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COMMUNITY NEWS

Dude, you need to shave.

Clockwise from left: Don Bell, Rob Christensen and Joe Zajac work to restore power on 64th Street earlier this week in Marathon. The men and women of Florida Keys Electric Cooperative are our heroes. See page 26.

SARA MATTHIS/Keys Weekly

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KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

COMMUNITY NEWS

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

No one could have said it better than The Clash. The week before the storm, everyone from Key Largo to Key West quickly adopted the soundtrack from the immortal ’80s hit, “If I go there will be trouble, An’ if I stay it will be double, So come on and let me know… Should I stay or should I go?” Strumming nervous fingers, we looked to the heavens, we looked to the radar, we watched the cones and we looked to each other for the answer. But we all knew were damned if we did, and damned if we didn’t. So we asked locals …

—Weekly Staff

DID YOU STAY OR DID YOU GO? “I left, I had small kids and a grandmother who is 88 so we went to Jacksonville,” said Mike Fernandez of Imjustcuttin Barber Studio in Key West , who had never left for a storm. “You could be in a Category 4 or 5 down here, and as you went up the state a 3 or a 2 or a 1. No matter what, you were going to be in it.”

“I stayed because I had a business; maybe if I didn’t I would have left,” said Pepe Paez, owner of Five Brothers. Both Five Brothers locations used the extra food to feed Keys Energy Services and Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority employees following Irma.

FLORIDA KEYS STRONG

Together we stand Key West offices open 9/29/17 Marathon offices open 10/6/17

Libby Frazier, a utilities employee at the City of Marathon, has a simple rule: If it’s a Category 4 or 5 — she’s outta here. She landed north of Tampa at the home of her boyfriend’s brother.

“When it hit up there, it was probably a Category 1 or 2,” she said.

“We stayed in a two-story all cement home. The neighbors, who had stayed during the Labor Day storm in 1935, showed us where the water line was, so we weren’t worried. This time they got a couple inches in the house, but a lot of that was because the developers cleared the mangroves out around the houses,” said Key Largo’s Mary Navarette.

Tommy Kraus, owner of Keys Custom Tees, said the safety of his family was the deciding factor in leaving. “We left and went to the Lake Wales area. The storm still hit us as a Category 3 there. We came back the day after they let us and realized our home had never lost power.” When asked if he would stay or go for the next storm, the father of two said he would evacuate again.

Most Major Insurance Companies Accepted

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MONROE COUNTY

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

9709 Overseas Hwy. Marathon, FL 33050 Office: 305.743.0844 www.keysweekly.com

Publisher

Jason Koler jason@keysweekly.com

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Account Executives

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WATER & CURFEW

Staff Writers

Kristen Livengood kristen@keysweekly.com Hays Blinckmann hays@keysweekly.com Gabriel Sanchez gabriel@keysweekly.com

Production Manager

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Office Manager

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Design / Web Master

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Classifieds

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Se habla español

Keys Weekly Newspapers (ISSN 1944-0812) are a community newspaper group published every Friday by Keys Weekly Newspapers, 9709 Overseas Highway Marathon, FL 33050.

Subscription rates are $100.00 per year outside of Monroe County. Please call for all other subscription rates including overseas mail.

Periodicals postage pending at Marathon, FL and additional mailing offices. All stories, photos, and graphics are copyrighted materials.

POSTMASTER:

Send address changes to Keys Weekly Newspapers 9709 Overseas Highway Marathon, FL 33050.

News Deadline

Tuesday Noon

Advertising Deadline Tuesday 2 p.m.

THE 50% RULE

In reality, “substantial damage” is a specific term. It applies to a damaged structure in a Special Flood Hazard Area — or floodplain — for which the total cost of repairs is 50 percent or more of the structure’s adjusted market value before the disaster occurred, regardless of the cause of damage.

“Market value” means the county property appraiser’s value of the structure plus 20 percent. If you disagree with the property appraiser’s value, you may submit a uniform appraisal report for determination of market value. Land value is excluded from the determination. For example, if a structure’s adjusted market value before the damage was $200,000 and repairs are estimated to cost $120,000, that structure is “substantially damaged.”

Your community building official or floodplain manager will make the decision regarding whether a structure is substantially damaged. If your structure is substantially damaged, you will receive a letter.

If you disagree with a decision about substantial damage, you may submit a complete cost estimate for the repair of all damages sustained by your home that is prepared and signed by a licensed general contractor. Your contractor will be required to sign an affidavit indicating the cost estimate submitted includes all damages to your home, not just structural.

— Submitted by Monroe County

The Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority announced that there no longer are any boil water notices in effect in the Keys.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is continuously updating its curfew for the Florida Keys. To see the latest, visit the Facebook page MCSO-Florida Keys.

As of Sept. 27: • No curfew: MM 90 to the county line; and Rockland Key Bridge south to Key West.

• Midnight to 6 a.m.: Islamorada (MM 90) through the north end of the 7 Mile Bridge; and Ramrod Key to the Rockland Key Bridge (south end of Big Coppitt Key) • 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.: North end of the 7 Mile Bridge to the south end of Little Torch Key.

BY THE #’s 27 — Keys families approved for temporary FEMA trailers to be purchased directly from vendors.

27,935 — people registered with FEMA for individual assistance.

10,771 — people approved for individual assistance.

9,349 — Small Business Assistance referrals in Monroe County.

651 — Keys businesses that have registered with SBA; 7 approved for $497,400 in funding.

OPEN SHELTERS

• The Guidance Center at 41st Street in Marathon. On Sept. 26, the shelter housed 25 people.

• Boy Scout Camp, Overseas Highway at MM 23.8 on Summerland Key. On Sept. 26, the shelter housed 70 people.

FREE MEALS FOR STUDENTS

Students in Monroe County Schools will return to schools after Hurricane Irma able to receive free breakfast and free lunch. All traditional schools and some charter schools will be able to receive meals through Oct. 20.

COLLEGE RESUMES

Florida Keys Community College resumes classes on Monday, Oct. 2.

CAN THIS PALM BE SAVED?

“It will be at least six months (and probably longer) before it is apparent that a palm will recover. Recovery consists of new leaves emerging from the bud. In some cases, the new leaves will not look normal—they may be abnormally shaped and/or shorter than normal, or the leaflets or leaf segments may have necrotic (dead tissue) edges. However, over time, each successive new leaf should appear a little more normal until eventually, normal leaves appear. Again, this takes time, so patience is required.”

— Monroe County Extension Services

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KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

7603 Overseas Hwy. Marathon, FL 33050

305-743-6000

1450 Ne 1st Ave, Florida City, FL 33034

305-246-4229

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MONROE COUNTY

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

LOANS FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

If you are in a declared disaster area and are the victim of a disaster, you may be eligible for financial assistance from the Small Business Administration, even if you don’t own a business.

FEMA HELP DESKS The best way to register for disaster assistance is to download the smartphone app and begin the process. Residents can also call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 for voice, 711 and Video Relay Service (VRS). If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585.

These centers allow people to register for FEMA assistance for the first time. These locations have limited ability to help people update their accounts.

• Monroe County’s Big Pine Community Park, 31009 Atlantis Drive.

The hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily until further notice.

• Marathon City Park, 3911 Overseas Highway, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Fire Station 2, 616 Simonton St., in Key West, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM (Home insurance for flood losses) Residents should report the loss immediately to insurance agent or insurance carrier and ask them about advance payments. Advance payments are being granted to eligible policyholders after Hurricane Irma and you may be able to receive some funds before the adjuster inspects your damage.

If you have a policy written directly with the NFIP (your Declaration Page has the FEMA logo in the top corner), it’s fast and easy to report your claim directly to the NFIP’s Direct Servicing Agent at www.nfipservices.com. Find your insurer on this list of insurance companies administering NFIP flood insurance and report your claim today.

If you need assistance to help you find your insurance carrier, please call 800-621-FEMA (3362), and select option 2. Help is available in most languages. Individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can use TTY 800-462-7585.

A claims adjuster should contact you within 24-48 hours, but it may take longer, depending on the severity of the flood event.

You should have the following information available when reporting your claim: • Policy Declarations page (official document detailing your flood insurance coverage), if available.

• How you can be reached: Telephone phone number or alternate contact number; email address.

• The insured property location.

• The name of any mortgage company(s).

INSURANCE HELP A Disaster Response Center has been set up at Monroe County’s Big Pine Community Park. CONTRIBUTED

CITIZENS INSURANCE

(Home insurance for wind losses) Homeowners or business owners with Citizens insurance can call the toll-free, 24-hour claims hotline at 866-411-2742. Alternatively, contact your agent. Your agent’s contact information is included on the policyholder identification card and other mailed policy documents.

For more details, visit www.citizensfla.com.

Try to have the following information available when you call or come by: • Policy number.

• Contact information, including any temporary addresses or phone numbers.

• Description of damage (Example: tree fell on roof; lightning struck house).

• Mortgage company information (if applicable).

Don’t worry if you don’t have all of this information. Citizens will be able to assist you.

Some steps to take to facilitate the claims process: Keep detailed receipts, and when it’s safe to do so: Take photos and/or video of

property damage. Take reasonable emergency measures to protect the property from further damage or prevent unwanted entry to the property. If reasonably possible, retain the damaged property for Citizens to inspect. For homeowner and dwelling policyholders (HO3, HO-6 and DP-3), it’s important to note that, except for the policy provisions regarding reasonable emergency measures, there may be no coverage for permanent repairs that begin before one of the following occurs: • 72 hours after the loss is reported to Citizens • Loss is inspected by Citizens • Verbal or written approval is provided by Citizens Help desks are set up at the following locations: • Marathon City Marina, 800 35th Street, Oceanside, Marathon • Morgan Insurance Group, 31109 Avenue A., Suite 4, Big Pine Key • Murray Nelson Government Center, 102050 Overseas Hwy., Key Largo OPERATION BLUE ROOF

The US Army Corps of Engineers is offering to put free tarps on homes in counties impacted by Hurricane Irma. Visit Operation Blue Roof (http://www.saj.usace.army. mil/BlueRoof/) for times and locations near you.

