Beach life simplicity perfectly describes this pristine three bedroom, two bath oceanfront home with a pool, covered patio, and gated for privacy. Stunning beach and ocean views are enjoyed from the upper porch, lower-level covered patio, living room, and two of the three bedrooms. Fully remodeled in 2021, this charming get-away has been entirely refreshed with everything, including impact windows and doors, a metal roof, flooring, new appliances, central air, pool equipment, and an electric gate. Furnishings and finishes reflect the coastal cottage style, creating the epitome of relaxation and embodying the Florida Keys lifestyle.
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Distance runners hoping to race the 2025 7 Mile Bridge Run had a taller task than ever this year. Registration for the run, capped each year at 1,500 entrants, sold out in a mere three minutes on runsignup.com on the morning of Jan. 28, setting a new record for the race registration crew.
Key Largo residents Myra and Bill Russo hold a 5-gallon jug filled with 1,600 plastic bottle caps. So far, Russo and his volunteers have managed to fill 62 of the jugs. KELLIE BUTLER FARRELL/Keys Weekly
COUNTY ORDER HALTS VEGETATION CLEARING ON TAVERNIER PROPERTY NOW OWNED BY DEVELOPMENT GROUP
JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com
Sounds of heavy machinery and photos showing vegetation clearing on Tavernier property — now owned by a development group planning to construct a grocery store and workforce housing — led Monroe County recently to institute a stop-work order.
On Jan. 21, residents who live next to the commercial property on Orange Blossom Road say they heard the sounds of chainsaws, bulldozers and excavators. Drone footage showed vast vegetation clearing was underway at the back of the property at MM 92.5, oceanside.
Not only were invasive exotics cleared, but footage also showed mangroves were among the vegetation uprooted from the property. A lawyer for the development group said the “inadvertent” clearing of disturbed wetlands was done by a contractor replacing water main in Islamorada for the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority.
A complaint was filed with Monroe County’s code enforcement and planning and environmental resources departments, which led to the posting of a stop-work order. A referral was made to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection regarding the clearing.
“Code Compliance staff and Planning & Environmental Resources staff are working with the property owners to address the issue and find a resolution,” Emily Schemper, senior director of planning and environmental resources, told Keys Weekly on Jan. 24.
The property, formerly owned by Singletary Concrete Products Inc. and CEMEX Construction Materials Florida LLC, was purchased last December by Blackstone Group-Tavernier 925 LLC
Vegetation cleared by heavy machinery on property at MM 92.5 oceanside in Tavernier. The property is now owned by Blackstone Group-Tavernier 925 LLC, which plans to construct a Publix supermarket, liquor store and workforce housing. CONTRIBUTED
for $5.7 million. The 19.33 acres on the property consists of 14.5 upland acres and 4.82 acres of mangroves. The development group is seeking to construct a 47,240-square-foot Publix grocery store, 2,100 squarefoot liquor store and 86 workforce housing units.
Bart Smith, attorney representing the development group, told Keys Weekly by email on Jan. 24 that the property owners leased the front portion of the property to the contractor Michels Pipeline, which is currently installing new transmission main for the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority. Having successfully installed new lines on Upper Matecumbe and Windley Keys, the contractors are preparing to replace several miles of aged line on Plantation Key as soon as next month.
“The FKAA contractor will be storing aggregate to place for bedding of the pipe, fill from excavation and pipe materials,” Smith told Keys Weekly in an email. “The contractors entered the site and removed
invasive exotics as part of clearing the area to be utilized.
“Inadvertently, a small portion of disturbed wetlands adjacent to the invasive exotics were impacted,” Smith continued. “We have contacted FDEP and are meeting with them this week. We will make this right as we have been upfront about maintaining the wetlands from the beginning of this project. This was an error and while it was not caused by the property owners it will be corrected.”
Monroe County Environmental Resources staff previously verified the location of existing wetlands on site and is confirming the accuracy of the wetland location shown on the owners’ proposed site plan. No final site plan for the property has been approved or issued. The owners’ applications for a conditional use permit and a development agreement are under review.
JUDGE FINDS DANIEL WEISBERGER GUILTY IN STABBING DEATH OF HIS YOUNGER BROTHER
Sentencing set for Feb. 27
JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com
Seven days of witness and expert testimony in the Daniel Weisberger sibling murder trial culminated in Circuit Judge Mark H. Jones delivering a guilty verdict inside a Key West courtroom on the afternoon of Jan. 23.
Following a few hours of deliberation in the bench trial, Jones found Weisberger guilty of seconddegree murder in the stabbing death of his brother, 14-year-old Pascal, inside their Islamorada home during the early morning of May, 7 2020. Weisberger, who was 17 at the time of the attacks, was also found guilty of first-degree attempted murder in the stabbing attack on his dad, Ariel Poholek, shortly after killing Pascal.
The case was originally expected to go to a jury trial in the Upper Keys last fall. Delays, however, forced the case to a new judge and location following Judge Luis Garcia’s retirement last November.
A gallery of family members and staff with the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office were silent as they watched and listened to Jones read the verdict. The charges carry a possible life sentence for Weisberger, who was held at the county jail on Stock Island during the trial. He was transported to the South Florida Evaluation and Treatment Center, where he’s been receiving treatment for several years, following the trial. Daniel will learn of his sentence when he returns to the courtroom on Feb. 27.
State Attorney Dennis Ward declined to comment following the verdict, saying he would comment following the sentence hearing.
Prosecutors say Daniel stabbed his younger brother Pascal to death in a bedroom they shared at their Executive Bay home in Islamorada during the early morning hours of May 7, 2020. Prosecutors say Daniel also attacked his father, Ari Poholek, shortly afterward, stabbing him in the neck and strangling him. Daniel held his father hostage for roughly two hours before eventually fleeing; his father managed to escape and get help from a neighbor.
A massive hunt ensued by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and neighboring agencies in MiamiDade County. Some 12 hours later, Weisberger was seen running into oncoming traffic on U.S. 1 not far from Executive Bay Club. He was treated and taken to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. From there, he was taken to the
county jail and eventually placed into Department of Children and Families care so he could obtain the necessary mental health treatment.
Daniel’s defense counsel, Diane Ward and Ed O’Donnell, were seeking a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. They brought several experts to the stand to testify, one being Dr. Pamela Scannell. She saw Daniel on several occasions at the South Florida Evaluation and Treatment Center. A licensed clinical psychologist specializing in forensic psychology, Scannell believed Daniel was suffering from a psychotic illness, schizophrenia, at the time of the attacks on May 7, 2020.
The defense also called psychiatric expert Dr. Mark Mills, who visited Daniel several times between July 2021 and January 2022. He, too, said Daniel suffered from schizophrenia. The trial also brought to light Daniel’s diagnosis of ADHD, post-traumatic stress disorder and conduct disorder during his younger years.
Ward also recalled a timeline just hours before the attack as Poholek sought help for Daniel. Poholek attempted to contact Daniel’s therapist, expressing grave concern for his deteriorating mental state — he was locking doors and hiding knives. He even began to stab furniture.
There were also verbal and physical altercations between Daniel, Pascal and Poholek hours before the tragedy. Poholek also attempted to call a mobile crisis number. The help Daniel needed didn’t come in time, however, as the attacks began during the morning of May 7, 2020. Ward said Daniel’s situation needed more attention than it was getting from his therapist.
“He was a person coming unglued and needing help,” defense counsel Diane Ward said during closing statements.
Prosecutors Colleen Dunne and Trey Evans, of the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office, refuted the claim that Daniel was psychotic during the stabbings. They pointed to a note Daniel wrote stating his reasons for his attack. Prosecutors also said a message on the back of that note was “apologetic” in nature.
“Someone who doesn’t realize what they did was wrong doesn’t need to ask for forgiveness,” said
assistant state attorney Trey Evans during closing statements.
Poholek, who attended the full trial in support of his son, said the state attorney’s office “ensured that we suffered as much additional emotional distress as possible throughout the trial, and even before.” Poholek maintains Daniel wasn’t in a rational state of mind when he attacked Pascal and himself.
“My family and I are profoundly disappointed by the judge’s decision,” Poholek said in a statement to Keys Weekly. “We, and all who are familiar with both of the boys, including Pascal’s closest friends, know that Daniel greatly loved Pascal and could have never committed the acts he did unless he was in an altered mental state, as I personally experienced him being when the events of that day unfolded.”
Poholek was also critical of the State Attorney’s Office in the way they conducted the case for the past four-and-half years, everything from trying to silence the family through a gag order, orchestrating the change in trial location and having expert witnesses excluded.
“They didn’t just present the facts and let them stand for themselves, they used every legal maneuver and strategy available to undermine Daniel’s defense in order to win the case. That, not the actual truth being known, was their goal.”
Poholek said he hopes Judge Jones takes into account his family’s wishes to focus on mental health treatment as opposed to decades behind bars. A number of letters sent by members of the community who knew Daniel and the family are also urging Jones to spare Daniel more time in jail.
“Daniel indeed had mental health issues which I addressed to the best of my ability,” said Dr. Stan Zuba in a letter to Jones. “I also referred him to several mental health providers. As you are likely aware, mental health services in the Keys are badly lacking.”
Delays were seen in Daniel’s case after the court determined whether he was competent to stand trial. In 2022, the court declared Daniel incompetent to stand trial following a series of mental and neurological evaluations. By July 2023, the South Florida State Hospital filed an evaluation stating Daniel was competent to stand trial.
Far right: The scene outside Executive Bay Club on May 7, 2020. KEYS WEEKLY FILE
PHOTO Far left: Ari Poholek said his sons, Pascal, left, and Daniel Weisberger loved one another. CONTRIBUTED
Daniel Weisberger
SCHOOL BOARD DOES LONG-TERM PLANNING AMID TURMOIL
The Jan. 28 Monroe County School Board meeting was marked by careful studies of longterm plans and literally secondby-second changes to critical funding categories announced by the administration for President Donald Trump.
The long-term plans under consideration included the cost of insuring the buildings, activities and staff of the school system. The school buildings in the county, generally built to category 5 storm standards, are eligible for favorable insurance rates.
But what if, the question was raised, there is damage to some buildings that is not fully covered by insurance? Would the Federal Emergency Management Agency look favorably on the district’s insurance plan and provide supplemental disaster funding? And, it was asked, what if there was no FEMA? There was a lengthy but initial discussion of insurance alternatives.
The meeting convened at 5 p.m. That’s exactly the time that a funding freeze went into effect for a broad range of federal benefit programs. The school board staff reported that some salaries and other expenses were on the books by 5 p.m., but the status of federal funds for Head Start and school lunch programs was unclear.
Then, cell phones started to go off. Government agencies were providing clarifications. The Federal Office of Management and Budget reported that Head Start funds would not
be frozen. But the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which manages school lunch funding programs, wasn’t clear if school lunch funding would be limited.
Then, text messages delivered the news that a federal judge ordered a stay of the funding freeze.
As of press time on Wednesday, the judicial freeze on the presidential freeze was in effect until at least Monday, Feb. 3. A hearing is set for Monday morning as federal agencies are scrambling to assure the public that a large number of “direct benefit” programs, everything from Social Security to Meals on Wheels, Head Start, student loans, SNAP/EBT cards, VA benefits and school lunch were not included in the freeze. It does not seem there will be any direct effect on the school district. Other organizations receiving federal money within the county might come under more scrutiny.
At a workshop earlier in the day, there was discussion about the search for a replacement for Superintendent Theresa Axford, who plans to retire on July 31.
The board has hired consultants to conduct a nationwide search for a replacement and to collect input from the public concerning the expectations for the position. Community forums inviting comments on the search will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at Coral Shores High School; on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at Marathon High School; and on Thursday, Feb. 13 at Key West High School. All the forums will begin at 6 p.m.
FOUR MORE RESIDENTS VIE FOR A VACANT VILLAGE COUNCIL SEAT
Decision on eight hopefuls set for special meeting on Jan. 30
JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com
Several more Islamorada residents entered their names for the vacant village council seat, bringing the total number of hopefuls to eight.
The village council, with four current members, will decide who takes the post vacated by Buddy Pinder earlier in the month during a special Jan. 30 meeting at the Founders Park Community Center. Candidates must be registered voters in Florida and residents of Islamorada.
Four additional village residents submitted their paperwork before the Jan. 27 deadline: Larry Zettwoch, Tom Raffanello, Beth Kamenstein and David Epstein.
A 15-year resident, Raffanello told Keys Weekly he has executive management experience, having spent 30-plus years with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. He was special agent in charge for the Miami field office, commanding offices in Florida and the Bahamas.
Raffanello has run for village council the previous two elections. He said no one is looking out for taxpayers, and he wants to make the sacrifice for one term to “put this thing on track” with a strategic plan and a “budget system that works.”
“I don’t feel anyone represents the residents and taxpayers,” Raffanello said. “As one gentleman pointed out at a previous council meeting, taxes are going up every year. My question is why? Why are we buying things?”
Epstein grew up in Islamorada and worked as an emergency management director for the Homestead Air Force Base. He’s the owner and CEO of Islamorada Luxury Carts, and he’s also a real estate agent with Coastal Realty of the Florida Keys.
“In the next decade our great village needs strategic thinkers, so the new village manager can properly manage the great employees of Islamorada,” Epstein said. “Council leadership should not be influenced by one specific organization.”
Zettwoch is a former U.S. Air Force colonel and volunteer firefighter and paramedic with Islamorada Fire Rescue. He ran for a council seat in 2020.
“I would like to help this council move forward because we seem to be in an area of turmoil right now with ROGOs and traffic and big business coming in,” he said. “I hope I can get some consensus on what we’re trying to do. I’m invested in Islamorada. I’ve been here since 1987.” Kamenstein has been a village resident since 1989. Her late husband, Ron Levy, spearheaded the “Go Local” Islamorada incorporation movement. She said she’s been involved in many projects, including the playground behind the library in the early 1990s. She was also on a four-person team which built the Montessori Island School in Tavernier. She’s an artist who has a flexible schedule and said she will commit her energy and time, if chosen.
“I think being a council person is bringing vision to make people’s lives better in the town,” Kamenstein said. “I don’t believe one has to have experience other than being a good human being.”
As previously reported by Keys Weekly, four other residents submitted the necessary documentation last week to be considered for the seat: Anna Richards, Stephanie Scuderi, Greg Dully and Van Cadenhead.
FRANK DERFLER www.keysweekly.com
Tom Raffanello
David Epstein
Larry Zettwoch
Beth Kamenstein
7-YEAR-OLD BOY SUCCUMBS TO INJURIES FROM EMMA STREET FIRE
Deadly blaze kills 2 parents & 2 children; 2 injured teens are in stable condition
MANDY MILES
mandy@keysweekly.com
An apartment fire on Emma Street in Key West the evening of Jan. 23 devastated a local family, killing two parents and one child, 5. Three other children were severely injured and taken to mainland hospitals, where 7-year-old Sadrac Decimy succumbed to his injuries on Jan. 25, bringing the death toll to four.
The fire claimed the lives of Jean Decimy, 41; Evelyne Pierre, 38; Dave Decimy, 5 and Sadrac Decimy, 7. Two older children — Jean Decimy, 14, and Sanaika Decimy, 13 — remain in the hospital being treated for smoke inhalation and burns and were in stable condition as of Jan. 28, according to Key West police.
The state fire marshal is investigating the cause of the tragic blaze that engulfed Unit 6C in Fort Village Apartments, a public housing complex operated by the Key West Housing Authority at Truman Avenue and Emma Street. The investigation could take a few weeks, said City of Key West spokeswoman Alyson Crean.
Reports indicate that the family was upstairs when the fire started, making their escape difficult.
“This is an unimaginable tragedy, and people are still wrapping their heads around it,” Randy Sterling, executive director of the Key West Housing Authority, told the Keys Weekly on Jan. 24 after working all night to ensure that all other residents from the complex’s five other units were safely housed. “This community has and will continue to do what it always does, by coming together to help in times of crisis, be it a fire, a hurricane or anything else.
“My maintenance director, who isn’t from Key West, told me he’s lived in other communities, and has never seen or experienced this type of community response. The mayor and city officials were with me last night with the Red Cross, which stepped right up and set up a sort of response center at the community center across the street to figure out what needed to be done
A fire at Fort Village Apartment at Truman Avenue and Emma Street the evening of Jan. 23 claimed the lives of two parents, and two children. Two others injured in the fire were in stable condition as of Jan. 28.
LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly
and what people needed. But obviously, this tragedy has devastated a family and the needs will be ongoing.”
Sterling also credited Key West Fire Department for its quick and skilled response, which kept the fire contained to Unit 6C in the concrete block structure that was built in 1942. Fort Village includes a total of 84 units in multiple buildings, according to the housing authority website. There are six units in the building where the fire was located.
“We were able to find housing for everyone last night, because obviously all six units in that building had to be evacuated, but thanks to the fire department’s efforts to contain the blaze, we should be able to get at least four of the other families back in their homes today,” Sterling said, adding that the unit directly next door to 6C will take longer for the residents to return. The housing authority and Red Cross are ensuring they have a place to stay.
Laura Stilley, a relative of the Decimy family, started a GoFundMe page to raise money for “funeral services, child care, clothing, food and other essential needs.” As of Jan. 28, the community had donated over $77,000. To contribute, visit gofundme. com and search “Support for Decimy Family After Tragedy,”or scan the QR code here.
Stay tuned to keysweekly.com and to the Keys Weekly’s Facebook page for the latest information about how to help.
MARATHON CAPITOL RIOTER GOES FREE AFTER TRUMP PARDONS
Bryan Bishop served less than five of his 45-month sentence
RICKERT alex@keysweekly.com
AMarathon man who admitted to assaulting law enforcement officers during the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riots was among those to walk free when President Donald Trump issued more than 1,500 pardons to rioters on his first day in office.
Originally arrested in August 2023, Bryan Bishop pleaded guilty in April 2024 to a felony charge of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers after video footage from the Jan. 6 riots captured him spraying a Metropolitan Police Department officer in the face with a chemical irritant before entering the Capitol.
