Upper Keys Weekly 24-0829

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The Islands of Islamorada Beach Club is a meticulously designed enclave offering waterfront single-family residences. With every comfort considered, this residence exudes coastal living with four bedrooms, four and one-half bathrooms, and stunning ocean views. The three-floor villa offers 3,137 sq ft of interior and 930 sq ft of exterior contemporary island architecture with an open, airy, and light-filled design. Three bedrooms are king-sized with en-suite bathrooms; the fourth is a bunk or twin room. Residence amenities include a top-of-the-line kitchen, open-concept kitchen, dining, and living spaces, elevator, a powder room, ample closets, two oceanfront balconies, a ground floor waterfront loggia, a laundry room, 8 ft interior doors, and a 2-car garage with electric charging and added storage. This turn-key home is maintenance-free, providing the possibility of passive income. The safe and secure environment within the club allows for effortless multigenerational vacations with a gated entry and attentive staff. The Beach Club delivers a luxurious experience with its 615 ft of pristine crescent-shaped swimming beach and a private boat basin with ample dockage. Enjoy two oceanfront pools, an oceanfront bar, and pickleball courts for some friendly competition. Golf enthusiasts can practice their swing at the unique driving range that extends into the ocean. The well-equipped fitness center caters to health enthusiasts, while children can have fun in the dedicated play area. Surrounded by lush, mature landscaping, the Beach Club also provides a plethora of water activities, allowing guests to fully immerse themselves in the Keys lifestyle.

89240 Overseas Hwy. Suite 2

Tavernier, FL 33070

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Florida’s Little League team out of Lake Mary topped Taiwan, 2-1, to win the Little League World Series on Aug. 25. The win by the team, based in an Orlando suburb, is the first in nine trips to the LLWS final by Florida teams.

FIERY BUDGET DISCUSSIONS

Islamorada council talks spending plan

JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com

Three days of budget workshops concluded Aug. 23 with at least three Islamorada council members expressing their desire to provide a bit of tax relief to village property owners, all while funding government operations and project requests in various departments.

Discussions over a proposed spending plan began Aug. 21 as the five council members, department heads and community members convened at the Founders Park Community Center. Talks ended with Mayor Buddy Pinder, Vice Mayor Sharon Mahoney and Councilman Henry Rosenthal verbally agreeing to direct staff to create an initial budget proposal which levies $16.7 million in property taxes for village operations. It would provide a decrease of roughly $194 on a $1.3 million median home in the village.

But the village would still rake in more than $1 million in property tax dollars above last year’s approved spending plan, which levied $15.7 million for day-to-day operations. That’s due to the village’s taxable value increasing by nearly $730 million in the course of a year, to $6.5 billion in 2024.

Council members were presented with various budget scenarios, including one that proposed to levy $18.9 million in property taxes. Based on a $1.3 million median home in the village, the property owner would face a $262 increase in their tax bill. Mahoney, Pinder and Rosenthal believed the village taxpayers needed some relief.

“I think the people in this town need a break,” Mahoney said.

Members of

The proposed spending plan included a 5% cost of living adjustment for nonunion personnel. Village Manager Rob Cole said he’s looking to implement a performance evaluation system where employees receive a base increase plus additional dollars for meeting certain goals within a fiscal year. Cole said the system should be in place for the next fiscal year.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Jolin sought additional funds in the budget to address workforce housing needs in the village. Nothing in the budget addressed any village-directed housing projects. Lengthy council discussion yielded no funding allocation for the cause.

“We’re not prioritizing funding for workforce housing because we (the council) just don’t prioritize it,” Jolin said. “We have lots of early out allocations. We have lots of resources to pull from. It could be anything from villagepurchased land that we build on and create housing. It could be anything.”

Jennifer DeBoisbriand, planning director, said her staff is developing a plan to address the workforce housing crisis. The plan could be ready by the end of the calendar year, but DeBoisbriand said it may be pushed back due to staffing issues. DeBoisbriand said the conversation of funding is premature until the plan is done.

Three days of budget discussions brought some heated exchanges at times among council members. One point of contention was expenses for the village’s legal services through Weiss Serota and John Quick, who acts as interim village attorney for Islamorada. His firm was brought on following the resignation of then-village attorney Roget Bryan in May 2022. Legal service expenses through Weiss

Serota are projected to reach $764,764 by the end of September. The spending proposal for the upcoming year budgeted $750,000 for legal services.

In his presentation to council, Quick said the office successfully recovered $66,500 for the village through the prosecution of an illegal vacation rental. He also said the village continues to face a number of litigation matters, 15 during the current fiscal year. Quick also faced constant turnover in the village manager position since the council’s decision in July 2023 to forgo another contract with then manager Ted Yates.

Some council members requested the village attorney service be sent out via request for proposals.

“I’m just suggesting that it’s fiscally responsible to look at these fees versus other firms and also compared to other towns of our size. … Is this reasonable? And I think that some fiscal responsibility is important,” Jolin said.

Quick said the council has to deal with legal issues with Islamorada being in an area of critical state concern.

“There are extra layers of government oversight that you have to deal with,” he said. “There are extra steps that the village has to deal with on the legal aspect that you can’t just pluck a

Vice Mayor Sharon Mahoney, far left, and Councilwoman Elizabeth Jolin listen to a budget presentation during an Aug. 21 workshop at the Founders Park Community Center. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly

From left, sheriff’s Capt. Spenser Bryan, Gilbert’s owner Elina Weisberg and sheriff’s Lt. Mario Benedetti participate in a cleanup in Key Largo on Aug. 23. JIM McCARTHY/ Keys Weekly

GRAND JURY REPORT OFFERS SCATHING REVIEW IN COUNTY INDICTMENTS

Document outlines ‘caustic and cronyistic environment,’ persistent

By Alex Rickert and Mandy Miles

The following is a summary of statements taken directly from the report of a 15-member grand jury that recently indicted former County Administrator Roman Gastesi, former division chief of Trauma Star and Monroe County Fire Rescue Andrea Thompson, and former Trauma Star medical director Dr. Sandra Schwemmer in connection with the 2022 theft and loss of more than 600 vials of fentanyl, Dilaudid, ketamine and other controlled substances from MCFR, which also oversees the county’s Trauma Star air ambulance service.

The grand jury report was filed with the Monroe County Clerk of Court on Aug. 19. The Weekly strongly encourages our readers to view this report in its entirety, along with prior Keys Weekly coverage of the ongoing case, by scanning the QR codes provided. The Keys Weekly emphasizes that all individuals named are innocent until proven guilty, and though Gastesi, Thompson and Schwemmer have been indicted, they have not been convicted of any crimes.

cover-ups

edge of the 2022 Trauma Star investigation and actions by MCFR and other public servants. It should be noted that Roman Gastesi was afforded an invitation on two separate dates to appear in person or via Zoom, but did not appear.”

“(Integrity and accountability) are seriously lacking in current (and former) MCFR high-ranking administrators and county employees and allowed for a caustic and cronyistic environment to exist for many years within the agency. This culture seriously affects the morale of its employees and the delivery of services affecting the life and safety of Monroe County citizens and visitors and must come to a stop. This culture has been one of long duration where certain employees have received preferential treatment to the detriment of other employees, often leading to the termination or resignation of employees who have refused to allow such dysfunctional behavior to exist.”

“Unfortunately, this environment … can be documented back to 2010.”

On Dr. Sandra Schwemmer’s alleged role

“The Grand Jury received a significant amount of information indicating that Dr. Schwemmer was not complying with the terms of her contract with the BOCC.”

SHERIFF FIRES DEPUTY WHO ALLEGEDLY TIPPED OFF SUSPECTED DRUG DEALERS

AMonroe County Sheriff’s deputy was fired on Aug. 21 at 5 p.m. after an investigation found she allegedly used her computer to forward confidential information to suspected drug dealers.

The sheriff’s office said 40-yearold Jennifer Ketcham was officially terminated following her July 31 arrest. She faces 19 felony counts of misuse of law enforcement computers, computer networks, and electronic devices.

According to the sheriff’s office, Ketcham used law enforcement databases to look up information for personal reasons beyond the legal scope of her employment as a deputy and forwarded that confidential information to suspected drug dealers.

“Transparency in this agency is one of my highest priorities,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay. “I am committed to keeping this community informed of all significant events that occur at the sheriff’s office and holding employees accountable.”

However, the arrest report references a Ryan Hernandez with a birth date of 1990, matching the only individual of the same name with seven arrests in the Keys for drug-related offenses over the past 14 years.

In an interview with sheriff’s office investigators, Ketcham reportedly stated that she did not have any “concrete” evidence that Ryan Hernandez is involved in any criminal activity, but that it had been brought to her attention during a previous investigation. She stated that she searched the databases for Hernandez’s name because he believed his license had been suspended.

The report goes on to allege that, in addition to conducting numerous database searches to obtain information about drivers’ licenses and license plates, Ketcham advised Hernandez of areas to avoid on Stock Island in 2023 while she was an acting supervisor, who dictated the zones to which to which patrol deputies were assigned.

Grand jury’s ‘facts & our assessment’

“The incident in July 2022, in which (former Trauma Star chief flight nurse) Lynda Rusinowski was initially charged … was merely the tip of the iceberg. Multiple incidents involving controlled substances and drugs utilized by the Trauma Star/EMS program have occurred since at least 2010. Many of these incidents have involved the same employees of Monroe County, Roman Gastesi, James Callahan, Andrea Thompson and Sandra Schwemmer.”

“On Aug. 2, 8 and 15, 2024, the Grand Jury heard testimony from 20 witnesses involved in or having knowl-

“Testimony and information presented to the Grand Jury indicated that … controlled substances such as morphine, fentanyl, Dilaudid, ketamine and Versed regularly went missing without remedial action being taken. However, she did not institute any real changes to the inventory processes during her tenure.”

“Given the multiple incidents involving controlled substances during Dr. Schwemmer’s tenure, the Grand Jury is deeply concerned about the willingness of the BOCC to continually renew Dr. Schwemmer’s contracts that regularly increased the amount

An incident report obtained by the Keys Weekly details the investigation of Ketcham and more than a dozen instances of her using her law enforcement credentials to access the Florida Criminal Information Center and National Criminal Information Center (F/NCIC) and Drivers and Vehicle Information Databases (DAVID) to look up information about her boyfriend, Ryan Hernandez, and send database search results to Hernandez regarding other vehicle plates and individuals.

In text messages between Ketcham and another sheriff’s office employee, Ketcham reportedly stated that “(Hernandez) is dealing dope, and I can’t be tied into that.”

The employee alleged that Hernandez was only 17 years old when the pair began their relationship, eventually living together as a couple.

More than 11,000 pages of text messages allegedly sent between Ketcham and Hernandez, obtained via a search warrant for Hernandez’s phone, show that a contact named “J” warned Hernandez to “stay out of Big Coppitt Key, letting him know that ‘narcs’ are getting ready for a raid” on Sept. 6, 2023. Two days later, text messages from the same contact allegedly warned that a “narc is on Stock Island for a couple of hours.”

In her interview with investigators, Ketcham reportedly stated she had warned deputies to stay away from areas of Stock Island, but “only in a joking manner.”

Ketcham was hired on June 2, 2021 after graduating from the police academy that is held at the College of the Florida Keys. Her bond was set at $1.9 million — $100,000 per felony charge — but was later reduced to $610,000 in an Aug. 5 order from Judge Albert Kelley.

A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 15 before Kelley at the Key West Courthouse. A trial date is set for Oct. 28. — Keys Weekly staff report

Jennifer Ketcham

Prior indictments

Grand jury report

GO WITH THE FLOW

Water project on Windley progresses; lane closures suspended for holiday weekend

JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com

Construction crews are “piping” along U.S. 1 on Islamorada’s Windley Key, with more than 3,600 feet of transmission main successfully placed into the ground.

The Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority’s (FKAA) second water pipe replacement project began on May 28. Crews will spend about one year installing more than 8,200 feet of new 36-inch steel pipe to carry water down the Keys. They’re working around the clock, Monday through Friday, but they pause work for major holidays and events.

Crews are scheduled to take a break from Saturday, Aug. 31 through Tuesday, Sept. 3 to mitigate traffic issues through Windley Key and the rest of Islamorada during a busy Labor Day weekend. Rolling lane closures to accommodate room for workers to install the pipe will also be suspended during that period.

While the work has caused a bit of a traffic backup, FKAA says the project on Windley Key continues to move ahead — and four months ahead of schedule.

Greg Veliz, FKAA executive director, said the installation of new water main transmission is going seamlessly.

“It’s really going better than expected,” he said, adding they’re currently preparing a request for qualifications to design and install

1. Crews install new water transmission pipe on Windley Key on Aug. 22. Lane closures will be suspended Saturday, Aug. 31 through Tuesday, Sept. 3, to allow holiday traffic to flow through Islamorada. DAVID GROSS/ Keys Weekly. 2. Workers install new 36-inch water main. FKAA/Contributed

the next 7 miles of new transmission main. A mile of new water pipe costs $1 million.

“The only thing keeping us from doing more is money. We’re tapping every grant. We’re up in Tallahassee actively chasing money,” Veliz said. Work to replace the aged water transmission main on Windley Key comes following the successful installation of 22,152 feet of new 36-inch water main from Tea Table Relief at MM 79.5 to Whale Harbor at MM 84. Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority activated the new transmission main on July 29. Originally slated for completion in February 2025, this project is now entering its final phases.

More information is available at 833-588-5865 or via email to community@fkaa.com. After-hours support is also available at 305-296-2454.

THE PEOPLE WILL CROWN THE BEST IN TOWN

Third annual Best of Upper Keys Awards nears with nominations

JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com

Bragging rights are on the line once again as the third annual Best of Upper Keys returns with nominations opening in September.

The Best of Upper Keys gives the people a chance to nominate their favorites in town — from North Key Largo to Lower Matecumbe Key in Islamorada. Earning one of the Upper Keys’ highly-coveted plaques, or just being nominated, carries all sorts of benefits to those who hold them up high on awards night.

As we enter our third Best of Upper Keys, the Keys Weekly Newspapers is honored to recognize the best of the upper island chain — all determined by the reader and the people in town. Contrary to the annual rumor, the Weekly staff has nothing whatsoever to do with the nominations or winners – we just count the votes. That’s it.

And it all goes to a worthy cause. Since the inaugural Best of Upper Keys in 2022, proceeds from the events — more than $45,000 — have gone to support the Florida Keys Children’s Shelter.

“When you can have a community event that also raises money for any of our local nonprofits, it always

CALL FOR CATEGORIES!

As we do every year, the team at the Upper Keys Weekly will take a hard look at the ballot to fine-tune the categories that best represent our community. And we want to hear from YOU! Are there categories you think we’ve left out? A better way to phrase an award? Email jim@ keysweekly.com and let us know.

reminds you of what’s important here at home,” Keys Weekly publisher Jason Koler said. “One of my favorite parts of the Best of Upper Keys is the voting process and, of course, the awards party.”

“Our annual winners’ gala is one evening that brings together so many different people, from all different walks of life, to laugh with each other and celebrate our community,” Koler continued. “It’s just one evening where we can put aside our differences and have some fun with our friends.” If the last two Best of Upper Keys events are any indication, the third go-around will surely bring all sorts of participation, excitement and pride from the Upper Keys.

Stay tuned for all the details related to the nomination process and other important updates.

Attendees await the winners during the second annual Best of Upper Keys at Whale Harbor on Nov. 11, 2023. DOUG FINGER/Keys Weekly

ROTARY’S BACKCOUNTRY FISH TOURNAMENT RETURNS

Funds support students and adult vocational residents

Anglers of all ages can join the Take Stock in Children Backcountry Challenge, an Upper Keys event that has combined community and families with fishing and fundraising for 24 years.

Presented by the Rotary Club of Key Largo, the 2024 tournament is set for Friday through Sunday, Oct. 4-6. The catch-and-release challenge targets redfish, snook and trout. A silent auction and raffle ticket sales are integral parts of the family fun event.

A public kickoff party for anglers and supporters is scheduled Friday, Oct. 4, at Doc’s Diner, MM 99.7, bayside, in Key Largo. The event features a cash bar, registration and appetizers starting at 5:30 p.m., followed by a 6:15 p.m. captains and anglers meeting.