• Home and Personal Property Loans. Homeowners may apply for up to $200,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.

In some cases, SBA can refinance all or part of a previous mortgage when the applicant does not have credit available elsewhere and has suffered substantial disaster damage not covered by insurance. Renters and homeowners may borrow up to $40,000 to replace or repair personal property — such as clothing, furniture, cars and appliances — damaged or destroyed in a disaster.

• Business Physical Disaster Loans. If you are in a declared disaster area and have experienced damage to your business, you may be eligible for financial assistance from the SBA. Businesses of any size and most private nonprofit organizations may apply to the SBA for a loan to recover after a disaster. SBA makes physical disaster loans of up to $2 million to qualified businesses or most private nonprofit organizations. These loan proceeds may be used for the repair or replacement of the following: Real property, machinery, equipment, fixtures, inventory, leasehold improvements.

• Economic Injury Disaster Loans. If you have suffered substantial economic injury and are one of the following types of businesses located in a declared disaster area, you may be eligible for an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL): Small business, small agricultural cooperative, most private nonprofit organizations.

EIDLs provide the necessary working capital to help small businesses survive until normal operations resume after a disaster.

To apply for an SBA low-interest disaster loan, visit disasterloan. sba.gov/ela. The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Nov. 9, 2017.

The SBA also has a registration location at the Murray Nelson Government Center, MM 102, in Key Largo.

CLEANING UP

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

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GETTING THE MOLD OUT TIPS FOR RIDDING HOMES OF FUNGUS

O

ne of the unwelcome reminders of Hurricane Irma could be mold in your home.

The Centers for Disease Control says if a flooded home isn’t dried out within 24 to 48 hours, “you should assume you have mold growth. You need to completely dry everything, clean up the mold, and make sure you don’t still have a moisture problem.”

Molds are fungi that can be found both indoors and outdoors. They grow best in warm, damp and humid conditions, and spread and reproduce by making spores.

You may see or smell mold on clothing, drywall, furniture, cardboard boxes or books, but it may also be hidden under or behind items like carpet, cushions, or walls.

HERE’S MORE FROM THE CDC: How molds can affect your health Exposure to mold can lead to asthma attacks, eye and skin irritation and allergic reactions. It can lead to severe infections in people with weakened immune systems. Avoid contaminated buildings and contaminated water as much as you can.

Flood water may have carried sewage or chemicals into your home.

This could expose you or your family to viruses, bacteria, disease carriers (such as mosquitos), and parasites, as well as mold. To learn more about cleaning and disinfection go to: www.cdc.gov/ healthywater/emergency/flood/standing.html.

Before you enter any moldy site: 1. People with breathing problems like asthma or who have weakened immune systems should stay away from moldy sites. Children should not take part in disaster cleanup work. Check for loose power lines or gas leaks.

Make sure the electricity and gas are turned off. Look for sagging ceilings or floors or other structural problems.

Watch out for wet, muddy, or slippery floors.

2. Protect your mouth and nose against breathing in mold: wear at least an N-95 respirator. If you plan to spend a lot of time removing moldy belongings or doing work like ripping out moldy drywall, wear a half-face or full-face respirator. Basic information on using it is in OSHA’s general respiratory protection guidance, online here: www.osha.gov/dts/shib/respiratory_ protection_bulletin_2011.html.

3. Protect your skin. Wear protective gloves (non-latex, vinyl, nitrile or rubber). Do not touch mold or moldy items with bare hands.

4. Protect your eyes. Wear goggles that provide complete eye protection.

Choose goggles designed to keep out dust and small particles. Safety glasses or goggles that have open vent holes will not protect you against dust and small particles.

After you leave a mold site: Shower and change your clothes.

This will help you avoid carrying mold and other hazards back to your current living quarters.

Should I do this myself?

This job may be too difficult or dangerous for you. It may be best to get help from experienced and qualified professionals if you can. Hire a mold inspection or remediation professional affiliated with or certified by the National Environmental Health Association, the American Industrial Hygiene Association, the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, or American Council for Accredited Certification to inspect, repair and restore the damaged parts of your home.

Florida law requires mold assessors and remediation contractors to be licensed by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. In most cases, the person who provides a mold assessment cannot also perform the mold remediation, under state law.

—Weekly staff report

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MARATHON

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

FISHERMEN’S FIELD HOSPITAL NOW OPEN A temporary field hospital is open in Fishermen’s parking lot in Marathon.

State Rep. Holly Raschein tours the field hospital on Sept. 26. FELIX AVERY/Keys Weekly

‘DE-MOBBED’

MASH unit at City Hall packs the tents SARA MATTHIS

sara@keysweekly.com

SARA MATTHIS

sara@keysweekly.com

ishermen’s Hospital will be rebuilt, representatives say.

That’s the message from Baptist Health South Florida about Fishermen’s Hospital in Marathon. Whether that means the structure will be demolished, or thoroughly renovated, or possibly relocated, there will be permanent and consistent medical care available to the residents of the Middle Keys.

“I believe that Baptist Health will stay in Marathon in one form or another,” said Jay Hershoff, chairman of the board for Fishermen’s and Mariners Hospital in Tavernier, both nonprofit hospitals under the Baptist Health umbrella. “Baptist will always do the right thing.

Whatever happens, there will be health care for sure in Marathon.”

The damage to the hospital structure came just two months months after Baptist signed papers to take over the management of the community hospital, which had outsourced operations to a for-profit firm. The main structure has been locked tight since Hurricane Irma hit the Keys on Sept. 10.

What’s open now is a mobile hospital on loan from North Carolina.

It is a five-bed emergency department, six-bed in-patient department, diagnostic equipment and a lab. Rick Freeburg, chief executive officer of both Fishermen’s and Mariners, said the field hospital has X-ray technology already, and a mobile CT unit is on the way. Coming soon: phones, respiratory services and a return to digital patient records.

“For right now, we’re doing it the old-fashioned way — on paper,” he said.

Baptist South is awaiting the results of a thorough building inspection. Freeburg said the hospital has multiple roof leaks that resulted in puddles forming on the floor; the rumor about the fire sprinklers coming on at Fishermen’s Hospital and staying on is 100 percent false. The other concern is air quality. Mold and mildew is good for neither the patients nor employees.

“We had about 90 employees show up at the company meeting on Sept. 21,” said Freeburg of the meeting to address the hospital’s immediate future. Freeburg said the hospital would re-employ as many as possible, as soon as possible. Baptist South has also encouraged them to seek transfer opportunities at the other Baptist hospitals in South Florida.

“We’re committed to rebuilding the hospital,” Freeburg said. “We’re not bailing. We’re not leaving.”

he saving grace in Marathon was the federal D-MAT team. That stands for Disaster Medical Assistance Team. The 70 or so clinicians, now gone, set up shop in the parking lot of Marathon City Hall days after Hurricane Irma blew through the Middle Keys. It powered down operations as Fishermen’s Hospital (see story, left) powered up.

“This is a very resilient community,” said Jacky Nally, operation section chief for the D-MAT team, on Sept. 25. “It’s amazing. And they are very appreciative.”

Since residents began returning to the Keys, the mobile hospital treated anywhere from 50 to 70 patients a day.

The serious cases, such as heart attacks and strokes, saw patients stabilized and shipped to the mainland via Trauma Star or ground ambulance. Nally said the other cases were treated on site — patients who stepped on a nail, sprained an ankle or needed medication.

“Before the pharmacies opened we were able to supply some from our limited inventory. We helped them refill prescriptions and things like that,” she said.

Most of the members of this particular D-MAT team hail from Massachusetts, although neighboring states such as New Hampshire were also represented. They all have “regular” jobs and are deployed in times of need. Nally and the team treated first responders after 9/11, and assisted in New Orleans for eight weeks after Hurricane Katrina, and in Haiti after the big earthquake in 2010. Even Nally, with her 30 years of experience, is a little awestruck by the devastation this hurricane season has wrought.

“It’s widespread when you consider what happened in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Texas … Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria,” she said.

The federal eased the transition of care from the federal team to Fishermen’s Hospital, including sharing information about the types of injuries that are prevalent and coordinating records before its departure.

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KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

Battered, but not broken.

We are here to help our friends and neighbors.

Call us when you are ready & we will be there for you.

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(305) 296-5932

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KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

No payments for 90 days!

The FKSPCA would like to thank everyone that has supported our recovery efforts thus far. We have come through the storm, however recovery efforts for our community will be a long haul for all of us. The FKSPCA is committed to assisting our pet owning community by implementing programs to provide routine and wellness care along with temporary housing for pets belonging to displaced community residents.

If you would like to help the FKSPCA in its recovery efforts please make a gift to the Hurricane Relief Fund either by mail at 5230 College Rd. Key West FL 33040 or online at www.fkspca.org/donate.

Get on the road to recovery with a new or used Keys Auto Loan starting at 1.49%APR* with no payments for 90 days!

Apply Now: Call 305-293-6000 Go to KeysFCU.org Visit any branch in Key West, Big Pine or Marathon. *Annual Percentage Rate. Subject to credit approval. Restrictions may apply.

Finance charges still apply. Rates subject to change. Limited time offer.

Thank you for being a hero and partner in our lifesaving mission!

