Keys Weekly –12/26/19

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Baby Yoda is my spirit animal.

December 26, 2019

THE YEAR IN REVIEW USED TO TREAT: CANCER RELATED PAIN • PARKINSON'S • ANXIETY • ARTHRITIS • MIGRAINE • PTSD AND MANY OTHER MEDICAL CONDITIONS Dr. Jennifer Charity

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NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS | CALL TODAY TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT | 305.295.-3535

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

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LEGISLATION 2019

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

NUMBER OF THE WEEK

5450 MacDonald Ave. No.5 Key West, FL 33040 Office: 305.453.6928 www.keysweekly.com

Publisher

Britt Myers britt@keysweekly.com

Publishing Partner

Jason Koler jason@keysweekly.com

Editor

Mandy Miles mandy@keysweekly.com

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That’s the number of new species uncovered this year, according to the California Academy of Sciences. In total, 17 fish, 15 geckos, eight flowering plants, six sea slugs, five arachnids, four eels, three ants, three skinks, two skates, two wasps, two mosses, two corals, and two lizards were discovered across five continents and three oceans.

COLLEGE GETS NEW NAME, KEYS GET FUNDING

Copy Editor

County Marine resource administrator Rich Jones, who said the county is the “poster child for derelict vessels in Florida.”

And following years of work, legislation was approved to rename Florida Keys Community College as the College of the Florida Keys. Gov. Ron DeSantis inked the bill, also sponsored

by Flores and Raschein, on July 7.

On the environmental side, more than $686 million was allocated for issues important to DeSantis, including $25 million to combat blue-green algae and red tide, $50 million for targeted

Account Executives

Stephanie Mitchell stephanie@keysweekly.com Lesley Aaron lesley@keysweekly.com

Staff Writers

Sara Matthis sara@keysweekly.com Jim McCarthy jim@keysweekly.com Tiffany Duong tiffany@keysweekly.com Anneke Patterson anneke@keysweekly.com

Circulation Manager

Charlotte Hruska char@keysweekly.com

Design / Web Master

Travis Cready travis@keysweekly.com

Design / Pre-Press

Irene de Bruijn irene@keysweekly.com Javier Reyes javier@keysweekly.com

Classifieds

Anneke Patterson anneke@keysweekly.com 305.743.0844

Se habla español

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News Deadline

Tuesday Noon

Advertising Deadline Tuesday 2 p.m.

As the sun sets on 2019, Keys Weekly looks back on all that occurred in the island chain, and wishes everyone a happy and healthy new year.

BILLS RECAP

Mike Howie mike@keysweekly.com

Production Manager

ON THE COVER

College of the Florida Keys president Jonathan Gueverra addresses the crowd during a celebration on Aug. 19. Stephanie Scuderi, College of the Florida Keys board chair, and state Rep. Holly Raschein are also pictured. CONTRIBUTED

JIM McCARTHY

jim@keysweekly.com

T

he 60-day legislative session in Tallahassee came to a close May 4. With money for Keys projects and increased funds for Everglades restoration, the legislature passed a $91.1 billion budget.

A total of $6 million for the Florida Keys Stewardship Act, which protects the near shore waters and lands critical to the delicate ecosystem, was provided within the budget. Also, $1 million was approved for the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority’s reverse osmosis plant.

Locally, budget highlights included $750,000 for the Monroe County mobile vessel pump-out service, $568,605 for Mote Marine Laboratory’s Summerland Key Coral Restoration Program and $1 million for lionfish removal efforts.

Legislation sponsored by state Rep. Holly Raschein and state Sen. Anitere Flores to study the cost of derelict vessels to the county and state received the legislature’s approval.

It was met with praise from Monroe

water quality improvements and $100 million for springs restoration. Over $400 million is allocated for Everglades restoration, $4 million of which will go to nutrient reduction and water retention projects in the Lake Okeechobee watershed.

