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This breathtaking three-story beachfront home boasts six spacious bedrooms, five lavish bathrooms, and three living rooms, perfectly blending resort-style living with the utmost comfort. Located in a serene cove with a pristine natural beach, the home features floor-to-ceiling windows that offer stunning 180-degree panoramic views of the ocean. Every corner is meticulously designed with tasteful decor, exuding elegance while providing a personal, comfortable atmosphere. The property is in downtown Islamorada, Florida Keys, and includes a private beachfront terrace, a third-story private balcony, and a tranquil pool with a tiki hut, making it ideal for relaxation and entertaining. The outdoor spaces feature a cozy firepit, offering the perfect setting for intimate gatherings with the sound of the waves as a backdrop. As a vacation rental, this residence is a lucrative investment opportunity in a highly sought-after area. This home is a true masterpiece, offering unparalleled luxury, privacy and breathtaking views.
89240 Overseas Hwy. Suite 2
Tavernier, FL 33070
Office: 305.363.2957 www.keysweekly.com
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Members of
Thieves targeting freight trains in California and Arizona made off with $2 million worth of Nike sneakers, according to a report by the Associated Press. Robbers came away with 1,900 pairs of unreleased Nikes during a Jan. 13 incident in a remote section of Arizona.
Monroe County Col. Lou
speaks to friends during a retirement celebration on Feb. 20 at the Roth Building on Plantation Key. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly
WATER LINE PROJECT POSTPONED FOLLOWING TRAFFIC HEADACHES IN THE UPPER KEYS
FDOT
wants a northbound and two southbound lanes open
Two Florida Highway Patrol vehicles guide an ambulance through a congested U.S. 1 at MM 95 in Key Largo on Feb. 25. Using a loudspeaker, troopers could be heard far from the road in a nearby neighborhood telling motorists to move and make room for the emergency vehicle. DOUG FINGER/Keys Weekly
JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com
Contractors beginning a $57 million water line replacement project in the Upper Keys were halted on Feb. 25, after state transportation officials told the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority to open lanes that were closed to alleviate major traffic congestion.
A traffic pattern change from MM 90 in Islamorada north through Tavernier disrupted motorists. Crews were preparing to install water main underwater at Tavernier Creek Bridge — a roughly three-month project — before proceeding to place new, 36-inch pipes into the ground on the northbound side of U.S. 1 through Plantation Key. Northbound traffic was diverted into a southbound lane on U.S. 1 between Coral Shores High School and the traffic light at Tavernier Towne Center to make room for the work by FKAA contractors. An area usually flowing with four lanes of traffic was decreased to two lanes.
Congestion due to the new traffic pattern resulted in backups extending 5 miles in both directions, as well as travel times increasing from 15 minutes to nearly 2 hours for some motorists on Feb. 24. Southbound traffic was backed up more than 7 miles the next morning.
Traffic management in the work zone, which was implemented by the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority and its contractor, was approved by the Florida Department of Transportation.
“We are gauging this as a disaster and a concern for public safety,”
Sheriff Rick Ramsay told Keys Weekly regarding the traffic situation before FDOT’s order.
Greg Veliz, FKAA executive director, told Keys Weekly on Feb. 26 that FDOT wants one northbound lane and two southbound lanes open to traffic as contractors work to install new water main transmission in the area of Tavernier Creek Bridge. Veliz said FKAA remains in contact with FDOT with the goal of keeping the project moving. It’s not known exactly when it will resume.
“I would have preferred not to pull the project and make the adjustments as needed,” Veliz said. “The severity of traffic and proximity to school … it was the perfect storm. We could have done better.
“This is not an optionable project,” Veliz continued. “This is something that has to happen. We timed it so when we do the open cut in front of the high school it’s in the summer. Otherwise that would be highly impactful if we did that during the school year.”
During a Feb. 25 meeting, Monroe County school board members acknowledged that they’d like to see the project go forward as planned to avoid any major disruptions at Coral Shores High School and Plantation Key School in the fall.
FKAA says the project ensures clean drinking water for the coming decades. Current pipes are well past their lifespan, meaning they’re susceptible to corrosion and breaks such as the ones witnessed in Islamorada in 2023. Work to replace aged water main transmission was successfully completed from Tea Table Relief at MM 79.5 up through Windley Key last year.
Questions about the project should be directed to FKAA at 305296-2425 or email at www.fkaa. com/307/Contact-the-FKAA; and FDOT at 800-226-2368 or email at fdotmiamidade.com.
Caputo
A blockade at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Old Highway near Bessie Road on Plantation Key. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly
A CAREER DEDICATED TO SERVICE
Col. Lou Caputo retires following 40-plus years with the sheriff’s office
JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com
Lou Caputo began serving his country in the U.S. Army before the start of the Vietnam War. He did several tours, came home and eventually returned to service, this time with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office as a reserve deputy.
Eventually, he rose through the ranks to be the No. 2 man just under Sheriff Rick Ramsay.
As Caputo explained, “the sheriff would hire and promote and I would fire and demote.”
Caputo’s time with the sheriff’s office, in a career taking him from Key Largo to Key West, officially comes to an end Friday, Feb. 28 as he enters retirement.
On Feb. 20, fellow deputies, longtime friends of Caputo and his fellow Mangrove Swamp Band members gathered to celebrate his work and dedication to the community with the sheriff’s office. Bagpipes played by Dave Campbell and Doris Chong, who went through the police academy with Caputo several decades ago, filled the air as Caputo walked past his comrades and friends into the station at the Roth Building on Plantation Key.
“It’s a huge loss,” Ramsay told a filled room. “We can’t replace someone like this. People like this are just one in a million.”
Caputo joined the Army in 1969 before the start of the Vietnam draft. He was 19 years old when he enlisted. During a 2008 interview with the Keys Weekly, he said he volunteered because he wanted to serve his country — and because it was the John Wayne era, and “the American thing to do.”
Caputo risked his life to play the role of dog handler for the Army. For two tours of duty, with Bruce at his side, Caputo took on the courageous
task of tracking and defeating enemy soldiers in Vietnam. Rarely did the duo fail to complete a mission.
“When I got to Vietnam they asked some of us if we wanted to become dog handlers,” Caputo said. “I raised my hand. That’s not what I had trained for, but within two weeks of getting there that was my job.”
For multiple days at a time, and accompanied by only a small band of three or four lightly-armed unit soldiers, Caputo and Bruce would head deep into enemy territory in search of Viet Cong or North Vietnamese troops. Bruce tracked the opposition by ground scent, and Caputo searched for visual signs that the enemy was near. Wherever Bruce went, Caputo and the men followed. Bruce even protected Caputo from a trip wire linked to a nearby C4 explosive.
“I’d be dead if it wasn’t for him,” Caputo says. “He wasn’t even trained to look for explosives. After that, whenever he stopped I knew something was up.”
Upon finishing several tours in Vietnam, Caputo returned home to Key Largo. He had lived there since he was 16, when his mother moved the family from Miami. He married his childhood sweetheart, Anita, had three kids, became a state certified electrical contractor and eventually started his own business.
In 1984, he again volunteered for service – this time as a reserve deputy for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Reserve deputies, as Caputo explained, go out on their own time, ride with deputies and help where they can.
A few years later, when his boys were old enough to run the family business on their own, he attended the police academy.
“When Lou first came to the academy, I was kind of happy because I finally ran into somebody who was older than me,” joked Don Reynolds, who trained Caputo during his time at Miami-Dade Police Academy.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
1: Col. Lou Caputo directs a driver seeking to go through a checkpoint on the 18-Mile Stretch in the Florida Keys on March 27, 2020. The Keys were closed to visitors due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as deputies turned nonlocals around. ANDY NEWMAN/Florida Keys News Bureau. 2: Caputo has been an integral piece of Leadership Monroe County. Caputo is pictured with Michelle Lincoln, left, and Tina Boan following a scavenger hunt in Key West. FILE PHOTO 3: Sheriff’s Col. Lou Caputo will officially retire Feb. 28. 4: Sheriff Rick Ramsay reflects on Col. Lou Caputo’s time in the sheriff’s office during a special gathering on Feb. 20 at the Roth Building. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly
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MASSIVE SHOPPING EVENT SUPPORTS FUTURE LEADERS
Ideal
conditions brought tens of thousands to the Gigantic Nautical Market
JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com
Comfortable yet breezy weather conditions brought massive crowds to Islamorada’s Founders Park for the Gigantic Nautical Market, held Feb. 22-23.
Organized by the Upper Keys Rotary Club, the shopping event featuring 350-plus vendors also brought food trucks and a boat show along the beach. Tens of thousands were greeted and assisted by hundreds of volunteers from local Rotary clubs, high school students and community members. Proceeds from the Gigantic Nautical Market support students continuing their education at college and technical schools, as well as graduating Coral Shores seniors.
The two-day Gigantic Nautical Market brought an army of Rotarians and volunteers, tens of thousands of visitors and plenty of shopping at Founders Park in Islamorada. Photos by Jim McCarthy and Cindy Smith. Visit keysweekly.com for a full gallery.
ISLAMORADA COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
B lueprint for B alance c harrette
p u B lic K ic K - o ff & h ands - o n d esign s ession
Monday, March 24 | 6 pm
Join us for an informative presentation on town planning and community visioning. Following the presentation, work alongside your neighbors to draw your vision for the future of Islamorada! This is a family-friendly event - bring your children!
o pen d esign s tudio
Tuesday, March 25 - Thursday, March 27 | 9 am - 6 pm
Stop by the studio during the day to talk with the design team and provide input as the plan evolves. This will be a unique opportunity to provide feedback as the initial plan ideas are being developed.
W or K - in - p rogress p resentation
Friday, March 28 | 6 pm
See all of the work completed during the charrette week at the “Work-in-Progress” presentation. These are the concepts that will form the Comprehensive Plan.
All events to take place at: Founders Park Community Center 87000 Overseas Highway, Founders Park, Islamorada, FL 33036
What is a Public Design Charrette?
Public Design Charrettes bring all stakeholders to the table over a short, focused period of time to work intensively with the planning team to reach consensus over the future evolution of a place. The Charrette is rapid, intensive, and includes a series of creative work sessions between the public and the planning team to produce a draft comprehensive plan for the future.
Why should you participate?
Participating in the Charrette will give you a chance to express your vision for the future of the Islamorada and set the goals and priorities for the community moving forward. Your participation will make the difference between a good plan and a great plan.
Please visit : planislamorada.com for updates and information on meeting locations as the dates draw near!
DESCEND LIKE BACK IN THE DAY
Vintage Dive Weekend is March 8-9
The History of Diving Museum and the National Association of Underwater Instructors will hold Vintage Dive Weekend on Saturday and Sunday, March 8-9 at Jules Undersea Lodge in Key Largo.
If you’ve ever dreamed of diving like Lloyd Bridges and Zale Perry in “Sea Hunt” or like Jacques Cousteau and his team, now is the chance. Participants can see what diving in the past era was like, gearing up in a classic double-hose regulator and taking a tour of the lagoon at Jules Undersea Lodge.
In addition to diving in vintage scuba gear, attendees will get a look at what it takes to suit up a diver in a classic World War II-era U.S. Navy Mark V helmet, as a team from Trident Surface Supplied Diving preps the diver who will make a descent into the lagoon.
Brass Hat divers will use an open-bottom “Divinhood” made by the Miller-Dunn Company, which was located in Miami off the Miami River. These unique helmets, made from the mid-1910s to the 1930s, were used by the military for ship husbandry and shallow-water work. Commercial and treasure divers used the helmets for salvage operations and they became a groundbreaking tool for early marine biologists and underwater photographers. The “Divinhood” made possible some of the first recreational diving in the Florida Keys.