After kickoff festivities end Friday night, fishing will begin and continue night and day through Sunday, Oct. 6 at 4 p.m. An awards dinner and live and silent auctions are planned for 6 p.m. Sunday at the Tavernier Elks Lodge, MM 92.6 bayside.

Awards will be presented for adult and junior backcountry champions for the largest combined total of all three species, the adult artificial division largest combined species, top professional guide, top professional angler, largest fish of each species in the adult division and largest trout in the kids division. Entry fees are $150 per adult angler (age 18 and above), $75 per junior angler (ages 13-17) and $30 for kids 12 and under. Fees include social events. Non-anglers can purchase tickets for Friday and Sunday social events for $30 and $60, respectively. After Oct. 3, there is an additional $25 fee per angler and an additional $10 for social tickets. The event is limited to 70 anglers.

Proceeds help fund scholarships for college-bound Upper Keys students and adult vocational residents. Students from grades 7-12 pair with a mentor to qualify. The state of Florida matches funds raised to provide the scholarships. More information is at keylargorotary.org.

— Contributed

COLLEGE GETS $2M BOOST FOR NEW STUDENT HOUSING

Grant comes from Edward B. and Joan T. Knight Foundation

The College of the Florida Keys is $2 million closer to developing its new residential complex for students and the workforce on the Key West campus, thanks to a pledge from the Edward B. and Joan T. Knight Foundation. The gift is the largest contribution to the CFK Foundation in its history.

The college’s new residential complex could include as many as 240 student beds and up to 50 units for CFK employees, educators, first responders and health care workers. Dining and recreational facilities may be incorporated in the design to enrich the living experience. When fully operational, this facility will add to the current 100-bed residence hall, Lagoon Landing, on the waterfront “Point” area on the northwest part of campus.

“We are grateful to the Edward B. and Joan T. Knight Foundation for recognizing the college’s residential complex as a worthy investment in educational opportunities and workforce housing in the Keys,” said college President Jonathan Gueverra.

“With approximately 90% of our current residential students holding

jobs that support the Keys’ economy, an increase in the number of beds will result in an increase in the labor market. These student workers will support CFK’s enrollment growth and fuel the Keys economy with a steady supply of workers without additional pressure on the housing market.”

Students have demanded on-campus housing for decades, but state colleges are not typically allowed to have it. CFK had to get legislative authority and external funding to build Lagoon Landing, which opened in 2011. After several years of operating at capacity, and with a wait list, the college again sought and secured legislative approval to expand the number of student beds and to add workforce housing units.

The college is working with industry leaders, philanthropists and government officials to procure support and seeks another $20 million to begin the project.

More information is available from Lana Gaspari at 305-809-3214 or foundation@cfk.edu. Gifts to the CFK foundation are tax-deductible. — Contributed

Adults and junior winners of the 22nd Annual Take Stock in Children Backcountry Challenge in 2022. KENDALL BULKIEWICZ/Contributed

The late Joan and Edward Knight founded the Edward B. and Joan T. Knight Foundation, which recently provided $2 million to College of the Florida Keys for its new residential complex to offer students affordable housing. CONTRIBUTED

of compensation she received without any oversight that the terms of the contracts were being complied with.”

On Andrea Thompson’s alleged role

“Mrs. Thompson has been directly involved in several of the incidents and instead of being terminated or disciplined … she has consistently been promoted throughout the years. … Information provided to the Grand Jury has shown that both Roman Gastesi and Fire Chief James Callahan have consistently intervened on behalf of Mrs. Thompson … to prevent disciplinary action being taken.”

“She placed her friendship with the Chief Flight Nurse Rusinowski ahead of public safety, improperly inserted herself in the investigation into the narcotics theft by Rusinowski and thwarted law enforcement’s attempts to discover all the facts and evidence surrounding the crime committed by her friend.”

“Aside from the above, Andrea Thompson was a main architect of the toxic workplace that existed at MCFR, actively participating in intimidation, threats and coercion to keep those she managed under her control.”

On Roman Gastesi’s alleged role

“What is certain, through the testimony of the various witnesses, is that Mr. Gastesi has used what appears to be boundless power and authority in manners not consistent with the best interests of Monroe County as a whole, but rather for select individuals that align themselves with him.”

“Most recently, Roman Gastesi intervened and stopped HR and Employee Services from conducting an internal investigation by an outside third-party independent firm of the July 2022 incident and more specifically Andrea Thompson.”

On former MCFR Fire Chief Steven Hudson

“Information … indicates that Chief Hudson was harassed and received multiple threats of retaliation resulting in his decision to retire instead of being terminated when Chief Hudson attempted to implement changes and impose discipline for the July 2022 Rusinowski incident. To Chief Hudson’s credit, he requested that the Monroe County Clerk of Court conduct a full and complete audit of the EMS and Trauma Star program. Not surprisingly, Chief Hudson received much pushback from the County Administrator Gastesi and certain BOCC commissioners.”

On MCFR and Trauma Star employees and testifying witnesses

“There are many highly trained, dedicated, ethical and committed individuals within those programs who

take pride in serving Monroe County. The long standing underlying problem has been the various individuals placed in leadership roles who have abused the power given to them and created an unhealthy almost tyrannical environment.”

“The currently employed firefighter/paramedics who testified exposed themselves to potential retribution and ostracism (and) were especially courageous despite being at risk of severe personal and professional consequences.”

“The Grand Jury was in full consensus that the MCFR EMS and Trauma Star program provides outstanding critical patient care and services. … We commend their efforts and encourage public trust and confidence in these services.”

Recommendations to the county commission

“Mr. Gastesi must never hold any position with Monroe County.”

“Andrea Thompson (should) be immediately terminated from her position with MCFR and not be allowed to return or hold any position with MCFR or hold any position of trust within Monroe County.”

“Chief Callahan (should) be asked to resign as Fire Chief before the end of 2024.”

“Monroe County Employee Services to implement random drug testing for all county employees in special-risk positions.”

“Monroe County’s Human Resources/Employee Services department (should) develop a new and uniform policy and procedures for the handling of any complaint received by a Monroe County employee. … (and) review and update its whistleblower/anonymous reporting process. … There also needs to be a written report or response documented internally indicating what was done to investigate the report as well as a response being provided to the individual who made the report.”

“The BOCC (should) immediately hire an independent third-party firm to conduct a review of all contracts of services and determine compliance with the required contract terms before any contract is renewed.”

“The BOCC (should) implement more checks and balances as it pertains to the County Administrator position. There should be written monthly reports detailing a thorough review by the County Administrator of the County’s departments’ work environment, work product and efficiency along with any pending complaints or incidents related to public trust or accountability.”

city of similar size in central Florida and say let’s compare with that city. It just doesn’t work that way.”

Councilman Mark Gregg and Mahoney also exchanged words over the village attorney services. Mahoney said she’d like to see the legal services go out to bid for transparency and to ensure “everybody is happy with the decision we make.” Gregg adamantly disagreed with the approach.

“We seem to pick and choose what we put out for bid and what we want to check prices on. This is just doing our due diligence to make sure for our community we’re getting the best we should have,” Mahoney said.

Gregg said Mahoney is trying to “disrupt something that we’ve been doing very well with and there’s no apparent need.”

“This is coming out of the blue,” Gregg said.

“You’re not the only one up here. Maybe everyone else may want to be transparent with the community,” Mahoney said. “I love John. He knows that. I think what they do is wonderful. But doing what we’re supposed to do as a council is to explore and get the best for the taxpayer, which I know we have. But at least this will be the answer that seals it.”

“I have that answer. I have been working with his firm for 20 years off and on. I know all I need to know. I’m super happy,” Gregg replied.

“You are not the community,” Mahoney fired back.

“I’m a representative of the community just like you. You need to do your homework instead of taking it out on everybody else,” Gregg responded.

Pinder and Rosentahl agreed with Mahoney on sending the legal service out to bid. Following the conversation, Gregg packed up and left the workshop.

Another fiery discussion saw

Jolin requesting a report after an executive session held Aug. 22 showed what she called “egregious inconsistencies” in policy and administration that put council in a position to “authorize expenditures that never should have been spent.” Jolin was alluding to a Dec. 12, 2023 meeting when council approved budget overages in a 2023-24 approved spending plan “to cover something that shouldn’t have happened.”

With the matter discussed in executive session, Jolin wouldn’t comment on the exact details on the specific funding authorization within the amended budget that was unanimously approved last year.

“I do not know how I was put in a position where I was asked to vote on something that should never have happened and cost taxpayers millions of dollars,” Jolin said.

Fellow council members didn’t get into details, but they too expressed their displeasure with what happened. Jolin’s request for a report wasn’t met with support from fellow council members. Following the discussion, Jolin also packed her belongings and left the workshop.

A hearing on the tentative budget is set for Sept. 5 at 5:01 p.m. at the Founders Park Community Center. A second hearing will take place Sept. 17 at 5:01 p.m.

Village staff and council members begin an Aug. 21 budget workshop. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly

Mayor Buddy Pinder.

FOURTH ROGO/ BPAS SURVEY TACKLES LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS

SCHOOL BUDGET DECISIONS

Property owner’s tax bill could see an increase despite a proposed rate drop

Input open through Sept. 13

Over the next year, county and municipal leaders will be tasked with arriving at a final number of building allocations to request from the state in 2025. KEYS WEEKLY FILE PHOTO

The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) is seeking public participation regarding the state-mandated hurricane evacuation modeling discussions that will continue through January 2025.

Survey #4 on the topic is currently available, designed to gauge public opinions and ideas concerning some of the legal considerations of the future of growth in the Florida Keys. The survey will remain open until Friday, Sept. 13 at 5 p.m.

Monroe County community members are invited to take this survey by scanning the QR code or visiting https://www. surveymonkey.com/r/MCROGOSurvey4. The survey should take five to six minutes to complete.

Additional surveys will be available in September and October to help gauge what the community wants to see moving forward, including the community’s thoughts on planning for the future.

Past surveys will help officials learn more about community members’ basic knowledge of ROGO/ BPAS, how locals live and commute, and when residents evacuate during a hurricane. (The first five questions of each survey are the same.)

Monroe County gives a monthly update during regularly scheduled BOCC meetings and is meeting with nonprofit and civic groups throughout the Keys regarding the Department of Commerce’s hurricane evacuation modeling to gauge public opinions on everything that affects evacuation timing and the number of additional ROGO/BPAS allocations, if any, the county and municipalities should request from the state. The hurricane evacuation modeling is based on a Florida Statute requiring that Monroe County residents be able to evacuate within 24 hours before a storm. Any allocations awarded could be issued over the next 10 to 30 years or at a rate that does not lead to unbalanced growth or additional takings liability. More information is at www. monroecounty-fl.gov/rogo2024.

— Contributed

FRANK DERFLER www.keysweekly.com

At its Aug. 20 meeting, the Monroe County school board held a budget workshop where they described reducing the tax rate from last year, but they also expect to collect more property tax dollars.

That happens because the assessed valuations of properties have gone up across the Keys. A property owner’s bill from the county for schools is proposed to go up 2.37%, or $32.66, if their home is valued at $500,000 last year and receives the homestead exemption. Those with a similar residence but without a homestead exemption will see their bill rise 9%, or $132.70.

Decisions on funding for the county’s schools take place from September through November, and taxpayers are invited to participate.

The Monroe County School District is one of 14 Keys taxing authorities. Six of those, like mosquito control and the judicial system, are countywide. A person’s property bill also has taxes, including another school tax levied by the state and by taxing authorities like the Water Management District. The state money for schools spreads to all counties to level differences in funds available in a county to pay for schools.

Only a small percentage of the state school tax money comes back to Monroe County. If you are 65 or older and have the $50,000 exemption on your real estate assessed value, that exemption doesn’t apply for these two school taxes. The $25,000 homestead exemption does apply.

Taken together, the “school” line can become the largest dollar item on a property owner’s real estate tax bill. Decisions about how most of that money is gathered and spent are made by the members of the Monroe County school board.

The Monroe County property appraiser’s office has mailed the Truth in Millage (TRIM) notice. The TRIM notice is not a bill; it is a forecast and the property appraiser uses it to invite the public to participate and

speak in the process of determining local taxes. A public hearing on the final Monroe County School District budget will be held at Marathon High School on Sept. 10.

During a prior meeting, school board member John Dick pointed out that very little of the funds in the school operating budget are discretionary.

“You have to run the buses, pay the staff and provide benefits,” he said.

At the same meeting, Charlene White, the district’s executive director of finance and performance, discussed a recently received $4.2 million invoice from the Florida Blue Health Plan that was several times the anticipated amount.

The school tax should generate $128.54 million in 2024-25. The district also receives some funds from the items, labeled school state law, on the real estate tax bill. Those state funds come according to a formula designed to reduce the differences in assessed property wealth between counties.

Monroe County Schools have two other sources of funds that depend on voters. The November ballot will contain an item known as the “half-mill.” This referendum would allow the district to move funds from the capital fund to the operating fund. It doesn’t create any new cost to taxpayers.

“Renewing the half-mill is crucial for our ability to retain high quality teachers and staff, provide school nurses and school resource officers at every school and maintain the high quality educational opportunities our students deserve,” said Sue Woltanski, school board chairwoman.

The other referendum item in November, known as the “half-cent,” is a sales tax that pays for buildings, upgrades and maintenance.

Voters have approved both of these ballot items for 20 years in a row.

98175 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo (305) 852-5252

www.IHPH.net

Florida Keys Electric Co-op Notice: Unclaimed Capital Credits

As a not-for-profit, member-owned utility, Florida Keys Electric Cooperative members receive member capital credits—your piece of the co-op pie. Member capital credits are our annual margins (total revenue minus operating costs) allocated to each member who received power from us for that year on a per-use basis.

FKEC retains these allocated margins for a number of years to invest in improvements, maintain the electric system and offset the amount of money the co-op has to borrow from banks, which in turn keeps your electric rates lower. Eventually, these allocated margins are returned to members and are called capital credits.

FKEC attempts to locate members and former members who have not yet claimed

their capital credit refunds for a period of five years. A final notification attempt is made in the fifth year by publishing a list of members with unclaimed funds.

To see if you or someone you know has unclaimed funds, check our database at www.FKEC.com/access-your-account/ capital-credits/.

A Florida Keys Electric Cooperative member or former member on the list must claim payments within 60 days of Aug. 26, 2024. Failure to make such a claim results in an irrevocable assignment or gift by such member or former member of such capital credit refund to the co-op pursuant to Article VII, Section 3 of the cooperative’s bylaws.

DEDICATED SERVICE

Elections Supervisor Joyce Griffin to speak on career

The Upper Keys League of Women Voters meeting will welcome Monroe County Supervisor of Elections Joyce Griffin as guest speaker on Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. at the Keys Jewish Community Center.

Griffin will reflect on her tenure and answer questions on the elections office. The public is invited to attend.

Griffin has dedicated nearly four decades to a career of upholding a high standard of service to county voters. She has overseen everything from voting machines change and reporting systems going digital to growing voter options. She oversees a staff that grows and shrinks with the seasonal tide of election calendars but is always held to the highest standards under her watchful eye.

The meeting will include updates on the Upper Keys Candidate Forum, set for Oct. 10 at the Murray Nelson Government Center, MM 102 bayside, from 6 to 9 p.m.

Candidates will be given a chance to address the audience and respond to questions about issues of concern to Upper Keys voters. The league will present information on the proposed constitutional amendments that will be on the ballot, including the decisions voters will make on partisan school board elections, special rights for hunting and fishing, marijuana use, governmental limitations on abortions, homestead exemptions and public funding for statewide races.

The meeting will also include information on the gun lock safety program and “vote411.com” voter guide.

The Upper Keys League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization focused on voter education and services from Marathon to Ocean Reef and hosts meetings which feature guest speakers, civics literacy topics, candidate forums and social events. More information is available via email to president@upperkeyslwv.org.

REBUILD FLORIDA PROGRAM MIRED IN FRAUD ALLEGATIONS

Summer is on its way out, but hurricane season is about to peak — and Rebuild Florida (a grant-funded partnership between HUD and Florida Commerce) is in deep water.

This program is mired in fraud allegations, and as a taxpayer, we all have skin in the game.

Did you know that $480 million was earmarked to rescue citizens living in storm-ravaged homes? Seven years after Hurricane Irma, approved cases are still pending. Others are marked as complete when they are anything but. The “lucky ones” who received “help” now feel more vulnerable during storms, thanks to shoddy workmanship and inferior materials. And don’t even dream about hurricaneresistant glass — storm-hardening falls into the luxury category.