5230 College Road • 305-294-4857

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KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

Monroe County Promotes awareness of Public Assistance Availability through FEMA and State of Florida FEMA and the State of Florida are accepting applications for disaster assistance under the Federal Public Assistance (PA) program for damages that occurred as a result of Hurricane Irma. FEMA provides federal aid under the Public Assistance (PA) program to applicants that meet the program criteria. Eligible applicants are defined as State and Territorial Governments, Indian Tribal Governments, Local Municipalities, and certain eligible private not for profit organizations. In order to be considered for assistance, eligible applicants must submit a “Request for Public Assistance� to the State of Florida prior to October 10, 2017.

Entities that believe they may be an eligible applicant under this program should contact: JT Maddox Florida Division of Emergency Management OPS Public Information Specialist (850) 693-3590 jeromy.maddox@em.myflorida.com

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KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

Welcome back to your Keys home!

We’re here to help after Irma...

All three of our stores are now open: KEY LARGO 305-451-5700

MM 99 Median

MARATHON 305-743-4397

MM 50 Oceanside

Key Largo - Marathon - Key West We are donating a portion of all sales to local charities, and offering FREE DELIVERY anywhere in the Keys.

We’re a part of your community, and we’re here to help.

KEY WEST 305-295-6400

Searstown by Publix RoyalFurnitureAndDesign.com

Centennial Bank is a proud member of the Keys community. We work together, play together and we’ll rebuild together. We are here for our customers and our neighbors.

KeysStrong

SURVIVING IRMA

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

FEMA MAY GIVE GRANTS TO LIVEABOARDS TO REPAIR VESSELS

Robert Keyt embraces Sebastian Mackleer, 16, under the Bimini top of his cockpit at Burdines.

Keyt was able to save his own boat, but the Mackleer family lost their primary residence when it sank. SARA MATTHIS/Keys Weekly

LOCAL RIDES OUT THE STORM ON HIS BOAT

He saves it, comes to the aid of others SARA MATTHIS

sara@keysweekly.com

R

obert “Bob” Keyt almost said goodbye to The Last Farewell. His 38-foot Downeaster was docked at Pancho’s Marina and Fuel Dock during Hurricane Irma. During the storm, the boat came loose from its slip with Keyt aboard.

“I got to be honest; at one point I abandoned ship,” he said Sept. 25 from a picnic table harborside. “I climbed into the freight container at Pancho’s. After about 15 minutes I realized two things. The wind was cold and the water was warm.”

So Keyt, a 57-year-old former merchant marine and contractor, swam around until he “got a hold of her.” He ended up tying the boat on the other side of the canal, closest to Burdines Waterfront Restaurant. Of the 17 boats docked at Pancho’s, four went under or suffered catastrophic damage. He pointed to one sailboat that had already been raised, although it’s probably a total loss.

“The piling ate a hole in it,” he said.

“It’s like it went through a grinder.”

Keyt and one other man stayed in the boats on either side of the canal. Since the storm passed, he’s been doing his best to help his fellow boat owners. It’s the way he was raised, he said, learning the etiquette of the sea on Chesapeake Bay. “You pitch

in,” he said, “because next time it might be you.” (Keyt has also taken in a father and son whose sailboat sank courtesy of Hurricane Irma.)

Keyt said his decision to stay was “probably crazy.” But the boat is both his home and retirement investment. It’s not his first rodeo either — he’s weathered four hurricanes, one at sea. During the storm, he experienced whiteout conditions from the blinding rain and wind.

“Even the water in this small basin looked like whipped cream. It was perfectly white,” he said. The storm surge went about three feet above the dock, he said.

Keeping the boat at a slip during a hurricane, by the way, isn’t the recommended strategy. Boats are usually safer on “the hook” or a strong mooring ball and away from pilings and docks it might smash against. It is Hurricane Irma’s insult on top of injury to have this bit of logic refuted, leaving mariners — many who are now boatless — even more unsure than before.

“I’m ready for a couple of weeks at Happy Acres, complete with the Thorazine treatment.”

—Bob Keyt, liveaboard in Marathon

H

urricane Irma survivors whose primary residence is a boat may be eligible for grants through FEMA’s Individual Assistance program for home repair. The grants could be for making the boat livable, temporary housing, personal property replacement and other needs assistance for critical expenses.

Individuals who live in houseboats may also be eligible for FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance or short-term lodging assistance, if they are unable to return to their home due to the disaster. For more information, contact the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 (Voice, 711 or VS) or 800-462-7585 (TTY).

In addition, if your primary residence is a boat, you may be eligible to apply for a Small Business Administration disaster home loan. Homeowners may be eligible for up to $200,000 to repair or replace disasterdamaged homes, and may be eligible for loans up to $40,000 to repair or replace disaster-damaged personal property such as clothing, furniture, appliances, cars, etc. Visit KeysRecovery.org for more details.

— Contributed from Monroe County

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BUSINESS

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

HAYS BLINCKMANN hays@keysweekly.com

W

ho knew the barometric pressure of a hurricane could affect the taste of rum? Paul Menta of The Key West First Legal Rum Distillery knew; in fact, he planned for it. With Irma’s arrival impending, he prepared to turn lemons into lemonade, or in this instance, a hurricane into an exclusive batch of rum courtesy of Irma.

When Menta asked for his two copper 200-gallon stills to have extra leg height and wheels, the makers scoffed. Unfortunately, he was proven right as the distillery on lower Simonton Street was flooded, but thanks to the foresight, he was able to save the stills and ferment the rum. One and a half feet of water rose in the store, but Menta said, “We prepared for this; here in Key West a hurricane is always an option.”

Having stayed for the storm, Menta contributed afterward by cooking and delivering hot meals three times a day to first responders as well as housing them at Ibis Bay, where he is a partner. The rum could wait, but feeding the troops could not. And the rum did, for 12 days, not the usual four-day fermentation.

Menta also spray-painted an important message on his distillery roof top — “Save Da Rum.” While Chinooks, CNN, and perhaps even the president flew over, the message read loud and clear: Key West was still here and would be open for happy hour soon.

“We gotta have a reasonable amount of humor,” said Menta, who fed not just the troops (and gave them a little complimentary rum) but the folks at NOAA and AT&T as well.

Now Menta is back at the distillery, awaiting the result of two barrels of rum unlike any other.

“When the barometric pressure dropped, the yeast began overreacting,” smiled Menta. “The result will be a rum that smells like sweet pears, a positive intense flavor and should have a slightly peppery taste like truffles.”

There will be 100 specially cased, one-of-a-kind bottles of Irma rum. Jim Cantore, Menta’s longtime buddy from The Weather Channel, is also excited and will be helping do a spectral analysis of the rum and signing certification to accompany the bottle. The first five bottles will be auctioned online and due to liquor distribution laws, the rest can only be sold in the store for $150.

1

GET THE RUM OUT Exclusive batch of rum made by Irma 2

“It means you have to come to Key West and see us to get one,” urged Menta, who is eager to see visitors return.

Eighty-five percent of the proceeds will go to the Sister Season Fund that helps local tourism related employees and the rest will support Menta’s own staff.

3

1. Paul Menta ’s message to the world “Save Da Rum.” 2. Paul Menta checks his “Irma” batch of rum.

3. The Key West First Legal Rum Distillery’s barrel now tattooed with the Irma watermark. HAYS BLINCKMANN/Keys Weekly

www.keywestlegalrum.com The Key West First Legal Rum Distillery 105 Simonton St., Key West

SURVIVING IRMA

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

15

EMPATHY, KINDNESS, PATIENCE, THANKS T

DAD HOLDS DOWN THE FORT ‘The power of the storm was spectacular’ GABRIEL SANCHEZ

O

gabriel@keysweekly.com

nce the orders came to evacuate, most of the Jones family fled to England. But Joe Jones, away on business, wasn’t able to return in time to leave. Two days before Irma made landfall, Jones finally arrived in the Keys.

“I had been watching the storm tracker, knowing that they have no real idea of where it’s going until 48 hours out,” said Jones.

With the real issue being where he could go with the three family pets, Jones decided to hunker down and wait out the storm inside his Key Largo home. The worst previous storm had brought a foot of water downstairs, and Jones says he expected something similar. As a last resort option, he drove his lifted jeep to the top of the street, where he estimates the elevation is about 12 feet.

Back at the house, Jones decided to keep the family’s Chevy Tahoe and his sporty Chevy Z28 downstairs – a decision he would end up regretting when the storm surge arrived.

The neighborhood of Mahogany Drive is surrounded by half a mile of mangrove growth and trees, said Jones, and may have aided in protecting some of the homes on the street.

“You could hear what sounded like 100-mile-per-hour winds overhead, but at the balcony, maybe 65 to 70 most of the time,” said Jones. “You can see there are acres of mangroves out there, and I think they really buffered it.”

Even for Jones, a former Navy jet pilot, the intensity of the storm was awe-inspiring.

“The power of the storm was spectacular. The sound itself is just a continuous rumble. At the first high tide, which I think was just after midnight, the winds should have been at max peak – it only got a foot high then.

I thought ‘I’m good.’ Then 12 hours and 25 minutes later, when the tide came back in, the winds were still clocking and that’s when [the tide] really came up. That’s what caught me by surprise, that it really built up that second time.”

Inside the home, the walls flexed and shook throughout the worst of the storm, and every once in a while a little bit of ceiling popcorn would fall. Jones was able to maintain power throughout the storm. Outside, however, the surge came in and began carrying off boats throughout the neighborhood, including the family’s 25-foot Mako. It was later retrieved. At one point Jones had to wade into the water downstairs to find a ladder and screw gun and secure the skylight opening over the kitchen.