“The Everglades and water quality were big winners,” said Raschein, who sits on the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. “There’s also lots of focus on red tide research, harmful algal bloom research and water quality improvements, which are obviously important to the Keys.”

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

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LOCAL CHATTER

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019 KIRBY MYERS

www.keysweekly.com

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ew year. New resolutions. Some of us make them, some don’t and a dedicated few even follow through on them. From cutting back on the booze to putting a kibosh on procrastination and everything in between, a new year brings a fresh start and thoughts of selfimprovement. While vowing to better ourselves in some way or setting goals is great, wouldn’t it be cool if we could do it for someone else? So...

What resolution would you suggest for someone else?

“For the president to stop being an a**hole.” — Kamaria Binns

“I’d have a specific ex-lover of mine work to believe in himself and be more honest.” — Katie Kenney

“I’d have Tom Cruise resolve to bring the world premiere of the ‘Top Gun’ sequel (along with himself) to the Tropic Cinema.” — Amy Bebbington

“Definitely would have Tom Brady decide he’s going to try and stop being so damn perfect.” — Patrick O’Herlihy

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“I’d have my fiancé vow to figure out how to stop snoring!”

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MONROE COUNTY

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019 TIFFANY DUONG

tiffany@keysweekly.com

BUILDING

FOR THE FUTURE COUNTY TO BUILD EOC TO SURVIVE ‘10,000-YEAR STORM’

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limate change, sea level rise and the future of the Keys were hotbutton topics at the last BOCC meeting of the year. The recent Southeast Florida Regional Climate Leadership Summit in Key West was still fresh in everyone’s mind, including the new sea level projections of 10 to 17 inches near Key West by 2040 and 21 to 40 inches by 2070.

While the summit created a heightened awareness of the precarious position a chain of islands on porous coral rock can find itself in, more importantly, it catalyzed targeted climate adaptation measures to ensure the future of the Keys remains solid.

Municipalities in the Keys are already preparing for this “new normal,” proactively raising roads, installing injection wells, and improving stormwater plans.

The county also adopted this mitigation and adaptation mindset a few years ago.

The county built the Stock Island Fire Station and the Marathon library with an extra 2 feet of elevation over the code requirement, said Rhonda Haag, the county’s chief resiliency officer. “We wanted to make sure the fire station and the library wouldn’t get wet.” Haag confirmed that the county is doing the same preemptive elevation for all new buildings. “It doesn’t cost that much extra when you’re building a new building to elevate up front – just some additional concrete. But, if you wait and try to elevate it after it’s built, it’s too late and much more expensive,” she said.

With all that in mind, the BOCC set the tone at its December meeting about sea level rise. Commissioner Michelle Coldiron acknowledged the new reality in the Keys. She said, “I think we’re finally beyond the finger-pointing. We can’t stop this water, so let’s accommodate it.”

The commissioners all agreed that retrofits to old infrastructure and construction of new county buildings needed to keep the new sea level projections in mind. Talking about the life expectancy of new buildings, county administrator Roman Gastesi similarly said, “If you’re

1 building a building that is expected to have a 50-year lifespan, you should make sure it can withstand the conditions that we’re expecting in 50 years.”

Coldiron asked if the new, yet-to-bebuilt Emergency Operation Center would also be elevated.

“The EOC is a unique animal,” said assistant county administrator Kevin Wilson. “It’s being designed for a 10,000year storm with storm surges. As sea level rises, you can anticipate 10,000-year storms to become worse, but we’re building for that.”

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Commissioner David Rice agreed that elevations and solar should be the goal for future county construction but also brought up competing priorities in the present. Citing the tremendous fiscal challenges of such an ambitious adaptation strategy, he said, “This is gonna be on the backs of all of us to pay for.”

1. Monroe County Emergency Management temporarily relocated its Emergency Operations Center to Ocean Reef employee housing for staff safety just before Hurricane Irma struck the Keys on Sept. 10, 2017.