Residents from Key West to Jacksonville, from coast to coast in the Sunshine State, have endured abusive practices even as subsequent storms exacerbated their misery. Where is the outrage? The oversight? Key lime may be the flavor of choice, but this low-lying island chain has missed out on its slice of the pie.

Fifty million dollars were designated specifically for the Florida Keys. And now, it’s time for some answers. This program was founded on good intentions. Uninsured homeowners who met the stringent criteria would have their homes repaired or rebuilt with the grant funding. It sounds simple, but the process is grueling and soul crushing. So are the endless delays. I am a recipient who was hoodwinked by the lies and have been sidelined since 2019.

The owner of my land lease mobile home park refused to participate, citing the program’s infamous reputation. (Rebuild Florida allegedly hires unskilled labor, damages properties and lacks clear timelines.) As an alternative, they offered to buy me a new mobile home in the community. I toured models and found the perfect floor

plan at the right price. Just before closing, HUD blocked the deal because it violated program rules. You see, Rebuild Florida learns to pilot the plane at maximum capacity. Exhausted, I depleted my 401(k) and settled for a distant rural lot, incurring H.O.A. fees and taxes. Now it sits vacant.

You know fraud is afoot when online support groups emerge, and victims share a common thread — gaslighting, lost documentation and forgotten promises. Management suggests applicants “withdraw if the process becomes too burdensome.”

The physical, financial and emotional fallout of this program is far from over. If I am drafted to serve in this war on corruption, I will proudly be its poster child. Why are we ignoring the decomposing elephant in the room? The stench rides on hurricane force winds and then drifts down from the mainland to the Florida Keys.

How does Alex Kelly, secretary of Florida Commerce, justify the outrageous cost of stuffing families into hotels for up to five years while construction creeps to a halt? He does it by blame-shifting. In 2021, they contracted IEM to administer the Rebuild Florida Irma program. I have one question: Where did our tax dollars really go? Some call it “charity gone wrong.” I call it a CRIME. Our elected officials must steady this ship because it is sinking fast.

Rebuild Florida invokes the “inactive” status to inflate fulfillment reports on project completion — it takes the heat off, temporarily. This protracted abuse is far worse than anything Hurricane Irma inflicted. Meanwhile, FEMA (which announced it has run out of money mid-hurricane season) has embraced the business of sponsoring art exhibitions.

Hey, Florida, examine priorities much?

Sincerely, Wendy Miller-Aguiar South Florida resident

Supervisor of Elections Joyce Griffin, in her trademark cowboy hat, has worked for 40 years in the Keys elections office, and has spent the past 12 as the elected supervisor. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly

EXPLORING DIVE HISTORY

Museum offers free guided tours with ticket purchase

Join the History of Diving Museum on Sunday, Sept. 1 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. for guided tours, which are included with an admission ticket.

Visits to the museum are self-guided, with special in-depth guided tours being offered once a month through the end of the year. September’s tour will coincide with Labor Day Weekend, which is the close of the summer Blue Star Museums program offering free admission to active-duty military and up to five members of their families. Museum members are also admitted free and Florida Keys residents receive a discount.

Kids can enjoy a scavenger hunt, free bookmarks and take home activity guides. The next guided tour will coincide with the anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Navy, on Sunday, Oct. 13.

Located at MM 83 in Islamorada, the museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It has 14 core exhibits plus two annual limitedtime featured exhibits and a museum store. More information is at divingmuseum.org. — Contributed

History of Diving Museum attendees can explore dive history with a guided tour on Sunday, Sept. 1. HDM/ Contributed

MISSION: MANGROVE CLEANING

Deputies team up with Gilbert’s Resort staff for a trash grab

JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com

Sheriff’s deputies, Gilbert’s Resort staff and local community members grabbed trash bags and pickers and went to work in the mangroves beneath Jewfish Creek Bridge on the morning of Aug. 23. The cleanup targeted the mangroves alongside the access road to Gilbert’s Resort. Upon seeing all the trash in the mangroves, Elina Weisberg, owner of Gilbert’s Resort, brought the idea of a collaborative cleanup to the sheriff’s office. Multiple trailers were filled with trash bags and hauled away to the transfer station. “Hopefully people will rethink what they’re doing,” Weisberg said in relation to tossing trash in the Keys environment. “Hopefully this changes everyone’s perspective on what they’re doing.”

Spenser

Gilbert’s

CHILDREN’S FAIR SET IN KEY LARGO

Bounce house, face painting, music among the family activities

Fun for kids of all ages will come to the Key Largo Civic Club on Sunday, Sept. 15. Organized by the Key Largo Artisans Market, the Children’s Fair will feature a little bit of everything for the tykes and teens. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., families can stop by the civic club, located at 209 Ocean Bay Dr., to enjoy a bounce house, baked goods and a photo booth. Cool reptiles will be on hand, as well as a fire truck from the Key Largo Fire Department.

The fair will also feature story hour with Ms. Chris, Lady J and the Puppetones, music, arts, crafts, plants and more. A scavenger hunt will be held with the chance to win some prizes, including a dolphin swim for two courtesy of Dolphins Plus.

Fairy hair, snow cones, cotton candy and coffee will also be provided at the event.

Featuring a variety of local markers, creators, bakers and artists, the local artisans market is held every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m at the civic club.

More information is available from Marlen Weeks at 305-394-1680. — Keys Weekly staff report

PIXABAY

1. Sheriff’s Lt. Ben Elmore uses grabbers to place trash into a bag held by sheriff’s assistant director Brittany Grimm. 2. Sheriff’s Reserve Capt. Ted Miagla and deputy Ashley Monaco. 3. From left, Denny’s Latin Cuban Cafe owners Rafael and Erin Garcia and Bluewater Church pastor Joe Scanlon don gloves and grab trash bags as they prepare to clean the mangroves. 4. Sheriff’s Col. Lou Caputo grabs debris in the mangroves. 5. From left, sheriff’s Capt.

Bryan,

Resort owner Elina Weisberger and sheriff’s Lt. Mario Benedetti.

Photos by JIM MCCARTHY/Keys Weekly Full gallery at keysweekly.com.

The Village NEEDS

MORE THAN A SANCTUARY FOR FOXES

1. The new Human-Animal Alliance Healing Den at Pawsitive Beginnings in Key Largo. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly. 2. Pawsitive Beginnings Founder Nicole Navarro receives a proclamation from Monroe County Mayor Holly Raschein. Aug. 27 was proclaimed Pawsitive Beginnings Day in Monroe County. 3. From left, Harlan Richardson, Navarro and Sean Richardson. The Richardsons are local builders who constructed the healing den. MICHAEL KANIK/High Exposure Visuals. 4. Ben Kemmer, Florida Keys Children’s Shelter CEO, speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly. 5. Human-Animal Alliance Founder Jackie Ducci speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Her alliance helped fund the building of a healing den on the Pawsitive Beginnings property in Key Largo. 6. Local law enforcement attends a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new healing den on Aug. 27.

For Nicole Navarro, saving foxes that would have otherwise been killed on a fur farm in Minnesota was only the beginning.

The founder of Pawsitive Beginnings in Key Largo, Navarro was joined by Monroe County Mayor Holly Raschein, Human-Animal Alliance founder Jackie Ducci and community supporters on Aug. 27 for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting for a new therapy room for counselors and their clients. With a $10,000 grant from Ducci’s alliance, and other financial support, a calm, comforting room was constructed at Navarro’s fox sanctuary to allow therapists and counselors a unique space to hold off-site private sessions with their clients.

Ducci visited Pawsitive Beginnings last year when Navarro first pitched the idea of a therapeutic space on the property in Key Largo.

“The room … we couldn’t look into it because it was so full of storage items,” Navarro said.

Ducci said there’s magic when animals and humans bond, allowing for life-changing and life- saving experiences. Ducci said her nonprofit formed out of a mission to give people the chance to connect with animals in a meaningful way, which is why she got behind Navarro’s healing den. Ducci said her foundation, which formed in Wellington, Florida, supports equine and canine assistance therapies across the country.

“I had never heard of using foxes in this context, but it’s so amazing and I’m so grateful I met Nicole,” Ducci said. “She broadened my horizons and taught me more about this. When we connected I just really fell in love with her program.”

Since the foxes began arriving at Navarro’s sanctuary, they have inspired and healed kids, women and other community members in need of animal therapy. Three years ago, Navarro visited Kinder in the Keys, a facility that helps women suffering from PTSD, anxiety, depression and eating disorders. Joan Lorenzo, executive director, said Navarro brings the foxes to the facility where women can hear the foxes’ stories of survival. Lorenzo said the visit and the stories inspire the women and show them that healing is possible.

Ben Kemmer, Florida Keys Children’s Shelter CEO, said the interaction has been incredible among the kids, Navarro and the foxes.

“It’s basically our secret weapon because no matter what the kids have going on in their lives, it brightens their faces,” Kemmer said.

The Fred and Jean Allegretti Foundation made a generous donation toward the healing room. Navarro said the foundation supported Pawsitive Beginnings since day one.

“I’m completely blown away and always grateful when people come beside me because they see what I’m doing truly makes a difference,” Navarro said.

The room was built by local builders Sean and Harlan Richardson.

“Every wild idea that I have come up with, they never said we can’t do it,” Navarro said. “They just said we’ll get it down. And they have from the fox enclosures to the therapy room, every single thing they built has been better than anything I could have ever imagined.”

Navarro credited her mother, Barbara Froelich, who allowed her to turn the property into a fox sanctuary, longtime friend Jessica Walker and Jeanne Selander, who runs the animal farm on Stock Island.

One of the greatest gifts Navarro and the foxes received was the support from law enforcement in the Keys.

“Since day one you’ve all been amazing with your support,” Navarro said. “The entire Florida Keys community has literally wrapped its arms around the foxes and I since the day we arrived. No where else in the world could I be doing what I’m doing with these animals.”

Before a ribbon-cutting, Raschein presented Navarro with a proclamation making Aug. 27 Pawsitive Beginnings Day in Monroe County. Raschein called Navarro a “local hero” and a “true ambassador.”

“You have come in and supported our law enforcement men and women, our children and just our everyday residents,” Raschein said.

Kai the fox. CONTRIBUTED

INVESTING WHERE WE LIVE, WORK & PLAY

Assistance Available As REALTORS® we believe everyone should be proud of their community and have a safe place to call home. That's why Florida Keys Board of REALTOR members invest in communities where we live, work, and play.

OFFICERS & DIRECTORS

President: Susan Ashmore

Vice President: Karen Prince

Secretary/Treasurer: Lorie LaLonde-Miller

Directors: Claire Johnson, Ana Zalesky, Rebecca Newman, Gloria Walters, Natalie Biondoletti, Samantha Arce

Lynda Anthony

The FKBR REALTORS® Charitable Foundation (FKBRCF) is the 501(c)3 charitable arm of FKBR. It's a testament to the collective efforts of our community, providing funding for individuals and not-for-profit organizations in the Upper Keys of Monroe County who enhance the quality of life in the community and prioritize supporting REALTOR members in need. The Foundation, established in 2015, is a result of our community's commitment to consolidate FKBR community-giving programs and significantly impact the local community.

MISSION

Our mission is clear and unwavering: to provide outreach programs and charitable donations within the local community and support REALTOR members in need as a priority.

VISION

To be a foundation that dramatically impacts our members and our local community as the philanthropic arm of the Florida Keys Board of REALTORS®

Applications are available now and can be requested by emailing Lynda@flkeysboardofrealtors.com or calling 305-852-9294.

DYNAMIC DUOS

Triathletes team up with the disabled at Key Largo competition

GROUPS BRING

NEW BOOK TO KEY LARGO PARK’S STORY WALK

The members of Key Largo Girl Scout Troop 2300 were recently invited by the Upper Keys League of Women Voters and the Key Largo library for the opening of a new Book Walk at Key Largo Community Park. The league and library collaborated on posting the book “I Can’t Wait to Vote!” on the park’s Story Walk path. Group leaders for the event were Barbara Overton; Ginette Hughes; Dottie Moses; Angie Konarski; Sue Woltanski, school board chairwoman; and Melissa Simmons, Girl Scout Troop leader. CONTRIBUTED

On Aug. 18, 12 disabled triathletes were paired with local helpers as “Duo Teams to Race” in the annual Key Largo Triathlon at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Special Compass hosted a social dinner the night before with the athletes, volunteers and family. Inspirational stories were shared including milestones of achievements in their employment, education and sport. Fun, friendship and inclusion filled the atmosphere with competition, adventure and emotion. More information is available from Jim@ SpecialCompass.Org or at www.SpecialCompass.Org. CONTRIBUTED

BRIEFLY

Suicide prevention training at Key Largo library

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Miami-Dade will give free evidence-based suicide prevention training on Monday, Sept. 9 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Key Largo library. This session will teach how to identify warning signs that someone may be considering suicide, how to intervene and persuade them to get help and refer them to appropriate resources.

The event will feature Lisa LaSueur, certified “Question, Persuade and Refer” trainer. Attendees will receive a certification upon completion. More information on this training is at 305-665-2540 or scan the QR code to register.

Sheriff: Man with undersized fish arrested

A Miami man who allegedly caught numerous undersized fish was charged on Aug. 24. According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Islamorada marine deputy Nelson Sanchez was on patrol at Indian Key Fill near MM 78 at about 1:50 p.m. when he saw Yurisel Toribio Montesino, 37, of Miami in possession of a cooler with live grunt nearby.

An inspection of the cooler revealed three undersized mutton snapper, seven undersized schoolmaster snapper, 13 undersized mangrove snapper, and three over-the-limit mangrove snapper. Many of the fish were “grossly undersized,” according

to the sheriff’s office. Toribio Montesino was charged and taken to jail. Visit www.myfwc.com for information on wildlife regulations.

Sheriff: Motorist arrested on drug/guns charges

Danny Labra, 43, of Homestead was arrested at about 7:50 a.m. on Aug. 24 after 20 grams of marijuana and drug paraphernalia were found following a traffic stop on U.S. 1 near MM 102 in Key Largo.

Labra was stopped for suspected illegal window tint. Police say there was a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. The drugs and a .40-caliber handgun were found in the subsequent search. He was charged with a felony for drug possession and misdemeanors for drug equipment possession and marijuana possession.

Motorist arrested on drug charges

Joshua Wayne Resmini, 37, of Wilton Manors, Florida, was arrested at about 6 p.m. on Aug. 23 for DUI as well as possessing 2.6 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 61 grams of liquid amphetamines, and drug paraphernalia (a bong/pipe).

The sheriff’s office stopped Resmini on U.S. 1 in Key Largo near MM 106 after he drove off and back on the highway. He appeared intoxicated and admitted to taking Xanax. He was charged with felonies for drug possession and methamphetamine trafficking and misdemeanors for drug equipment possession and DUI.

LOCAL BUSINESSES ADVERTISE WITH LOCAL FACES

SEPTEMBER 2024 MEETINGS

The Mission of the Key Largo Wastewater Treatment District is to preserve and protect the delicate ecosystem of the Florida Keys while providing exceptional customer service. Tuesday, Sept. 3, 4

The full agenda is available at www.klwtd.com or scan here

To provide public comment prior to the meeting, send an email to clerk@klwtd.com.

Established in the 1990s, Vital Signs Key Largo is a full service design, print, and sign company. They o er design services along with printing and installation from Ocean Reef to Key West. Some of their most popular services are marine graphics, logos, dock signs, building signs, menus and apparel.

Daniel Elmore, who worked for the previous owners, bought Vital Signs Key Largo in 2021, bringing more than ten years of sign experience to the table. He and partner Cari Sanders have more than 20 years of combined customer service.

"Our key to success has been staying involved in our community and o ering fair prices for quality products," said Daniel.

103400 Overseas Hwy, Ste.103, in the Pink Plaza, Key Largo signs@vitalsignskeylargo.net vitalsignskeylargo.net

RIBEYE TUESDAYS

14oz Prime Ribeye Steak with Truffle Mashed Potatoes and Vegetables du Jour

REEF THE FOX

Reef is a red fox that was saved from a fur farm. He now lives in Key Largo with his human, Nicole Navarro.

