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CITY COMMISSION MEETING GETS NASTY
Mayor Henriquez referees commissioners Lopez & Kaufman
Yowza. Last week’s city commission meeting devolved into a shouting match with the very first vote — on a seemingly inconsequential matter. Commissioners Clayton Lopez and Sam Kaufman hurled accusations and insults while an exasperated Mayor Dee Dee Henriquez played referee, admonishing each man to let the other speak and to lower their voices.
It all started when the mayor wanted to replace commissioner Sam Kaufman as vice mayor and temporarily appoint outgoing commissioner Lopez as vice mayor for his final month in office. The move would enable Lopez to retire with the honorary title, which carries no additional authority other than to conduct a meeting in the mayor’s absence. Henriquez’s proposed resolution further stated that upon Lopez’s retirement after the Nov. 5 election, when a new District 6 commissioner is elected, commissioner Lissette Cuervo Carey would become vice mayor.
Sounds innocuous enough, right? Not so much. Rather than approve the item with numerous other, noncontroversial items, Kaufman flagged it for discussion and made his opposition known.
“The decision to remove me is OK. This is not personal for me,” Kaufman said, acknowledging the mayor’s authority to appoint a vice mayor. “But I do question some things about why this is happening. This is the first action taken by the mayor by resolution.”
Kaufman said his removal as vice mayor followed his opposition last month to the reappointment of Bob Dean to the housing authority board. At that time, Kaufman had criticized the housing authority board for its
behavior during the renaming of a public housing project and criticized the housing authority’s management and lack of communication with the city commission and what he perceives as a lack of transparency in city government.
Such were the reasons that Kaufman said he would vote against the vice mayor change.
To which Lopez responded, “Wow. We’re really dipping into the dregs of the coffee pot now. This is completely ridiculous. None of that has anything to do with this appointment. And if we want to talk about the way things are done, the way that I found out that I was no longer vice mayor was on the radio the day after the former mayor appointed the man that’s now complaining. I never complained. So let’s talk about the way things are done. There was no surprise on his part when he was appointed vice mayor, so obviously there had to be some conversation behind closed doors.”
That’s where it all fell apart.
Kaufman interrupted to refute Lopez’s implication of a Sunshine Law violation, to which Lopez slammed his fist on the dais and yelled, “I’ve got the floor right now, sir. I am NOT his child and I refuse to be talked down to by him, because he talks to everybody that way, and I’m tired of the way that he addresses the staff as well.”
Kaufman came back to deny any allegations of any backroom deals.
Henriquez then took the floor to explain her reasoning for removing Kaufman as vice mayor.
“For the record,” she said. “You’re not being removed because of Mr. Bob Dean. Your comments and your attacks toward our executive director (of the housing authority), Randy Sterling, were not appropriate and did not display unity. You were bringing up the past. Your comments only
This weekend kicks off Fantasy Fest 2024: A ‘90s Neon Cosmic Carnival. See keysweekly.com for the full digital guide to Key West’s 10-day party.
NICK DOLL/Nick Doll Photography
confirmed to me that I made the right decision to remove you as vice mayor. I will not allow this to divide the dais. We do not have to like each other, but we will respect each other.”
The vote finally proceeded and passed with Kaufman as the only dissenting vote.
And then….
The next item up was one proposed by commissioner Donie Lee, hoping to meet with and encourage Navy officials at the federal level to use a vacant 18 acres at Sigsbee Park to replace 166 units of housing that the Navy demolished years ago.
Before Lee could introduce his proposed and preliminary item, Kaufman commandeered the discussion, asking who the city’s point person on the matter was, asking the city manager, “Why would our housing manager not be involved in this?” and then outlining next steps “to meet with the local Navy command and find out what their latest vision is. Has anyone done that yet? I’d also like to see a point person in city management to coordinate this. We need someone in the city that I can communicate with.”
Lee’s item ultimately passed unanimously with the commission agreeing to get in touch with the Keys’ federal congressional representatives and Navy leaders in Jacksonville, where such military decisions are often made.
“The local commanding officers have all wanted housing, but they don’t make the decisions,” Lee said. “It’s made in Jacksonville, Washington and Congress. That’s the level I want to get to.”
Finally, the commission also decided on Oct. 10 that they hope to choose a new city manager in mid-December, following individual interviews and a public reception for residents to meet with each of the five finalists — Brian Barroso, James Brownlee, Rod Delostrinos, Steve McAlearney and Mark Sohaney.
MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com
CITY OFFICIALS WARNED OF INVESTIGATIONS
Resident alludes to potential indictments following state attorney subpoenas
MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com
The recent Key West City Commission meeting started with a warning from a local resident that certain actions by city officials are being investigated and could lead to indictments.
Key West resident Robert Jensen spoke of the June 26 special meeting, where the commission voted 4-3 to fire then-city manager Al Childress following a series of text messages between city attorney Ron Ramsingh and individual commissioners.
Jensen also questioned the actions of Ron Ramsingh’s brother, Raj Ramsingh, who is the city’s chief building official, and whose performance evaluation and a formal reprimand by Childress have been linked to Childress’ firing.
Jensen has been in touch with State Attorney Dennis Ward’s office after its August subpoenas of cell phone and email records from city commissioners and several city officials, signaling that an investigation is ongoing.
“Are you aware that your chief building official has issued permits to his own business while working as CBO? He’s issued permits to himself. He has self-inspected. He’s made omissions on his applications,” Jensen said at the Oct. 10 commission meeting. “These are things that are not subjective. They’re in black and white and just need someone to look, which is what the city attorney
advised, and what we’ve done. So you can expect there’s going to be further investigations.
“And I’ll remind you that public corruption investigations take time — the TDC, the fired county officials, the ongoing audits of various county departments and the supervisor of elections campaign. When that happens, I’d say it’s logical and reasonable to expect indictments,” Jensen told the commission, adding that they now have time to hire an outside attorney to look at the current matters as well as actions of past commissions, including the 2018 forgiveness of a lien on a property that was owned by now-commissioner Lissette Cuervo Carey. At the time, Carey was a city employee, not an elected official.
“Commissioner Carey in 2018 had a $271,000 lien completely forgiven, yet the very next lien that came before the commission for $19,000 required that property owner to pay $9,000,” Jensen said, questioning why Carey’s then-supervisor at the city was allowed to vote in favor of forgiving the lien.
Jensen’s three-minute time limit to speak then expired.
Commissioner Sam Kaufman was the only commissioner to respond, saying, “I’d like to give direction to the city manager to please identify an independent counsel to advise the commission on the investigations pertaining to these issues and please bring a resolution for us to consider at the next meeting.”
LOCAL SCHOOL REFERENDUMS ARE IMPORTANT
Keys ballot questions represent no new taxes
FRANK DERFLER
www.keysweekly.com
Two school referendum items on the back of all Florida Keys ballots may have dry formal wording, but school officials say they translate to the lives and success of local teachers and children.
“The two school funding referendums are the least controversial items on the November ballot, but they will have the greatest impact on our local communities,” said school board chair Sue Woltanski. “Together, they simply ask to continue our current school funding, something our community has approved for the last 20 years.“
The ballot items use the words “ad valorem tax” and “sales surtax,” and Superintendent Theresa Axford recognizes these can be emotionally loaded words. In an Oct. 12 radio interview, Axford said, “It’s important to get the word out that it is not a new tax. These things have been in place for at least 20 years and probably longer than that. But the half mill is used for teachers’ salaries and having a school resource officer in every school. That’s the most important thing for parents. They want good, qualified staff working with their students and they want their students to be safe. This half mill, if it didn’t pass, would cost each teacher $20,000 of their salary. So we’re working at trying to keep teachers’ salaries up where they can live here and be successful.”
School board member John Dick recently said the funding also covers the cost difference for police officers and deputies in every school.
“The cost of the school resource officers provided by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Key West Police totals $2.8 million,” Dick said. “The state provided us with $1 million, so additional funds need to come from within the county.”
Axford said the half-cent sales tax really is a sales tax that does not show up on property tax bills. Research shows that tourists pay
The two school board referendum items appear on the back of all Florida Keys ballots. School and community leaders ask voters to vote “Yes” and “For” the two initiatives. They stress that these are not new taxes, but the continuance of school funding that has been in place for at least 20 years in this county. CONTRIBUTED
about 60% of that sales tax revenue. “The half cent is for all our capital projects. We have a lineup of capital, or construction, projects and we just would not be able to get to them without that funding. I think our community, once they hear this message, and they know that they want to keep our schools functioning at the high level they are, they’re going to be able to understand how they should vote.”
Monroe County Mayor Holly Raschein voiced her support for both school tax referendums.
“We have incredible schools in Monroe County, some of the best in the state,” she said. “The two ballot initiatives are not new taxes, they are renewals of critical funds that are necessary to keep high quality teachers and schools. I’m proud to support them, and I hope you do, too.”
Anyone who chose to receive a vote-by-mail ballot should have received the big yellow envelope. Vote-by-mail ballots for the Nov. 5 election went to the post office on Sept. 27. Sample ballots for each area of the Keys are available at keyselections.org under a tab called Sample Ballot List.
The local school referendums “might be on the back of the ballot, but they should be in front of your mind, “ Woltanski said.
VOTE FOR TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND SERVICE ABOVE SELF
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GOOMBAY FESTIVAL CELEBRATES BAHAMIAN HERITAGE
BAHAMA VILLAGE HOSTS
ANNUAL EVENT OCT. 18-19
Caribbean-style dancers and musicians march in the Bahama Village Junkanoo Parade during the 2022 Fantasy Fest Goombay Festival. FLORIDA KEYS NEWS BUREAU/Contributed
Revelers can experience sights, sounds and flavors recalling Key West’s Bahamian heritage at the family-friendly Goombay Festival scheduled Friday and Saturday, Oct. 18-19.
The street festival takes place in the Bahama Village neighborhood, settled in the early 1800s in part by Bahamians seeking a new island home.
The Goombay Festival marks the start of Key West’s Fantasy Fest,
a 10-day costuming and masking celebration whose 2024 events continue through Sunday, Oct. 27.
Goombay’s action is centered on Petronia Street, just off Duval Street in the heart of Bahama Village. Events are scheduled from noon to midnight both days.
Highlights include Friday night’s “Junkanoo Rush” and Saturday’s traditional Junkanoo parade of costumed marchers. Both will feature the Bahamas’ renowned New Generation Cultural Group, with Saturday’s parade starting at 6 p.m. and following a route that includes portions of Duval and Petronia streets.
Attendees can savor the flavors of Caribbean and ethnic dishes offered by vendors, discover island-influenced arts and crafts, and dance to live music by popular Bahamian, Floridian and local musicians and bands.
The main entertainment stage will be at the corner of Emma and Olivia streets, with performers offering nonstop music in multiple genres. The entertainment lineup includes “soul man” Robert Albury, soca singer Hebrew Edwards and the Caribbean Explosion Band presenting reggae and soca rhythms.
More information is at facebook.com/keywestgoombay2018 and fantasyfest.com.
— Contributed
‘PAPARAZZI ROW’ ADDED TO THIS YEAR’S MASQUERADE MARCH
‘LOCALS’ PARADE’ TAKES PLACE FRIDAY, OCT. 25
The Captain Morgan Masquerade March, called the “Locals’ Parade” on account of being one of Key West Fantasy Fest’s most loved events among locals, will take place Friday, Oct. 25, in the island’s Old Town district.
Revelers wear costumes and travel through Old Town, taking – and posing for – photos and stopping at intervals for cocktail samples and thirst quenchers offered at select guesthouses along the route.
This year, rather than one official starting point, there will be two. Starting Point One will be at the usual gathering place and time: 5:30 p.m. on Frances Street near Old Town Wine & Spirits at the corner of Truman Avenue. This
ZOMBIES HIT THE STREETS ON OCT. 20
THOUSANDS OF ‘UNDEAD’ BICYCLISTS RIDE IN ANNUAL EVENT
Known as a haven for sunseekers, Key West might seem an unlikely place for creatures of the dark to congregate — unless it’s for the annual Zombie Bike Ride. Thousands of “the undead” will prowl and pedal their way along the island’s Atlantic shoreline and Old Town streets on Sunday, Oct. 20, during the eerie yet oddly lighthearted event.
Since its inception in 2010, the pre-Halloween ride has become a tradition for visiting and local adults, kids and even a few pets. Many wear “traditional” gory zombie garb paired with scary face and body paint, while others are creatively costumed as ev-
erything from clowns and skeletons to blood-stained brides in ragged finery.
The spectacle starts at 2 p.m., when “Zombieland” opens on the grounds of Fort East Martello Museum, 3501 S. Roosevelt Blvd., a reputedly haunted Civil War-era fort overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
The afternoon’s attractions include food and drink vendors, as well as on-site face and body painters to help transform attendees into unnerving zombies. A Kids Zone offers age-appropriate activities, including multiple bounce houses.
Key West’s zombies will board their bicycles at 6 p.m. With spectators lining the streets, they’ll bike
route will follow Frances Street to Fleming, turn left and then head up Fleming to Duval Street.
Starting Point Two is the new “Paparazzi Row,” where dance music will play and local paparazzi, photo booths and selfie stations will be set up to record costumed crews. The Paparazzi Row pre-party starts at 4 p.m. on Fleming Street near Island House and Alexander’s Guest House and will proceed down Fleming to Duval Street.
Once on Duval, those of legal age who want to continue the party can proceed to Captain Morgan’s Official Pirate After Party at Kaya Empourium, and Hog’s Breath Saloon’s Surf’s Up Party.
More information is at fantasyfest.com.
— Contributed
down South Roosevelt Boulevard beside the Atlantic Ocean, past Higgs Beach, through Old Town and along Duval Street.
The antics culminate in the ZombieFest After Party at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater, at Truman Waterfront. Admission is free and scheduled attractions include food vendors, a full bar and three bands — Electric Kif, Sueñalo and Afrobeta.
The Zombie Bike Ride takes place on the first weekend of Key West’s annual Fantasy Fest costuming and masking festival, a 10-day extravaganza scheduled Oct. 18-27.
Registration to ride is $10 per person and includes admission to “Zombieland.”
More information is at zombiebikeride.com.
Contributed
The Captain Morgan Masquerade March is all about community, fun and photo ops. This year the event will include a new ‘Paparazzi Row’ starting point. CAROL TEDESCO/ FantasyFest.com
Virginia Wark pedals her creation in the 2023 Fantasy Fest Zombie Bike Ride on South Roosevelt Boulevard. FLORIDA KEYS NEWS BUREAU/Contributed
ERIN STOVER www.keysweekly.com
PARTY WITH A PURPOSE
Fantasy Fest puts fun in fundraising
If you live in the Keys, or typically visit Key West in late October, it’s a safe bet that you love a good party. Started in 1979, Fantasy Fest began – in part – as a way to stimulate the local economy after the long economic drought of summer. It was also the birth of an enormously creative and wildly good time.
Now, 45 years later, the week remains the gold standard for debauchery. Thankfully, though, the roots run deeper for our community as hilarity combines with charity. Many events raise money for local nonprofit programs and projects. “Supporting our community’s nonprofits takes center stage throughout the week’s events,” emphasized Nadene Grossman Orr, Fantasy Fest producer.