A more resilient, new EOC is intended to prevent the need for relocation. MONROE COUNTY/Contributed 2. During Hurricane Irma, Monroe County’s Emergency Operations Center was located at the Marathon Government Center BOCC Chambers until they had to evacuate to Ocean Reef. The new EOC building is designed to withstand 10,000-year storms, allowing EOC operations to remain in Marathon. CAMMY CLARK/Contributed

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MILES TO GO

MANDY MILES

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

SOUTHERNMOST CITY GOT BUSY IN 2019

I never thought it would happen. I couldn’t envision how it would look, or how the city would ever come to an agreement about what should and shouldn’t be included in plans for the infamous Truman Waterfront Park.

I’d been hearing about this huge chunk of downtown waterfront, a gift from the Navy, since I got here in 1998.

That’s about when the dreaded “charrettes” started. Charrette? Really? They were meetings, just meetings, meant to gather public input. I still don’t know whose genius idea it was to use a word no one ever uses, EVER, when trying to encourage people to attend these things.

But people did attend, plenty of people, all with different ideas of what a giant park should offer. There were more than a dozen charrettes, and just when we’d get close to an agreement, then a plan and even a diagram of where things would go, something would change.

has been living in and writing about Key West and the Florida Keys since 1998. She lives in Old Town with her husband, Capt. Stan Miles, a longtime charter fisherman.

Then, slowly, very slowly, things started happening. Decisions were made and upheld. Last-minute suggestions by people who came late to the table were shot down.

And suddenly, as if by magic (because I admittedly had stopped paying attention for a while), we had a park, a truly lovely showplace park. There are still final phases to complete, but 2019 was the year that giant chunk of bland military space truly became Truman Waterfront Park. It was also the year we decided to name the park’s fantastic new amphitheater after one of the island’s most enduring musical personalities, Lofton “Coffee” Butler. That was a unanimous no-brainer by the Key West City Commission.

Things weren’t always unanimous on the commission dais in 2019, but the year saw plenty of new people and projects.

The city banned the sale of some types of sunscreen (starting at a later date) and then banned plastic straws, although a new statewide bill could challenge its authority to do so.

Greg Veliz took the reins as city manager from Jim Scholl, who retired after a blessedly quiet hurricane season, and has been making things happen since Day 1, drawing praise from the commissioners.

Mayor Teri Johnston and Commissioner Jimmy Weekley were able to give their vision of a Mall on Duval pedestrian promenade a shot despite mixed reactions from business owners and residents. But at least the project got people talking about improving our main tourism corridor. And God knows it can use some work — not to mention a touch of class.

The Duval Pocket Park opened and looks really, really good at the south end of Duval Street. I never doubted it would, but plenty of naysayers criticized the city for leasing a neglected city block to businessman and attorney Michael Halpern. But Halpern paid to fix the drainage issues down there, built the park and now he can install tables and chairs for the Seaside Café, the (delicious) food truck Halpern’s son, Rafe, runs at the adjacent Southernmost House Hotel. But as is required by the lease, the park is open to the public with no requirement or expectation that visitors buy food or drink.

The city also struggled this year with cosmetic shops on Duval Street and picketers who protested their aggressive sales tactics, managing to force a few out of business.

Key West broke ground on 103 new apartments on College Road and finalized an agreement with the sheriff to keep the homeless shelter where it is.

It was a busy, busy year in the Southernmost City, but as luck would have it, I didn’t have to cover a single damn charrette. Happy New Year, Key West! Onward and upward for 2020.

The past year saw the new amphitheater at Truman Waterfront claim its own identity when the City Commission voted unanimously to name it for local musician Lofton ‘Coffe’ Butler. CITY OF KEY WEST/Contributed

COMMUNITY NEWS

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

SAVE THE DATE Dec. 26-31 • Fringe Theater presents An Evening Lost with Lillian Baxter, 7 p.m. at Little Room Jazz Club, Key West.

Dec. 27-28 • Key West House & Garden Tour, 3p.m. Call 305-294-9201, Key West.