Hi friends!

Reef the fox here with your weekly “Reef’s Report.”

My mom, Nicole Navarro, returned from her trip to New York City last week and debriefed me on her days there. She was given a ticket to see the Broadway smash hit “Wicked,” and she even got a backstage tour. A sponsor for Jasper the fox is the makeup supervisor for the production, so mom got that VIP treatment, as she should. Mom was also able to catch up with some of her friends who are in the animal rights movement, and was even asked to join in on some outreach in Central Park to advocate against the horse-drawn carriage industry with our friends at NYCLASS (nyclass.org).

Many people see horse carriage rides and think it will be a unique, romantic or just fun way to see a city but let me tell you, those horses are not treated the way you might think. These city carriage horses are standing and walking on pavement which is not healthy for their hooves. Most of these horses are not large draft horses, which means they are not built to pull large loads like the carriage, driver and three to four passengers. They don’t go home at the end of the day to a beautiful barn outside the city. They live in a con-

TIME TO PULL BACK ON THE CARRIAGE?

New York City trip shows a horse’s hardships

crete building on the Hudson River and are yet again forced to stand on concrete in their small stalls.

Two years ago in New York City, a horse named Ryder collapsed in Hell’s Kitchen and a video went viral of his driver yelling at and whipping Ryder to get back up. It was determined that Ryder collapsed from exhaustion. Ryder was sent to a farm in upstate New York where he later had to be euthanized because of his continued poor health.

New York City council member Bob Holden is a fierce advocate to ban the carriage industry in the city.

“In 21st Century New York City, and frankly anywhere else, we should no longer see horses laboring to pull carriages in traffic; it’s a practice that’s outdated, inhumane and unsafe,” Holden said. “Passing a ban on horse-drawn carriages is a no-brainer decision that would protect horses and the public and benefit workers, marking an end to this cruel and antiquated industry.”

My mom was able to witness these horses working last week and she said it was depressing at best. When the horses are given feed, pigeons also surround the buckets dropping feces that the horse inadvertently consumes. The horses are lined up like forced labor workers and the look in their eyes is heartbreaking. So as your local reporter on all things animal-welfare, I am asking you that if you ever have the opportunity to take a carriage ride, don’t.

Anywho, that’s all for this week. Stay up to date on all things fox by visiting pawsitivebeginnings.org.

Until next time, Reef, over and out!

JUJU

JuJu is an adorable 10-week-old puppy, weighing just 7.5 pounds. This sweet little girl is playful and affectionate, though she’s still learning not to nibble too much. Almost fully potty trained, JuJu will let you know when she needs to go out and is adjusting well to a schedule. She’s a quick learner, already navigating stairs and wearing a harness for her leash training. JuJu loves people, especially kids, and gets along with other pets, though she can be a bit enthusiastic with her playfulness. She’s a great sleeper, quiet during the night, and stays content in her playpen when left alone. JuJu is looking for a loving home where she can continue to grow and thrive Appy today www.MPRescues.org or call 305-453-1315.

SAVE THE DATE

Sunday, Sept. 1

• History of Diving Museum offers free guided tours with admission between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The museum is located at 82990 Overseas Highway, Islamorada.

Monday, Sept. 2

• Matecumbe Historical Trust’s Labor Day service at 9 a.m. at the Islamorada Hurricane Monument, MM 81.5.

Wednesday, Sept. 4

• JOY classes from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. at Plantation Key Community Center., MM 87.5, bayside, Islamorada. Visit justolderyouthinc.org for a full list of activities.

• Hispanic Heritage Month exhibit opens at 9 a.m. at Key Largo library.

• Plant clinic and seed library grand opening from 9 a.m. to noon at Key Largo library.

Thursday, Sept. 5

• Foreign Policy Association’s

Great Decisions: Understanding Indonesia at 2 p.m. at Key Largo library.

• MarrVelous Pet Rescues’ “Yappy Hour” from 6 to 8 p.m. at Baker’s Cay Resort, Key Largo. Dogs must be vaccinated, leashed and well-socialized.

Friday, Sept. 7

• Swim for Alligator Lighthouse begins at 7:45 a.m. at Amara Cay Resort, Islamorada. Visit swimalligatorlight.com for more information.

• Monroe County hosts a free tire recycling event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at transfer stations in Key Largo, 11180 County Road 905; Long Key Transfer Station, MM 68; and Cudjoe Transfer Station, MM 21.5.

Monday, Sept. 9

• Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder’s “Land to Sea, Large to Wee” lecture series at 5:30p.m. at the Protect Center, 82748 Overseas Highway, Islamorada. Guest speaker is Art Cooper, DPMMR founder.

A carriage horse in New York City. NICOLE NAVARRO/Contributed

RUNNING THE RUM

Prohibition brought opportunity for the likes of Capone in the Keys

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.

The National Prohibition Act, also known as the Volstead Act, was named for Andrew J. Volstead, the Minnesota Republican and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, who sponsored the legislation. It was written to provide a means to enforce the 18th Amendment prohibiting the manufacture, transport, export, sale or possession of alcoholic beverages in the United States.

Passed by Congress on Oct. 28, 1919, the 18th Amendment was placed into effect on Jan. 16, 1920. It was repealed on Dec. 5, 1933.

During the years that booze was officially illegal in the United States, on the east coast, up and down the Atlantic demarcation of the jurisdictional limit of federal waters, hundreds of motherships anchored along an imaginary line from the Florida Keys to the New England states.

It became known as Rum Row. Stocked with liquor, the ships awaited captains willing to run out to international waters to conduct business and smuggle their loads back into the country. While most ships advertised their claim to offer the best deal, some ships enticed customers by offering parties and prostitutes.

The Prohibition years created a need for rumrunners, those men and women who took the chance of loading cases of contraband liquor into fast boats and making the run across federal waters, and to the mainland United States, trying to avoid getting caught.

Back on land, secret (and not so secret) drinking establishments around the country became known as speakeasies, drums, tea rooms and blind pigs. Rumrunning and the rumrunners attracted a larger criminal element. Even Al Capone operated in the Florida Keys — or at least he made the attempt.

According to a story told by Fern Butters, who, with her husband Captain Ed, operated a little motel and restaurant in North Key Largo called the Key

Inn, Capone once made Ed an offer. As the story is told, one day in the late 1920s, an open-air roadster crossed the Card Sound Bridge, drove down State Road 4A and stopped at the roadside motel. The driver and a passenger occupied the vehicle. In some accounts, two machine guns — Tommy guns — were propped up in the backseat.

Fern watched as Ed walked up to the car. The associate, driving the car, opened the door and stepped out. He said, “This is Al Capone. We are going to pull into your dock with our loads, and we will give you $25 a load.”

Ed declined the offer.

The associate replied, “But this is Al Capone, and he is pulling into your dock.”

“I don’t care if he is the Lord Himself,” Ed said. “No one is pulling into my dock, and that’s final.”

When Ed turned and walked away, Fern thought she was about to watch her husband be shot to death. Instead, the man returned to the car, and he and Capone drove off down the bumpy dirt road. It seems likely that Ed Butters was not the only person propositioned that day and that someone else down the road agreed to Capone’s terms.

Had Capone rolled into the roadside motel a couple of years later, he probably would have received an “absolutely.” Circa 1931, the Butters sold to Mabel Harris of Chicago. She changed the name to Mabel’s Place and still offered motel rooms and a restaurant, but also booze, games of chance, and prostitution.

Capone and Mabel did not represent the only criminal element working to take advantage of the environment that Prohibition created. Relatively few things go unnoticed on an island and the waters surrounding them. Wherever booze was smuggled aboard ships, liquor pirates lurked in the shadows. Who were the liquor pirates? These sailors preyed upon the rumrunners working to get their stash delivered to dry land.

To avoid detection, rumrunners making the trek back from Cuba or the Bahamas to the Florida Keys raced to the ragged, mangrove-lined islands with their lights off and throttles wide open. Should the government vessels get too close, the local rumrunners, who knew every nook and cranny of the

island chain, would take note of their location and dump their contraband into the shallows, in a cove, or on some convenient island before speeding away.

Once the coast was clear, they would make their way back to the dump site to recover their booze. However, sometimes, it was no longer where they left it. There were people on shore who hid in the shadows, as well as those who lurked in skiffs close to shore, hoping to spy an illicit load being prematurely dumped. These liquor pirates would sneak up and retrieve the contraband from the shallows and slip away before anyone was the wiser, an act that left the rumrunners empty-handed for all of their efforts.

Of course, transporting the booze was just the first step in the process. There were also the speakeasies, tea rooms and blind pigs that sold it. They took risks, too. Fortunately for those operators in the Keys, the island chain remained a relatively isolated string of islands for most of the Prohibition years. Only in late 1927 was the first road “connecting” the mainland to Key West opened to public transit.

From 1920 to 1927, agents arrived in the Keys via boat or the Key West Extension of Henry Flagler’s Over-Sea Railway. When traveling aboard the train, it was not unusual for operators on the mainland to pass the word down the coconut telegraph that the feds were en route. However, we will have to wait until next week to talk more about that.

TRY ’N’ FIND

Words that remind us of Mississippi are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find: BRIDGES, CIVIL WAR, EDUCATION, ELVIS, EVERS, GULF, HURRICANE, INFRASTRUCTURE, LOWLANDS, MAGNOLIA, MEXICO, MISSISSIPPI, NATCHEZ, PETRIFIED, RIVER, SECEDE, UNION, WELLS.

Founded

Don't Miss Mississippi

Betty

Mississippi became our 20th state when it entered the Union in 1817. The state in the Deep South was the second to secede, or separate, from the Union before the Civil War.

EARLY HISTORY

Several American Indian tribes lived in the area before Europeans arrived, including the Choctaw, Chickasaw and Natchez. The Natchez Indians were almost completely wiped out by the French and never recovered.

Today, most Natchez people are found in Oklahoma.

Hernando de Soto was the first European to explore the area, in 1540, claiming it for Spain. More than 100 years later, the French claimed the region.

After the French and Indian War in the mid1700s, the British gained control of the area.

MISSISSIPPI TODAY

About 3 million people live in the Magnolia State. The largest city and capital is Jackson, with a metro area of about 600,000 people.

Although cotton was a huge crop for Mississippi before the Civil War, the state fell behind afterward because its leaders would not invest in infrastructure (like roads and railroads), public education and development of industries.

As a result, the state still ranks last in income and 49th in education.

Today, automobile plants in Mississippi make Toyota and Nissan cars. Other products made there include processed meats, grain and dairy

products and beverages. People also work in furniture-making.

LIVING IN MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi is thought to be the birthplace of the blues, a type of music that sprang from the songs of slaves as they worked in the fields. Elvis Presley, known as the king of rock ‘n’ roll, was born in Tupelo; his music was inspired by the blues.

Mississipians are no strangers to hurricanes. Not only does the state border the Gulf of Mexico, but almost all of its territory is considered lowlands, on average only 90 meters above sea level. The most recent damaging hurricane was Katrina in 2005, with wind gusts of 134 mph.

WORKING FOR CHANGE

Many historical figures in the civil rights movement got their start in Mississippi. They include:

• Ida B. Wells was born into slavery in Holly Springs in 1862. She was one of the founders of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People); she was also a journalist and teacher. Wells fought for women's rights, including the right to vote. She died in Chicago in 1931.

• Medgar Evers was the NAACP’s first field secretary in Mississippi. He was born in Decatur in 1925. Evers worked to integrate the University of Mississippi Law School. He was assassinated, or killed, at his home in Jackson in 1963.

• Ruby Bridges was born in Tylertown in 1954. You may have seen pictures of her as a 6-year-old as she integrated an elementary school in New Orleans. Today, Bridges is the chair of the Ruby Bridges Foundation, which promotes "the values of tolerance, respect and appreciation of all differences."

Mississippi’s Petrified Forest in Flora is thought to have formed 36 million years ago when a flooding river snatched trees out of the ground. The sections of trunk were buried in debris from the flood. Over time, they decayed and then petrified into stone logs.

ECO NOTE

Israeli scientists say a marine pandemic that has violently wiped out the Red Sea’s sea urchin population in just a matter of months is now spreading rapidly. The deaths were first noticed in the Gulf of Aqaba and have quickly spread southward into the Indian Ocean and eastward toward Southeast Asia. The same parasite responsible for the deaths also killed 95% of the urchins in the Caribbean two years ago. The urchins are known as the “gardeners” of the sea because they trim algae off coral reefs that otherwise block sunlight, allowing the coral to thrive.

RESOURCES

by

Debnam The Mini Page® © 2024 Andrews McMeel Syndication

River” by Colleen Sexton

photo by Christopher Barnette

Elvis Presley

Ida B. Wells

Ruby Bridges

Medgar Evers

Mini Fact: The Mississippi River borders or flows through 10 states.

THE PIE IS WORTH THE DOUGH

Many people might not realize that some of the best garlic knots you can find are right here in Key Largo at MM 100.

For as long as we can remember, the bright red sign that reads “Tower of Pizza” has been a constant presence. Whether it’s during a hurricane or a cold front, Tower of Pizza seems to be there when you need them most, consistently answering the phone and delivering without an issue.

On this particular day, I was a little stressed and looking for some alone time. I was pondering where to go for a solo lunch when initially, I overlooked Tower of Pizza since I usually associate them with delivery. At a second glance, I wondered why I don’t dine inside more often. Having a family from New York makes me particularly fond of no-frills grabbing a slice. As soon as I walked in, I was greeted with enthusiastic “Hi,” “Welcome” and “Take a seat!” It showed that even during the lunch rush, their manners weren’t compromised.

Taking a cue from Jimmy Buffett’s saying that “it’s 5 o’clock some-

SAMANTHA DELLILO

is a Keys native who has a passion for all things food. She runs the local food blog, “Florida Keys Eats.”

where,” I decided to order a draft beer for lunch (side note: it was the weekend). With a variety of beers on tap and numerous bottled options, something about Stella was calling my name. I was picturing the old-school commercial where they take a knife to slice off the head of the draft pour. Imagine my excitement when it was served in an actual frosty Stella branded glass. Of course, I ordered some garlic knots, which are offered with or without mozzarella. I chose them without the cheese because I believe the garlic butter alone is enough to make them out of this world. The garlic butter soaks deeply into the rolls, and the garlic is cooked down to a delightful sweetness that just harmonizes beautifully with the rich-

ness of the butter. I’ve loved these knots since I was a kid, especially the ones that are slightly undercooked.

I also opted for a single slice of pepperoni pizza. Those familiar with me know that I have a theory about evaluating pizza places, regardless of how good or bad the overall pizza place might be; you can’t make a true judgment until you’ve tried an individual slice served fresh in-house. This is because a single slice gets “fired twice.” The restaurant first bakes a whole pizza, then when you order a slice, they take it from said pizza and put it back in the oven for a brief period. This process enhances the slice’s flavor and crunch, and today was no different. The pepperonis were perfectly rounded with small pools of spicy oil glistening on top. The undercarriage had a great color with spots of char, which I love, from the oven. I could feel the satisfying crunch as I folded the slice in preparation for my first bite.

As an Italian, I felt compelled to fold my pizza to keep my ancestors content. With a cold beer, a classic pepperoni slice, a view of the rainy weather and no company but myself, it turned out to be one of the most tranquil lunches I’ve had in a while, a perfect time to gather my thoughts. If staring out the window isn’t your preference, they offer a variety of reading materials on racks (Keys Weekly is prominently displayed at the front, as it should be).

A few days later, I planned a family pizza night on-site. We grabbed seats on the benches outside right after sunset and dug into the pie sitting in the middle of the table. We don’t usually drink soda, but a Coca-Cola felt so right. My sugar high after, not so much. We clinked our garlic knots together and enjoyed a laid-back no-frills no-makeup family outing. It felt like being a kid again, grabbing pizza after a softball game.

No matter what anyone thinks about Tower of Pizza, they’ve always been there for us Key Largo folks through every inconvenience and weather issue. Thanks for always picking up the phone, Tower of Pizza.

REEL RECS

Staff from your Monroe County Public Library recommend some of their favorites from the collection.

