and o ers a unique advantage as the present building right allows for re-build without fighting the BPAS/ROGO process. Oceanside of Grassy Key with 60’+ of waterfront, this sought-after location is packed with potential for creating the ultimate Oceanfront getaway in the Florida Keys!
Turn-key retreat on a serene plugged canal, just minutes to neighborhood boat ramp and excellent boating access! This spacious 2022 home boasts loads of natural light and soaring ceilings. Impact doors lead out to a screened-in balcony, overlooking the shimmering swimming canal. Downstairs, a large dock and lush landscaping provide a serene lounging or entertaining area. The coveted Florida Keys lifestyle awaits!
STATE RELEASES SCHOOL GRADES
Monroe County gets 8 A schools, 6 Bs and 3 Cs
The Florida Department of Education released school grades last week and Monroe County Schools showed significant gains across all areas, according to a statement from the school district.
Six schools improved a letter grade and 10 schools maintained their grade from last year. Poinciana Elementary, Plantation School, Treasure Village Montessori and Somerset Prep each improved to an A grade. Key Largo School moved to a B grade and May Sands Montessori improved to a C.
Overall, there were eight A-graded schools in the district: Poinciana Elementary, Plantation School, Sigsbee Charter School, College of the Florida Keys (CFK) Academy, Ocean Studies Charter, Somerset Prep Academy, Treasure Village Montessori; six B-graded schools: Coral Shores High School, Key West High School, Marathon Middle/High School, Sugarloaf School, Stanley Switlik Elementary, Key Largo School; and three C-graded schools: Gerald Adams Elementary, Horace O’Bryant School and May Sands Montessori.
CFK Academy is the district’s newest charter school, and its leaders said they are proud of their initial accomplishments with an A grade.
“Just a few years ago, we set a vision to establish new educational opportunities to further serve the families of our community,” said CFK President Jonathan Gueverra.
“Today, we have an A grade high school that demonstrates our commitment to academic excellence and innovation. CFK employees and especially CFK Academy principal Wendy McPherson and her staff have put an incredible amount of time, energy and creativity to get the Academy functioning at its peak.”
One of the most noteworthy improvements was in learning gains. Monroe County School District is close to reaching its strategic plan’s goal of 62% learning gains overall with 61% in math and 60% in English/language arts.
The district received an overall grade of B, earning 62% points overall, just two percentage points from an A. With this improvement, the district moves up in state rankings from 36th to 26th place among all 60 or so Florida school districts.
“I am very proud of the work we have done in the district,” said Superintendent Theresa Axford. “Principals and teachers have been focused and it has made a difference for our students.”
CATCHES YIELD NO MAJOR CASES
Two boating incidents seen during lobster mini-season
No arrests or major wildlife cases were reported by law enforcement agencies during a two-day lobster mini-season in the Florida Keys.
A few incidents on the water, however, kept first responders busy during the sport season.
Beginning a minute past midnight on July 24 and concluding at midnight on July 25, locals and visitors were able to grab their bag limits — six lobsters per person, per day in Monroe County. Sheriff’s deputies, state wildlife officers and U.S. Coast Guard crews were among the agencies patrolling the waters up and down the island chain to ensure bug catchers measured their catches correctly and abided by other state and local regulations.
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation reported no major resource cases. In the Lower Keys, state wildlife officers were called to Boca Chica Bridge after a 20-year-old snorkeler from Seminole was struck by a boat a little past 8 a.m. on July 24. According to FWC, a 19-foot Stratos operated by Mark Johnson, of Key
West, was passing under the bridge when it struck Sean Steven Bender. He was airlifted to a Miami hospital with severe injuries to his arm.
“This is an active investigation,” said FWC spokeswoman Arielle Callender.
More than 500 vessel stops by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office yielded no arrests during the two days. Deputies issued 12 mandatory court citations for those who possessed undersized lobsters. In the Lower Keys, deputies rescued four people from a sinking vessel on the oceanside near MM 39 on July 24. Deputies responded to the scene around 11:30 a.m. to find a boat taking on water. The four people, who weren’t identified, were successfully retrieved from the sinking vessel.
Lobsters weren’t the only catch during the two-day lobster miniseason. On July 24, a diver searching for lobster found a package of cocaine roughly a mile offshore of Tavenier. The package was turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol.
Sheriff’s Sgt. James Hager with a boat of bug catchers in Key Largo.
Sheriff’s deputies respond to a sinking vessel in the Lower Keys on July 24. Four people on board were rescued. MCSO/Contributed
ELECT PAUL WUNDERLICH
Lovin' the Keys since 1972
COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT
5
MONROE COUNTY ROAD & BRIDGE INSPECTOR FOR 15 YEARS, KEY LARGO VOLUNTEER FF AND EMT FOR 5 YEARS, MERC MEMBER SINCE 2017 AFTER IRMA, ARMY VETERAN
TUCKER
3-year-old male Newfoundland mix.
Looking for: Long walks, followed by lots of snacks.
Turnoffs: Don’t go too fast – let’s get to know each other first.
SWIPE RIGHT
Adorable furry faces are waiting for families at the Florida Keys SPCA
Keys Weekly is thrilled each week to showcase some “furever” friends that are ready, waiting and available for their perfect adoption “match” at the Florida Keys SPCA’s Marathon campus – complete with their best qualities, preferences and turnoffs to ensure the best fit.
SEBASTIAN
6-year-old male domestic shorthair.
Looking for: Personal space, and lots of naps.
Turnoffs: Extroverts. Why so loud, man?
From cats and dogs to Guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, reptiles and birds, the perfect addition to your family is waiting for you at one of the SPCA’s two campuses, in Key West and Marathon. The SPCA’s knowledgeable staff will help with advice and care tips while working to ensure a good fit between each pet and its people.
See all the animals waiting for a home at fkspca.org. To contact the Marathon campus, call 305-743-4800 or visit 10550 Aviation Blvd.
Hurricane fosters needed
With hurricane season upon us, the SPCA needs volunteers and fosters in case of a storm. Over 100 animals would need to be evacuated, so it is crucial they all have homes in place before an impending storm. The SPCA provides everything you need;
MITTENS
2-month-old female domestic shorthair.
Looking for: Anything. I’m just a happy, fun-loving kitten.
Turnoffs: Nothing. Everything is fun and exciting.
all you do is give an animal a safe haven during the storm and return them to the shelter once it’s safe – that is, if you don’t fall in love. For more information on becoming a hurricane foster, visit https://fkspca.org/volunteer/become-a-foster-volunteer/ or call 305-743-4800.
Paid for by Paul J. Wunderlich, Republican, for County Commissioner District 5
DAILY SPECIALS
AN ODE TO SERVICE
Top-ranking law enforcement officer retires following four-plus decades
KELLIE BUTLER FARRELL www.keysweekly.com
When she was growing up, Lee Ann Holroyd never felt a burning calling to become a police officer. While attending the University of Florida, she studied journalism. Writing, she said, was kind of her “thing.”
But fate and circumstance took the Coral Shores High School graduate down a different career path.
Upon returning to the Keys after college, Holroyd landed a temporary job with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Little did she know at the time, that “temporary” job would end up changing the course of her life.
“I took a temporary position as a secretary, when you could still say secretary. I don’t even know if you can still say secretary now,” said Holroyd with a laugh.
It wasn’t until Holroyd was offered permanent employment, as a detective’s assistant, that the desire to pursue law enforcement as a career took hold. She enrolled in the police academy in 1987. Sheriff Rick Ramsay was in her class.
“I knew pretty early on that his goal was to be the sheriff and he knew pretty early on that I wanted to be part of his command staff,” recalled Holroyd.
Fast-forward 41-1/2 years after her humble beginnings as a temporary secretary and MCSO Maj. Lee Ann Holroyd is celebrating her retirement; July 8 was her last day. As a retirement gift from the sheriff’s office, Holroyd was awarded a glass display case with embroidered badges from all of the divisions she worked in throughout her four decades and the distinguished ranks she achieved.
From patrol officer to patrol sergeant to school resource officer to school resource officer supervisor, the ambitious and energetic police officer quickly rose through the ranks.
She was a detective and detective sergeant and the commander of special operations. She spent 18 years on the sheriff’s office dive team. She oversaw the federal narcotics money and laundering taskforce, which took her to places like England and the Channel Islands.
“Just phenomenal opportunities,” said Holroyd of her MCSO career. “I’ve traveled the world from our little hometown here. I’ve traveled all over the world.”
Most recently, Holroyd oversaw internal affairs and professional standards.
Somehow, during her spare time over the years, she managed to earn a dual-major master’s degree in criminal justice and corrections and rehabilitation.
“She’s one of the most well-rounded people I know,” said Ramsay. “She’s an amazing woman. She’s done so much in a very male-dominant job.
“It’s been challenging for women in law enforcement for years to achieve a certain level and she’s one of those people who has been able to break down those walls to prove herself.”
As a woman in the sheriff’s command staff, Holroyd undoubtedly shattered glass ceilings.
“She’s a hard worker and an example for young women in our community, too,” said longtime friend Gina Boilini. Boilini vividly remembers being in middle school when Holroyd was a school resource officer teaching the Drug Abuse Resistance Education
(D.A.R.E.) program.
“She was a role model,” recalled Boilini, who now considers Holroyd one of her closest friends.
Another person who describes Holroyd as a mentor is MCSO Capt. Spenser Bryan. Bryan oversees Key Largo and Tavernier for the sheriff’s office. The two go way back. Holroyd has known Bryan since he was born.
“When he came out of the hospital, I actually drove them home. I still carry his baby pictures,” said Holroyd with a smile.
Bryan is going to miss the daily interactions with his colleague and friend, especially when it comes to her level-headed and enthusiastic approach to the job and to life in general.
“She’s non-stop, she’s always going, she makes me tired and I’m younger than her,” said Bryan. “She’s very energetic and probably passionate is the best word to describe her,” he added.
Longtime friend Trish Biondoletti said Holroyd was able to achieve something so many in the workforce can find extremely difficult, a healthy work-life balance.
“She has managed to prioritize her family, friends and community while giving 100% to MCSO. She is truly one of a kind and I am proud to call her my best friend,” said Biondoletti, who has known Holroyd since the 1980s.
For the last nine years, Holroyd has been living in Key West during the week to be close to MCSO headquarters on Stock Island. She would return to her home in Islamorada on the weekends to spend time with her husband, Geno, and special needs adult son, Matthew.
“After nine years, I really missed being home with my family. I’m an Upper Keys girl,” said Holroyd. One thing is undeniable; there will be no sitting around during retirement for Holroyd.
“There are so many things that I want to do,” she said.
Besides spending time with her family, Holroyd plans to remain very active in her community. She will be volunteering at schools, getting more involved with her sorority, Chi Sigma, and the Upper Keys chapter of Business and Professional Women. She also plans to do accreditation work for police agencies across Florida.
Ramsay considers Holroyd to be a close friend and ally. Although he has talented team members to fill Holroyd’s void at headquarters, he admits, it just won’t be the same.
“She’s probably one of the most valuable people I’m going to miss and I just can’t replace. You just can’t replace a Lee Ann Holroyd,” said Ramsay. “She’s loved and beloved by the entire agency. She left a mark on the agency and community that will last a lifetime.”
As for Holroyd, although she is thrilled to embark on this well-earned next chapter, retirement is also a little bittersweet.
“I have worked with the best people, really the best people, and that is the only part that’s bittersweet for me, just missing that actual day to day, seeing them day to day,” said Holroyd. “I cannot say enough good about the people that I worked with and the agency as a whole.”
Sheriff Rick Ramsay promotes Lee Ann Holroyd to the rank of major. The two attended the police academy together in 1987. Ramsay says Holroyd is one of his closest friends and an ally. MCSO/Contributed
Gina Boilini and Lee Ann Holroyd share a hug at Doc’s Diner in Key Largo. Boilini looks up to Holroyd as a role model. KELLIE BUTLER FARRELL/Keys Weekly
Holroyd is looking forward to spending more time with her husband, Geno, and son, Matthew, during retirement. CONTRIBUTED
Holroyd attends the Special Olympics in Monroe County. MCSO/Contributed
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Want an all-in-one primer as you get ready to hit the water for lobster season on Aug. 6? Unsure of how the rules differ from mini-season? The Keys Weekly has you covered.
THE FINE PRINT MATTERS WHEN HUNTING
• Recreational harvesters are required to possess a valid Florida saltwater fishing license with a current spiny lobster permit. They can be purchased online at gooutdoorsflorida. com/ or by calling 1-888-HUNT-FLORIDA (486-8356).
• Spiny lobster must have a minimum carapace length greater than 3 inches, and the measurement must take place in the water. The carapace is measured beginning at the forward edge between the rostral horns, excluding soft tissue and proceeding along the middle to the rear edge of the carapace. If a lobster gauge can fit over the end of the carapace, the lobster is TOO SHORT. All recreationally harvested lobster must remain in whole condition while at sea.