After what felt like an eternity, Hurricane Irma continued her path west by northwest. As soon as it was safe to do so, Jones returned to the top of the street to see if he still had wheels.

“I just went hoping a giant tree didn’t fall on it. It looked like a big green monster. It was just full of green stuff, but it fired right up. It’s a lifted Jeep so it was able to push things out of the way to move around. Then looking to see how everyone was doing that stayed. In this neighborhood there was no significant structural damage.

We all know that the path of the eyewall is a path of death and it’s heartbreaking for anyone in that area.”

he old saw about hurricanes goes like this: “Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.” To that I would add: goddamn, I love Keys people.

Everywhere around me I see incredible acts of kindness. I am witnessing serious generosity.

Selfless people are helping others despite their own losses. I am laughing at gallows humor in odd places, the light at the end of the tunnel that SARA we will be able to return to who we were, but MATTHIS stronger, before Hurricane Irma. And I am noticthinks commuing people regarding others in a whole new light. nity journalism It started before the storm, like the Keys resiis important, but dent who left an unlocked “Conch Cruiser” with not serious; likes the key under the mat. He used social media to weird and wonderful children urge someone without wheels to get out. Some(she has two). one did. And a mechanic locking up his shop Occasionally she handed over a brand new battery to someone tortures herself whose car wouldn’t start and told her to settle with sprint-disup later, post-Irma. She did. tance triathlons, but only if she has Immediately after the storm, helpers swung a good chance of into action. In Key West, a well-known filmmaker beating her sister. was accepting lists of addresses to check on and reporting back as fast as he could. Regular Joes with heavy equipment at their disposal started clearing streets on Big Pine Key; they didn’t wait to be asked. The crew from Arkansas Electric Cooperatives on Grassy Key treated crazed middle-aged women (me) with kid gloves. They didn’t make any sudden moves and they considered every question with grave concern.

Strangers and neighbors reached into their wallets and continue to do so. Thousands of dollars passed hands with a simple directive: “Give this to somebody who needs it.” I heard of one Key Colony Beach resident who came up with $10,000. Generous people also opened their homes. At least two Publix cashiers with no place to go — their homes were destroyed — are staying for free in the homes they clean as a second job.

And to the people who can keep a sense of humor, well … they are my favorite. Someone posted on Facebook a legal-type question about a tree that found a new home on someone else’s property. Someone responded: “Kill the neighbor, marry the tree and f$@& the fence.” And the well-known family from Marathon who inadvertently evacuated to a nudist colony — “nice people, but everything was flopping in the wind” — is happy to tell me the story again and again when my spirits need a lift.

Which brings me to our loved ones — love them back even harder. Our Keys husbands and wives and kids are built for times like these. A friend confessed she had fallen in love with her husband all over again because of his efforts to soothe her and help friends post-Irma. Students are helping teachers put houses back together. Co-workers are helping each other muck out or staple down the blue tarps. Kids are perhaps the fastest to bounce back — whether it’s putting back into rotation a Barbie that was “old” before the storm, to mature-beyond-their-years understanding about canceled sport seasons or ruined playgrounds.

Which brings me to the final part. Be patient in traffic. Keep your losses in perspective. Share information about resources with acquaintances and help your friends. Don’t offer to do the laundry, go wrest it from the hands of your kids’ best friend’s mother-inlaw. Deliver food, hug with abandon.

Please, continue to be awesome.

16

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

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HELPING HANDS

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

THREE WISE MEN ANSWER PRAYERS

“L

17

Samaritan’s Purse’s behind-the-scenes cleanup guys Bud Friedrich, Jeff Denis, and Sid Langley after a long day clearing lots on Big Pine Key and spreading God’s word. KRISTEN LIVENGOOD/ Keys Weekly

ife is full of storms,” said Bud Friedrich. “You either drown in them or you grow.” Friedrich and Pastor Sid Langley came from Arkansas where they know storms well, especially tornadoes and the destruction they leave behind.

The two come to the rescue after devastation takes place when they are called upon by Samaritan’s Purse, and they have been doing it, on their own dime, for the past 20 years.

“They call us for the bad stuff, Cat 4 and 5 hurricanes and EF 4 and 5 tornadoes,” said Friedrich, who owns a sod company; Langley owns an excavating and paving company. “We were heading to Houston, but we were asked to wait when we saw Irma on the radar.”

As of Wednesday morning, they had cleared 15 homes and one church lot in the Lower Keys. They like to be the behind-the-scenes guys, noting that none of this is their work, it’s all God’s work.

When they showed up to clean a house on Palmetto Drive on Big Pine Key, they went to ask Pastor Steve of Vineyard Christian Center if they could park their big rigs in the parking lot. Divine intervention: Pastor Steve quickly showed them his blocked driveway at the relief center he is running off County Road at the warehouse-like center. “I prayed for you guys last night, and here you are,” said Pastor Steve. A few hours later the driveway was unblocked and the stream of relief supplies was flowing smoothly.

On the way from Fort Lauderdale (their flagship mega-church, Calvary Chapel, is located there), they picked up Pastor Jeff Denis from Islamorada.

“We like to have someone with us who knows the area,” he said.

They had no idea where they would be, or how they ended up in Marathon, then Big Pine Key, No Name Key and Little Torch, helping people and spreading God’s word. “To have a 300-pound gorilla man tear up on you and ask for a hug is important,” said Langley. “We go where God points us.”

This trip in particular, they heard more than ever that they have been answers to prayers. “We hope people won’t shake their fist at God for bringing the storm, but thank him for sending people to help them get through it,” said Denis.

Sue and Doug Harrison of Little Torch Key are those people who lost everything in Irma. Did they get their yard cleared out? You betcha. “What took them three hours would have taken us three months,” said Sue. “They made a very bleak day bright. It’s wonderful to see the goodness in the world.”

KRISTEN LIVENGOOD kristen@keysweekly.com

There are many faith-based organizations in town helping feed, clothe, house, and help those affected by Hurricane Irma.

One of them, Samaritan’s Purse, is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world since 1970.

Sid Langley owns an excavating and paving company in Arkansas. The company donates the time, money and equipment to help those in devastated areas.

Little Torch Key resident Doug Harrison introduced Islamorada pastor Jeff Denis to Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay.

Ramsay swung into the Harrisons’ property to check on them while Langley and Friedrich were clearing the property.

18

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

Hurricane Irma Catastrophe Response Center Locations

Citizens Is Ready to help Keys customers recover from Irma Visit us at the following locations: • Morgan Insurance Group (satellite location)

31109 Ave A, #4, Big Pine Key 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily

• Key West City Hall (satellite location)

1300 White Street, Room 113, Key West 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily

• Murray Nelson Government Center

102050 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily

• Marathon City Marina

800 35th Street Ocean, Marathon 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily

19

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

Residential

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Docks

New Homes

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20

KEY WEST

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

THE SHOW WILL GO ON Fantasy Fest offers timely financial and moral support for the Florida Keys BRITT MYERS

britt@keysweekly.com

W

hen Nadene Grossman Orr took on the role of producing Fantasy Fest less than a year ago, little did she know her inaugural production would carry such a momentous significance to the community she has called home for more than 27 years.

Over the past few weeks, many wondered if Fantasy Fest would be delayed or even canceled in the wake of Hurricane Irma. Not Grossman. Furthermore, Fantasy Fest, the Florida Keys’ largest event, couldn’t come at a better time.

“I never once feared it wouldn’t happen,” said Grossman. “I didn’t cross my mind.

One of my first calls was to Andy (Newman of the Tourist Development Council’s public relations machine) and I wanted to make sure we had the right message out, which was the same message we were pushing before the storm. We are giving the power of Fantasy Fest back to our locals — only now, it carries an even deeper meaning.”

Grossman remembers when Hurricane Wilma delayed the festival into December. She said she wants this event to be a symbol of hope and community resilience, not just for Key West, but for all of Monroe County.

“My first year and I get ‘Irmageddon,’” said Grossman with a chuckle. “The festival was already so important, but now that significance has increased.

I just keep thinking about ‘One Human Family’ and all those who need work to start the recovery process, and that’s what is driving my team and I right now.”

Nadene Grossman Orr, left, Lindsey Sigafoos and Evelyn Judge are tasked with making Fantasy Fest greater than ever after Hurricane Irma. BRITT MYERS/Keys Weekly

Grossman is also the Event Director for AIDS Help and said the king and queen events will continue as planned, including Aqua Idol and Bingo. Funds support AIDS Help clients and residents with unemployment, rent assistance and relocation benefits. Beneficiaries include veterans, elderly, those with disabilities and many others. For more, visit www.ahmonroe.org/ royal-campaign, www. fantastyfest.com or go to Facebook for updates.

Even before Irma, Grossman and company made a concentrated effort to involve the entire Florida Keys in Fantasy Fest. And, following the storm, she plans to increase the number of festival stops along U.S. 1, with many of them supporting relief efforts.

“We have been working with sponsors like Tito’s Vodka and we’re creating pit stop parties up and down the Keys,” said Grossman. “We just want to connect the Keys. When we rise here in Key West, I believe it helps us all rise in the Keys. I hope the festival helps our neighbors come online even faster.”

Grossman said she has not lost a single sponsor or festival-related event so far. In fact, supporters such as restaurateur Chris Shultz and Historic Tours of America’s Piper Smith have reached out to find out what more they can do — not just for financial support, but to raise morale as well.

“I think it’s going to be a great event. Nadene is an amazing event coordinator and I cannot be more excited for Fantasy Fest. It will be good to see people back in town … naked or otherwise,” said Piper, laughing.