WHAT: “Lynch/Oz” (2022)

WHY: “The Wizard of Oz” is currently celebrating its 85th anniversary, and it’s served as a source of inspiration for people from all walks of life. This documentary examines how the iconic film influenced the work of someone surprising on the surface yet obvious when examined closer: director David Lynch. Structured as a series of video essays, various filmmakers such as John Waters (“Hairspray”), Karyn Kusama (“Jennifer’s Body”), and David Lowery (“The Green Knight”) examine Lynch’s unique filmography, comparing elements of each with the legendary musical. Not only that, but the documentary branches off to show (via engaging split-screen comparisons) how Oz made its stamp on other elements of cinema, as well. It’s a thoughtful and well-edited exploration of what makes the man behind the curtain tick.

WHERE: This film is available on Kanopy, the library’s streaming app. HOW: You can browse and request DVDs online by logging in to your account at keyslibraries.org. To view our collection of streaming movies and TV, go to kanopy.com/ keyslibraries and set up an account with your library card. If you don’t have a card, you can visit your local branch or register online to get one. Questions? info@keyslibraries.org. Recommended by: Kelvin Cedeño, library assistant, Islamorada library.

See previous Reel Recs at keyslibraries.org/reel-recs.

THE SCOREBOARD

AUG. 29

Basilica Volleyball Marathon 8/19 W, 3-1

Marathon Volleyball Mater Bay 8/21 W, 3-0

Coral Shores Volleyball Silver Palms 8/21 W, 3-1

Key West Volleyball Marathon 8/22 W, 3-0

Coral Shores Volleyball Westwood 8/22 W, 3-1

Marathon Football Pompano Beach 8/23 W, 39-30

Coral Shores Football South Homestead 8/23 W, 29-0

Key West Football Clewiston 8/23 W, 35-6

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Key West Volleyball Eustis 8/24 L, 3-2 THIS WEEK

GARCIA

THIS WEEK IN KEYS SPORTS

AUG. 29

8/29 All Keys Teams Golf @ Ocean Reef 1 p.m.

8/29 Coral Shores Volleyball Keys Gate 5:30 p.m.

8/30 Marathon Volleyball @ Florida Christian 5:30 p.m.

8/30

8/30 Coral Shores Football Palmer Trinity School 7 p.m.

8/30 Key West Volleyball Boca Raton 7 p.m.

8/30 Key West Football IMG Academy White 7 p.m.

8/30 Basilica Volleyball @ Shelton 4 p.m.

8/30 Basilica & Coral Shores Cross Country @ Race of the Thoroughbreds 3 p.m.

9/3 Coral Shores Volleyball Basilica 4:30 p.m.

9/3

9/4

9/5 Marathon Volleyball Key West 5:30 p.m.

9/5 All Keys Teams Golf @ Ocean Reef 1 p.m.

9/5 Coral Shores Cross Country @ Larry & Penny Thompson Park 3 p.m.

9/5 Coral Shores Volleyball @ South Homestead 5:30 p.m.

Braulio has the heart of a lion. He is an emotional player and lays it all on the line. He does so much that probably goes unnoticed by most, but I notice. He is willing to do whatever it takes to win.”

—

Sean McDonald, Fins football coach

36.7 total yards yards-per-carry average

ON THE COVER

In last week’s game against Pompano Beach, senior Braulio Garcia ran for 110 yards, including a 64-yard explosion good for a TD. He earned those yards in just three carries, and his 36.7 yards-per-carry average was good enough for the team high. Not bad for a lineman who played guard for the first quarter. Marathon had run through the entire depth chart of blocking backs in a matter of days, but coach Sean McDonald knew where he could find a talented, dependable one.

Garcia made the switch from blocking back to lineman this fall, selflessly giving up the glory of a back for the unglamorous, though crucial, role as lineman for the Fins.

“Braulio never complained once. He always puts the team above self and that is a big part of why we are having success,” explained McDonald.

As a senior, Garcia has shouldered the responsibility of leadership and lifts others up with a lighthearted attitude, but when it comes to football, he is all business. For his willingness to put his team first and rock solid leadership, Braulio Garcia is the Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.

Braulio

Senior, Marathon Football

For the first time in years, all three Keys gridiron squads vanquished their opponents on the same night to start the regular season. See page 8. Top left: Key West’s Josue Thanus. Top right: Coral Shores’ Yemcel Moreno. Bottom, from left: Marathon’s Fab Louis Jeune, Eduardo Garcia, Tanner Ross, Carlos Lezcano & Shamar Wright. Photos by Maicey Malgrat, Doug Finger and Barry Gaukel.

Photo by BARRY GAUKEL/Keys Weekly

fled to the Keys from the frozen mountains of Pennsylvania hours after graduating from college and never looked back. She is a second-generation coach and educator, and has taught in the public school system for over 25 years. She and her husband met at a beginning teacher meeting in 1997 and have three children born and raised in Monroe County. In her free time, McDonald loves flea markets, historical fiction and long runs in the heat.

sean mcdonald

grew up in Miami and moved to the Keys in 1997. He has spent the last 25 years teaching physical education and coaching virtually every sport for Florida Keys kids ages 4 to 18. If you are reading this and live or lived in the Florida Keys, he has probably taught, coached, or coached against someone you know.

Marathon - Alex Rickert alex@keysweekly.com

Upper Keys - Jim McCarthy jim@keysweekly.com

Key West - Mandy Miles mandy@keysweekly.com

The Keys Weekly Sports Wrap is proud to be the only locally-owned publication providing prep sports coverage from Key Largo to Key West. Together with our writers and photographers, we are committed to providing a comprehensive overview of the world of Keys sports with photography that allows our readers to immerse themselves in game action.

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LIFE IN THE FAST LANE

Conchs,

’Canes prepare

to showcase speed and talent this season

If you’ve never been to a Key West home swim meet, you are most definitely missing out. The longest-serving coach in the Florida Keys, Lori Bosco, started one of several unique traditions many years ago, and still today you will find her team standing beneath the American flag at each home meet. The team collaboratively sings the “The Star-Spangled Banner” before the beginning of each race. Bosco also initiated a post-race congratulatory lineup for both teams in a sport she says is full of sportsmanship and goodwill.

Bosco’s Conchs are playing catch-up a bit this season after their home pool underwent resurfacing, sending them scrambling for practices, but her team now seems ready to represent in the beautifully-redone pool at College of the Florida Keys.

The pool is not the only thing looking great these days. “We lost a lot of seniors last year, but right now we have 10 returners for 21 total on the boys team and eight returners with 14 total on the girls,” Bosco said. “The boys’ numbers are pretty good,” she added, explaining that though the girls’ numbers were a little low, their talent makes up for it.

Returning this season are Aly Camargo, a sophomore who qualified for regionals last season in four events. Camargo is a sprint specialist, qualifying for postseason starts in the 50 and 100 free as well as a pair of relays.

Seniors Reeghan Davis and Lindsey Smith will serve as team captains this season. Both are experienced swimmers, praised by Bosco for their leadership and maturity. Also returning for the Lady Conchs are Colbie Turner, Hadley Bardoni and Mary Searcy, three veterans who should make an immediate positive impact for Key West.

New to the girls high school team, but not the sport, are Ashlyn Pico and Karis Dryer. Both athletes have club experience which they will bring to the Lady Conchs varsity squad this fall.

For the boys, Eli Morris returns for his senior season as a captain. Morris used his specialty, backstroke, to help carry two Conch relays to regionals last season. Joining Morris in leadership roles this season are Matthew Robertson and Jason Frankel.

The boys team will also benefit from the return of Santiago Gonzalez, a 100 and 200 freestyle specialist; Hugo Blinckmann at breaststroke and freestyle; and Jacob Perez, who holds down the distance races for Key West.

tracy mcdonald

Bosco plans to allow the seniors to choose their events in an intrasquad meet for some fun competition and to honor the outgoing athletes in their final competition at CFK. Key West took the plunge for their first competition on Aug. 24 against Port Charlotte High School (results not available at press time).

Coral Shores returns a host of veterans this season. “We have a fantastic group of juniors and seniors who are ready to take the lead and inspire our rookies this year,” said coach Kelly Owens. She named Abbie Sargent, Layne Smith, Allegra Fucaraccio, Sofia Figueredo and Larkin Dunn on the ladies’ side and Evan Osipov, Mason Osipov and Anthony Jeffrey on the boys’. Sargent, Smith and Fucarracio all made the cut last season, qualifying for the state meet, and with three-fourths of their relay teams intact, they have a very good chance of repeating the feat.

Owens and co-head coach Jon Olsen have their eyes set on the big show. They are hoping to repeat last year’s postseason successes, and the coaches as well as the athletes in Coral Shores’ swim program put in the work all year long. Olsen works year-round with some of the athletes, and their work should pay dividends this season. Several athletes partake in open-water long-distance swims to stay competitive in the offseason.

Coral Shores will again feature a group of competitive divers. Last season the ’Canes added a pair of divers to their roster after being without any for several seasons. This year, Owens says more have joined, and she hopes they too will meet the requirements to qualify for the postseason.

The ’Canes are heavy on the leadership this season, with a group of dedicated seniors willing to sacrifice and lead by example in their last year representing Coral Shores. Seniors Sargent, Jeffrey, Evan Osipov, Calista Wittke, Leticia Lima and Rachel Rusch are a special group this season; all six have plenty of experience, strong work ethic and a willingness to set the tempo for the underclassmen.

Johnny Pico, a junior who swam for Key West’s club team long ago, is on the roster, as well as Camargo’s older brother Sebastian, who is taking up competitive swimming for the first time as a junior.

Bosco’s squad includes nine freshmen and 11 first-year swimmers, a bit of an anomaly for Key West. Bosco stressed that her team will focus on PRs for themselves and work on coming together as a team. “You have to work together to win,” she said. “Swimming is both an individual and a team sport.”

With eight home meets and one of their three away meets at Founders Park in Islamorada, Conch fans have plenty of opportunities to see the Southernmost swimmers in competition. Although Bosco has been coaching for nearly three decades, she keeps things fresh with creative solutions each season. This year the crafty coach has added an event to her busy schedule to benefit athletes and parents alike.

“Usually our last home meet is senior day. This year it is on a Thursday at 1 p.m. and a lot of parents can’t be there,” she explained. “We also have a week between the last meet and Districts, so to keep them swimming that week, we are having a Saturday senior show day.”

always show up with a positive attitude,” Owens added. “I year.”

Owens described her seniors as “truly some of the best leaders and a great group of role models for our up-andcoming swimmers. Regardless of their level in the pool, they always show up with a positive attitude,” Owens added. “I am looking forward to seeing their influence on our team dynamic this year.”

Although

Although the Lady ’Canes return a majority of their roster, including multiple state qualifiers, they did lose a key sprinter last season to graduation and will need to find a fourth swimmer to fill in on their highly-successful relay teams. Owens is not too worried, though.

teams. Owens is not too worried, though.

“I believe we have the depth to make a seamless transition,” she said.

“I tion,” she said.

As

As of press time, Coral Shores’ schedule had not been finalized, but the Hurricanes are doing everything they can to take South Florida by storm this season and bring home more hardware to the Keys.

schedule hardware

Clockwise from top left: Jason Frankel, Abbie Sargent, Allegra Fucaraccio and Reeghan Davis. Photos by Mark Hedden and Doug Finger

BASILICA SCHOOL OPENS NEW CHAPTER WITH A ‘W’

Hurricanes win two, but lose coach

For the first time in decades, Basilica School, formerly Mary Immaculate, participated in varsity athletics last week. The Mariners began their new chapter with a win against Marathon, defeating the Lady Fins 3-1 on Aug. 19.

The former high school, which closed in 1986, has a rich history in athletics on the island. While its doors were once shuttered due to declining enrollment, the school now boasts a waiting list which school president and varsity volleyball coach Robert Wright attributes to its reputation and parents and students seeking faith-based instruction.

“Starting the season with a 'W' is always a good thing, especially after taking 38 years off from varsity competition,” Wright said. “Although we won, we were not satisfied with our play overall. We have to bring down our errors."

In their inaugural match, a genuine team effort led to the victory. Uma Vogan registered a dozen kills, a solo block and assisted on another while hustling for 24 digs. Gloria Slavik killed 8, assisted 18 and earned 21 digs. Olivia Revoredo and Mackenzie Morris each scored a pair of aces and Kayden Davis was perfect at the baseline, landing all 22 of her serves offensively, then adding 11 digs for the Mariners’ defense.

The Mariners defeated Marathon in Key West, but the Fins didn’t go down without a fight. Basilica School got off to an early lead, winning the first set 25-12, but Marathon dug deep in set two, tying it up with a 27-25 win of their own. Sets three and four belonged to the Mariners, who won 25-19 then 25-23 to win their first varsity contest at home, 3-1.

"I was exceptionally proud of our team leaders, juniors Gloria Slavik and Mackenzie Morris,” said Wright. “I was also blown away by the offensive production of two of our middle school starters."

The Mariners have a handful of juniors on their roster, which is also peppered with middle school students. Despite missing a pair of key athletes until mid-September, Wright feels confident in his team. He said the girls are gaining momentum and getting better every day, making them an interesting addition to Keys volleyball schedules not only this season, but for many to come.

Coral Shores stormed the courts this season, earning a quick 2-0 record with wins over Somerset Silver Palms and Westwood Christian last week. Jarrod Mandozzi, named head coach a few hours before the first regular season match after the resignation of previous head coach Sam Ovalle, was an assistant coach last season with the Hurricanes’ program. Mandozzi had hung up his whistle and was set to enjoy his role as the Lady ’Canes’ number one fan.

“I can tell you I certainly never expected to be here this season,” he said. “I helped Sam last season so I know all of the girls and I’ve had some of them in basketball in the past.” Ovalle stepped down to attend to personal matters early last week.

“He is an amazing coach and a great friend, so while I didn’t expect to be here and have the time, I made the time for him and the girls when Sam, Rich (Russell) and Ed (Holly) shared the situation,” Mandozzi said.

Though Mandozzi felt a bit shaky about his abrupt takeover, the Lady ’Canes seemed steady on their feet, taking a quick lead over district rival Somerset Silver Palms in their season opener on the road on Aug. 22. But the Stallions battled back and won the first set, 26-24. Coral Shores quickly regrouped and swept the final three sets to win the match 3-1. Mandozzi expressed great pride in his team’s ability to shake off the week’s disappointments and the first set to come back to start their season off in the win column.

The team added to their win count the following night in their home opener against Westwood Christian School in another 3-1 victory. Over the course of both games, Grace Leffler had 20 kills for the ’Canes. Shelby Lynn served up 6 aces and Abby Bergeron added 4 more. Ivy Tiedemann was credited with 33 assists and Lynn assisted 27 times. Niveah Howard led in blocks, denying 13 times with some of them described by Mandozzi as “emphatic.” Sofia Jans chalked up 33 digs in the pair of matches. The next test for the Hurricanes will be an exciting one; they play Basilica School in Tavernier on Sept. 3.

Just across the island from Basilica, Key West enjoyed a season home opener win against Marathon on Aug. 22. The Lady Conchs, led by head coach Kim Butler, won it in three sets, led by Gabby Garcia with a dozen kills against the Fins. Audrey Smith had 8 kills with a .462 attacking efficiency. Reese Haggard earned 19 assists and Garcia and Kuhn were praised for their passing in a game Butler said she was happy to win, but felt it could have been played cleaner.

Hot off their sweep of Marathon, the Conchs hosted Eustis High on Aug. 24. Smith was a standout again with 12 kills and a .333 hitting percentage, 5 blocks and 3 aces. Tess Wright had 4 kills and a .375 efficiency and added a block at the net. Garcia killed 16 Panther shots while Haggard added another 24 assists to her stats. Molly McKnight assisted 12 times and earned 2 aces serving. The gameplay was furious, with both teams showing brilliant hitting and accuracy at the baseline. It would take all five sets to determine a winner, but in the end, Eustis came away with the victory. Key West hosted neighboring Basilica School on Aug. 28 for a newly-rekindled in-town rivalry match (results not available at presstime). The Lady Conchs have another home match scheduled against Boca Raton on Friday, Aug. 30, then have a break in their schedule lasting until a quick trip to Marathon toward the end of September.

Monroe County competition gave Marathon some trouble last week, with losses to Basilica School and Key West High, but the Fins looked great against Mater Bay on Aug. 21. Marathon beat the Rays in three sets, not allowing Mater to score more than 11 in any one game.

Coach Kelley Cruz was happy to get her athletes some experience in the match. “We were able to get everyone some playing time,” she said. Cruz was still trying to figure out her best lineup, but the past week has allowed for Marathon to get the right fit at each spot.