• Egg-bearing (berried) spiny lobster must be released unharmed. Stripping egg-bearing females of eggs, and possession of spiny lobster tails from which eggs have been removed, is prohibited. Eggs are orange, yellow, brown or red masses found covering the underside of the lobster’s tail.
• During mini-season, bully netting is the only legal way to harvest lobster at night, defined as one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise. Night diving is permitted during the regular season, but NOT during mini-season. Possession of bully nets or hoop nets are prohibited in Everglades National Park.
• It is a felony to molest, damage or take lobster from commercial traps.
• It is illegal to intentionally create “artificial habitat” for lobsters using items like cement blocks, pipes and other debris. It’s also illegal to harvest lobster from artificial habitat in state waters.
• Recreational trapping is prohibited.
LET’S TALK LIMITS
• The bag limit is six lobsters per active, licensed harvester per day in Monroe County, period. Making multiple trips to harvest the bag limit each time is ILLEGAL.
• Possession limits apply both on and off the water. The possession limit, even when off the water, is six lobsters per licensed harvester.
• Gear that could puncture, penetrate or crush the shell of the lobster is prohibited. It is illegal to spearfish lobster.
STAY AWAY
Most Keys cities have invoked special rules to cut down on neighboron-neighbor – and especially residenton-visitor – “turf wars.” Essentially, local rules establish a “no-go” zone to keep lobster hunters away from private property. In the following areas, there is no diving or snorkeling within 300 feet of enhanced residential or commercial shoreline, any man-made or private canal, or any public or private marina.
In Islamorada, Key West and unincorporated Monroe County, the rule applies during the three days prior to the sport season (July 21-23 in 2024), the entirety of the sport season (July 24-25) and the first five days of the regular season (Aug. 6-10). In Marathon, the rule only applies during sport season, and in Key Colony Beach, it applies from the four days preceding sport season through 10 days after the opening of regular season. The city of Layton has a prohibition on harvesting lobster any time from waters within city limits.
THE REGULAR SEASON BEGINS
TUESDAY, AUG. AND RUNS THROUGH MARCH
A legal size lobster, measured correctly.
If a lobster gauge can fit over the end of a carapace, the lobster is too short.
Lobsters bearing eggs, as side of the tail, must be released MONROE COUNTY TDC/Contributed
seen on the underreleased unharmed.
TDC/Contributed
REGULAR SEASON BEGINS TUESDAY, AUG. 6 RUNS THROUGH MARCH 31.
DON’T GO THERE…
While there are many spots to catch a sizable lobster, there are also many areas protected by a special set of rules. Know where you’re going before you head out.
Don’t lobster in these areas:
Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPAs)
Carysfort Reef, The Elbow, Key Largo Dry Rocks, Grecian Rocks, French Reef, Molasses Reef, Conch Reef, Davis Reef, Hen and Chickens, Cheeca Rocks, Alligator Reef, Coffins Patch, Sombrero Key, Newfound Harbor Key, Looe Key, Eastern Dry Rocks, Rock Key, Sand Key.
Everglades National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park, Biscayne Bay Card Sound Spiny Lobster Sanctuary, Biscayne National Park Coral Reef Protection Areas, City of Layton, John Pennekamp State Park Lobster Exclusion Zones
DIVE FLAG DETAILS
Divers and snorkelers in the water must display a diver-down flag. The flag must measure 12x12” if flown from a buoy or float, or 20x24” if flown from a vessel or other structure. Flags must be flown from a vessel’s highest point and must be visible from all directions. Divers should stay within 100 feet of their dive flags in channels, or within 100 yards of their flags in open water. Vessels inside these distances must fully slow down to idle speed.
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Spotlighting the amazing individuals who live and work in the Middle Keys
TRINITY JACOX
trinityjacox@gmail.com
No matter how many individuals appear in the pages of each edition of Keys Weekly, there are always so many more of our community members who deserve to be recognized. In an effort to shine a spotlight on more of the incredible individuals who live and work in these islands, Keys Weekly is proud to spotlight our Neighbor of the Week feature, dedicated to celebrating a community member with each issue.
This week's neighbor, Amanda Matyi, is a new face at the Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce. But don’t worry, you can still catch her mixing drinks and sharing stories at the Florida Keys Steak and Lobster House on Sundays. Matyi is a true people person, bringing her warm and welcoming spirit to every conversation.
“I love meeting new people and I love staying busy,” Matyi said. Through her bartending, Matyi has had the pleasure of getting to know many of her neighbors. Now, it's time for the rest of us to get to know Matyi and the joy she brings to our community.
Amanda Matyi Member Services, Chamber of Commerce
How did you end up in the Keys? My dad was a chef and got a job offer at Ocean Reef. I lived in Key Largo till I was 8. I lived in Tennessee for 10 years and Hawaii for five, then my family moved back down to Marathon and we’ve been here for 15 years.
What can people find you doing when you aren’t working? I have a lot of mom friends and we get together and go to the pool or beach so the kids can be free.
What is the best and worst part of the Keys? That it’s a small town. Best and worst part.
What is something most people don’t know about you? I’m a pescatarian.
If your life had a theme song, what would it be? “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars.
If you could instantly become an expert at something new, what would it be? Spearfishing. I would love to be able to do that, but I'm terrified of sharks chasing me with my catch.
What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done? I went rafting in Alaska. I would for sure do that again.
What would your death row meal be? Pizza, Cheetos and a bottle of wine.
If you were a tourist for a day, what’s one spot in Marathon you’d visit? The aquarium.
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE COUNTY COMMISSION
Dear Mayor Raschein and Monroe County Commissioners:
Our 17 organizations represent many thousands of residents of the Keys. We have been watching with interest the county’s efforts toward taking a position on how many (if any) new ROGOs should be requested from the state. In our view, the county has not performed and provided to Keys residents the necessary analysis of the potential “takings” liability to justify requesting new ROGOs.
One of the alternative evacuation models run by the Florida Department of Commerce was for 7,954 new ROGOs, representing the number of privately-owned vacant lots in the Keys. In response to this run, the BOCC asked county planning staff to determine the number of “buildable” privatelyowned residential lots in the Keys. This was clearly done with an eye toward potential takings liability. Planning staff has computed the number of such buildable lots at 2,220 for the unincorporated county and 2,997 for the entire Keys (that number includes Islamorada and Marathon, the Keys municipalities which have buildable lots in excess of still-available ROGOs).
Based on what we have been hearing, including public statements by individual commissioners, there is support among the commissioners for requesting approximately 3,000 ROGOs Keys-wide. We believe such a number of new ROGOs is based, for the reasons discussed below, on a flawed and incomplete analysis.
The determination of the total number of buildable residential lots seems designed to come up with a number of new ROGOs that would eliminate ANY potential risk of takings liability. We believe the actual takings risk is much lower than 100%, however, for the following reasons:
1. There is a clear public benefit of drastically limiting new development in the Keys that outweighs the private property interests of the owners of the buildable lots.
2. The vast majority of those buildable lots were acquired after the adoption of severe development limits in the Keys and thus the owners did not have a reasonable expectation of development.
3. Most owners of those lots have made no efforts toward their development.
We have been asking the county for years to prepare and release to the public a more realistic computation of the amount
(or range) of the potential takings liability, and the county has refused to do so. How can you come up with a number of new ROGOs without such an analysis being done? We request that the BOCC direct the county attorney to prepare a realistic analysis and computation of the actual potential takings liability based on the current state of the law and our particular facts.
Moreover, we believe that the number of privately-owned buildable residential lots that has been computed by county staff is vastly inflated. It includes lots in zoning districts that allow commercial or other reasonable nonresidential uses of the property. It includes lots in every tier system, and environmentally sensitive lots should be excluded. If only Tier III lots were taken into account, the 2,220 number for the unincorporated county would be reduced to 1,553. At the very least, the number should be reduced based on the expected number of lots to be acquired by the county or the state for conservation purposes. Staff’s number includes lots that are platted lots in areas without any infrastructure.
The number also ignores measures that will be taken in the future, under both existing programs and programs that staff has already proposed, to take vacant lots out of the ROGO system. And the number has not been reduced to account for the 444 administrative relief ROGOs that are currently held by the county. We request that the BOCC direct county planning staff to come up with a more accurate number of buildable residential lots. Once a more accurate number of buildable lots is determined, staff should compute how many of those lots were acquired before the adoption of the ROGO system and the number of such lots for which the owner has not attempted to obtain a building permit, in order to derive an accurate number for input into the analysis of takings liability.
Once a more realistic analysis of potential takings liability has been performed and a more accurate number of privately-owned buildable residential lots with reasonable expectations of development has been determined, the BOCC, with meaningful input from the public, will need to decide whether the takings liability is an expense the county could afford without accepting any new ROGOs for market-rate units and, if not, what is the smallest number of new ROGOs that could be issued each year.
Without more work being done to jus-
tify any new ROGOs along the lines stated above, the county needs to request NO MORE ROGOs for market-rate units because:
1. We are already at the 24-hour evacuation limit under the state’s evacuation model. And, if anything, that limit should be reduced to account for recent rapid intensification of storms due to climate change.
2. The state’s evacuation model is flawed. It assumes evacuation ends at Florida City, ignoring any evacuees from South Florida and Ocean Reef. It assumes evacuations will occur evenly throughout the 24hour period. It excludes certain permanent residents, such as mobile home residents, liveaboards and college students. It understates the number of evacuees that will be in vacation homes and vacation rental homes during hurricane season. And it ignores future conversions of mobile home sites into constructed home sites.
3. Due to overdevelopment, the infrastructure of the Keys (roads, water, sewers, schools) has been stressed to its limits and the quality of our nearshore waters and the condition of our reef have been compromised.
Let’s not lose sight of the fact that the 24-hour evacuation requirement and the ROGO system were implemented in order to ensure the safety of Keys residents in the event of a hurricane evacuation and to preserve the significant natural resources of the Keys.
Given the tight deadline we are facing with the state, please make the directions to county staff that we are requesting in this letter at the July 17 BOCC meeting.
Respectfully submitted, Ann
Olsen
On behalf of the Keys Last Stand board and the undersigned groups: Coco Plum Beach Property Owners Association Inc., Islamorada Community Alliance, Cudjoe Gardens Property Owners Association, Island of Key Largo Federation of Homeowner Associations, Florida Keys Citizens’ Coalition Inc., Friends of the Lower Keys, Izaak Walton League of America, Florida Keys Chapter, Key Deer Protection Alliance, South Point Homeowners LLC, Stock Island Association, Keys Accountability Project, Sugarloaf Shores Property Owners Association Inc., Tavernier Community Association, Key West and the Lower Keys Fishing Guides Association, Save-A-Turtle of the Florida Keys, Upper Sugarloaf Residents Association
The fitness world is no stranger to challenging regimens, but few have captured attention like the 75 Hard program.
Lauded for its no-nonsense approach, the program promises physical transformation and mental toughness. However, for many, the reality of 75 Hard is a stark contrast to its promises, leading to a significant number of failures and even hospital visits. I too was once seduced by 75 Hard. I failed. I was seduced again. I failed. The third time I thought about it and I took a deeper look into WHY I wanted to do it.
I wanted the win; I wanted to say I did it and puff my chest out a bit. Hello, ego. Not the correct reason for doing any fitness program. 75 Hard has good merits, but it falls short every single time. Here’s an in-depth look at why 75 Hard hardly works and how it can be modified for better success.
Strict diet: Following a rigid diet for 75 days without any indulgences can lead to burnout and binge-eating once the program is over.
Water intake: Drinking a gallon of water daily can be excessive for some, potentially causing hyponatremia, a condition where the body’s sodium levels become dangerously low. And not enough for others, especially for those who have jobs that require them to be outside, such as landscapers, construction workers, pool cleaners, fishing captains/mates, etc.
Lack of rest: The program’s intensity leaves no room for rest days, increasing the risk of overtraining, injuries and mental exhaustion.
75 Hard is a self-improvement program created by Andy Frisella, an entrepreneur and fitness advocate. It’s marketed as a “mental toughness” challenge rather than a fitness program. The rules are simple but stringent. Follow a diet with no cheat meals. Complete two 45-minute workouts each day, one of which must be outdoors. Drink a gallon of water daily. Read 10 pages of a non-fiction book. Take a progress picture every day. The program lasts for 75 consecutive days without any breaks. If you miss a task, you start over from day one.
Frisella designed 75 Hard to push individuals beyond their comfort zones, fostering discipline, perseverance and a no-excuses mentality. The program aims to transform not just the body but also the mind, making participants mentally resilient and physically stronger.
Despite its noble intentions, 75 Hard has a high failure rate. According to Frisella himself, around 90% of participants fail to complete the program. Here’s why:
The extreme nature of 75 Hard has led to numerous health issues. In 2023, some 1,500 people visited emergency rooms or were hospitalized due to complications arising from the program. Common issues included dehydration, overuse injuries and electrolyte imbalances. The fact that it put even just one person in the emergency room isn’t okay, let alone 1,500 in a year when it could have been avoided completely.