Grossman, whose many event-coordinating attributes include a savvy digital marketing approach, said she is receiving an overwhelming response online from thousands of followers who simply want to support the Keys. Along with more than 40,000 Facebook followers, Grossman commands another 30,000 through the festival’s newsletter and many have commented saying they plan to tip and spend more at this year’s festival.

“We recently made a social media post about our tourism opening back up here in Key West and it has already reached over 600,000 people,” said Grossman. “And that is what this event is all about. It’s about our locals, throughout the Keys, and how we support one another.”

To enforce her “Power to the People” theme, Grossman has invited many of the heroes who emerged from Irma to participate in this year’s parade, including a prestigious invite to Rick Lopez and the 104.1 FM team who served as the Keys’ only source of communication in the Lower Keys during the storm. She has also reached out to a variety of first responders, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office personnel and other heroes throughout the Keys to attend as honorees.

Grossman said she already knows she will be crying when the heroes march through the parade, but when it’s over she only needs one reward — to hear the words, “Thank you— that was just what we needed.”

21

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

Quality Cardiac Care, Close to Home

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22

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

We Stand Together!

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23

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

33rd Annual

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A Day To Remember Attention all Senior Citizens of the community

3990 S. Roosevelt Blvd.

Saturday, September 30 11am - 1pm Complimentary shuttle service provided

by Old Town Trolley Tours® Pick up begins at 10:00am at the following locations

Senior Citizen Plaza Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center Bayshore Manor Jack Murray Housing Complex Key West Health and Rehabilitation For reservations call Cayley at (305) 293-3265

We are open

Monday - Saturday 8a-4p (hours may very)

Generators, Emergency Supplies, Tarps, Gas Cans, Lumber, Plywood, Chain Saws, Roof Paper, Work Gloves, Grace Water Shield, Batteries.

We have been through this with you before and are here for you now.

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behind Town Square Mall • www.marathonlumber.com

24

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

A Message from Mayor Jim Mooney Islamorada, Village of Islands Working together to recover from the storm

To My Islamorada Neighbors, The good news is that only two weeks after Category 4 Hurricane Irma impacted our community, Islamorada has sewer service, electricity and potable water available to all but the most heavily damaged properties. Roads were quickly opened, state and federal support poured into our area, gas stations opened, grocery stores were stocked and opened, and as other businesses began opening we could envision that our island life will return to normal.

More good news in Islamorada is regular trash and recycling services have resumed, 10% of the vegetative debris from the storm was collected in the first ten days of services by the debris management contractor and the FDOT is steadily removing debris from US 1. Please be patient, the debris will be picked up, but it will take time.

All debris piles must be placed in the Village right-of-way, not on your private property. Remember that the items you put in your debris pile are debris to you. If someone else is willing to salvage something in your pile, let it go. It’s ok, it’s not looting, it’s just garbage picking or salvaging and it’s legal. Don’t call the police or start a fight about trash. There is no reason for neighbors to be fighting with neighbors about debris on the right-of-way.

I ask everyone to be patient, be kind, and be understanding. Neighbors helping neighbors, cooperating with neighbors and sharing with neighbors will be the best stories we will tell about our Hurricane Irma experience. Share the right-of-way and work with neighbors, cleanup is on the way.

Founders Park continues to be a staging area for our recovery efforts. Yes, there is debris being piled on the Great Lawn. The dust and grit from the tub grinder and continual debris haulers driving through the park make it unsafe for regular public access. We all value Founders Park and will return complete use of the park to the community as quickly as possible.

You can keep updated on Islamorada’s recovery efforts and other details that may affect you by reading the Latest News on the home page of the Village website, www.islamorada.fl.us. Recent updates have informed residents that the Snake Creek Drawbridge began opening on its regular schedule on Monday, September 25th; the Midnight to 6AM curfew in Islamorada will end at 6AM Sunday, October 1st; and Monroe County created the website www.keysrecovery.org solely dedicated to the Hurricane Irma recovery effort where people will find links to Assistance Programs, charitable organizations, and County-wide updates. Islamorada continues to work to have a FEMA- staffed center established in the Upper Keys; news about a staffed assistance site, and all important updates, will be posted in the Latest News.

Best Regard,

Jim Mooney

DEBRIS STAGING FOR REMOVAL

Multiple pickups will occur Pile debris in right-of-way for removal. Trucks will not go onto private property.

Do not pile debris on manhole covers, fire hydrants, etc.

Do not bag debris—debris in bags will not be picked up.

Separate debris into three piles: Vegetative Debris trees, limbs and other plant debris

Construction Demolition Debris doors, wood and furniture

White goods household appliances

If your debris is not in separate piles, it will be flagged and not picked up.

You will have to sort it before the next round of pickups. DO NOT BURN DEBRIS. Removal of vegetative debris began September 16th. Contracted workers will continue removing debris from Islamorada roadways from 7AM to dusk, 7 days a week until the work is completed.

Regular trash and recycling collection has resumed. Use the rolling carts provided by Advanced Disposal for all household waste and recycling. Place carts out on regularly scheduled collection day. Some delays have been occurring, please be patient. YARD WASTE WILL NOT BE COLLECTED FROM CONTAINERS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

CONSTRUCTION, ZONING & BUILDING PERMITS A PERMIT WILL NOT BE REQUIRED FOR THE FOLLOWING WORK:

WALK-THROUGH PERMITS WILL BE ISSUED FOR:

• Tarping roofs, boarding openings • Repairs of 25% or less to roofs, siding, drywall, and fences • Flooring, painting

• Re-roof • Window/door replacement • Dock (only for work that does not require ACOE and DEP)

• Electric service upgrades and repair A/C changeouts • Plumbing • Fences (repairs of 25% or greater)

VILLAGE WORKSHOP TO ADDRESS CONSTRUCTION, ZONING AND PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS POST HURRICANE IRMA

ISLAMORADA VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETINGS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2017

Final Public Budget Hearing 5:30 p.m. at the Founders Park Community Center, 87000 Overseas Highway. Regular Village Council Meeting immediately following the Public Budget Hearing.

9:30 to 11:00AM Founders Park Community Center, 8700 O/S Hwy

Thursday, October 5, 2017 Special Call Village Council Meeting:

These meetings are open to the public. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, all persons who are disabled and who need special accommodations to participate because of that disability should contact the ADA Coordinator at ADA@islamorada.fl.us or 305-664-6448 at least 48 hours before the scheduled event.

25

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

Design, Construction, & Project Management from Start to Finish

Member: Florida Keys Contractor’s Association

Together, we will overcome.

Call us for any post-Irma construction needs.

We are here to help our friends and neighbors.

• Free Estimates • Building Repairs • Debris Removal Chris Gratton

President

Lic # CGC1521156, CFC1427749

305-743-7080 935 107TH ST, GULF • MARATHON FL 33050

New Construction • Remodels • Swimming Pools

26

HEROES

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

NO ONE OUTPERFORMED KEYS LINEMEN LOCALS RISE TO THE OCCASION

Florida Keys Electric Cooperative’s Don Bell passes a tool to Rob Christensen in the bucket. SARA MATTHIS/Keys Weekly

SARA MATTHIS

sara@keysweekly.com

E

very single Florida Keys Electric Cooperative lineman turned into a customer service representative this week. Locals like FKEC journeyman lineman Rob Christensen had their personal cell phones blowing up as friends called with questions about service.

“We, as a team, worked as fast as possible,” said Christensen. “I still get choked up once a day going down these Oceanside streets. It’s such a mess. I don’t want them to have to worry about power too.”

From start to finish, FKEC had power available to every single home able to receive it in eight days. Eight days for almost 34,000 customers.

After a Category 4 storm. But with the plethora of out-of-state crews on the ground, it’s easy to overlook the heroic undertaking by our local team that orchestrated the restoration in emergency conditions.

According to FKEC CEO Scott Newberry, there were about 400 crew members from out of town. Each crew was paired with an FKEC journeyman lineman to work a specific area. And restoration started in almost every neighborhood at once. Christensen,

for example, tackled Key Colony Beach with a huge contingent of borrowed workforce.

“It turned chaos into something very, very workable,” said Don Bell, who has been with FKEC for 18 years, and was assisting Christensen from the ground on Sept. 25 with a pole on 64th Street.

“Our local journeymen know those specific circuits. Our guys knew how best to get the power on in those areas and avoid injuries,” Newberry said.

And every single customer service representative had work in the field to do, as well.

“We have 115 employees. And it wasn’t just the linemen out there,” said Newberry. “Our office staff was all involved in this effort. They accompanied the crews to take notes on everything we will need for the FEMA claim.”

Newberry said he thinks Hurricane Irma will cost the utility between $15 million and $20 million, most or all of it reimbursable by the federal government.

The utility outperformed everyone’s expectations, but Newberry said he was confident not only about their infrastructure, but also the emergency contingencies in place.

“We spend a lot of time and attention on that main transmission line and that paid off,” he said. FKEC also “lends” help to other areas when they are affected by a storm. The employees come back with valuable lessons learned. And last, but not least, were the amenities provided under the contract with Storm Services. That group came in and set up showers, cots and a kitchen.

“I’m just really proud of how we came together as a team,” Newberry said. “They really put out maximum effort.”

HEROES

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

From sunup to sundown HAYS BLINCKMANN hays@keysweekly.com

— that’s how many dedicated Keys Energy employees made the decision of their own volition to stay during Hurricane Irma. As soon as the wind died down, those employees – whose jobs ranged from the field to management – got their boots on the ground and began to restore power to the Lower Keys.

Within two days, the lights began to go on and the other 85 employees flooded back in to help, alongside 500 out-of-state energy service workers. Now two weeks later, 98 percent of power has been restored thanks to these selfless, determined individuals.

“We knew our system was strong and we had a good ground game,” said Julio Torrado with Keys Energy “We have weathered many storms but Irma was unpredictable.”