On Sept. 3, Bishop was sentenced to 45 months in prison, along with three years of supervised release and a $2,000 restitution payment by U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly. Following Trump’s pardons, he served less than five months of that sentence.
Calling them a “truly unthinkable attempt to erase the facts of that day,” Democratic Sen. Patty Murray introduced a resolution requesting unanimous consent to condemn the pardons, but that resolution was blocked by Senate Republicans on Jan. 28.
A month before Bryan’s plea, his wife Tonya Bishop also pleaded guilty to lesser misdemeanor charges after entering the Capitol during the riots. She was later sentenced to 24 months of probation and $500 in restitution.
A search of the Federal Bureau of Prisons database confirmed Bryan Bishop’s release. Multiple sources confirmed to the Weekly that the Bishops had returned to their boat in Boot Key Harbor, and the couple hold an active mooring reservation with the city of Marathon.
Trump’s day-one pardons were paired with commuted sentences of 14 defendants associated with the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, previously convicted of seditious conspiracy.
“This is a big one,” Trump said of the “full, complete and unconditional” pardons that drew condemnation from Democratic lawmakers and even a few Republicans.
“It is a betrayal of the law enforcement that protected all of us that day and a dangerous endorsement of political violence, telling criminals that you can beat cops within an inch of their lives as long as it’s in service to Donald Trump,” Murray said.
Though Trump had for months promised to grant clemency to many Jan. 6 defendants, some still questioned prior to Inauguration Day whether the pardons would include violent offenders during the riots.
In a Jan. 12 interview with Fox News, Vice President JD Vance stated that those who committed violence on Jan. 6 “obviously shouldn’t be pardoned,” causing backlash from right-wing supporters. Vance quickly walked back his position in a second interview on Jan. 26, seeking to separate the actions of violent rioters from what he called “denied constitutional protections in the prosecutions” for defendants under former Attorney General Merrick Garland.
ALEX
Seen here at the courthouse in Key West after his August 2023 arrest, Bryan Bishop was among more than 1,500 Capitol rioters pardoned by President Donald Trump. KEYS WEEKLY FILE PHOTO
Islamorada, Village of Islands (the “Village”) is seeking
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NUCLEAR PLANT EMERGENCY TEXT PUTS NORTH KEY LARGO RESIDENTS ON ALERT
JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com
County officials say message was inadvertently sent
Concerns were heightened among North Key Largo residents who opened their phones to read a text alert from Monroe County regarding an emergency at Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant the morning of Jan. 28.
“Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant site area emergency. Everyone in Ocean Reef, Key Largo Anglers Club and Card Sound Road should monitor local media for further information and instructions,” the text alert read.
Monroe County officials later clarified there was no emergency, as the text message was accidentally sent out to residents living in the private and gated Ocean Reef Club.
Just before 11 a.m., an annual multiagency practice drill was underway regarding the power plant located on Biscayne Bay and just east of the Homestead area. According to county spokeswoman Kristen Livengood, Monroe County Emergency Management inadvertently transmitted a test emergency notification to residents in the private North Key Largo community. Two messages to correct the error and false alarm were immediately sent to Ocean Reef residents.
Monroe County Emergency Management officials apologized for the accidental transmission of the message and have discussed the error with their partner agencies to avoid mistakes in the future.
oceanside in Tavernier. Invasive exotics and mangroves were among the vegetation removed. CONTRIBUTED
“This is a very complicated project, and the issue of the illegal clearing was dealt with swiftly by Monroe County’s Code Compliance and Environmental Resources departments,” said Monroe County Commissioner Holly Merrill Raschein, who represents the Tavernier area, in a prepared statement on Jan. 28. “We take illegal clearing very seriously in Monroe County.”
a Tavernier Key Commercial Overlay District (TKCOD) on property located at MM 92.5, oceanside. The vote was 4-1 with County Commissioner Craig Cates expressing opposition after hearing concerns from community residents. The approval gave developers clearance to construct a nonresidential structure beyond a 10,000-square-foot limit on the property.
Operated by Florida Power & Light, Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant generates enough electricity to supply the needs of nearly a million homes.
In Monroe County, Ocean Reef, Key Largo Anglers Club and Card Sound Road residents and visitors could be affected in the unlikely event of an accident at the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant. Monroe County Emergency Management is authorized for Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) which allows for geographically targeted notifications via Everbridge.
The Emergency Alert System (EAS) sends a short text message to television and audio message to radio and the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system pushes the message to landlines and cell phones in the area.
In the event of an incident at Turkey Point, everyone in the 10-mile emergency planning zone would receive emergency instructions on their cell phones. Nonweather emergency messages will be broadcast on NOAA weather radios. In addition, a siren adjacent to Alabama Jacks Restaurant would alert the public of an emergency at Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant.
Public safety officials in the Monroe County emergency zone will make announcements via loudspeakers informing residents and visitors to tune into local media for information.
A letter by Andrew Toppino, who’s part of the Blackstone Group, to Monroe County commissioners on Jan. 27, said they were approached by Giannetti Contracting Corporation, a subcontractor to Michaels Pipeline Inc., who was awarded the waterline replacement project. To ensure Giannetti could complete the project efficiently, Toppino said it was essential to secure a location for material laydown and staging.
“This staging area is critical to completing this vital infrastructure project for the Upper Keys in a timely manner,” he said. “We made an agreement with the contractor to utilize the property for construction laydown (temporarily) until we begin construction. The use of this property as a laydown site was formally approved by the FKAA via an approved submittal.”
Toppino added Blackstone Group-Tavernier 925 LLC has consistently maintained its commitment to preserving the disturbed wetlands on-site.
“To clarify, our site plan has always clearly delineated the disturbed wetlands, and we have never suggested developing any portion of the property within that area,” Toppino wrote.
Toppino said they’re working with Monroe County and Giannetti to ensure that this mistake is corrected through the proper channels.
Last February, county commissioners approved an ordinance for
The ordinance was referred to FloridaCommerce and originally shot down on May 16 due to issues between the developer’s proposal and the TKCOD. In its order, FloridaCommerce stated the ordinance improperly created an overlay district to exempt the subject property from development standards.
But just a month later, on June 26, FloridaCommerce announced a reversal of its decision to deny the county-approved ordinance. The new order stated the TKCOD was indeed consistent with comprehensive plan and development guidelines. Emily Hetherington, FloridaCommerce spokeswoman, said the merits of the application were never in doubt; rather, their questions were solely matters of law.
In December, the county commission approved a measure to let the developers reserve 86 early evacuation workforce housing units for the project. They also approved a resolution to apply the TKCOD to the property at MM 92.5 in Tavernier. Cates was the lone “no” vote on the application of the TKCOD.
Developers must obtain a major conditional use approval to proceed with the project. That matter is taken up by the Monroe County Planning Commission. A development agreement, which would authorize development of 86 workforce housing dwelling units and a 49,900 squarefoot nonresidential structure, must also be approved by the county.
Monroe County placed a stop-work order after learning of vegetation clearing on property owned by Blackstone Group-Tavernier 925 LLC at MM 92.5,
Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant. CONTRIBUTED
HEALTH DEPARTMENT APPOINTS MEDICAL DIRECTOR
The Florida Department of Health in Monroe County (DOH-Monroe) recently appointed Taweh Beysolow as the new medical director.
Beysolow joined DOHMonroe in November 2024. He will be responsible for medical oversight of all Monroe health department locations with direct client care one day per week, working closely with the DOHMonroe APRN providers and registered nurses.
“We are very excited to have Dr. Beysolow join our team,” said Dr. Carla Fry, administrator and health officer for DOH-Monroe. “He has a wealth of experience. He is double board-certified in internal medicine and nephrology, and as a local provider, he is well known to the community.”
Beysolow graduated from Dartmouth Medical School, then completed an internal medicine internship at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester. Following the internship, he completed his residency in internal medicine at both the University of Massachusetts and Harlem Hospital Center in New York. Beysolow then remained at Harlem Hospital for three years to pursue a fellowship in nephrology.
He is a member of the American Society of Nephrology, the National Kidney Foundation,
Taweh Beysolow
the International Society of Nephrology, the American College of Physicians and the Florida Medical Association.
Beysolow’s appointment comes after previous medical director Dr. Mark Whiteside’s retirement on Jan. 31. Whiteside has worked in public health for over 40 years and has served as medical director since 2008. He plans to stay with his family in Key West.
“The true impact of Dr. Whiteside’s contributions to public health is immeasurable, as his efforts throughout his career have protected, improved and saved countless lives,’ Fry said.
— Contributed
MARQUARDT NAMED KEYS TOURISM CFO & COO
Elizabeth “Liz” Marquardt, an attorney and certified public accountant, is the new chief financial officer/chief operating officer for Visit Florida Keys, the Monroe County Tourist Development Council’s operations organization.
Marquardt is responsible for overseeing all financial aspects of the organization and managing legal, compliance and administrative functions for the 125-mile-long island chain’s destination marketing entity.
Previously, she was a senior vice president for Bayview Asset Management and Bayview Legacy in Coral Gables.
“Liz’s deep experience in financial leadership and strategic planning comes at the perfect time as we focus on rebuilding every level of our operations,” said Kara Franker, president and CEO of Visit Florida Keys. “Her expertise will be key in establishing best practices and laying the groundwork for a strong and sustainable future for the organization.”
Marquardt has been chief financial officer for Volvo Treasury North America and Ferrell Law and chief financial officer and interim museum director for the Miami Art Museum. She has also been a senior director for Alvarez & Marsal Tax and LNR Partners LLC.
“As a Key Largo homeowner and part-time resident for the past 15 years, I have developed a deep appreciation for the natu-
Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Marquardt. ral beauty of the Florida Keys and Key West,” Marquardt said. “I am excited to join an organization dedicated to sharing the unique charm of this remarkable region with the world.”
Marquardt earned a bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; a master’s in accountancy from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Va., and a law degree from the University of Miami School of Law.
She is a member of the University of Miami’s Citizens Board, the Florida Bar, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and is a Florida-licensed community association manager. — Contributed
BRIEFLY
Book sale set at Key Largo library
Who doesn’t love a stack of good books? Beginning Feb. 1, the Friends of the Key Largo Library will have a selection of books in a month-long sale.
“Take what you like and donate what you can” makes this book sale unique. Every Wednesday fresh books are put out. Stop in any time the library is open Monday through Saturday and drop your donation in the box — even take a tote bag for your haul. Proceeds support adult programs at the library that are open to the community at no charge. You will be supporting arts and crafts, music and cultural events.
Recreational fishing seminar returns to Coral Shores Feb. 8
The Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series returns to the Florida Keys on Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Coral Shores Performing Arts Center. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the educational event will cover “howto” and “where-to” aspects of catching the Florida Keys’ inshore, nearshore and offshore saltwater gamefish.
Presiding over the seminar are George Poveromo, host of “George Poveromo’s World of Saltwater Fishing” on Discovery Network, and Capt. Mark Schmidt, a Key West light tackle guide and International Game Fish Association world record holder. Joining Poveromo and Schmidt is a diversified group of South Florida and Keys professionals including Bruce Davis, Jimmy Gagliardini, Armani Garcia, Chris Hanson, Lee Lavery, Andrew Tipler, Diego Toiran, Mike Weinhofer, Alan Wenzel, Jim Willcox and David Wicker. Also on the faculty is Islamorada marine artist and recreational angler Pasta Pantaleo.
The $65 ticket price covers instruction, a 2025 course textbook, a one-year subscription or extension to Salt Water Sportsman magazine, one Roff’s Ocean Fishing Forecast Analysis, boat care products, a Bass Pro Shops discount card and chances to win thousands of dollars’ worth of door prizes.
The grand prize, which will be awarded at the conclusion of the seminar, is a guided Florida Keys fishing trip with accommodations. The super grand prize, to be awarded several weeks after the conclusion of the 2025 series, is a new Mako Pro Skiff 17.
An after-seminar reception is set for attendees beginning at 4 p.m. Saturday at World Wide Sportsman, MM 81.5 bayside, in Islamorada. To purchase tickets and learn more about the seminar, visit nationalseminarseries.com.
League
& Libations set for Feb. 10
The Upper Keys League of Women Voters will meet on Monday, Feb. 10 at 6 p.m. at Num Thai Restaurant, 103200 Overseas Highway, for League & Libations. Everyone is welcome for social time, noshing and guest speaker Maile Horn from the Florida Keys Children’s Shelter. She will give a brief presentation on their work in the Upper Keys.
The event will also celebrate the League of Women Voter’s anniversary. The league began in 1920 as a “mighty political experiment” designed to help 20 million women carry out their new responsibilities as voters. The league continues this work through its mission of empowering voters and defending democracy. Meet league members and learn about their many activities and upcoming events. The organization is nonpartisan and focused on voter education and services. More information is at Upper Keys League of Women Voters on Facebook or via email to uklwvtreasurer@ gmail.com.
Orchid valentines at Civic Club
Florida
Keys Orchid Society will host Juanita’s Orchids at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at the Civic Club. Juanita will provide common sense growing tips and tricks for beautiful orchids. Come with questions and if you have an overgrown plant bring it in. There will be beautiful plants for sale for your valentine (or yourself) and everyone is welcome to attend.
POOR GIRLS SAILFISH TOURNAMENT RETURNS FOR 36TH YEAR
Proceeds support spaying and neutering, children’s hospital
JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com
An upcoming sailfish tournament is benefiting the local spaying and neutering efforts while also supporting a children’s hospital.
The annual Poor Girls Sailfish tournament returns for the 36th year on Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 4-5 at the Islander Resort in Islamorada. Tournament organizer Sharon Mahoney said the tournament was started by three bartenders who worked at Whale Harbor.
“Their boyfriends and husbands were captains or mates of fish boats. The girls always wanted to go fishing, but because of the cost of a charter trip they didn’t,” she said.
A new tournament was born. Held during the middle of the week, Mahoney said it allowed charter boats the chance to participate without giving up paid weekend charter boat trips.
Eventually, the tournament was handed over to Clear Channel Radio. It was then given by two of the founding members to Mahoney’s Casting for Cats nonprofit some 16 years ago.
“They said, ‘If we legally give you the tournament, will you promise it will go to charity?’ I said ‘absolutely,’” Mahoney said.
Proceeds support the continued spaying and neutering efforts in the Upper Keys to control the cat popu-
lation. Mahoney has worked with other local rescues and animal clinics through the years. She estimated some 8,000 cats have been spayed and neutered among the local groups over the course of 23 years.
“I remember driving from Plantation Key to my flower shops and I’d see several cats hit on the side of the road. You don’t see that any more, and I think it’s a product of everyone’s efforts to spay and neuter,” Mahoney said.
A portion also goes to Shriners Children’s Hospital. Mahoney said her father was a very active Shriner Mason who often transported Keys kids to Shriners for care.
“It’s a great cause,” Mahoney said.
Registration and angler check-in will take place at the Islander Resort from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 4. It’ll be followed by a kickoff party featuring appetizers and cocktails at 6 p.m. and the reading of rules at 7 p.m.
Lines will be in the water at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5, and lines out will be called at 3 p.m. A dinner and awards ceremony will go from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Islander Resort.
More information is at castingforcats.org/poor-girls-sailfish-tournament/ or from Mahoney at 305-3045262.
The 36th annual Poor Girls Sailfish tournament returns Feb. 4-5 in Islamorada. CONTRIBUTED
MEMBERS IN MOTION
From left: Bill Russo and many of his volunteers show off the thousands of plastic bottle caps and other bits of plastic they collected at Silver Shores in Key Largo. KELLIE BUTLER FARRELL/Keys Weekly. Bill Russo displays the T-shirt he made for his club Knot Going Back. He already has more than 25 members, helping to rid the ocean and community of plastic bottle caps.
Bill Russo and members of his Knot Going Back club have collected more than 99,000 plastic bottle caps and other small bits of plastic.
KEY LARGO MAN PROTECTS THE ENVIRONMENT, ONE PLASTIC BOTTLE CAP AT A TIME
Dozens of helpful neighbors roll up their sleeves
KELLIE BUTLER FARRELL www.keysweekly.com
Ninety-nine thousand two hundred and counting: that’s how many plastic bottle caps Bill Russo and his small army of volunteers have collected from the shoreline and other areas inside their Key Largo neighborhood.
“I have 62 water bottles filled; each one holds 1,600,” Russo said.
Behind the retired high school biology and marine science teacher’s Silver Shores home, 62, 5-gallon jugs line the fence in the backyard.
“I don’t know how many he’s up to, to tell you the truth, but they’re all taking over,” joked Russo’s wife, Myra, of his ever-growing collection of recovered bottle caps and other bits of plastic.
All of this plastic was collected by Russo and at least 25 of his neighbors, who have joined forces to become eco-warriors in their Silver Shores community.
About a year-and-a-half ago, Russo and Myra, his wife of 58 years, were seeing scores of plastic bottle caps in the water and on the shore at their ocean side neighborhood.
“Me and Myra, we noticed all these bottle caps around and we just started picking them up,” Russo recalled.
“And then when we started putting them in the bottles. People started asking, ‘What are you going to do with them?’ and I said ‘We’re just not going to let them go back. They’re not going back into the water,’” Russo said.
That’s when Russo decided to name his mission to rid the water and community of plastic bottle caps “Knot Going Back,” a play on a nautical term.
The boat connection, knots and the sea, I couldn’t think of anything else that was tied in,” Russo said.
Russo printed T-shirts showing a picture of the plastic recovered. Soon he had a village of volunteers eager to don the T-shirt and join his environmental action club.
“I saw him doing this, picking up these bottle caps, and I asked him about it and he told me what he was doing and I said that’s interesting,” said Tom Price, a snowbird from Minnesota who joined “Knot Going Back.”
Price and others in the group want to do their part to protect our delicate environment and the marine life that calls it home.
“Think about it. You have animals that have been evolving for millions of years and plastic is only about a hundred years old,” said Russo. “They don’t know plastic from a jellyfish, so they eat it and then they get sick.”