• “Around the World in 80 Days,” 8 p.m. at Waterfront Playhouse, Key West.

DOZENS HIKE FOR VETERAN SUICIDE AWARENESS

• The Monroe County Tax Collector’s office will be closed Wednesday, January 1, 2020 New Years’ Day and Monday, January 20, 2020 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Sunday, Dec. 29 • Key West Women of Soul, 8 p.m. at Key West Theater.

• Reminder Mobile Homes expired on December 31st come in and renew your decal.

Tuesday, Dec. 31 • Annual Dachshund Walk, noon, Fleming & Whitehead streets, Key West.

• Key West New Year’s Eve “Drops” at Sloppy Joe’s, Schooner Wharf Bar, Ocean Key Resort, Bourbon Street Pub, First in Flight.

• “Tiny Beautiful Things,” 8 p.m. at Red Barn Theatre

Saturday, Jan. 4 • Island Roots Bahamas Relief Celebration, 5 p.m. at El Meson de Pepe, Key West.

Sunday, Jan. 5 • Guided tour by Curator Dennis Beaver, 2 p.m. at Tennessee Williams Museum, Key West.

• Key West Poetry Guild openmic night, 7 p.m. at Key West Library.

Jan. 8-18 • Fringe Theater presents “Talley’s Folly,” 7 p.m. at Back Room at Key West Theater.

Jan. 9-12 • Pole Vault in Paradise, 9 a.m. at Truman Waterfront Park, Key West.

JANUARY

• Taxes paid in January will receive a 2% discount. As of December 16, 2019 the current tax roll is 74% collected. The total collected at that time was $219,082,251.53.

Saturday. Dec. 28 • Blackhead Smoke, 3 p.m. at Key West Amphitheater.

Jan. 4-5 • “Single Occupancies” opera monologues, 8 p.m. at The Studios of Key West.

• TAX TALK • TAG TALK •

• NOTE: A Business Tax Receipt is Required for ALL Rental Units, Regardless of the Length of Time for Each Rental.

• Remain Anonymous Report ILLEGAL Vacation Rentals email mail@monroetaxcollector.com or call 1-855-422-4540

A

n estimated 85 military members and veterans hike around Key West on Dec. 7 to bring attention to veteran suicides.

Participants in the so-called Silkies Hike started at Higgs Beach and made stops at landmarks including the Southernmost Point, Bayview Park’s Vietnam Memorial, Mallory Square, Coast Guard Cutter Ingham Museum, Rick’s Bar, Duval Pocket Park, Edward Knight Pier, and ended back at Higgs Beach. The Irreverent Warriors’ hike not only brought veterans together, but also educated curious onlookers about the estimated 22 veteran suicides a day. The inaugural Key West hike will be back in 2020. More information, including how to donate, is at www.

IrreverentWarriors.com. SEAN EDWARDS/Contributed

DON’T GET CUT OFF THIS HURRICANE SEASON

BROADWAVE WAS RESTORING CUSTOMER CONNECTIONS WITHIN 24 HOURS OF HURRICANE IRMA

INTERNET | WIFI | PHONES | CAMERAS CALL OR EMAIL TODAY: 305.767.1467 - INFO@BROADWAVE.COM WWW.BROADWAVE.COM

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

Monroe County Property Transfers

Listing Office

Selling Office

Sold Date

Coldwell Banker Schmitt Coldwell Banker Schmitt Coldwell Banker Schmitt Star Properties Keys Country Realty

American Caribbean Real Estate LoKation Real Estate Coldwell Banker Schmitt Star Properties Outside Of MLS