“I think we identified roughly who our starting six are,” Cruz said. “Elena (Eubank) showed some impressive skill at the net. She was able to showcase her skill of placement. Allison Helms, Tiana Palma and Mia Olivia all shared digs in the back row. Shynell McGuire was a utility player getting kills. Daysi Williams, Sara Strama, Addison Collins and Mackenzie Nielson also shared kills at the net. Mackenzie Budi is always a force in the back row hitting and digging hard hits.”

Up next for the Fins will be a match at Florida Christian on Aug. 30; then they will have a break until Sept. 12, when they travel to Fort Lauderdale to take on the Sharks of NSU University School.

FAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

Keys golfers conquer one of the top-ranked courses in Florida

Athletes representing Key West, Marathon and Coral Shores enjoyed a rare occurrence last week: Members of their high school varsity golf teams played nine holes at Ocean Reef’s Dolphin Course. On a course described as exclusive, remote and dazzling, the golfers and their coaches could not agree more, as each head coach expressed excitement about the opportunity for their athletes.

Key West registered the lowest scores on the manicured course, with the Conchs winning the top four spots in the boys division and the only five in the girls. Claudia Steling beat a field of four teammates, shooting a 53 on the day. Steling, a junior, brings experience and leadership to her team and is playing very well for the start of the season. Behind Steling was a pair of sophomores. Lexi Finigan was just two strokes behind, while Charlize Lopez shot a 64. The seniors shored up the top five spots, with Monica Bueno shooting a 69 and Breanna Santanna penciling in a 71.

While Key West’s girls were competing against one another, the boys had a bit more competition. Key West won the match with a combined score of 176 to Marathon’s 196. Coral Shores was close behind in third at 201. Helping to secure Key West’s win were seniors Jackson Barroso and Peyton Zubieta, who tied at 43. Geo Twyman, a sophomore, and senior Andrew Bassett tied at 45 apiece to take the next two spots.

Next was Marathon’s Leo Mendez in fifth place with a 46. One stroke behind was fellow senior Dolphin Mason Thornton in a three-way tie for sixth place alongside Coral Shores’ senior Preston Carroll and junior Brock Bynum. Hurricane senior Tanel Irons and Dolphin sophomore Roco Piscetello rounded out the top 10 with 49 strokes each.

The teams will be seeing a lot of one another in the next few weeks, playing up and down the Keys all season long. The teams have matches at Key West, Marathon and more action at the prestigious Ocean Reef course on the schedule. The Lady ’Canes and Lady Fins will join the Lady Conchs beginning this week for some friendly competition and Basilica School could make an appearance in the coming weeks as well.

Lexi Finigan. KEYS WEEKLY FILE PHOTO

Keys

teams perfect in season openers

TRIFECTA

Monroe County has not seen wins from all three of its football teams on the same night since 2018, but last Friday, Key West, Marathon and Coral Shores each won at home in their regularseason openers. For Marathon and Key West, the wins avenged losses last season; for Coral Shores, it was affirmation that the ’Canes are exactly where they want to be this fall.

Coach Ed Holly was delighted with his defense against South Homestead, a team he warned should not be taken lightly by future opponents despite the Hurricanes’ 29-0 shutout. “They are very athletic with a lot of speed,” he said. “They did not have the benefit of a preseason game and were still working some things out. I’m glad we played them in Week 1 because they’re going to get better and better.” But it was going to take more than speed to get past the Coral Shores secondary, which wreaked havoc all night long.

A large part of the Hurricane wrecking crew was Eddie Holly, who racked up 8 solo tackles, 4 assisted tackles, 1 tackle for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Connor Dixon had 4 solo and 4 assisted tackles plus a forced fumble. Holly, Dixon and the rest of the defense gave South Homestead little to work with, especially after the first drive of the game, which broke the hearts and resolve of the visiting Somerset team.

“We came out on our first drive and AJ Putetti finished it with a 1-yard touchdown run,” Holly said. “Then they (South Homestead) drove it down all the way to the goal line. Our defense was successful in a goal-line stance.” After holding the line, the Coral Shores defense handed the ball back to the offense, which promptly resulted in a Putetti 80-yard touchdown and 2-point conversion which gave Coral Shores a 15-point lead early in the matchup.

Holly has been very careful reinstating his quarterback, Yemcel Moreno, to full duties. Moreno, who is coming off a season-ending knee injury last year exacerbated by a reinjury in the spring game, was given the green light in quarter three. As soon as Holly unleashed Moreno, South Homestead was left scrambling to defend the additional layer of offensive capabilities. Moreno scored twice in the second half, resulting in a 29-0 win for Coral Shores.

“The guys played well in our first home game. It was a great night for football,” said Holly, whose team hosts another familiar foe next week. “We had a lot of support from everyone, the cheerleaders, a big crowd, everything.”

The Hurricanes will face the Falcons of Palmer Trinity on Aug. 30 in Tavernier. The Falcons struggled to beat SmartEn Academy, a team that has yet to win a ballgame since their inception, in their season opener, giving Holly’s Hurricanes a lot of hope to stack some serious stats in Week 2.

Forty miles away, the Dolphins enjoyed a season-opener win of their own. Last year, the Golden Tornadoes of Pompano Beach bested the Fins by one point. Last Friday, the Dolphins channeled assistant coach Carl “Chef” Stanton’s Big Dolphin Energy to come out with an early 24-point lead.

The Dolphins’ offense ran for 515 yards on Aug. 23, scoring 5 touchdowns from four different athletes. Carlos Lezcano had the game high of 153 yards and added 2 TDs to his stats. The senior captain also recovered a

1.

2.

3. The Conchs student section takes up a ‘No Longer Under Construction’ theme on Friday night.

4. Fab Louis Jeune carries the ball early in the Fins’ opener.

5. Carlos Lezcano (1) and Jesus Gonzalez (4) celebrate the first of two Marathon onside-kick recoveries in their season opener on Aug. 23.

6. Dolphin junior Shamar Wright breaks to the outside on his first touchdown run of the season.

7. Aiden Gilday (66) protects kicker Fab Louis Jeune (2) in a point-after-touchdown attempt.

8-10. The Coral Shores Hurricanes put a 29-0 beatdown on South Homestead to open their season on Aug. 23.

more game photos at keysweekly.com.

Jayden Gist hauls in an interception in the Tigers’ end zone.

Molly Catena and her stunt group (Molly Kirkpatrick, Madi Wiggins, Britney Salter and Nataly Rios) throw a basket.

Photos by Tracy McDonald, Doug Finger and Maicey Malgrat. See

fumble on defense. Tanner Ross, Fab Louis Jeune, Shamar Wright and Braulio Garcia had the rest of the yards, with Louis Jeune, Wright and Garcia all crossing the goal line for the Fins.

Garcia, who played guard for the better part of the game, had not taken a single snap at the back position all season prior to Friday night. The Fins were three deep at blocking back in their preseason game, but were left scrambling after a series of injuries. Garcia was trusted with 3 carries and broke one for a 64-yard touchdown run.

Despite giving up 30 points, head coach Sean McDonald said his defense did well. “We made some mistakes,” he said, “but the defense did what they were supposed to do and are really starting to get it.” Much of Marathon’s defense is young but full of talent. Sophomore Sean Westerband stepped up big for the Fins, picking off an interception and amassing 4 solo tackles, 3 assists and a fumble recovery. Fellow sophomore Jesus Gonzalez batted down a pass and was credited with a pair of solo tackles and 3 assists.

Special teams were also crucial in the win. The Fins recovered a pair of onside kicks to keep the ball in the hands of their offense. And while many joke about McDonald never kicking the ball deep, he gives the go-ahead occasionally.

“Fab can boot it into the end zone from a lot further out than we’ve been able to do in a long time, so when it looks like that’s the case, we have that option now,” he said.

Marathon was grateful for the win, but will need a few more this season to make a run past October. “Since moving to the rural division, every win counts. If we want to make the playoffs, we need wins and strength of schedule, and this one was meaningful,” said McDonald. This season the Dolphins joined the 1A Rural division of the FHSAA, and will not face another division opponent unless they make it to the playoffs via a ranking algorithm.

If the Fins hope to add a second win to their playoff equation, they’ll need to beat Florida Christian on the road. Marathon defeated the Patriots last season, but a new head coach and amped-up system could make that win more difficult this year.

Key West was scheduled to host the Tigers of Clewiston in the newly-remodeled Tommy Roberts Memorial Stadium last Friday, but in true cat fashion, the Tigers had no intention of playing in the water. An afternoon downpour had swamped the stadium, and though it was potentially playable, the Conchs acquiesced to the Tigers’ demands and played in The Backyard on the turf. The surface didn’t make one bit of difference for Clewiston, whose Tigers were sent home reeling from a 35-6 Key West thumping, avenging a 1-touchdown loss last season.

The biggest difference between last season’s outcome versus last week’s was in turnovers. In 2023, the Conchs turned the ball over seven times; last Friday, Key West brought that down to just one, resulting in a big home victory over the Tigers. Jaden Fox, described by Hughes as the Conchs’ workhorse, struck first against Clewiston on a short trap for the first 6 points of the game. Walson Morin, Hughes’ “home run guy,” added 3 touchdowns to the score, with one coming off an electrifying 85-yard kick return.

The Conchs had a piece of their offensive puzzle back with Jeff DeJean’s return. DeJean’s speed and athleticism adds another page to Key West’s playbook.

“We need to keep him healthy, because he gives us some explosive potential,” Hughes said. DeJean scored on a 70-yard sweep, breaking free and showing off his velocity to a delighted Key West crowd.

The offense was not the only part of the game Hughes felt played fantastic last week. “The defense had good coverage, good pass rush and showed major improvement in the secondary,” he explained. “Jayden Gist had a nice interception and that gave us a boost.”

Key West will face a daunting opponent this week when Bradenton’s IMG Academy White team rolls into the Southernmost City. The Conchs are 1-1 against the Ascenders, playing them twice in the past seven years. IMG claims a star-studded roster 77 players deep, accepting only the top-rated talent across the country. But the Ascenders are not used to the gritty hardnosed running style the Conchs can deliver, making for an exciting matchup on Friday, Aug. 30.

RUNNING

STRONG

Conchs enjoy early season success at Conquistador Kickoff

The Conchs were the first Keys team to toe the line at a cross country meet this season, and head coach Keara McGraw could not be happier with her teams’ performances. Both the boys and girls teams traveled to Larry and Penny Thompson Park in Miami to participate in the FNU Conquistador Kickoff on Aug. 23. Four boys made the trip, and though they did not have enough runners to place as a team, newbies Alejanro Caridad and Sawyer Hill ran outstanding races for first-meet freshman racers. Hill was first for the Conchs, placing 19th overall with a time of 20:04.

“Both placed incredibly well and were just about where I predicted they’d be at this point of our very early season, and I’m looking forward to seeing their potential growth in the coming weeks,” McGraw said. McGraw also praised Will Forster and Prometheus Delacerda for their leadership as well as strong performances at the event.

The girls brought five runners, enough for a team, and placed third overall. Naima Thomas led the pack, proving that an intense summer training program was worth it. Thomas destroyed her previous PR by 40 seconds, running a respectable 21:03 to take second place overall in the meet.

Right at her heels was Caylaa Makimaa, typically the Lady Conchs’ top finisher and an individual state qualifier in 2023. McGraw said Makimaa was under the weather, but felt good enough to use the race as a training run. “Caylaa has been sick and coming off being injured,” McGraw said, “so I gave her a workout to do in the race to try to balance the comeback.” Her 21:30 “workout” bodes well for her upcoming season.

Sophomore Violet Jangraw cracked the top 20 in the race, and Laira Anaya and Deanna Mercer, both seniors, rounded out the third-place finishing Lady Conchs. “Friday's race was a great rust buster and starting place for many of our team,” McGraw said, concluding that the Conquistador Kickoff was a “great start to our season.”

Prometheus Delacerda, left, and Naima Thomas.

MARK HEDDEN/Keys Weekly

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE

U-HAUL COMPANY OF MIAMI

Notice is here by given that on September 9th, 2024, Leonard Richford Jr. Storage

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

Department DAC

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:

Location: 103530 Overseas

Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037

Nidia Gonzalez – 1761

$514.60

Yanet Pere – 1419

$493.90

Michael Gamble - 1349

$739.50

Publish:

August 22 & 29, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

DISTRICT I ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DAC I) (Encompasses the city limits of Key West) 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 I Advisory Committee of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council within the district so noted above, may request an application by emailing sydney@fla-keys.

Monroe County Tourist Development Council 1201 White Street, Suite 102 Key West, FL 33040

application at the above address is 5:00 p.m. on Friday September 27, 2024. A resume may be attached to the application. Publish: August 29, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

Deadline for receipt of application at the above address is 5:00 p.m. on Friday October 4, 2024. A resume may be attached to the

The deadline for receipt of application at the above address is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 27, 2024. A resume may be attached to the application.

Publish:

August 29, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.

August 29, 2024

DISTRICT IV ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DAC IV)

The Weekly Newspapers

DISTRICT III ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DAC III) (From the West End of the Seven Mile Bridge to the Long

MONROE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

has an opening for an “At Large” representativeAny 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).

(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 be emailed to sydney@ fla-keys.com or may be sent via U.S. mail to the address below:

DISTRICT IV ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DAC IV) (Between the Long Key Bridge and mile marker 90.939) of the MONROE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL has 2 openings 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 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. on Friday October 4, 2024. A resume may be attached to the application.

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

MEETING NOTICE MONROE COUNTY LAND AUTHORITY

Publish: August 29, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE QUARTERLY MEETING NOTICE: LOCAL COORDINATING BOARD FOR THE TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED

Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, Florida 33040. 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. The personal representative 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 ss. 732.216-732.228, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. 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: August 22, 2024.

Personal Representative: KATHERINE M. WILLIAMS

c/o Samuel J. Kaufman, Esq.

Law Offices of Samuel J. Kaufman, P.A.

3130 Northside Drive

Key West, Florida 33040

Attorney for Personal Representative: Samuel J. Kaufman, Esq. Florida Bar No. 0144304

Law Offices of Samuel J. Kaufman, P.A.

3130 Northside Drive

Key West, Florida 33040

Email designation for service: Service.Probate@ samkaufmanlaw.com

Telephone: (305) 292-3926

Fax: (305) 295-7947

Publish: August 22 & 29, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 24-DR-385-P

DIVISION: FAMILY SA RO MILE, Petitioner, and NANT MARY YIN AYE, Respondent.

CORRECTED NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE (NO CHILD OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT)

TO: NANT MARY YIN AYE RESPONDENT’S LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: NO KNOWN

ADDRESS

IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 24-DR-106-P DIVISION: FAMILY WAYNE THOMAS LEAHY Petitioner, and TAMIE LEIGH LEAHY, Respondent. CORRECTED NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE (NO CHILD OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT) TO: TAMIE LEIGH LEAHY RESPONDENT’S LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: 1508 Delaware Avenue, Apt. 1B, Wilmington, DE 19806

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 Jack Bridges, Counsel for Petitioner, whose address is P.O. Box 1714, Tavernier, FL 33070 on or before September 5, 2024, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 88770 Overseas Highway, Tavernier, FL 33070, 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: None 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.

Notice is hereby given that the Governing Board of the Monroe County Land Authority will hold virtual/hybrid public hearings on the adoption of a budget for fiscal year 2025. The hearings will be held using Communications Media Technology (CMT) in the form of a Zoom Webinar platform on September 4, 2024 at 5:05 p.m. and on September 11, 2024 at 5:05 p.m. Members of the public may participate in the September 4 hearing online by typing https://mcbocc.zoom.us/j/89204098700; or via telephone by dialing 1-646-518-9805 and entering Webinar ID 892 0409 8700; or in person at the Harvey Government Center located at 1200 Truman Avenue, Key West, FL and the September 11 hearing by typing https://mcbocc.zoom.us/j/89204098700; or via telephone by dialing 1-646-518-9805 and entering Webinar ID 892 0409 8700; or in person at the Nelson Government Center located at 102050 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL. The meeting agenda, the proposed budget, and additional details about accessing the hearings are available at www.monroecounty-fl.gov. For additional information or to submit written or other physical evidence for consideration at the meeting, contact John Beyers via phone at (305) 295-5180; via email at beyers-john@monroecounty-fl.gov; or via mail to Monroe County Land Authority, 1200 Truman Avenue, Suite 207, Key West, FL 33040.