“These creatures are basically gobbling them up like food, so we’ve got to try to stop it,” agreed Price.
Russo and his group not only scour the shoreline at Silver Shores looking for plastics, they hit Harry Harris Park as well. And that’s not all.
“Others who can’t go searching outside have saved their medical bottle caps,” explained Russo.
Silver Shores resident and volunteer Geri Smith has been collecting and saving household plastic caps since Russo started the group. Smith is an artist
and envisions one day turning some of this trash into treasure.
“We will definitely do a piece of art,” said Smith.
“What I envision is something having to do with the water and I have different colors and different sizes and we’ll probably do water and maybe some fish, sky and so forth,” she added.
New Jersey snowbird and volunteer Nettie Seder is all for the proper disposal of plastics and recycling. Seder said she took part in a recycling experiment in New Jersey 45 years ago and recycling has become a way of life for her family.
“We’ve been doing mixed recycling. My daughters have grown up with it,” Seder said.
Russo says for now the thousands of collected bottle caps and other pieces of plastic will remain in the 5-gallon jugs in his backyard.
“People said why don’t you recycle them? I said I’d just rather keep them out all together. I know where they are, I don’t know what happens to recycled things,” Russo said .
“And I also think it makes a bigger statement when you have a pile of thousands and thousands and thousands of bottle caps. It makes more of an impact on people than if I sent them to the recycle plant,” he added.
Russo’s grand display of collected plastic bottle caps is having an effect.
“It’s spreading,” Myra said. “We have people whose grandchildren come over with little bags.”
“I’m so proud of everyone here that has picked up any amount, little bit or big amount. It’s a great community. We all love it here,” said Russo.
Russo hopes his efforts inspire others to start their own clubs and help save the environment, one piece of plastic at a time.
‘SHE’S A LITTLE GENERAL WITH A HEART OF GOLD’
Whiskers& Paws founder retires following decades of service
ZACK WOLTANSKI www.keysweekly.com
After 24 years of dedicated service to the Keys’ feline community, Whiskers and Paws Forever founder Margie Schwartz will be retiring.
Schwartz, a beloved figure in the community, will leave the Keys to move out west, leaving behind a two-decade legacy of service and dedication.
“Hopefully these last three years of spaying and neutering over 3,000 dogs and cats (have) made an impact on the cat population,” wrote Schwartz in an announcement on Facebook. “More needs to be done and my hope is that this mission will continue.”
Schwartz’s more than two decades of hard work and commitment in working to spay, neuter and find foster families for feral and house cats supported the local environment with the attendant reduction of wild cats. Schwartz, whose organization was formerly known as Caring for Cats, is remembered by friends and colleagues at the Whiskers and Paws spay and neuter clinic for her passion, dedication and love of animals.
Within a year of moving to the Keys, Schwartz began work with the Helping Homeless through Friends of Felines spay/neuter organization. Upon its closure, Schwartz took initiative to open her own nonprofit, Caring for Cats, to continue the work of Helping Homeless.
“When she moved to the Keys, (Margie) noticed there were lots and lots of colonies of feral cats,” said Sue Baker Mason, who has volunteered alongside Margie Schwartz for years. “At the library, at the Trading Post, at Uncle Joe’s, she started taking a few kittens home. … She thought ‘I could do something more with this.’”
In January 2022, after a brief lapse wherein Schwartz worked to trap, transport and foster cats with an organization out of Marathon, she founded Whiskers and Paws Forever in Monroe County. For the last two years, Whiskers and Paws operated out of the Humane Society’s surgical suite.
In addition to helping stray cats, often acquired by local residents who would bring them to Whiskers and Paws, Schwartz and an extensive team of volunteer veterinarians and anesthesiologists worked to spay and neuter Humane Society animals. The organization also spayed and neutered foxes for Pawsitive Beginnings fox rescue.
Since the organization was founded, Whiskers and Paws Forever spayed and neutered nearly 3,000 cats and kittens and more than 300 dogs. Schwartz’s work reaches much further. Mason estimated that Schwartz has helped more than 10,000
cats. She has also worked to rehabilitate many felines suffering from a variety of injuries.
In October 2023, they assisted a pair of feral cats that had been struck by blow darts in a shocking act of cruelty. Alongside Schwartz’s steadfast leadership, Whiskers and Paws received generous help from volunteer veterinarians and community support.
“The change in the last 20 years I have seen (is) the feral cat population we once had was immense. Every Islamorada neighborhood was overrun,” said Mason, who has known Schwartz for 17 years.
Mason expounded on the sacrifices Schwartz had made in serving the Keys.
“She’s a little general with a heart of gold. In cases where kittens have come in with broken bones, she has used her own money to save or amputate their limbs. She’d never turn down a cat in need. … She’s an unsung hero.”
Whiskers and Paws Forever will be closing in February, and oncoming donations will be sent to a sanctuary in northern Florida which cares for cats deemed “unadoptable.” They held their last clinic on Jan. 24.
Schwartz’s retirement announcement on Facebook saw many from the community showering praises of her work in the community. Joy Martin, MarrVelous Pet Rescues president, said Schwartz’s nonprofit helped spay and neuter several MPR pups.
1: Whiskers and Paws Forever helped spay and neuter foxes raised by Key Largo nonprofit Pawsitive Beginnings. Margie Schwartz, third from left with Kai the fox, is pictured next to Dr. Brian Huntsman, who has worked for years alongside Schwartz in ardent support of her mission, and support staff. CONTRIBUTED. 2: Margie Schwartz, founder of Whiskers and Paws Forever, has worked in service of local cats and kittens for more than two decades. 3: Margie Schwartz checks in on a cat in the recovery room. KEYS WEEKLY FILE PHOTO
PASCAL WEISBERGER’S DAY OF SERVICE SET FOR FEB. 2
Pascal Weisberger would have turned 19 on Feb. 2.
A tragedy in May 2020 – he was killed by his brother – took the 14-year-old boy who fought for the environment, adored pets and gave everything he had to his Upper Keys community.
Schools, local organizations and residents across the island chain will give back to their communities through debris cleanups and other projects for the sixth annual Pascal Weisberger Day of Service on Feb. 2. The event was started by former Treasure Village Montessori principal Kelly Mangel who worked alongside Ariel Poholek, Pascal’s father, and the community.
The day has grown exponentially over the years with participation among schools, organizations and individuals in the Keys. Two years ago, Monroe County officially declared Feb. 2 as Pascal’s Annual Day of Service, encouraging students and those in the community to engage in cleanups and other acts of service.
Students across Monroe County will mobilize for a day of service to honor Weisberger’s work in the community. Poholek is also encouraging participation among local businesses this year. While cleanups are worthwhile service activities, any kind of community service is a valued contribution to the day.
“People have donated blood. They’ve also donated food to the local animal shelter and food pantries,” he said.
A debris cleanup at Harry Harris Park in Tavernier will go from 10 a.m. to noon.
Participants in this year’s day of service are encouraged to share photos to the Pascal’s Way Facebook page and/or share posts to their own Facebook pages with the hashtag #PascalsWay. And those in the community who wish to tell stories of their interactions with Pascal are encouraged to send them to Poholek at apoholek@gmail.com. Poholek is looking to compile the stories for a commemorative book.
— Keys Weekly staff report
SHERIFF’S OFFICE ANNOUNCES CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office will hold its next Citizens Police Academy starting April 2025, and is looking for people who are interested in learning more about law enforcement and the sheriff’s office.
Classes will begin in April and will continue through May. There will be three separate academies — one each in the Lower, Middle and Upper Keys.
Attendees will be asked to commit to spending one night a week from 6 to 9 p.m., in addition to a graduation ceremony in Marathon.
Classes will be held in the individual district holding the academy and each will include about 15 attendees. In the Upper Keys, classes will meet on Tuesdays at the Roth Building on Plantation Key. In the Middle Keys, classes will meet on Wednesdays at the Sheriff’s Office Aviation Hangar in Marathon. In the Lower Keys, classes will meet on Thursdays at the Sheriff’s Office headquarters on Stock Island.
Sessions will include an orientation and introduction to patrol procedures; a tour of jail facilities; introduction to weapons: Simunitions and Taser; traffic/felony stops; crime scene investigations, including a hands-on mock crime scene; building searches; introduction to specialty units: Bomb, Dive, SWAT, Major Crimes, and Special Investigations.
Space is limited, so anyone interested should contact the captain in the area where they wish to attend. Applications are due by March 1, 2025. Contact Capt. Spenser Bryan, 305-853-3211 or sbryan@keysso.net; or Capt. Lissette Quintero, 305-664-6480 or lquintero@keysso.net for classes in the Upper Keys. For the Middle Keys, contact Capt. Derek Paul at 305-289-2430 or dpaul@keysso.net and for the Lower Keys, call or email Capt. David Smith at 305-745-3184 or desmith@keysso.net. — Contributed
Members of the sheriff’s SWAT team show equipment during a session in the Upper Keys. CONTRIBUTED
With debris in hand, Pascal Weisberger participates in a cleanup. The 14-year-old was killed by his brother in May 2020. A day of service on his birthday continues to honor his work in the community. CONTRIBUTED
TUESDAY
Steak
Steak
SATURDAY
Prime
7
HAPPY
3-6
BACK IN BUSINESS WINS ISLAMORADA SAILFISH TOURNAMENT
The Islamorada Fishing Club welcomed 46 anglers for the Islamorada Fishing Club Captain’s Cup Sailfish Tournament. Held on Jan. 14-15, a nail-biting competition saw 12 teams release a total of 68 sails.
The first hookup was four minutes after the committee boat called lines in the water. The sailfish were rising in packs, with 11 multiple hookups called in throughout the day. With only 18 minutes to go, Main One, Kalex, Skipjac, Killbox and Back in Business were all tied with eight releases, and Back in Business was still fighting the second fish of a doubleheader. Back in Business’ Capt. Robert Collins called in the release of the second fish at 3:48 p.m., propelling the team to a first-place finish.
Anglers John Watson of Parkland, Matt McLean from Naples, along with Audrey Koocher and Brooks Gregory from Islamorada, took home the grand champion trophies sponsored by Caribee Boat Sales and Yamaha Outboards along with a $12,000 check.
Returning to the dock in second place with eight sailfish releas-
TROPHY HUNTER TEAM WINS CHEECA SAILFISH TOURNAMENT
Team Killbox takes series with 22 releases
Tes on time was Capt. Marty Lewis of Marathon, at the helm of Main One/Main Attraction. Baker Mitchell Plumbing and CBT Construction sponsored the team’s second-place awards; second-place anglers were Mark Busch from West Lake, Ohio; Mike Cangemi from Jupiter, Ben Zdan from Marathon, and Islamorada resident Danny Lombardo.
Third-place trophies, sponsored by Regan Roth insurance and Travis Bennett DDS, were awarded to Capt. Alex Adler of Islamorada and his crew aboard Kalex. The team included Indiana anglers Chris and Sam Chastain, Allen Sutkowski and Nathan Burns, with eight sailfish releases on time.
The Islamorada Fishing Club Sailfish Tournament was the second leg of the annual three-event Florida Keys Gold Cup Championship series.
Festivities were held in the club’s temporary location while their new building is under construction. The Islamorada Fishing Clubs Captains Cup Dolphin tournament will be held June 26, 2025. More information is at www. theislamoradafishingclub.com.
— Contributed
he 35th annual Cheeca Lodge and Spa Presidential Sailfish Tournament kicked off at the Islamorada Ballroom with 61 anglers plus friends and family. Held Jan. 17-19, the Cheeca Lodge and Spa tournament is the final leg of the Florida Keys Gold Cup Sailfish Championship.
When lines out of the water were called by the committee boat, team Trophy Hunter came out the victor with a total of eight releases. The team was composed of Mark and Brandon Mitchell of Charlotte, N.C.; and Kenneth Padgett, Travis Bennett and Andy Cone, all of Tavernier. They received Doug Berry first-place awards Main One/Main Attraction’s Capt. Marty Lewis led Mark Busch from West Lake, Ohio; Robbie Hiro of Downingtown, Pennsylvania; Danny Lombardo from Islamorada; Alex Lewis and Ben Zdan from Marathon; and Mike Cangemi from Jupiter to a secondplace finish with seven releases. Cangemi also took home the top male angler award, releasing three sailfish before anyone else. Lewis received a hand-carved Junior Angler award sponsored by Yamaha Outboards.
Third place went to LFISH with six sailfish releases. The team – Marathon anglers Lance and Leo Doire, Blake Alexander and James Hardin; and Todd Picariello and Josh Riddle from Chesapeake, Virginia, with Captain Mike Taute at the helm – tagged four of the six fish to win Most Tagged Divi-
sion. The Top Lady Angler award went to Robin Hall, of Orange Beach, Ala. while fishing aboard Capt. Kit Mobley’s Dirty Boat 2.0 with one sailfish release.
The Cheeca Lodge and Spa Presidential Tournament was the final leg of the Florida Keys Gold Cup Series. Team Killbox won the series with nine releases in the Islamorada Sailfish Tournament, nine in the Islamorada Fishing Club Captain’s Cup Sailfish Tournament and four in the Cheeca Lodge and Spa Tournament for a total of 22 releases. Along with the Gold Cup Trophies and a check for $13,000, the team will have their name engraved on the perpetual trophy that is on display at the Tackle Center of Islamorada.
Killbox angler Clint “Digger” Rodamer from Marathon won the championship ring with a total of eight releases over the course of the series. Winning Capt. Cody Darbie received the first-ever custom sailfish jacket. Second-place Trophy Hunter had a total of 19 sailfish releases. Skipjac Fishing Team took third in the series with a total of 18 releases.
“I would like to thank all the anglers, captains, mates and people who helped to make this tournament a great success,” said Bill Coteron from Cheeca Lodge and Spa. “We are looking forward to our 36th anniversary of the tournament next year.” More information is at www.islamoradasailfishtournament.com.
— Contributed
Islamorada Fishing Club Captain’s Cup Sailfish Tournament winners Back in Business hold trophies and a $12,000 check. CONTRIBUTED
Anglers with team Trophy Hunter show off the hardware following a victory in the Cheeca Lodge and Spa Sailfish Tournament on Jan. 19. TARA BETH PHOTOGRAPHY/Contributed
THE GIFTS THAT KEEP ON GIVING
Many of us can likely fall short on taking advantage of things in our backyard. My recent trip to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park made this clear to me.
I used to visit Pennekamp as a sales representative when I sold coastal children’s books to the gift shop. But that was about eight years ago.
energy and has created an abundance in our yard to this day.
As someone who only lived her adult life in major cities – cement jungles – before moving to the Keys in 2009, thoughts of soil, land and its inhabitants were never considered. My wake-up call was when I saw the native plant day sign.
MONTH-LONG STAY ON ISOLATED ISLAND INSPIRES 2 ARTISTS
Special event celebrates Dry Tortugas National Park on Feb. 1
Tis a best-selling nonfiction author, freelancer, and is writing her first fiction book series — sci-fi/fantasy/ worldview genre.
Last week, when I saw the sign for the upcoming native plant day, I took notice and decided not only to attend but also to be more conscious of what was in my backyard. Years ago, we moved from a condo building to a duplex. The yard was a disaster. I spent three years cleaning it up in between my sales travels. I would come back from the road with a carload of plants from Home Depot or Lowe’s.
Trial and error — mostly error — led my former neighbor Toni (rest in peace) to take notice. She would watch me unload and finally, one day on her walk, she stopped and asked me if I would like some help with local plant knowledge. She gave me a tour of her yard, some cuttings and basic information about soil and sunlight to get me on the right track. Her gift saved me time, money and
Even though I have plenty of plants, small trees and flowers, I know nothing about them. They are our lifeblood, and without them, we would not have the rest of the beauty of the Keys that many of us need to live our daily lives.
So, to say that spending time at John Pennekamp State Park on Jan. 25 was incredible is an understatement. I was soaking up and taking notes on all I could about native plants, butterflies and invasive plants – I am guilty of having a few that need to go.
The nature walk clued me in to the fact that we have three gumbo limbo trees and a blolly tree in our backyard. I was naive to think something was wrong with their bark; nope, it’s how they are beautifully created.
Oh, and the butterfly garden. That deserves its own article. Many locals are interested in cultivating a butterfly garden, and being part of this tour piqued my interest and knowledge level as well. Stay tuned.
So we took home two plants as gifts, but that wasn’t the sole reason I attended. We have these gifts all around us; if you just learn about them, appreciate them and take care of them, they will keep on giving.
he Dry Tortugas National Park will be featured at an art exhibit, live demonstration, discussion and book signing on Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center. In partnership with the Key West Art & Historical Society and Florida Humanities, the Eco-Discovery Center at Truman Waterfront will host the event that celebrates the history, ecology and beauty of the remote islands that make up Dry Tortugas National Park, through Ian Wilson-Navarro’s new photography book, “Dry Tortugas: Stronghold of Nature.”
The free event takes place Feb. 1 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and includes a live gyotaku demonstration, a photography and print exhibit, short presentations by local experts, a moderated discussion with the artists and a book signing.
Wilson-Navarro’s photography book, published by University Press of Florida, chronicles his 2021 artistin-residency on Loggerhead Key, facilitated by the National Park Arts Foundation. He and his friend and fellow artist Austin Armstrong spent a month living at Dry Tortugas National Park with the goal of documenting the ecological treasures the remote location had to offer. Wilson-Navarro, a Florida Keys native, nature photographer and Keys Weekly contributor, captured images of the park above and below the waterline, while Armstrong, also a Florida Keys native, made prints using gyotaku, the traditional Japanese art form of capturing exact representations of fish created by pressing paper onto the skin painted with a thin layer of ink.
A reception with light refreshments and a first look at the joint exhibit will kick off the event before Armstrong delivers a live demonstration of gyotaku in the Eco-Discovery Center’s foyer. Attendees will have the opportunity to make their own gyotaku with simulated fish courtesy of the society’s education department. Local authors and experts who contributed knowledge and experience to Wilson-Navarro’s book will share their insights in short presentations: Nan Klingener of Monroe County Public Library, Cori Convertito of the Key West Art & Historical Society and Curtis Hall of Dry Tortugas National Park.