12/17/2019 12/18/2019 12/19/2019 12/17/2019 12/18/2019

Coldwell Banker Schmitt Real Living Cypress Realty Century 21 Island Life

Ocean Sotheby's International Coldwell Banker Schmitt Century 21 Island Life

BHHS Florida Realty

Key Largo

List Price

12/18/2019 $ 12/18/2019 $ 12/20/2019 $

2,650,000.00 $ 775,000.00 $ 650,000.00 $

2,625,000.00 760,000.00 500,000.00

BHHS Florida Realty

12/17/2019 $

1,100,000.00 $

999,999.00

Ocean Sotheby's International

Ocean Sotheby's International

12/18/2019 $

1,400,000.00 $

1,300,000.00

Hawks Cay Resort Sales The Blue Group Inc

Hawks Cay Resort Sales Coldwell Banker Schmitt

12/17/2019 $ 12/17/2019 $

895,000.00 $ 159,000.00 $

832,500.00 140,000.00

4403 Marina Villas Dr 150 Bahama Dr

BHHS Keys Real Estate BHHS Keys Real Estate

BHHS Keys Real Estate BHHS Keys Real Estate

12/17/2019 $ 12/16/2019 $

395,000.00 $ 150,000.00 $

380,000.00 155,000.00

Coldwell Banker Schmitt

Coldwell Banker Schmitt

12/18/2019 $

499,000.00 $

499,000.00

Coldwell Banker Schmitt BHHS Knight & Gardner Realty Royal Palms Realty

Coldwell Banker Schmitt 12/18/2019 $ 479,000.00 $ 450,000.00 181 Star Ln BHHS Knight & Gardner Realty 12/18/2019 $ 16,000.00 $ 240,000.00 608 Duval St Royal Palms Realty 12/18/2019 $ 975,000.00 $ 920,000.00 715 Thomas St Based on information found in the Key West Association of Realtors® MLS from December 17th, 2019 to December 20th, 2019.

Upper Matecumbe Key Duck Key

Marathon

Little Torch Key Geiger Key

22 322 419 0 605

Street Name

117,500.00 442,500.00 660,000.00 121,700.00 325,000.00

Windley Key

129,900.00 460,000.00 670,000.00 149,900.00 347,000.00

Street #

$ $ $ $ $

Plantation Key

$ $ $ $ $

Sold Price

Yr Blt

Style

Tot Beds Wtrfrnt MM

Bonita Ave Ryan Rd 3rd St Jewfish Ave Sailfish Trl

N/A Boat Slip 2013 Single Fam 1977 Single Fam

0 3 5 3

No No No No No

105 105 104 103.5 99

1990 Single Fam

288 South Dr 116 Galleon Rd 0 Treasure Harbor

2004 Single Fam 2013 Single Fam N/A Lots

5 4 0

Yes No Yes

87 86.5 86.5

137 Anglers Way

2007 Single Fam

2

Yes

85

183 Carroll St

1950 Single Fam

2

Yes

82.5

1990 Condo

2

Yes No

61 61

342 Lemon Ave 35 Coco Plum Dr

1988 Single Fam

2

No No

58.9 54.5

649 Powell Ave

1981 Single Fam

1

Yes

28.5

1990 Mobile Hom 1901 Commercial 1984 Single Fam

2 0 2

Yes No No

10 1 1

PARADE OF HOMES MEGA OPEN HOUSE EVENT! SUNDAY DECEMBER 29, 12-4PM

BUYING OR SELLING?

CALL US TODAY TO SPEAK TO YOUR LOCAL REAL ESTATE EXPERTS

Happy New Year FROM THE TEAM AT KEYS REAL ESTATE KNIGHT & GARDNER REALTY

336 Duval Street, Key West, 305.294.5155 • 30362 Overseas Hwy, Big Pine, 305.735.4962 • 9141 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, 305.743.7636

A member of the franchise system of BHH Affiliates, LLC

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

FEATURED PROPERTIES

1500 Atlantic Blvd #311 | Key West This 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 3rd floor unit has fabulous panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean. All of the quiet elegance for which the Key West Beach Club is known, plus a large balcony right on the ocean overlooking native shoreline and beach.