Divers take to Jules Undersea Lodge for Vintage Dive Weekend. The two-day event returns Saturday and Sunday, March 8-9. CONTRIBUTED
These live demonstrations with hardhat gear will take place at noon on Saturday and Sunday. The vintage scuba dives will take place every hour on the hour both days from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the exception of noon.
Divers, non-divers and landlovers alike may watch as well as partake in photo opportunities and art activities while learning about diving history and conservation with staff from the museum. Those interested in experiencing vintage diving can reserve a dive at divingmuseum. org.
— Contributed
Caputo and several others from Monroe County were some of the first to attend the academy in MiamiDade. Caputo, who drove the group to training in a Chrysler van, said he had a rule that everyone had to be ready to go by 4 p.m.
“One of the things they (police academy trainers) told us was, ‘Just because you’re from Monroe County doesn’t mean you’ll get special treatment because you’re driving an hour-and-a-half. If you’re late three times we’re kicking you out of the academy.’
“You’re running full bore and hitting gridlock in Miami,” Caputo said. “We’d slide into the academy parking lot, sometimes we’re changing in the back. We jump out and put bags on and run up to formation in time to do PTs, because we used to run the stadium steps at the time.”
Doris Chong attended the academy alongside Caputo. Upon graduation, she went on to work for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection while Caputo joined the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
“Initially it was just Lou and I going up the road,” she said. “Six people wound up signing up for that academy, so we had a full house every night in the van eating on the road.”
With the police academy behind him, Caputo spent a period as bailiff for Judge Regan Ptomey. At that time, bailiffs didn’t have offices; they sat in the chambers with the judges.
“I can tell you what judges do when they’re not in the courtroom,” Caputo joked. “And it isn’t reading journals, it’s not reading the law. It’s none of that.”
Caputo served as sergeant and captain in the Upper Keys. He also spent time in Marathon before heading to Key West in 2010.
“I’ve always had a good team,” Caputo said.
Caputo is known to be a tough cookie when it comes to annual inspections. Every year, deputies tend
to their vehicles as Caputo not only ensures they have all their equipment, but their vehicles are squeaky clean.
“The challenge with these inspections is finding dirt. The first year was easy; I didn’t come with Q-tips. The following years, I came with Q-tips,” he said. “The guys love when I come, and the sheriff said I could come back and do the honorary inspections.”
Caputo is also known to be quite the storyteller. Just ask him about the time he brought two German women back to his house after they had a fight with their boyfriends and were kicked out of the car. Or, the time he was on road patrol and responded to a domestic disturbance involving two gentlemen; one accused the other of breaking into a dolphin center and “attempting to have relations.”
Caputo also grabbed the headlines throughout the years for donning a Grinch suit during the holiday season, handing out onions to speeders in school zones.
Caputo said he owes his success to his wife, who supported him all the way.
“I don’t care who you are or where you’re at in law enforcement or anything, without family, love and support, you can’t be successful because you worry too much,” he said.
While his career at the sheriff’s office is complete, Caputo will stay in the public eye as he continues to perform with his fellow musicians in the Mangrove Swamp Band. He’s also a key member with Leadership Monroe County.
Caputo would often dress up as the Grinch during the holiday season to offer onions to motorists caught speeding through school zones. ANDY NEWMAN/Florida Keys News Bureau
Lou Caputo joined the sheriff’s office in 1984. KEYS WEEKLY FILE PHOTO
MARCH 2025 MEETINGS
The full agenda is available at www.klwtd.com or scan here
To provide public comment prior to the meeting, send an email to clerk@klwtd.com. The Mission of the
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The bundled-up cast of ‘Almost, Maine’ includes longtime Key Players actors and three novices to the stage. CONTRIBUTED
KEY PLAYERS PRESENT ‘ALMOST, MAINE’
Gaby and Robert Pozo smooch during a dress rehearsal ahead of opening night. This is Gaby’s first time on stage with the Key Players. KELLIE BUTLER FARRELL/Keys Weekly
Luna
New romantic comedy opens Feb. 27 in Key Largo
KELLIE BUTLER FARRELL www.keysweekly.com
Audiences should prepare to get carried away into a romantic winter wonderland, complete with snow, spectacular lighting effects and scenes depicting almost every type of relationship conundrum imaginable.
“Almost, Maine” is the most recent production presented by the Key Players. It takes place in the tiny fictional town of Almost in the state of Maine. It is here where nine couples experience life and love as they see it, in a play that promises to “split your sides and melt your heart.”
“We have love lost and love found, we’ve got the Northern Lights which signifies the love moments,” said longtime Key Players member Jonelle Kop. Kop is producing and directing the romantic comedy with a cast of nine veteran and novice actors alike.
“I have some people playing more than one role,” said Kop. The cast includes three actors new to the Key Players, including Gaby Pozo, whose husband Robert is in the show.
“He brought me to the audition and I didn’t want to do it,” recalled Gaby. “Jonelle said, ‘You know, there’s going to be a kissing scene’ and I said ‘No one else is going to kiss my husband,’” added Gaby with a laugh.
Pozo and her husband play two different couples in the show. This will be Robert Pozo’s third Key Players production and he’s excited to share the stage with his wife.
“It keeps us entertained in a town where there’s not a million things to do,” said Robert.
The Pozos aren’t the only real-life couple taking to the stage in “Almost, Maine.” Luna Rivera and Jayden Ware are engaged to be married and each has multiple roles in the play.
The couple recently moved to Big Pine Key for Ware’s job with Scouting America. They have been making the hour-and-a-half commute up to Key Largo since rehearsals started on Jan. 6.
“It’s been hectic,” Ware said.
“The commute’s kind of hard some days,” said Rivera, adding that the long drive could not keep her away from taking the stage in this show. Ri-
vera’s been with the Key Players since the seventh grade.
Rivera and Ware played love interests in “Escape to Margaritaville” last year and also play love interests in one scene in “Almost, Maine.”
“It’s really fun when we get cast in that way that we are able to play off of our organic feelings,” Rivera said.
Through nine vignettes each lasting 15 to 20 minutes, “Almost, Maine” delves into the many facets of love – from first love, to grown or mature love, to lost love and everything in between.
This will be Alejandro Godinez’s first time appearing in a Key Players production. The 25-yearold recently moved to the Keys from Fort Lauderdale and thought getting involved with the Key Players would be a great way to meet people.
“I decided I wanted to socialize and network a little bit here in the Keys, so this is a good way to do that,” said Godinez, who plays Pete in the show.
Cindy Smith never misses a Key Players production. She is usually off stage serving as the theater troupe’s volunteer photographer. But for the first time in her adult life, she decided to take a role under the bright lights.
“This came at a really good time for me to be able to commit to the rehearsal schedule and give the play everything that is necessary,” Smith said .
“It’s a tender sweet romantic comedy,” Kop said. “It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will tug at your heart.”
“Almost, Maine” opens on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Murray E. Nelson Government and Cultural Center, located at 102050 Overseas Highway in Key Largo. There will be a total of seven performances. Discounted tickets can be purchased in advance for $15 at Key Largo Chocolates (MM 100.5), Shear Paradise (MM 99.3) and Post Net Islamorada (MM 88).
Tickets can also be purchased online and at the door for $20.
Student tickets are available at the door for $10.
More information is at www.thekeyplayers. org.
Rivera and Jayden Ware have commuted from Big Pine Key to Key Largo since rehearsals started on Jan. 6. They play love interests in ‘Almost, Maine’ and are getting married next month. CINDY SMITH/Contributed
Alejandro Godinez and Julia Rush make a romantic connection in “Almost, Maine.” This is Godinez’s first time appearing in a Key Players production. This is Rush’s third play with the theater troupe. CINDY SMITH/Contributed
Engel & Völkers Island Insight
The Florida Keys real estate market is experiencing notable shifts in 2025, shaped by statewide economic conditions, evolving buyer preferences, and environmental factors. While home values remain strong, rising insurance costs and increasing inventory are influencing market dynamics
According to recent reports from Florida Realtors and MLS data, the average home price in the Florida Keys has increased by approximately 5% year-over-year, reaching $1,175,863 However, property sales have declined in most areas:
• Upper Keys: Down 6.2%
• Middle Keys: Down 5.3%
• Lower Keys: Down 10.3%
• Key West: Up 2.0%
Sellers are achieving approximately 90% of their original listing prices, with an average price reduction of 4.4% across the region (MLS Data, 2024).
What are the Market Expectations for 2025? Home prices are expected to rise modestly, barring major economic downturns or natural disasters Increased listings may provide buyers with more options and greater negotiating power Mortgage rate fluctuations, inflation trends, and potential regulatory changes could impact market movement. The Florida Keys remain a prime location for second-home buyers and investors, particularly in the high-end market (MLS Data, 2025). Reach out to Engel & Völkers Florida Keys for expert local real estate guidance tailored to your needs.
SAFE TRANSPORT
Sheriff’s office donates van to Treasure Village Montessori
JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com
AMonroe County Sheriff’s van used sparingly for school resource officer cadets will help students at one local school safely get to gym class across U.S. 1 to Founders Park in Islamorada.
On Feb. 14, Sheriff Rick Ramsay and deputies visited Treasure Village Montessori to present principal Kristin Brucia with the paperwork and keys to a vehicle large enough to transport a class of pupils.
“We’re so thankful,” Brucia said as she hopped into the driver’s seat of the clean and lightly-used van.
Between the number of vehicles on the highway, the speeds motorists travel and cases of distracted driving, crossing U.S. 1 in Islamorada can be a daunting task on any given day. With no crosswalks or lights to stop traffic in the vicinity, the school resource officer at Treasure Village Montessori, Chris Kilmurray, would briefly stop U.S. 1 traffic in order to move students safely across to Founders Park.
Kilmurray witnessed instances of motorists failing to pay attention to what was in front of them, whether it be distracted driving or looking at their phones while driving. He ended up going to Brucia and his chain of command at the sheriff’s office to address the safety problem.
The situation was viewed as an accident waiting to happen, and the sheriff’s office’s chain of command agreed.
“It’s a good quality van. The tires are brand new and it starts right up,” Ramsay said.
Brucia said the school purchased two new 14-passenger buses for safe transportation across the park as well as future field trips. Those vehicles likely won’t be delivered until the end of the school year, she said.
In the meantime, Brucia said, the school has a safe way of immediately getting students safely to the park without needing to cross the high-
way. She credited Kilmurray, Lt. Mike DiGiovanni and Ramsay for coming up with the plan to donate a new, safe mode of transportation for students.
“The support from the sheriff’s office means everything,” Brucia said. “Student safety is paramount.”
Ramsay said the van was one of two used for school resource officer cadets. They aren’t put to use much, which led the sheriff’s office to give away one for an important need.
Ramsay added the van has a hitch so the school can haul kayaks for field trips.
“I think they’re going to have an opportunity to do more than just drive kids across the street,” Ramsay said.
1: Treasure Village Montessori teachers and staff, Sheriff Rick Ramsay and deputies in front of the donated van. 2: Ramsay goes over paperwork with TVM principal Kristin Brucia. 3: Brucia sits in the van donated by the sheriff’s office to the school. 4: Teachers jump in the spacious van. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly
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SOARING IN THE SKIES
Blue Angels and ‘Fat Albert’ take flight next month
REEF THE FOX
Hi friends! Reef the fox here with your weekly “Reef’s Report.” I interrupt your regularly scheduled human nonsense to bring you breaking news: My mother, Nicole Navarro, founder of Pawsitive Beginnings and, until today, someone I trusted, has been chosen to fly with the Blue Angels in “Fat Albert” at the NAS Key West Air Show on March 28. At first, I was like, “Cool! That sounds exciting!” But then, like a tragic plot twist in a poorly written soap opera, it hit me. March 28 is my birthday. Instead of showering me with love, adoration and an appropriately extravagant celebration, my mother will be soaring through the skies in a high-speed, adrenaline-fueled flight while I sit here flightless.