Anyone looking to let loose and enjoy the festivities to the fullest can still party with a purpose and feel good about their life choices.
The grand dame of Fantasy Fest fundraising is the King and Queen campaign, which has raised over $5.5 million in its 33year history. Candidates vying to be crowned Fantasy Fest royalty spend the eight or so weeks before Fantasy Fest fundraising their tails off. The two candidates who raise the most are crowned king and queen and reign for a year. The tradition continues this year with funds benefitting the Florida Keys SPCA. The rescued animals that reside at the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Animal Farm also get some love that week, with proceeds from the popular Pet Masquerade benefiting the beloved animal sanctuary and prisoner enrichment program — the only animal farm located at a county jail.
Local favorite MARC House allows people to clean their closets and purses by donating unwanted beads to their recycling program. They understand that the fun part is getting the beads, not finding a place to store them until next year, so this environmentally friendly program that benefits adults with special needs is win-win-win. MARC clients collect the beads, sanitize them
in industrial washers and bundle them to sell next year.
While MARC helps keep plastic beads out of the ocean, Sunset Pier and Ocean Key Resort are also aquatically minded that week. Events at the two spaces will be accepting donations for MOTE Marine.
Fantasy Fest wouldn’t be nearly as much fun without a glittery nod to the local queer community. Fittingly, two events benefit diversity in Key West.
The (dare-we-say world-famous) Headdress Ball benefits the Key West Business Guild, which promotes LGBTQ tourism and supports gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses. A new event, the Romper Romp, supports Queer Keys, a recently opened community center that provides wraparound services and programming to support and empower the LGBTQ community.
If your love lies in supporting historical restoration, grab a seat at the viewing parties for the Hellings Curry Museum (home of the Key West Woman’s Club) or the Oldest House Museum and Gardens. Located directly across the street from one another, both offer prime locations to view the parade in its first few blocks.
Health care encompasses many realms, which Fantasy Fest is there to support. During the festivities, people will be *ahem*
rocking their tatas in every way, shape and form. The Rock the Tatas party actually puts that carousing to good use for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Hank’s and Fat Tuesday will also donate funds to breast cancer awareness and treatment, while another well-known advocate of women’s health, Womankind Key West, will be raising money at its Barbie Pink Pool Party. Health also means ensuring food security for community members. Performer Mike Stack will contribute funds from his concert at Sunset Pier to SOS Foundation, which operates food pantries and provides meals to low-income school kids to help feed locals in need.
Community reigns above all in terms of Fantasy Fest beneficiaries. One of the island’s most prominent communities, Bahama Village, is home to the popular Goombay Festival, celebrating the neighborhood’s Afro-Caribbean heritage. The two-day festival that kicks off Fantasy Fest is organized by, and benefits the community through, the Bahama Village Community Coalition. The arts community of Key West will also benefit, with support from the Official Poster Signing Party at the new Tropicado Restaurant supporting the Florida Keys Council of the Arts. And the Keys always takes care of its kids. The Fantasy Fest Pickleball Tournament helps fund Keys to Be the Change Youth Programs, while Children’s Day (hosted by Historic Tours of America) benefits over 50 different children and family charities and always takes place on that hungover Sunday to close out the week.
Fantasy Fest is an undeniable festival of fun. But rest assured, all the craziness that ensues is ultimately for the good of the community. The organizations here, as well as numerous others, depend on funds raised that week. For many, the wild final week of the spooky season will help carry their missions forward through the better part of the year.
2023 King & Queen Ben Hennington and Tangela Torres. FANTASYFEST.COM/Contributed
Federal, state and local hopefuls attend forum in Key Largo
Candidates for federal, state and local offices answered questions and offered their pitch to voters at the Murray Nelson Government Center in Key Largo on Oct. 3.
The forum was organized by the Tavernier Community Association, the Island of Key Largo Federation of Homeowner Associations, Upper Keys League of Women Voters and Up-
JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com
COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 3
The race for Monroe County Commission’s District 3 pits Republican incumbent Jim Scholl and Democrat Chris Massicotte.
Scholl was asked why he approved an ordinance to establish an overlay on the CEMEX property to allow for a Publix in Tavernier. Scholl said when it was originally presented to the planning commission and other entities it was a much bigger project than what was finally agreed to.
“It was scaled down, and a major factor of approval was workforce housing,” Scholl said. “The scaling down of the Publix grocery store … It was a different project that finally got approved from the county commission than what was initially proposed.”
Massicotte was asked if it would be safe to alter the evacuation window of 24 hours to a longer time period to allow for more building permits. Massicotte responded with “absolutely not.” Massicotte said the state just saw how fast a storm could strengthen from a tropical storm to a Category 5.
“We need to get everybody out. That’s why I would have opposed the Publix and workforce housing at MM 92. I cannot believe the traffic that will end up there. It was a good project in the wrong place. We can build affordable housing, workforce housing without strings attached and without creating more traffic.”
Scholl was asked why the county commission waives inclusionary housing requirements and what was his
per Keys Business and Professional Women. Before candidates tackled the issues, the League of Women Voters’ Barbara Overton provided a brief overview of the six amendments on the November ballot. Overton also delved into the Monroe County School District’s half-mill referendum, which allows the district to move funds from the capital fund to operational fund to help pay for teacher
main action item to resolve the issue.
Scholl said workforce housing is the No. 1 strategic element commissioners have been presented with through meetings throughout Monroe County.
“We hear it from the school boards, we hear it from the hospitals that the requirement for workforce housing is the overriding element, and it got exacerbated by state statutes that allow for there to be vacation rentals anywhere. Any property owner can now transfer what was potential long-term workforce housing into vacation rentals because obviously it helps them make money.”
Massicotte was asked what he would do to represent the interests of the Upper Keys as a Key West resident. He said he believes someone cannot be an effective county commissioner unless one truly knows the entire county.
“I will treat this job as a full-time job. This will be my job. And as hard as you see me working in this campaign, that’s how hard I will work as a county commissioner,” he said.
FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 120
The race for the Florida House District 120 seat includes Republican incumbent Jim Mooney and Democratic newcomer Michael Travis.
Amid recent discussions at the local level on evacuation times and building permits, Mooney was asked how he’d address growth management concerns at the state level. He said all directives come from the county and cities in the district.
salaries and school resource officers, and the half-cent referendum, which continues the current sales tax for 10 years to fund the district’s capital improvements.
Candidates in each race were then called to the stage. Each candidate had a minute-and-a-half to respond. Questions were prepared by the four community groups.
“The county is going to have to come up with directives,” he said. “I don’t get to tell the county what they need to do. The constituents of the cities and county let them know what they want and from there they bring it to me and discussion begins.”
Mooney added he successfully passed a bill last session that included the 24-hour evacuation requirement, which now included Key West and mobile homes in the Keys.
Travis was asked what proposals he’d pursue to reduce the property insurance burden on Florida homeowners. He said he never owned a home and comes from a generation deciding whether to pay the phone bill or rent this month.
“Property insurance is a kind of a far grasp from what comes to me in my daily value, other than I know car insurance, I know people aren’t well informed as to how much insurance they need to have. That needs to come with an education program, to show you own this much home, you actually need this much insurance.
Travis added that there needs to be assurances insurance agencies pay out what they promise to pay. He also said there have been “very good” pieces of legislation in Tallahassee but the “current leadership doesn’t want to hear it.”
U.S HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 28
Ehr, who attended the forum, was asked how he’d help reduce the cost of living in Florida and the Keys.
Ehr said he’s running to work for things important to everybody. He wants to ensure Washington, D.C. adopts a philosophy articulated by Kamala Harris in growing the middle out and not a trickle-down that barely gets there. For housing, he wants to ensure there’s enough of it.
“I will be a team player with local officials to work on solutions that are good here, and have it not be workcamp-type housing, but family-friendly and being mindful of the 24-hour evacuation plan.”
Ehr, a retired U.S naval officer, said he’s running for the purpose of bringing the country back to the center and away from the extremes and corruption and chaos.
“I don’t work for any president. I work for the people and I demonstrated that throughout my career,” he said.
SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
Republican Sherri Hodies and Democrat Ron Saunders are vying to be the next county supervisor of elections, following the announced retirement of Joyce Griffin. Hodies didn’t attend the forum; a reason wasn’t given during the forum.
Saunders, who attended the forum, was asked how he’d deliver important information to voters.
“It’s important to get out and talk to voters to see if there are any issues they have. You don’t want any conspiracy theories out there or rumors. They want to make sure it’s run properly,” Saunders said. “I will say Joyce Griffin has done an excellent job; she’s been there 40 years and I haven’t seen one single problem down there.”
The race to represent the Florida Keys and Miami-Dade County in Washington, D.C. will see Republican incumbent Carlos Gimenez against Democrat Phil Ehr. Gimenez wasn’t in attendance for the forum; a reason wasn’t given during the forum.
Saunders said the elections website could be updated and more accessible. He said he’d also like to add a few more early voting sites, including Key West and Ocean Reef.
Jim Scholl
Chris Massicotte
Jim Mooney
Michael Travis
Phil Ehr
Ron Saunders
HERE’S TO THE HELPERS
An open thank you to Marathon and beyond
This weekend took me back in time. Seven years, to be precise. Last Saturday and Sunday, my girlfriend Michelle and I had the privilege of delivering a massive truckload of relief supplies to the waterfront fishing village of Cortez in Manatee County – one of many places that felt the wrath of hurricanes Helene and Milton in less than two weeks.
made the natural career transition from dolphin trainer to newspaper editor after six years at Dolphin Research Center. His passions include running, watersports, and civil disagreements with sharks while spearfishing.
The scenes I saw as I drove down the village streets were eerily similar to the first time I drove through the Florida Keys after Hurricane Irma in 2017. Buildings with roofs ripped off. Fences nowhere to be found. Plywood door and window coverings spray painted with “You Loot, We Shoot.”
And possibly the most heartbreaking of all: little one-story homes, many of which were carbon copies of the styles seen in Key West, with their entire ruined contents piled out on the street, waiting for pickup.
A day earlier, I’d asked my former Leadership Monroe County classmate Cary Knight, now a top official in Manatee County, what supplies were most needed in the area where we were headed. I got one word back.
“Everything.”
“They’re still in shock,” he said when I pressed further. “They can’t even articulate what they need yet.”
With pictures and videos of Helene and Milton’s destruction running rampant on social media, I was, sadly, prepared for many of the sights I saw on Saturday and Sunday. But what I also saw was the same thing that re-dedicated me to the Marathon community after Irma, when just weeks earlier I had been ready to call it quits and head back home to the northeast.
I saw, as Mister Rogers would have put it, “the helpers.” And today, I’m simply thankful.
I’m thankful for Karen Bell, owner of the Star Fish Company in Cortez, who took our donations and pledged to pay her employees to come in throughout the week and run, in essence, a “free shop” for all those in need throughout the village.
I’m thankful for my friendship with Cary, forged through Leadership Monroe. Cary took time away from the county’s Emergency Operations Center to personally ensure that Marathon’s donations found a perfect place to directly affect the people who needed them most.
I’m thankful for a girlfriend who dropped her weekend plans at a moment’s notice to spend more than 15 hours in a car over two days to keep me company and get the delivery done.
I’m thankful for Adam and Lauren Kane, friends from my time at Dolphin Research Center, who opened their home to us just days after weathering Milton themselves to give us a safe place to stay. And for my buddy Brian Reckenbeil, who offered the same even when his house didn’t have power back yet.
I’m thankful for Andy Sharf and the crews at the Overseas Pub and Grill, the UPS Store and Keys Fisheries, who staged collection points for supplies and made it possible in the first place to send up a second full truckload of supplies just one day after sending one to the panhandle. When Andy puts out a call for help, this town listens – mostly because he has a gift for finding ways to ensure the donations go to the right place, and works tirelessly until they get there.
I’m thankful for an insanely generous Marathon community. You all overflowed the offices at Overseas and the UPS Store with more donations than I think anyone was expecting – and that bar was already set pretty high. As I write this column, a third truck is
on its way up, thanks to the amazing men and women at the American Legion.
I’m thankful to work for a company like the Weekly, who let this hooligan take the company trailer upstate at the drop of a hat, no questions asked, and supported the trip from start to finish.
I’m thankful for the people who reminded me that when someone is in need, the Keys move FAST. On Saturday morning, I put up a “last call” Facebook post for donations before heading to Cortez. In just four hours, I had more than $1,400 in my bank account to fill up three carts with cleaning supplies from Home Depot and Walmart on the way up. Thank you to Mary Stella, Rita Irwin, Cory DeWeese, April Sullivan, Brian and Karen Witte, Michelle Lincoln, Jen Davis and Nando Bonilla, Wendy Gates, Josh Mothner, Bev Fowers, Courtney and Dale Coburn, Irene de Bruijn and Adam Marengo, Melissa Goldblatt, Ben Miloszar and Sue Hilgendorf. Mary also braved the rain on Saturday morning to help me load up the trailer.
In a time when good news can get buried under headlines about scandals and disasters, it brought me an undeniable feeling of peace to know that this community is unmatched in its generosity and willingness to step forward and roll up their sleeves, even when the ones who need help are hours away. I know that if the same were to happen here (knock on wood), they would be just as ready.
And sometimes, all there is to say is “thank you.”
Contents of houses piled high at the street are a sight all too familiar for those who’ve lived through a hurricane.
The connections made in Leadership Monroe County – especially in Class XXX, the ‘Best Class Forever’ – pay dividends far beyond the Keys.
ALEX RICKERT
From top: A quick selfie after supply drop-off at Star Fish Co. in Cortez.
Photos by ALEX RICKERT/ Keys Weekly
RACE WILL DECIDE WHO REPRESENTS FLORIDA IN THE SENATE
Republican incumbent faces Democratic challenger
The incumbent Republican, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, is seeking another term to represent Florida in the U.S. Senate. He faces a formidable challenger in the November general election against the former Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell.
RICK SCOTT
What do you believe is the biggest threat facing Congress and the federal government at the moment?
Washington is completely dysfunctional. The country is nearly $35 trillion in debt, and reckless government spending has caused out-of-control inflation that’s crushing Florida families. The federal government is spending 76% of Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars on interest payments on our debt. This is unacceptable. American families and businesses have to balance their budgets every month, so the federal government should do the same thing. We turned our economy around and paid down state debt while I was Governor, and I’m fighting every day to rein in Washington’s wasteful spending and stop efforts by Washington elites to raise taxes, costs, and government regulations on the American people.
With unprecedented migrant events in recent years, many Keys residents are unsure about what happens to those who reach our shores. What can you do to ensure transparency about current procedures and the reality for those who cross our borders?
With Joe Biden and his “Border Czar” Kamala Harris at the helm, we have seen an unprecedented crisis at the border. Millions of illegal immigrants, deadly drugs, terrorists and criminals continue to flood our southern border while the Biden-Harris administration does nothing. No new laws have to be passed for Biden-Harris to secure the border, they could do it today but are purposely refusing to do so. That’s why I signed on to a resolution denouncing the Biden administration’s open border policies and calling on them to immediately enforce the law.