While the core principles of 75 Hard have merit, the program needs adjustments to be more sustainable and less risky. Here are some modifications:
Flexible workouts: Allow participants to choose one or two workouts per day based on their fitness level and schedule. Incorporate rest days to prevent overtraining. Also, if you are going to do two workouts per day, they 100% do not have to be outside. AC was invented, and we should use it. It’s hot out. Working outside in this heat is dangerous.
...is a Marathonbased ACSMcertified personal trainer and precision nutrition coach who owns and operates Highly Motivated Functionally Caffeinated LLC. Hello@highlymotivatedfc.com
75 HARD … HARDLY WORKS: HERE’S WHY
al needs, considering factors like body weight, activity level and climate. Hello, we are in South Florida, where the sun’s surface is basically inches away from our faces. We need a lot, and I mean a lot, of water and electrolytes, sodium, magnesium and potassium.
Mental health focus: Incorporate rest and recovery days not only for physical health but also for mental well-being. Encourage mindfulness practices and stress management techniques. And for those who want to say, “But I’ll rest after the 75 days,” okay, but do that, and your muscle build will start to decline, which means your metabolism won’t be burning white hot, and you’re going to be cranky as hell, and no one will want to be around you.
Progress over perfection: Shift the focus from perfection to progress. Allow for minor deviations without restarting the program, fostering a more positive and achievable mindset.
Maybe you can decide with the built-in rest days that you can go a little harder than normal – let that be your progress. Or instead of taking daily photos of yourself, write down how you are feeling daily and let that be your tool to measure your feelings of success.
75 Hard's appeal lies in its promise of transformation, but its extreme demands often lead to failure and health risks. By making sensible modifications, the core principles of the program can still be preserved while making it safer and more attainable for a broader audience. Fitness and mental toughness are important, but they should be pursued in a way that promotes overall well-being, not at the cost of one's health. So stop letting the idea seduce you and start a program that is attainable and safe. FUNCTIONALLY
Unrealistic demands: The requirement to work out twice daily, especially one session outdoors, is daunting for those with full-time jobs, families, or other commitments. Weather conditions and safety concerns can also hinder outdoor workouts.
Balanced diet: Encourage a balanced diet that includes occasional treats to prevent burnout and promote long-term healthy eating habits. Rome wasn’t built in a day, not even in 75 days, and I am 100% sure your dream body and health outcomes won’t be either. So play the long, long game. You are going to have a birthday, you are going to have a wedding to go to and you are going to have life to battle. Battle it feeling energized with the proper nutrition for your body.
Customized water intake: Adjust water consumption based on individu-
JENNIFER BOLTZ HARVEY
$3.50
$4
$3
$2
THURSDAY, AUG 1
CANDACE 6:30PM
FRIDAY, AUG 2 LUKE SOMMERS 3PM
TIDES 8PM
SATURDAY, AUG 3 MAASAI 8PM
SUNDAY, AUG 4
TONY MANFREDI 3PM
SUNDAY JAM 7PM
MONDAY, AUG 5
LUKE SOMMERS 6:30PM
TUESDAY, AUG 6
TACO TUESDAY ALL DAY
COUNTRY NIGHT WITH JIBSEA COWBOYS
WEDNESDAY, AUG 7
MIDDLE KEYS SAILING HOSTS ‘MIXER IN THE MIDDLE’ YOUTH REGATTA
Races open to skippers from Key Largo to Key West
Middle Keys Sailing will host a “Mixer in the Middle” regatta for young sailors from Key Largo to Key West on Saturday, Aug. 10. Racing will take place on Florida Bay, with a report time of 9 a.m and a first-start at 10:45 a.m.
Racing is open to Optimists, Lasers, 420s and Blue Dragons, all of which will compete off the point at the end of 33rd Street in Marathon, adjacent to the Marathon Yacht Club. This event is bring-your-own-boat, unless otherwise coordinated with the Middle Keys Sailing director.
The entry fee for single-handed boats is $35 and $50 for double-handed boats. The entry fee covers a limited edition event shirt and a ticket to the post-regatta pool party at Marathon Yacht Club.
Eligible sailors who are 7 to 18 years old with sailing experience are invited to participate. Registration is at Middle Keys Sailing’s website, www.mycef.education.
Spectators, volunteers and sponsors are welcome. For an assigned volunteer position or to become a sponsor, please contact Middle Keys Sailing director Ellie Maus at director. middlekeyssailing@gmail.com. Spectators can expect a shaded view of the racing at the end of 33rd Street, across from the public boat ramp and Marathon Yacht Club.
All proceeds will benefit the Marathon Yacht Club Educational Foundation (MYCEF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching fun and safety on the water for kids of all backgrounds, with scholarships available.
— Contributed
RAMPING UP
Annual Hope Walk to honor, remember cancer patients holds kickoff event
Amariachi band welcomed guests to La Chapina Restaurant on July 30 as volunteers celebrated the kickoff event for the annual Florida Keys Hope Walk. Formerly known as the Strides Walk, the event has expanded in recent years to bring awareness and support to those, both past and present, fighting every form of cancer.
The 2024 walk is set for Saturday, Oct. 12 from 8 a.m. to noon at Crane Point Hammock. Funds raised go to support the American Cancer Society.
In 2023, the walk supported lodging and transportation for 30 Florida Keys patients who needed to travel for cancer treatment. In the fall of 2023, the group granted $15,000 to Baptist hospitals, and in 2024 they will use $25,000 to assist patients with lodging in Miami or wherever else they need to travel, aided by reduced room rates at Extended Stay America hotels.
To sign up or make a donation, scan the QR code:
A regatta on Aug. 10 will challenge young sailors across the Florida Keys to ‘meet in the middle’ for races in Marathon. CONTRIBUTED
1. A mariachi band serenades arrivals outside La Chapina Restaurant.
2. Trich Worthington, left, Shayne Messina and Suzy Curry welcome visitors to the Hope Walk kickoff.
3. Marathon Mayor Robyn Still, left, stops by to show her support with walk organizer Shayne Messina.
Photos by ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly
AN ISOLATED DISASTER
Community stands tall despite all the downed trees and debris
We have a small concrete house on Plantation Key. When we bought it in 2012, we first fell in love with the front yard’s trees and the shade and privacy they afforded. Inside, the two-bedroom, one-bath house has an open floor plan. Our couch rests against the far coral-colored wall.
On a recent Sunday, at about 11 p.m., I was on the couch watching the new season of “Cobra Kai.” The show follows the lives of the Karate Kid and his foe, Daniel LaRusso, played by the barely-aging Ralph Macchio. Sometimes, when I am on the couch watching television at night, fireflies light up as they fly between the green buttonwoods outside and the window above the sofa.
FLORIDA KEYS HISTORY WITH BRAD BERTELLI
Brad is a local historian, author, speaker and Honorary Conch who loves sharing the history of the Florida Keys.
That Sunday night, lightning flashed through the window like great crackling sheets once, twice, three times. I heard rain falling and was happy that the yard was getting real water. And then there was this rumble. When I looked up at the window, the lightning flashed again, and tropical forces were blowing through the buttonwood trees. The rumble got louder, the lights flickered, and some other louder noise that I did not recognize reverberated through the house.
I sat up straight on the couch, grabbed the arm, and the television went dark. Everything went dark. The lack of power turned everything off but the brief roar of the wind raging outside. As suddenly as it came down, it vanished. I walked to my desk, picked up my phone, and slipped my feet into the Kino
sandals. I don’t know what I expected to see when I opened the front door. I did not expect to see a roof panel on the concrete patio floor, cracked timbers overhead, and a large gumbo tree lying outside with one of its old, thick, sunburned limbs crushing the roof.
The gumbo limbo is sometimes referred to as the tourist tree because its reddish, flaking bark lends the appearance of peeling skin. The tree obstructed the egress. Before slipping out the back door, I checked on Michelle, the dog and the cat. I wanted to know what had happened. By 11:30, all the neighbors were standing in the street, pointing flashlight beams around, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
“Was it a tornado?”
“I think it was a tornado.”
The isolated damage it left behind was certainly tornadoesque. Alas, the professionals called it a microburst, not a tornado. Microbursts develop within a storm system and materialize as a localized column of sinking air, a downdraft that strikes the ground, producing straight-line winds that can exceed 100 mph.
Microbursts are dangerous and can be equated with up to an EF 1 tornado. Tornadoes are rated much like hurricanes. Whereas hurricanes are categorized according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, tornadoes are rated on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which ranges from an EF 0 (65-85 mph winds) to an EF 5 (over 200 mph winds). One of the big differences between a tornado and a microburst is that the winds swirl in a tornado and do not in a microburst.
Tornadoes are assigned their scale based on the wind speed and damage caused by the event. Meteorologists estimated that the sudden downdraft that blew through our neighborhood had winds in the 65- to 85-mph range, or those associated with an EF 0 tornado. Whatever arrived that late Sunday
A large tree crashed down onto Bertelli’s Sioux Street home following a microburst event on July 21. BRAD BERTELLI/Contributed
night was over and done within a matter of minutes. And then, the community love came pouring out. By 11:45 p.m., chainsaws were buzzing and slicing away at the thick branches of the old- growth ficus that had sheared away in the meteorological event and were now blocking the street. A Bobcat was moving pieces of tree trunks to the side of the street. After the sun rose Monday morning, Sioux Street again filled with neighbors as cars and trucks filed past, slowing down to look closer, and golf carts — a lot of neighborhood golf carts.
You can say a lot of things about the Florida Keys, but you cannot deny its sense of community. It was on full display Monday and Tuesday as people showed up with chainsaws and gloves fitted to helping hands – and pizza. A young man from the neighborhood rode up on a bicycle with a chainsaw in its basket. He stopped, put his foot on the kickstand, and, with a pull, brought the chainsaw to life. But that is just what happens when things become unfortunate, go wrong, or something devastating unfolds. The people of the Florida Keys pull together.
From down the street, Jerry came rumbling with his Bobcat, and as he worked, the piles of tree trunks and limbs grew bigger and higher. When professional landscapers arrived to cut through the biggest trees, the piles grew longer and higher still. For our little house, the damage far exceeded what we experienced in 2017’s Hurricane Irma.
Most of our beautiful trees are gone, and along with them, our sense of privacy. In time, the yard will recover and will be replanted with sun-loving plants that will grow, and the yard will begin to resemble the one we fell in love with in 2012. Of course, the tropics are just heating up, and August and September are just around the corner. Hopefully, this is the last hit we take this season. If not, we have been reassured by the scale of community love the Florida Keys keeps in its collective tank.
CHRIS M cNULTY
is an astrologer, wanderer, bartender and advocate for queer justice. He is a loquacious Gemini with a cozy Cancer rising. Find him at hearthandheraldastrology.com
This week, the planet of love and relationships is squaring off with the planet of revolution and change. When Venus forms a 90-degree square to Uranus, we can only expect the unexpected when it comes to our relationships and value systems. Be ready for some idiosyncrasies to show up in your relationships that will either have you considering a breakup or pushing you to change the structure of your relationship. With Uranus, something has got to change and chains have to be broken. If this transit is not relational for you, you may have a shake-up in your value system. Regardless, find your even keel because surprises will abound. Also, Mercury will be turning retrograde on Monday, which means Mercury is rapidly slowing down right now. Get your communication projects completed now so you can start reviewing them in the coming weeks. Here are your horoscopes for the Venus-Uranus Square and Mercury’s Station. Read for your rising and sun signs.
LEO
July 23 - Aug. 22
As you focus on your relationship with yourself, some surprise changes at work may pose a challenge. Self-love does not always jive with the demands of career. Try your hand at a creative solution that allows you to show up as a gentler version of yourself. Don’t push. In the coming weeks, reconsider your financial strategy and maybe redesign your budget.
VIRGO
Aug. 23 - Sept. 22
Loving your alone time? Enjoying a bit of solitude? That’s wonderful, but an unexpected adventure is coming through to disrupt that time on your own. The call to adventure can come in many forms, but you do have the agency to answer or not. Either way, prepare for your self-love retreat to be jarringly interrupted. Gear up for an introspective few weeks ahead, and set the time aside.
LIBRA
Sept. 23 - Oct. 23
You’ve been getting showered with love from your friends lately, and I hope you’ve been soaking it up. The joyride is about to experience some turbulence when some surprise karma comes calling. An unexpected debt needs to be repaid or an unexpected windfall is coming your way. Start the process of analyzing how you use your alone time and where your mind goes in meditation.
SCORPIO
Oct. 23 - Nov. 21
Work has been graceful and lucrative lately. Perhaps a little too easy? Don’t wait for the shoe to drop, but do expect a surprise challenge to come from an important partner in your life. How can you integrate this partner’s perspective into the work that you are doing? In the coming weeks, reach out to old friends you haven’t talked to in a while. In fact, they’ll probably be contacting you.