For those of you who don’t
know, Fat Albert is the C-130J Super Hercules that serves as the Blue Angels’ transport aircraft. This beast of a plane carries the team’s crew, equipment and, apparently, not foxes who were clearly born to fly. It also performs in the air show, showing off its impressive takeoff power and maneuverability. Basically, it’s the perfect ride for a thrill-seeking fox like myself.
So tell me, dear readers, how did the selection committee overlook me? Am I not fast enough? Am I not aerodynamic? (Ever seen me leap?) Am I not the birthday boy? I should be in that cockpit, ears back, tongue out, embracing my destiny as the world’s first official Fox Angel. Instead, I will be grounded. It would be cool to jump on an honorary flight or get a fox-sized bomber jacket to match my undeniable pilot energy.
The NAS Key West Southernmost Air Spectacular presented by Key West International Airport will be on March 29-30 at Naval Air Station Key West. The Blue Angels and other military and civilian aerial performances will fill the skies over the Florida Keys. Anywho, that is definitely all for this week. Reef, over and out!
LEIA
Leia is an 11-year-old girl who loves going for walks and is just as happy with lap cuddles. She weighs 11 pounds and will make a perfect companion. Schedule a meet-and-greet by calling MarrVelous Pet Rescues at 305-453-1315.
Feb. 27-March 1
• Key Players present “Almost, Maine” at 7:30 p.m. at the Murray Nelson Government & Cultural Center, Key Largo. Visit thekeyplayers. org for tickets and information.
Friday, Feb. 28
• The College of the Florida Keys’ Foundation presents Swords & Tails at 6 p.m. at the Islander Resort, Islamorada. Visit ckf.edu/soiree for tickets and information.
• Florida Bay Forever’s Fin, Fur & Feather speaker series welcomes Gabriela Tejeda, National Geographic explorer, at 6 p.m. at Angler House Marina, Islamorada.
Saturday, March 1
• Keys Marine Laboratory Open House from 1 to 3 p.m. at 68486 Overseas Highway, Layton. Free and open to the public.
• Community student art exhibit opens at the Key Largo library. The exhibit runs through March.
Sunday, March 2
• Moose March Against Cancer at 11:30 a.m. at the Islamorada Moose Lodge, MM 81.5, Islamorada. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m. $25 per participant.
Monday, March 3
• Birding in Islamorada with Rachel DiPietro, naturalist and bird expert, at 8:30 a.m. at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Key Largo. $9 per person, plus park entry fee of $4.50. For adults 18 and over.
Wednesday, March 5
• Plant clinic and sun catcher activity for all ages from 9 a.m. to noon at Key Largo library. Supplies provided.
• No-cost business consulting provided by the Small Business Development Center from 2 to 5 p.m. at Key Largo library. Email bbarnes@ fiu.edu to make a reservation.
Thursday, March 6
• Great Decisions: China Relations video showing and discussion at 2 p.m. at Key Largo library. Visit the library for an informative article on the topic to read ahead of time.
March 6-9
• Key Players present “Almost, Maine” at 7:30 p.m. at the Murray Nelson Government & Cultural Center, Key Largo. Visit thekeyplayers. org for tickets and information.
Reef is a red fox that was saved from a fur farm. He now lives in Key Largo with his human, Nicole Navarro.
SAVE THE DATE
Fat Albert is the C-130J Super Hercules that serves as the Blue Angels’ transport aircraft. KEYS WEEKLY FILE PHOTO
THE GREAT FLORIDA KEYS ROAD TRIP: CUDJOE KEY
Island saw military activity
FLORIDA KEYS HISTORY WITH BRAD BERTELLI
Brad is a local historian, author, speaker and Honorary Conch who loves sharing the history of the Florida Keys.
What keeps getting more apparent is all the miles that go into creating the 115-milelong Overseas Highway have stories to tell. Naturally, some miles have more to share than others.
Mile Marker 22, crossing Cudjoe Key, is an interesting stretch that leads to conversations about Fat Albert, square grouper, and, on a personal note, my favorite dessert served in the Florida Keys. Spoiler alert: it is not Key lime pie.
As with most of the islands making up the archipelago, Cudjoe Key was not the first name given to it. In 1772, William Gerald De Brahm’s chart identified it as Littleton Island. According to F.H. Gerdes’ 1849 pamphlet, “Reconnaissance of the Florida Reef and all the Keys,” the island was simply called Cudjoe’s. Why the name Cudjoe came to be is something of a debate.
Some suggest the island was named after a person named Cudjoe, who once lived there.
Others suggest it was named for Jacquinia keyensis, an evergreen shrub that can grow to more than 10 feet tall. It is slow-growing but adept at island living and highly tolerant of drought, salt and wind. The plant, too, has tiny, fragrant white flowers that bees, wasps and other pollinators find attractive.
Sometimes, it is called Joewood. In 1989, city officials on Sanibel Island, in hopes of raising awareness about Joewood, declared it Sanibel’s official city plant. Jacquinia keyensis is also known as ironwood and cudjoewood. Cudjoewood is both native and common in the Florida Keys, which might be why the island found at
MM 22 became known as Cudjoe Key. It is home to Fat Albert, a tethered aerostat (a small, white blimp-looking object) floating 10,000 feet over the island.
One of Fat Albert’s jobs is broadcasting TVMarti. In addition to other Western propaganda, it is rumored that episodes of the titillating California lifeguard drama “Baywatch” are projected through the Cuban airwaves. Fat Albert was not the first government project developed on Cudjoe Key. The island has an often-overlooked history of being used by the government.
Cudjoe Key’s first military base began developing in the late 1950s. In the Dec. 31, 1958, edition of the Miami Herald, a story reported that a “new million-dollar missile tracking station was going to be built at Cudjoe Key.” The base was developed as a radar and communications station to aid in the monitoring of aircraft over the Gulf of Mexico; it served as an extension of Eglin Air Force Base, located in the area of Destin and Fort Walton Beach on Florida’s panhandle.
Among the things tracked were “advanced types of aircraft” and two models of BOMARC missiles launched from Eglin and tracked for both distance and accuracy across the Gulf of Mexico. Cudjoe Key Air Force Station 6947th Security Squadron and its 339 military personnel operated through the 1960s. When government cutbacks began in 1970, NAS Key West was saved because the weather was ideal for flight training, which is why fighter jets are still frequently seen screaming across the sky above the Florida Keys.
The Cudjoe Key base was reimagined. A “Balloon Radar Test” story appeared in the Aug. 29, 1970, Florida Today newspaper. “The Air Force plans to conduct tests to evaluate a balloonborne radar in an air defense role at Cudjoe Key Air Force station in Monroe County beginning in about 45 days, Sen. Edward J. Gurney, R-Fla. said. The test will continue through the summer of 1971.”
In the early 1970s, a project called “Seek Skyhook” was implemented at Cudjoe Key. The idea
was based on a Civil War-era tactic of placing an observer in a tethered hot air balloon. Floating high in the air, the soldier would have an advantageous position to watch for enemy movements. The Seek Skyhook project placed a tethered aerostat radar system on the island that has been used primarily for drug interdiction. The aerostat was nicknamed Fat Albert.
One of Fat Albert’s jobs has been to identify potential drug smuggling operations, which led to the subsequent influx of square groupers into the local waters. “Square grouper” is the local language describing a bale of drugs found floating out on the high seas or washing ashore.
Generally bound in plastic and waterproof tape, the square shapes of cocaine and marijuana are not infrequently spotted in the local waters.
Why are they in the water? Sometimes, they are dumped because of engine trouble or because federal agents are in pursuit. While driving over MM 22, the subject of square groupers may spark up when driving past one of my favorite restaurants in the Florida Keys, the Square Grouper. The restaurant’s logo is a blue, square grouper smoking a joint.
Also, they take the square grouper theme pretty seriously. In addition to hanging a great array of pictures of the infamous grouper on the walls inside, they open for dinner service at the classic stoner time of 4:20 p.m. Upstairs, there is a tapas menu, a raw bar and a cocktail lounge called My New Joint. The Square Grouper also serves what I consider the best dessert in the Florida Keys, a chocolate peanut butter pie that is always the high point of every visit.
If you want to learn more about square grouper, Billy Corben produced an excellent film about marijuana smuggling operations in the 1970s. The 2011 documentary is called “Square Grouper: The Godfathers of Ganja.” I give it five out of five joints.
In 2025, I’ll be exploring the Overseas Highway, its history, attractions, and points I find interesting.
Fat Albert at Cudjoe Key. FLORIDA KEYS HISTORY CENTER/Monroe County Library Collection
‘BOTTOMS UP FOR BABIES’
More than 2,000 diapers collected for Keys families
The Bottoms Up for Babies event, held on Feb. 21 at the Caribbean Club in Key Largo, successfully collected diapers and cash donations equivalent to more than 2,000 diapers for the Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition’s 2025 Diaper Drive.
Sponsored by members of the Upper Keys League of Women Voters and Upper Keys Women for Democracy, the event also gathered essential baby items for the S.O.S. Food Pantry at St. Justin’s Church.
LOCAL
The Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition serves families before, during and after pregnancy, helping more than 75% of babies born in Monroe County each year. With an annual need exceeding 120,000 diapers, the organization relies on community support.
The 2025 Diaper Drive continues until the end of February. Those wishing to contribute may drop off diapers at designated locations. More information is at www.keyshealthystart.org.
— Contributed
SCHOOLS BUILD THRIVING SPECIAL OLYMPICS PROGRAM
Ocean Reef Foundation helps new cheer teams sport new uniforms
Two Upper Keys schools were honored as Special Olympics National Banner Schools for the 2024-25 school year.
Key Largo School has long been a leader in Unified Champion Schools, serving as the district’s founding school for Unified programs. Coral Shores High School became the district’s first high school to be named a Unified Champion School, continuing the legacy as students from Key Largo School transitioned into high school.
Together, these two schools have built a thriving Special Olympics Florida program, offering the Young Athletes Program (YAP) for ages 2-4, Little Elites, Rising Stars, Unified Flag Football, Unified Soccer and Unified Cheer. Over the past eight years, their dedication has led to multiple state championship titles in flag football, soccer, cornhole and bocce.
For more than five years, the Ocean Reef Community Foundation has played a pivotal role in the growth and success of these programs in the Upper Keys. Thanks to the foundation, the 2024-2025
school year marks a milestone, with each school now fielding a Unified Cheer Team set to compete in the upcoming summer season. Their uniforms, essential to fostering team spirit and inclusion, would not have been possible without the foundation’s support.
The Monroe County School District remains committed to expanding Unified Programs across all schools. A Special Olympics Unified Champion School fosters an inclusive climate, emphasizing collaboration, engagement and respect among all students and staff. Schools earning National Banner recognition demonstrate an unwavering commitment to inclusion, having met 10 national standards of excellence — benchmarks established by a national panel from Special Olympics and the education community.
Key Largo School and Coral Shores High School join three existing National Banner Schools in Monroe County – Horace O’Bryant School, Poinciana Elementary and Treasure Village Montessori. The district has 10 Unified Championship Schools.
— Contributed
Upper Keys League of Women Voters and Upper Keys Women for Democracy members with diaper and cash donations during the Bottoms Up for Babies fundraiser on Feb. 21 at Caribbean Club in Key Largo. CONTRIBUTED
Special Olympics participants from Coral Shores High School and staff next to a Special Olympics National Unified Champion banner. CONTRIBUTED
Special Olympics participants from Key Largo School pose with the National Unified Champion banner.
COMEDY AND COCKTAILS
The Nest brings the laughs and prime rib
SAMANTHA DELLILO
Staff from your Monroe County Public Library recommend some of their favorites from the collection.