Since Irma affected the whole state, there was a limited service workforce to share among Florida counties. No city, town or county could spare a single Floridian worker. The call went out to other states and they came. “Workers came from Alabama, Texas, Wisconsin and everywhere in between to help us,” continued Torrado.

The initial difficulties weren’t just the availability of workers; the lack of water and communication was a huge hurdle. “In hindsight, everything was chaotic, but due to our preparations, everything worked, ” said Torrado. He noted Keys Energy had stored enough materials to help fix and repair problems immediately. “But really it was the people who chose to stay, who wanted to stay, who got to work the next day; they truly went above and beyond.”

KEYS ENERGY EMPLOYEES WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND

Top: Keys Energy used its own boat to work in Pine Channel of Big Pine Key repairing distribution wire. CONTRIBUTED

Bottom: Keys Energy lineman Daniel Garcia III restores power. FRANKIE WEBB/Contributed

27

28

UPPER KEYS

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

DEBRIS SLOWLY DISAPPEARS As ‘normal’ returns, trucks and drivers in high demand GABRIEL SANCHEZ

gabriel@keysweekly.com

D

ebris removal is the biggest challenge now facing the Upper Keys, said Seth Lawless, village manager of Islamorada.

Lawless is asking residents to continue to be patient. He acknowledged that crews have not yet returned to Lower Matecumbe neighborhoods and some private roads. The village is expediting trucks and work crews to make an initial pass in every neighborhood before returning. “We are doing everything we can. There will be multiple passes made by debris removal in every neighborhood,” said Lawless.

Between South Florida’s widespread need for postdisaster services and private and public competition for laborers, the demand for workers such as truck and equipment drivers is tremendous. However, Lawless said, the village has confidence AshBritt Environmental and its crews will perform.

“The fact of the matter is, we don’t control the commodity — the truck,” said Randy Perkins of AshBritt during a Sept. 25 meeting with the Pembroke Pines City Commission. “When you have a Hurricane Harvey or you have a Hurricane Irma, that’s impacted six states, it’s going to require 8,000 to 10,000 trucks, just in the state of Florida, to make a meaningful difference over the next 30 to 45 days.”

The temporary debris site at Rowell’s Waterfront Park in Key Largo. MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT/Contributed

On Sept. 25, Gov. Rick Scott made his seventh trip to the Florida Keys to deal with Hurricane Irma. He led a roundtable that included federal, state and local officials. The group discussed the progress and actions to take on debris removal, temporary housing, small business assistance and other recovery topics.

During the meeting, it was announced that 400 members of the Florida National Guard were being deployed to the Keys to help with debris removal and that 6,000 tarps were on the way.

SEPARATE TRASH FOR RETRIEVAL: • vegetative debris (tree branches, leaves) • seaweed • household appliances • household hazardous waste (paint, cleaners) • non-vegetative debris

On Friday, Sept. 29 at 9:30 a.m.

Islamorada will hold a workshop to guide residents through the construction, zoning and permitting processes.

Islamorada Building Official Sheila Denoncourt and Director of Planning Cheryl Cioffari will be available to answer questions for homeowners.

With cleanups continuing throughout the Keys, Islamorada is quickly preparing to welcome visitors back.

Lawless said the village is on board with Monroe County Tourist and Development Council’s plan of welcoming tourists back starting Oct. 1.

Monroe County Mayor George Neugent highlighted tourism as a “top economic engine” for residents in a Sept. 25 press release announcing the county’s decision. Tinsley Advertising, the TDC’s ad agency, is planning an ambitious marketing campaign, which includes radio and press advertisements beginning with a spot in the New York Times’ Oct. 1 issue.

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KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

www.ci.marathon.fl.us

www.ci.marathon.fl.us

#MarathonStrong Welcome home. We are glad to have everyone back and helping with the recovery efforts. Thank you to all those residents and business owners who have already done a tremendous job on restoring our city. The list is long and your hard work is greatly appreciated. We still need volunteers. Please sign up at City Hall if you can help with recovery.

Debris and Garbage Info • Household garbage is on the normal schedule. Recycling resumes Oct. 2.

• DO NOT mix household garbage with hurricane-related debris.

• Keep your debris piles separate: vegetative debris, building materials, and white material (appliances, etc.)

• Please keep your debris piles away from candy canes, manholes covers, fire hydrants and utilities.

Important: Do not hire unlicensed contractors. Protect yourself by checking for license numbers and insurance.

ft

For more official information from the city of Marathon, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. @MarathonCityFL

30

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

Your Local Waste Management Team Stands With The Communities We Serve Rising Together — Florida Keys Strong (305)

296-8297

31

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

COMPANIES

CGC1521939

New Constructions Remodels/Additions Kitchens/Bath Impact Windows

EC 13005589

Residential & Commercial

CALL US FOR METAL ROOFING Locally owned and operated 305-735-4042 • 6677 Overseas Hwy

32

KEY WEST

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

We’ve been through this together before.

We will get through this together again.

• Installation • Commercial retaining walls • Repairs • Cleaning & Sealing

First brick always free!

305.304.9232

SAYING GOODBYE TO A LANDMARK

Days after the storm, the large banyan tree was pulled off author Shel Silverstein’s home after crunching the house. HAYS BLINCKMANN/ Keys Weekly

Shel Silverstein’s home destroyed

paverdaveinc.com License #SP3573

HAYS BLINCKMANN hays@keysweekly.com

An important message from

Florida Keys Contractors Association

Peace of Mind is important during Hurricane Season.

Be sure to hire a licensed and insured contractor to get your home and business ready during storm season.

After the storm: Be sure to hire licensed contractors to repair storm damaged structure.

Ask your contractor • Do you have a Monroe County License?

• Do you have general liability and workman's comp insurance?

• Are you familiar with Monroe County Building Regulations?

• Will you pull a permit if my work requires it?

• Have you done this type of work before?

• Are you self performing the entire project?

• Will you supply releases of liens for your subcontractors and suppliers?

Work that requires a licensed and insured contractor Aluminum • Landscaping • Masonry • Roofing • Shutters • Windows & Doors • Seawalls & Docks and more...please call for more information.

Florida Keys Contractors Association

Florida Keys Contractors Association (305) 743-5984 floridakeyscontractorsassociation.com

“O

nce there was a tree,” wrote Shel Silverstein in his 1964 book “The Giving Tree,” one of the top-selling children’s books of all time. Ironically, a tree will be the end of Silverstein’s legacy in Key West. His former home at 618 William Street suffered irreparable damage from a large banyan tree that fell directly on the 1901 wooden two-story house during Hurricane Irma. (Adding to the irony, banyans are also referred to as “strangler figs”). Luckily, the grand tree has not been cut down for a purpose, as Silverstein meaningfully wrote; instead, it has been pulled back into place in the hope it will regrow. Sadly, Silverstein’s home will undoubtedly be demolished.

Silverstein bought the house in the ’80s and died there from a heart attack in 1999, cementing his Key West literary status. He may not be as commonly referenced as Hemingway but the eclectic and charismatic writer etched his way into the collective memories of American children since the ’60s with books like “Where The Sidewalk Ends” and “A Light in the Attic” and he also won a Grammy for the song “A Boy Named Sue,” sung by Johnny Cash.

Maybe Silverstein was prophetic.

In saving the old tree, the story still goes: “And the tree was happy. The End.”

#fredaintdead Did you know the singular tree growing out of the Old Seven Mile Bridge has a name? And at least one Facebook page? It does, and “Fred” survived Hurricane Irma.

The page titled “That random tree on the seven mile bridge” got a total of 67 comments and 196 shares on Sept. 15 when it was reported that “#fredaintdead.”

Before Irma hit, the tree’s Facebook page featured this post: “Hoping everyone made it to the mainland safe and sound, keeping those who chose to stay in the Keys in my thoughts.”

After the hurricane came this post: “Did you rly think I was going anywhere?”

At Christmas time a group of locals regularly break several state, federal and physical laws to decorate the tree with lights that are solar powered. The tradition will continue.

— Sara Matthis

COMMUNITY NEWS

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

WHAT I THE HECK IS AN MRE? GABRIEL SANCHEZ … is a Marathon native, Navy veteran, and struggling musician. He’s living proof that great things … are short and have good hair (including facial). Sixty percent of the time, he makes 90 percent of the deadlines.

t was three days after Hurricane Irma had rattled Marathon and the Lower Keys when I finally was able to bounce around the islands documenting the aftermath. However, as curfew fast approached, I had to figure out my food situation. That’s when I remembered the case of MREs, sitting underneath my parents’ house. MREs, or Meals Ready to Eat, are military rations that were distributed by National Guard troops to locals following the storm.

After a short drive north to the Weekly’s Tavernier office, I arrived and methodically unloaded the boxes containing my entire life from my car into the office. All the while I was secretly bursting with excitement.

To a vet, MREs are a special type of agony – satisfyingly tortuous. If you tried to feed an MRE to Chef Gordon Ramsay he’d spontaneously combust.

Designed to cram calories and sugar into every inch of its brown, uncaring packaging, MREs are the equivalent of “human feed” and science combined. And you’re about to eat it.

“Today’s special is Sweet and Sour Sauce with Rice and Chicken,” I sarcastically announce as my fingers fumble over the packaging. My eyes glance over the Nutrition Facts. Holy smokes. 1,060 calories, 99 grams of sugar, 200 grams of carbs, all with a scant 16 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber (this matters later).

The emergency meal kit includes individually air sealed packages containing one ‘just add water’ selfheating element, crackers, raisins, two fig bars, the entrée, and … Skittles? SKITTLES?! “They’re spoiling them nowadays,” I say to myself. “And where’s the hot sauce?!”