SAGITTARIUS
Nov. 22 - Dec. 21
You have probably been experiencing a love of a new adventure or a new way of thinking lately, and that has opened your eyes to new ways of being in a relationship. An unexpected obligation promises to disrupt that, and you will need to pull up your sleeves to handle it quickly. Be ready to pivot. You’ll have a few weeks to rethink your career choices or to analyze your reputation. Use them.
CAPRICORN
Dec. 22 - Jan. 19
You may have been investing more and more into a relationship in your life, perhaps even getting more financially entwined. A disruption to this relationship is on the horizon, but this could prove to be a creative solution. Your own creativity is trying to liberate you from a potential debt, so listen to your intuition. Let your mind think about future travel in the next few weeks.
AQUARIUS
Jan. 20 - Feb. 18
You’re in a season of high romanticism with love and partnership taking center stage. Everything changes, however, and there is an unexpected challenge from your home and family aiming to disrupt this romcom. Rather than getting frustrated, consider how this interference may be offering you a dose of liberation. Rethink your debts in the coming weeks.
PISCES
Feb. 19 - March 20
When it comes to your daily routines and regular obligations, you’ve probably found a special grace and flow lately. It’s probably like you don’t even need to try to get your things done. That flow promises to experience an interruption, however, possibly through communication from a sibling or a neighbor. Don’t fret! There is a freedom in the rupture. Rethink a major partnership for the next few weeks.
ARIES
March 21 - April 19
Your creative juices have been flowing and you have had a particular grace with your projects, Aries. I hope you’ve been taking advantage of this ease. A financial disruption that will break this flow is on the horizon, but if your reaction is measured, you will actually find some liberation in this interruption. In the coming days, reanalyze your daily routines and see if there is a better way.
SHAKE YOUR LOVE
TAURUS
April 20 - May 20
Home is where your heart is lately, Taurus. There has been a unique joy at home and with family, and I hope you’ve been soaking it up. You may be feeling a bit of restlessness, however, and you will need to break free from the monotony. Listen to your nervous system and live your truth. Under Mercury retrograde in the coming weeks, rethink your creative outlets.
GEMINI
May 21 - June 20
You’ve been feeling the love from your local community, Gemini. Perhaps you’ve been particularly appreciated for the gifts that you bring to those around you. That’s wonderful, but prepare yourself for a surprise urge to isolate yourself for a little bit. Time away is perfectly healthy and can help you appreciate the world and people outside. Reconnect with family in the coming weeks.
CANCER
June 21 - July 22
You’ve been a magnet for the money. The income comes and goes, so I hope you’ve been putting some aside. Your friends are probably going to come at you with a surprise engagement that will disrupt the flow of funds. This is not a bad thing; rather, it will imbue you with a sense of freedom. Take some time in the coming days and weeks to rethink how you communicate.
Our Community
Best Place to take the Kids
Best Event
Best Bathroom
Best Sunset
Best Place to Have a Wedding
Best Elected O cial
Best Tourist A raction
Best Local Celebrity
Best Volunteer
Best Non-Profit Organization
Best Place to Take a Date
Best Band/Musician
Best Place to Take a Selfie
Best Summer Camp
Best Sport Coach
Best Educator
Best Thespian/ Performing Artist
Best Hugs
Nominations start Aug. 1 & close Aug. 18
Final Voting Begins Aug. 22 to Sept. 8
to be presented Saturday, Sept. 21
The Businesses
Best Resort/Hotel
Best Law Firm
Best Gi Shop
Best Fishing Guide
Best Dive Shop
Best Bait & Tackle Shop
Best Customer Service
Best New Business
Best Medical Professional
Best Landscape Company
Best Auto Repair
Best Marine Repair
Best Photographer
Best Marina
Best Vet
Best Realtor
Best Real Estate O ce
Best Bank
Best General Contractor
Best Specialty Contractor
Best Hair Salon
Best Nail Salon
Best Clothing Store
Best Business
Best Family Owned Business
Best Vacation Rental Company
Best Pet Service
Best Fishing Charter
Best Health and Wellness Service
Best Water Sports/ Leisure Cruise
Best Marine Detailing
Best Car Wash/Detailing
Best Pool Service
The Food & Drink
Best Key Lime Pie
Best Fish Sandwich
Best Fine Dining
Best International Food
Best Breakfast
Best Lunch
Best BBQ
Best Cup of Co ee
Best Bar
Best Bartender
Best Server
Best Happy Hour
Best Bloody Mary
Best Waterfront Dining
Best Live Music Venue
Best Pizza
Best Margarita
Best Late Night Spot
Best Beer Selection
Best Catering
Best Taco
Best Food Truck
Best Seafood
Best Steak
Best Sushi
Best Burger
Best Cook your own Catch
Best Overall Restaurant
Best Conch Fri ers
Best Wings
Best Cuban Sandwich
Best Dessert Spot
SEEKING SHELTER
UNAFFORDABLE HOUSING, TEENAGE HOMELESSNESS AND LITERALLY LIVING IN A DUMP
NICKEL AND DIMED
By Barbara Ehrenreich
In 1998, journalist Barbara Ehrenreich began critically analyzing whether people could exist on minimum-wage jobs, such as waitressing, housekeeping and retail, which at the time paid about $6 per hour. She learned that it was impossible to pay for rent and food without working at least two jobs, if not three. To further her research, she decided to go undercover, leaving home with minimal necessities. Ehrenreich moved from Key West to Maine to Minnesota, working a multitude of jobs in each location. She lived in trailer parks, crumbling motels and shared spaces. No matter how diligently she worked, Ehrenreich struggled. Her exploration revealed America at its best and worst. There were many jobs available, and she could eat reasonably well. However, her biggest obstacle was housing. More than 20 years later, housing is still an issue in every city across the country, with rising rents, buildings in disrepair and people living in motels. These experiences changed her life, and as a journalist and social advocate, she wrote about them. Ehrenreich passed away a few years ago at 81, and her award-winning book remains on the recently-published New York Times list of 100 best books of the 21st century.
First and foremost a reader, she has reviewed hundreds of books on her blog www.readingandeating.com. And, more recently, this new Keys resident has also begun writing.
IF YOU SEE THEM
By Vicki Sokolik
One day, Vicki’s Sokolik’s son Cam brought a girl home after school. He didn’t know her well, but she was smart, living on her own and about to drop out. Always compassionate, Sokolik had been volunteering to serve hundreds of meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas for years. But maybe that wasn’t enough. Sokolik learned there was a population of “unaccompanied homeless youth” who slipped through the cracks, as only children “taken” from the home are considered for foster care. Sokolik, a resident of Tampa, founded a nonprofit called Starting Right, Now — later shortened to SRN. Once identified by school administration, these teens can apply to be part of this handson program where they receive guidance and housing. The goal is to aid these young people in leading productive, healthy lives and building a trustworthy support system. As Sokolik details her experiences, she highlights many personal journeys of these teens. Some are shocking; all are heartbreaking. This incredible woman has led the path to change in her community and the Legislature in Florida. It is a shining example of what patience, perseverance and change can accomplish. Writing a check is appreciated, but not always enough when the system is broken.
#WORTHWATCHING
When Alex leaves her abusive boyfriend, she moves into a shelter with her young daughter. Getting a job cleaning houses while struggling with day care, permanent housing and a mentally ill mother is an emotional and physical roller coaster for this brave young woman. Inspired by a bestselling memoir, “Maid” can be seen on Netflix.
By Camron Wright Sang Ly, Ki Lim, and their son Ni-
say live at Stung Meanchey, the largest dump in Cambodia. They pick trash for a living. Nisay has been ill, and their lives are filled with constant danger, hunger and shame. The rent collector is a woman named Sopeap, whom they also call the dragon lady. She is mean-spirited and often drunk as she collects the rent on their three-sided huts. One day, Sang Ly sees something in Sopeap that forces her to break through this facade and find out who she really is. Sang Ly shows her a book that Ki found while picking. Sopeap, a former literature professor, begins to teach Sang Ly to read, and an unexpected friendship begins. Based on a documentary produced by the author’s son and filmed in this actual dump, the narrative is filled with reminders of how reading and books can change a person’s life. Although it is fictionalized, this story, the dump and the characters are very real. Ultimately, it is a story of hope and renewal, encouraging us to embrace empathy and withhold judgment until we’ve truly experienced someone else’s journey.
THE RENT COLLECTOR
KAREN NEWFIELD
... is a photographer, writer, and semi-professional birdwatcher. He has lived in Key West for more than 25 years and may no longer be employable in the real world. He is also executive director of the Florida Keys Audubon Society.
Iwas up on No Name Key the other day, trying to find a reported rarity, when I heard it – the telltale kek.
I had my camera set up and ready to shoot (1/1000, F/5.6, ISO auto). I had the car windows down because a lot of time when you’ve had your camera in the air conditioning and get out into the question-your-life-choices level of Florida humidity, your lens fogs. And with the windows down I heard the kek really well.
Kek is the agreed-upon way to spell out the noise that a clapper rail makes while hiding in the mangroves or, outside of the Keys, in the reeds or grasses of a coastal marsh. It is only occasionally a single syllable. Most times it’s a fistful of keks, 15 or 20, in a rapid rising, then falling, parabola of keks. (I’m going to save some space here and not spell that out.) Sometimes, to add a little nuance, they will call out something known as kek-hurrah, which is thought to be an abbreviation of the manykekked parabola. Sometimes the females will give out what is known as a kek-burr, thought to be the female’s version of “Hey, sailor.” But kek is their basic unit of sound.
It is not a conventionally pretty sound. At first I wanted to describe it as if a steel wool pad had mated with a strand of barbed wire and somehow learned to sing. But I think it would be more apt to describe it as if someone had somehow combined the laughs of Ernie, of Ernie and Bert fame, and Shane McGowan, of the Pogues fame, with the voices of Donald Duck and Tom Waits, then installed it in a bird that could only survive on espresso and Red Bull.
Not pretty, but damn, my heart fills with joy every time I hear it.
The best times are when I’m looking for something else and one just pipes up unseen out of the mangroves. It’s like the clouds parting, or a bartender telling you the drink is on the house. Sometimes I stop at a place that looks particularly clapper rail-y and listen for them, and when I don’t hear them, try and game the system and play their call loudly on my phone. Sometimes I get a response, but mostly I don’t.
Rails are some of the stealthiest birds out there, and clappers do their family proud. The introduction to their species account in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s “Birds of the World” website notes, “Although it is widely distributed and often locally abundant, little is known about many aspects of its biology because the clapper rail is difficult to observe in its dense marsh habitats.”
Their range is essentially the Gulf Coast, the Atlantic Coast up to southern Maine, and the Caribbean. Florida actually has its own subspecies, Rallus crepitans scottii.
Big-bodied, longish-legged, mediumnecked, small-headed, longish-billed, not much taller than a pair of size 13 Air Jordans. Their feathers are a melange of grays, browns and oranges, with the occasional bit of white scalloping in the belly. At first they kind of look like something a kid would draw if you just told them to draw a bird without using any of the good crayons.
Birders will often tell you the phrase “thin as a rail” comes from rails, which doesn’t make sense when you look at them in profile, as they look a little plump. The story makes more sense when you see one head on, because many rail species, clapper rails among them, are what is called laterally compressed, meaning skinny from side to side, as if they’d spent a little time clamped in a book vise. But etymologists have thrown cold water on that idea, showing evidence that the phrase refers to fence rails, not birds that are called rails. It’s just a strange bit of linguistic convergent evolution. (Fun fact: Mark Twain was the first person to use the phrase “thin as a rail” in print.)
All of these physical characteristics, of course, contribute to their furtiveness, making it harder for you to see them as they slink around behind the veil of green and brown vegetation that comprises their world. I think this is what I like most about clapper rails. I like that they have these largely secret lives. I like that they soft-step around marshes and swamps and mangroves like cartoon burglars. (I wish they were one of those species that had a burglar-like mask across their eyes, but alas and alack, they are not.)
I realize I’m making it sound as if you never see clapper rails, which is not quite the case. If you do hear them, you have a chance. It’s best
CLAPPER RAILS: WHAT THE KEK?
if you can muster up a little self-discipline and not make any sudden movements. If there’s an open, muddy area in the mangroves or marsh, either wet or dry, even something as small as 3 or 4 feet across, keep a watchful eye on that. Sometimes they will work along the edge, or sometimes even right through the middle, of the open space. But also pay attention to the areas around it. Sometimes there will be a very subtle shadow moving through the roots, and if you focus your binoculars correctly, you can actually follow them for a good number of seconds. Also pay attention to your peripheral vision.
When I heard the clapper rail on No Name the other day, I stopped the car pretty quickly, then backed up a bit, turned the car off, got out and closed the door as softly as I could, camera slung over my shoulder. I hadn’t heard just one kek, I’d heard an armada of them. And in stereo. There were clapper rails on both sides of the road, throwing fusillades of keks at each other. It sounded angry, though most likely it was just them checking in with each other, and this time of year, maybe keeping track of their offspring.