I support immigration, but it has to be legal immigration. I’m fighting for accountability and transparency on the waste, fraud and abuse we’ve seen at the southern border. I also introduced a bill to address reports of unaccompanied migrant children being released to unvetted sponsors. We must start enforcing our laws and encouraging migrants to come here legally.
What is your plan to ensure federal funding (please include any specific grants or federal programs) for pressing infrastructure needs in the Keys as our islands combat aging bridges, sea level rise and saltwater intrusion?
Since my time as governor, I have been fighting to strengthen Florida’s infrastructure and preserve our natural resources. In the Senate, I’ve continuously fought to secure construction funding for South Florida Ecosystem Restoration (SFER). I am currently fighting for funding for several essential storm and water management projects by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that will benefit the Keys. I will continue to fight for funding for Florida’s infrastructure and natural resources when I’m re-elected.
What do you believe is the biggest threat facing Congress and the federal government at the moment?
We must end the gridlock in Congress, and that starts with electing leaders who are willing to put partisan politics aside and come to the table to deliver for Floridians. Rick Scott, one of the least bipartisan Senators, has been in elected office for 14 years and all he has done is push an out-of-touch agenda to take away our freedoms, put Social Security and Medicare on the chopping block, and raise taxes on the middle class. Time after time, he has tanked bipartisan pieces of legislation –even voting against Veterans’ benefits – and refused to compromise to solve the issues facing Florida. I am ready to work with anyone to tackle the rising cost of living in Florida, expand Medicare and Social Security, and protect our fundamental freedoms.
With unprecedented migrant events in recent years, many Keys residents are unsure about what happens to those who reach our shores. What can you do to ensure transparency about current procedures and the reality for those who cross our borders?
We have to solve the crisis at the border and at our ports. That’s why I supported the Border Patrol Union-backed, bipartisan border security bill this year, which would have secured our border, stopped the flow of illegal drugs, and strengthened our asylum process. I believe the bill was a good step towards protecting our national security, but we cannot solve the border crisis without also addressing violence and authoritarianism in Latin America. Immigrants don’t want to leave their homes – they do so when they have no other choice. It’s fundamental to address the violence forcing millions to flee Latin America. But Rick Scott voted against this bill to secure the border twice.
What is your plan to ensure federal funding (please include any specific grants or federal programs) for pressing infrastructure needs in the Keys as our islands combat aging bridges, sea level rise and saltwater intrusion?
I’m proud to have advocated for hundreds of millions of dollars in resiliency funding and infrastructure investments in South Florida while representing the Keys. As climate change worsens, I will fight for federal funding to protect our state from severe flooding – unlike Rick Scott, who voted against over $1 billion in infrastructure resiliency funding. In Congress, I was proud to co-sponsor the Coastal Communities Adaptation Act and the Restoring Resilient Reefs Act, helping our coastal communities prepare for extreme weather and conserving our coastal environment, which contributes hundreds of millions of dollars for our economy. As Senator, I will continue this work to ensure our infrastructure can withstand rising sea levels, flooding, and extreme storms.
DEBBIE MUCARSEL-POWELL
“As Chairman of Keys Energy, I will continue to work for lower rates, reliable infrastructure, and a clean energy future.”
-TIM ROOT Chairman, Keys Energy
-TIM
ROOT Chairman, Keys Energy
PRIORITIES
#1 Ensuring ALL residents have power restored as soon as possible during hurricanes.
#2 Securing an additional $15 million in grants for storm hardening pole replacement projects and upgrading the resiliency of our transformers.
#3 Lowering rates, reducing the budget and proper strategic planning.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
#1 Completed the James Street main office renovation on time and in budget.
#2 Over $200,000 in negotiated construction contract savings on new Stock Island facility.
#3 Installed solar at city hall parking lot and secured an additional 3.5 gigawatts of solar power.
LOWER UTILITY BILLS
CLEANER ENERGY
RELIABLE SERVICE
Paid and approved by Tim Root for Utility Board Group C
AVOID THE LONG DRIVE TO MIAMI AND HAVE ALL YOUR CHILDREN’S NEEDS MET RIGHT HERE IN THE FLORIDA KEYS.
Dr. Christina Smith DDS is now accepting new patients and is thrilled to be part of the 7-time Bubba Award-winning Doc Guzman’s o ce.
Our bright and airy space is a treasure trove of fashion forward essentials that embrace the island lifestyle.
Offering fabulous brands including Farm Rio, Trina Turk, Oliphant & more. Stop by and check out Key West’s go to spot for splurge worthy and on-trend styles.
WELCOMING NEW PATIENTS
Dr. Christopher Forsee, DMD is seamlessly taking the reins from the iconic “Barefoot Dentist,” Dr. Troxel, where the laid-back vibe extends even to the choice of footwear.
Dr. Forsee delivers personalized comprehensive dental care tailored to your needs. Whether it's routine maintenance or advanced procedures, trust Dr. Forsee to rejuvenate your smile with meticulous precision and compassionate care.
Christina Kemp Sawyer, MD
Raul Caner, MD
NEW ARTIFICIAL REEFS ARE ON THE WAY FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS
Director details master plan to Sanctuary Advisory Council
ALEX RICKERT alex@keysweekly.com
The Florida Keys are on the doorstep of the first in a new series of state-funded artificial reefs, according to a presentation from county Artificial Reefs Program Director Hanna Koch to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council on Oct. 15.
As expected, the project is set to use 37 decommissioned concrete power poles donated by the Florida Keys Electric Co-op in the summer of 2023, along with an additional eight poles acquired by the Monroe County Land Steward, deployed to three unique areas as clusters of nine patch reefs in 40 feet of water.
Referred to as the gulfside 10 Mile Reef for its location 10 miles offshore from the Lower Keys, the new sites are designed as the first in a proposed Gulfside Network, with sites between 5 and 15 miles offshore in 40 to 60 feet of water outside the current FKNMS boundary. The poles will be stacked in different configurations to create different sizes of structures with varying vertical relief from the sea floor, with additional structures added over time to increase habitat diversity.
The placement will mark the first artificial reef installation in the Keys since the 2009 sinking of the Vandenberg wreck off Key West.
“There’s not much there, and the only time we really see any density of life is if there’s a derelict trap,” Koch said, reiterating her end goal of providing a network of structures in both the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. “The purpose of the network is to provide complex, diverse quality habitat for a number of species, as well as potentially waypoints for fish migrating from near to offshore.”
Koch’s presentation came the day before an expected vote by the Monroe County BOCC to approve a $440,000 contract with Biscayne Towing & Salvage Inc. to deploy the power poles. Koch said she received her first federal permits for 10 Mile Reef in recent weeks and hopes to complete the first deployment before the end of 2024.
The new program is funded by a $15 million state grant that runs through 2029. But comprehensive, long-term monitoring of the outcomes of all new structures, Koch said, could be possible through an FWC partnership funded by a NOAA RESTORE grant, used to support regional necessities for research, observation and monitoring in the Gulf of Mexico. Funding for the grant will be announced in June 2025, she said.
The locations of the 10 Mile Reef sites are expected to be publicly released, Koch said, in an effort to help alleviate fishing and diving pressures
on other stressed sites, further dispersing traffic among the numerous new artificial reefs. Her plan is eventually to add additional unpublished sites to serve as nursery grounds for species’ early life stages, she told the council.
A second set of projects, referred to as the Deep Beyond Reefs, will eventually deploy structures outside the FKNMS boundary in roughly 300 feet of water at oceanside sites off Marathon, Islamorada and Key West, though these projects are in the early stages of site selection.
“These sites would provide fish habitat, possibly spawning aggregations because they are deep, and this is where we could really take advantage of creating high vertical relief habitat to support that type of fish behavior,” Koch said.
A third vein of projects, including habitat support structures deployed to nearshore waters, would be the only project group to be placed within the boundaries of the FKNMS. The pilot program will identify areas lacking in specific quality habitats, as well as structures that could fill the gaps in the ecosystem. A prime example, Koch said, is the flattening of offshore coral reefs, where branching species such as elkhorn and staghorn coral previously provided dimensionality and space for organisms living between their branches.
“The base of that habitat is still there, but the quality of it has been compromised,” she said. “The next step is to design, deploy and test habitat support structures that functionally mimic or enhance the physical and biological components that historically provided structural complexity and habitat variety.”
Within each of five identified “habitat deficit areas,” a working group will experiment with dif-
ferent material types – ranging from limestone boulders to hand-made concrete forms and blocks – structures, sizes, styles and scales. Some projects would include a biological restoration component such as corals or sponges, she said.
Questioned on whether the new gulfside sites could function as dive attractions to reduce interactions between novice divers and heavilytrafficked natural reefs, Koch also spoke of the potential for installation of additional dive training reefs, though she admitted the idea was still in very early stages.
“This is actually (FKNMS Superintendent) Sarah (Fangman)’s idea, and I’ve been thinking through how to make this work,” Koch said, adding that the training reefs could potentially pursue capital funding grants offered through the Tourist Development Council. “We could use some more innovative technology, like 3D concrete printing, to create more designs that are still ecologically relevant, but maybe a little more artistic. I’m not necessarily a fan of putting down statues or something that isn’t going to be quality marine habitat for organisms.
“I want it to be functional, but I also want it to be interesting and something they won’t see on natural reefs, so it would actually inspire (divers) to go to these sites where they would see something new. You could use that for education and awareness.”
1. Decommissioned concrete power poles donated by the Florida Keys Electric Co-op will form the basis of the first artificial reef deployed in Monroe County since 2009. CONTRIBUTED
2. Monroe County Artificial Reefs Program Director Hanna Koch addresses the Sanctuary Advisory Council on Oct. 15. ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly
3. The upcoming 10 Mile Reef will be the first in a series of sites known as the Gulfside Network, with structures deployed between five and 15 miles offshore in 40 to 60 feet of water.
4. Working groups will experiment with a number of different types of structures to provide additional habitat in already-identified deficient areas.
Florida Keys’ & Cuba’s Finest Regional Art
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Pablo Picasso
HAVANA ART BIENNIAL TOUR – November 22-26, 2024
Harriet Frank, American
Harriet Frank, water colorist for 52 years, recently started on a new voyage of exploration through collage. Raised in Key West, she received a BA at NYU, and an MFA at Columbia in New York. Except for an education in nger paints, she had been a self-taught child prodigy selling at the Key West Art Center from the age of 12. Harriet nds marine scenes and sailboating an exciting format, turning them into unique collector art. She is in the permanent collection of the late Walter Cronkite and Charles Kuralt as well as many prominent island homes and yacht clubs. Her enticing collages and watercolors are viewer friendly and help to bring out in all of us the desire to sail o into paradise, to experience a joyful discovery of the sunny side of life.
The Gallery on Greene | 606 Greene Street | Key West, Florida galleryongreene.com | 305-304-2323
LET’S CELEBRATE! On Thursday, October 24, 2024, join Keys FCU in celebrating 84 years of being YOUR local credit union with treats and give aways in our branches.
MAJOR EXHIBIT FEATURES WORKS BY KEY WEST ARTIST
More than 40 paintings by Norbert Szilagyi to be shown Nov. 1-Jan. 25
A retrospective celebrating the works of longtime Key West artist Norbert Szilagyi opens Nov. 1 at the Key West Museum of Art & History. MARK FUNKHOUSER PHOTOGRAPHY/Contributed
The Key West Museum of Art & History is the venue for “Monkey in Paradise: A Norbert Szilagyi Retrospective,” an exhibit that will celebrate the longtime Key West artist. A reception to mark the opening is scheduled to take place on Friday, Nov. 1 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Key West Museum of Art & History’s Bumpus Gallery. The reception is free and open to the public.
Since arriving in Key West in the late 1980s, Szilagyi’s art has held true to his own idea of what he calls “tropical primitivism.” While crossing mediums from sculpture to high-gloss house paint on wood, that very idea has taken different forms while staying unmistakably Norbert over the years.
Originally from Hungary, Szilagyi’s mother quietly slipped out of their village carrying the young boy and his sister until they reached an Austrian refugee camp. Before long, they were crossing the Atlantic Ocean bound for a new life. Passionate about art from a young age, he received a de-
An opening reception to celebrate the exhibit of Key West artist Norbert Szilagyi takes place Nov. 1 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Key West Museum of Art & History. RACHEL LIGON/Contributed
gree in art history with a minor in studio arts from Kent State University.
“Norbert’s color palette is high tuned, utilizing heavy outlines and a flattened picture plane that is characteristic of classic folk art but also a post-impressionist ideal,” said Cori Convertito, the exhibit’s curator. “His decoratively hand-painted frames mark out his island scenes, striking the viewer with playfulness. With a second look, however, viewers recognize his use of symbolism, love of art history, and intricate depictions of folk stories.”
This retrospective showcases his vacillating development and bridges his acclaimed metal sculptures and early paintings with his current body of work.
“Monkey in Paradise: A Norbert Szilagyi Retrospective” runs through Jan. 26, 2025. More information is at kwahs. org/norbert.
— Contributed
Private Beach, 18 x 12, Mixed Media
WANT TO BE A FANTASY FEST AMBASSADOR?
Do you revel in being in the thick of things and making things happen? Are you up for an out-of-this-world time? If yes, then Fantasy Fest invites you to
join the volunteer “ground control” ambassador team for the 2024 Key West Fantasy Fest Parade, set for Saturday, Oct. 26. More than 150 ambassadors will have their fingers on the pulse of the parade, helping to guide and pace the “It’s a ’90s Neon Cosmic Carnival!” event as it makes its way down Duval Street, and helping ensure that everyone has a safe time. Volunteers will have a pre-event meeting and are invited to join the Fantasy Fest team for their annual ambassadors social mixer. Fantasy Fest 2024 is presented in part by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council and We’ve Got the Keys. More information is at fantasyfest.com/parade.
— Contributed
the Fantasy Fest ambassadors and get a front row view for the epic parade. CONTRIBUTED
HAPPY HOUR
FINs #: 443898-1-52-02 and 443920-1-52-03
Temporary barrier wall to be installed on US 1 between Colson Drive and Conch Drive
LANE SHIFT : Northbound lane on US 1 will shift into the center of the road near MM 21.2
Exiting Colson Drive southbound: Suggest detour to Sunny Lane then Sawyer Drive
Exiting Old State Road 4a northbound: Suggest detour to Blimp Road
the QR code using your mobile device to view more information on the project website www.southflroads.com. State Road (SR) 5/US 1/Overseas Highway from Mile Marker (MM) 19.4 to MM 19.8, MM 20.6 to MM 23.2, and MM 26.2 and
If you have any questions please contact Community Outreach Specialist Julie Brown at (305) 927-1479, or by email at Julie.Brown@dot.state.fl.us. You may also contact Senior Project Engineer Hector Rodriguez at (305) 450-9555.
EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS TODAY
BE THE B.E.S.T. VOTE YES BACK
ON NOVEMBER BALLOTS, VOTERS WILL SEE TWO REFERENDUMS RELATED TO FUNDING FOR OUR SCHOOLS.