$1,250,000

FEATURED

1501 Grinnell Street | Key West Character rich home on huge 11,730sf corner lot 1 block from the Casa Marina. 2bd/2ba light filled main house with soaring ceilings & walls of glass that open to an enormous pool, patio & 2bd/3ba guest house. $2,750,000

FEATURED

1500 Atlantic Blvd #415 | Key West On top of the world… on the edge of the sea! Top floor and end unit 3bd, 2ba at the Key West Beach Club wins Pride of Place, with wraparound views of the Atlantic Ocean. Two levels, vaulted cielings, floor to ceiling impact windows along the full length of the 345 sq ft private oceanfront balcony.

115 Front Street #102 | Key West 2bd/2ba condo at Harbour Place in Truman Annex. 1,260sf, Mexican tile, light & bright w/ high ceilings and French doors opening to private balcony. Ocean front community pool & designated parking space. $1,100,000

$2,100,000

Beach Club Brokers 1075 Duval Street C-11, Key West, FL

DAWN THORNBURGH BROKER ASSOCIATE Office: 305.294.8433 Cell: 305.304.1067 info@kwreal.com

TERRI SPOTTSWOOD JOHN M. SPOTTSWOOD III RAYMOND J. VAZQUEZ

305.587.3407 tsv@trumanandcompany.com www.TerriSpottswood.com www.KeyWestHomeTeam.com

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

WHAT’S ON AT THE HELMERICH THEATER JANUARY 2020 SINGLE OCCUPANCIES: THREE CONTEMPORARY OPERA THEATRE MONOLOGUES

SAT & SUN JAN 4-5, 8PM

With one foot in traditional opera and the other in musical theater, “Single Occupancies” stretches the genre. Sung in English by nationally renowned opera singers, these contemporary opera theatre monologues are riveting, fresh, and relevant. sponsored by Great Events Catering

POLE VAULT IN PARADISE GET YOUR TICKETS!!

BBQ PICNIC, FRIDAY, JANUARY 10 Truman Waterfront

FREE MAIN EVENT POLE VAULT SATURDAY, JANUARY 11 Truman Waterfront

GET YOUR TICKETS!!

PANCAKE BREAKFAST, SUNDAY, JANUARY 12 Truman Waterfront

ALL FUNDS RAISED TO BENEFIT THE KWHS TRACK TEAM Ticketed events: kwtfc.org/pole-vault-in-paradise/payment/ For more info please visit our website kwtfc.org/pole-vault-in-paradise

The

C•lassics • of • • Comedy2 •

•

CLASSICS OF COMEDY THU-SAT JAN 9-11, 8PM

Your favorite Key West creatives celebrate the giants of comedy by recreating their most famous sketches. sponsored by Harry S. Truman Little White House

PRIME TIME, WRITTEN BY BLAKE HUNTER TUE-SAT JAN 28-FEB 1 & FEB 4-8, 8PM

This musical follows a female TV executive in the 1970s fighting to keep her variety show afloat, her star husband in check and temptation at bay. sponsored by Truman & Company Real Estate

533 EATON ST 305-296-0458

WWW.TSKW.ORG

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Cordially invites you to our delectable

New Year’s EveCelebration

1018 TRUMAN AVE 786.492.2683

December 31, 2019 FULL-TIME NAIL TECH AVAILABLE FOR MANICURES & PEDICURE WALK INS HAIR SERVICES BY APPOINTMENT ONLY | BOOK ONLINE AT WWW.AVENUESALONKW.COM

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT Bobby Nesbitt 5 pm - 9 pm

Carmen Rodriguez & Michael Thomas 9 pm - 12 am

New Year's Eve Dinner

Your last meal of 2019 should be your best!

Diver Scallops with a White Truffle Sauce Lobster Thermidor Rib-Eye with Black Truffle Shavings & Foie Gras Osso Bucco Also offering our Regular Menu.

RESERVATIONS 305.294.0230 WWW.CAFESOLE.COM • 1029 SOUTHARD ST

Special Menu, Party Favors & Complimentary Champagne Toast at Midnight

No Early Bird discount. Offering 15% Local Discount with Monroe County ID ONLY. No Tapas. Free birthday entrée (has to be on the same day).