Convertito then will lead a conversation with Wilson-Navarro and Armstrong that delves into the details of the artist residency program that enabled the pair to live at the Dry Tortugas National Park and record the environment.
Following the discussion, attendees can pick up a copy of “Dry Tortugas,” explore the newlyrenovated Eco-Discovery Center and speak with staff members of Florida Humanities, which co-published the book.
The evening is free and open to all ages. Due to limited seating capacity, registration is required for the short talks and moderated conversation. All other components are open and do not require a ticket. For more information about the event, contact Convertito at 305-295-6616 x507 or cconvertito@ kwahs.org. More information is at kwahs.org/dry-tortugas-book-talk.
Contributed
An evening event on Feb. 1 will include an art exhibit, book-signing and expert discussion about Dry Tortugas National Park. IAN WILSON-NAVARRO/Contributed
Attendees of Native Plant Day at John Pennekamp State Park on Jan. 25 received a free native plant. CONTRIBUTED
MELINDA VAN FLEET
NEIGHBORS: DON’T BE ALARMED BY THE LOUD SHRIEKS
Red fox mating season is here; and no, we can’t produce kits
LEIA
Hi, friends! Reef the fox here with your weekly Reef’s Report. This week, I’m giving you the lowdown on what’s happening at Pawsitive Beginnings.
Spoiler alert: it’s red fox mating season, and things are getting wild. Red fox mating season occurs from December to February depending on location and climate. And it does not matter if it is wild or captive-bred foxes (like us), the instinct is alive and well to reproduce.
Now, I’ve always been the smooth operator around here, but this season, I’m really taking it up a notch. I’ve been fluffing my tail to maximum poof levels, striking dramatic poses like I belong on a fox calendar and serenading the sanctuary with my incredible vocal range.
For those of you who don’t know, we foxes have a very, uh, unique way of expressing ourselves. My calls have been described as sounding like … well, let’s just say, like a woman screaming for her life. So, if you live in our neighborhood and hear what sounds like a banshee’s grand finale coming from the sanctuary, don’t be alarmed. It’s just me, pouring my heart out into the night like I’m auditioning for “America’s Got Talent.”
And I’m not alone. All of us foxes are acting like we just stepped off
the set of a nature documentary. Denbuilding competitions? In full swing. Dramatic tail flicks? Everywhere. And everyone’s trying to outdo each other with their best calls. Naturally, mine are the loudest.
The funny part? None of this is leading anywhere because our mom made sure we’re all spayed or neutered. So, no fox kits are happening, just a lot of drama, fluff and unfulfilled instincts. If you’re near the sanctuary and hear what sounds like a fox opera or a horror movie soundtrack, don’t worry, we’re fine. It’s just a bunch of dramatic red foxes embracing our inner divas. Honestly, I’m considering branding my own line of earplugs to hand out to our extremely patient neighbors.
Anyway, that’s all for this week. Stay up to date on all things fox by visiting pawsitivebeginnings.org.
Until next time, Reef, over and out!
A10-year-old Chihuahua mix, Leia is a classy senior lady who can be a bit of a wallflower when she first meets new folks. Nothing makes Leia happier than snuggling up close to her special someone — it’s like her own cozy fortress of love. If you think Leia will be a perfect fit, she’d be over the moon to meet you. Schedule a meet-and-greet by calling MarrVelous Pet Rescues at 305-453-1315.
Thursday, Jan. 30
• Inaugural Upper Keys Friends of AHEC Member Mixer from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Zane Grey Lounge, MM 81.5, Islamorada.
Jan. 31-Feb 1
• 2025 Quilt Show at the Key Largo library community room. Exhibit runs through Feb. 28.
Jan. 31- Feb. 2
• Islamorada Women’s Sailfish Tournament. Visit ladiesletsgofishing.com for more information.
Friday, Jan. 31
• Founders Fun Day (for those over the age of 50) from 1 to 3 p.m. at Founders Park. Event is free; call 305-853-1685 to register.
Saturday, Feb. 1
• 13th annual Winter Fest from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Coral Isles Church, Islamorada.
Sunday, Feb. 2
• Marine Mammals & Mimosas fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Oasis, 82703 Old Highway, Islamorada. Tickets and information at connecttoprotect.org/brunch.
Monday, Feb. 3
• Art Guild of the Purple Isles annual photography exhibit opens at the Islamorada library. The exhibit runs through April 4. Visit www.agpi. us to learn more.
• Birding in Islamorada with naturalist Rachel DiPietro from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at Green Turtle Hammock Preserve, MM 81.2. Tickets are $9; 15-person class maximum.
Wednesday, Feb. 5
• First Wednesday plant clinic and “Love Birds” project from 9 a.m. to noon at Key Largo library.
• Small Business Development Center offers no-cost consulting from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Email bbarnes@fiu. edu to make a reservation.
Reef is a red fox that was saved from a fur farm. He now lives in Key Largo with his human, Nicole Navarro.
REEF THE FOX
SAVE THE DATE
Kai the fox. CONTRIBUTED
THE GREAT FLORIDA KEYS ROAD TRIP
Flagler’s favorite bridge
Driving along the Overseas Highway through the Florida Keys, it is easy to have your sense of direction confused. When entering Key Largo and heading down the island chain like birds for the winter, it seems like you should be traveling south. Conversely, leaving the island chain and driving back to the mainland, the natural inclination is to think you are moving north.
FLORIDA KEYS HISTORY WITH BRAD BERTELLI
instance, when the highway rolls away from Long Key in the direction of Key West, it leaves the island’s west end. It does a couple of other things, too, one of which is more concrete than the other. The somewhat abstract thing that occurs when driving away from Long Key is that you enter a relatively undefined area where the Upper Keys end and the Middle Keys begin.
to traffic in 1938, many of the railroad bridges had been widened to accommodate cars and trucks, including the Long Key Viaduct.
For 44 years, Flagler’s favorite bridge supported automobile traffic. In 1982, the old railroad viaduct was retired and replaced by the bridge we drive along today. The old Long Key Viaduct is still open to traffic as part of the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail — foot and bicycle traffic. In the morning, noon and night, fishermen can be seen on the viaduct, standing guard over their poles and waiting for that curious twitch the line does when a fish shows interest in the tasty morsel at the other end.
Brad is a local historian, author, speaker and Honorary Conch who loves sharing the history of the Florida Keys.
A compass will indicate that you are mistaken. The island chain does not fall away from the peninsula in a straight line but a long, sweeping curve. Key Largo, at the top of the highway, roughly aligns with Miami and the east coast. At the other end of the highway, Key West is located west of Fort Myers, a city that borders Florida’s other coast.
The two, Key West and Fort Myers, share an interesting connection. Once upon a time, both were part of a substantially larger Monroe County. When it was established in 1823, the county stretched from the county seat at Key West north to Lake Okeechobee and west to Port Charlotte — about 30 miles north of Fort Myers. In 1885, when Fort Myers, population 349, incorporated, it became the second city in Monroe County to do so. Key West, the first, did it in 1828.
Getting back to the highway and the discussion about the direction it travels, north and south or east and west, it is the latter. For
The conduit used to link the two geographical areas is the Long Key Bridge, of which there are two. There is the bridge accommodating the cars driving back and forth across it today and the one that supported the railroad tracks that delivered Henry Flagler’s train back and forth between Key West and the mainland. Both offer spectacular, unobstructed views. Both versions of the bridge are the second longest of the bridges connecting the island chain to the mainland.
The old railroad bridge is actually called the Long Key Viaduct. Merriam-Webster defines a viaduct as “a long elevated roadway usually consisting of a series of short spans supported on arches, piers or columns.” Viaducts were used to build 26 railroad bridges between Lower Matecumbe Key and Key West.
The 2.7-mile-long Long Key Viaduct was built with 215 50-foot arches. One of the most difficult of all the bridges to make, the engineering marvel was Henry Flagler’s favorite. Also, the Long Key Viaduct’s likeness was used to represent the Florida East Coast Railway on its logo for the Key West Extension. It is also used in the logo of the Monroe County Public Library.
The viaduct, completed in 1913, served the needs of the railroad until the arrival of the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane on September 2. While the hurricane destroyed 40 miles of railroad tracks, many of the bridges supporting them withstood the tremendous impacts of the storm. When the second version of the Overseas Highway opened
The Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail is a paved path covering more than 90 miles that parallels the Overseas Highway between Key Largo and Key West. Many of the old railroad bridges have been incorporated into the trail. Not all of them — after more than 100 years, some of the old bridges are barely safe for the pelicans, cormorants and seagulls that gather on them.
Both versions of the Long Key Bridge end at Conch Key, the beginning of the Middle Keys. There are two Conch Keys, Conch Key and Little Conch Key. Conch Key, where the bridge ends, is a lot bigger now than it was when Henry Flagler’s train used to roar up and down the tracks. The “real” Conch Key is located on the Gulf side of the highway. The other part of the island, found on the Atlantic side of the highway, did not come into existence until the late 1950s. The dredge-and-fill project was completed by 1959.
In the meantime, there are more islands, bridges, and fill to explore on the Great Florida Keys Road Trip.
In 2025, I’ll be exploring the Overseas Highway, its history, attractions and points I find interesting.
Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway crosses the Long Key Viaduct. FLORIDA KEYS HISTORY CENTER/Monroe County Library
Terrific Teeth
Experts recommend seeing a dentist twice
Do you take good care of your teeth?
Good tooth care is very important for your health. In recent years, more kids are avoiding dental problems, such as tooth decay. Experts say this is because more kids are:
• using toothpaste with fluoride
• brushing properly
• visiting the dentist.
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. In this issue, The Mini Page takes a good look at teeth.
WHAT IS A CAVITY?
A cavity is a hole, or a space where part of a material has been removed. A cavity in your tooth is a hole in your tooth.
Cavities are caused by bacteria, sugar and plaque (PLAK). Plaque is sticky stuff that builds up on your teeth. You may have noticed it after you eat or when you wake up in the morning.
Dentists can fill cavities, but it’s better not to get them in the first place. It’s not hard to take care of your teeth. Just follow these simple steps:
• Use toothpaste with fluoride. Fluoride is a material that helps harden the protective enamel on your teeth. It can also kill the bacteria that cause cavities.
• Limit your sweets.
• Drink water and milk instead of soda pop, juice or drinks like Kool-Aid. These drinks have a lot of sugar.
• Brush and floss. Brush at least twice a day, in the morning and at night. Floss at least once a day.
Experts say neglecting your teeth can result in bad nutrition, poor appearance and pain. Untreated tooth decay can make it hard for kids to sleep, eat or pay attention in school.
TOOTH CARE TIPS
It is important to spend two whole minutes brushing your teeth each time — one minute on the top teeth and one minute on the bottom. Keep a timer or clock in the bathroom and time yourself. If you don’t, you may not brush long enough.
Gently brush the fronts, backs and biting surfaces of your teeth. Gently brush your tongue, too. This helps prevent bad breath. Flossing helps get out food particles that may be stuck between your teeth. Pull the floss up and down. Don’t slide it from the front to the back.
Words that remind us of healthy teeth are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find:
WHAT’S IN A TOOTH?
• Enamel (eh-NA-muhl) is the white outer cover on your teeth. It is the hardest substance in the human body, even harder than bone. Enamel, made of minerals and protein, protects your teeth.
• Dentin is the next layer of the tooth. It is the second-hardest substance in the body. About two-thirds of each tooth is dentin. It is made up of calcium and other minerals and is similar to bone.
• Pulp makes up the inside of the tooth. Blood vessels and nerves live inside the pulp. If the tooth gets infected, this area is what hurts. Pulp is a kind of gel substance.
• Cementum (si-MEN-tum) is a rough substance that attaches the tooth to the jawbone. You can’t see cementum, since it is below the gumline. It’s one of the few substances that actually sticks to teeth.
RESOURCES
On the Web:
• bit.ly/MPcavity
• bit.ly/MPdentalcare
At the library:
• “Open Wide: Tooth School Inside” by Laurie Keller
ECO NOTE
A single bottlenose dolphin wandering for the last three years through the Baltic Sea appears to be screaming into the void, desperate to connect with other members of its species. Researchers say they aren’t sure why the marine mammal, dubbed Delle, is making “sounds typically considered communicative,” but they suggest the dolphin may be engaging in “self-talk,” using its cries as a substitute for interactions with other dolphins.
photo by Senior Airman Francis Lalic, courtesy U.S. Air Force
An angler hooks a tarpon. Saltwater anglers can take a free Florida Friendly Angler course to gather information on best practices for catch-and-release fishing, Florida’s aquatic environments and the inner workings of fisheries management. FLORIDA SEA GRANT/Contributed
FLORIDA FRIENDLY ANGLER PROGRAM
SHELLY KRUEGER
is the University of Florida, IFAS Monroe County Extension Florida Sea Grant Agent. Shelly is a marine biologist and provides sciencebased education about coastal environments.
Did you know in Monroe County, 64% of residents ages 16 to 65 have a recreational saltwater fishing license?
Florida residents under the age of 16 and 65 and over are exempt from buying a saltwater fishing license, so the actual number of recreational anglers in our county is extremely high. In fact, Monroe County has the highest number of recreational saltwater fishing licenses in Florida. Coupled with the fact a high percentage of visitors come here to go fishing in the Fishing Capital of the World, this equates to a lot of time spent out on the water enjoying the beauty of the Keys and catching something to cook up for dinner.
Have you ever thought about what happens to the fish you catch that do not end up on the dinner table? NOAA Fisheries estimates that more than 60% of the fish that are caught by recreational anglers are released. There are many reasons a fish may be caught and released — the species could be too small or too large for regulations, out of season, a prohibited species, not the targeted species or perhaps a fish that is fun to catch but not good to eat. Since we have so many recreational fishing anglers and because so many fish are released after being caught, it becomes very important the fish you catch survive after being released. Do you know how to properly release the fish you catch and let go?
The Florida Friendly Angler is a free, narrated, online, short do-at-
your-own-pace educational program that informs users about best practices for catch-and-release fishing, Florida’s aquatic environments, and the inner workings of fisheries management. By teaching the how and why behind topics anglers encounter while interacting with Florida’s fisheries, the program hopes to reinforce practices that can ensure quality fishing experiences are here to stay, providing great memories and the economic impacts that follow. You will learn how to stay in compliance with regulatory issues like using non-stainless steel circle hooks when fishing for reef fish, how and when to use descending devices and venting tools for fish suffering from barotrauma. Another section has useful tips like using wet hands when handling fish to protect their slime layer and how to cradle a fish while photographing since fish you are releasing should not be held by the jaw or the lip. This program was created in partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Sea Grant and the University of Florida IFAS Extension. There are three short modules on environmental ethics, best fishing practices and fisheries management. Even if you do not fish in Florida, you will find these modules very useful and most modules apply to freshwater fishing, too.
The information taught is not only applicable to fishermen and women, but anyone who is interacting with the marine environment. There is boating information to prevent destroying coral when anchoring, stop sea grass scarring and making sure the fish you just caught and released gets back into the water and swims away.
For more information and registration, scan the QR code or contact your local Florida Sea Grant agent, Shelly Krueger, at shellykrueger@ufl.edu, 305-292-4502.
PARADISE UNPAVED
Lecture highlights effort to save tropical hardwood hammock
Michael Chenoweth, president of the Florida Keys chapter of the Izaak Walton League, will speak on “How North Key Largo Became a State Park,” for the fourth presentation of the 34th annual lecture series, “A Delicate Balance of Nature,” on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.
The 1970s and 1980s were a time of unconstrained development in the Keys. Chenoweth will describe the process through which the hardwood hammock of North Key Largo was redirected from becoming destination resorts and instead established as Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park.
Listen to his tale at the visitor center and aquarium building at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The park is located at MM 102.6, oceanside, and there is no cost to enter for the lecture series. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the lecture begins at 7:30. Seating is limited, so it is recommended that visitors arrive on time to be assured of a seat in the auditorium, which is wheelchair accessible. Visitors may wish to bring a cushion for added seating comfort, as well as a sweater or light jacket, because temperatures in the auditorium vary. Attendees are asked
Michael Chenoweth will speak about the efforts to deter development from Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. CONTRIBUTED
to accommodate those who are chemically sensitive by not wearing fragrances and other scented products.
More information is available from Elena Muratori, park services specialist at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, in advance at 305-676-3786. More information on Florida’s state parks is at FloridaStateParks.org. The series is sponsored by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park and the Friends of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park. — Contributed
CHURCH GROUNDS TRANSFORM INTO PREMIER BOAT SHOW
Proceeds support scholarships and missions
Residents and visitors examined boats of all different makes and sizes at the Island Community Church grounds for the annual Island Boat Show. Held Jan. 24-26, the event featured the newest models, from fishing skiffs to large offshore center consoles. Attendees were also able to purchase nautical merchandise from a number of local and regional vendors. Proceeds from the three-day boat show support scholarships for Upper and Middle Keys students, as well as missions and ministries of the church, located at MM 83 in Islamorada.
— Keys Weekly staff report
Staff from your Monroe County Public Library recommend some of their favorites from the collection.
What: “Hundreds of Beavers” (2022)
Why: If you’re a fan of Looney Tunes and Buster Keaton, this mostly live-action feature-length film should be right up your alley. Shot in black and white with virtually no dialogue, the antics of an applejack salesman (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews) against various elements of nature (most notably the titular beavers) has to be seen to be believed. Every slapstick trick in the book is featured here, done with plenty of creativity and quirkiness using cutout animation that would make Terry Gilliam proud, on top of stylized bluescreen work that Robert Rodriguez would appreciate. Its nutty and relentless nature easily brings out the Saturday morning kid in anyone.
Where: This film is available on Kanopy, the library’s streaming app.
How: You can browse and request DVDs online by logging in to your account at keyslibraries.org. To view our collection of streaming movies and TV, go to kanopy.com/keyslibraries and set up an account with your library card. If you don’t have a card, you can visit your local branch or register online to get one. Questions? info@keyslibraries.org.