PASSING THESE TWO REFERENDUMS IS CRUCIAL FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT TO SECURE ESSENTIAL FUNDING FOR TEACHERS SALARIES AND CAPITAL PROJECTS.
REFERENDUM 1.) 1/2 MILLREFERENDUM 2.) 1/2 CENT-
A CALIFORNIA KID’S 1st HURRICANE IN THE KEYS
‘Why is everyone so calm?’
“A Category 5 hurricane is forming off the Gulf of Mexico, heading toward Tampa, Florida.”
Those are NOT words you want to hear during your first six months as a Florida resident, particularly as an uninitiated California native — a nervous hurricane virgin, if you will.
Such grim weather forecasts, of course, prompt the age-old debate between residents of the west and east coasts – earthquakes or hurricanes?
At first, I really wasn’t too worried. I was keeping an eye on the hurricane, checking windy.com or Google Maps for our pal Milton’s latest trajectory. But when NAS Key West started sending hurricane preparation guides to military and civilian residents on base, well, it became a bit more real. Tips like, “fill your bathtub, trash cans and Tupperware containers with water,” start to put everything in perspective.
I needed a distraction, so I asked my buddy, Marco, if he wanted to hit the gym. His reply did not help my state of mind.
“Hey, bro, I’m on my way to Publix right now, stocking up for the hurricane.”
That’s when I realized my hurricane prep might not be up to par.
“I’m probably going to get a generator, too,” he added.
After a bit more back-and-forth with my semi-prepper friend, I convinced him we had enough time to squeeze in a workout. But on our way to the gym, his concern became contagious.
Am I doing enough? Sure, I have extra water, plenty of food and a propane grill if the power goes out.
But then I became glued to my phone, checking trajectory maps and news updates every few minutes. The latest predictions showed Milton’s outer bands grazing Key West. That was good, right? Or wait — what does it look like when a Category 5 hurricane grazes a place at sea level that’s already prone to flooding?
“Oh well,” I told my friend, “If we die, we die with a pump.”
We walked into the Boca Chica Fitness Center, where, to
my surprise, it was business as usual.
The place was packed. I ran into a few buddies who’d been in Florida much longer than I. I assumed they might share some of my concern.
WYATT SAMUELSON
... is brand new to Key West, but is loving it. His fiancee, Ashley, is serving in the US Navy. They’re here with their French bulldog, Penny Lane and cat, Mustang.
“Man, it’s just some wind and water,” one of them shrugged. “You might even see a mini tornado touch down. It’s super cool.”
All these conversations ended the same way: “First hurricane, huh?”
Yes, it was my first hurricane. When Hurricane Helene passed through, I was conveniently in Los Angeles with my fiancée while she was shopping for a wedding dress. But that now-familiar, “First hurricane?” response made me realize how resilient — or maybe just plain crazy — the Florida spirit is. Facing down a hurricane as if it’s just another Tuesday is something one only learns by living here, and living through such stormy threats — and some impacts.
As the week progressed and Milton’s path veered farther from the Keys, my nerves eased a bit.
But my relief was tempered by concern for the less fortunate folks who were in the line of fire, the ones who either evacuated or hunkered down and hoped for the best.
Hurricanes are terrifying, whether you’re from the West Coast or the East.The damage they cause is immense, and they often disproportionately affect the elderly, the sick, the poor, the homeless and others without the means or ability to evacuate quickly or safely.
So, yeah, in answer to that eternal question, I’ll take earthquakes any day. But I guess it’s all about what you’re used to. I personally prefer my skies clear, my ocean calm and just a slight breeze. Still, I hope in time to develop some of that Florida resilience — crazy as it seems to me now.
18 CADETS COMPLETE LAW ENFORCEMENT ACADEMY
9 join Monroe County Sheriff’s Office; 9 join Key West Police Department
Cadets in CFK’s Basic Law Enforcement Academy 90 stand at attention on the Key West campus. CONTRIBUTED
The College of the Florida Keys’ Institute for Public Safety held a graduation ceremony for Basic Law Enforcement Academy 90 on Oct. 11 at the Key West campus. Eighteen cadets successfully completed the 770-hour training program. Upon passing the state certification exam, each will be eligible to become a Florida law enforcement officer.
Through partnerships with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Key West Police Department, all graduates already have jobs. During the ceremony, Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay and Key West Police Chief Sean Brandenburg each swore in nine cadets.
Cathy Torres, CFK director of public safety, recognized top performing graduates with special accolades. The leadership award was given to class captain Daniel Wright, while Ross Hughes was recognized for his academic achievement. The
“Top Gun” shooting skills award went to Russell Holmes, and Rudolfo Castillo Perez received the physical fitness award. The “PIG” award, which recognizes pride, integrity and guts, went to Johnasia Harris.
CFK’s law enforcement officer program satisfies the training requirements of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission. CFK is accepting applications for two upcoming training academies at the Upper Keys Center. Applications are due on March 28, 2025, for Basic Law Enforcement Academy 93, starting in May 2025 and ending in March 2026. The college is also accepting applications for Crossover Corrections to Law Enforcement Academy 37 through Jan. 31, 2025 for training that will run from March to October 2025. More information is at cfk.edu.
— Contributed
CHRIS
is an astrologer, wanderer, bartender and advocate for queer justice. He is a loquacious Gemini with a cozy Cancer rising. Find him at hearthandheraldastrology.com
McNULTY Raffi encouraged us all to shake our sillies out and wiggle our waggles away. Under this full moon in Aries, that’s the best advice. The full moon in Aries is a time when our feelings run hot and anger or frustration can be quick to boil to the surface. With the sun in Libra, we are in a season of focusing on other people and working for social balance. But there is a counterpoint that arises when catering to others: “What about my needs?” Under the Aries full moon, seek independence in a world that requires connection, but find constructive outlets rather than impulsive releases of steam. While there is great potential for frustrated feelings, I would also contend that when the tension reaches its highest point, there is a great possibility for emotional catharsis and mutual understanding. Unclench the fist.
Here are your horoscopes for the Aries full moon square Mars in Cancer. Read for your rising and sun signs.
LIBRA
Sept. 23 - Oct. 23
Your focus shifts toward relationships, where unresolved tensions may come to the surface. A partnership or close connection might feel strained, but this is your moment to find balance between compromise and standing your ground. While the temptation to smooth things over is strong, don’t ignore what needs addressing. Honest conversations can clear the air if you’re willing to speak up.
SCORPIO
Oct. 23 - Nov. 21
Daily routines may feel more stressful than usual, with a strong push to handle everything at once. There’s a need to assert control over your schedule, but it’s essential to avoid burning out. Take a step back to reassess what’s truly urgent and what can be adjusted. The tension you feel is temporary, and finding an escape that works for you will help ease frustrations.
SAGITTARIUS
Nov. 22 - Dec. 21
Creative projects or hobbies might hit a roadblock this week, and financial stress could add to the pressure. While you want to push forward, it’s important to avoid acting on impulse. Take a breath and consider where adjustments can be made, especially if others are involved. Collaboration can help you reach new insights, even if tensions flare at first.
Capricorn
Dec. 22 - Jan. 19
Home life is feeling emotionally charged, and you might be confronted with issues that demand immediate attention. You could feel torn between your personal goals and family responsibilities, but try to avoid making snap decisions. Instead, focus on creating a stable foundation that supports both your ambitions and your relationships. Let a partner take the lead.
AQUARIUS
Jan. 20 - Feb. 18
Tensions in communication could arise, and you may feel frustrated by misunderstandings or delays. While you might want to assert your perspective forcefully, take a moment to consider how your words affect others. A balanced approach will go a long way in resolving conflicts or bringing clarity to the situation. Dialogue is key, but so is listening. Fall into a routine.
PISCES
Feb. 19 - March 20
Financial matters or questions of self-worth come to a head this week, as tension builds around balancing your needs with external pressures. While you may feel the urge to take immediate action, be mindful of impulsive decisions. Consider the long-term impact and focus on aligning your resources with your deeper values. It’s about finding equilibrium between what you want and what you can sustain.
ARIES
March 21 - April 19
The full moon brings your personal goals into sharp focus, creating tension between where you’re headed and how your actions affect others. While the urge to act quickly is strong, it’s crucial to consider how your decisions impact your relationships. By balancing your independence with the needs of those around you, you can navigate challenges and emerge stronger.
TAURUS
April 20 - May 20
Time for some deep introspection. You may feel restless or uncertain about what lies ahead, but pushing for immediate clarity will only increase the tension. Trust that answers will come with time, especially if you allow yourself moments of quiet reflection. Releasing old patterns or expectations will help you create space for new growth.
GEMINI
May 21 - June 20
Your social dynamics are highlighted, with a potential for tension in group settings or friendships. This isn’t the time to rush into conflict, but rather to weigh your responses carefully. Finding balance between your personal needs and your social obligations is key to easing any friction. Maybe counterintuitively, actively spending some moolah can be a balm.
SQUEEZE AND RELEASE
CANCER
June 21 - July 22
Career and home life are at odds, and the full moon may bring emotions to the surface in both areas. While you might feel the need to make a decisive move, consider how to balance your ambitions with your need for personal security. It’s not about choosing one over the other, but finding a way to create harmony between your professional and private lives. You’re in charge.
LEO
July 23 - Aug. 22
Your desire for adventure or expansion is in conflict with dayto-day responsibilities. Whether it’s travel, education or personal growth, you might feel held back by obligations. Don’t let frustration push you to act recklessly. Instead, consider how you can gradually work toward your goals while maintaining balance in your routine. Patience will yield better results than rushing ahead.
VIRGO
Aug. 23 - Sept. 22
Emotional or financial entanglements come to the forefront, and you may feel pressured to make quick decisions. While it’s tempting to resolve everything at once, take a step back and assess the situation carefully. This week calls for a balance between managing details and keeping an eye on the bigger picture. By pacing yourself, you’ll find solutions that bring greater harmony.
A legend and bar live on
THE BEGINNINGS OF ALABAMA JACK’S
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.
Two roads lead in and out of Key Largo: the old railroad route and the old highway route. Eventually, both connect to the Overseas Highway, the asphalt conduit bridging mainland Florida and Key West.
bia.” He worked as a riveter when the Empire State Building was being built in New York City and on the city’s water pipelines “that started at Flatbush, went over the river, under the river, through Harlem and over to Yankee Stadium.”
For those interested in getting to where they are going as quickly as possible, and judging by how most people seem to drive on the highway, the old railroad route is the one most people take. It follows the 18-Mile Stretch carved out by those working for Henry Flagler while building the Key West Extension of his Florida East Coast Railway.
The Stretch connects to the Overseas Highway at the Monroe County line, around MM 115, rolls over the Jewfish Creek Bridge and onto the island. The alternative is taking Card Sound Road and following the original path of State Road 4A, the first Overseas Highway that opened to traffic in 1927. It takes longer unless you’re headed to North Key Largo, Ocean Reef or the Anglers Club. For those people, it is a shortcut.
These days, it is the path less traveled and shamefully overlooked. While it is not the most direct route, it is a scenic drive through a picturesque setting. Also, it passes one of Monroe County’s classic dive bars, a local fixture known for more than 50 years as Alabama Jack’s.
The bar is named after Jack Stratham, born circa 1901 in Sumter County, Georgia, somewhere between Columbus and Americus. He made his living working in construction around the world. He helped to build a light plant in Moscow and the first South American oil refinery “that was for a British company, in Colom-
While many stories are told about him (and some about his pet raccoon, Coonie), the April 18, 1971, edition of the Miami Herald tells a story about Alabama Jack. Too often, stories about the good old days are just that — stories about someone (Stratham) but not told by that someone (Stratham). This rare document provided quotes and pictures of Stratham and Coonie.
How did a Georgia boy become known as Alabama Jack? Apparently, several Jacks were working on a construction job, and because of the southern tones of his accent, the foreman nicknamed him Alabama Jack. How he found his way to Monroe County is a familiar story. It started in 1924 when he came to South Florida for a two-week vacation. An avid fisherman, he never forgot the local waters. By 1937, he was coming back every winter.
In the early 1940s, he bought a little place, moved to the area full-time, and spent a great deal of time fishing. One day, when he stopped at a gas station, the attendant noticed the fishing gear in Jack’s car. He said to Stratham, “I’ll tell you about the best place…”
That place turned out to be Card Sound, where Stratham bought the lease to just under an acre of right-of-way from a Miami plumber in 1953. “I bought the place first as more or less a party place, a place to entertain our friends.”
He acquired a small, abandoned railroad building used before the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane ended the run of the Over-Sea Railroad. He set it on pilings so that part of it stood over the water. He anchored it down and installed jalousie windows, doors and counters. He also built docks.
As word of the excellent fishing around Card Sound spread, Alabama Jack’s grew, and as hurricanes came and went, damaging his
building, he always rebuilt. In 1965, “I had just finished work on two 16-by-16 rooms that summer. We moved in king-sized beds that hadn’t even been slept in.” When Hurricane Betsy stormed through, it knocked his building off its original pilings; he lost the two rooms, both mattresses, a barge with 18 new motors strapped to it, and hundreds of feet of docks. When it was over, he was left with two side walls, part of a roof, and some of the floor. Stratham bought a barge, rebuilt Alabama Jack’s on top of it, and reopened in March 1966.
The bar has been a Monroe County fixture ever since, in good times and bad. It was not the only business operating in that Card Sound community, one that has been described as a relative no-man’s land. At its peak, the community of about 100 people was largely squatters who built homes and scratched out a way of life fishing, selling blue crabs, running a bar or a fish camp and doing anything they could.
All of it encroached on a sliver of right-ofway that had been built up to support the road during the construction of State Road 4A with feet in both Dade and Monroe counties. For decades, the community was largely left to its own devices. One thing that set Alabama Jack’s apart from the vast majority of the others along Card Sound Road was ownership.
Stratham had a lease with Monroe County and the state for $300 a month. In 1971, it was extended for 10 years with an option to renew. Also, he had his wife, Alice. Alabama Jack’s was not the only place to rent a boat to go out fishing or grab a beer, but it was the only one offering Alice’s cooking. Once upon a time, her lima bean soup and crab cakes were legendary.
Twenty years after building the first Alabama Jack’s, Stratham sold the property. He died in 1977; Alabama Jack Stratham was 76 years old. Though the man has moved on, his legend and bar have lived on through better and worse. Those stories will be continued next week.
MARK HEDDEN
... is a photographer, writer, and semi-professional birdwatcher. He has lived in Key West for more than 25 years and may no longer be employable in the real world. He is also executive director of the Florida Keys Audubon Society.
The platform at the Florida Keys Hawkwatch, which is also the back deck of the bathhouse at the Curry Hammock State Park campground, was hopping. Though not as hopping as the skies overhead.
The sky was mostly clear and blue, with a slow, sparse display of clouds. And it was hot, so the birds were mostly high, a series of moving, fine-print runes waiting to be divined and translated into IDs and numbers.
Mid-October is almost always busy at the count site. But with Hurricanes Helene and Milton having passed, the migratory routes down the east coast and into the Florida peninsula had cleared, and it felt as if the cork had come out of a well-shaken bottle.