Reservations (305) 296-8100 3841 N. Roosevelt Blvd.

*not available with any discounts*

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE TEAM AT DOC GUZMAN’S OFFICE! CHEERS TO 2020!!

Located at 2758 N. Roosevelt Blvd. (in the Overseas Market) • Key West, FL 33040 Phone 305.294.9914 • Fax 305.295.9691 • doc@docguzman.com • www.docguzman.com

KEYS SCHOOLS 2019

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

NEW AND IMPROVED SCHOOLS

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KEYS SCHOOLS GET NEW FIELDS AND FACILITIES

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he halls of learning in the Florida Keys got some much-needed improvements in 2019, which saw the opening of two brand new campuses at both ends of the island chain at Plantation Key School and Gerald Adams Elementary in Key West.

But the Middle Keys weren’t overlooked; as Marathon High School welcomed a sprawling new, $12 million athletic complex and Stanley Switlik Elementary is currently in the midst of extensive improvements.

MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

MARATHON ATHLETIC COMPLEX The students of Marathon Middle High School got the first peek when they arrived for the first day of school in August. The big reveal to the public wouldn’t come until the first home football game. (Actually, the second, because the first was delayed by Hurricane Dorian’s approach.) The project includes a new combination football and soccer field, ringed by a regulation-size track, practice field, bleachers, a press box, separate softball and baseball fields and two — yes, two — concession stands. Oh, and the gym has a brand new floor for the basketball and volleyball teams. The front of the school has been reconfigured to add student parking, as well.

HALFWAY AT STANLEY SWITLIK The Christmas break marks the halfway point for the $37 million construction and renovation of Stanley Switlik Elementary School in Marathon. The older students (grades 4 and 5) have moved into the new section of the building that includes classrooms, the media center, art and music rooms. The Weekly got a sneak peek a few months ago and the views from the classrooms, plus the modular furniture in the common areas, are very cool. The younger students will move into the modular classrooms while the second building is renovated. The entire student population will be in new classrooms by the start of the 2020-21 school year.

NEW YEAR, NEW SCHOOL FOR PLANTATION KEY Students at Plantation Key School arrived back from holiday break to a new, state-of-the-art facility on Jan. 8, 2019.

Students spent the morning touring through the school, seeing for the first time 21st-century classrooms, a gymnasium — which the former facility didn’t have — and the Science on a Sphere. Located at MM 90, bayside, the 100,000-square foot school is inspiring collaborative learning for the next generation of Florida Keys students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

EYE-OPENING UPDATES AT GERALD ADAMS Students didn’t know where to look first when they returned to school after Christmas in January 2019. They also didn’t know where to go in the brand new building that features 21st-century classrooms, a new media center and cafeteria. But the most popular feature, not surprisingly, was the new playground.

“I love it,” a kindergartner told Principal Fran Herrin after recess on the first day.

COLLEGE GETS A NEW NAME And finally, Florida Keys Community College finally became the College of the Florida Keys in 2019.

It took three tries to get the Florida Legislature to approve a name change that more accurately reflects the school’s expanding four-year degree programs.

The bill finally passed in 2019 and launched a tremendous rebranding effort that included a new logo, new colors and a search for a school mascot.

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3 1. The “back side” of Marathon High School shows its new softball and baseball fields and scoreboards with a concession stand nestled in between.