I did what I advised above. Found an open spot and focused on that. Told myself I am a patient person and that if I just don’t move too quickly, I might see one. Which was when I caught sight of a clapper rail off to my left, fast walking warily across the road.
I turned and lifted my camera (pretty smoothly I must say) – he’d already seen that I was there, so he didn’t really spook. I managed to shoot a couple frames before he disappeared into the mangroves in front of me. And when I was shooting I realized my lens was still fogged, despite driving with the windows down.
It actually turned out to be a pretty lousy photo. But I think it shows you a little more of the clapper rail’s character than a good one might.
A clapper rail scooting across the road on No Name Key recently. MARK HEDDEN/Keys Weekly
The Florida Keys Scenic Corridor Alliance (FKSCA) will hold its annual meeting on Thursday, Aug. 8 at the Hampton Inn in Marathon, located at 13351 Overseas Highway. The meeting begins at 11:30 a.m. and concludes at 1:30 p.m.
Established in 2007, FKSCA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the scenic, historic and recreational qualities of the Florida Keys. The organization played a pivotal role in securing the All-American Road designation from the National Byways Association in 2009, a recognition that followed the designation of U.S. 1 as a Florida Scenic Highway by the state in 2001. Currently, there are only 57 All-American Roads in the nation.
The meeting will feature presentations from officials of the statewide scenic highway program, focusing on the critical efforts to maintain the safety and cleanliness of U.S. 1. A highlight of the meeting will be a presentation by Big Belly Trash Compactors on solarpowered trash cans, ideally suited for placement along the 110 miles of the All-American Road.
Additionally, attendees will receive an updated presentation on the plans for the Long Key Bridge renovation, an important project for the region.
The annual meeting is open to all. Registration can be completed at the door or at www.scenichighwayflkeys.com. Registration fees are $40 for individuals, which includes an individual membership and lunch, and $65 for businesses, which also includes a business membership and lunch.
The FKSCA board meets monthly on the second Thursday, working to promote and protect the scenic qualities of the Florida Keys.
More information is available from Judy Hull at director@islamoradachamber.com or 305-394-3539. — Contributed
Channel 5 Bridge. DAVID GROSS/Keys Weekly
LARRY C. BRAUN 1941-2024
Larry C. Braun, 82, of Marathon passed away on July 18. He was born on Dec. 13, 1941 in Lorain, Ohio. Larry was loved by many and enjoyed golfing and evenings out with his friends. His laugh could light up any room.
He leaves behind his loving mother, Pauline Lightfoot; daughter, Ginger Braun and her son, Michael; his son, Larry J. Braun and wife Natalie and their children Rachel, Cody and Taylor and their children; his sister, Sally Basilone and husband Mike and her daughter Lisa; along with many nieces, nephews and cousins and his dog buddies Cochon, Myrtle and Bella. He is preceded in death by his father, Joseph Braun, and sisters Virginia Wallace and Kay Lightfoot.
Larry was a longstanding member of the American Legion, Elks Lodge, Moose Lodge, DAV and VFW.
A small memorial service for family and friends was held on July 21 in Grassy Key. Thank you all for coming. Everyone had a great time. See you on the other side.
BRIEFLY
Leatherback hatchling released offshore
Liberty, a Leatherback sea turtle hatchling, was transferred to the Turtle Hospital from Zoo Miami on July 4 after being rescued on a Miami beach with a bad flipper. Since her arrival, Liberty received regular fluids and a special Leatherback diet during her rehabilitation until she gained enough strength in her right flipper for release. On July 27, with the help of Two Conchs Charters and Captain Jack Carlson, Liberty was released into the Gulf Stream, her natural habitat. The hospital thanked its staff, Carlson, Zoo Miami, Dr. Jeanette Wyneken, Liberty’s rehab adopters and all supporters.
New
murder mystery event at Marathon Community Theatre
Marathon Community Theatre presents a new interactive comedy murder mystery event on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 2-3. The event, suitable for ages 16 and up, features cash concessions and complimentary BBQ-style heavy appetizers starting at 6 p.m., with the event beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35 each and include a themed snack bar with smoked pork sliders, corn on the cob, veggie platters, charcuterie and desserts, prepared by Marathon's Chris Still. Come early to eat, drink, mingle and find your team before the mystery begins. For information and tickets, visit marathontheater.org.
Marathon Community Theater hosts story slam event
Share your story at the Marathon Community Theater story slam on Saturday, Aug. 10, at 7 p.m. Admission is free and open to all ages. The audience will vote for their favorite story, with a $50 cash prize for the winner. Stories, which should be 5 to 6 minutes long, must relate to the "Here’s Your Sign" theme and be true and personal. If you don't have a story but enjoy a fun evening, come to listen and vote. For more information, visit www.marathontheater.org.
Two Marathon teens arrested in PWC theft
Two 14-year-old males from Marathon were arrested for allegedly stealing two personal watercraft (PWC) and causing some $10,000 in damage to one of them. Charles Jacob Wallace Buttner and Jean Carlos Figueredo were charged with grand theft, burglary and criminal mischief. The sheriff’s office responded to the 1200 block of the Overseas Highway at around 7:10 p.m. Sunday regarding the theft of two Yamaha PWCs from a floating dock. A witness on another PWC chased the suspects, who abandoned the stolen PWCs near the 1100 block of the Overseas Highway and ran away, the sheriff's office said. Figueredo was caught, and Buttner was later found and arrested.
Marathon SPCA needs hurricane fosters
Hurricane fosters are needed at the Marathon SPCA campus. With hurricane season here, the SPCA needs volunteers and fosters in case of a storm. Over 100 animals would need to be evacuated, so it is crucial they all have homes in place before an impending storm. The SPCA provides everything you need; all you do is give an animal a safe haven during the storm and return them to the shelter once it's safe – that is, if you don't fall in love. For more information on becoming a hurricane foster, visit fkspca.org/ volunteer/become-a-foster-volunteer or call 305743-4800.
Funders Alliance hosts
Florida Keys Nonprofit Day
Professionals from countywide charitable organizations will gather for the third annual Florida Keys Nonprofit Day on Wednesday, Sept. 11, at Marathon City Hall from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Presented by the Florida Keys Funders Alliance, the event offers free tickets for nonprofit staff, volunteers, students and community members interested in nonprofit service. Pre-registration at cffk.org/nonprofitday is required due to limited seating. The afternoon will feature sessions on presentations, branding and finance, followed by a reception sponsored by First State Bank of the Florida Keys.
Monroe County libraries offer summer reading programs
Every summer, the Monroe County Public Library offers programs to keep kids and their families reading. The community tradition promotes reading for fun and lifelong enrichment. The libraries create an encouraging framework for learning for all ages during the summer. Reading together as a family helps prevent summer learning loss and encourages strong communication and bonding. Summer reading isn’t just for kids, but for teens as well. Families can pick up reading logs, find books (including e-books), attend programs and more at every branch of the Monroe County Public Library – in Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine Key and Key West. This year’s theme is “Adventure Begins at Your Library.” More information is at keyslibraries.org/summer-reading-2024/, at the library branches and via email to info@keyslibraries.org.
Come take a class at the Marathon library
The Marathon library has a wide variety of class offerings, ranging from photography to book clubs, robots, virtual reality and more. Scan the QR code here to see the schedule and get involved.
On this day: In 1957, the United States and Canada a ounced the forma on of the North American Aerospace Defense Co and (NORAD).
In The Bleachers
The force is de nitely with these folks in Mexico City — students of the Jedi Knight Academy, who m t in a park four nights a w k to prac ce their lightsaber dueling ski s, the A ociated Pre reported on June 21. “When students a ive, some of them drop the saber,” said instructor Ulises Vazquez, who’s known as the Jedi master. He said they go on to become “exce ent athletes and exce ent lightsaber ghters and fencers.” The se ions, which last thr hours, are based on Jedi and Sith teachings.
Adam
Brevity
News of the Weird
Founded by Betty Debnam
Racing to Indiana
Indiana, a midwestern state, joined the Union in 1816 as our 19th state. The land was inhabited by native people for many centuries; the Shawnee, Miami, Illini and others were living in the area when Europeans arrived.
The first European to explore the area was probably Rene-Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle, in 1679. French fur traders were the first Europeans to settle in the area. The British claimed the area after the French and Indian Wars in 1763.
Indiana is known as the Hoosier State, a nickname that probably started with an 1833 poem by John Finley called “The Hoosier’s Nest.” Indiana adopted the nickname more than 150 years ago.
INDIANA TODAY
With about 6.7 million people, Indiana ranks 17th among the states in population. It is the 38th-largest state in area.
The capital, Indianapolis, is also the largest city. In the 20th century, Indiana became a leader in manufacturing, making automobiles and car parts, steel and pharmaceuticals. Farmers also raise corn, soybeans and egg-laying chickens.
Companies ship products through the Great Lakes’ St. Lawrence Seaway and on the
THE SPORTING LIFE
Motorsports are huge in Indiana, the home of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Each year on Memorial Day, it hosts the Indianapolis 500, the largest single-day sporting event in the world.
Indiana’s professional sports teams include:
• the NBA’s Indiana Pacers
• the WNBA’s Indiana Fever
• the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts
Interestingly, more NBA players have come from Indiana, on average, than any other state.
EDUCATION
Indiana is home to many colleges and universities, including Indiana University, Purdue University, the University of Notre Dame and many technical and training schools.
INDIANA FACT-A-ROONIES
• Forests cover about 21% of the state.
• The Raggedy Ann Doll was first created in Indianapolis in 1914 by cartoonist Johnny Gruelle. He wrote stories about the doll for his daughter.
• The Indianapolis Zoo features thousands of animals such as tigers and elephants in cageless natural habitats.
People in Italy within the highly populated caldera of an ancient supervolcano spent the night outdoors, in tents or in their cars after the strongest tremors on record jolted the volcanic area. Phlegraean Fields is located just west of Naples. The nearby city of Pozzuoli, home to more than 800,000 people, has seen the landscape changed during the past year by seismic activity brought on by magma flowing below. There have long been plans in place to swiftly evacuate the area should an eruption seem imminent.
FAMOUS HOOSIERS
• William Henry Harrison, who once was the governor of the Indiana Territory, was our ninth president. His grandson, Benjamin Harrison, was our 23rd president. He was born in Ohio but moved to Indiana to practice law. Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president, lived much of his childhood in the state.
• Pop artist
Michael Jackson and his brothers and sisters were born in Gary, Indiana.
• Charles “Chuck” Taylor, born in Brown County, Indiana, in 1901, was a basketball player and worked for the Converse Rubber Shoe Co. He helped redesign and improve the basketball shoes that became known as Chuck Taylor All Stars, or “Chucks.”
• Orville Redenbacher was an agricultural scientist whose hybrid popping corn was introduced in 1970 under his name. He was born in Brazil, Indiana. You can see a statue of him in Lincoln Park in Valparai-
RESOURCES
On the Web:
• bit.ly/MPIndiana
At the library:
• “What’s Great About Indiana?” by Candice Ransom
• “The Story of the Indiana Fever” by Jim Whiting
Ohio River.
photo by Joshua Cornelius
The Jackson 5 perform in 1972.
The Indiana flag
Mini Fact: Today, race cars at the Indy 500 might zip by at more than 230 mph. At the first race in 1911, the winning speed was 75 mph.
• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • 305.743.0844
CORRECTED NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO REIMPOSE AND PROVIDE FORCOLLECTION OF SOLID WASTE SERVICE SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS
Notice is hereby given that the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida, (BOCC) will conduct a Public Hearing to consider reimposing solid waste service assessments for the Fiscal Year beginning October 1, 2024, against certain improved residential properties located within Monroe County, the City of Marathon, the City of Layton, and the City of Key Colony Beach, to fund the cost of solid waste collection services, facilities and programs provided to such properties, and to authorize collection of such assessments on the tax bill.
The Public Hearing will be held at 9:00 A.M., on August 21, 2024, at the Harvey Government Center, 1200 Truman Avenue, Key West, Florida 33040. The public can attend the Public Hearing in person, or via Zoom, for the purpose of contributing or receiving public comments on the proposed assessments. The Zoom link can be found in the electronic meeting agenda at the following address: http://monroecountyfl.iqm2.com/citizens/default.aspx.
All affected property owners have a right to appear at the hearing, in person or virtually, and to file written objections with the County Commission, within 20 calendar days of the first publication date of this notice. Pursuant to section 286.0105, Florida Statutes, notice is given that if a person decides to appeal any decision made by the County Commission with respect to any matter considered at the hearing, such person will need a record of the proceedings, and may need to ensure that a verbatim record is made, including the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be made. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, persons needing a special accommodation or an interpreter to participate in this proceeding should contact the County Administrator’s Office at 305-292-4441, at least 48 hours prior to the date of the hearing. If hearing or voice-impaired, contact the Florida Relay Service Number, by dialing “711” for assistance.