See previous Reel Recs at keyslibraries.org/reel-recs.
Vessels pack the church grounds.
Island Boat Show attendees stroll in between rows of vessels ranging from center consoles to skiffs.
Fisher, 5, at center, hands out koozies for Boater’s World Marine Centers. Fisher’s mother Jaclyn, not pictured, said he was helping hand out company swag while telling people he was giving out free jacuzzis.
Visitors check out a KCB vessel by BTH Marine.
Chief Executive Raffle Officer Andrey Kuksa, 6, selects winners of a raffle contest, along with Island Boat Show committee members David Makepeace and Kuksa’s mother, Elena Kuksa. Photos by DOUG FINGER/Keys Weekly Visit keysweekly.com for a full gallery.
THE SCOREBOARD
Team Sport Date Result
Coral Shores Boys Basketball Goleman 1/21 L, 71-50
Key West Girls Basketball St. Brendan 1/21 L, 54-31
Marathon Boys Basketball Palm Glades Prep 1/21 W, 65-44
Coral Shores Girls Basketball Shelton Academy 1/22 W, 62-16
Marathon Girls Soccer South Homestead 1/22 L, 8-1
Coral Shores Boys Basketball MAST Academy 1/22 W, 61-42
Key West Girls Soccer St. Brendan 1/22 L, 1-0
Coral Shores Boys Soccer Silver Palms 1/22 L, 1-0
Marathon Boys Basketball Goleman 1/23 W, 56-53
Key West Girls Basketball Somerset Prep 1/23 L, 93-22
Coral Shores Girls Soccer Keys Gate 1/23 W, 5-1
Marathon Boys Soccer Archbishop Carroll 1/23 L, 4-0
Key West Boys Soccer TERRA Environmental 1/24 W, 2-1
Key West Girls Basketball Hallandale 1/24 L, 32-30
1/31 Coral Shores Boys Basketball Lake Worth Christian 5 p.m.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
ON THE COVER
EVANS
Ella put in a lot of extra work in the offseason and she’s been slowly gathering steam throughout the regular season. She’s hitting big numbers for her weight class, but I know she’s still got some left in the tank.”
— Jessie Schubert, Marathon head coach
At just 125 pounds, Ella Evans is a tiny powerhouse. The junior powerlifter has quietly made gains in the gym with an all-out approach to improving her form and adding plates to her lifts. Last week, Evans brought home two golds at FHSAA’s District 16 1A championships and helped Marathon win the team title. The double district champ was also the top lifter in the traditional event. Her coach emphasized her strong work ethic as well as the intensity she brings to her team. For her strong accomplishments in the gym and willingness to put in the extra hours to improve for herself and team, Marathon’s Ella Evans is the Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.
THIS WEEK Ella
Junior, Marathon Girls Weightlifting
Photo by BARRY GAUKEL/Keys Weekly
Gold medals at districts
Carlos Lezcano, left, Daeshawn Holmes, Briggs Roberts and the Marathon Dolphins closed out a three-win week with a rivalry victory over Coral Shores on Jan. 24. See page 4. BARRY GAUKEL/ Keys Weekly
fled to the Keys from the frozen mountains of Pennsylvania hours after graduating from college and never looked back. She is a second-generation coach and educator, and has taught in the public school system for over 25 years. She and her husband met at a beginning teacher meeting in 1997 and have three children born and raised in Monroe County. In her free time, McDonald loves flea markets, historical fiction and long runs in the heat.
grew up in Miami and moved to the Keys in 1997. He has spent the last 25 years teaching physical education and coaching virtually every sport for Florida Keys kids ages 4 to 18. If you are reading this and live or lived in the Florida Keys, he has probably taught, coached, or coached against someone you know.
Marathon - Alex Rickert alex@keysweekly.com
Upper Keys - Jim McCarthy jim@keysweekly.com
Key West - Mandy Miles mandy@keysweekly.com
The Keys Weekly Sports Wrap is proud to be the only locally-owned publication providing prep sports coverage from Key Largo to Key West. Together with our writers and photographers, we are committed to providing a comprehensive overview of the world of Keys sports with photography that allows our readers to immerse themselves in game action.
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.
All stories, photos, and graphics are copyrighted materials.
Win over Coral Shores makes it three in a row for Marathon
Marathon improved to 8-13 with a three-game at-home win streak last week, starting Jan. 21 against Palm Glades Prep. The freshmen led the charge, with 22 points coming from Jack Chapman, 13 from Taylor Huff and seven from Drew Suarez in the 65-44 win.
On Jan. 23 it was the upperclassmen’s turn. Junior Daeshawn Holmes scored 19 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and had four blocks against the Gators of Goleman. Senior Carlos Lezcano scored 13 and junior Briggs Roberts had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The game required extra minutes for a decision, and the win went to the Fins, 56-53 in overtime.
The next night, the Dolphins honored their lone senior, Lezcano, with a Senior Night celebration. The opponent, Keys rival Coral Shores, had no intentions of letting the Fins walk away with win number three of the week. The Hurricanes got off to an early lead and continued to press the Fins, who trailed at the half. Then Marathon began to chip away at Coral Shores’ lead, finally gaining the upper hand in quarter three.
Coral Shores closed to within three points in quarter four, but Marathon enjoyed a series of shots that just could not miss and pulled away to a 53-42 win. Chapman had the game-high total of 17, with Holmes scoring 16 and Roberts 15. For the ’Canes, Austin Vogt put up 16 points while Donovan Thiery scored 14 and Ayden Lane added 10.
1. Briggs Roberts sets up the Marathon offense.
2,3. Jack Chapman soars for lay-ins against the Goleman Gators.
4. Briggs Roberts goes for three.
5. Andrew Suarez goes vertical for a jumper against Coral Shores.
6. Daeshawn Holmes meets the teeth of the Hurricane defense.- Drew Suarez gets a shot off prior to drawing a foul.
7. Andrew Suarez walks down a Hurricane defender.
HARDWARE HAUL
Lady lifters make their mark at districts
Strong women across the Keys may feel weighed down this week – in the best possible way.
Marathon and Coral Shores each won a team title in the FHSAA 1A District 16 girls weightlifting championships. Marathon won the traditional event, which combines athletes' total lifted weights in the bench press and clean and jerk lift. Coral Shores was first in Olympic, edging out Marathon by a single point in combining the snatch and clean and jerk lifts. Each school won the runner-up trophy in the event they did not win outright, making the Keys a girls weightlifting stronghold in South Florida.
The Fins and ’Canes traveled to AIE Charter on Jan. 25 for the district meet. Both schools needed some extra room in the school vans for their winners’ hardware on the way home. Coral Shores had two double district champs. Jennille Arias (169 pounds) and Sydney Eysenbach (unlimited) won both the traditional and Olympic events in their weight classes. Teammates Karla Gutierrez (169) and Vanessa Gabriel (unlimited) secured runner-up medals in both events as well.
In traditional lifts, Rachel Rusch is the new district champ at 110 pounds. Her sister Julia was second, then went on to win her own district title in Olympic lifts. At 139 pounds, Julianna Rodriguez claimed the top spot in Olympic lifts and was the runner-up in traditional. Abigail Bergeron did the same at 154. Kali Gomer (129) and Lainey Kerns (199) each brought home a pair of secondplace medals in their weight classes.
Marathon had four dual district champs. Rilynn Richards (119), Ella Evans (129), Justice Lee (183) and Sabrina Schofield (199) each brought home a pair of golds. Ella Dunn (101) was first in Olympic lifts and second in traditional. Ayme Maradiaga (101) edged out Dunn for gold in the traditional event. Ava Merryman (139) and
The Lady Fins’ van was a bit heavier on the way home from the FHSAA 1A District 16 girls weightlifting championships.
Brizni Vargas (154) were first in their classes in traditional lifts. Vargas also claimed silver in Olympic. Other silver medalists from Marathon were Alexia Stip (119) in traditional and Katriya Wright (110) and Tinashay Cunningham (139) in Olympic.
In addition to their dual titles, Evans and Lee were awarded for having the top performances overall for 1A D16. Top Lifter honors are bestowed on the athletes whose performances are mathematically formulated along with their body weight to even the field. Evans won the Top Lifter award in the traditional event while Lee captured the same honor in Olympic. Both athletes are lifting more than their own body weight in the clean and jerk and bench. Lee is the owner of all of the Dolphin school records, and she inches closer to state records with each week.
Lady Conchs Jazzy and Keily Cardona
CONTRIBUTED
In order to move on from districts to regionals, and later from regionals to states, many athletes played the waiting game. Only the champ in each event at each weight moves on automatically. The remaining 19 spots are filled at large with the top-performing lifters in the entire state. It would be a rarity for a second-, thirdand even fourth-place finisher not to advance, and it is not unheard of for places as deep as sixth or seventh to move on.
In addition to the aforementioned athletes, Marathon’s Autumn Wolfe (110), Bella Childress (129), Samantha Schofield (199) and Nivi De La Torre (unlimited) plus Coral Shores’ Mallory Hughes (119), Emily Hurt (119), Leticia Lima (119), Grace Patterson (154) and Karla Gutierrez (169) will join their teammates at regionals.
Key West traveled to Park Vista on Jan. 25 for the 2A competition, where they placed fourth as a team in Olympic lifting and fifth in traditional. The Southernmost City has their own dual district champ in Aaliyah McCloud in the 199-pound category. Althea Olson was the second-place finisher in Olympic lifts at 101. McCloud’s first-place finishes gave her the all-clear for regionals where she will be joined by Olsen, Alexa Condella (154), Jazlyn Lyons (183) and Sophia Nafere (unlimited) at the next level of competition.
The coaches and athletes who made the cut will have a quick turnaround for regionals, slated for all three schools on Saturday, Feb. 1. Key West heads back to Dr. Joaquin Garcia, while Marathon and Coral Shores will meet at Keys Gate for the final step before states. Qualifying state contenders will travel to Lakeland to the RP Funding Center for the FHSAA State Championships Feb. 14 and 15.
The Coral Shores Lady Hurricanes show off their district medals.
Lyons, Althea Olsen, Aaliyah McCloud, Alexa Condella with their district medals.
Melane Estevez exploded for 29 points against Shelton Academy.
DOUG FINGER/Keys Weekly
LADY ’CANES PICK UP STEAM
Underclassmen light up the hoop in Keys rivalry matchup
With district playoffs just days away, the Coral Shores Lady Hurricanes found their rhythm on the court with a pair of victories last week.
The first was a home match Jan. 22 where the ’Canes secured a resounding 62-16 win over Shelton Academy. Melanie Estevez dropped 29 points on Shelton, including four baskets from behind the 3-point line. London Atkis added 11 points, eight rebounds and five blocks in the lopsided win. Anna Barrow scored eight with 10 rebounds and Alex Burson added seven. But their biggest win of the season followed on Jan. 24 when the Hurricanes traveled to Marathon to face the Lady Fins.
Coral Shores spoiled the Dolphins’ Senior Night, leading the entire game by a narrow margin, then hanging on for the win despite a Marathon comeback in the final quarter. Estevez had the hot hand again, sinking 16 points while Atkins added 10. Estevez and Atkins, both freshmen, have made the transition from middle school to varsity play. Marathon’s Shaina Robinson is also making that transition smoothly, but she is still in middle school. The seventh-grader’s trio of three-pointers contributed to her total of 14 points against Coral Shores while teammate Elena Eubank, a senior, had Marathon’s high of 15.
TRACY McDONALD/Keys
1. The Lady Hurricanes’ London Atkins sets up for a free throw. 2. Coral Shores’ Melanie Estevez drives toward the hoop. 3. Marathon’s Shaina Robinson goes for three. 4. Alex Burson (11) looks for an open Hurricane teammate.
Weekly
IN IT
Conchs knock out Wolves for shot at district title
As this paper is rolling off the press, the Key West Conchs are one win away from a district championship.
To begin the playoffs, Key West’s small district and solid ranking sent them directly to the semifinals for a Jan. 24 overtime showdown against Terra Environmental Research Institute. The Conchs entered the match outranked by the Wolves, but managed to pick them off to earn a spot in the FHSAA 4A District Championships against top-ranked Belen Jesuit, scheduled for Jan. 28 (results not available at press time).
In what head coach Nic Farrar called a hard-fought win, Key West took a 1-0 lead in the first half. Emmanuel Innocent sent a beautiful cross toward Sonny Bowden, who sent the ball into the net with a left-footed shot that cruised past the goalie into the bottom corner of the cage.
The Conchs’ DJ Barrett used his head to assist Sonny Bowden’s game-winning goal last week.
Sonny Bowden scored twice for Key West in their district semifinal match.
The Wolves struck back with a goal off of a penalty to even up the game at 1-1 at the end of 80 minutes of regulation play. Key West held their composure and patiently awaited their chance, which came with just three minutes of extra time on the clock. That’s when Sebastian Camargo sent a free kick toward DJ Barrett, who set up a close-range opportunity via a header. Bowden closed in and finished, making it 2-1 Conchs for a win and a chance for a district title.
The 10-3-3 Conchs faced Belen on Tuesday in the championship game, and despite their rankings, a win was well within Key West’s reach.
The Hurricanes used two prior matches as preparation for their FHSAA 3A District 16 quarterfinal game. Ranked sixth, the team faced thirdseeded Somerset Silver Palms, a squad they had lost to 7-0 and 7-1 in the regular season.
“We changed the formation of the team on the field,” said head coach Jorge Bosque, adding that the Hurricanes shifted toward a more defense-heavy style of play.
Bosque’s adjustments were successful, as the ’Canes held off a Somerset score for 33 minutes. At that mark, the Stallions scored with a header that redirected a ball being cleared out for the lone goal of the match.
Despite losing 1-0 and ending the season, Bosque had lots of praise for the team.
“Overall I’m very pleased with the players and the commitment it took for the new formation,” he said. “The team played extremely well considering the field conditions.” Those conditions, including 52-degree temperatures coupled with rain, made Somerset’s brand-new turf field treacherous for a team acclimated to the extreme heat of the Keys and natural grass surfaces. Coral Shores finished the season 8-14.
Marathon’s season also ended in the quarterfinals. The Fins, a District 16 2A participant, played at Archbishop Carroll Jan. 23, losing 4-0 to the Bulldogs. Marathon finished the season with a 3-12-1 record.
JANS’ HAT TRICK PUSHES LADY ’CANES PAST KNIGHTS
Fins, Conchs out of playoff contention; Coral Shores’ season ends in semis
In girls soccer district action last week, Key West and Marathon found themselves at the end of the road with losses in their first match of postseason play. For the Dolphins, that loss came in the form of an 8-1 defeat handed to them by Somerset South Homestead in the quarterfinals of the 2A District 16 playoffs. The Fins prevented a shutout with a goal by seventhgrader Ashley Strama, assisted by sophomore Maeve Merryman. Marathon completed its season at 4-11-1.
For Key West, the small size of District 16’s 4A division sent the Conchs directly into the semifinals, where they lost 1-0 to the Sabres of St. Brendan. Key West finished with a record of 8-10.
One Keys team was able to boast a playoff win this season; Coral Shores took on the Knights of Keys Gate on Jan. 23 and came away with a 5-1 quarterfinal win, boosting the ’Canes into the semifinals. Senior Sofia Jans’ hat trick led the team in scoring, while freshman Bayley Cartineau scored two more in a game dominated by Coral Shores. The 3A Hurricanes’ next opponent was Gulliver Prep in a match scheduled for Jan. 27.
Head coach Zach Owens told the Weekly he had all the faith in the world in his team and was confident that if the Lady ’Canes do what he knows they are capable of, they could come away with the upset and a shot at a district title against the most likely opponent: LaSalle. But District 3A is no joke, and Gulliver is perennially a strong contender.
“We can play with Gulliver. The name intimidates people, but I say let’s just go play the game,” said Owens of the higher-ranked Raiders. “We have a team that can do it.”
The teams have similar records and, against like opponents, both had comparable results this season, making for an exciting semifinal match. Unfortunately, the Raiders proved to be the end of the road for the Lady ’Canes, as their season came to a close with a 5-0 loss.
Sofia Jans, left, and Bayley Catarineau. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly
STATES-BOUND
Lady Conchs will represent Keys in Lakeland
For the second consecutive year, head coach Ariana Corsi and the Lady Conchs competitive cheer squad will make the drive to Lakeland’s RP Funding Center for the FHSAA state tournament.
The Conchs, who compete in the popular small non-tumbling division, were sixth overall in their division at the 1A Region 4 finals. Key West’s division has the most participants, and only the top two places in each region automatically qualify for the state finals. The Lady Conchs’ routine, judged on technical aspects such as difficulty, execution and crowd
Key West’s competition cheer team made the cut to the state finals. MAICEY MALGRAT/Keys Weekly
appeal, scored well enough to advance them to the preliminary competition for another round of scoring prior to the finals.
The at-large bid to states gives the Lady Conchs little time to make any necessary adjustments and polish their routine before the Jan. 31 competition.
“The team hit their mini-pyramid two-man stunt with perfection,” Corsi said, adding that the execution and difficulty of the stunt bolstered the Conchs’ total to help seal their bid. “We will be working on cleaning up our ending pyramid this week as we leave for Lakeland.”
• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES •
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE
U-HAUL COMPANY OF MIAMI
Notice is hereby given that on February 10th, 2025, Leonard Richford Jr. Storage Auctioneer, Executive Administrator for U-Haul Company of Miami, Will be offering for sale under the Judicial Lien Process, By Public Auction, the following storage units. The Terms of the sale will be cash only. U-Haul Company does reserve the right to refuse any bids. The sales will Begin at 8:00 a.m. and continue day by day until all units are sold. The names of whose units will be sold are as follows:
LOCATION: 103530 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037 Knight, John 0016 Robertson, Jeremy 1162 Bangert, Philip 1670 Cafarella, Deborah 1191
Murgas, Alex 1580 Cox, Michael 1426 Fellhauer, Amy 1023 Trent, Cheryl 1180, 1203 Adkins, Taylor 1561 Chamberlain, Sheila 1167
Publish: January 23 & 30, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE
Please take notice that in accordance with Florida Statute 328.17, Silent Hunter Boat Yard, LLC dba-Marathon Boat Yard claims a possessory lien on the following described vessel:
Owned by Darryl Wayne Hansen, deceased, for unpaid storage fees: a 1981 Formosa 51’ 6” vessel by Formosa Boat Bldg Co., “Dragonfly”, Florida Registration # FL4642RH and HIN #FBB510330481.