What: “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse” (1986-1990)
Why: A year after Tim Burton’s quirky feature film debut in “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” came this intentionally kitschy children’s show that acts as a throwback to ’50s programs like “Howdy Doody.” If you’re a boomer, you should appreciate the vintage programs it’s parodying. If you’re a millennial, you likely grew up with this Saturday mornings on CBS (and it holds up, with some surprisingly hilarious adult humor). If you’re Generation Z, then the peculiar storylines mingled with the wild aesthetic should be appealing. It’s a fun time, and the crazy amount of guest stars who crop up make this even more of a treat.
Where: This series is available on Kanopy, the library’s streaming app.
How: You can browse and request DVDs online by logging in to your account at keyslibraries.org. To view our collection of streaming movies and TV, go to kanopy.com/keyslibraries and set up an account with your library card. If you don’t have a card, you can visit your local branch or register online to get one. Questions? info@keyslibraries.org.
Recommended by: Kelvin Cedeño, library assistant, Islamorada library branch.
See previous Reel Recs at keyslibraries.org/post/reel-recs.
is a Keys native who has a passion for all things food. She runs the local food blog, “Florida Keys Eats.”
As a Key Largo local, the idea of driving south to Islamorada sometimes feels as daunting as a trip to the mainland. That’s exactly why I kept putting off checking out the monthly comedy show at the Nest at Green Turtle. Big mistake. Last month, I finally dressed up, committed to the drive and turned it into a full-blown date night. And let me tell you, the thrill of heading somewhere new for an event we’d never experienced brought a kind of excitement that’s rare in the Keys, the magic of the unfamiliar.
For just $25, you get a great seat (though, truthfully, every spot in the Nest offers a great view), table service, two hilarious comedians and a well-seasoned host. On this particular Saturday night, every seat was taken, and a line had already formed outside for the next show at 8:30 p.m. The service was seamless. I had an ice-cold dirty martini in hand within seconds, while my fiancé Mark opted for a beer.
We started with a couple of appetizers, which hit the spot, but as soon as I saw the prime rib making its way to nearby tables, I knew I had overlooked the real star of the menu. Every Saturday at the Nest is prime rib night, offering a choice between a 12-ounce queen cut for $49 or a hearty 16-ounce king cut for $62, served with slow-roasted au jus, mashed potatoes, vegetables and horseradish cream sauce.
Watching the towering king cut plates land at other tables, I instantly regretted my decision, not because our appetizers weren’t satisfying, but because that prime rib looked like the kind of meal you plan your night around. I haven’t stopped craving it since, so you can bet I’ll be back soon, and when I do, I’ll be sharing the full experience over on FloridaKeysEats on Instagram.
But the prime rib isn’t the only reason to keep the Nest on your radar. Their lineup of weekly specials makes it easy to find an excuse to go. The live comedy show happens on the last Saturday of every month, Tuesdays bring half-priced wine bottles for dine-in (a deal I’ll definitely be taking advantage of), and Wednesdays have Hump Day Trivia at 6:30 p.m., along with steak night featuring a 12-ounce prime New York strip and baked potato for $36.99. And for those who appreciate a good deal on drinks, their daily happy hour runs from 3 to 6 p.m., making it an easy choice for an early evening stop.
Now, back to the comedy show: Mark, myself and the entire crowd were genuinely laughing out loud all night. Going in, I half expected a lineup of local comedians or
maybe even an open-mic setup, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. These were seasoned pros, comedians with real touring schedules, performing at venues across the country, and they brought their A-game.
The show was every bit as entertaining as what you’d find after a two-hour drive to the Improv on the mainland. The sets delivered a mix of humor, bold at times, unexpected at others, and often hilariously relatable. The energy in the room was electric with laughs from start to finish. It was the kind of night that reminds you just how much fun it is to step out of your routine and experience something different.
So, the next time you’re looking for something fresh to do in town, skip the usual routine and give the Nest a shot. You might just be surprised at what you’ve been missing.
Seasoned comedians take stage at the Green Turtle Comedy Club the last Saturday of every month. SAMANTHA DELLILO/Keys Weekly
Are You a Grammar Hammer?
March 4 is National Grammar Day. The special day was started in 2008 by Martha Brockenbrough because she wanted to help her students with grammar in a positive way.
This week, The Mini Page reminds us of ways to use good grammar both in writing and speaking.
WHAT IS GRAMMAR?
Grammar is a set of rules for how language is structured. The rules may be about sentences, phrases and words. The oldest book about grammar was written more than 2,000 years ago. As languages change, grammar changes, too.
You can speak your native language without learning much grammar, but grammar can help a student learn a foreign language more quickly and easily.
EXAMPLES OF GRAMMAR
English grammar has some basic guidelines that demonstrate good grammar. Here are a few:
• A sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a period, question mark or exclamation mark.
When will you come home?
• Most sentences have subject-verb-object structure.
John loves Mary.
TRY ’N’ FIND
ADJECTIVE, APOSTROPHE, EXCLAMATION, FOREIGN, GRAMMAR, HOMOPHONE, LANGUAGE, NATIVE, OBJECT, PERIOD, PHRASE, PROPER, QUESTION, RULES, SENTENCE, SPEAK, STRUCTURE, VERB, WORD, WRITE.
Founded by Betty Debnam
We can speak and write more clearly when we use proper grammar.
• The subject and verb must agree in number.
Sam works downtown.
Grace and Grant love jigsaw puzzles.
• Adjectives (words describing nouns) are usually placed before the noun. This is different in some other languages, such as Spanish.
The Millers have a huge dog!
¡Los Millers tienen un perro enorme!
• In English, many words that sound the same (homophones) are spelled differently and have different meanings. Do you know the difference between these homophones?
Their, they’re, there
Its, it’s
Your, you’re
• Proper nouns, which are the names of things or people, are spelled with a capital letter.
The class wrote a letter to Elise after her surgery.
• An apostrophe is used to show possession, but where it is placed matters.
One boy: The boy’s dog ran away.
More than one boy: The boys’ dog ran away.
• Apostrophes can also be used in contractions, such as aren’t (are not) and shouldn’t (should not).
Words that remind us of grammar are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find:
GRAMMAR QUIZ-A-ROONIE
Can you figure out the answers to these grammar questions?
1. Find the object in the following sentence: Mom bought a watermelon.
2. What is the pronoun in this sentence? Alice loves to play with her toys.
3. Can you find the contractions in these sentences? Petra can’t ride a bike yet. She’s only 2.
4. Identify the adjectives in this sentence: We traveled down a long, winding road.
5. Circle the correct word choice in this sentence: Brent and Jan are going to sell they’re/ their/there car next month.
6. Insert the correct punctuation at the end of this sentence: How many doughnuts did you eat __
7. Find the proper noun in this sentence: Austin finished his quiz quickly.
8. Circle the correct word choice in this sentence: Fiona read too/two/to books over the weekend.
9. Can you see what’s wrong with this sentence? We have’nt been to the movies for weeks.
10. Circle the correct word in this sentence: My classmates is/are really smart!
RESOURCES
On the Web:
• bit.ly/MPMichigan
At the library:
• “The Legend of Michigan” by Trinka Hakes Noble
• “Building the Bridge School” by Laura A. Stewart
The Iberian lynx, once on the brink of extinction with fewer than 50 mature animals left in the wild two decades ago, has become a global conservation success story, with wild populations now surpassing 2,000 across Spain and Portugal. Once devastated by habitat loss, hunting and a sharp decline in the number of rabbits (the lynx’s primary prey), it faced near-total extinction by the early 2000s. Europe’s LIFE LynxConnect project has aided the species’ recovery by enhancing genetic diversity, increasing population size and expanding the lynx’s range.
Mini Fact:
Answers: 1. store; 2. her; 3. can’t, she’s;
4. long, winding; 5. their; 6. ?; 7. Austin; 8. two; 9. haven’t; 10. are.
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Thiery goes lights-out against Marathon | P.8
THE SCOREBOARD
Team Sport
Coral Shores Baseball Keys Gate 2/18 L, 8-7
Marathon Baseball Silver Palms 2/18 L, 6-1
Key West Softball Palmetto 2/18 W, 13-3
Key West Boys Lacrosse Coral Reef 2/18 W, 12-7
Key West Girls Lacrosse Coral Shores 2/19 W, 16-4
Coral Shores Boys Lacrosse St. Brendan 2/19 L, 9-8
Marathon Softball South Homestead 2/20 W, 27-14
Coral Shores Softball Palmer Trinity 2/20 L, 15-0
Coral Shores Baseball Marathon 2/20 W, 2-0
Key West Softball Somerset Canyons 2/20 W, 10-0
Coral Shores Baseball Silver Palms 2/21 W, 15-8
Coral Shores Boys Lacrosse Archbishop McCarthy 2/21 W, 5-3
Key West Baseball Miami Christian 2/21 L, 5-4
Key West Boys Lacrosse Palmetto 2/21 L, 9-2
Marathon Baseball Riviera Prep 2/21 W, 11-0
Key West Girls Lacrosse Coral Reef 2/21 W, 7-5
Coral Shores Girls Lacrosse Palmetto 2/21 L, 15-3
Key West Softball Westminster Christian 2/22 W, 2-1
Key West Girls Lacrosse Ransom Everglades 2/22 W, 14-13
Key West Softball Westminster Christian 2/22 L, 11-1
Key West Baseball Miami Christian 2/22 W,
THIS WEEK IN KEYS SPORTS
He is a very hard worker that is committed to his craft and making his team better.”
– Joe Szymanski, Hurricanes head coach
When Coral Shores junior Donovan Thiery stepped onto the mound on Feb. 20 to face county rival Marathon, he shouldered enormous pressure. After his performance, it was clear that the time the 6’5” righty had put in during the offseason was worth it. Thiery faced 19 batters last Thursday, striking out 11 over six innings, giving up a single hit with no walks. His spectacular outing on the mound was integral in the win. The following night, he went on the offensive against Somerset Silver Palms, going 4 for 5 at the plate with a pair of singles, a double and a home run for six RBIs against the Stallions. For his dominance on the diamond and near-perfect performances last week, Coral Shores’ Donovan Thiery is the Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.
Photo by RACHEL RUSCH/Keys Weekly
strikeouts walks
Baseball
fled to the Keys from the frozen mountains of Pennsylvania hours after graduating from college and never looked back. She is a second-generation coach and educator, and has taught in the public school system for over 25 years. She and her husband met at a beginning teacher meeting in 1997 and have three children born and raised in Monroe County. In her free time, McDonald loves flea markets, historical fiction and long runs in the heat.
sean mcdonald
grew up in Miami and moved to the Keys in 1997. He has spent the last 25 years teaching physical education and coaching virtually every sport for Florida Keys kids ages 4 to 18. If you are reading this and live or lived in the Florida Keys, he has probably taught, coached, or coached against someone you know.
Marathon - Alex Rickert alex@keysweekly.com
Upper Keys - Jim McCarthy jim@keysweekly.com
Key West - Mandy Miles mandy@keysweekly.com
The Keys Weekly Sports Wrap is proud to be the only locally-owned publication providing prep sports coverage from Key Largo to Key West. Together with our writers and photographers, we are committed to providing a comprehensive overview of the world of Keys sports with photography that allows our readers to immerse themselves in game action.
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Se habla español THE MARATHON WEEKLY (ISSN 1944-0812) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY FOR $125 PER YEAR BY WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS, INC., 9709 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY, MARATHON FL 33050. APPLICATION TO MAIL AT PERIODICALS POSTAGE RATES IS PENDING AT FORT LAUDERDALE FL AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES.
All stories, photos, and graphics are copyrighted materials.