Gianna Arcuri and Chris Payne were the official counters, keeping an eye on the major flightlines, which were largely high and sometimes overhead. Tom Jordan from Portland, Oregon, was helping out, keeping an eye on the low horizon on the gulfside.
Anthony Sanchez, who works in the park and helps out at the counts sometimes, had a small array of clickers, each marked with a different species, laid out on one of the wide railings. Whenever someone called out a bird, he would click a button, sounding a bit like an old-school telegraph operator, sending dots and dashes out into the world, except it was all dots.
Workplaces tend to develop their own lingo, their own codes and shorthands. I’ve always been fond of diner slang, with phrases like “Adam and Eve on a raft, burn it,” meaning poached eggs on well-done toast, “cow paste” meaning butter, “halitosis” or “Italian perfume” meaning garlic, “nervous pudding” meaning Jell-O, and “on the hoof” meaning meat cooked rare.
Hanging at the hawkwatch on a busy day always reminds me of what it would be like if you crossed a diner with an airport control tower.
The conversation flows and rolls and crosses over itself into braids and tropes that are all about people trying to convey complicated information to each other, all in the service of counting every bird of prey it is possible to count flying over the site.
I decided to put my phone down and record a bit of it.
Gianna: Broad-wing, sharpie, PEFA.
Chris: Two turkey vultures.
Gianna: You see that a-sip that was just to the right of that peregrine behind your turkey?
Chris: Looks like a sharpie. Yeah. Back in the cloud, on the edge there’s a coop.
Tom: Anybody count these two turkey vultures?
Gianna and Chris: Yup.
Tom: And the two peregrines that went with them?
Gianna and Chris: Yup.
Chris: Sharpie. Sharpie. Another sharpie. Two sharpies and a broad wing. Coop. Two sharpies. A broad-wing. Adult peregrine.
Gianna: Did your peregrine just go through a little wisp of a cloud?
Chris: Yeah, a baby cloud on top of El Hefe. We got more birds coming. Osprey.
Anthony: Got it.
Chris: Adult peregrine. There’s another peregrine, but it’s going backwards.
Some translation: A sharpie is a sharpshinned hawk, an accipiter. PEFA is the fourletter banding code for Peregrine falcon. The term a-sip is short for accipiter, a genus of short-winged, long-tailed, mostly-fearless hawks. Turkey is a turkey vulture. Coop is short for Cooper’s hawk, also an accipiter. El Hefe is a large tree in the campground. Going backwards means heading up the Keys instead of down the Keys.
Gianna: See where that turkey vulture is right now? It’s like salt and pepper.
Me: Oh geez. I haven’t seen a kettle like that in a long time.
Gianna: How do we wanna handle this?
Chris: You wanna go for broadies and I’ll try to pick stuff out?
Gianna: Sounds great.
Chris: I think with the tens, it’s harder to get these kettles, because I have a smaller field of view, so I feel like I miss a lot.
Tom: Out over the bay I have a shin.
Gianna: Okay, we are already in a glide, Chris.
COOPS, KESSIES, SHARPIES AND PEFAS
Chris: Oh, gorgeous gray ghost.
Gianna: Straight up, Chris. We’re already in another glide out of the kettle. Are you on them?
Chris: Oh, it’s a beautiful gray ghost, isn’t it?
Me: Where’s the gray ghost?
Gianna: Can you add three kestrels, please?
Anthony: Got it.
Gianna: I had 101 broad-wings, and I’m still seeing a big kettle. Well, not big big. But like there’s still a good chunk of birds left out here.
Chris: Do you have this blue sky kettle?
Gianna: Yeah, I haven’t clicked it yet. But they’re gonna start gliding. I see a peregrine at the top. Do you see that?
Chris; I do not see a peregrine in the kettle I’m looking at. I see sharpies.
Anthony: Y’all are looking at different spots.
Tom: One kessie bayside. One PG bayside.
Some more translation: Brodies are broadwinged hawks. Tens are 10x binoculars, which have a longer reach, but a narrower field of view than, say, 8x binoculars. A shin is a sharpshinned hawk. A glide is when a raptor, or group of raptors, reaches the top of a thermal and glides out in search of the next one. A gray ghost is an adult male northern harrier, called that because they tend to appear silently and swiftly, as if they’d apparated from another plane of existence. A PG is a Peregrine falcon.
Me: I’ve got a harrier straight up over me.
Gianna: Uh, I see. Wow. Look at ’em all tied up in his little glide.
Chris: (Scanning the sky without his binoculars.) Naked eyes do nothing at all. If people just walked up here and didn’t know, they’d just think we’re just, like, lying through our teeth, making stuff up.
These conversations have been edited for clarity and space.
A migrating Cooper’s hawk in the Keys. MARK HEDDEN/Keys Weekly
REPUBLICAN CONDEMNS GOP ENDORSEMENT FOR SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
Dear Editor:
I strongly condemn Republican candidate Sherri Hodies’ receipt of a controversial $20,000 campaign donation received by the Monroe County Republican Executive Committee and urge her to immediately return the funds.
The entire process that the Republican Executive Committee (REC) used to issue the endorsement and $20,000 campaign donation to a sitting member was both ethically and morally wrong. This same process that appears to have circumvented the bylaws of the committee in favor of a particular candidate has also caught the attention of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who appointed State Attorney Amira Fox of the 20th Judicial Circuit to conduct the probe, according to the governor’s Executive Order 24-203.
The governor’s order is in reference to a complaint filed by Republican Phyllis May (who is not a member of the REC) against REC chair Rhonda Rebman-Lopez and Hodies for election fraud and unlawful disbursement of funds.
Republican candidate for Supervisor of Elections, Sherri Hodies, essentially cut herself a $20,000 check as she is the current treasurer of the REC and accepted the donation from the current chair Rhonda Rebman-Lopez. This was done even after many REC members, including several highly respected elected officials, questioned the vote’s validity and told REC leadership it was insufficient and invalid as it didn’t meet the percentage criteria of affirmative votes set forth in the Republican Party’s Rule 8.
Those same concerned members warned the REC’s leadership that the funds should not be distributed to Sherri Hodies, who initially denied accepting the funds until a ruling by the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF). Hodies states that she was told by RPOF Chair Evan Power that the vote was valid and to cut the check. But in an article published at Floridapolitics.com, Power was contacted and denied any involvement in the matter.
The ongoing investigation into the complaint about election fraud and unlawful disbursement of funds should be all Sherri Hodies needs to know to return the money to the REC until the matter is properly resolved. If this investigation is not enough for her to do what is right, then she should look at the discontent it has caused within the membership and the Republican Party and use that as motivation.
Hodies and Rebman-Lopez need to start putting the Republican party above themselves, as they both knew the money should have never been distributed or taken in good conscience in the first place.
This isn’t about party affiliation, race, ethnicity or education. This is about right and wrong. There are rules in place for reasons and nobody is above the law. If Republicans truly want to prevail, especially in local elections, we need to hold one another accountable. I ask others to join me in the call for the immediate return of the $20,000 campaign donation to the Monroe County Republican Executive Committee.
Sincerely,
Jill Cranney-Black Republican Florida Keys Mosquito Control commissioner
REEL RECS
Staff from your Monroe County Public Library recommend some of their favorites from the collection.
What: “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” (1981)
Why: Douglas Adams’ hilarious radio program-turnednovel is adapted into a 6-episode BBC miniseries with winning results. Unlike the more widely seen 2005 film adaptation, this series has the benefit of Adams himself being actively involved. The comedic beats and pacing the radio show and book are known for (that the later film couldn’t quite tap into) are here in full force. Sure, the production values are minimal and unconvincing, but that only adds to the off-kilter charm. Anyone familiar with classic “Doctor Who” will feel right at home here, and the energetic cast rises to the task of giving this wacky world the color and life Adams’ imagination demands.
Where: This series 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.
See previous Reel Recs at keyslibraries.org/reel-recs
SHELF HELP
Staff from your Monroe County Public Library recommend some of their favorites from the collection.
What: “She-Wolves: The women who ruled England before Elizabeth” by Helen Castor
Why: As America considers, for the second time, whether to choose a woman to lead us, it’s worth investigating how many other places have gotten there first. In England, it was 1553, when Mary Tudor took the throne after the death of her younger brother, Edward VI. But even before Mary – and the long reign of her successor, Elizabeth I – there were women who were would-be or de facto rulers of the country. In “SheWolves,” Helen Castor tells us about Matilda (12th century, a granddaughter of William the Conqueror), her daughter-in-law Eleanor of Aquitaine (12th century, married to Henry II), Isabella (14th century, married to Edward II), and Margaret of Anjou (15th century, married to Henry VI). Don’t worry, there are family trees to reference! This is excellently written popular history showing how a few remarkable women navigated the perilous politics of their times. Pro tip: If you prefer to take in your history on screen, there’s a documentary adaptation on the free, ad-supported streaming services Tubi and Freevee.
Where: You can get this as a print book from the Monroe County Public Library system.
How: You can request books, including e-books and e-audiobooks, online by logging in to your account at keyslibraries.org. 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: Nancy Klingener, community affairs manager
See previous recommendations at keyslibraries.org/shelf-help.
TAKE ME HOME?
FIND A FRIEND AT THE FLORIDA KEYS SPCA
The Keys Weekly family loves animals as much as our friends at the Florida Keys SPCA do, and we’re honored each week to showcase some “furever” friends that are ready, waiting and available for adoption at the organization’s Key West campus.
Meet Higgins, a 2-year-old Rottweiler looking for his forever home. Loyal, intelligent and protective, Rottweilers are known for being loving companions. Higgins is a big, affectionate boy who would thrive with an experienced owner.
Meet Crepe, our 3-year-old queen of mood swings. One minute she’s all cuddles; the next, she’s giving you the classic ‘I need my space’ look. Crepe is the perfect example of what it means to be a cat — independent, sassy and full of personality.
From cats and dogs to Guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, reptiles and birds, the perfect addition to your family is waiting for you. The SPCA’s knowledgeable staff will help with advice and care tips while working to ensure a good fit between each pet and its people.
The SPCA’s Golden Paw program also provides special assistance with vet bills and medications for special-needs and older animals that require a little extra TLC.
Check these pages each week for just a few of the animals waiting for a home and see them all at fkspca.org.
Meet Bebe, our stunning 1-year-old tortie who’s new to the Key West campus. She’s got the classic tortoiseshell look with a playful, curious and charming personality.
Dashi is a 3-year-old all-black beauty with a heart of gold. Though a bit shy at first, Dashi is incredibly sweet once she warms up. She’s the perfect companion for someone patient who’ll give her the love she deserves.
hello to Canela, our gorgeous 1-year-old
This
lady is as beautiful as her name suggests, with a soft coat and a gentle personality to match.
HELP KEEP KEY WEST CLEAN
JOIN A 1- HOUR CLEANUP FRIDAY MORNINGS
Ploggers met at the corner of White Street and Atlantic Boulevard to do some post-storm cleanup. In one hour, 63 volunteers, including 28 students from Somerset Academy, collected a total of 245 pounds of trash, 28 pounds of recycling and a half-gallon of cigarette butts. Thanks to Chris Massicotte for hosting the after-cleanup food and beverages for all the volunteers. CONTRIBUTED
One hour a week makes a huge difference, and volunteers are welcome every Friday and some Saturday mornings, from 8 to 9 a.m., when the Key West Ploggers clean up a designated area of the island.
Gloves, pickers, buckets, vests, hand sanitizer and a parking pass are provided to all volunteers.
A troubling number of cigarette butts and plastic bags have been included in recent hauls. Please remember your reusable bags when shopping so we can keep the plastic off the streets, parking lots and, most importantly, out of the water. And dispose of cigarette butts in any receptacle rather than the street or sidewalk, as from there, they easily end up in the ocean.
The city of Key West and its residents ask everyone to do their part to help keep Key West beautiful. With simple steps like making sure you bag your trash before putting it in your Waste Management trash cans or Dumpsters, and making sure the lids on Dumpsters are closed, will keep a lot of trash from blowing into the streets. Call Waste Management at 305-296-8297 for any furniture items left on the city right of way.
Please pick up around your home or apartment complex. Every piece of trash picked up is one less that may end up in the ocean that surrounds and sustains our island community. It is not just the large items you can see easily when you are walking, but the smaller items such as bottle caps and cigarette butts that are collected by the volunteers that make the biggest difference.
It takes committed community involvement to keep Key West beautiful and we are making progress with every cleanup event and every spot that’s adopted. Call Dorian Patton at 305-809-3782 to find out how your business, nonprofit or club can help.
— Contributed
Join a one-hour Friday morning cleanup. All events begin at 8 a.m. unless otherwise noted.
Oct. 18: Duval & Eaton streets. Meet on Eaton next to Berkshire Hathaway. Hosted by Berkshire Hathaway Knight & Gardner Realty.
Oct. 25: White & United streets. Meet in the back of the city hall parking lot.
Say
golden brown rabbit.
lovely
If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, we know you have questions. Our team is here to help answer them - from prenatal and pregnancy care to delivery and postpartum follow-up.
Our obstetricians and nurse midwives deliver at Lower Keys Medical Center, which offers experienced maternity care, private labor and delivery and post-partum rooms, Level 1 special care nursery, and free childbirth education.
To request an appointment, visit KeysWomensHealth.com or call (786) 891-6996.
Accepting new patients. Most major health plans are welcome. Obstetrics and Gynecology 1111 12th St., Suite 104, Key West, FL 33040
Stanley Santiago, M.D. OBGYN
Christiaan A. Webb, M.D. OBGYN Naomi Andrews, M.S. Nurse Midwife Margaret “Margo” Von Mauw, MSN Nurse Midwife
Employed by Key West HMA Physician Management, LLC, d/b/a Keys Medical Group.
Carrying multiple exclusive retail lines. Plus a selection of unique & carefully curated pre-loved items.
BOUTIQUE HOURS
MONDAY - WEDNESDAY 11-
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KEY RESORT & MARINA
Owner Kirby Myers and her associate stylist Amelia Hanley wearing Closet Finds
MONROE COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR, ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF THE 2024 PROPERTY TAX ROLL. BOTH
PROPERTY AND TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES ARE PAYABLE.
Taxpayers are encouraged to pay online through the Tax Collector’s secure and convenient website, MonroeTaxCollector.com. Online payments made using your bank account (e-check) are FREE and no additional fees are charged.
Early payment discounts are available as follows: 4% if paid in November 3%
No discount is available if paid in March. As of April 1, 2025, the 2024 taxes become delinquent, and any payment must be made in certified funds. If payment is not received by May 31, 2025, a tax certificate will be sold no later than June 1, 2025.
Ownership and current address information are received and certified by the Monroe County Property Appraiser. If you do not receive your tax bill within two weeks, or need additional information regarding property taxes, please call our o ce at 305-295-5044.