Sealed bids will be accepted on February 3, 2025 at Marathon Boat Yard, 2055 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050. Silent Hunter Boat Yard, LLC dba Marathon Boat Yard, reserves the right to reject any and all bids.
Publish: January 23 & 30, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE
Notice of Seizure that in accordance with Florida Statutes 83.805/83.506, Upper Keys Commerce Center, 97300 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037 will sell or otherwise dispose of the personal contents of the following unit to satisfy the delinquent storage lien.
All contents in:
Unit 73 – Margaret Edwards
Sale of all goods will be 2/10/25 at 10:00 am at 97300 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo Florida 33037. Upper Keys Commerce Center reserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids.
Publish: January 23 & 30, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE
Notice of Seizure that in accordance with Florida Statues 83.805 / 83.506, Tavernier Mini Storage, 135 Hood Ave., Tavernier, Florida 33070 will sell or otherwise will dispose of the personal contents of the following unit to satisfy the delinquent storage lien.
All Contents in:
Unit D-56 –Robert Entwistle Sale of all goods will be 2/10/25 at 10:00 am at 135 Hood Ave., Tavernier, Florida 33070. Tavernier Mini Storage reserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids.
Publish: January 23 & 30, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 24-CP-000464-K
DIVISION: PROBATE IN RE: ESTATE OF PHILIP TENNEY, Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of PHILIP TENNEY, deceased, whose date of death was July 14, 2024, 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 WITHIN THE LATER OF THREE (3) MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR THIRTY (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 the decedent’s estate including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, must file their claims with this court WITHIN THREE (3) MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.
ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA STATUTES 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 the first publication of this Notice is: January 30, 2025.
Personal Representative:
JED TENNEY
629 William Street Key West, FL 33040
Attorney for Personal Representative:
KARLEEN A. GRANT, ESQUIRE
Fla. Bar No: 324531
Law Offices of Karleen A. Grant
1033 Flagler Avenue Key West, FL 33040
Telephone: (305) 292-4929
Publish: January 30 & February 6, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
PROBATE DIVISION CASE NUMBER: 24-CP00079-M
FLORIDA BAR #980810
IN RE: THE ESTATE OF MURIEL BEAUMONT
Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of MURIEL BEAUMONT, deceased, whose date of death was July 23, 2023, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 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 WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.
ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE 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: January 23, 2025.
Persons Giving Notice: Stephan Beaumont 311 2nd Street Key Colony Beach, Florida 33051
Attorney for Persons Giving Notice:
Christopher B. Waldera, P.A.
Christopher B. Waldera, Esq.
Florida Bar No: 980810
Attorney for Personal Representative 5800 Overseas Highway, Suite 7
Marathon, Florida 33050
Telephone: (305) 289-2223
Facsimile: (305) 289-2249
email: cwaldera@aol.com
Publish: January 23 & 30, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CIVIL ACTION CASE NO.: 24-CA-000958-K CANDANCE ILENE VALLADARES Individually Plaintiff, vs. Equity Link, INC. A California Incorporated Company NuView IRA, Inc. f/k/a/ Entrust Administration Services, Inc. A Florida Profit Corporation Warren Lloyd Holtzman IRA, MINDY SILVERSTEIN, Individually JOSE MIRANDA, Individually Defendants _____________/
NOTICE OF ACTION FOR PUBLICATION
To: MINDY SILVERSTEIN
Last known address: 16 Spring Street, Pleasantville, New York, 10570-2713
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that an action to Quiet Title and to remove the cloud from title of the real property described as: PART OF LOT 51 ACCORDING TO MCDONALD’S SURVEY OF PART OF STOCK ISLAND RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 1, PAGE 55 OF MONROE COUNTY PUBLIC RECORDS AND IS MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:
FROM THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF SAID BLOCK 51, GO WESTERLY ALONG THE NORTH LINE OF THIRD AVENUE A DISTANCE OF 250 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE AT RIGHT ANGLES AND NORTHERLY A DISTANCE OF 200 FEET TO A POINT; WHICH POINT IS THE POINT OF BEGINNING; THENCE CONTINUE NORTHERLY ALONG THE PROLONGATION OF THE PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED COURSE A DISTANCE OF 70 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE AT RIGHT ANGLES AND WESTERLY A DISTANCE OF 125 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE AT RIGHT ANGLES AND SOUTHERLY A DISTANCE OF 70 FEET; THENCE AT RIGHT ANGLES EASTERLY A DISTANCE OF 125 FEET BACK TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA with a physical address of: 6430 Sunshine Street, Key West, FL 33040. Folio Number: 00126510-000000 has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it, on Eric J. Sanchez PA, Attorney for Plaintiff, whose address is 4960 SW 72nd Avenue, Suite 206, Miami, FL 33155, (786) 408-9681 on or before March 3, 2025, a date which is within thirty (30) days after the first publication of this Notice in The Keys Weekly and file the original with the Clerk of this Court at Freeman Justice Center, 302 Fleming Street., Key West, FL 33040, either before service on Plaintiff's attorney or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default and judgment will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint.
Dated: January 27, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA, Clerk CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT By: Shonta McLeod
Deputy Clerk Publish: January 30, February 6, 13 & 20, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA Case No. 2024-CA-000841-K HEATHER STAPLES, Plaintiff, vs. UNKNOWN HEIRS AND/ OR BENEFICIARIES OF CATHERINE KNOWLES; and the UNKNOWN HEIRS AND/OR BENEFICIARIES OF ROBERT KNOWLES JR.; and the UNKNOWN HEIRS AND/ OR BENEFICIARIES OF MINNIE JUNE KNOWLES; and the UNKNOWN HEIRS AND/OR BENEFICIARIES OF BERNARD “BERNIE” STAPLES, Defendants. ________________/ NOTICE OF ACTION BY PUBLICATION TO THE FOLLOWING DEFENDANTS WHOSE RESIDENCES ARE UNKNOWN: CATHERINE KNOWLES, DECEASED, THE ESTATE OF CATHERINE KNOWLES, DECEASED AND ANY UNKNOWN SPOUSES, HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES OR OTHER CLAIMANTS BY AND THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST, SAID DEFENDANT ROBERT KNOWLES JR., DECEASED, THE ESTATE OF ROBERT KNOWLES JR., DECEASED AND ANY UNKNOWN SPOUSES, HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES OR OTHER CLAIMANTS BY AND THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST, SAID DEFENDANT MINNIE JUNE KNOWLES, DECEASED, THE ESTATE OF MINNIE JUNE KNOWLES, DECEASED AND ANY UNKNOWN SPOUSES, HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES OR OTHER CLAIMANTS BY AND THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST, SAID DEFENDANT BERNARD “BERNIE” STAPLES, DECEASED, THE ESTATE OF BERNARD “BERNIE” STAPLES, DECEASED AND ANY UNKNOWN SPOUSES, HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES OR OTHER CLAIMANTS BY AND THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST, SAID DEFENDANT
one (41) feet and three (3) inches; thence at right angles in a Southwesterly direction Eighty-nine (89) feet and four (4) inches; thence at right angles in a Northwesterly direction Forty-one (41) feet and three (3) inches; thence at right angles in a Northeasterly direction Eighty-nine (89) feet and four (4)inches to the place of beginning. AND you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to the complaint, upon DAVID BERMAN, ESQ., 1331 N Mills Ave., Orlando, FL 32803, attorney for the Plaintiff, on or before thirty (30) days from the first day of publication herein and file the original with the Clerk of the abovestyled court either before service on Plaintiff’s attorney or immediately thereafter; otherwise a default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint.
DATED on 01/24/2025. Kevin Madok As Clerk of the Court By: Marissa Lockwood As Deputy Clerk
Publish: January 30 and February 6, 13 & 20, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
AUTOS WANTED
AUTOS ALL YEARS! Junk or Used Cars, Vans, Trucks. Runs or Not.$CASH 305-332-0483
AUTOS FOR SALE
1964 Ford Galaxy, 427 Big Block, 5-speed, located in Key Largo. PRICE REDUCED!! $45,000 954-445-6647
BOATS FOR SALE
2000 21' Hydra Sport Center Console w/200hp Johnson, trailer, cover, potty, jackets +. Located in Big Pine. Runs well. $7,400. 919-621-0544
GREAT DEAL: Key Largo 21' Deep V Center Console w/trailer. New 150hp motor & electronics. Ready to fish. PRICE REDUCED TO $20,000. Located in Marathon. 201-696-8906
For detailed information please visit the Procurement Department website at www.gmx-way.com/business/solicitations, or call the Procurement Department at 305-637-3277 for assistance.
The above named Defendants are believed to be dead and, if dead, the unknown spouses, heirs, devisees, grantees, assignees, lienors, creditors, trustees, or other claimants, by, through, under or against said Defendants and all parties having or claiming to have any right, title or interest in the property described below.
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED of the institution of the abovestyled quiet title proceedings by the Plaintiff, HEATHER STAPLES, upon the filing of a complaint to quiet title for other relief relative to the following described property: On the Island of Key West and known as W.A. Whitehead's map of the City and Island of Key West, delineated on February 1829, as Tract (3), better described on a diagram of Part of Tract Three, which diagram is duly recorded in Deed Book "N", Page 554, of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida, as subdivision Eight; Commencing at a point on William's Alley distant from the corner of Olivia Street and said Alley, Eight-two (82) feet and six (6) inches and running thence along said Alley in a Southeasterly direction Forty-
PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD FOR ONLY $25/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.
Night Monitor –FREE Private Room in exchange for overnight availability at our Assisted Living Facility. 5 nights on, 5 nights off 10pm-8am plus weekly stipend, Drug & background screen required. www.westcare. com/join-our-team/
Specialty Hardware of Marathon is looking for a full time person, hardware knowledge a must. Apply in person at 10730 Overseas Hwy Marathon. 305-743-3382
Marathon Yacht Club is hiring a part-time line cook. Private club, friendly atmosphere. 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.
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.
Serve/Bartend
on the ocean! The Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club is seeking a customer service-oriented Server/Bartender. Serve on pool deck, beach and/ or bar lounge. Open year round, 9:30am7pm daily. Full time/ Part time. Small friendly staff. Above average hourly wage plus tips. Apply in person at 425 E. Ocean Dr. Key Colony Beach or call 404-2193359 and ask for Dave.
The Housing Authority of the City of Key West now hiring the following positions: Resident Care Supervisor with min. 3 yrs. experience of an LPN, Med Tech, 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
PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD FOR ONLY $25/ WEEK FOR UP TO 5 LINES OF COPY. CALL 305-743-0844 TODAY
PRIVATE COLLECTOR
WANTS Rolex, Dive Watches and Pilot Watches. Old Model Military Clocks & Watches. Call 305-743-4578
HOUSING FOR RENT
2 BR / 1 BA unfurnished apartment for rent in Key Largo. $1,500/month includes utilities. F/L/S Text: 786-559-5494 Email: apmz57@yahoo.com RENTED IN LESS THAN ONE MONTH!!
PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD FOR ONLY $25/ WEEK FOR UP TO 5 LINES OF COPY. CALL 305-743-0844 TODAY
RV FOR SALE
2018 40’ Phaeton X5H, Factory ordered, 450hp Cummins, Diesel Pusher 10kw w/Onan Generator, 39k miles, 4 Slides, 4 TVs. Loaded with extras. Can be seen by appointment in Marathon, FL. Asking $225,000. Call or text Jerry at 305-664-1286 Email: LC1082@comcast.net SOLD!!!
PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD FOR ONLY $25/ 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
FISHING SALE - SAT. FEB. 1, 8AM-1PM, 706 Copa D'Oro, Flamingo Isle, Marathon. Deep drop elec. reels, rods, spin rods & reels, weights, anchors, line, 2 shotguns, yard tools & misc. stuff.
PLACE YOUR YARD SALE AD FOR ONLY $25/WEEK FOR UP TO 5 LINES OF COPY. CALL 305-743-0844 TODAY!
FULL-TIME POSITION ASSISTANT CITY CLERK
Serves as the Assistant to the City Clerk. Provides financial services, including processing accounts payable, revenue collections, and accounts receivables, multiple bank reconciliations, and deposit coding, including funding federal deposits and filing quarterly reports, credit card reconciliations, fixed assets administration, and monthly financial statements. Assistant to the City Clerk to attend Commission & Board meetings and record and transcribe minutes of proceedings.
Salary: $75,000 to $81,000 DOQ
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.
IN HOME SUPPORT LIVE-IN CARETAKER (FT) – Key West
Seeking a full-time, live-in, In-Home Support Coach/Trainer to provide companionship and assist clients with training/support. HSD/GED & 1 yr. exp in a related field. 1 year of college can substitute for experience. Must be able to use a tablet for documentation purposes. The shift for this job is split shift with hours in the morning and the evening. We can be flexible on the hours but must be available to work both days and evenings as needed. *
DIRECT CARE STAFF – NIGHTS/WEEKENDS - GROUP HOMES 24/7 (FT)
This position is available at our Windsor Group Home. Providing direct-care services and support to our clients in their home. Must be willing to work flexible shifts including days, overnights on Thursday. Requires a minimum of high school completion or GED and 1 year of experience with care giving or 30 hours or college coursework. *
SUPPORTED LIVING COACH (FT)
Responsibilities include management of developmentally disabled clients in independent living environments, management of office and in-home support staff. Must be available for some evenings and weekends. Bachelor’s degree in related field or experience working with developmentally disabled clients in lieu of degree. Must have a valid FL driver’s license. Salary commensurate with experience.
GROUP HOME MANAGER – (FT) – Key West
FT administrative, salaried position. Responsible for operations of Group Homes in accordance with State and Fed regulations. Oversight of staff and clients. Bachelor’s degree and Florida DL w/clean driving record req. At least 2 yrs of mgmt and admin experience req, and direct or comparable experience w/same or similar population preferred. Computer skills: moderate to advanced.
*ALSO REQUIRED FOR ALL POSTIONS
Fluent in English language, speaking and writing, proficiency is a must. Level 2 background screening and valid Florida driver’s license. EOE
Benefits include Medical, Dental, and Life Insurance, Paid Vacation, Sick Leave, Holidays, and Retirement.
Qualifications: Business-related Associate Degree; requires a high level of financial/accounting skills; must have excellent knowledge of QuickBooks and Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook; exceptional customer service skills; ability to multitask; ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing; requires a high degree of work ethics; ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with commission, staff, and the public.
Application forms can be found at www.keycolonybeach.net; see “I WANT TO” then “APPLY FOR A JOB.” Equal Opportunity Employer
Submit resume and application by mail or in-person to:
City of Key Colony Beach
Attn.: City Clerk
P.O. Box 510141, Key Colony Beach, FL 33051
Or email Cityclerk@keycolonybeach.net
The City of Key Colony Beach is seeking a full-time Public Works Foreman. The Foreman position is hands-on and works alongside the Public Works crew while assisting the Public Works Department Head in accomplishing department objectives and goals. The foreman is responsible for overseeing and working with a crew of three workers within the Public Works Department, coordinating daily operations, assigning tasks, and ensuring the safe and efficient maintenance and repair of public infrastructure such as roads, right of ways, stormwater systems, parks and facilities.
Salary: $75,000 to $85,000 DOQ
Benefits include Medical, Dental, and Life Insurance, Paid Vacation, Sick Leave, Holidays, and the Florida Retirement System (FRS). Application forms can be found at www.keycolonybeach.net; see “I WANT TO” then “APPLY FOR A JOB.” Equal Opportunity Employer
Submit resume and application by mail or in-person to: City of Key Colony Beach
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
APPLY AND LEARN MORE careers.baptisthealth.net
THEME: SUPER BOWL
ACROSS
1. Bungle
5. Cause of a trip?
8. Dao, alt. sp.
11. Between marquess and viscount
12. Super garb?
13. Inlet in Norway
15. Cogito ____ sum
16. Long story
17. Deprived of a limb
18. *Half-time headliner
20. Ice, dark or middle ____
21. *Cindy Crawford wore “____ Dukes” in a Super Bowl ad
22. Flightless bird
23. *Last year’s Super Bowl winners
26. A cheap, run-down motel
30. “____ the fields we go”
31. Merry
34. Actor’s part
35. Expensive
37. Not him
38. Cell phone bill item
39. Civil Rights icon
40. *David Tyree’s ____ Catch
42. Letters of distress
43. What rule follower does
45. Get cozy
47. Greed, biblically-speaking
48. Grieve for the dead
50. Time period
52. *Team with most Super Bowl appearances
55. 3600 seconds, pl.
56. Casino chip
57. Salmon’s output
59. En ____, all together
60. Like Piper of Hamelin
61. Uber alternative
62. ____ Robinson
63. Acronym, abbr.
64. “Come Sail Away” band
DOWN
1. Service charge
2. Songbird
3. Craving
4. Marilyn Monroe, e.g.
5. ____ lazuli
6. Hot
7. 52 cards
8. Hefty volume
9. Greek god of war
10. 1, e.g.
12. Cherry red
13. Post vitriol
14. *Team with no Super Bowl appearances
19. Looney Tunes duck
22. Architectural add-on
23. Meat of coconut
24. Roman king of Judea
25. Like certain whiskey
26. Grow crop
27. Brag
28. Algorithmic language
29. Ganders’ companions
32. Tom Jones’s “____ a Lady” 33. Rolodex abbr. 36. *____ Superdome 38. Wombs 40. Lady lobster 41. Hardened
44. Follows wash
46. Pig sounds
48. Bouncing off the walls
49. Weasel’s aquatic cousin
50. Fly like an eagle
51. Boot-wearing kitty
52. Mama Bear’s husband 53. To perfection (3 words) 54. *Justin Timberlake’s “____ Back,” sung in Super Bowl show 55. Expression of doubt 58.