Coral Shores’ Costa Tuttle celebrates his district championship win in the 106-pound division. Key West’s Donald Kirkpatrick, left, brought home the bronze. CONTRIBUTED
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Office: 305.743.0844 www.keysweekly.com
GOLDEN GRAPPLERS
Eight individual wins, one team title for Keys wrestlers
On Feb. 20, eight teams sent their best athletes to Tavernier for the FHSAA 1A District 16 Championships in boys wrestling. For the 16th consecutive season, Chaz Jimenez’s Conchs won the team title. The hosts, Coral Shores, finished third. All 14 Conchs earned a shot at regionals by placing in the top four at districts. Eight Hurricanes did the same, and three wrestlers finishing fifth will have a chance for an at-large bid to the next level of competition.
District champions for Key West were Lazaro Diaz at 126 pounds, Abram Canet at 132, Kyle Condella at 144 and Alfredo Corrales at 175. Second-place finishes came from Zander Font (113), Elvis Garcia (138) and James Searcy (150). Michael Guzman (165), Jakobe Williamson (190), Jacob Ferguson (120) and Alexandre Allens (285) placed third. Donald Kirkpatrick (106), Reisel Toledo (157) and Sanford Horn (214) placed fourth.
For Coral Shores, Costa Tuttle is the new district champ at 106 pounds. Sebastian McCoy (120), David Beltran (150) and Finn McDonough (157) all won district championships in their classes as well. Joining them at regionals will be Joseph Luciano, who placed third at 215, and Ethan Struhs (126), Sterling Keefe (165) and Andrew Grgek (285), who each finished fourth. Lucas Cossio (132), Jeremiah Ortiz (144) and Jack Brown (190), fifth-place winners at the tournament, all have a chance at the next round should they qualify for an at-large spot.
Regionals for both teams will be held at Cardinal Gibbons on Feb. 28 and March 1. At stake is a place in the FHSAA State Championship brackets. Athletes who successfully place at regionals will make the trip to the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee for states, which begin Mar. 6.
tracy mcdonald
CONTRIBUTED
CONCHED OUT
Key West bests Coral Shores in girls lacrosse
After dropping their season opener to Calvary Christian, Key West’s girls lacrosse team headed into their Feb. 19 game at Coral Shores with cautious optimism. The Conchs worked hard to control the tempo of the game and pulled out of the first quarter with a 5-1 advantage, which they stretched to a 16-4 win by the final
Coach Marisa Giacopuzzi described the team’s first win as a confidence-builder, adding, “It was a beautiful game, (with) so much chemistry between our returners and new players.”
Representing those returners in peak form was senior Kaitlyn Piloto, who scored five goals and was credited with one assist, five draw controls and three ground balls for the Conchs.
Colbie Turner scored four and Deanna Mercier three, contributing to the score and the leadership provided by the Lady Conchs’ upperclassmen. Freshman Mavis Bishop netted a pair of goals to represent the new players. Bishop also picked up five ground balls and won a draw control, making it clear the Conchs have plenty of depth to their roster this season. In all, Key West took 29 shots, finding the net on 16 of them.
Two nights later, Key West added win number two at Coral Reef in a 7-5 hard-fought game against the Cudas. Giacopuzzi chalked up the win, which she described as aggressive and at times ugly, as a learning experience for her team.
“We can only control ourselves, our actions and play the game Iʼve taught them to play,” she said.
Piloto and Mercier, the team’s captains, scored three and two goals, respectively. Piloto added five draw controls and Mercier assisted twice and won three draw controls. Juniors Taylor Gibson and Eisley Whitehead accounted for the other two goals. Courtney Grabus and Olivia Moore shared time in goal, combining for four saves in the win.
The next day, the Conchs came up short, falling 14-13 to the Ransom Everglades Raiders in another all-out battle. The very talented and equally aggressive Ransom crew finished the game down three players due to major fouls. Key West was up early in the game, but the Raiders steadily came back and were leading by the half. Key West did not give up, pulling ahead in quarter four to a 10-9 lead with 10 minutes left, but Ransom was able to set the tempo and control the game, pulling off the win in the final minutes.
“We were down a few players this weekend and made some field adjustments that we hadnʼt practiced yet. We had four freshmen starting for us this weekend, with this being only their third and fourth actual lacrosse games,” said Giacopuzzi. “I am confident we will see Ransom in the district playoffs, and by the end of season, we will have evolved and can play another 46 minutes in hopes of a different outcome.”
The Lady Conchs’ defenders stepped up in the game and were praised for their efforts despite the loss. Their collective forced turnovers kept the Conchs in the game until the end. Adrianna Dall, Turner and Ashlyn Picco were credited with solid play on defense. Turner also scored four goals with an assist offensively. Mercier scored four and Piloto two, with the remaining goals coming from Gibson, Whitehead and Teagan Shea. Bishop earned an assist and an interception in the game. Grabus had five saves, a pair of ground balls and an interception in goal. Moore had a pair of saves during her time in goal. The 2-2 Conchs finished out their final of five road games Feb. 25 (results not available at press time), then play at home for the first time this season on Friday, Feb. 28 at 5 p.m. against Westminster Christian.
RAISING THE BAR Marathon, Coral
Shores outlift Somerset, Keys Gate
Marathon, Somerset Silver Palms and Keys
Gate traveled to Tavernier on Feb. 19 to join Coral Shores for a boys weightlifting meet. The Fins and Hurricanes tied for first in Olympic lifts, with Marathon edging out Coral Shores for the win in the traditional event. The Keys teams won all but two of the 10 weight classes, with all eight winners taking first in both the traditional and Olympic events.
Coral Shores’ Nick Brown (119 pounds) and Xavier Johnson (183) won their respective weight classes. Marathon had winners in Chase Leird (129), Matthias Martinez-Velez (154), Damian Stasiewicz (169), Max Childress (199), Tanner Ross (219) and Braulio Garcia (238).
Though the girls just returned from their state championships, it is still early in the season for boys weightlifting in Florida. Consequently, most athletes are not yet maxing out, or lifting their top weights, for the individual events. In addition to growing stronger as the season progresses, athletes are coached to hold off on their maximum lifts as a measure of safety as they perfect their form and also to peak at the appropriate time, which is districts. Despite this, some of the more seasoned athletes’ numbers are looking very impressive. The top bench press last week was 270 pounds, achieved by Marathon’s Eduardo Garcia and Tanner Ross. The top weights in both snatch and clean also came from Ross, with a 185-pound snatch and 250-pound clean.
Districts for boys weightlifting begin the final week of March, with states scheduled for April 11 and 12 this year.
Damian Stasiewicz was one of 10 Keys weight class winners in both traditional and Olympic lifts in a Feb. 19 quad meet. BARRY GAUKEL/Keys Weekly
TRADING WINS
Key West girls, Coral Shores boys victorious in Southernmost City meetup
Coral Shores made the trip to the Southernmost City on Feb. 18 to take on the Conchs in boys and girls tennis. The Hurricane boys won 5-2, with wins coming from their top four players in singles. Aidan Althouse, Erik Moerner, Zach Bolano and Jaden Heilbron all picked up wins for Coral Shores. Althouse and Max Smith teamed up in the No. 1 doubles match for win number five. Key West’s Mason Martel won the No. 5 singles match while Wyatt Bowtels and Hubert Konopka won in No. 2 doubles for Key West’s second point.
The Lady Conchs won 6-1, with Eva Drozdetskaia, Gabriella Aguero, Hamida Mohsinova and Leyla Atilla winning the No. 1 through 4 singles matches. Drozdetskaia and Aguero and Mohsinova and Atilla teamed up for wins in No. 1 and 2 doubles. Kai Redruello scored the lone point for the Lady ’Canes, winning the No. 5 singles match.
The Coral Shores Hurricanes and Key West Conchs trade wins on the courts on Feb. 18. The boys emerged victorious for Coral Shores, while the girls took the win for Key West. MAICEY MALGRAT/Keys Weekly
CONCHS GO 3 FOR 4 ON THE ROAD
Lady Fins open with 27-run barrage
The Lady Conchs opened their softball season at Miami Palmetto on Feb. 18, making quick work of the Panthers in a five inning, 13-3 mercy-rule win. Brianna Brenner went the distance pitching, striking out seven of 21 batters faced, walking just two and allowing four hits. Offensively, Arianna Garcia led the team with a pair of doubles. Shylo Sanchez had two hits as well. Lucy Katz and Kaleaya Dickerson both tripled while Mia Waldner and Skye Sterling doubled. Chloe Kongos, Vera Rodger, Aaliyah McLeod and Alexa Condella all had base hits to make it an even dozen for Key West.
Their next victim was Somerset Academy Canyons. The Conchs made the trip to Boynton Beach to face the Cougars Feb. 20 and brought home another mercy-rule victory, winning 10-0. Ryleigh Harnish got the start at pitcher, striking out seven batters, walking two and allowing three hits from the 16 batters she faced. Condella and Sterling had the hot bats, registering a single and a double each. Tavyn Gage had a pair of hits and drove in two runs. The Lady Conchs added another dozen hits in all to their stats and were perfect in the field during the road win.
The traveling continued Feb. 22 in a doubleheader at Westminster Christian School. There, Key West split with the Warriors, winning the first game 2-1 and losing the second 11-1. In the win, Brenner faced 27 Warriors at the plate, striking out eight, walking one and giving up six hits. Sterling, Rodger and Lilee Gage had a pair of hits apiece, with one of Rodger’s being a double. Key West racked up eight total hits against the Warriors in the victory.
After a short break, the teams faced off again to a much different result. This time around, the Warriors piled on double-digit hits while the Conch bats went dormant. Waldner doubled while Sanchez and Sterling added a single each to account for Key West’s three hits. Harnish struck out four in the loss. Key West continues its travels this week and will host Ransom Everglades for the home opener on March 8.
Marathon opened the season at home Feb. 20 against the Hurricanes of Somerset South Homestead. The Lady Fins won 27-14 after pouring on 13 runs in the first inning alone. Sophomore Sara Robinson led the team offensively with three hits, including a triple. Trinity McLeod, Maeve Merryman and Madelyn Thornton picked up two hits apiece in the big win. Elena Eubank stole five bases while Merryman stole four to keep the pressure on the Hurricanes. Thornton struck out five, walked 12 and gave up three hits in her first appearance in the circle for the Fins. The game lasted four-and-a-half innings, ending in a decisive mercy-rule victory for Marathon.
Coral Shores lost its regular-season opener against Palmer Trinity School Feb. 20. The Lady Hurricanes fell to the Falcons 15-0.
HURRICANES TAKE DOWN DOLPHINS
Conchs split with Miami Christian
Aperfect storm of lights-out pitching, error-free fielding and bats ablaze gave Coral Shores the advantage over Marathon on Feb. 20 when the Hurricanes topped the Dolphins 2-0 in front of an excited home crowd.
Donovan Thiery was stingy on the mound, giving up just one hit with no walks while fanning 11 Fins in six spectacular innings. Riley O’Berry threw one inning of relief to close out Coral Shores’ win. Campbell Lavoie was 3-3 at the plate, Mason Clark added a pair of hits and AJ Putetti and O’Berry added one each. Clark batted in both of the Hurricanes’ runs.
The game, scoreless through three-and-a-half innings, broke open in the bottom of the fourth when a pair of errors, a walk and a hit batter resulted in two runs for Coral Shores. Despite a fairly even matchup between the teams, the Fins paid dearly for several unfortunately-timed errors.
“The biggest difference is that we had zero errors in the game and Donovan struck out 11 of the 18 batters he faced, only allowing one base runner on one hit in the first inning,” said Hurricanes head coach Joe Szymanski.