SAM C. STEELE, CFC CONSTITUTIONAL TAX COLLECTOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
NOTICE OF DRAFT PERMIT
The Department of Environmental Protection hereby provides notice that it has prepared a draft permit for the proposed project as detailed in the application, subject to the conditions specified in the draft permit and summarized below. The applicant, Florida Keys Resort Holdings, Peter Rosasco, President, 4000 Sombrero Boulevard, Marathon, Florida 33050 applied on Jan 20, 2023, for a Class V injection well operation permit. The project is located at Resort Reverse Osmosis Concentrate IW-1, 4000 Sombrero Boulevard, Marathon, Florida 33050, in Monroe County (File 0352748-002-UO/5O, WACS ID 103551).
The permittee will maintain or operate one non-hazardous Class V, Group 4 injection well (IW-1) built for the disposal of reverse osmosis (RO) concentrate from the Florida Keys Resort reverse osmosis plant. The RO plant produces fresh water for golf course irrigation. The maximum injection rate for IW-1 shall be 191 gallons per minute (gpm) and the maximum injection volume for IW-1 shall be 0.275 million gallons per day (mgd). The injection well is constructed with an 8-inch diameter casing set to 62 feet below land surface (bls) with a cemented annulus and a total depth of 97 feet bls. The injection zone is a non-underground source of drinking water.
The injection system is currently inoperable. An inspection is required prior to restarting the injection system.
The Department has permitting jurisdiction under Chapter 403 of the Florida Statutes and the rules adopted thereunder. The project is not exempt from permitting procedures. The Department has determined that an Underground Injection Control permit is required for the proposed work.
Any interested person may submit written comments on the draft permit and may request a public meeting within 30 days after publication of this public notice. A request for a public meeting shall be submitted in writing and shall state the nature of the issues proposed to be raised in the meeting. If a public meeting is later scheduled, there will be another 30-day notice period for that meeting. Written comments or a public meeting request shall be submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection, Aquifer Protection Program, 2600 Blair Stone Road, MS 3530, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400, which is the office processing this permit application. All comments received within the 30-day period will be considered in formulation of the Department's final decision regarding permit issuance.
The files associated with this order are available for public inspection during normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except state holidays, at the Department of Environmental Protection, Southeast District, and at the Department of Environmental Protection, Aquifer Protection Program office in Tallahassee.
Any additional information concerning this project may be obtained by contacting Walsta Jean-Baptiste at 850-245-8386 or Walsta.JeanBaptiste@FloridaDEP.gov.
TRY ’N’ FIND
Words that remind us of the Electoral College are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find:
Nov. 5, 2024, is Election Day. People 18 and older will vote for president and vice president of the United States, along with other offices. The candidates from each party run as a team. They are on the same ticket.
Our country uses the Electoral College system of voting for president. Each state is allotted a certain number of votes, called electoral votes.
The votes cast by individuals are called the popular vote. This week, The Mini Page learns more about how this system works.
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE
Voting is a citizen’s most important duty. But there is another step after individuals vote. It is called the Electoral College.
On election night, follow the results online, on TV or on the radio. Color in blue each state that votes Democrat. Color Republican states in red. Circle your state.
The map shows how many electoral votes each state gets.
This is not a college with a campus and students. Another meaning for “college” is a group that meets and has special duties.
The Electoral College has the duty to elect the president of the United States. Its members vote based on how the people in each state voted.
ELECTORAL VOTES
Each state gets a number of electoral votes equal to the number of members it has in the U.S. Congress. For example:
North Carolina has 14 representatives and two senators, so it gets 16 electoral votes.
The political parties in each state nominate a set of electors equal to the state’s number of members of Congress. So North Carolina has 16 Republican and 16 Democratic electors.
Nearly 1 person in 3 around the world is now suffering from an increased number of hot nights brought on by human-induced climate change, according to a new study. It also found that around 2.4 billion people have experienced at least two weeks of temperatures that didn’t fall below 77 degrees at night over the past decade. The United Nations says this is just above the threshold where sleep often becomes uncomfortable for humans. The Indian city of Mumbai endured 60 more days of hot nights than normal during the past 10 years.
If the popular vote goes for the Republican candidate in that state, the Republican electors cast their votes for him or her.
The electoral votes total 538. This number is based on the total number of members of Congress.
VOTING DAY
On the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, voters go to the polls. The winning ticket in each state gets all of that state’s electoral votes (except in Maine and Nebraska, where the electoral vote may be split between the candidates).
We usually know who the winner is on election night by counting the electoral votes. However, there are other steps to make it official.
PRESENTING THE VOTES
In December, the winning electors, or special voters from each state, meet in their state capitals and cast their votes. These electoral votes are put into sealed envelopes and sent to the president of the U.S. Senate.
On Jan. 6, he or she opens the envelopes. The results are read before a meeting of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
RESOURCES
“The Electoral College: A Kid’s Guide” by Cari Meister
Mini Fact: About 66% of people who were eligible to vote in 2020 went to the polls.
GATOR HUNTING
Conch swimmers thrash Barbara Goleman | P.8
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Whether you’re building a large commercial building, FDOT bridge, or a customdesigned home, we have concrete mix designs for every project. Thanks to decades of experience, our team can create custom mixes with high-quality additives for specific project needs. We offer the largest variety of materials and operate the only FDOT-certified ready-mix plants in the Florida Keys. Call us for all ready-mix concrete, block, aggregate, rebar and bagged good needs.
THE SCOREBOARD
Team Sport Opponent Date Result
Key West Volleyball Coral Shores 10/7 W, 3-1
Coral Shores Football Archbishop Carroll 10/11 W, 15-13
Key West Football Miami Northwestern 10/11 L, 50-14
Key West Boys Swimming Barbara Goleman 10/11 W, 90-79
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Key West Girls Swimming Barbara Goleman 10/11 W, 125-27 THIS WEEK William
THIS WEEK IN KEYS SPORTS
OCT. 17
Date School Sport Opponent Start Time
10/17 Key West Swimming Doral 1 p.m.
10/18 Marathon Volleyball Fort Meade @ Moore Haven TBA
10/18 Marathon Football Gateway Charter 7 p.m.
10/21 Key West Boys Golf @ Mavericks Invitational TBA
10/23 Key West Golf @ Wolverine Classic TBA
FORSTER
Senior, Key West Cross Country
ON THE COVER
His growth mindset this year has been an honor to watch and is a great example to a younger generation of athletes. I can’t wait to see how this season unfolds in the next few weeks.”
— Keara McGraw, Conchs cross county coach
“HIS WORK ETHIC AND LEADERSHIP HAVE MADE HIM AN ASSET TO HIS TEAMMATES.”
When it comes to team success, it is not always the star athlete whose contributions make the greatest impact. Key West’s William Forster is a shining example of this.
“His work ethic and leadership have made him an asset to his teammates,” said head coach Keara McGraw of Forster’s efforts to improve both himself and his entire team. “Will goes above and beyond to do the miles even when scheduling makes it difficult,” she added.
Forster leads by example, making time to run even when there is no official practice. HIs leadership reaches beyond his hard work, though; when McGraw is stretched between both teams, he steps up and makes sure all is well while his coach tends to the girls team. For his constant endeavor to improve and his willingness to give his best to his team in every way possible, Key West’s Will Forster is the Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.
Photo by MARK HEDDEN/Keys Weekly
Jason Frankel explodes off the starting block in the Key West Conchs’ home meet against Barbara Goleman on Oct. 11. MAICEY MALGRAT/ Keys Weekly
tracy
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.
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.
Se habla español THE MARATHON WEEKLY (ISSN 1944-0812) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY FOR $125 PER YEAR BY WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS, INC., 9709 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY, MARATHON FL 33050. APPLICATION TO MAIL AT PERIODICALS POSTAGE RATES IS PENDING AT FORT LAUDERDALE FL AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES.
VOLLEYBALL ENTERS POSTSEASON
Conchs, ’Canes and Fins vie for district glory
After their first loss of the season at the hands of Key West, the Lady ’Canes spent some time regrouping and reloading for their upcoming district quarterfinal matchup against Somerset Silver Palms on Oct. 15 (results not available at press time). Coral Shores, seeded third, will play Somerset in a bonus home match against the sixth-seeded Stallions. Silver Palms has proven that they will not just allow Coral Shores to roll them, however. In earlier matches, the ’Canes came away with 3-1 and 3-2 wins, but the teams match up well, setting the scene for an exciting quarterfinal round. Should the Hurricanes, still undefeated in district action, prevail, they move on to the semis the following day. The FHSAA 3A District 16 title match is Thursday, Oct. 17 at Ransom Everglades HIgh School.
A match against NSU University School and another against Basilica were canceled due to Hurricane Milton, giving the Marathon Dolphins some extra practice time before their postseason stretch. Marathon will take a road trip for its first-ever FHSAA Rural District 8 championship tournament on Friday, Oct. 18. The Fins earned a bye in round one with their FHSAA power rankings. The 3-14 Dolphins’ strength of schedule was impressive enough to earn them the No. 2 seed and an automatic trip to the semifinals, where they will play the Miners of Fort Meade. If the Dolphins come away with the victory over the third-seeded Miners, they will head to the district championship match at 7:30 that same night.
Marathon - Alex Rickert alex@keysweekly.com
Upper Keys - Jim McCarthy jim@keysweekly.com
Key West - Mandy Miles mandy@keysweekly.com
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After winning the Queens of the Keys title against Coral Shores, Key West’s match against Boca Raton was canceled due to the storm. Instead, the Conchs hunkered down to prepare for their FHSAA 4A District 16 quarterfinal match against the Rockets of Miami Central. The Conchs, who claimed the No. 3 seed with their 9-6 record, hosted the 6th-seeded Rockets on Oct. 14 in the quarterfinal round, blanking them in three sets. They then faced No. 2 seed Ronald Reagan High in the semis on Oct. 15 (results not available at press time). The potential district championships will be played at Reagan, with the finals on the 17th.
The Mariners of Basilica closed out their first season with a 5-11 record. They finished a week early, after their Marathon match was canceled along with just about every sporting event across the state due to Hurricane Milton. The Mariners do not participate in the FHSAA, thereby eliminating them from playoff action.
mcdonald
An onside kick recovery by Connor Dixon, right, put an end to Archbishop Carroll’s comeback bid on Oct. 11. DOUG FINGER/Keys Weekly
Hurricanes seal Florida Independent Football Conference with win over Archbishop Carroll
Coral Shores traveled to Harris Field to play Archbishop Carroll on Oct. 11 in what head coach Ed Holly described as “an unusual night.” Archbishop Carroll’s home contests are held in the afternoon, as they do not have adequate field lighting, but to accommodate their homecoming event, they scheduled their game to be played across town with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. Referees are easy to come by for afternoon games, but not so much for evening contests. The crew was late to the start, pushing back the kickoff more than half an hour.
Once the game was underway, down came the rain, which started and stopped intermittently throughout the night, causing some unpredictable conditions. Holly described the event as “a tale of two halves.” In the first two quarters, everything went right for the ’Canes. Yemcel Moreno hit A.J. Putetti with a 60-yard touchdown pass early in the game, giving the Hurricanes a quick 7-0 lead over the Bulldogs.
While Archbishop Carroll was attempting to kick the ball away on a fourth-and-long situation, the slippery ball and sloppy field caused the punter to step out of bounds, resulting in a safety for Coral Shores.
“The rain definitely worked to our advantage,” Holly said. The ’Canes’ defense was strong, allowing a grand total of just 3 rushing yards the entire first half. Putetti punched in another TD late in the second quarter to give Coral Shores a 15-0 lead over the Bulldogs.
The second half would not go quite so well for the ’Canes. Right at the start, the lights went out. Stadium lighting is scheduled, often offsite, and lights must warm up properly, making for a long wait. Thirty-five minutes later, the half was finally underway with both teams wet, muddy and weary. The Bulldogs chipped away at Coral Shores’ lead and the ’Canes’ offense was no longer hot. Archbishop Carroll had narrowed the gap to just 2 points and tried for an onside kick with 3:35 left in the game. Connor Dixon decided enough was enough and recovered the ball to give the ’Canes possession. Coral Shores managed to eke out a first down, allowing
the clock to run down and preserving the win.
The victory meant not just spoiling the Bulldogs’ homecoming, but also guaranteed the Hurricanes at minimum a shared conference championship. Coach Holly said that his team set several goals early this season. One was to have a winning record, which the now 7-1 ’Canes secured several wins ago. The second was to win the conference championship, making last week’s game even sweeter.
The Hurricanes are off this week, then return to action the following week against St. John Neumann, who will head to Tavernier from Naples. Their final game is at Key West on Nov. 1.
Marathon enjoyed a week of rest and recuperation last week. They play Gateway Charter at home on Oct. 18, then host John Carroll Catholic the following week. The Dolphins’ final regular-season contest will be at Pinecrest on Nov. 1. Marathon’s postseason prospects will come down to their win-loss record and strength of schedule. They
hope to make the FHSAA 1A Rural playoffs in their first year in the classification.
Key West suffered a loss at home Oct. 11 at the hands of Miami Northwestern. The Bulls were heavily favored in the matchup, and their online roster includes 145 players. A quick glance at the Bulls’ sidelines made it clear their coaching staff likely needed its own bus. They traveled with 22 coaches, but the Conchs were up to the challenge.
In the first half, Key West held its own, heading into the locker room down 28-14. Coach Johnny Hughes knew that in order to upset the Bulls, his team would need to be perfect, and would need a little luck. Fortune was not with the Conchs, though, and quarterback Teak Guyet went down with a broken collarbone. The Conchs’ backup QB was already out with an injury, putting the snaps into the hands of Jaden Fox. With Fox moved from running back to quarterback, the Conchs running game lost some of its power, and against a team like Northwestern, that meant a rough half. The final score was 50-14, making the final two games for Key West vital if they hope to make the playoffs.
Key West will recuperate with a bye this week before facing Miami Jackson the following Friday. Jackson, like Northwestern, is in the Conchs’ district, making the game an important one.
“It’s a good week for a bye week,” Hughes said. Key West closes out the regular season at home against Coral Shores on Nov. 1. After that, they will need to see where their record and strength of schedule place them in FHSAA’s 1A District 16, with the hopes of a wild card bid to the postseason.
99 YEARS & COUNTING
Keys gridiron history spans nearly a century
It should not be surprising that a place so rich in history as the Florida Keys also boasts a wealth of prep sports history. The annals of high school sports in Monroe County stretch back as far as 1913, when the Hargrove Institute in Key West put together a basketball team just 22 years after the sport was invented. Fast-forward another 12 years and Monroe County officially kicked off its gridiron history.
Prep football was first noted in Key West 99 years ago. Football was not new to the Southernmost City; it was just new to high-school athletes. In fact, the first teams faced by the Fighting Conchs of Monroe County High School, later Key West High School, were the enlisted men stationed on the island. The Conchs played against groups including the Navy, the Navy Hospital and the Marines. Games were played at the Army barracks, now Peary Court, and the field conditions we complain about so vehemently today were likely far more terrible then.
As far as actual competitions against other high school teams, the Conchs did have a few that first year. The records for Key West’s inaugural season are sketchy and difficult to come by, but it is clear that coach Peter Christiansen was at the helm of an 11-man gridiron squad that traveled via train and ship to the mainland to play against Miami High, Saint Petersburg, Fort Lauderdale (to face the Flying Tarpons) and to Lemon City, which was the area of Miami near Little Haiti today.