*Steelers’ number of Super Bowl trophies
Proudly serving Key West to Islamorada as the ONLY locally owned and operated concrete company in the Florida Keys.
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 Date Result
Coral Shores Boys Basketball Goleman 1/21 L, 71-50
Key West Girls Basketball St. Brendan 1/21 L, 54-31
Marathon Boys Basketball Palm Glades Prep 1/21 W, 65-44
Coral Shores Girls Basketball Shelton Academy 1/22 W, 62-16
Marathon Girls Soccer South Homestead 1/22 L, 8-1
Coral Shores Boys Basketball MAST Academy 1/22 W, 61-42
Key West Girls Soccer St. Brendan 1/22 L, 1-0
Coral Shores Boys Soccer Silver Palms 1/22 L, 1-0
Marathon Boys Basketball Goleman 1/23 W, 56-53
Key West Girls Basketball Somerset Prep 1/23 L, 93-22
Coral Shores Girls Soccer Keys Gate 1/23 W, 5-1
Marathon Boys Soccer Archbishop Carroll 1/23 L, 4-0
Key West Boys Soccer TERRA Environmental 1/24 W, 2-1
Key West Girls Basketball Hallandale 1/24 L, 32-30
1/31 Coral Shores Boys Basketball Lake Worth Christian 5 p.m.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
ON THE COVER
EVANS
Ella put in a lot of extra work in the offseason and she’s been slowly gathering steam throughout the regular season. She’s hitting big numbers for her weight class, but I know she’s still got some left in the tank.”
— Jessie Schubert, Marathon head coach
At just 125 pounds, Ella Evans is a tiny powerhouse. The junior powerlifter has quietly made gains in the gym with an all-out approach to improving her form and adding plates to her lifts. Last week, Evans brought home two golds at FHSAA’s District 16 1A championships and helped Marathon win the team title. The double district champ was also the top lifter in the traditional event. Her coach emphasized her strong work ethic as well as the intensity she brings to her team. For her strong accomplishments in the gym and willingness to put in the extra hours to improve for herself and team, Marathon’s Ella Evans is the Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.
THIS WEEK Ella
Junior, Marathon Girls Weightlifting
Photo by BARRY GAUKEL/Keys Weekly
Gold medals at districts
Carlos Lezcano, left, Daeshawn Holmes, Briggs Roberts and the Marathon Dolphins closed out a three-win week with a rivalry victory over Coral Shores on Jan. 24. See page 4. BARRY GAUKEL/ Keys Weekly
fled to the Keys from the frozen mountains of Pennsylvania hours after graduating from college and never looked back. She is a second-generation coach and educator, and has taught in the public school system for over 25 years. She and her husband met at a beginning teacher meeting in 1997 and have three children born and raised in Monroe County. In her free time, McDonald loves flea markets, historical fiction and long runs in the heat.
grew up in Miami and moved to the Keys in 1997. He has spent the last 25 years teaching physical education and coaching virtually every sport for Florida Keys kids ages 4 to 18. If you are reading this and live or lived in the Florida Keys, he has probably taught, coached, or coached against someone you know.
Marathon - Alex Rickert alex@keysweekly.com
Upper Keys - Jim McCarthy jim@keysweekly.com
Key West - Mandy Miles mandy@keysweekly.com
The Keys Weekly Sports Wrap is proud to be the only locally-owned publication providing prep sports coverage from Key Largo to Key West. Together with our writers and photographers, we are committed to providing a comprehensive overview of the world of Keys sports with photography that allows our readers to immerse themselves in game action.
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.
All stories, photos, and graphics are copyrighted materials.
Win over Coral Shores makes it three in a row for Marathon
Marathon improved to 8-13 with a three-game at-home win streak last week, starting Jan. 21 against Palm Glades Prep. The freshmen led the charge, with 22 points coming from Jack Chapman, 13 from Taylor Huff and seven from Drew Suarez in the 65-44 win.
On Jan. 23 it was the upperclassmen’s turn. Junior Daeshawn Holmes scored 19 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and had four blocks against the Gators of Goleman. Senior Carlos Lezcano scored 13 and junior Briggs Roberts had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The game required extra minutes for a decision, and the win went to the Fins, 56-53 in overtime.
The next night, the Dolphins honored their lone senior, Lezcano, with a Senior Night celebration. The opponent, Keys rival Coral Shores, had no intentions of letting the Fins walk away with win number three of the week. The Hurricanes got off to an early lead and continued to press the Fins, who trailed at the half. Then Marathon began to chip away at Coral Shores’ lead, finally gaining the upper hand in quarter three.
Coral Shores closed to within three points in quarter four, but Marathon enjoyed a series of shots that just could not miss and pulled away to a 53-42 win. Chapman had the game-high total of 17, with Holmes scoring 16 and Roberts 15. For the ’Canes, Austin Vogt put up 16 points while Donovan Thiery scored 14 and Ayden Lane added 10.
1. Briggs Roberts sets up the Marathon offense.
2,3. Jack Chapman soars for lay-ins against the Goleman Gators.
4. Briggs Roberts goes for three.
5. Andrew Suarez goes vertical for a jumper against Coral Shores.
6. Daeshawn Holmes meets the teeth of the Hurricane defense.- Drew Suarez gets a shot off prior to drawing a foul.
7. Andrew Suarez walks down a Hurricane defender.
HARDWARE HAUL
Lady lifters make their mark at districts
Strong women across the Keys may feel weighed down this week – in the best possible way.
Marathon and Coral Shores each won a team title in the FHSAA 1A District 16 girls weightlifting championships. Marathon won the traditional event, which combines athletes' total lifted weights in the bench press and clean and jerk lift. Coral Shores was first in Olympic, edging out Marathon by a single point in combining the snatch and clean and jerk lifts. Each school won the runner-up trophy in the event they did not win outright, making the Keys a girls weightlifting stronghold in South Florida.
The Fins and ’Canes traveled to AIE Charter on Jan. 25 for the district meet. Both schools needed some extra room in the school vans for their winners’ hardware on the way home. Coral Shores had two double district champs. Jennille Arias (169 pounds) and Sydney Eysenbach (unlimited) won both the traditional and Olympic events in their weight classes. Teammates Karla Gutierrez (169) and Vanessa Gabriel (unlimited) secured runner-up medals in both events as well.
In traditional lifts, Rachel Rusch is the new district champ at 110 pounds. Her sister Julia was second, then went on to win her own district title in Olympic lifts. At 139 pounds, Julianna Rodriguez claimed the top spot in Olympic lifts and was the runner-up in traditional. Abigail Bergeron did the same at 154. Kali Gomer (129) and Lainey Kerns (199) each brought home a pair of secondplace medals in their weight classes.
Marathon had four dual district champs. Rilynn Richards (119), Ella Evans (129), Justice Lee (183) and Sabrina Schofield (199) each brought home a pair of golds. Ella Dunn (101) was first in Olympic lifts and second in traditional. Ayme Maradiaga (101) edged out Dunn for gold in the traditional event. Ava Merryman (139) and
The Lady Fins’ van was a bit heavier on the way home from the FHSAA 1A District 16 girls weightlifting championships.
Brizni Vargas (154) were first in their classes in traditional lifts. Vargas also claimed silver in Olympic. Other silver medalists from Marathon were Alexia Stip (119) in traditional and Katriya Wright (110) and Tinashay Cunningham (139) in Olympic.
In addition to their dual titles, Evans and Lee were awarded for having the top performances overall for 1A D16. Top Lifter honors are bestowed on the athletes whose performances are mathematically formulated along with their body weight to even the field. Evans won the Top Lifter award in the traditional event while Lee captured the same honor in Olympic. Both athletes are lifting more than their own body weight in the clean and jerk and bench. Lee is the owner of all of the Dolphin school records, and she inches closer to state records with each week.
Lady Conchs Jazzy and Keily Cardona
CONTRIBUTED
In order to move on from districts to regionals, and later from regionals to states, many athletes played the waiting game. Only the champ in each event at each weight moves on automatically. The remaining 19 spots are filled at large with the top-performing lifters in the entire state. It would be a rarity for a second-, thirdand even fourth-place finisher not to advance, and it is not unheard of for places as deep as sixth or seventh to move on.
In addition to the aforementioned athletes, Marathon’s Autumn Wolfe (110), Bella Childress (129), Samantha Schofield (199) and Nivi De La Torre (unlimited) plus Coral Shores’ Mallory Hughes (119), Emily Hurt (119), Leticia Lima (119), Grace Patterson (154) and Karla Gutierrez (169) will join their teammates at regionals.
Key West traveled to Park Vista on Jan. 25 for the 2A competition, where they placed fourth as a team in Olympic lifting and fifth in traditional. The Southernmost City has their own dual district champ in Aaliyah McCloud in the 199-pound category. Althea Olson was the second-place finisher in Olympic lifts at 101. McCloud’s first-place finishes gave her the all-clear for regionals where she will be joined by Olsen, Alexa Condella (154), Jazlyn Lyons (183) and Sophia Nafere (unlimited) at the next level of competition.
The coaches and athletes who made the cut will have a quick turnaround for regionals, slated for all three schools on Saturday, Feb. 1. Key West heads back to Dr. Joaquin Garcia, while Marathon and Coral Shores will meet at Keys Gate for the final step before states. Qualifying state contenders will travel to Lakeland to the RP Funding Center for the FHSAA State Championships Feb. 14 and 15.
The Coral Shores Lady Hurricanes show off their district medals.
Lyons, Althea Olsen, Aaliyah McCloud, Alexa Condella with their district medals.
Melane Estevez exploded for 29 points against Shelton Academy.
DOUG FINGER/Keys Weekly
LADY ’CANES PICK UP STEAM
Underclassmen light up the hoop in Keys rivalry matchup
With district playoffs just days away, the Coral Shores Lady Hurricanes found their rhythm on the court with a pair of victories last week.
The first was a home match Jan. 22 where the ’Canes secured a resounding 62-16 win over Shelton Academy. Melanie Estevez dropped 29 points on Shelton, including four baskets from behind the 3-point line. London Atkis added 11 points, eight rebounds and five blocks in the lopsided win. Anna Barrow scored eight with 10 rebounds and Alex Burson added seven. But their biggest win of the season followed on Jan. 24 when the Hurricanes traveled to Marathon to face the Lady Fins.
Coral Shores spoiled the Dolphins’ Senior Night, leading the entire game by a narrow margin, then hanging on for the win despite a Marathon comeback in the final quarter. Estevez had the hot hand again, sinking 16 points while Atkins added 10. Estevez and Atkins, both freshmen, have made the transition from middle school to varsity play. Marathon’s Shaina Robinson is also making that transition smoothly, but she is still in middle school. The seventh-grader’s trio of three-pointers contributed to her total of 14 points against Coral Shores while teammate Elena Eubank, a senior, had Marathon’s high of 15.
TRACY McDONALD/Keys
1. The Lady Hurricanes’ London Atkins sets up for a free throw. 2. Coral Shores’ Melanie Estevez drives toward the hoop. 3. Marathon’s Shaina Robinson goes for three. 4. Alex Burson (11) looks for an open Hurricane teammate.
Weekly
IN IT
Conchs knock out Wolves for shot at district title
As this paper is rolling off the press, the Key West Conchs are one win away from a district championship.
To begin the playoffs, Key West’s small district and solid ranking sent them directly to the semifinals for a Jan. 24 overtime showdown against Terra Environmental Research Institute. The Conchs entered the match outranked by the Wolves, but managed to pick them off to earn a spot in the FHSAA 4A District Championships against top-ranked Belen Jesuit, scheduled for Jan. 28 (results not available at press time).
In what head coach Nic Farrar called a hard-fought win, Key West took a 1-0 lead in the first half. Emmanuel Innocent sent a beautiful cross toward Sonny Bowden, who sent the ball into the net with a left-footed shot that cruised past the goalie into the bottom corner of the cage.
The Conchs’ DJ Barrett used his head to assist Sonny Bowden’s game-winning goal last week.
Sonny Bowden scored twice for Key West in their district semifinal match.
The Wolves struck back with a goal off of a penalty to even up the game at 1-1 at the end of 80 minutes of regulation play. Key West held their composure and patiently awaited their chance, which came with just three minutes of extra time on the clock. That’s when Sebastian Camargo sent a free kick toward DJ Barrett, who set up a close-range opportunity via a header. Bowden closed in and finished, making it 2-1 Conchs for a win and a chance for a district title.
The 10-3-3 Conchs faced Belen on Tuesday in the championship game, and despite their rankings, a win was well within Key West’s reach.
The Hurricanes used two prior matches as preparation for their FHSAA 3A District 16 quarterfinal game. Ranked sixth, the team faced thirdseeded Somerset Silver Palms, a squad they had lost to 7-0 and 7-1 in the regular season.
“We changed the formation of the team on the field,” said head coach Jorge Bosque, adding that the Hurricanes shifted toward a more defense-heavy style of play.
Bosque’s adjustments were successful, as the ’Canes held off a Somerset score for 33 minutes. At that mark, the Stallions scored with a header that redirected a ball being cleared out for the lone goal of the match.
Despite losing 1-0 and ending the season, Bosque had lots of praise for the team.
“Overall I’m very pleased with the players and the commitment it took for the new formation,” he said. “The team played extremely well considering the field conditions.” Those conditions, including 52-degree temperatures coupled with rain, made Somerset’s brand-new turf field treacherous for a team acclimated to the extreme heat of the Keys and natural grass surfaces. Coral Shores finished the season 8-14.
Marathon’s season also ended in the quarterfinals. The Fins, a District 16 2A participant, played at Archbishop Carroll Jan. 23, losing 4-0 to the Bulldogs. Marathon finished the season with a 3-12-1 record.
JANS’ HAT TRICK PUSHES LADY ’CANES PAST KNIGHTS
Fins, Conchs out of playoff contention; Coral Shores’ season ends in semis
In girls soccer district action last week, Key West and Marathon found themselves at the end of the road with losses in their first match of postseason play. For the Dolphins, that loss came in the form of an 8-1 defeat handed to them by Somerset South Homestead in the quarterfinals of the 2A District 16 playoffs. The Fins prevented a shutout with a goal by seventhgrader Ashley Strama, assisted by sophomore Maeve Merryman. Marathon completed its season at 4-11-1.
For Key West, the small size of District 16’s 4A division sent the Conchs directly into the semifinals, where they lost 1-0 to the Sabres of St. Brendan. Key West finished with a record of 8-10.
One Keys team was able to boast a playoff win this season; Coral Shores took on the Knights of Keys Gate on Jan. 23 and came away with a 5-1 quarterfinal win, boosting the ’Canes into the semifinals. Senior Sofia Jans’ hat trick led the team in scoring, while freshman Bayley Cartineau scored two more in a game dominated by Coral Shores. The 3A Hurricanes’ next opponent was Gulliver Prep in a match scheduled for Jan. 27.
Head coach Zach Owens told the Weekly he had all the faith in the world in his team and was confident that if the Lady ’Canes do what he knows they are capable of, they could come away with the upset and a shot at a district title against the most likely opponent: LaSalle. But District 3A is no joke, and Gulliver is perennially a strong contender.
“We can play with Gulliver. The name intimidates people, but I say let’s just go play the game,” said Owens of the higher-ranked Raiders. “We have a team that can do it.”
The teams have similar records and, against like opponents, both had comparable results this season, making for an exciting semifinal match. Unfortunately, the Raiders proved to be the end of the road for the Lady ’Canes, as their season came to a close with a 5-0 loss.
Sofia Jans, left, and Bayley Catarineau. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly
STATES-BOUND
Lady Conchs will represent Keys in Lakeland
For the second consecutive year, head coach Ariana Corsi and the Lady Conchs competitive cheer squad will make the drive to Lakeland’s RP Funding Center for the FHSAA state tournament.
The Conchs, who compete in the popular small non-tumbling division, were sixth overall in their division at the 1A Region 4 finals. Key West’s division has the most participants, and only the top two places in each region automatically qualify for the state finals. The Lady Conchs’ routine, judged on technical aspects such as difficulty, execution and crowd
Key West’s competition cheer team made the cut to the state finals. MAICEY MALGRAT/Keys Weekly
appeal, scored well enough to advance them to the preliminary competition for another round of scoring prior to the finals.
The at-large bid to states gives the Lady Conchs little time to make any necessary adjustments and polish their routine before the Jan. 31 competition.
“The team hit their mini-pyramid two-man stunt with perfection,” Corsi said, adding that the execution and difficulty of the stunt bolstered the Conchs’ total to help seal their bid. “We will be working on cleaning up our ending pyramid this week as we leave for Lakeland.”
• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES •
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE
U-HAUL COMPANY OF MIAMI
Notice is hereby given that on February 10th, 2025, Leonard Richford Jr. Storage Auctioneer, Executive Administrator for U-Haul Company of Miami, Will be offering for sale under the Judicial Lien Process, By Public Auction, the following storage units. The Terms of the sale will be cash only. U-Haul Company does reserve the right to refuse any bids. The sales will Begin at 8:00 a.m. and continue day by day until all units are sold. The names of whose units will be sold are as follows:
LOCATION: 103530 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037 Knight, John 0016 Robertson, Jeremy 1162 Bangert, Philip 1670 Cafarella, Deborah 1191
Murgas, Alex 1580 Cox, Michael 1426 Fellhauer, Amy 1023 Trent, Cheryl 1180, 1203 Adkins, Taylor 1561 Chamberlain, Sheila 1167
Publish: January 23 & 30, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE
Please take notice that in accordance with Florida Statute 328.17, Silent Hunter Boat Yard, LLC dba-Marathon Boat Yard claims a possessory lien on the following described vessel:
Owned by Darryl Wayne Hansen, deceased, for unpaid storage fees: a 1981 Formosa 51’ 6” vessel by Formosa Boat Bldg Co., “Dragonfly”, Florida Registration # FL4642RH and HIN #FBB510330481.