Heating the entrée package is simple. Just tear off the top of the heating sleeve, insert the entrée over the heating element, and fill the sleeve to the water line.

Following the oddly worded illustration that instructs me to lean the package against a “rock or something,” I do so, and set my timer for 12 minutes. Soon I’ll be enjoying my lukewarm semi-solid semi-gelatinous glob of “food.”

Ding. Ding. I juggle the first bite of bland chunks around my tongue for a few moments before a quick and sudden gag threatens. I quickly spit the contents out into a napkin, crumble it into a ball, and shove it, along with everything else but the Skittles, into the garbage. “Now I remember why I got out,” I think to myself as I furiously cram Skittles.

33

34

KEYS LIFE

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017 Don’t get too close, honey, they could be dangerous.

CLASSIFIEDS & LEGAL NOTICES EMPLOYMENT DRIVERS, RIDERS & LABORERS NEEDED, Southernmost Furniture – Stop in at 905 U.S. 1, Big Coppitt, MM 10.5 from 9:30 – 5:30 No Phone Calls Please Do You Enjoy Working Outdoors?

Are You SelfMotivated?

Must have vehicle. Pays Well, will Train. Call 305-304-7995 CLEAN-UP HELP Dwayne HardgeMarathon, (305) 7120392 MARATHON. Maintenance, Lawn Work, Drywall removal ease.

Jose NunezM A R A T H O N , maintenance, has pressure washer and transportation (305) 930-9775 HOUSING NEEDED Temporary Housing needed for couple will pay. MarathonGrassy Key Area.

FEMA registered.

Monica Schneider (305) 900-9681

8 THINGS TO DO BEFORE THE TOURISTS COME BACK After getting the word from Monroe County and municipal officials that visitors can return to the Florida Keys Oct. 1 following initial recovery from Hurricane Irma, the Monroe County Tourist Development Council has begun awareness and marketing efforts.

The Weekly is chiming in with some important points for locals to digest before this happens.

1. Take down business signs that read, “looters will be shot on sight.”

2. Put on pants.

3. Turn off the car’s flashing hazard lights and stop pretending that you are some type of important official/first responder.

Alternatively, find your car. (Hint: it’s probably where you parked it on high ground before the storm.)

4. Return ALL food, supplies and propane tanks that you borrowed from your evacuee neighbor.

5. Grab a bite to eat or a quick drink from your favorite spot without waiting in line.

6. Take one of those loose kayaks for a paddle and then put that back where you found it, or so help me.

7. Crack a cold one with “the boys” and hear all the hurricane stories again — including the one about the guy who sneaked back in to the Keys on a Porta-Potty truck. True story, bro.

8. Hug a cop, firefighter, or utility worker.

—Weekly Staff

TRAILER FOR SALE 2008 Glendale Titanium 40’ 5th Wheel. 3 Slides, 2 AC Units, hitch a c c e s s o r i e s included. $17,500.

Call after 5 for viewing (772) 3591389 (Homestead).

LEGAL NOTICES Notice of Default and Intent to Foreclose To: All persons listed below, their guardians, heirs and assigns, record owners of the unit week(s) as showing, all located in Monroe County, Florida comprised of Unit Weeks as more particularly defined in and governed by that certain: Declaration of Condominium for Florida Bay Club of Key Largo, a condominium, recorded in O.R. Book 871 at pages 1215, et seq. Public Records, Monroe County, Florida.

You are hereby given Notice of Default and Intent to Foreclose on behalf of THE FLORIDA BAY CLUB CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, INC. a Florida not-forprofit corporation.

You may cure the default and redeem the timeshare interest by paying the amounts secured by the Association’s lien on your unit week(s) as showing below in cash or

certified funds to Timeshare Trustee at any time prior to the issuance of the Certificate of Sale.

Unit/ Week Owner Name Co-Owner Name Address Year of Default Amount Due Per Diem B06-29 Dianna Bush 405 S Third St., Pacific, MO 63069 2016 $3,082.09 $1.52 A03-35 Robert A. Craig Mary Craig 4410 SW 39th St., Hollywood, FL 33023 2016 $4,861.78 $2.40 A10-49 Jasmin T. Espy Melody A. Espy 2400 Spring Rain Dr., Apt 813, Spring, TX 77379 2016 $2,179.96 $1.08 B04-06 Oskar Finnsson 30 B 08850 Ganamar, Barcelona, Spain 2016 $3,140.43 $1.55 A10-43 Oskar Finnsson 30 B 08850 Ganamar, Barcelona, Spain 2016 $2,787.27 $1.37 A08-06 Kenneth Fusco Patricia McCourt 28 Glenwood Rd., Harrison, NY 10528 2016 $2,197.96 $1.08 B06-39 Stephanie M. Godwin Michael K. Godwin 102 Larkspur Lane, Martinsburg, WV 25403 2016 $2,179.96 $1.08 B02-14 Thomas I. Johnson 1013 Centre Rd., Wilmington, DE 19805 2016 $2,179.96 $1.08 A01-12 Gerald D. Kuryk Glenda L. Kuryk 16-87 Donker Dr., St. Thomas, ON N5P4L2, CA 2016 $3,004.71 $1.48 A10-23 Larry W. McNeal Mary H. McNeal L 528 Washington St., Tamaqua, PA 18252 2016 $5,911.85 $2.92

35

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • 305.743.0844 LEGAL NOTICES B01-35 Pedro A. Baquet Esther Pina 18461 SW 83rd Ave., Miami, FL 33157 2016 $4,757.39 $2.35 A01-47 Frank Ponziano Yvonne Ponziano 12021 W. 95th Pl, Saint John, IN 46373 2016 $4,861.78 $2.40 B01-01 Lawrence C. Rice Carolyn E. Rice 17343 SW 19th St., Hollywood, FL 33029 2016 $4,861.78 $2.40 B05-19 Augusto J. Rodriguez Juana R. Rodriguez 11057 SW 25th St., Miami, FL 33165 2016 $4,861.78 $2.40 B06-36 Charles Turino Ana Turino 3240 29th Ave NE, Naples, FL 34120 2016 $2,179.96 $1.08 A08-17 Johnny Valdes Lourdes Valdes

LEGAL NOTICES 10450 SW 26th St., Miami, FL 33165 2016 $3,045.56 $1.50 A01-32 Lawrence W. Winebrenner Joyce E. Winebrenner 5431 NW 167 St., Opa Locka, FL 33055 2016 $4,385.44 $2.16 A01-41 Michael A. Wood Theresa A. Wood 1815 NW 102 Place, Gainesville, FL 32609 2016 $3,973.63 $1.96 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 HAVE THE RIGHT AS A MATTER OF LAW TO SEND TO THE TRUSTEE WRITTEN NOTICE THAT YOU OBJECT TO THIS PROCEDURE. UPON THE TRUSTEE’S RECEIPT OF YOUR OBJECTION, THE FORECLOSURE OF THE LIEN WITH

LEGAL NOTICES 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. 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 by the TRUSTEE are insufficient to offset the amounts secured by the lien.

STAACK & SIMMS, P.A., d/b/a TIMESHARE TRUSTEE 900 DREW STREET SUITE 1 CLEARWATER, FL 33755 PHONE: (727) 441-2635 FAX: (727) 461-4836 Website:staacklaw.com Published: September 28 and October 5, 2017 The Weekly Newspapers

On-Site Public Auction Tuesday Oct. 10th @ 11AM Day Market Kitchen

1850 SE 17th St. Ste. 104 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 Building is being SOLD • EVERYTHING GOES Tables, Chairs, Bar Stools, 5x7 S/C Walk-In Cooler & Freezer, Hobart 60 QT Mixer, S/S Tables, Prep Tables, Décor, Small Wares, Dishes, Glasses, Panini Press, Wine Cooler, Hand Sinks, Dbl Stack Convection Oven, Pizza Oven, Coolers, Freezers, and more…

www.neverettauctions.com

Toby Neverett Auctioneers 561-706-7218 • au872 ab628

FULL-TIME TELLER Marathon Shores

Sales Consultant • Service Consultant • Finance & Insurance Parts Consultant • Receptionist/Cashier • Billing/Accounting Clerk Automotive Technician • Office Manager Apply online at: careers.warrenhenryauto.com We offer health, dental, vision, life, disability & 401K contribution!

Put your career in gear!

EOE/ADA 1618 N. Roosevelt Blvd • Key West, FL 33040 • 305-294-5126

IMMEDIATE OPENINGS

Responsible for opening accounts, teller transactions, balancing cash and handling foreign currency. Must enjoy working with people and have strong customer service skills. One year cash handling experience preferred.

for the following positions:

Please visit our career center at www.iberiabank.com

Applicants must apply in person to be considered.

EEO/M/F/D/V

4290 Overseas Hwy, Marathon

Immediate opening for a HVAC Service Technician Upper & Middle Keys.

Great Pay • Paid Holidays • Sick Pay • Medical Insurance • Paid Vacation

Truck Helpers CDL Drivers Diesel Mechanics

Air Conditioning Service Technician / Installer Appliance Service Technician Competitive wages & benefits 100% medical • Matching 401K Vacation • Paid Holidays

Drug Free

Apply in person 171 Hood Ave • MM 91.5 • Tavernier p 305-852-2960 • f 305-852-0656

Apply at:

2735 Overseas Highway Marathon 305-289-1748

Rewarding stable jobs with excellent benefits!!!

The Guidance/Care Center, Inc, a division of

“Uplifting the human spirit since 1973”

THE GUIDANCE/CARE CENTER, Inc.