The total annual solid waste assessment revenue to be collected within Monroe County, the City of Marathon, the City of Layton, and the City of Key Colony Beach for the upcoming fiscal year is estimated to be $19,310,016.00. The rate of assessment for the upcoming fiscal year shall be $548.58 per residential dwelling unit. The maximum rate of assessment that can be imposed in the Fiscal Year commencing October 1, 2024, and future fiscal years, shall be $548.58 per residential dwelling unit. Copies of the legal documentation for the assessment program will be made available upon request by contacting the County Administrator’s Office at (305) 292-4441, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:30 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. If you have any questions, please call the County Solid Waste Management Department at 305-295-4323 or 305-292-4536, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:30 A.M. and 5:00 P.M.
The assessments will be collected on the ad valorem tax bill to be mailed in November, 2024, as authorized by section 197.3632, Florida Statutes. Failure to pay the assessments will cause a tax certificate to be issued against the property, which may result in a loss of title.
A person may submit written or other physical evidence on a particular agenda item for consideration at the August 21, 2024 BOCC meeting to: Krystal Gomez, via email at: Gomez-Krystal@monroecounty-fl.gov, or by mail to: The County Administrator’s Office, 1100 Simonton Street, Suite 205, Key West, FL 33040. The documents must be received by 3:00 P.M., on August 16, 2024, and must include the submitter’s name, address, phone number, email address, and the agenda item number to which the documents refer.
DATED at Key West, Monroe County, Florida, this 27th day of July, 2024.
Kevin Madok, Clerk of the Circuit Court and ex officio Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida
LEGAL NOTICES
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE
U-HAUL COMPANY OF MIAMI
Notice is hereby given that on August 12th, 2024, Leonard Richford Jr. Storage Auctioneer, Executive Administrator for U-Haul Company of Miami, Will be offering for sale under the Judicial Lien Process, By Public Auction, the following storage units. The Terms of the sale will be cash only. U-Haul Company does reserve the right to refuse any bids. The sales will Begin at 8:00 a.m. and continue day by day until all units are sold. The names of whose units will be sold are as follows: 103530 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037
Sheila Chamberlain – 1167
$424.15
Sherrian Cotter – 1732
$566.34
Publish: July 25 and August 1, 2024
The Weekly Newspapers
LEGAL NOTICES
DISTRICT I ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DAC I) (Encompasses the City Limits of Key West) of the MONROE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
has an opening for an “At Large” representative - Any resident who is not directly involved in a tourism business and who shall represent the general public and shall live or work within the tax collection district for which they are applying (The operative word within this description is directly. This word means someone who is not in business, nor whose business or economic activity are dependent upon tourists).
Any person wishing to participate on the District I Advisory Committee of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council within the district so noted above,
LEGAL NOTICES
may request an application by emailing sydney@fla-keys.com. Completed applications should be emailed to sydney@fla-keys. com or may be sent via U.S. mail to the address below:
Department DAC Monroe County Tourist Development Council 1201 White Street, Suite 102 Key West, FL 33040 Deadline for receipt of application at the above address is 5:00 p.m. Friday August 23, 2024. A resume may be attached to the application.
Publish: August 1, 2024
The Weekly Newspapers
DISTRICT II ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DAC II) (From the city limits of Key West to the west end of the Seven Mile Bridge) of the
INVITATION TO BID (ITB)
The City of Key Colony Beach cordially invites interested contractors to complete and submit sealed bids by August 29th, 2024, no later than 9:30 a.m., for the following project.
PICKLEBALL/TENNIS COURT PROJECT ITB 2024-03
THE PROJECT CONSISTS OF: Construct two (2) tennis courts and six (6) pickleball courts at 7th and 8th Street Parks to be submitted by August 29, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.
All bids must be submitted in a sealed envelope to City Administrator John Bartus at 600 W. Ocean, Key Colony Beach, Florida 33051 (mailing address PO Box 510141, Key Colony Beach, FL 33051), no later than August 29th, 2024 at 9:30 am clearly marked ‘Sealed Bid for the City of Key Colony Beach ITB 2024-03’ along with the name of your rm. Each bid must have one original and three copies. The bid manual, requirements and specifications are available on DemandStar at www.Demandstar.com.
All questions regarding the bid process should be directed to City Administrator John Bartus at cityadministrator@keycolonybeach.net
DATE TIME ACTION
07-29-2024 9:30 a.m. Release Solicitation 08-08-2024 9:30 a.m. Non-Mandatory Site Visit (Open to Public –7th and 8th Street Parks, Key Colony Beach, FL)
08-15-2024 4:00 p.m. Last day for submission of written questions to the City
08-22-2024 4:00 p.m. Last day for the City to post answers to questions
08-29-2024 9:30 a.m. Bid Due & Opening (Open to Public – Marble Hall, 600 W. Ocean Dr., Key Colony Beach, FL)
09-13-2024 9:30 a.m. Review Committee Meeting Recommendation to Award* *Can be posted on or before date (Open to Public – Marble Hall, 600 W. Ocean Dr., Key Colony Beach, FL)
09-19-2024 9:30 a.m. City Commission Meeting – Final Award (Open to Public – 600 W. Ocean Dr., Key Colony Beach, FL)
City of Key Colony Beach
600 W Ocean Drive, Key Colony Beach, FL 33051
Contact
Publish: August 1, 2024
Mailing Address
John Bartus, City Administrator PO Box 510141 cityadministrator@keycolonybeach.net Key Colony Beach, FL 33051
Publish: July 25 & August 1, 2024. The Weekly Newspapers
MONROE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL has an opening for a LODGING INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVE – shall be owners or operating/general managers of motels, hotels, recreational vehicle parks, or other tourist accommodations which are subject to bed tax in the tax collection district for which they are applying. Any person wishing to participate on the District II Advisory Committee of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council within the district so noted above, may request an application by emailing sydney@fla-keys.com. Completed applications should be emailed to sydney@fla-keys. com or may be sent via U.S. mail to the address below:
Department DAC Monroe County Tourist Development Council 1201 White Street, Suite 102 Key West, FL 33040 Deadline for receipt of application at the above address is 5:00 p.m. Friday August 23, 2024. A resume may be attached to the application.
Publish: August 1, 2024
The Weekly Newspapers
DISTRICT III ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DAC III) (From the west end of the Seven Mile Bridge to the Long Key Bridge) of the MONROE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL has an opening for a TOURIST RELATED BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVE - Shall be persons involved in business which is interdependent upon the tourist industry who have demonstrated an interest in tourist development but who shall not be employed in any position within the lodging industry (motels, hotels, recreational vehicle parks, and other tourist accommodations and whose business is in the tax collection district for which they are applying).
Any person wishing to participate on the District III Advisory Committee of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council within the district so noted above may request an application by emailing sydney@fla-keys.com. Completed applications should be emailed to sydney@fla-keys. com or may be sent via U.S. mail to the address below: Department DAC Monroe County Tourist Development Council 1201 White Street, Suite 102 Key West, FL 33040 Deadline for receipt of application at the above address is 5:00 p.m. Friday August 23, 2024. A resume may be attached to the application. Publish: August 1, 2024
The Weekly Newspapers
District IV Advisory Committee (DAC IV) (Between the Long Key Bridge and mile marker 90.939) of the MONROE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL has a vacancy for an “At Large” representative - Any resident who is not directly involved in a tourism business and who shall represent the general public and shall live or work within the tax collection district for which they are applying (The operative word within this description is directly. This word means someone who is not in business, nor whose business or economic activity are dependent upon tourists). Any person wishing to participate on the District IV Advisory Committee of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council within the district so noted above, may request an application by emailing sydney@fla-keys.com. Completed applications should
• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES
be emailed to sydney@fla-keys. com or may be sent via U.S. mail to the address below:
Department DAC
Monroe County Tourist
Development Council
1201 White Street, Suite 102
Key West, FL 33040
Deadline for receipt of application at the above address is 5:00 p.m. Friday August 23, 2024. A resume may be attached to the application.
Publish: August 1, 2024
The Weekly Newspapers
DISTRICT IV ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DAC IV)
(Between the Long Key Bridge and mile marker 90.939) of the MONROE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
has an opening for a TOURIST RELATED BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVE - Shall be persons involved in business which is interdependent upon the tourist industry who have demonstrated an interest in tourist development but who shall not be employed in any position within the lodging industry (motels, hotels, recreational vehicle parks, and other tourist accommodations and whose business is in the tax collection district for which they are applying).
Any person wishing to participate on the District IV Advisory Committee of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council within the district so noted above may request an application by emailing sydney@fla-keys.com. Completed applications should be emailed to sydney@fla-keys. com, or may be sent via U.S. Mail to the address below:
Department DAC Monroe County Tourist Development Council 1201 White Street, Suite 102 Key West, FL 33040
Deadline for receipt of application at the above address is 5:00 p.m. Friday August 23, 2024. A resume may be attached to the application.
Publish: August 1, 2024
The Weekly Newspapers
DISTRICT V ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DAC V) (From Mile Marker 90.940 to the Dade/Monroe County Line and any Mainland portions of Monroe County) of the MONROE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL has an opening for a LODGING INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVE – shall be owners or operating/general managers of motels, hotels, recreational vehicle parks, or other tourist accommodations which are subject to bed tax in the tax collection district for which they are applying. Any person wishing to participate on the District V Advisory Committee of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council within the district so noted above, may request an application by emailing sydney@fla-keys.com. Completed applications should be emailed to sydney@fla-keys. com, or may be sent via U.S. Mail to the address below: Department DAC Monroe County Tourist Development Council 1201 White Street, Suite 102 Key West, FL 33040 Deadline for receipt of applications at the above address is 5:00 p.m. Friday August 23, 2024. A resume may be attached to the application.
Publish: August 1, 2024
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Thursday, August 29, 2024, at 3:00 P.M., the Monroe County Purchasing Office will receive and open sealed responses for the following:
Blue Heron Park Pickleball Court Expansion Monroe County, Florida Pursuant to F.S. § 50.0211(3) (a), all published competitive solicitation notices can be viewed at: www. floridapublicnotices.com, a searchable Statewide repository for all published legal notices. Requirements for submission and the selection criteria may be requested from the County’s electronic bidding platform at https://monroecounty-fl. bonfirehub.com OR www. monroecounty-fl.gov/ BonfireBids. The Public Record is available upon request.
Monroe County Purchasing Department receives bids via the Bonfire electronic bidding platform. Please do not email, mail or attempt to deliver in person any sealed bids. Emailed/ mailed/physically delivered bids/ proposals/responses WILL NOT be accepted.
The Monroe County Purchasing Department hereby directs that bids be submitted via the Bonfire electronic bidding platform at https://monroecounty-fl. bonfirehub.com, no later than 3:00P.M. on Thursday, August 29, 2024. There is no cost to the bidder to use the Bonfire platform.
Please do not submit your confidential financial information as part of your proposal. There are separate uploads for each set of documents, including confidential financial information. All proposals will be made public on the platform after an intended decision or 30 days, whichever is earlier, unless the bids/proposals are rejected in accordance with F.S. 119.071.
CITY OF MARATHON CITY COUNCIL
NOTICE OF ATTORNEYCLIENT SESSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 286.0118, FLORIDA STATUTES
Notice is hereby given that the City Council consisting of Mayor Robyn Still, Councilmembers Luis Gonzalez, Lynn Landry, Kenny Matlock, and Jeff Smith, City Manager George Garett, City Attorney Steve Williams, outside Counsel and attorney Erin Deady will meet at 5:00 pm or as soon as possible thereafter on August 27, 2024 at the Marathon City Hall, 9805 Overseas Highway in an Attorney-Client Session, pursuant to Section 286.011(8), Florida Statutes, to discuss litigation in regard to the following case: QOF, Inc v. City of Marathon, Florida and Florida Keys Resort Holdings, LLC, Defendant; pending in the Circuit/County Court of the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit in and for Monroe County Florida, Case No.: 24-CA-702-M The session is estimated to last thirty minutes.
Publish: August 1, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers
If your proposal document includes financial information, that information will not be considered confidential and will be available and viewable to the public in accordance with public records law. In the event of a discrepancy between the bid amount on the Proposal Form and the bid amount entered in Bonfire, the bid amount listed in the “Proposal Form” provided by Monroe County in the RFP is the amount that will be utilized by the County when considering the bid proposal. The County reserves the right to waive any proposal/bid irregularity.
The bid opening for this solicitation will be held virtually, via the internet, at 3:00 P.M., on Thursday, August 29, 2024. You may call in by phone or internet using the following: Join Zoom Meeting
https://mcbocc.zoom. us/j/4509326156
Meeting ID: 4509326156
One tap mobile:
+16465189805,,4509326156# US (New York)
+16699006833,,4509326156# US (San Jose)
Dial by your location:
+1 646 518 9805 US (New York)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
Publish:
August 1, 2024
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
PROBATE DIVISION
FILE NO.: 2024-CP-000352-P IN RE: ESTATE OF HARLAN LEONARD-POTTS
WENDELL
Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of Harlan Leonard-Potts Wendell, deceased, whose date of death was February 11, 2024, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88770 Overseas Hwy., Tavernier, FL 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representatives and the personal representatives’ attorneys are set forth below.