Sealed bids will be accepted on February 3, 2025 at Marathon Boat Yard, 2055 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050. Silent Hunter Boat Yard, LLC dba Marathon Boat Yard, reserves the right to reject any and all bids.
Publish: January 23 & 30, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE
Notice of Seizure that in accordance with Florida Statutes 83.805/83.506, Upper Keys Commerce Center, 97300 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037 will sell or otherwise dispose of the personal contents of the following unit to satisfy the delinquent storage lien.
All contents in:
Unit 73 – Margaret Edwards
Sale of all goods will be 2/10/25 at 10:00 am at 97300 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo Florida 33037. Upper Keys Commerce Center reserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids.
Publish: January 23 & 30, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE
Notice of Seizure that in accordance with Florida Statues 83.805 / 83.506, Tavernier Mini Storage, 135 Hood Ave., Tavernier, Florida 33070 will sell or otherwise will dispose of the personal contents of the following unit to satisfy the delinquent storage lien.
All Contents in:
Unit D-56 –Robert Entwistle Sale of all goods will be 2/10/25 at 10:00 am at 135 Hood Ave., Tavernier, Florida 33070. Tavernier Mini Storage reserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids.
Publish: January 23 & 30, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 24-CP-000464-K
DIVISION: PROBATE IN RE: ESTATE OF PHILIP TENNEY, Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of PHILIP TENNEY, deceased, whose date of death was July 14, 2024, 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 WITHIN THE LATER OF THREE (3) MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR THIRTY (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 the decedent’s estate including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, must file their claims with this court WITHIN THREE (3) MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.
ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA STATUTES 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 the first publication of this Notice is: January 30, 2025.
Personal Representative:
JED TENNEY
629 William Street Key West, FL 33040
Attorney for Personal Representative:
KARLEEN A. GRANT, ESQUIRE
Fla. Bar No: 324531
Law Offices of Karleen A. Grant
1033 Flagler Avenue Key West, FL 33040
Telephone: (305) 292-4929
Publish: January 30 & February 6, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
PROBATE DIVISION CASE NUMBER: 24-CP00079-M
FLORIDA BAR #980810
IN RE: THE ESTATE OF MURIEL BEAUMONT
Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of MURIEL BEAUMONT, deceased, whose date of death was July 23, 2023, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 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 WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.
ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE 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: January 23, 2025.
Persons Giving Notice: Stephan Beaumont 311 2nd Street Key Colony Beach, Florida 33051
Attorney for Persons Giving Notice:
Christopher B. Waldera, P.A.
Christopher B. Waldera, Esq.
Florida Bar No: 980810
Attorney for Personal Representative 5800 Overseas Highway, Suite 7
Marathon, Florida 33050
Telephone: (305) 289-2223
Facsimile: (305) 289-2249
email: cwaldera@aol.com
Publish: January 23 & 30, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CIVIL ACTION CASE NO.: 24-CA-000958-K CANDANCE ILENE VALLADARES Individually Plaintiff, vs. Equity Link, INC. A California Incorporated Company NuView IRA, Inc. f/k/a/ Entrust Administration Services, Inc. A Florida Profit Corporation Warren Lloyd Holtzman IRA, MINDY SILVERSTEIN, Individually JOSE MIRANDA, Individually Defendants _____________/
NOTICE OF ACTION FOR PUBLICATION
To: MINDY SILVERSTEIN
Last known address: 16 Spring Street, Pleasantville, New York, 10570-2713
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that an action to Quiet Title and to remove the cloud from title of the real property described as: PART OF LOT 51 ACCORDING TO MCDONALD’S SURVEY OF PART OF STOCK ISLAND RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 1, PAGE 55 OF MONROE COUNTY PUBLIC RECORDS AND IS MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:
FROM THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF SAID BLOCK 51, GO WESTERLY ALONG THE NORTH LINE OF THIRD AVENUE A DISTANCE OF 250 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE AT RIGHT ANGLES AND NORTHERLY A DISTANCE OF 200 FEET TO A POINT; WHICH POINT IS THE POINT OF BEGINNING; THENCE CONTINUE NORTHERLY ALONG THE PROLONGATION OF THE PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED COURSE A DISTANCE OF 70 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE AT RIGHT ANGLES AND WESTERLY A DISTANCE OF 125 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE AT RIGHT ANGLES AND SOUTHERLY A DISTANCE OF 70 FEET; THENCE AT RIGHT ANGLES EASTERLY A DISTANCE OF 125 FEET BACK TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA with a physical address of: 6430 Sunshine Street, Key West, FL 33040. Folio Number: 00126510-000000 has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it, on Eric J. Sanchez PA, Attorney for Plaintiff, whose address is 4960 SW 72nd Avenue, Suite 206, Miami, FL 33155, (786) 408-9681 on or before March 3, 2025, a date which is within thirty (30) days after the first publication of this Notice in The Keys Weekly and file the original with the Clerk of this Court at Freeman Justice Center, 302 Fleming Street., Key West, FL 33040, either before service on Plaintiff's attorney or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default and judgment will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint.
Dated: January 27, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA, Clerk CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT By: Shonta McLeod
Deputy Clerk Publish: January 30, February 6, 13 & 20, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA Case No. 2024-CA-000841-K HEATHER STAPLES, Plaintiff, vs. UNKNOWN HEIRS AND/ OR BENEFICIARIES OF CATHERINE KNOWLES; and the UNKNOWN HEIRS AND/OR BENEFICIARIES OF ROBERT KNOWLES JR.; and the UNKNOWN HEIRS AND/ OR BENEFICIARIES OF MINNIE JUNE KNOWLES; and the UNKNOWN HEIRS AND/OR BENEFICIARIES OF BERNARD “BERNIE” STAPLES, Defendants. ________________/ NOTICE OF ACTION BY PUBLICATION TO THE FOLLOWING DEFENDANTS WHOSE RESIDENCES ARE UNKNOWN: CATHERINE KNOWLES, DECEASED, THE ESTATE OF CATHERINE KNOWLES, DECEASED AND ANY UNKNOWN SPOUSES, HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES OR OTHER CLAIMANTS BY AND THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST, SAID DEFENDANT ROBERT KNOWLES JR., DECEASED, THE ESTATE OF ROBERT KNOWLES JR., DECEASED AND ANY UNKNOWN SPOUSES, HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES OR OTHER CLAIMANTS BY AND THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST, SAID DEFENDANT MINNIE JUNE KNOWLES, DECEASED, THE ESTATE OF MINNIE JUNE KNOWLES, DECEASED AND ANY UNKNOWN SPOUSES, HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES OR OTHER CLAIMANTS BY AND THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST, SAID DEFENDANT BERNARD “BERNIE” STAPLES, DECEASED, THE ESTATE OF BERNARD “BERNIE” STAPLES, DECEASED AND ANY UNKNOWN SPOUSES, HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES OR OTHER CLAIMANTS BY AND THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST, SAID DEFENDANT
one (41) feet and three (3) inches; thence at right angles in a Southwesterly direction Eighty-nine (89) feet and four (4) inches; thence at right angles in a Northwesterly direction Forty-one (41) feet and three (3) inches; thence at right angles in a Northeasterly direction Eighty-nine (89) feet and four (4)inches to the place of beginning. AND you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to the complaint, upon DAVID BERMAN, ESQ., 1331 N Mills Ave., Orlando, FL 32803, attorney for the Plaintiff, on or before thirty (30) days from the first day of publication herein and file the original with the Clerk of the abovestyled court either before service on Plaintiff’s attorney or immediately thereafter; otherwise a default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint.
DATED on 01/24/2025. Kevin Madok As Clerk of the Court By: Marissa Lockwood As Deputy Clerk
Publish: January 30 and February 6, 13 & 20, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
AUTOS WANTED
AUTOS ALL YEARS! Junk or Used Cars, Vans, Trucks. Runs or Not.$CASH 305-332-0483
AUTOS FOR SALE
1964 Ford Galaxy, 427 Big Block, 5-speed, located in Key Largo. PRICE REDUCED!! $45,000 954-445-6647
BOATS FOR SALE
2000 21' Hydra Sport Center Console w/200hp Johnson, trailer, cover, potty, jackets +. Located in Big Pine. Runs well. $7,400. 919-621-0544
GREAT DEAL: Key Largo 21' Deep V Center Console w/trailer. New 150hp motor & electronics. Ready to fish. PRICE REDUCED TO $20,000. Located in Marathon. 201-696-8906
For detailed information please visit the Procurement Department website at www.gmx-way.com/business/solicitations, or call the Procurement Department at 305-637-3277 for assistance.
The above named Defendants are believed to be dead and, if dead, the unknown spouses, heirs, devisees, grantees, assignees, lienors, creditors, trustees, or other claimants, by, through, under or against said Defendants and all parties having or claiming to have any right, title or interest in the property described below.
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED of the institution of the abovestyled quiet title proceedings by the Plaintiff, HEATHER STAPLES, upon the filing of a complaint to quiet title for other relief relative to the following described property: On the Island of Key West and known as W.A. Whitehead's map of the City and Island of Key West, delineated on February 1829, as Tract (3), better described on a diagram of Part of Tract Three, which diagram is duly recorded in Deed Book "N", Page 554, of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida, as subdivision Eight; Commencing at a point on William's Alley distant from the corner of Olivia Street and said Alley, Eight-two (82) feet and six (6) inches and running thence along said Alley in a Southeasterly direction Forty-
PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD FOR ONLY $25/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.
Night Monitor –FREE Private Room in exchange for overnight availability at our Assisted Living Facility. 5 nights on, 5 nights off 10pm-8am plus weekly stipend, Drug & background screen required. www.westcare. com/join-our-team/
Specialty Hardware of Marathon is looking for a full time person, hardware knowledge a must. Apply in person at 10730 Overseas Hwy Marathon. 305-743-3382
Marathon Yacht Club is hiring a part-time line cook. Private club, friendly atmosphere. 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.
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.
Serve/Bartend
on the ocean! The Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club is seeking a customer service-oriented Server/Bartender. Serve on pool deck, beach and/ or bar lounge. Open year round, 9:30am7pm daily. Full time/ Part time. Small friendly staff. Above average hourly wage plus tips. Apply in person at 425 E. Ocean Dr. Key Colony Beach or call 404-2193359 and ask for Dave.
The Housing Authority of the City of Key West now hiring the following positions: Resident Care Supervisor with min. 3 yrs. experience of an LPN, Med Tech, 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
PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD FOR ONLY $25/ WEEK FOR UP TO 5 LINES OF COPY. CALL 305-743-0844 TODAY
PRIVATE COLLECTOR
WANTS Rolex, Dive Watches and Pilot Watches. Old Model Military Clocks & Watches. Call 305-743-4578
HOUSING FOR RENT
2 BR / 1 BA unfurnished apartment for rent in Key Largo. $1,500/month includes utilities. F/L/S Text: 786-559-5494 Email: apmz57@yahoo.com RENTED IN LESS THAN ONE MONTH!!
PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD FOR ONLY $25/ WEEK FOR UP TO 5 LINES OF COPY. CALL 305-743-0844 TODAY
RV FOR SALE
2018 40’ Phaeton X5H, Factory ordered, 450hp Cummins, Diesel Pusher 10kw w/Onan Generator, 39k miles, 4 Slides, 4 TVs. Loaded with extras. Can be seen by appointment in Marathon, FL. Asking $225,000. Call or text Jerry at 305-664-1286 Email: LC1082@comcast.net SOLD!!!
PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD FOR ONLY $25/ 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
FISHING SALE - SAT. FEB. 1, 8AM-1PM, 706 Copa D'Oro, Flamingo Isle, Marathon. Deep drop elec. reels, rods, spin rods & reels, weights, anchors, line, 2 shotguns, yard tools & misc. stuff.
PLACE YOUR YARD SALE AD FOR ONLY $25/WEEK FOR UP TO 5 LINES OF COPY. CALL 305-743-0844 TODAY!
FULL-TIME POSITION ASSISTANT CITY CLERK
Serves as the Assistant to the City Clerk. Provides financial services, including processing accounts payable, revenue collections, and accounts receivables, multiple bank reconciliations, and deposit coding, including funding federal deposits and filing quarterly reports, credit card reconciliations, fixed assets administration, and monthly financial statements. Assistant to the City Clerk to attend Commission & Board meetings and record and transcribe minutes of proceedings.
Salary: $75,000 to $81,000 DOQ
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.
IN HOME SUPPORT LIVE-IN CARETAKER (FT) – Key West
Seeking a full-time, live-in, In-Home Support Coach/Trainer to provide companionship and assist clients with training/support. HSD/GED & 1 yr. exp in a related field. 1 year of college can substitute for experience. Must be able to use a tablet for documentation purposes. The shift for this job is split shift with hours in the morning and the evening. We can be flexible on the hours but must be available to work both days and evenings as needed. *
DIRECT CARE STAFF – NIGHTS/WEEKENDS - GROUP HOMES 24/7 (FT)
This position is available at our Windsor Group Home. Providing direct-care services and support to our clients in their home. Must be willing to work flexible shifts including days, overnights on Thursday. Requires a minimum of high school completion or GED and 1 year of experience with care giving or 30 hours or college coursework. *
SUPPORTED LIVING COACH (FT)
Responsibilities include management of developmentally disabled clients in independent living environments, management of office and in-home support staff. Must be available for some evenings and weekends. Bachelor’s degree in related field or experience working with developmentally disabled clients in lieu of degree. Must have a valid FL driver’s license. Salary commensurate with experience.
GROUP HOME MANAGER – (FT) – Key West
FT administrative, salaried position. Responsible for operations of Group Homes in accordance with State and Fed regulations. Oversight of staff and clients. Bachelor’s degree and Florida DL w/clean driving record req. At least 2 yrs of mgmt and admin experience req, and direct or comparable experience w/same or similar population preferred. Computer skills: moderate to advanced.
*ALSO REQUIRED FOR ALL POSTIONS
Fluent in English language, speaking and writing, proficiency is a must. Level 2 background screening and valid Florida driver’s license. EOE
Benefits include Medical, Dental, and Life Insurance, Paid Vacation, Sick Leave, Holidays, and Retirement.
Qualifications: Business-related Associate Degree; requires a high level of financial/accounting skills; must have excellent knowledge of QuickBooks and Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook; exceptional customer service skills; ability to multitask; ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing; requires a high degree of work ethics; ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with commission, staff, and the public.
Application forms can be found at www.keycolonybeach.net; see “I WANT TO” then “APPLY FOR A JOB.” Equal Opportunity Employer
Submit resume and application by mail or in-person to:
City of Key Colony Beach
Attn.: City Clerk
P.O. Box 510141, Key Colony Beach, FL 33051
Or email Cityclerk@keycolonybeach.net
The City of Key Colony Beach is seeking a full-time Public Works Foreman. The Foreman position is hands-on and works alongside the Public Works crew while assisting the Public Works Department Head in accomplishing department objectives and goals. The foreman is responsible for overseeing and working with a crew of three workers within the Public Works Department, coordinating daily operations, assigning tasks, and ensuring the safe and efficient maintenance and repair of public infrastructure such as roads, right of ways, stormwater systems, parks and facilities.
Salary: $75,000 to $85,000 DOQ
Benefits include Medical, Dental, and Life Insurance, Paid Vacation, Sick Leave, Holidays, and the Florida Retirement System (FRS). Application forms can be found at www.keycolonybeach.net; see “I WANT TO” then “APPLY FOR A JOB.” Equal Opportunity Employer
Submit resume and application by mail or in-person to: City of Key Colony Beach
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
APPLY AND LEARN MORE careers.baptisthealth.net
THEME: SUPER BOWL
ACROSS
1. Bungle
5. Cause of a trip?
8. Dao, alt. sp.
11. Between marquess and viscount
12. Super garb?
13. Inlet in Norway
15. Cogito ____ sum
16. Long story
17. Deprived of a limb
18. *Half-time headliner
20. Ice, dark or middle ____
21. *Cindy Crawford wore “____ Dukes” in a Super Bowl ad
22. Flightless bird
23. *Last year’s Super Bowl winners
26. A cheap, run-down motel
30. “____ the fields we go”
31. Merry
34. Actor’s part
35. Expensive
37. Not him
38. Cell phone bill item
39. Civil Rights icon
40. *David Tyree’s ____ Catch
42. Letters of distress
43. What rule follower does
45. Get cozy
47. Greed, biblically-speaking
48. Grieve for the dead
50. Time period
52. *Team with most Super Bowl appearances
55. 3600 seconds, pl.
56. Casino chip
57. Salmon’s output
59. En ____, all together
60. Like Piper of Hamelin
61. Uber alternative
62. ____ Robinson
63. Acronym, abbr.
64. “Come Sail Away” band
DOWN
1. Service charge
2. Songbird
3. Craving
4. Marilyn Monroe, e.g.
5. ____ lazuli
6. Hot
7. 52 cards
8. Hefty volume
9. Greek god of war
10. 1, e.g.
12. Cherry red
13. Post vitriol
14. *Team with no Super Bowl appearances
19. Looney Tunes duck
22. Architectural add-on
23. Meat of coconut
24. Roman king of Judea
25. Like certain whiskey
26. Grow crop
27. Brag
28. Algorithmic language
29. Ganders’ companions
32. Tom Jones’s “____ a Lady” 33. Rolodex abbr. 36. *____ Superdome 38. Wombs 40. Lady lobster 41. Hardened
44. Follows wash
46. Pig sounds
48. Bouncing off the walls
49. Weasel’s aquatic cousin
50. Fly like an eagle
51. Boot-wearing kitty
52. Mama Bear’s husband 53. To perfection (3 words) 54. *Justin Timberlake’s “____ Back,” sung in Super Bowl show 55. Expression of doubt 58.
*Steelers’ number of Super Bowl trophies
Proudly serving Key West to Islamorada as the ONLY locally owned and operated concrete company in the Florida Keys.
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.