ADA ASSISTANCE If you are a person with a disability who needs special accommodations in order to participate in these proceedings, please contact the County Administrator's Office, by phoning 305-292-4441, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., no later than five (5) calendar days prior to the scheduled meeting; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call "711".

The Monroe County Local Coordinating Board (LCB) will be holding its regularly scheduled quarterly meeting on Friday, September 6, 2024 from 10:00 am – 11:00 am at the Marathon Government Center, 1st Floor Media Room, 2798 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050. The primary purpose of the Coordinating Board is to provide information and advice to the Community Transportation Coordinator on the coordination of services provided to the transportation disadvantaged population of Monroe County, pursuant to Chapter 427.0157, Florida Statutes. Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), any person requiring special accommodations at this meeting due to a disability or physical impairment, and any related questions or inquiries concerning this meeting should be directed to Anjana Morris at the Health Council of South Florida, Inc. at (305) 592-1452 ext. 101 at least 72 hours prior to the date of the meeting.

Publish: August 29, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISION

CASE NUMBER: 24-CP-403-K IN RE: ESTATE OF WAYNE LAMAR KLINE

Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the Estate of WAYNE LAMAR KLINE, deceased, whose date of death was November 18, 2023, is pending in the Circuit

The date of first publication of this notice is: August 22, 2024. Petitioner: DUSTIN KLINE 555 W. Main Street Centreville, Michigan 49032

Attorney for Petitioner: PAUNECE SCULL, ESQ. Florida Bar No. 729477 paunece@scullpa.com SCULL & SCULL, P.A. 302 Southard Street, Ste. 105 Key West, Florida 33040 TEL: (305) 407-6897

Publish: August 22 & 29, 2024

The Weekly Newspaper

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION CASE NO.: 24-CP-343-K IN RE: THE ESTATE OF JEFFREY W. WILLIAMS, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of JEFFREY W. WILLIAMS, deceased, whose date of death was May 10, 2024, Case: 24-CP-343-K, is pending in the Circuit Court, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040. 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, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, on whom a copy of this notice is served must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE 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,

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 Jack Bridges, Counsel for Petitioner, whose address is P.O. Box 1714, Tavernier, FL 33070 on or before September 5, 2024, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 88770 Overseas Highway, Tavernier, FL 33070, 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: None 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: August 1, 2024

Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Jaquelyn Fonseca Deputy Clerk Publish: August 8, 15, 22 & 29, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT,

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: August 1, 2024 Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Jaquelyn Fonseca Deputy Clerk Publish: August 8, 15, 22 & 29, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION/ SALE FOR NON-JUDICIAL TIMESHARE FORECLOSURE RE: THE CALOOSA COVE RESORT OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC MONROE County, Florida Non-Judicial Timeshare foreclosure process NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION/ SALE FOR NON-JUDICIAL TIMESHARE FORECLOSURE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, pursuant to an action for non-judicial foreclosure of timeshare units on the Assessment Claim of Lien, which is dated August 4, 2023 and was recorded August 4, 2023, in the Official Records of Monroe County, Florida in Official Records Book 32379, Page 1984 as Instrument Number 2427575, and that Assessment Claim of Lien which is dated August 16, 2023 and was recorded August 24, 2023, in the Official Records of Monroe County, Florida in Official Records Book 3239, Page 1847 as Instrument Number 2429502, I will sell, to the highest and best bidder for cash, at CALOOSA COVE RESORT Manager’s Office, 73801 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL 33036 on the 4th day of SEPTEMBER, 2024, at 11:30 a.m., the following described real property

located in MONROE County, Florida, to-wit:

Those certain Unit Numbers and Weeks as set forth herein in CALOOSA COVE

RESORT, a Condominium, according to the Declaration of Condominium thereof, recorded in Official Records Book 827, Page 2050, of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida and all amendments and exhibits thereto, together with an undivided share in the common elements appurtenant thereto.

Unit Number:/Week #

115/48

118/30

122/37

124/50

126/35, 36

127/44

204/42, 46

208/17, 45, 48

210/18

215/42, 50

220/24

222/32

224/09, 10, 18, 30

227/07, 08, 25

TO:

Unit Owner(s) Last Known Address

Unit/Week(s):

Amount due:

Anneli De Carvalho

356 NE 102nd Street

Miami Shores, FL 33138

122/37

$2,562.11 with a per diem

amount of $1.27 from August

2, 2023

Baron Fry

2595 Edenville Path

The Villages, FL 32162

204/42

$4,450.88 with a per diem

amount of $2.20 from August 2, 2023

Bryan Marcinko

1390 Scott Road

Kehly, NC 27542

208/48

$2,562.11 with a per diem

amount of $1.27 from August 2, 2023

Brenda Bashaw 3089 Newburgh Street

Port Charlotte, FL 33952

126/35

$2,562.11 with a per diem

amount of $1.27 from August

2, 2023

126/36

$2,562.11 with a per diem amount of $1.27 from August 2, 2023

Charles McClure

5087 Raintree Drive

Pittsburgh, PA 15236

215/42

$3,537.26 with a per diem

amount of $1.75 from August

2, 2023

Edward Lutz and Mary Lutz

The Estate of Edward Lutz

All heirs and devisees of the Estate of Edward Lutz

The Estate of Mary Lutz

All heirs and devisees of the Estate of Mary Lutz

615 Mazur Avenue

Paramis, NJ 07652

227/07

$3,160.11 with a per diem

amount of $1.56 from August

2, 2023

224/10

$3,160.11 with a per diem

amount of $1.56 from August

2, 2023

227/08

$3,160.11 with a per diem

amount of $1.56 from August

2, 2023

220/24

$3,160.11 with a per diem

amount of $1.56 from August

2, 2023

224/09

$3,160.11 with a per diem

amount of $1.56 from August

2, 2023

Forrest McGinley

204 East Cypress Avenue

Howey In The Hills, FL 34737

222/32

$4,311.36 with a per diem

amount of $2.13 from August

2, 2023

Gary Iverson

334 French Road Onalaska, WI 54650

204/46

$3,537.26 with a per diem amount of $1.75 from August

1105 Carraway Street Tallahassee, FL 32508

227/25

$4,139.64 with a per diem amount of $2.05 from August 2, 2023

Jack Chinn 1189 Augusta Court Shawnee, OK 74801

127/44

$3,537.26 with a per diem amount of $1.75 from August 2, 2023

Judith Hagopian

7420 Cedar Avenue Tacoma Park, MD 20912

124/50

$2,562.11 with a per diem amount of $1.27 from August 2, 2023

Kirsten Schaefer 41 Oak Court Lincoln Park, NJ 07035

115/48

$1,062.11 with a per diem amount of $0.53 from August 2, 2023

Loretta Fregien 2763 Pepperridge Cout San Jose, CA 95148

118/30

$1,500.00 with a per diem amount of $0.74 from August 2, 2023

224/30

$1,500.00 with a per diem amount of $0.74 from August 2, 2023

Linda Asta 2 Loon Lane Placida, FL 33946

210/18

$3,161.11 with a per diem amount of $1.56 from August 2, 2023

M Turner

3078 Lake Ranch Drive Gainesville, GA 30506

208/17

$5,050.74 with a per diem amount of $2.49 from August 2, 2023

Steven Sebby

201 Leisure Street Yorkville, IL 60560

215/50

$2,562.11 with a per diem amount of $1.26 from August 2, 2023

Tommy Driggers P.O. Box 667 Mount Pleasant, TX 75455

208/45

$2,562.11 with a per diem amount of $1.26 from August 2, 2023

William Distaso 553 Tennant Road Manalapan, NJ 07726

224/18

$3,160.11 with a per diem amount of $1.56 from August 2, 2023

The assessment lien created by the Claims of Lien was properly created and authorized pursuant to the timeshare instrument and applicable law, and the amounts secured by said lien are as set above.

You may cure the default at any time prior to the public auction by paying the amount due, as set forth in this notice, to the undersigned Trustee at the address set forth below. THIS NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION/SALE is dated this 4th day of AUGUST, 2024. THOMAS L AVRUTIS ____________________/ THOMAS L. AVRUTIS, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE CALOOSA COVE RESORT OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC

201 Fletcher Avenue, 2nd Floor Sarasota, FL 34237

Telephone (941) 955-7300

Facsimile (941) 953-7625

Email: john@timesharenjf.com

Publish: August 29 & September 5, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

AMENDED NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION/SALE FOR NON-JUDICIAL TIMESHARE FORECLOSURE RE: MARATHON KEY BEACH CLUB II ASSOCIATION, INC. MONROE County, Florida Non-Judicial Timeshare foreclosure process

NON-JUDICIAL TIMESHARE FORECLOSURE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, pursuant to an action for non-judicial foreclosure of timeshare units on the Claim of Lien, which was dated February 15, 2024 and was recorded March 11, 2024, in the Official Records of Monroe County, Florida in Official Records Book 3266, Page 237 as Instrument Number 2453967, Florida, I will sell, to the highest and best bidder for cash, at MARATHON KEY BEACH CLUB CONDOMINIUM II RESORT Manager’s Office, 4560 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050 on the 4th day of SEPTEMBER, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., the following described real property located in MONROE County, Florida, to-wit: Annual Timeshare Periods as set forth below in MARATHON KEY BEACH CLUB CONDOMINIUM II, according to the Declaration of Condominium thereof, recorded in Official Records Book 859, at Page 786, as amended in Official Records Book 874, at Page 2169, all of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida and all subsequent amendments and exhibits thereto.

Unit Number/Use Period

A 101/43, 46, 47

A 102/01, 02, 39, 40, 41, 47

A 202/36, 47

B 102/46, 47

B 201/42

B 202/40

C 201/44

C 202/49, 50

D 202/49

E 101/41, 48

E 102/36, 48, 50

E 201/40, 41

E 202/39, 41, 47, 48

TO:

Unit Owner(s)

Last Known Address

Annual Timeshare Use

Period(s):

Amount due:

Terry K Barbour and Faith D Barbour

P.O. Box 605

Atlantic Beach, NC 28512

A 102/39

$4,524.79 with a per diem amount of $2.24 from January 2, 2024

Robert A Bradley and Stefane

B Bradley

1303 Chestnut Street Murray, KY 42071

E 202/48

$6,703.35 with a per diem amount of $3.31 from January 2, 2024

Marion Canty and Remelda Canty 26521 SW 124 Avenue Naranja, FL 33032

E 102/50

$4,601.12 with a per diem amount of $2.27 from January 2, 2024

Richard Chosid and Cherie Chosid 3110 NE 48th Street

Lighthouse Point, FL 33064

A 102/01

$2,219.69 with a per diem amount of $1.10 from January 2, 2024 A 102/02

$2,219.69 with a per diem amount of $1.10 from January 2, 2024

Cure My Mommy’s Breast Cancer

C/O Ellen Schreiber

9 Endo Blvd, # FL 1 Garden City, NY 11530-6748

D 102/36

$3,571.14 with a per diem amount of $1.77 from January 2, 2024

Edward Daniel and Mary Daniel

P.O. Box 351853 Miami, FL 33135

E 102/36

$4,580.62 with a per diem amount of $2.24 from January 2, 2024

Brandon M Duhon

P.O. Box 608 Lake Charles, LA 70602

$2,219.69 with a per diem amount of $1.10 from January 2, 2024

Jennifer Edwards f/k/a

Jennifer Leanna and DZachary

Edwards 2688 Whispering Drive Largo, FL 33771

E 202/39

$6,702.41 with a per diem amount of $3.31 from January 2, 2024

B 202/47

$6,702.41 with a per diem amount of $3.31 from January 2, 2024

Maria George 3215 N 65th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85033-5216

D 102/50

$3,585.74 with a per diem amount of $1.77 from January 2, 2024

Lowell Higgins and Janine Sanders-Higgins 64 Kilworth PK Drive

RR #5 Komoka, ON N0L 1R0

Canada

A 102/47

$6,705.00 with a per diem amount of $2.24 from January 2, 2024

Dewane L Hose

Greystone House Lockton, N Yorkshire YO187QB

United Kingdom

D 102/42

$3,585.74 with a per diem amount of $1.77 from January 2, 2024

Charles Khoury 7343 Brisbane Hills Street

Las Vegas, NV 89166

B 102/46

$7,22.00 with a per diem amount of $3.57 from January 2, 2024

B 102/47

$7,225.00 with a per diem amount of $3.57 from January 2, 2024

Gehard Jacob, Anneliese Bentjerodt & Arquiyecto

Eusebio

Celi 5150 Comuna Vitacura

Santiago, Chile

C 201/44

$3,585.74 with a per diem amount of $1.77 from January 2, 2024

Moses Madison and Makeka

Montgomery P.O. Box 277812 Miramar, FL 33027

A 202/47

$7,351.73 with a per diem amount of $3.632.24 from January 2, 2024

Moses Madison and Dorothy A Madison 995 Bear Lake Drive Rockledge, FL 32955

D 101/36

$4,590.87 with a per diem amount of $2.27 from January 2, 2024

E 101/47

$4,590.87 with a per diem amount of $2.27 from January 2, 2024

Mary E McHenry, Michael B McHenry & Tina M McHenry 46 Hodgson Avenue Pittsburg, PA 15205

A 102/40

$4,601.12 with a per diem amount of $2.27 from January 2, 2024

A102/41

$4,601.12 with a per diem amount of $2.27 from January 2, 2024

George H Pirpiris and Marina Pirpiris 710 E Seminary Towson, MD 21286-1439

C 202/49

$6,544.40 with a per diem amount of $3.23 from January 2, 2024

C 202/50

$6,544.40 with a per diem amount of $3.23 from January 2, 2024

Lee M Purcifull

18406 Turning Point Drive

Lutz, FL 33549

A 202/36

$6,675.25 with a per diem amount of $3.30 from January

2, 2024

Shaki Rehman

11711 SW 130 Avenue

Miami, FL 33186

B 201/42

New York, NY 10021

E 101/48

$5,497.15 with a per diem amount of $2.76 from January 2, 2024 E 102/48

$5,497.15 with a per diem amount of $2.76 from January 2, 2024

Vincent T Salvato and Angela Salvato 4700 Casswell Drive New Port Richey, FL 34652 A101/43

$3,585.74 with a per diem amount of $1.77 from January 2, 2024

Frank Schultz, Trustee of the Frank Schultz Living Trust Agreement Dated March 24, 2000 1751 Beach Road, Apt 202 Englewood, FL 34223

D 202/49

$3,585.74 with a per diem amount of $1.77 from January 2, 2024

Frank Stewart and Jeanne C Stewart 3101 82nd Way North St Petersburg, FL 33710 B 202/40

$7,698.79 with a per diem amount of $3.80 from January 2, 2024

Chelsa Aran Taggart 1841 E 9th Street, Apt 2 Duluth, MN 55812

D 102/21

$5,619.22 with a per diem amount of $2.77 from January 2, 2024

Penny Weiss and Lynne Arnault 105 Kensington Road Syracuse, NY 13210 E 202/41

$5,597.15 with a per diem amount of $2.76 from January 2, 2024

Susan Geary Williams 235 S Lake Avenue Lake Butler, FL 32054 E 101/41

$5,597.15 with a per diem amount of $2.76 from January 2, 2024

Henry Zima, Halina Zima & Joanna D Ricci 2388 Carlanne Place Mississauga, ON L5E 2M2 Canada B 101/46

$3,585.74 with a per diem amount of $2.24 from January 2, 2024 B 101/47

$3,585.74 with a per diem amount of $2.24 from January 2, 2024

The assessment lien created by the Claim of Lien was properly created and authorized pursuant to the timeshare instrument and applicable law, and the amounts secured by said lien are as set above.