All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.
ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.
NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.
The date of first publication of this notice is: July 25, 2024.
Personal Representatives:
Thayer W. McKenzie
10 Perky Road
Key Largo, FL 33037
Harlan L.P. Wendell, Jr.
14 High Hope Way
Bluffton, SC 29910
Attorneys for Personal Representatives: Shaina Kamen
Florida Bar Number: 70539
Cristina Papanikos
Florida Bar Number: 715832
Holland & Knight LLP
Attorney for Thayer W. McKenzie,
Personal Representative
701 Brickell Ave., Suite 3300
Miami, Florida 33131
Telephone: (305) 789-7686
Fax: (305) 789-7799
E-Mail: shaina.kamen@hklaw.
com E-Mail: cristina.papanikos@ hklaw.com
Secondary E-Mail: diana.musa@ hklaw.com
Secondary E-Mail: brenda.scott@ hklaw.com
Matthew Turko
Florida Bar Number: 30261
Cummings & Lockwood, LLC
Attorney for Harlan L.P. Wendell, Jr., Personal Representative 3001 PGA Boulevard, Suite 104 Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
Telephone: (561) 214-8502
Fax: (239) 430-3338
E-Mail: mturko@cl-law.com
Publish:
July 25 and August 1, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
PROBATE DIVISION
FILE NO.: 2024-CP-000359-P IN RE: ESTATE OF LAWRENCE P. BRADY, JR. Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of LAWRENCE P. BRADY, JR., deceased, whose date of death was May 11, 2024, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88770 Overseas Highway, Suite 2, Plantation Key, FL 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.
NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.
The personal representative or curator has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent's death by the decedent or the decedent's surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in sections 732.216732.228, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under section 732.2211.
The date of first publication of this notice is: July 25, 2024.
Personal Representative: Melissa B. Hemmert 5633 Strand Blvd. Suite 306 Naples, Florida 34110
Attorney for Personal Representative: Jeffrey R. Grant
Attorney
Florida Bar Number: 63918
Grant Cottrell, PLLC 5147 Castello Drive Naples, FL 34103
Telephone: (239) 649-4848
Fax: (239) 643-9810
E-Mail: jeff@grantcottrell.com
Secondary E-Mail: jennifer@ grantcottrell.com
Publish: July 25 and August 1, 2024
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA UPPER KEYS PROBATE DIVISION
CASE NO.: 24-CP-000287-P
IN RE: ESTATE OF SCARLETT R. MILLER, Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of SCARLETT R. MILLER, deceased, whose date of death was November 28, 2023, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88770 Overseas Highway, Suite 2, Plantation Key, FL 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.
NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is: July 25, 2024.
Personal Representative: JOSEPH L. BERTOLAMI 80908 Overseas Highway Islamorada, FL 33036
Attorney for Personal Representative: VICTORIA MIRANDA, ESQ. Florida Bar No. 1015363 HERSHOFF, LUPINO & YAGEL, LLP 88539 Overseas Highway Tavernier, FL 33070
E-Mail: VMiranda@HLYlaw.com
Publish: July 25 and August 1, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 24-CP-279-P
DIVISION: PLANTATION KEY IN RE: ESTATE OF SELBY GREGORIE VENNING, III Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of Selby Gregorie Venning, III, deceased, whose date of death was January 4, 2024, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88770 Overseas Highway, Suite 2, Plantation Key, FL 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representatives and the personal representatives’ attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.
ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.
NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.
The personal representative or curator has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent's death by the decedent or the decedent's surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in sections 732.216732.228, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under section 732.2211. The date of first publication of this notice is: July 25, 2024. Personal Representatives: Kristen Venning 365 Highbrook Drive Atlanta, Georgia 30342 Jamie Taylor Falcon Hill Place 2209 Lynchburg, Virginia 24503 Attorney for Personal Representatives: Robert K. Miller, Esq. Attorney Florida Bar Number: 359173 Cunningham Miller Rhyne PA 10075 Overseas Hwy PO Box 500938 Marathon, FL 33050 Telephone: (305) 743-9428 Fax: (305) 743-8800
E-Mail: rmiller@floridakeyslaw. com
Secondary E-Mail: service@ floridakeyslaw.com
Publish:
July 25 and August 1, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY CASE NO. 20-CA-000044-K THE BANYAN TREE OF KEY WEST CONDOMINIUM AND OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION, INC., A FLORIDA CORPORATION, Plaintiff, v. WILLIAM STAFFORD, JEFFREY CAMPBELL, JACK A JENSEN AND RUTH L JENSEN, ANN LOUISE MINI, CHARLOTTE PIRNIA, ANN F MACGOWEN AND SUSAN A MACGOWEN, BARBARA D COMPSON, AMIR ESFANDYARI, JOAN C MANTAS, AND ALL OTHER UNKNOWN PARTIES CLAIMING INTERESTS BY, THROUGH, UNDER, AND AGAINST THE PARTIES HEREIN NAMED, WHETHER SAID UNKNOWN PARTIES MAY CLAIM AN INTEREST AS SPOUSES, HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES, OR OTHER CLAIMANTS Defendant(s).
NOTICE OF ACTION TO: CHARLOTTE PIRNIA, the unknown spouses, heirs, devisees, grantees, assignees, lienors, creditors, trustees of CHARLOTTE PIRNIA, and all persons claiming by, through, under or against CHARLOTTE PIRNIA or otherwise claim to have any right title, or interest in any of the properties described in COUNT IX of the Complaint, and all unknown persons, if alive, and if dead, and if not known to be dead or alive, their unknown spouses, heirs, devisees, grantees, assignees, lienors, creditors, trustees or other persons claiming by, through, under or against any unknown person who is known to be dead or otherwise claim to have any right title, or interest in any of the properties described below. YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action to foreclose liens on the following properties in Monroe County, Florida more particularly described as follows: Unit 802, During Unit Week 38, BANYAN TREE OF KEY WEST A CONDOMINIUM, together with an undivided interest in the common elements, according to the Declaration of Condominium thereof recorded in Official Records Book 1088, Page 1018, as amended from time to time, of the Public Records on Monroe County, Florida. has been filed against you and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on Jonathan J. Coto,
the plaintiff’s attorney whose address is Coto Law Firm, P.A.
1390 S. Dixie Highway, Suite 1800, Coral Gables, Florida
33146, on or before September
2, 2024, and file the original with the clerk of this court either before service on the plaintiff’s attorney or immediately thereafter; otherwise a default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint or petition.
DATED on July 17, 2024
KEVIN MADOK, CPA
As Clerk of the Court
By:
Shonta McLeod
As Deputy Clerk Publish: August 1 & 8, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers
v. NICKOLAS EBENBECK CARIBBEAN LEASING & ECO TRANSPORT
d/b/a
BUDGET RENT-A-CAR, BUSINESS BASIC VI, LLC, and INTERNATIONAL RENTAL & LEASING CORP., Defendants.
To: Nikolas Ebenbeck
33701 Clinton Avenue
Denham Springs, LA 70706
Within the time limited by law
(see note on the next page) you are hereby required to appear before this Court and to answer to the First Amended Complaint filed against you in this action.
In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment by default will be taken against you as demanded in the First Amended Complaint for damages.
Witness my hand and the seal of this Court on this 10th day of May, 2024.
TAMARA CHARLES
Clerk of the Court
By: Deputy Clerk BARNES, D’AMOUR & VOGEL
P.O. Box 10829
St. Thomas, VI 00801
Tel: (340) 774-8188 / Fax: 7748189
/s/Kevin F. D’Amour
Kevin F. D’Amour, Esq.: VI Bar No. 288 Kdamour@usvilawfirm.com
Attorneys for Plaintiff, Guardian Insurance Company
NOTE: The Defendant, if served personally is required to file his/ her answer or other defense with the Clerk of the Court, and to serve a copy thereof upon the Plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days after service of this summons excluding the date of service If served by publication or by personal service outside of the jurisdiction, the Defendant is required to file his/her answer or other defense with the Clerk of this Court, and to serve a copy thereof upon the attorney for the Plaintiffs within thirty (30) days after the completion of the period of publication or personal service outside of the jurisdiction.
Publish:
August 1, 8, 15 & 22, 2024
The Weekly Newspapers
CITATION
Robert E. Hill, Esq. Nevada Bar No. 8496
THE HILL LAW GROUP
7341 W. Charleston Blvd., Ste. 160 Las Vegas, Nevada 89117
Telephone: (702) 852-1552
Facsimile: (702) 221-1961
admin@myvegaslaw.com
Attorney for Petitioners
DISTRICT COURT FAMILY DIVISION
CLARK COUNTY, NEVADA
CASE NO. G-24-060256-M and G-24-060256-M2
In the Matter of Guardianship of the Person and Estate of: MAKAYLA ROSE HALE and RYANN MONROE HALE, Proposed Protected Children.
CITATION TO APPEAR AND SHOW CAUSE TO:
MAKAYLA ROSE HALE and RYANN MONROE HALE, PROPOSED MINOR PROTECTED PERSONS; ALL KNOWN RELATIVES OF THE MINORS; AND ANY PERSON HAVING THE CARE, CUSTODY, AND CONTROL OF THE MINOR NICOLE HALE, Mother; DEBRA HEDMAN, Paternal Grandparent; JACQUELYN NESBITT, Maternal Grandparent; and DOUBLAS EDWARD KUTNEYGRANDPA KUTNEY, Maternal Grandparent PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that BRAD JACOB HALE and SHAWNA KIM HALE have petitioned the court to be appointed the guardians of the proposed protected persons named above.
The proposed protected persons may be determined to be incapacitated or of limited capacity; and a guardian may be appointed for the proposed protected persons. The rights of the proposed protected persons may be affected as specified in the petition.
The proposed protected persons have the right to appear at the hearing and to oppose the petition.
The proposed protected persons have the right to be represented by an attorney; who may be appointed by the court if the proposed protected persons is unable to retain one.
At any time after the filing for a Petition to Appoint Guardian, the court may appoint: (1) An attorney; (2) A guardian ad litem or an advocate; or (3) an investigator, if found to be appropriate or necessary in the best interest of the proposed protected persons.
DATE AND TIME OF COURT APPEARANCE
YOU ARE DIRECTED TO APPEAR AND SHOW CAUSE why a guardian should not be appointed for the proposed protected persons on the: 8th day of August, 2024 at 1:30 p.m., in Courtroom 03A at: The Family Courts and Services Center, 601 N. Pecos Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101. DATED this 17th day of April, 2024.
STEVEN D. GRIERSON CLERK OF COURT BY: Shaun Salcedo Deputy Court Clerk NOTE: The proposed guardian(s) and the proposed protected persons (unless excused by a physician) must appear at the scheduled hearing; all other interested parties do not need to appear unless they wish to oppose the guardianship and enter an objection.
Publish: August 1, 8, 15 & 22, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 16TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 24-DR-535-K DIVISION: FAMILY SUYAPA Y. DUARTE, Petitioner, and MARIO ROBERTO GARCIA, Respondent. NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE (NO CHILD OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT)
TO: MARIO ROBERTO GARCIA RESPONDENT’S LAST KNOWN
ADDRESS: GOLF CLUB DRIVE #112, KEY WEST, FL 33040
YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for Dissolution of Marriage has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on Suyapa Y. Duarte, whose address is 3215 Duck Avenue, Key West, FL 33040 on or before August 12, 2024, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, before service on
Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition. The action is asking the court to decide how the following real or personal property should be divided: N/A Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. You may review these documents upon request. You must keep the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office notified of your current address. (You may file Designation of Current Mailing and E-Mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915.) Future papers in this lawsuit will be mailed or e-mailed to the address(es) on record at the clerk’s office. WARNING: Rule 12.285, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, requires certain automatic disclosure of documents and information. Failure to comply can result in sanctions, including dismissal or striking of pleadings.
Dated: July 3, 2024
Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida
By: Jaquelyn Fonseca
Deputy Clerk
Publish: July 11, 18 & 25 and August 1, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers
AUTOS WANTED
AUTOS ALL YEARS! Junk or Used Cars, Vans, Trucks. Runs or Not.$CASH 305-332-0483
BOATS FOR SALE
Key Largo 21' Deep V Center Console w/ trailer. New 150hp motor & electronics. Ready to fish. $32,500 cash. Located in Marathon. 201-696-8906
FREE!! - 2 PONTOON BOATS 24' AND 18' Located in Marathon. Call 305-610-8002
Place your BOAT FOR SALE ad here. $25.00/ week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 BOAT / TRAILER STORAGE
Gated storage & parking available in Marathon for boats, trailers & RV's - across from boat ramp - MM 54. $8-$10/foot. 305-610-8002
Place your STORAGE ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today.