Fins coach Joey Gonzalez agreed. “Our defensive miscues across the course of the game proved to be the difference as both runs that were plated in the entire game came from errors on our end.” Despite the rivalry, Gonzalez had praise for Thiery, as well. “Tuesday's game against Coral Shores was a true pitchers’ duel between Donovan Thiery and Dylan Williams. Any time you run into a pitcher of Donovan's caliber, you just have to tip your cap; he had one heck of an evening and found a way to keep us off-balance all night. Our sophomore Dylan Williams also did a tremendous job keeping us in the ball game, only giving up two unearned runs across five frames while striking out seven. He battled and worked out of numerous jams,” said Gonzalez.
Confident after their win over Marathon, the Hurricanes traveled to Somerset Silver Palms, where they padded their stats with an incredible 20 hits against the Stallions. Thiery registered four hits in five at bats, including a double and a home run, batting in six of the Hurricanes’ runs in the 15-8 win. Putetti added three hits, including a double and a home run. Maykol Bonito registered three singles and four RBIs while Lavoie, O’Berry, Keller Blackburn and Grady Temkin each had two hits. Clark and Derek Ramos accounted for the final two. Six pitchers saw action against the Stallions, who, despite 11 hits and four walks against Coral Shores, could not overcome their six errors and the steady stream of Hurricane hits.
Marathon recovered from the loss to Coral Shores by defeating a visiting Riviera Prep 11-0 in a mercy-rule win. Gavin Leal and Jack Chapman each had two of Marathon’s 10 hits. Mason Thornton, Dylan Williams, Reef Rella, Gabe Leal, Jason Stubblefield and Bryan Broche accounted for the rest. The Fins stole nine bases to keep the Bulldogs on their toes. Gabe Leal earned the win on the mound, pitching four innings, fanning three, walking one and allowing just one hit. Shane Dieguez closed out the final inning to boost the Fins to 4-3 and give the team some much-needed confidence heading into this week, when they face a pair of unbeaten teams, starting with Ransom Everglades and then NSU University School.
The Victors of Miami Christian paid Key West a visit Feb. 21 and 22 for a pair of games at Rex Weech Field. In game number one, the Conchs gave every indication that fans would watch their hometown heroes take down another highly-ranked team. Vinnie Moline faced just three batters in inning one, and the Conchs’ defense quickly dispatched them all. Key West would remain error-free for the duration of the game.
In Key West’s first at-bat, sophomore Roman Garcia would score first after being hit with a pitch, then advancing on singles from Caden Pichardo and Sam Holland. The Victors got out of the inning, leaving three Conchs stranded on base. Miami Christian tied it up in the bottom of the first, then Key West slowly pulled ahead with one run in each of the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. The Victors scored one in the sixth to make the score 4-2 in favor of the Conchs.
In the top of the seventh, Miami Christian’s patience paid off. Two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases, then a second hit batter brought the Victors one run closer. With two outs, a Miami Christian batter singled, driving in two runs before Key West retired the side. In their last at-bat, the Conchs managed to get one on base via a Jackson Bernhard single, but he would not reach home and Key West would have to settle for a 5-4 loss at the hands of the aptly-named Victors.
The Conchs came back with a vengeance the following night, surging to a quick lead in the first when Garcia homered on a line drive to left field. They added two more in inning two off of a single, three walks and a sacrifice fly. The Victors put one run on the board in the third, then orchestrated a comeback in the fourth, fueled by four walks and a hit batter. The Victors would hold on to their lead as the Conchs went four consecutive innings without a player crossing the plate. In the bottom of the seventh, facing a second loss to the Victors, the Conchs put together a comeback of their own.
Marathon and Coral Shores renew their rivalry on the diamond on Feb. 20. The home team prevailed as the Hurricanes notched a 2-0 win over the visiting Dolphins. RACHEL RUSCH/Keys Weekly
Jackson Bernhard started things off with a walk; then, with one out, Kade Maltz singled to advance Bernhard to second. The Victors swapped out their pitcher in hopes of holding on, but Garcia caught a piece of one, sending a hard ground ball to the outfield to bring the tying run home. With runners on first and second, the Victors made out number two, then intentionally walked Sam Holland to load the bases. Auggy Davila, behind in the count, connected for a shot deep into left field, scoring two for a thrilling Conch win and giving Key West a 3-1 record as they prep for NSU University School on Feb. 28 and March 1. The Sharks are 6-0 this season, and have earned a high ranking in the state, but the Conchs will have the advantage of their home turf and a sneak peek as NSU plays Marathon the night before.
“Any time you run into a pitcher of Donovan’s caliber, you just have to tip your cap.”
— Joey Gonzalez
Keys track and field athletes stand out among top competition
Marathon and Coral Shores traveled to Miami Feb. 21 for the annual Spartan Invitational held at Miami’s Southridge Park. The Fins and ’Canes joined a pack of 26 teams to compete in the various events, and when the final race was complete in the 12-hour meet, two local athletes came out on top.
Marathon’s Justice Lee, fresh off her trip to the state championships in weightlifting, took little time to transfer her strength from the weight room to the track.
LEE, MERRYMAN WIN AT SPARTAN INVITATIONAL
The junior hurler unleashed a javelin throw that sailed 100’9” for a first-place finish and 10 team points.
Fellow junior Ava Merryman claimed a first of her own in the pole vault competition, clearing 7’10.5,” and though it was far from her best, there was no need to continue after she outperformed the rest of the pack. Teammate Samantha Batzer, also a junior, was third in the vault. Senior Caylie Globe was sixth in the long jump, picking up three team points for her efforts. Marathon’s girls finished a respectable seventh place out of the pack.
The boys team did not see an individual winner, but senior Vance Bursa managed a new PR in the 1,600-meter race. Bursa completed his four laps in 4:32, finishing fourth. Back at home, Bursa went on to run a 37:57 10K, then a 17:10 5K a few hours later to win both events at the Sombrero Beach Run. The Fins picked up the rest of their points in the pole vault, with a third-place finish from sophomore Cullen Coleman-Sayer and a fourth from seventhgrader Maverick McDonald.
The Fins were not the only athletes picking up points last week. Coral Shores’ Ali Wheatley placed third overall in the 3,200, finishing the two-mile run, the first of her high school career, in a very respectable 12:10.
Regular-season track and field meets run through the first week in April in Florida, with districts beginning April 16. The season culminates in Jacksonville at the University of North Florida on May 9 and 10.
Marathon’s Ava Merryman wins the girls pole vault competition at the Spartan Invitational on Feb. 21. RICK MACKENZIE/Keys Weekly
In The Bleachers
Brevity
Nancy Dailies
Nancy
• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES •
FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of MKM Digital Marketing located at 127 Indian Mound Trail, Tavernier, FL 33070 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.
By: Melina Miller, LLC
Publish: February 27, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Save Alligator Lighthouse located at 217 Matecumbe Avenue, Islamorada, FL 33036 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.
By: Friends of the Pool, Inc.
Publish: February 27, 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-45 –Richard Estevez Sale of all goods will be 3/10/25 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: February 20 & 27, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE 11TH STREET OCEAN MINI STORAGE
Notice is here by given that on March 8th, 2025 at 10:00 a.m., 11th Street Ocean Mini Storage 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. 11th Street Ocean Mini Storage does reserve the right to refuse any bids. The sales will be held at 200 11th Street, Ocean, Marathon, Florida 33050. Units to be sold: Unit #20
Publish: February 27 and March 6, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO. 25-CP-13-K
IN RE: ESTATE OF MARY ANN FINLAY, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS TO ALL PERSONS HAVING CLAIMS OR DEMANDS AGAINST THE ABOVE ESTATE: The administration of the Estate of Mary Ann Finlay, deceased, File No. 25-CP-13-K, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 502 Whitehead St, Key West, FL 33040. The name and address of the Personal Representative and the Personal Representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, on whom a copy of this notice is served, must file their claims with the clerk of the Circuit
The Monroe County Tourist Development Council has funding available to governmental entities and non-profit organizations for capital projects.
The project/facility must have the primary purpose of promoting tourism and must fall into one of the following categories:
Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is Address: 502 Whitehead St, Key West, FL 33040 ON OR BEFORE 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 persons having claims or demands against the estate of the decedent, 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 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 Personal Representative or Curator has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent's death by the decedent or the decedent's surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216732.228, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211. The date of first publication of this Notice is February 27, 2025.
Dated at Miami-Dade County, Florida this 12th day of February, 2025.
Personal Representative: EDWARD W. FINLAY
Attorney for Personal Representative: M. BARBARA AMARO ESQ. FBN 611298 156 Hillside Dr., Neptune, NJ 07753 8950 SW 74 Court, Suite 2201, A-19 Miami, FL 33156 (305) 384-7213 (888) 508-5215 Fax Barbara@AmaroProbateLaw. com
Publish: February 27 & March 6, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 25-CP-000026-P IN RE: ESTATE OF DOROTHY LEE BARTON Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of DOROTHY LEE BARTON, deceased, whose date of death was June 24th, 2024, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is Plantation Key Courthouse, 88770 Overseas Highway, Suite 2, Plantation Key, FL 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.
IN RE: ESTATE OF JAN P. JANNEN Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of JAN P. JANNEN, deceased, whose date of death was February 2, 2024, 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 ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIOD 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: February 20, 2025.
of your current address. (You may file Designation of Current Mailing and E-Mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915.) Future papers in this lawsuit will be mailed or e-mailed to the address(es) on record at the clerk’s office.
WARNING: Rule 12.285, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, requires certain automatic disclosure of documents and information. Failure to comply can result in sanctions, including dismissal or striking of pleadings.
Dated: February 18, 2025
Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Jennifer Havengar
Deputy Clerk
Publish: February 27 and March 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-DR-914-K
DIVISION: FAMILY TOMAS ZINDULKA, Petitioner, and WARD LEROY HAFNER, Respondent.
NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE (NO CHILD OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT) TO: WARD LEROY HAFNER
Respondent
Convention Center, Sports Stadium, Sports Arena, Coliseum, Auditorium, Aquarium, Museum, Zoological Park, Nature Center, Fishing Pier, Beach or Beach Park Facility, Channel, Estuary, or Lagoon, Public Facilities in Accordance with Conditions set forth in the Florida Statutes.
The deadline for receipt of applications is April 22, 2025, and applications must be downloaded from the County’s Bonfire platform.
For more information, please email Maxine@fla-keys.com.
Publish: February 13 & 27, March 13 & 27 and April 10, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
Visit Florida Keys has funding available for those interested in applying for Destination or Turnkey event funding for events to take place between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026; or for pre-promotion funding for Destination events to take place between October 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026.
The deadline for receipt of applications is April 8, 2025, and applications must be downloaded from the County’s Bonfire platform.
For more information, please email Maxine@fla-keys.com.
Publish: February 13 & 27, March 13 & 27 and April 10, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent's death by the decedent or the decedent's surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216-732.228, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes.
ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.
The date of first publication of this notice is: February 20, 2025.