You may cure the default at any time prior to the public auction by paying the amount due, as set forth in this notice, to the undersigned Trustee at the address set forth below. THIS NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION/SALE is dated this 4th day of AUGUST, 2024. THOMAS L AVRUTIS __________________/ THOMAS L. AVRUTIS, AS TRUSTEE FOR MARATHON KEY BEACH CLUB II ASSOCIATION, INC 201 Fletcher Avenue, 2nd Floor Sarasota, FL 34237

Telephone (941) 955-7300

Facsimile (941) 953-7625

Email: john@timesharenjf.com

Publish: August 29 & September 5, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

Parties in Possession #1, if living, and all Unknown Parties claiming by, through, under and against the above named Defendant(s) who are not known to be dead or alive, whether said Unknown Parties may claim an interest as Spouse, Heirs, Devisees, Grantees, or Other Claimants; Unknown Parties in Possession #2, if living, and all Unknown Parties claiming by, through, under and against the above named Defendant(s) who are not known to be dead or alive, whether said Unknown Parties may claim an interest as Spouse, Heirs, Devisees, Grantees, or Other Claimants Defendants.

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to order rescheduling foreclosure sale or Final Judgment, entered in Civil Case No. 22-CA000144-M of the Circuit Court of the 16th Judicial Circuit in and for Monroe County, Florida, wherein Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Plaintiff and Cynthia L. Andrews a/k/a Cynthia Andrews are defendant(s), I, Clerk of Court, Kevin Madok, CPA, will sell to the highest and best bidder for cash AT THE MONROE COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 500 WHITEHEAD STREET, KEY WEST, FL 33040, AT 11:00 A.M. on September 24, 2024, the following described property as set forth in said Final Judgment, to-wit: LOT 13, BLOCK 23, CRAINS SUBDIVISION OF GRASSY KEY, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF, RECORDED IN NAT BOOK 1, PAGE 51, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA. ANY PERSON CLAIMING AN INTEREST IN THE SURPLUS FROM THE SALE, IF ANY, OTHER THAN THE PROPERTY OWNER AS OF THE DATE OF THE LIS PENDENS MUST FILE A CLAIM NO LATER THAN THE DATE THAT THE CLERK REPORTS THE FUNDS AS UNCLAIMED.

Florida Rules of Judicial Administration Rule 2.540

Notices to Persons With Disabilities

If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact Cheryl Alfonso, ADA Coordinator, Court Operations Manager, 502 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, 305-295-3652 at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.

Street, Key West, FL 33040, 305-295-3652O'mwen 7 jou avan ke ou gen pou-ou parèt nan tribunal, ou imediatman ke ou resevwa avis sa-a ou si lè ke ou gen pou-ou alé nan tribunal-la mwens ke 7 jou; Si ou pa ka tandé ou palé byen, rélé 711.

Kevin Madok,CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT Monroe County, Florida Shonta McLeod DEPUTY CLERK OF COURT Publish: August 22 & 29, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of CS Pressure Clean & Seal located at 161 Plantation Shores Drive, Tavernier, FL 33070 intends to register the said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, FL, USA. BY: Cameron Sabin August 29, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

MEETING NOTICE

2, 2023

Jerald Torano

AMENDED NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION/SALE FOR

E 201/40

$2,219.69 with a per diem amount of $1.10 from January 2, 2024 E 201/41

$6,701.46 with a per diem amount of $3.31 from January

2, 2024

Jane Rosenthal 444 E 75th Street, Apt #3-B

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CIVIL ACTION Case # 22-CA-000144-M Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Plaintiff, vs. Cynthia L. Andrews a/k/a Cynthia Andrews; Kenneth Andrews; Sharon Lee Havens a/k/a Sharon Havens; City of Marathon, Florida; United States of America; Unknown

SPANISH: Si usted es una persona discapacitada que necesita alguna adaptación para poder participar de este procedimiento o evento; usted tiene derecho, sin costo alguno a que se le provea cierta ayuda. Favor de comunicarse con Cheryl Alfonso, Coordinadora de A.D.A Court Operations Manager, 502 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, 305-295-3652 por lo menos 7 días antes de que tenga que comparecer en corte o inmediatamente después de haber recibido ésta notificación si es que falta menos de 7 días para su comparecencia. Si tiene una discapacidad auditiva ó de habla, llame al 711.

KREYOL: Si ou se yon moun ki kokobé ki bezwen asistans ou aparêy pou ou ka patisipé nan  prosedu sa-a, ou gen dwa san ou pa bezwen péyé anyen pou ou jwen on seri de èd.  Tanpri kontakté Cheryl Alfonso, Co-ordinator ADA, Court Operations Manager, 502 Whitehead

Monroe County Land Authority Notice is hereby given that the Governing Board of the Monroe County Land Authority will hold virtual/ hybrid public hearings on the adoption of a budget for fiscal year 2025. The hearings will be held using Communications Media Technology (CMT) in the form of a Zoom Webinar platform on September 4, 2024 at 5:05 PM and on September 11, 2024 at 5:05 PM. Members of the public may participate in the September 4 hearing online by typing https://mcbocc. zoom.us/j/89204098700; or via telephone by dialing 1-646-518-9805  and entering Webinar ID 892 0409 8700; or in person at the Harvey Government Center located at 1200 Truman Avenue, Key West, FL and the September 11 hearing by typing https://mcbocc. zoom.us/j/89204098700; or via telephone by dialing 1-646-518-9805 and entering Webinar ID 892 0409 8700; or in person at the Nelson Government Center located at 102050 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL. The meeting agenda, the proposed budget, and additional details about accessing the hearings are available at www.monroecounty-fl.gov. For additional information or to submit written or other physical evidence for consideration at the meeting, contact John Beyers via phone at (305) 295-5180; via email at beyers-john@monroecountyfl.gov; or via mail to Monroe County Land Authority, 1200 Truman Avenue, Suite 207, Key West, FL 33040. ADA ASSISTANCE If you are a person with a disability who needs special accommodations in order to participate in these proceedings, please contact the County Administrator's Office, by phoning (305) 292-4441, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., no later than five (5) calendar days prior to the scheduled meeting; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call "711". August 29, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

Trucks.

or Not.-

AUTOS FOR SALE

2005 Chevy Truck for sale in Marathon.

$500.00 Call Nicole 305-433-0515 SOLD IN LESS THAN ONE WEEK!

Place your AUTO FOR SALE ad here.

$25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305743-0844

BOATS FOR SALE

Key Largo 21' Deep V Center Console w/trailer. New 150hp motor & electronics. Ready to sh. REDUCED PRICE $25,000 cash. Located in Marathon. 201-696-8906

14' Aluminum boat, 9.9 Mercury Outboard, Elec. start, Trolling motor in bow, NEW gas tank, battery, GPS, Depth Finder & trailer tires. Located in Marathon. $3500 305-395-1015

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 305743-0844

BOAT SLIP FOR RENT

Dock Space available in Marathon. Up to 32' Electric & water available. 305-619-5282

Place your BOAT SLIP FOR RENT 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 & shing 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 305743-0844

COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR RENT

Professional business o ces for rent in beautiful building in Islamorada. U.S. 1 frontage and signage for your business. Call 305-780-7265 or email srussolaw@outlook.com for details.

Commercial o ce/ medical/retail space for rent/lease available in Marathon. High highway visibility, 21003500 sq. ft. Call for more information 305-4813198 or email drice519@ aol.com

Place your COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR RENT ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305743-0844 today!

EMPLOYMENT

SERVERS WANTED: Apply in person between 5 pm & 7 pm every night at Plaza Grill Steak & Seafood, 5101 Overseas Hwy, Marathon

The S.S. Wreck and Galley Grill mile marker 59 is looking for Line Cooks, full or part time. Self-motivated, quick learner, and team player. Salary commensurate with experience and includes 401k match up

to 6%. Please call Nicole at 305-433-0515.

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 305-743-6739 to schedule an interview or email o ce@ marathonyachtclub. com.

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 sta . 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: Med Tech PT/Nights, Housing Choice Voucher Asst., Housing Manager-Middle Keys, Maintenance Mechanic (Maintenance Worker, and HVAC Maintenance Mechanic $64.480-$72,800/ yr. plus bene ts. To apply, please contact Human Resources at: martinezm@kwha.org or 305-296-5621. Applications are available at the

Administrative O ce 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.

PRIVATE

COLLECTOR

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

Downstairs apartment of a duplex to rent to 1 person (no pets). Large living room/bedroom and separate kitchen. Large screened porch with its own washer/ dryer and driveway. Utilities include wi / tv. 150 ft to the ocean. $1850/month. F/L/S 305-853-3779

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.

Studio Rental Unit in four-plex available for long-term rent in Marathon. Fully furnished. $2,200/ month all in. Call Nicole 305-433-0515

2BR/2BA Single Family Waterfront Home for rent in Marathon. Fully furnished. 70' dock. $4,500/month includes all utilities, internet & TV. Available for 3 months - Jan, Feb & March. 727278-1105

Marathon: Waterfront 2/1.5 duplex, monthly, furnished, near hospital. 40' of canal, pool, hot tub, pet friendly. Elec. & water paid. $4,950/mo. F/L/D Call or text James 409-370-0025.

Conch HouseStudio for rent in duplex in Marathon. $960/ month + utilities. Newly furnished. Dockage available. No Pets. 305610-8002

Large One Bedroom Suite, Conch House, carpet, tile, appliances, available for rent in Marathon. $2,000/ month furnished, $1,600/month unfurnished,. All utilities included. F/L/S Section 8 accepted. Dockage available. No Pets. 305610-8002

Place your HOUSING FOR RENT ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305743-0844

MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE

Heavy duty, hard wood Futon Bed for sale in Marathon. Excellent condition. Couch turns into double bed. $250.00 305-849-0975

Place your Miscellaneous For Sale ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today.

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 305743-0844

2010 27' Wildcat RV FOR SALE. 5th wheel, 1 slide-out. Located in Key West. $9,000 618-559-9143 SOLD IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!

Place your RV FOR SALE ad here. $25.00/ week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844

RV SITE/CAMPING

RV site / Camping available at marina in Marathon. Monthly/ Daily rates. Free use of dingy & shing 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. 305610-8002

Place your STORAGE ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today.

VACATION RENTAL

Key West House For Rent - 28 day minimum. Recently renovated. 2 Units: 3BR/3BA or 2BR/2.5BA. 1 block to Schooner Wharf @ Historic Seaport. Starting $214/night. Sweet CarolineSeaport.com

SARA’S ESTATE SALE:

Part 2 of a massive Middle Keys sale!! Friday, Aug 30 and Saturday, Aug 31, 9a to 1p both days, 43 Kyle Way South, Knights Key near Seven Mile Bridge. Worldwide traveler collected all over the globe: *Jewelry, precious & semiprecious. *Antique venetian etched mirror, Chinese “money” keys, & fossils. *Bustamante paper Mache birds & armadillo, carved turquoise bear, tin turtle, etc. *Auction worthy items: Steuben & Loetz glass, art by top Native American artists Beatien Yazz, Virginia Stroud, Harrison Begay; plus Cincinnati artist Robert Fabe & authentic Disney animation cels. *Huge assortment of men’s clothing and shoes, many NWT. *Sought after lamps & chandeliers: Murano, Moorcraft, Rookwood, Fenton. *Fine china, vintage and modern tableware. *All size rugs & tall vintage lacquer & precious stone inlay oriental screen. *3 bedroom sets, electronics and lots more J Follow the signs and please park with consideration.

Place your YARD SALE ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today.

for up to ve lines of copy. Call 305-7430844 today to place your classi ed ad.

Please send email for request for proposal outline to rod@schoonerappledore.com

Assisting our clients with dental, medical and transportation appts. Act as liaison between clients, families and support staff. Requires some on-call responsibility. Min. requirement Florida certification as a Certified Nursing Assistant. * *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

IS HIRING

IN THE UPPER KEYS

Send resume to admin@cbtconstruction.com Or call 305-852-3002

MARINA CASHIERS

NOW HIRING IN ISLAMORADA

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.

DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER IS HIRING

Staff Photographer (Full-Time, Part-Time, Seasonal)

Join our Visual Communications Department if you enjoy working outdoors around the water, interacting with people, and watching dolphins at play. Photograph program participants to provide lasting memories of their experiences. Some of the responsibilites include: taking candid digital still photos of guests & dolphins during public programs, all phases of video recording & editing, types of projects include promotional, educational, documentary, narrative, & visual music montages. Benefits include medical insurance, 401(k), vacation & paid holidays. Job description available at www.dolphins.org. Email resume and DRC

TREASURE HARBOR MARINA

IN ISLAMORADA IS LOOKING FOR

• Dock Master/General Manager

• Front Desk

• Housekeepers

• Maintenance

• Mechanic

Apply in person at: Treasure Harbor Marina

200 Treasure Harbor Dr., Islamorada

Email: info@keysboatrental.com

Call for more information: 305-664-9943

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.

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

JOIN A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE NONPROFIT HELPING PEOPLE COPE AND CHANGE FOR 52 YEARS!

We provide Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment Programs to the Florida Keys community while valuing and rewarding our employees.

KEY LARGO

Case Manager (PT)

KEY WEST

Peer Support Specialist

Case Manager (Adult, Child)

Substance Abuse Counselor Prevention Specialist (HIV, Child)

MARATHON

Care Coordinator (PT)

Driver – PT (CDL not required)

Behavioral Health Therapist (Child) RNs/LPNs – 3 shifts (PT/Per Diem)

Peer Support Specialist/BHT

*Behavioral Health Technicians – 3 shifts (FT/PT)

*No experience required for this position. Will train. A caring heart & helpful hands necessary.

Background and drug screen req. EEOC/DFWP COMPETITIVE PAY! EXCEPTIONAL BENEFITS!!!

Apply at guidancecarecenter.org

Search Employment/Portal/Location/zip

MARATHON GARBAGE SERVICE

We are now hiring for the following positions:

CDL Drivers

Applicants must apply in person to be considered.

4290 Overseas Hwy, Marathon

OPENINGS AVAILABLE

PHYSICIAN PRACTICE

OPENINGS

- Medical Assistant, General Surgery, Tavernier, $3k Bonus

- Patient Access Associate, Tavernier

- Physician Assistant, Ortho, Tavernier

- Nurse Practitioner Physician Assistant, Upper Keys Cardiology, $5k Bonus

- 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

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

*Sign-on bonuses are available only for select full-time positions based on candidate experience. APPLY AND LEARN MORE careers.baptisthealth.net or call 786-243-8507

THEME: FOOTBALL

ACROSS

1. Command to Fido

6. Sheep not yet sheared

9. Cap and gown accessory

13. Blood line

14. Ancient Chinese dynasty

15. Ringworm

16. Driver’s license notation 17. Not outs

18. Like Cheerios

19. *Piece of football equipment required since 1943

21. *Peyton or Eli 23. Napkin spot

24. Eminem’s 2002 hit “____ Yourself”

25. Embargo

28. Feed storage cylinder

30. Like house from a kit

35. Greek god of love

37. Smokes

39. *Super Bowl I M.V.P. Bart ____

40. Taj Mahal locale

41. *Career rushing yards record holder

43. Equals s squared

44. Regretting

46. *Highest college football level: ____ Division I

47. Extend credit

48. *Seventeen games in NFL

50. Somewhat (2 words)

52. “Whatever Will Be, Will Be” singer

53. Mare’s baby

55. Not a friend

57. *55 of them

61. *Home of the NFL Hall of Fame

64. Hole-borer

65. For every

67. Color red on coat of arms

69. Birds of ill omen

70. Outrage

71. ____ ____ shopping cart

72. Party barrels

73. Sound from one of #69

Across

74. Homes for #69 Across

DOWN

1. Down in the dumps

2. Cry of contempt

3. Marine eagle

4. Wake Island, e.g.

5. Kizmet, pl. 6. Foolish one

7. Even, poetic

8. Useful contraption

9. Lamborghini model

10. Unfavorable prefix

11. “As ____ on TV”

12. Suspend

15. Astrigents

20. “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey,” e.g.

22. Venomous Egyptian snake

24. Deducible

25. *One of 2 NFL founding teams still in league

26. Lock horns

27. Waterwheel

29. Outline

31. Et alii, abbr.

32. Got along

33. *Like indoor eight-men football

34. *Career NFL passing yards record holder

36. Without

38. Wild guess

42. Israelian port

45. Errand-runners

49. Neither’s partner

51. Nuku’alofa language

54. Meat jelly dish

56. Musician’s exercise

57. “*Go ____ Go!”

58. Fishing decoy

59. Awestruck

60. Archery wood

61. “Ship, Captain, ____”

62. Cutlass or Delta 88, for short 63. Remaining after deductions 66. ____ of Good Feelings 68. Lusitania’s last call