CAMPING/RV SITE
Camping site/RV site at marina available in Marathon. Monthly/ Daily rates. Free use of dingy & fishing on dock. No Pets. 305-610-8002
Place your CAMPING SITE FOR RENT ad here. $25.00/ week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844
EMPLOYMENT
Marathon: Looking for 2 College Students interested in 2-3 hours of work for 1 day restoring a Trawler Boat. May lead to additional hours. Cleaning, sanding, staining, scraping and painting outside of Boat $30.00 an hour. Contact a Friend and apply together. Call (508) 566-3538
Hiring: Lead Gutter Installer - EXPERIENCE REQUIRED – valid Driver’s License - must be comfortable with heights - located in Tavernier. To apply, please call or text Jay 305-587-1581.
Marathon Yacht Club is hiring part-time servers and bartenders. Private club, friendly atmosphere, guaranteed gratuities. Flexible lunch/dinner shifts available Tuesday – Sunday. Must provide photo ID, social security card or passport, and checking account. Call 305743-6739 to schedule an interview or email office@ marathonyachtclub.com.
Place your EMPLOYMENT ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844
Serve/Bartend on the ocean! The Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club is seeking a customer service-oriented Server/Bartender. Serve on pool deck, beach and/ or bar lounge. Open year round, 9:30am7pm daily. Full time/ Part time. Small friendly staff. Above average hourly wage plus tips. Apply in person at 425 E. Ocean Dr. Key Colony Beach or call 404-2193359 and ask for Dave.
The Housing Authority of the City of Key West now hiring the following positions: Housekeeper at Poinciana Gardens, Server at Poinciana Gardens, Med Tech PT/Nights, Housing Choice Voucher Asst., PT Receptionist, Housing Manager-Middle Keys, Maintenance Mechanic (Maintenance Worker, and HVAC Maintenance Mechanic $64.480-$72,800/yr. plus benefits. To apply, please contact Human Resources at: martinezm@kwha.org or 305-296-5621. Applications are available at the Administrative Office located at 1400 Kennedy Dr., Key West, FL 33040 or online at www. kwha.org - EOE & Drug Free Work Place. This opportunity is covered under Section 3 of the HUD Act of 1968.
Place your EMPLOYMENT ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844
HOBBIES/COLLECT.
WANTS Rolex, Dive Watches and Pilot Watches. Old Model Military Clocks & Watches. Call 305-743-4578
HOUSING FOR RENT
ANNUAL RENTALKey Largo - 2BR/2BA Spacious Doublewide, 1400 sq ft modular on canal w/40’ dock, direct ocean access. Very nice community. $3,500/ month 786-258-3127
Absolute Auction
Tuesday August 13th @ 11AM
201 20th St Ocean, Lot # 8 Marathon, FL 33050 (White Building by the dock) MASSIVE RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT SALE
Automatic Empanada Dumpling Machine, True Stainless Cooler, True Stainless Freezer, Portable Griddle, Portable Char-Broiler, Sun re 6 Burner Range, MicroMatic Keg Cooler, Southbend Convection Oven, Galvanized Baskets, Insulated Coolers, Metro Racks, Large Quantity of Small Wares, Glass Plates, Dipping Plates, Wine Glasses, Shell Shaped Plates, Platters, Oil & Vinegar Holders, Pepper Mills, Bar Supplies, Coffee Cups, Stainless & Poly-Carbon Inserts, Champagne Glasses & Buckets, PLUS, SO MUCH MORE! Live Bidding In-Person &/or Online @ Proxibid.com/TobyNeverett Toby Neverett Auctioneers www.neverettauctions.com 561-706-7218 * au872 ab628
ISLAMORADA: Very Large 2 BR apt. for rent. Furnished or unfurnished. Utilities & cable included. $2,200/month. First/ Security. Available Sept. 1st. Yearly lease. 305-5222702 Leave message.
Single family, elevated canal-front home for long term rental in Marathon. 3BR/2BA, furnished (optional), wrap around balcony, pool, jacuzzi, 40 ft dock, W/D. $5,500/mo. Call Maria 305-725-8150
Available for 1 person.
2 1/2 rooms + 8' X 22' screened porch. All utilities incl. wifi, satellite TV, washer/dryer. 2nd house from ocean. Off-street parking. Private & quiet. MM 96 Key Largo. $1,850/ month F/L/S 305-853-3779
Large One Bedroom Suite, Conch House, carpet, tile, appliances, available for rent in Marathon. $2,000/month furnished all included. F/L/S or payments of $900/week for 3 months. Dockage available. No Pets. 305-610-8002
Place your HOUSING FOR RENT ad here. $25.00/ week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844
ROOMMATE WANTED
Stock Island - Seeking non-smoking professional female/no pets. Fully furnished, W/D + TV. Very nice quiet safe place. Gated. $1250/month. First/ Last Call 305-797-5600 ROOMMATE FOUND IN LESS THAN ONE WEEK!
Place your ROOMMATE WANTED ad here. $25.00/ week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844
RV FOR SALE
2010 27' Wildcat RV FOR SALE. 5th wheel, 1 slideout. Located in Key West. $9,000 618-559-9143
Place your RV FOR SALE ad here. $25.00/ week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844
RV SITE FOR RENT
RV site at marina available in Marathon. Monthly/Daily rates. Free use of dingy & fishing on dock. No Pets. 305-610-8002
Place your RV SITE FOR RENT ad here. $25.00/ week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 STORAGE AVAILABLE
Gated storage & parking available in Marathon for boats, trailers & RV's - across from boat ramp - MM 54. $8-$10/foot. 305-610-8002
Place your STORAGE
KEY LARGO FIRE RESCUE & EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES DISTRICT IS SEEKING AN EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT/CLERK
For a detailed description of the position, please visit klfirerescueems.com
All interested individuals kindly submit your resume with a cover letter to clerk@klfrems.org
DUI EVALUATOR/ INSTRUCTOR
The Advocate DUI Program is hiring for part time positions. DUI instructors and evaluators - 2 days a week, Bachelors or Masters degree in substance abuse eld required. Bilingual preferred, not required. Of ce located in Marathon. Contact Marcia at 305-704-0117.
EXPERIENCED
ELECTRICIANS AND HELPERS NEEDED
Experience is required. Must have a valid driver’s license. We offer 401K, medical insurance, paid holidays and paid vacation. Positions available in Key West and Marathon. 305-292-3369
e Turtle Hospital in Marathon
Join our team! Full and part-time Educational Program Guides/ Gift Shop Sales. Public speaking & retail sales experience helpful. $18/hour to start. Send resume to: turtlehospital@turtlehospital.org
DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER IS HIRING
Human Resources Assistant (Part-Time, Permanent)
Dolphin Research Center has an opening for a Human Resources Assistant (Part-Time, Permanent) for immediate consideration. Duties include: Supporting HR Director on everyday activities for the department, recruitment, record keeping, employee support, etc. Must be an organized team player with excellent computer & communication skills. Prior HR experience will be a benefit. Benefits include: medical insurance, 401(k), paid vacation & holidays & so much more!
Job description available at www.dolphins.org. Email resume & DRC application to drc-hr@dolphins.org. EOE
Must have customer service experience working in a retail environment and using a point of sale system. Additional duties include restocking, completing purchase orders, daily ordering of basic items in the store, and maintaining a clean appearance in the store. This is an hourly position and compensation is based on experience. Work hours are flexible and we try to maintain a set weekly schedule.
DOCKHANDS
Duties include customer service, helping customers with bait and ice and helping cashiers with restocking. Morning & a ernoon hours available.
Please respond by email (Ma at islamarinama @gmail.com) with any relevant previous experience and at least two references.
WE ARE HIRING!
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE AR PROCESSOR FT
Administrative Assistant to the Business Manager and under general supervision of the Business Manager, responsible for the bookkeeping of receivables, as well as the compiling and maintenance of accounts receivable records in accordance with regulations and best practices. Must have accounting software experience. *
DIRECT CARE STAFF AT ADULT DAY TRAINING PROGRAM
This position is available at our Adult Day program. This position provided direct care service and support to our clients in the day program. This position requires the minimum of high school completion or GED. *
DIRECT CARE STAFF GROUP HOMES 24/7 FT/PT
These positions are available at our Group Homes; evening shift. This position provide direct care services and support to our clients in their home. This position requires the minimum of high school completion or GED and 1 year of experience with care giving or 30 hours or college coursework. *
IN HOME SUPPORT FT
Full-time, split-shift, In-Home Support Coach/Trainer to provide companionship and assist clients with training/support. HSD/GED & 1 yr. exp in a related field. 1 year of college can substitute for experience. Must be able to use a tablet for documentation purposes. The shift for this job is split shift 7-9 am then 3-9 pm. We can be flexible. This is a rewarding position for the right person. *
*ALSO
REQUIRED FOR ALL POSITIONS:
Fluent in English language, speaking and writing, proficiency is a must. Level 2 background screening and valid Florida driver’s license.
Come join our family! EOE Apply at the MARC office, 1401 Seminary St., Key West. Or online at www.marchouse.org. For more information, please contact hr@marchouse.org Phone: 305-294-9526 *32
THE GUIDANCE/CARE CENTER, Inc. IS HIRING!
GCC offers excellent benefits for full-time employment, but we realize some would prefer part-time to enjoy the Florida Keys lifestyle more.
All positions can be considered for full or part-time unless notated. Apply at westcare.com and enter your availability.
- Nurse Practitioner Physician Assistant, Primary Care Marathon, $5k Bonus
- Medical Assistant, Concierge Key West, $5k Bonus
- Physician Practice Registered Nurse, Concierge Key West, $15k Bonus
TAVERNIER MARINERS
HOSPITAL
- Cook, $5k Bonus
- Director Nursing Services, ICU
- Exercise Physiologist
- Group Exercise Instructor
- Lead First Cook, $5k Bonus
- Multi-Modality Imag Tech, $20k Bonus
- Nuclear Medicine Tech
- Radiology Technologist, $15k Bonus
- Registered Nurse, Multispecialty Acute Care Center, $25k Bonus
- Registered Nurse, Post Anesthesia Care Unit, $15k Bonus
MARATHON FISHERMEN’S COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
- ED Team Coordinator, Emergency Department
- Experience Advisor, Patient Experience
- First Cook, $5k Bonus
- Lead Medical Technologist, $15k Bonus
- Lead Phlebotomist
- Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, $20k Bonus
- Medical Technologist, $15k Bonus
- Radiology Technologist, $15k Bonus
- Registered Nurse, Emergency, $25k Bonus
- Registered Nurse, Post Anesthesia Care Unit, $15k Bonus
- Registered Respiratory Therapist, $15k Bonus
- Security Of cer
We are now hiring for the
*Sign-on
WE ARE HIRING!
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE AR PROCESSOR FT
Administrative Assistant to the Business Manager and under general supervision of the Business Manager, responsible for the bookkeeping of receivables, as well as the compiling and maintenance of accounts receivable records in accordance with regulations and best practices. Must have accounting software experience. *
DIRECT CARE STAFF AT ADULT DAY TRAINING PROGRAM
This position is available at our Adult Day program. This position provided direct care service and support to our clients in the day program. This position requires the minimum of high school completion or GED. *
DIRECT CARE STAFF GROUP HOMES 24/7
FT/PT
These positions are available at our Group Homes; evening shift. This position provide direct care services and support to our clients in their home. This position requires the minimum of high school completion or GED and 1 year of experience with care giving or 30 hours or college coursework. *
IN HOME SUPPORT
FT
Full-time, split-shift, In-Home Support Coach/Trainer to provide companionship and assist clients with training/support. HSD/GED & 1 yr. exp in a related field. 1 year of college can substitute for experience. Must be able to use a tablet for documentation purposes. The shift for this job is split shift 7-9 am then 3-9 pm. We can be flexible. This is a rewarding position for the right person. *
*ALSO REQUIRED FOR ALL POSITIONS:
Fluent in English language, speaking and writing, proficiency is a must. Level 2 background screening and valid Florida driver’s license.
Come join our family! EOE
Apply at the MARC office, 1401 Seminary St., Key West. Or online at www.marchouse.org. For more information, please contact hr@marchouse.org Phone: 305-294-9526 *32
FULL-TIME POSITION POLICE OFFICER
The City of Key Colony Beach is accepting applications for a FULL-TIME Police Officer.
Applicants must posses a current Florida Certification as a police officer. Applicants will undergo a thorough background investigation, including drug screening, medical, polygraph and a psychological exam.
Salary: $60,000.
Full Health & Dental Insurance, 457 (b) Participation.
Email resume to: Chief of Police at: chief@keycolonybeach.net
Or call for additional information: 305-289-1212 ext. 1
Applicants must apply in person to be considered. 4290 Overseas Hwy, Marathon
Preference in the selection of vacant positions will be given to eligible veterans and spouses of veterans. The Key Colony Beach Police Department is an EEO employer, drug-free and nicotine-free workplace.