Personal Representative: SUSAN BARTON-WEIDA
25 South Exuma Road
Key Largo, FL 33037
Attorneys for Personal Representative: Palmer Palmer & Mangiero 12790 S. Dixie Hwy Miami, FL 33156
Telephone: (305) 378-0011
Florida Bar No. 818119
Email Addresses: eservice@ ppmpalaw.com david@ppmpalaw.com
Publish: February 20 & 27, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 2024-CP-19-M
Personal Representative: STEVEN P. JANNEN 133 Sunridge Ave. Camillus, NY 13031 Attorney for Personal Representative: URBAN J. W. PATTERSON, ESQ. Email: ujwplaw@gmail.com Secondary Email: ujwplawfirm@yahoo.com
Florida Bar No. 382035
Urban J. W. Patterson, P.A. P.O. Box 783 Islamorada, Florida 33036 Telephone: 305-664-5065 Publish: February 20 & 27, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 16TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 24-DR-941-P JON KONRAD, Petitioner, and JONATHON RANDOLPH, Respondent. NOTICE OF ACTION FOR ADOPTION TO: JONATHON RANDOLPH RESPONDENT’S LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: 9323 WELBY TERRACE, THORNTON, CO 80229 YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for Adoption has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on Jon Konrad, whose address is 103041 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037 on or before March 27, 2025, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 88770 Overseas Highway, Suite 2, Tavernier, FL 33070, before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition. Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. You may review these documents upon request. You must keep the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office notified
NON-JUDICIAL TIMESHARE FORECLOSURE PROCESS TO: Unit Owner(s) Last Known Address Unit Week(s) Amount due:
Dale A Bradley and Catherine E Bradley 7781 Union Street Mentor, OH 44060
A101/18
$2,958.75
Skyler Clabough 7300 Charlott Drive Knoxville, TN 37924
B202/39
$1,517.30
John W Cummings 109 Poland Hill Place Lafayette, IN 47909
B201/03
$6,443.14 B201/04
$6,443.14 B201/47
$6,443.14 A202/21
$6,443.14
LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: 3806 CINDY AVENUE KEY WEST, FLORIDA 33040 YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for dissolution of marriage has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on the Petitioner, TOMAS ZINDULKA, through his counsel of record Samuel J. Kaufman, Esq., The Law Offices of Samuel J. Kaufman, P.A., whose address is 3130 Northside Drive, Key West, Florida 33040 on or before March 13, 2025, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at the following address: 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, before service on the Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition. The action is asking the court to decide how the following real or personal property should be divided: NONE Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. You may review these documents upon request. You must keep the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office notified of your current address. (You may file Designation of Current Mailing and E-Mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915.) Future papers in this lawsuit will be mailed or e-mailed to the address(es) on record at the clerk’s office. WARNING: Rule 12.285, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, requires certain automatic disclosure of documents and information. Failure to comply can result in sanctions, including dismissal or striking of pleadings.
Dated: February 6, 2025 Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Destiny Johnson
Deputy Clerk Publish: February 13, 20 & 27 and March 6, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE
David B Denholtz and Rhonda J Denholtz 13231 Shetland Lane Ft Myers, FL 33912 D202/31 $2,951.14 D202/32 $2,951.14 Troy Gonyea and Michelle Gonyea 16 Silver Street Meriden, CT 06450 E102/20 $1,514.85 Jennifer L Hill 931 Cordova Avenue Ormond Beach, FL 32174 C101/21 $5,402.08 Ralph W Hoffman 21225 Railroad Avenue High Springs, FL 32643 B102/25
$1,517.30
Anita Holt
12 N 269 Factly Road West Sycamore, IL 60178
B102/50 $4,047.55
Lorraine Khoury 7545 Oso Blanca Road Las Vegas, NV 89149 B101/05
$4,712.06 B101/06
$4,712.06
Isadoro Perez and Miladys Perez 13460 SW 66th Street Southwest Ranches, FL 33330 A102/27
$2,960.14
Porter, LeVay & Rose, Inc 7 Pennsylvania Plaza #10 New York, NY 10001
E101/12
$4,048.94
Anne E Richardson 5000 S Centinela Ave #213 Los Angeles, CA 90066 B102/36
$2,960.14
Kennella L Rowzie 604 Deen Road Bunnell, FL 32110
C102/01
$1,516.58
Joseph A Viani and Mary Viani 7263 Halleck Street Viera, FL 32940
C201/40
$1,517.30
Louis J Wilder
405 Southwind Drive, Apt 1 North Palm Beach, FL 33408 YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED of an action for non-judicial foreclosure of timeshare units on the Claim of Lien on the following described real property, located in MONROE County, Florida, to-wit: Unit Numbers and Annual Timeshare Use Periods (as set forth above) in MARATHON KEY BEACH CLUB CONDOMINIUM II, and all appurtenances thereto, according to the Declaration of Condominium thereof, as recorded in Official Records Book 859, Page 786 of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida and all amendments and exhibits thereto. has been filed against you. If you fail to cure the default as set forth in this notice or take other appropriate action with regard to this foreclosure matter, you risk losing
ownership of your timeshare interest through the trustee foreclosure procedure established in Section 721.855, Florida Statutes. You may choose to sign and send to the trustee an objection form, exercising your right to object to the use of the trustee foreclosure procedure. If you would like an Objection form, you should contact the undersigned Trustee, Thomas L Avrutis, Esquire, in writing. Upon the trustee’s receipt of your signed objection form, the foreclosure of the lien with respect to the default specified in this notice shall be subject to the judicial foreclosure procedure only. You have the right to cure your default in the manner set forth in this notice at any time before the trustee’s sale of your timeshare interest. Objections must be made in writing to:
Thomas L Avrutis, Esquire TRUSTEE FOR MARATHON KEY BEACH CLUB II ASSOCIATION, INC 201 Fletcher Avenue, Second Floor Sarasota, FL 34237 within 30 days of the first date of publication of this Notice. If you do not object to the use of the trustee foreclosure procedure, you will not be subject to a deficiency judgment even if the proceeds from the sale of your timeshare interest are insufficient to offset the amounts secured by the lien. Dated this _19th__ day of ___FEBRUARY_______, 2025.
Thomas L Avrutis, Esquire, TRUSTEE TRUSTEE for MARATHON KEY BEACH CLUB II ASSOCIATION, INC Publish: February 27 and March 6, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 16TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CIRCUIT CIVIL DIVISION CASE NO.: 25-CA-000047-P JAVIER CERVERA, Plaintiff, v. ERIC SOULAVY AND CRISTINA BEHRENS DE SOULAVY, Defendants. ____________________/ NOTICE OF ACTION TO DEFENDANTS, ERIC SOULAVY AND CRISTINA BEHRENS DE SOULAVY, AND ALL OTHERS WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action to foreclose a mortgage on the following property in Monroe County, Florida: Legal Description: Condominium Unit No. 33, of ANGLERS CLUB, a Condominium, according to the Declaration of Condominium thereof, as recorded in Official Records Book 1028, at Page 2375, of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida, and all amendments thereto, together with its undivided share in the common elements. a/k/a 50 Clubhouse Road #33, Key Largo, FL 33037 has been filed against you and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on JORGE L. FORS, JR., FORS | ATTORNEYS AT LAW, the Plaintiff’s attorney, whose address is 1108 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL 33134, on or before 27th day of March, 2025 and file the original with the clerk of this court either before service on the Plaintiff's attorney or immediately thereafter; otherwise a default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint or petition. DATED on this 18th day of February, 2025.
KEVIN MADOK, CPA
Clerk of the Court By:
Jennifer Havengar
Deputy
Clerk
Publish: February 27 & March 6, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CIVIL DIVISION Case#: 2012-CA-000363-K Federal National Mortgage Association Plaintiff, -vs.Joseph Patrick Clements a/k/a Joseph P. Clements and Debra Lynn Clements a/k/a Debra L. Clements a/k/a Debbie L. Clements; Branch Banking and Trust Company, Successor by Merger to Republic Bank; Iberiabank; Unknown Parties in Possession #1, If living, and all Unknown Parties claiming by, through, under and against the above named Defendant(s) who are not known to be dead or alive, whether said Unknown Parties may claim an interest as Spouse, Heirs, Devisees, Grantees, or Other Claimants; Unknown Parties in Possession #2, If living, and all Unknown Parties claiming by, through, under and against the above named Defendant(s) who are not known to be dead or alive, whether said Unknown Parties may claim an interest as Spouse, Heirs, Devisees, Grantees, or Other Claimants Defendant(s).
NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to order rescheduling foreclosure sale or Final Judgment, entered in Civil Case No. 2012-CA000363-K of the Circuit Court of the 16th Judicial Circuit in and for Monroe County, Florida, wherein Federal National Mortgage Association, Plaintiff and Joseph Patrick Clements
a/k/a Joseph P. Clements and Debra Lynn Clements
a/k/a Debra L. Clements
a/k/a Debbie L. Clements are defendant(s), I, Clerk of Court, Kevin Madok,CPA, will sell to the highest and best bidder for cash AT THE MONROE COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 500 WHITEHEAD STREET, KEY WEST, FL 33040, AT 11:00
A.M. on March 12, 2025, the following described property as set forth in said Final Judgment, to-wit: Property Address: 728 Prado Circle, Key West, FL 33040 LOT 23, BLOCK 2, AMENDED PLAT OF COPPITT SUBDIVISION, (A RESUBDIVISION OF PLAT BOOK 3, AT PAGE 116) LOCATED IN GOVERNMENT LOT 5, SECTION 27, TOWNSHIP 67 S., RANGE 26 E., BIG COPPITT KEY, MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, AS RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 4, AT PAGE 50, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA. ANY PERSON CLAIMING AN INTEREST IN THE SURPLUS FROM THE SALE, IF ANY, OTHER THAN THE PROPERTY OWNER AS OF THE DATE OF THE LIS PENDENS MUST FILE A CLAIM NO LATER THAN THE DATE THAT THE CLERK REPORTS THE FUNDS AS UNCLAIMED. Florida Rules of Judicial Administration Rule 2.540
Notices to Persons With Disabilities If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact Cheryl Alfonso, ADA Coordinator, Court Operations Manager, 502 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, 305-295-3652 at least 7 days
before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.
SPANISH: Si usted es una persona discapacitada que necesita alguna adaptación para poder participar de este procedimiento o evento; usted tiene derecho, sin costo alguno a que se le provea cierta ayuda. Favor de comunicarse con Cheryl Alfonso, Coordinadora de A.D.A Court Operations Manager, 502 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, 305-295-3652 por lo menos 7 días antes de que tenga que comparecer en corte o inmediatamente después de haber recibido ésta notificación si es que falta menos de 7 días para su comparecencia. Si tiene una discapacidad auditiva ó de habla, llame al 711.
KREYOL: Si ou se yon moun ki kokobé ki bezwen asistans ou aparêy pou ou ka patisipé nan prosedu sa-a, ou gen dwa san ou pa bezwen péyé anyen pou ou jwen on seri de èd. Tanpri kontakté Cheryl Alfonso, Co-ordinator ADA, Court Operations Manager, 502 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, 305-295-3652O'mwen 7 jou avan ke ou gen pou-ou parèt nan tribunal, ou imediatman ke ou resevwa avis sa-a ou si lè ke ou gen pou-ou alé nan tribunal-la mwens ke 7 jou; Si ou pa ka tandé ou palé byen, rélé 711.
Kevin Madok, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT Monroe County, Florida By: Shonta McLeod Deputy Clerk of Court Publish: February 27 and March 6, 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 _____________/ AMENDED NOTICE OF ACTION FOR PUBLICATION
To: Equity Link, Inc., Registered Agent Kevin Costa Last known address: 4522 Old Spanish Trail, Jacksonville, FL 32257 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 31, 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: February 19, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA, Clerk CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT
By: Shonta McLeod
Deputy Clerk
Publish: February 27 and March 6, 13 & 20, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
AUTOS ALL YEARS! Junk or Used Cars, Vans, Trucks. Runs or Not.$CASH 305-332-0483
AUTOS FOR SALE
PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD FOR ONLY $25/WEEK FOR UP TO 5 LINES OF COPY. CALL 305-743-0844 TODAY!
BOATS FOR SALE
2021 325 CC World Cat - low hours, very clean, new Spot Lock, new anchor puller, life raft, full cover, on a lift at Key Colony Beach. Call Harry 724-689-9085
2000 21' Hydra Sport Center Console w/200hp Johnson, trailer, cover, potty, jackets +. Located in Big Pine. Runs well. $7,400 Or Best Offer! Call 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
BOAT
SLIP FOR RENT
Boat Dockage for rent in Marathon. Private bay bottom, up to 40' boat, self containing, offshore water, car & dingy parking space provided. 305-610-8002
EMPLOYMENT
ALL KEYS GUTTER HIRING INSTALLERS
$25/$35hr - Major Holidays Off - BenefitsTavernier. Apply: 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/
Groundskeeper/ Maintenance person, KCB, Sea Isle Condominium, 20 hrs. per week, $25 per hr., apply by e-mail to HardingThomasL@ aol.com, text or call 734-476-0531.