That first team had hopes of traveling to Cuba with the local Navy crew, which was going to face the University of Havana, but it is unclear whether that ever happened. What did occur was the worst thumping a Keys team ever endured in a football contest when St. Petersburg, the state champ that season, scored 96 points on the scoreless Conchs.
The Conchs were back for more in year two and continued to play a mix of high school and adult teams. Their opening game was a rematch against Saint Petersburg, where Monroe County High School lost 28-0, far better than their first encounter. The Conchs made a three-day trip to play the Green Devils aboard the steamship Cuba. The trip was not a sightseeing extravaganza; it took that long to get the team and a dedicated fanbase of 20 to and from St. Pete, making our modern transportation seem a bit less worrisome.
Later that year, the team had to be rescued at sea when their transportation began to leak a few miles offshore. It is said that the team helped bail as they waited for the Coast Guard, who eventually transported them to Fort Myers for their game. The school’s yearbook the following spring states that the trip took 25 hours, a bit different from the high-speed ferry you can hop aboard today. But it was not all doom and gloom for the Conchs; they picked up their first win against Lemon City High School that season. Lemon City, no doubt, was still digging out from the Miami Hurricane of 1926, a
Category 4 monster that destroyed much of Miami and Fort Lauderdale on Sept. 20 of that year.
In 1927, Monroe County High School officially changed its name to Key West High School, but many already called it that. In the first official year of being called Key West High School, one could argue that the first win was that season, against a team of Marines stationed in town. Regardless, it would be the last year of prep football in the Keys for many years. The effects of the Great Depression were just too much for the time and expense of football to overcome.
3
Florida Governor
3. Football star Red Stickney,
4. Monroe County High School football team in 1925-26. The school would be renamed to Key West High School in 1927. Front row, from left: Leslie ‘Rope' Russell, Kermit Baker, Joe ‘Ramrod’ Pierce, William ‘Billy’ Arnold and Stewart ‘Slim’ Walker. Second Row: Earl Jackson, Robert Knight, Floyd ‘Dizzy’ Roberts, Theron Gato, Fred Carbonell and Maurice Cruz. Third row: Gerald Hernandez, George Adams, Reggie Trevor, Isadore ‘Izzy’ Weintraub, Philip Cosgrove and Munson Johnson. Photo courtesy of the Monroe County Library Collection.
Football returned to the Keys in 1948, when the Tigers of Douglass School fielded a team. At that time, schools were still segregated by race, and the Black students attended Douglass High. Their football games were the only prep gridiron contests that year and were played at Ocean View Park. Some of Key West’s best athletic teams wore Tigers uniforms.
By the time Conch football kicked off again, it was 1951, and several of the athletes from the inaugural season had sons playing for Key West. That season, the Conchs’ travel was a bit less difficult; they took an airplane to play against Cristobal High School in Panama. The Keys had their first All-State player that season in Ken Bazo, who later played at FSU. Two seasons later marked the first undefeated season in Keys gridiron history. Key West was 8-0-2 in 1953 and won the Gold Coast Conference Championship. No Key West team has gone undefeated since.
Marathon opened for business in 1957 and fielded a flag football team. The Dolphins and Hurricanes enjoyed an annual flag football game, beginning their rivalry prior to the first Battle of the Keys event. The 1950s produced some of the greatest gridiron athletes in Keys history, including Red Stickney, Boog Powell and George Mira. Powell and Mira were wooed heavily by colleges in baseball and football, with Powell choosing the former and Mira the latter.
1964 marked Coral Shores’ first year of tackle football, when they put together a six-man team. The ’Canes went 5-0 that season, marking the only Keys football team to finish the season undefeated and untied. The following year, Douglass School closed and the students and athletes of Monroe County experienced integration. However, that same year, Mary Immaculate put together an 11-man tackle team after not being able to field enough athletes for six-man the year before. The ’60s saw talented athletes from Keys teams including Mike Blatt, Joe Mira, Charles Powell and Bobby Menendez, the namesake of Key West’s gymnasium.
In 1966, Coral Shores had an 11-man football team for the first time. They traveled to Freeport in ’69 for an international matchup in the Bahamas. Then in 1970, Marathon added 11-man football to its offerings and the first (and second) Battles of the Keys took place. Coral Shores won both contests between the two teams in a rivalry that continues to this day. In 1979, Island Christian School added a team, making it five Keys teams competing that season. Mary Immaculate closed its doors in 1985, and Island Christian had a short hiatus, then scaled back to eight-man football between 2009 and 2016. For the last eight years, only the three public schools have taken snaps across the Keys, and it appears that will be unchanged next season, which will mark a century of prep football in Monroe County.
"We have been loyal customers of the agency for more than six decades. We love the personal touch we get when coming into the o ce with questions about our policies. Holly Redding and Jennifer Paul are always so helpful, nice and there to help if we have a problem or just a question. You always keep us up to date on the new laws and changes that come up. It is our pleasure to be your customers."
1. Douglass High School football team on Nov. 19, 1955, before schools were integrated. Photo by Don Pinder
2.
Leroy Collins with Key West High School baseball team, 1959. George Mira second from left; Boog Powell fourth from the right.
Photo by Don Pinder
shown here on Aug. 30, 1957. Photo by Don Pinder.
GATOR HUNTING
Conchs take care of business against Barbara Goleman
Key West hosted Barbara Goleman High school for a swim meet on Oct. 11 at the College of the Florida Keys pool. The Conchs outswam the Gators 90-79 in the boys competition and 125-27 in girls. Individual first-place finishers for the boys team were Santiago Gonzalez (200 free), Jacob Perez (500 free) and Eli Morris (100 back). Lady Conchs winning at home were Tessa Hughes (200 free), Hadley Bardoni (200 IM and 500 free), Aly Camargo (50 free), Colbie Turner (100 fly and 100 free), Mary Searcy (100 back) and Karis Dryer (100 breast).
1. Hadley
wins in the 500 free and 200 IM help pace the Conchs to a massive win over Barbara Goleman.
2. Tessa Hughes’ win in the 200 free helps pave the way for a Lady Conchs win in the CFK pool.
4-7. Paced by strong performances from both the boys and girls teams, the Key West Conchs make short work of Barbara Goleman on Oct. 11.
8. Reeghan Davis gets off to a fast start.
Bardoni’s
3. Eli Morris’ first-place finish in the 100 backstroke helps the Conchs outswim the Gators on Oct. 11.
Photos by MAICEY MALGRAT/ Keys Weekly
SETTING THE BAR
A look ahead to girls weightlifting
The first sports of the winter season officially opened for business in the past weeks, marking the beginning of the end for fall athletics as some athletes and coaches prepare for the inevitable overlap of their seasons. The arrival of winter sports seems to come earlier and earlier each season, with start dates occurring on a rolling basis.
Competitive cheerleading, offered only at Key West High, began practices on Sept. 30. Their competition season officially opens on Oct. 21. Next is girls weightlifting, which started practicing Oct. 7 and can begin competing on the 28th. Boys and girls soccer could start practices Oct. 14, with matches beginning the first week of November. Basketball practices begin on Oct. 28, and the window for girls wrestling opens Nov. 4, with the boys starting one week later.
One of Monroe County’s newest sports, weightlifting, has proven to be quite prolific in the hardware department. Girls weightlifting is offered at all three public schools, and the teams somehow top themselves each year.
Key West will be under the tutelage of a new coach this season in Brett Fink, who was officially hired Oct. 4, just in time for the season to begin. With two days lost to storm cancellation, Fink is still settling into the position, but he has solid goals for the upcoming season.
“Generally my goals for any team are for them to give their best effort, to focus on doing things correctly and to work together as a team. In other words, play hard, play right, play together, a play on (North Carolina) coaching legend Dean Smith's ‘Play Hard, Play Smart, Play Together,’” he said. “I include Play Right as a character-building component, which I feel is important at the high school level.”
Fink stepped up to the challenge after he learned there was no coach for the team. Many of his students were on the team and he decided to shoulder the duty for them. Fink expressed much appreciation for Jessie Schubert and Erin Hamilton, coaches for Marathon and Coral Shores, saying, “They both reached out to me when I was hired to help get us scheduled and to offer to teach me the ropes of running/ organizing the meets. Just a fantastic welcome from our competitors that I am truly grateful for.”
Key West returns several key athletes, including senior Alexa Condella and junior Shylo Sanchez. Condella will serve as team captain this season, and Sanchez brought home a pair of fourth-place medals from districts last year.
Coral Shores returns a bevy of talent this season. Sydney Eysenbach is the current district champ and was a state qualifier last season. Vanessa Gabriel was second only to Eysenbach in traditional lifts and claimed bronze in Olympic. She joined the state qualifiers with an excellent showing at regionals. Jennille Arias is the two-time defending district
champ and looks to make the state meet for the third time as a junior this year. Senior Rachel Rusch and sophomore Julia Rusch return in the lighter weights for the ’Canes. Rachel won district gold in traditional lifts last season while Julia won bronze, and both sisters qualified for the state meet. Kali Gomer should also make some room for more hardware this season. The senior was a district and regional runner-up in Olympic lifts and made the trip to states last season.
Marathon also returns a remarkable core of strong lifters. Senior Ella Dunn already owns one FHSAA state medal from her fifth-place performance in Olympic lifts last season. Dunn added it to a variety of district and regional medals from her past two seasons. Sabrina Schofield returns for her senior season as the defending district champ. Schofield earned a trip to states and has been working hard in the offseason in hopes of a repeat this year. Junior Ayme Maradiaga is also back after a trip to states last season.
But all eyes are on another Lady Fin: junior Justice Lee will be defending dual state titles for Marathon this season, and she did not take the offseason lightly. Lee added a Florida AAU gold to her state titles this summer, and when she is not at a meet, she is in the gym.
“I have an amazing community cheering me on from the start, as well as amazing coaches.”
Lee steadily improved each week last season, culminating in her unprecedented performance at states, but she is mitigating the pressure of defending her titles the only way she knows how.
— Marathon junior Justice Lee
“I do feel a little bit of pressure, but not much,” she said. “I believe that if I keep training as hard as I have been, then it will go well. I have an amazing community cheering me on from the start, as well as amazing coaches.”
And just what does an athlete with two years left of eligibility do when they are already a dual (triple with the AAU title) state champion? In Lee’s case, they set the bar higher.
“My goals this season are to make it to states and hopefully get a couple of state records as well as go undefeated,” she said.
Lee can begin her quest for perfection on Oct. 30, when Marathon joins Key West at Coral Shores for the first meet of the season.
Left page: Ella Dunn (top) and Justice Lee (bottom).
This page:
Top, from left, Julia Rusch and Rachel Rusch. Center, from left, Sabrina Schofield and Sydney Esenbach. Bottom, Vanessa Gabriel.
Photos by Doug Finger and Barry Gaukel
• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES •
NOTICE OF ELECTION
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2024, IN MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT AN ELECTION HAS BEEN CALLED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA AT THE REQUEST OF THE SCHOOL BOARD OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA FROM 7:00 A.M. UNTIL 7:00 P.M. ON TUESDAY, THE FIFTH DAY NOVEMBER, 2024, AT WHICH TIME THERE SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO THE DULY QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:
RENEWAL OF OPERATIONAL FUNDING FOR MONROE COUNTY SCHOOLS:
The School District seeks to continue its current funding for operational expenses including teacher salaries and safe-school officers. Such funds will be shared with local charter schools proportionally based on their full-time student enrollment.
Shall the District continue to enact a yearly ad valorem tax of no more than 0.5625 mill, for four (4) years beginning January 1, 2027, to fund safe-school officers and operational expenses of Monroe County Schools? ______ YES ______ NO
September 26, October 3, 10 & 17, 2024. The Weekly Newspapers.
AVISO DE PLEBISCITO
MARTES, 5 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2024, EN EL CONDADO DE MONROE, FLORIDA
POR LA PRESENTE SE NOTIFICA QUE LA JUNTA DE COMISIONADOS DEL CONDADO DE MONROE, FLORIDA, HA CONVOCADO A UN PLEBISCITO A SOLICITUD DE LA JUNTA ESCOLAR DEL CONDADO DE MONROE, FLORIDA, EL CUAL SE CELEBRARÁ DESDE LAS 7:00 A. M. HASTA LAS 7:00 P. M. DEL MARTES 5 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2024, EN CUYO MOMENTO SE PRESENTARÁ A LOS ELECTORES DEBIDAMENTE CALIFICADOS DEL CONDADO DE MONROE, FLORIDA, LA SIGUIENTE PREGUNTA:
REFINANCIAMIENTO OPERATIVO PARA LAS ESCUELAS DEL CONDADO DE MONROE:
El distrito escolar busca continuar con el financiamiento actual para los gastos operativos, incluidos los salarios de los docentes y de los funcionarios de seguridad escolar. Los fondos se compartirán con las escuelas subsidiadas locales proporcionalmente en función del número de estudiantes matriculados a tiempo completo.
¿Deberá el distrito continuar promulgando un impuesto anual ad valorem de no más de 0.5625 mill, por cuatro (4) años a partir del 1 de enero de 2027, para financiar a los funcionarios de seguridad escolar y los gastos operativos de las escuelas del condado de Monroe? ______ SÍ ______ NO
September 26, October 3, 10 & 17, 2024. The Weekly Newspapers.
NOTICE OF ELECTION
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2024, IN MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT AN ELECTION HAS BEEN CALLED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA AT THE REQUEST OF THE SCHOOL BOARD OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA FROM 7:00 A.M. UNTIL 7:00 P.M. ON TUESDAY, THE FIFTH DAY NOVEMBER, 2024, AT WHICH TIME THERE SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO THE DULY QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:
FACILITATING SCHOOL DISTRICT CAPITAL PROJECTS THROUGH SALES TAX LEVY RATHER THAN RAISING LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES:
Renewed funding is required for the School District's capital improvement plan such as new construction, renovations, additions, security needs, technology implementation, school buses, and permitted capital improvements. The revenues collected must be shared with eligible charter schools based on their proportionate share of the total school district enrollment.
Shall the School Board of Monroe County, Florida continue to levy a one-half cent sales surtax for a period of ten (10) years beginning January 1, 2026?
______ FOR THE ONE-HALF CENT TAX
______ AGAINST THE ONE-HALF CENT TAX
September 26, October 3, 10 & 17, 2024. The Weekly Newspapers.