IN MARATHON

• Direct Care Worker/BHT • Behavioral Health Tech (PT/FT) • Peer Support Specialist (PT) • CSU/Detox Program Coordinator • Driver (CDL required) • Fiscal Assistant • Registered Nurse (PT/FT)

IN KEY WEST

Keys Auto Center is now part of the Warren Henry Auto Group “Automotive News’ Best Dealership to Work For” for four years in a row!

We are now hiring for the following positions:

MARATHON GARBAGE SERVICE

• Clinical Director • Research Assistant • Driver (CDL required) • Psychiatrist (PT, Contract) • Child Behavior Therapist • Client Advocate • Front Office Specialist • Substance Abuse Counselor Visit http://careers.westcare.com to apply.

HERON HOUSE ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY

• House Monitor (Night) Free private room & stipend in exchange For 10pm-8am coverage. 5 days on/5 off.

Contact 305-743-4129 for details. www.guidancecarecenter.org EEOC/DFWP, Bilingual a plus; Drug & background screening required.

$1000

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KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

The Coastal Home Experts

Architecture • Construction • Interior Design • Landscapes • Furniture

Rebuilding, Recovery, Resiliency

Architecture • Construction Remodels • Landscapes • Interior Design Furniture & Accessories

The Florida Keys are a unique place we’ve been lucky to call home for over 57 years and we look forward to helping make them stronger and better then ever! Our vendors are here to help as well with special promotions & discounts for everything you may need for your home—Kitchen & Bathroom Cabinets, Counter Tops, Flooring, Furniture, and Window Treatments. Ask your Designer for details!

305-743-7130 | DAsignSource.com | 11500 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050 | MM 53

Local, Fully Licensed Contractors #CGC026675, Architects #AA26001284, Interior Designers #B26000844 & Landscape Architects #LA6667217

37

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

O

ne of the oldest dolphins living in human care, Molly, died on Sept. 23 at the Dolphin Research Center.

Molly was believed to be at least 56 years old and had lived at Dolphin Research Center since 1996.

To live longer than 50 years means that she was very old for a bottlenose dolphin. In recent years, she experienced some health issues commensurate with her advanced age.

A necropsy was performed which may reveal a cause of death.

“Molly was a dearly loved member of the Dolphin Research Center family.

It was a privilege to be her home for the last 21 years and to dedicate ourselves to her welfare. We will miss this grand lady deeply while we also honor her memory,” said Rita Irwin, Dolphin Research Center’s president and CEO. Over the years, Molly had lived at several other facilities, including Theater of the Sea, Ocean Reef Club and, just prior to Dolphin Research

DRC’S MOLLY DIES Dolphin was one of oldest in human care

Center, the ill-fated Sugarloaf Dolphin Sanctuary.

Among the interesting stories from her past is one in which she and another dolphin were selected to be trained to search for the Loch Ness Monster.

That project was, however, scratched before it was tried.

Although Molly never raised a calf of her own, she loved the babies born at DRC to other mothers and demonstrated true enjoyment as a surrogate “aunt.” She formed strong relationships with her human friends as well and was an excellent teacher. Molly helped two generations of marine mammal trainers develop greater knowledge and experience in the care of dolphins.

Along the way, she developed a fondness for scarves and received many as gifts over the years. It was common to see her swim around the lagoons at DRC with a scarf artfully draped over one of her flippers.

—Contributed

For Mama: Seashells remind us That every passing life Leaves something Beautiful behind

CODY ALLEN STRICKLIN

% 0 2

t irs s f r ornde f F o OF esp r

Cody Allen Stricklin, 27, of Marathon, Florida and formerly of Cabot, Arkansas passed away Sept. 20, 2017. He was a proud member of in Marine the southwind plaza the U.S. Corps, enlisted in 2013. Most recently, he was working as an air conditioning repairman and installation technician for Florida Keys A/C. Cody is survived by his parents, John and Robyn Mahoney; his sister Kendra Owens; his brother Jacob Mahoney; and his aunt Amber Schmidt; his uncle Nathan Stricklin and his wife Kari Stricklin. He is also survived by his nephew, Rylan Owens; and his grandparents, Rip Dempsey, of and Marlene Mahoney; and his aunts, Callie and Chrissy, Cup Hook along fee with numerous cousins, friends and family. He is also surCofvived by the love of his life, Erica Anne Saunders.

He is preceded in death by his grandparents, Doris Dempsey OFF and one brother, Brock Daniel Mahoney. and Franklin forStricklin, Loc Cory had the biggest heart God could give anyone.

NeeDever A place to He get a s was always willing to lhelp everyone; ifsome you needed anything you work done?! could always call Cody. Cody loved the Lord and know Weweha ve he is resting peacefully with his MeMe and playing with his little brother.

The family would like to express a very special thank you to all of our friends and family who have supported us. Also, to the Faro Blanco Resort and Lighthouse Grill for allowing us to gather to celebrate Cody’s life.

In lieu of flowers, please contribute to the Florida Keys SPCA in honor of Cody’s fur baby, Jack, whom he loved dearly.

8919 Overseas Hwy

WE ARE OPEN! Daily from 1pm - 9pm

50¢

10%

FREE WIFI

8919 Overseas Hwy in the southwind plaza

Marathon Strong ts! a e r T

PARTY Free to the

Key’s Community Ice m Crea

Saturday

Oct 7 th 7pm-Close

38

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

Keys Insurance Services is open for business to assist our insureds with their claims.

favorite brunch IS BACK! YOUR

We have been working remotely since the day a er the storm reporting claims and assisting our insureds. Our Key Largo and Key West offices are open for business as usual Our Marathon office at Gulfside Village has some damage so we have temporarily relocated to the Johnsons Insurance Building

13361 Overseas Hwy Marathon, FL 33050 Our phones are operational call us at 305 743-0494 Working hours in Marathon 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM M-F. Saturdays 9:00 AM till 12:00 PM (These hours will be in place as long as necessary during the claim process).

We understand the hardship many of you are living due to this Catastrophe and we are here to help you.

Keys Insurance Services

Temporary office : 13361 Overseas Hwy Marathon, FL 33050 (305) 743-0494 8:AM to 6:00 PM Monday thru Friday 9:00 AM to Noon Saturdays.

Our famous Sunday Brunch returns October 1st and it's 20% OFF for locals during the whole month of October!

Due to the hardship Irma has caused our community we would like to give back by offering locals 20% OFF YOUR ENTIRE BRUNCH BILL during October.

BISTRO 245

305.292.4320 • OPENTABLE.COM 245 FRONT STREET • KEY WEST, FL

HOURS: 10AM-2PM • RESERVATIONS SUGGESTED Free parking while dining - please present parking ticket to server for validation

Look for the Mermaid at MM 82 Bayside!

#FLORIDA KEYS STRONG! We can handle storm related issues:

You’re here….so are we!

Open for business and looking forward to seeing you.

- The Lorelei staff Breakfast Menu 7 am – 10:45 am 7 Days a Week Lunch & Dinner 11 am – 10 pm 305-664-2692 • www.loreleicabanabar.com

contracts, insurance claims/disputes, construction matters, employment issues, maritime, claims against the government and family law.

Proudly serving our clients & the Keys since 1971.

608 Whitehead Street • Key West, Florida 33040 (305) 294-4585 • www.hwhkeywest.com

39

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

We are here to help in this time of need.

Appliance and Air Conditioning

Sales - Service • Installation

Family Owned and Operated

Local’s Appreciation October OCT 1 – 31 40% off Food 30% off Beverage

Serving Key West and the Florida Keys for all your appliance needs.

WITH LOCAL ID

Open 7am – 930pm every day 1405 Duval Street, Key West // 305.295.6550

Mon-Fri 8:30-5:30, Sat & Sun by appointment 1700 N. Roosevelt Blvd. Suite 2, Key West, Fl 33040 305-294-0090 • www.kolhages.com

We are open!

We stand Keys Strong!

700 Duval Street • 305-294-8002 • Mangoeskeywest.com

SOUTHERNMOST FURNITURE

WE ARE OPEN! Cash & Carry Discounted Pricing!

Mattresses • Sofas & Sofa Beds Dining Room & Kitchen Furniture Open 9:30 – 5:30 905 U.S. 1, Big Coppitt • MM 10.5 • 305-294-7370

southernmostbeachcafe.com

#Florida Keys Strong The character and resilience of Florida Keys’ business community is symbolic of a county that is not only rebuilding—but ready to flourish. As our locals return home, here is a list of some of your favorite spots that are open for business and getting back to work with you and the community we love.

So be sure to support one another, dine out a few extra times this week —and leave a few extra dollars of love on the tables. Because together, we are FLORIDA KEYS

BOAT RECOVERY & SALVAGE MARATHON MARINE SERVICES

305-289-9884

WE ARE OPEN! Serving Our Full Menu Open Monday – Saturday 11-5 (later if we have hungry customers!)

305-743-9181 6950 O/S Highway Marathon • MM 51 Bayside

40

KEYS WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

The cure for seeking care after the storm Care On Demand As the Florida Keys begin their road to recovery, we encourage Monroe residents with minor illnesses or injuries to seek treatment through the Baptist Health Care On Demand app, which allows you to see a physician via a PC or mobile app, 24/7.

Download the PineApp or visit BaptistHealth.net/CareOnDemand to see a doctor now for FREE.

Enter zip code for FREE visit

CARE ON DEMAND

1. Sign up and enter your Monroe County zip code for a FREE visit 2. Select from a list of physicians and get virtual access to a doctor 3. Receive treatment and start feeling better Expires October 31, 2017

Carevenience

The cure for inconvenient care.

A not-for-profit organization supported by philanthropy and committed to our faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence. For giving opportunities, visit BaptistHealth.net/Foundation