Receptionist for law firm in Marathon. Computer and writing skills. Call or email 305743-9428 or service@ floridakeyslaw.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, CarpenterFT-KeyWest, Housing Manager- FT-Marathon, Housing Assistant FTKey West 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
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 HIRED!!!
The SS Wreck & Galley Grill (mile marker 59) is looking for Bartenders and Servers, full or part time. Self-motivated, experience very helpful, quick learner, and team player. Salary includes 401k match up to 6%. Please call Nicole at 305433-0515 or email nicole@ themoongroupfl.com. HIRED!!!
PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD FOR ONLY $25/WEEK FOR UP TO 5 LINES OF COPY. CALL 305-743-0844 TODAY
HOBBIES/COLLECT.
PRIVATE COLLECTOR WANTS Rolex, Dive Watches and Pilot Watches. Old Model Military Clocks & Watches. Call 305-743-4578
HOUSING FOR RENT
2-3BR/2BA Beautiful home for year-round rental on Duck Key. Furnished, full size W/D, stainless steel appliances & granite countertops. Gorgeous pool with builtin bar stools, waterfall & Jacuzzi, 1 car garage, and covered porch for outdoor dining w/views of the canal. $3,400/ month. Avail. May 1st. Address: 243 W. Seaview Dr, Duck Key, MM 61. Text/call 774-263-8759 Email: dongamache@ comast.net RENTED IN ONE MONTH!!
Studio House with Queen size bed available in Marathon. Furnished, kitchen, dining, newly renovated. No pets. $1,299 + utilities F/L/S 305-610-8002
PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD FOR ONLY $25/WEEK FOR UP TO 5 LINES OF COPY. CALL 305-743-0844 TODAY!
FOR SALE: 7 Piece
Bedroom Set. King size bed includes mattress, 2 night stands, entertainment center, armoire, & dresser w/ mirror. Located in Marathon. $1,000 Must pick up. 845-596-7279
RV SITE FOR RENT
RV Site For Rent in Marathon. Very quiet, gated property. Dockage available for sep. fee. No pets. 305-610-8002
VACATION RENTAL
Key West House For Rent - 28 day minimum. Recently renovated. 2 Units: 3BR/3BA or 2BR/2.5BA. 1 block to Schooner Wharf @ Historic Seaport. Starting $214/night. Sweet CarolineSeaport.com
YARD SALES
Community-wide Yard Sales, Saturday, March 1st. 8AM-2PM. (MM 21)Drost, Sawyer, and Colson Drives - Follow the signs.Fishing supplies, Tools, Furniture, Lamps, Housewares, Plants, Costume Jewelry, Clothes, & Various Treasures.
MOVING SALE on Key Colony Beach: 65" Samsung curved TV, Tournament golf bag & titanium clubs, Two Mako Lost Creek kayakspeddle & paddle - also w/ Bixby electric jet systems, Two Yeti 65 qt. coolers w/padded seats-Never Used, Three S.S. folding boat deck chairs, Alum. 8' trailer w/spare & tool box, Electric fish fryer & propane fryer, small pet carpet cleaner, Two small fans, One floor jack, Gas can, Air compressor, One Shop vac, Ryobi power tools, 10" cut off saw w/4 drawer cabinet, 10" table saw, Belt sander, Band saw, Jig saw, Drill press, Bench seat, 7" Wet cut saw, Router w/table - all mounted on wheels, Air purifier, Dehumidifier, Lumar Windless, 7' & 8' Aluminum gaffs, Snuba Diving system - two regulators & long hose, One Pony air tank & regulator, Flag pole, Two Serving pots, One Banex 1500TM electric deep drop reel & rodLike New, $1000 worth of deep drop tackleAll New, 2 Bosch mid to large hammer drills, Harpoon - Never Used, 8' Clothes Rack - 4 racks, 2021 325 CC World Catlow hours & loaded. Everything very clean - NO JUNK. Call Harry 724-689-9085
PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD FOR ONLY $25/WEEK FOR UP TO 5 LINES OF COPY. CALL 305-743-0844 TODAY
NOW HIRING
HVAC TECH WANTED
Upper Keys position, reporting in Tavernier.
Full time job with benefits, vacation time, and holidays.
Apply at keysschools.com or call 305-293-1400 ext. 53398
Keys Energy Services, in Key West, Florida, is accepting applications for the following position in its Engineering Department:
ELECTRICAL PROJECT ENGINEER
Starting pay rate for this position, depending on qualifications and experience: $131,081/annually$134,751/annually
For more information, including job duties and required qualifications, and to apply for the job, please visit their website at www.KeysEnergy.com. KEYS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. KEYS promotes a Drug-Free Workplace.
Certain service members, veterans, the spouses and family members of service members and veterans, receive preference and priority in employment, and are encouraged to apply for positions being filled.
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. *
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 years of mgmt and admin experience req, and direct or comparable experience w/same or similar population preferred. Computer skills: moderate to advanced.*
DUI FRONT DESK CLERK & EVALUATOR/INSTRUCTOR
The Advocate Program DUI school is hiring for part time positions. Front desk: 3 days a week, high school diploma required.
DUI instructors and evaluators: 2 days a week, Bachelors or Masters degree in substance abuse eld required.
Of ce located in Marathon. Contact Marcia at 305-704-0117.
JOIN A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE NONPROFIT HELPING PEOPLE COPE AND CHANGE FOR 52 YEARS!
We provide Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment Programs to the Florida Keys community while valuing and rewarding our employees.
KEY LARGO
Lead Certified Recovery Peer Support Specialist Advocate (FT) Front Desk Specialist
Behavioral Health Counselor (Children)
KEY WEST
Case Manager (Adult PT, Child FT)
Behavioral Health Therapist (Children)
Behavioral Health Counselor (Children) Advocate
MARATHON Care Coordinator (PT) Driver – PT (CDL not required)
RN/Licensed Practical Nurse (FT/PT) Advocate (PT)
*Behavioral Health Technicians – 3 shifts (FT/PT)
*Support Worker (Assisted Living, PT)
*Night Monitor (Assisted Living - Free Housing)
*No experience required for this position. Will train. A caring heart & helpful hands necessary.
Background and drug screen req. EEOC/DFWP COMPETITIVE PAY! EXCEPTIONAL BENEFITS!!!
Apply at guidancecarecenter.org
Search Employment/Portal/Location/zip
MARATHON GARBAGE SERVICE
We are now hiring for the following positions: Diesel Mechanic Truck Helpers
CDL Drivers
Applicants must apply in person to be considered.
4290 Overseas Hwy, Marathon
OPENINGS AVAILABLE
PHYSICIAN PRACTICE OPENINGS
- Medical Assistant 1, Upper Keys Internal Medicine, $5k Bonus
- Physician Assistant 1-Surgical, Ortho, Tavernier, $5k Bonus
- Advanced Practice Provider (APRN-PA-C), BHMG Multispecialty, Marathon, $5k Bonus
- Medical Assistant 2, General Surgery, Upper Keys, $5k Bonus
- Advanced Practice Provider (APRN/PA-C), Surgical, Ortho, Tavernier, $5k Bonus
- Advanced Practice Provider (APRN/PA-C), Multispecialty, Marathon, $5k Bonus
- Manager Physician Practice, Primary Care, Marathon, $5k Bonus
- Patient Access Associate, Multispecialty, Marathon, $1k Bonus
MIAMI CANCER INSTITUTE KEY WEST
- Patient Access Associate 2, Operation Support, $1K Bonus
- Medical Assistant 1, Medical Oncology, $5k Bonus
- Registered Nurse, Chemotherapy Infusion, Fl Keys-MCI, $15k Bonus
- Clinical Pharmacist, $5k Bonus
- Radiation Therapist, $12k Bonus
- Director Physician Practice Operations
TAVERNIER MARINERS HOSPITAL
- Cook, Dietary
- Group Exercise Instructor, Mariners Wellness Center
- Mechanic 3, Facility Operations
- Radiology Technologist 1, Imaging-MRI, $40k Bonus
- Multi-Modality Imaging Tech 1, (Mammo & X Ray), Radiology, $50k Bonus
- Multi-Modality Imaging Tech 1, (X Ray & CT), Radiology, $50k Bonus
- Patient Access Associate 1, Gastro, Tavernier, $1k Bonus
- Customer Service & Membershipe Coord., Wellness Center
- Food Service Worker, $5k Bonus
- Radiology Technologist 1, $40k Bonus
- Registered Nurse, Emergency Department
- Registered Nurse, ICU
MARATHON FISHERMEN’S COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
- Experience Advisor, Patient Experience
- Multi-Modality Imaging Tech 1, (CT & X Ray)
Radiology, $50k Bonus
- Radiology Technologist 1, $40k Bonus
- Registered Nurse, $15k Bonus
- Multi-Modality Imaging Tech 1, (Mammo & X Ray) Radiology, $50k Bonus
- Pool RN, Emergency Department
- Medical Technologist 2, Laboratory, $50k Bonus
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
THEME: THE OSCARS
ACROSS
1. 1/10
6. European tourist tax, acr.
9. “Germinal” author …mile
13. Bye, in Paris
14. Bigheadedness
15. Relating to wine, arch. 16. Tabletop mountains
17. H+, e.g.
18. Large key on the right
19. *”____ Boys”
21. *”Emilia PËrez” leading actress 23. H in HMS, sometimes 24. Kids’ get-away
25. Like certain Four
28. Queen of Carthage
30. Razzed
35. Scary fairytale creature
37. Soft drink
39. Like certain egg order
40. Sir Mix-____-____
41. *Sean Baker’s original screenplay
43. Loyal, arch.
44. Caldecott award
46. Ascus, pl.
47. AI’s learning material
48. Harry ____, once of One Direction
50. Wearing footgear
52. *At 2024 Oscars, Ryan Gosling sang “I’m Just ____”
53. Sushi restaurant libation
55. Unit of length of yarn
57. *This year’s Academy Awards
host
60. *Elphaba and Galinda story
63. Antique shop item
64. Metal-bearing rock
66. Mountain nymph
68. Southeast Asian org.
69. Lavatory, abbr.
70. *____ Theatre
71. Whimper
LEARN
72. Sodium hydroxide
73. Follow
DOWN
1. Scottish cap
2. Barbara of “I Dream of Jeannie”
3. Not yet final, at law
4. Mold a mind
5. Like ear of corn that is ready to cook
6. Bride’s cover
7. Opposite of hence 8. Polynesian kingdom
9. Zn
10. “I’m ____ you!”
11. Property right
12. Acronym, abbr.
15. Evening worship
20. “All My Children” vixen 22. Invoice qty.
24. Colossus, pl.
25. Fizzes
26. End of a shoelace
27. *”The Brutalist” leading actor
29. Spanish lady
31. Old, in Scottish
32. Go stealthily
33. Related on mother’s side
34. *Chalamet’s role
36. Et alibi, abbr.
38. St. Louis’ Gateway
42. Garlicky mayonnaise
45. Acne, technically
49. Famous frat house
51. Crack
54. Grassy mound
56. Ohio metropolis
57. Yorkshire river
58. Tea or beer
59. Iranian money
60. We have
61. Mature elvers
62. Dabu-____, chili pepper condiment
63. Operator’s equip.
65. *Jamie Foxx won Best Actor in
for this biopic
Yellow #5, e.g.
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