AVISO DE PLEBISCITO
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2024, IN MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
POR LA PRESENTE SE NOTIFICA QUE LA JUNTA DE COMISIONADOS DEL CONDADO DE MONROE, FLORIDA, HA CONVOCADO A UN PLEBISCITO A SOLICITUD DE LA JUNTA ESCOLAR DEL CONDADO DE MONROE, FLORIDA, EL CUAL SE CELEBRARÁ DESDE LAS 7:00 A. M. HASTA LAS 7:00 P. M. DEL MARTES 5 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2024, EN CUYO MOMENTO SE PRESENTARÁ A LOS ELECTORES DEBIDAMENTE CALIFICADOS DEL CONDADO DE MONROE, FLORIDA, LA SIGUIENTE PREGUNTA:
FACILITAR LOS PROYECTOS DE CAPITAL DE LOS DISTRITOS ESCOLARES MEDIANTE LA RECAUDACIÓN DE IMPUESTOS A LAS VENTAS EN LUGAR DE AUMENTAR LOS IMPUESTOS LOCALES DE DERECHO INMOBILIARIO:
Se requiere refinanciamiento para el plan de mejoras de capital en el distrito escolar, el cual abarca construcciones, renovaciones, ampliaciones, seguridad, tecnología, autobuses escolares y mejoras permitidas de capital. Los ingresos recaudados deberán compartirse con las escuelas subsidiadas que califiquen en función de su participación proporcional de la matrícula total del distrito escolar.
¿Debe la Junta Escolar del condado de Monroe, Florida, continuar recaudando un impuesto a las ventas de medio céntimo por un período de diez (10) años, contados a partir del 1 de enero de 2026?
A FAVOR DEL IMPUESTO DE MEDIO CÉNTIMO ______ EN CONTRA DEL IMPUESTO DE MEDIO CÉNTIMO
September 26, October 3, 10 & 17, 2024. The Weekly Newspapers.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE
Notice is hereby given that the undersigned intends to sell the personal property described below to enforce a lien imposed on said property under the Florida Self Storage Facilities Act Statutes (Section 83.801 – 83.809). The undersigned will sell online by competitive bidding on November 8, 2024, at 9am. #324 Thomas Beaudry –personal property #109 Shammah Fleurelus –personal property #321 Faime Desrochers –personal property Will be auctioned online by Storage Treasures via website at storagetreasures.com. All purchased items sold as is. Items are located at Big Pine Storage at 30677 Overseas Highway, Big Pine Key, Florida 33043 and must be collected within 72 hours of auction.
Publish:
October 17 & 24, 2024
The Weekly Newspapers
DISTRICT IV ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DAC IV) (between the Long Key Bridge and mile marker 90.939) of the MONROE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL has an opening for a 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 The deadline for receipt of applications at the above address is 5:00 p.m. Friday, November 15, 2024. A resume may be attached to the application. Publish: October 17, 2024
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Key West Art & Historical Society located in 281 Front Street, Key West, FL is seeking bids on the Custom House Elevator Modernization and Upgrade Project. Interested parties should email Bender & Associates Architects at info@ benderarchitects.com for details related to the bids and the project with the subject line: Custom House Elevator Modernization and Upgrade. Publish: October 17 & 24, 2024
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 24-CP-510-P DIVISION: UPPER KEYS IN RE: ESTATE OF YVES PASCHKES Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of Yves Paschkes, deceased, whose date of death was July 19, 2024, is pending in the Circuit Court for MONROE County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88770 Overseas Highway, Suite 2, Tavernier, Florida 33070. The
names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.
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, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.
The date of first publication of this notice is: October 17, 2024.
Personal Representative: Anthony W. Allen 9818 Magellan Dr. Key Largo, Florida 33037 Attorney for Personal Representative: Richard E. Warner Attorney Florida Bar Number: 283134 RICHARD E. WARNER, P.A. 12221 Overseas Highway MARATHON, FL 33050 Telephone: (305) 743-6022 Fax: (305) 743-6216 E-mail: richard@rewarnerlaw. com Secondary E-Mail: pamela2@ rewarnerlaw.com Publish: October 17 & 24, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 24-CP-502-M DIVISION: MIDDLE KEYS IN RE: ESTATE OF CLARA ANN MAYETTE, Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of Clara Ann Mayette, deceased, whose date of death was September 2, 2024, is pending in the Circuit Court for MONROE County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida 33050. 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. 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, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.
The date of first publication of this notice is: October 17, 2024.
Personal Representative: Gerald Edward Mayette 1129 Calle Ensenada Marathon, Florida 33050
Attorney for Personal Representative: Richard E. Warner
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION REF NO. 24-CP-000474-K IN RE: ESTATE OF JAMES R. ENSMINGER, DECEASED. NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The name of the decedent, the designation of the court in which the administration of this estate is pending, and the file number are indicated above. The address of the court is Monroe County Courthouse, 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040. The name and address of the ancillary personal representative and the ancillary personal representative’s attorney are indicated below.
If you have been served with a copy of this notice and you have any claim or demand against the decedent’s estate, even if that claim is unmatured, contingent or unliquidated, you must file your claim with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF A DATE THAT IS 3 MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER YOU RECEIVE A COPY OF THIS NOTICE.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, must file their claims with the court ON OR BEFORE THE DATE THAT IS 3 MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. EVEN IF A CLAIM IS NOT BARRED BY THE LIMITATIONS DESCRIBED ABOVE, ALL CLAIMS WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN FILED WILL BE BARRED TWO YEARS AFTER DECEDENT'S DEATH.
The date of death of the decedent is January 13, 2024. The date of first publication
of this notice is October 10, 2024.
Ancillary Personal Representative: ANDREW MARAZZOENSMINGER 256 Wilcox St. Wilson, NY 14172
Attorney for Ancillary Personal Representative: TERRY J. DEEB, ESQ. DEEB ELDER LAW, P.A. 6699 13th Avenue North, Suite 4B
St. Petersburg, FL 33710
E-Mail: servicejcj@ deebelderlaw.com
E-Mail: servicekat@ deebelderlaw.com
E-Mail: servicedck@ deebelderlaw.com FL Bar No. 997791
Publish: October 10 & 17, 2024
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 24-CP-484-M
DIVISION: MIDDLE KEYS IN RE: ESTATE OF PATRICIA D. SCHMITT aka DELORES PATRICIA SCHMITT, Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of Patricia D. Schmitt aka Delores Patricia Schmitt, deceased, whose date of death was August 9, 2024, is pending in the Circuit Court for MONROE County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida 33050. 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.
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, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.
ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.
The date of first publication of this notice is: October 10, 2024.
Personal Representative: Bruce A. Schmitt 11100 Overseas Highway Marathon, Florida 33050
Attorney for Personal Representative: Richard E. Warner
Attorney Florida Bar Number: 283134
RICHARD E. WARNER, P.A. 12221 Overseas Highway MARATHON, FL 33050 Telephone: (305) 743-6022
Fax: (305) 743-6216
E-mail: richard@rewarnerlaw. com
Secondary E-Mail: pamela2@ rewarnerlaw.com
Publish: October 10 & 17, 2024
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION CASE NO.: 24-CP-442-K
IN RE: THE ESTATE OF KATHLEEN S. SNAVELY, Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of KATHLEEN S. SNAVELY, deceased, whose date of death was June 15, 2024, Case: 24-CP-442-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, 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. The date of first publication of this Notice is: October 10, 2024.
Personal Representative: JAMES M. SHAVER
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: October 10 & 17, 2024
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
PROBATE DIVISION
FILE NO. 24-CP-000074-K
IN RE: ESTATE OF RONALD W. HABYL, DECEASED.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of RONALD W. HABYL, deceased, whose date of death was December 28, 2023, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, 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 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.
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, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate must file their claims with this Court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.
ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT'S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.
The date of first publication of this notice is October 10, 2024.
Personal Representative: Darren Habyl 27913 Rexford Road Bay Village, Ohio 44140
Attorney for Personal Representative: Chad E. Brocato, Sr., Esq. Florida Bar Number: 110730 Moiguer Brocato Law 110 SE 6th Street, 17th Floor Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301 Telephone: (954) 998-7914 Fax: (786) 800-9488 E-Mail: service@mylawyer. legal Secondary E-Mail: chad@ mylawyer.legal Publish: October 10 & 17, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 16TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 24-DR-971-K DIVISION: FAMILY JOSEPH MOISE, Petitioner, and LUCRETIA GREEN, Respondent. NOTICE OF ACTION FOR EMERGENCY PETITION FOR TEMPORARY CUSTODY TO: LUCRETIA GREEN RESPONDENT’S LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: UNKNOWN YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for Emergency Petition for Temporary Custody has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on Joseph Moise, whose address is 126 Avenue F, Key West, FL 33040 on or before November 17, 2024, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 530 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition. The action is asking the court to decide how the following real or personal property should be divided: 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: October 15, 2024
Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Jaquelyn Fonseca
Deputy Clerk Publish: October 17, 24 & 31 and November 7, 2024
The Weekly Newspapers
AUTOS WANTED
2006 Bluewater 23 1/2 ft. CC with T-Top, outriggers, rod holders, rear deck light, electronic box, 200 HD Evinrude, Continental trailer. Everything in execellent shape - too much to list. Located in Lower Keys. 305-481-6980
Place your CLASSIFIED AD HERE! $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today. COMMERCIAL SPACE
Commercial office/ medical/retail space for rent/lease available in Marathon. High highway visibility, 2100-3500 sq. ft. Call for more information 305-481-3198 or email drice519@aol.com
BOATS FOR SALE
One acre commercial space for rent in Big Pine. Fenced, electric, water, sewage hookup, easy access. Rent all or part. Option to buy. 305-481-6980
Place your CLASSIFIED AD HERE! $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today.
EMPLOYMENT
Hiring: Lead Gutter
Installer - EXPERIENCE
REQUIRED – valid Driver’s License - must be comfortable with heights - located in Tavernier. To apply, please call or text Jay 305-587-1581.
Marathon Yacht Club is hiring part-time servers and bartenders. Private club, friendly atmosphere, guaranteed gratuities. Flexible lunch/dinner shifts available Tuesday – Sunday. Must provide photo ID, social security card or passport, and checking account. Call 305743-6739 to schedule an interview or email office@ marathonyachtclub.com.
The Housing Authority of the City of Key West now hiring the following positions: Administrative Asst. to Executive Director, Resident Care Supervisor with min. 3 yrs. experience of an LPN, Housing Choice Voucher Asst., Maintenance Mechanic (Maintenance Worker. To apply, please contact Human Resources at: martinezm@kwha.org or 305-296-5621. Applications are available at the Administrative Office located at 1400 Kennedy Dr., Key West, FL 33040 or online at www. kwha.org - EOE & Drug Free Work Place. This opportunity is covered under Section 3 of the HUD Act of 1968.
Serve/Bartend on the ocean! The Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club is seeking a customer service-oriented Server/Bartender. Serve on pool deck, beach and/ or bar lounge. Open year round, 9:30am7pm daily. Full time/ Part time. Small friendly staff. Above average hourly wage plus tips. Apply in person at 425 E. Ocean Dr. Key Colony Beach or call 404-2193359 and ask for Dave.
Place your CLASSIFIED AD HERE! $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today.
HOBBIES/COLLECT
PRIVATE
COLLECTOR WANTS Rolex, Dive Watches and Pilot Watches. Old Model Military Clocks & Watches. Call 305-743-4578
The Harry Truman Little White House Museum is looking for OLD FISHING GEAR to be used as a display in the museum. Fishing gear MUST be donated. Please contact Dean at 305294-8346 or email: Dean. Taylor@HistoricTours.com
Place your CLASSIFIED AD HERE! $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today.
SUNSET GRILLE IS HIRING
• Hosts
• Waitstaff
• Bartenders
• Bussers
• Line Cooks
• Dishwashers
• Bar Backs
Apply in person at Sunset Grille & Raw Bar,
7 Knight’s Key Blvd, Marathon
We
ANNUAL RENTAL -
Key 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 wifi/tv. 150 ft to the ocean. MM96 Key Largo. $1850/ month. F/L/S 305-853-3779
Conch House - Studio for rent, newly furnished in Marathon. $960/month + utilities. Dockage available for additional $. No Pets. 305-610-8002
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. RENTED!!
Place your CLASSIFIED AD HERE! $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today.
MISC. FOR SALE
Heavy duty, hard wood Futon Bed for sale in Marathon. Excellent condition. Couch turns into double bed. $250.00 305-849-0975
RIKON Band Saw, $150.00. Located in Key West (Old Town). 305-849-1080 SOLD IN ONE WEEK!
Place your CLASSIFIED AD HERE! $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today.
PERSONALS
BEACH HOUSE VACATION! Caretaker couple needed for Bahamas Beach House for 3-4 months. Call or text 305-439-9991
Place your CLASSIFIED AD HERE! $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today.
RV SITES FOR RENT
RV site / Camping available at marina in Marathon. Monthly/Daily rates. Free use of dingy & fishing on dock. Dockage available for additional $. No Pets. 305-610-8002
Place your CLASSIFIED 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
YARD SALES
Place your CLASSIFIED AD HERE! $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today.
YOUR CLASSIFIED
Place your CLASSIFIED AD HERE! $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today.
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.
WE ARE HIRING!
PLANT STORE/NURSERY ASSOCIATE PT/FT
Position requires a min. of high school completion, and 1 yr. exp. Must be knowledgeable in tropical plants and have good social/business skills, above average computer skills (knowledge of POS a plus). Must be able to lift at least 50 pounds.
Also required for this position: Fluent in English language, speaking and writing, proficiency is a must. Level 2 background screening and valid Florida driver’s license. EOE
Come join our family!
Apply at the MARC office, 1401 Seminary St., Key West. Or online at www.marchouse.org. For more information, please contact hr@marchouse.org Phone: 305-294-9526 *32
NOW HIRING IN ISLAMORADA
MARINA CASHIERS 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.
JOIN A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE NONPROFIT 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 WEST
Peer Support Specialist
Case Manager (Adult, Child)
Substance Abuse Counselor Prevention Specialist (HIV)
MARATHON
Care Coordinator (PT)
Driver – PT (CDL not required)
Behavioral Health Therapist (Child)
RN/Licensed Practical Nurse (FT/PT)
Peer Support Specialist/BHT
*Behavioral Health Technicians
– 3 shifts (FT/PT)
*Support Worker (Assisted Living, FT)
*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
LIVE IN PARADISE AND SEE DOLPHINS PLAY EVERYDAY!
DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER is a fun, environmentally friendly non-profit 501(c)(3) Corporation specializing in education, research, and rescue of marine mammals.
We have the following openings available. Please scan the QR code to visit the careers page on our website.
FACILITIES MAINTENANCE
APPRENTICE
(Full-Time, Permanent)
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
(Full-Time, Part-Time, Permanent)
DRC seeks to provide for the well-being of its employees by offering a competitive total package. DRC currently offers a 401k retirement plan, medical benefits, HSA account, paid holidays, vacation, sick and an employee assistance program. DRC also provides life and disability insurance at no cost to the employee.
COME JOIN THE FAMILY!
Email your resume and a DRC application to drc-hr@dolphins.org. EOE
- MC Multi-Modality Imaging Tech 1, (CT & X Ray) Radiology, $50k Bonus
- Medical Technologist 2, Laboratory, $50k Bonus
- Patient Scheduler 3, Radiology-Diagnostic
- Radiology Technologist 1, Radiology, $40k Bonus
- Registered Nurse, Multispecialty Acute Care Center
- Registered Nurse, Post Anesthesia Care Unit, $15k Bonus
- Security Officer 1, Security/Safety
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