SARA MATTHIS/Keys Weekly 2. The colors of the sea and sky are repeated throughout the new and muchanticipated Gerald Adams Elementary School in Key West, which opened in January 2019. IMETCO/Contributed 3. A young pupil takes in the 35-foot interactive mural of the Florida Keys inside Plantation Key School. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly

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IN MEMORIAM 2019 MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

TO THOSE WHO LEFT US

RICK ROTH 1939-2019 He was kind. He was fair. Over and over, the people who knew former Monroe County Sheriff Rick Roth repeated those two facts about the top man in Keys law enforcement for two decades. Roth died on Oct. 15, 2019. He hired onto the force in 1965, as a radio dispatcher. He rose through the ranks to road officer, detective and sergeant in Marathon. In 1990, the governor appointed Roth to finish the term of his predecessor, J. Allison DeFoor. He kept winning elections, for a total of four four-year terms, serving as sheriff from 1990 to 2008. Under his watch, the agency fought a war on home turf to end drug smuggling in the 1970s. In 1980, it dealt with a massive influx of Mariel Boat Lift immigrants. The jail on Stock Island was built on Roth’s watch and he started the animal farm under the sheriff’s headquarters. The Trauma Star program was also started during his tenure.

“My three-word definition for Rick Roth is ‘humble public servant,’” said his friend Brian Schmitt. “He gave so much of his life to the people of the Keys and did it with such humility. He did it for the right reasons. He was just an honorable guy.”

STUART NEWMAN 1922-2019 “The Greatest Generation” indeed.

By the time he launched a public relations agency in 1946 in South Florida, Newman had flown 35 combat missions and survived two crash landings in B-17 bombers over Europe during World War II. Surely he could handle PR for the Ritz Plaza Hotel in Miami Beach.

And he did, having launched an agency with some fraternity brothers after the war.

Newman quickly rose to the top of the industry by understanding how to give something the right type of attention. For nearly 40 years, Stuart Newman & Associates, now NewmanPR, has handled public and media relations for the Florida Keys & Key West’s Tourist Development Council.

“He saw something in the destination all those years ago that no one else did,” Stacey Mitchell, director of the Keys’ Tourist Development Council, said upon Newman’s passing. “Stuart is a hero to the hospitality industry and the tourism-based economy we enjoy today.”

JACOB GELT DEKKER 1948-2019 Jacob Gelt Dekker, international entrepreneur and philanthropist, died Sept. 1, 2019, in Key West after a renewed battle with lymphoma. He was 71 and had packed more than most into those years.

He is survived by his lifelong partner and fellow Key West-based philanthropist and education advocate John Padget.

Jaap, as he was known to those closest to him, was born in North Holland on April 22, 1948. He traveled endlessly, practiced dentistry in Amsterdam and later became a renowned entrepreneur, states an obituary

by AmsterdamPublishers.com.

Dekker and Padget launched multiple businesses in Europe involving one-hour photo booths, rental cars and cosmetics. In 1990, Dekker fell in love with Curacao, where he revitalized a rundown area that became Hotel Kura Hulanda & Resort that includes a museum with more than 10,000 artifacts documenting the transatlantic slave trade. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

His philanthropic interests focused on advancing schooling and education, primarily for underprivileged students wherever he lived, including Key West, the obituary states.

He held a doctorate in dentistry, MBAs from the University of Rochester and the University of Rotterdam.

Oh, and he was knighted by the Queen of the Netherlands.

DON KINCAID 1946-2019 Underwater photographer, diver, treasure hunter and sailing charter captain, Don Kincaid was the quintessential Keys character. The National Geographic photographer died on Dec. 17 after battling cancer.

His legend lives on in the 30,000 underwater images he left to the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum that detail the discovery and recovery of $400 million in treasure from the 1622 wreck of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha. Divers from Mel Fisher’s Treasure Salvors found the main pile of treasure in July 1985, but Kincaid had the enduring honor of finding the very first gold from the Atocha 14 years earlier in 1971.

LINDA RUSSIN 1950-2019 Linda Russin did what she did because it was the right thing to do, not because she wanted or expected any credit for it.

The servicedriven Rotarian and radio station owner died suddenly from natural causes on April 17, 2019. She was 69.

Russin was also a Key West Chamber of Commerce board member, civic activist and former public relations director for a Miami hospital, where she met her husband, Dr. John Russin.

“As a media representative, groups would offer her the chance to do some really cool things, and Linda never said no. She was always game for anything,” Trice Denny, who worked for Russin at WIIS 106.9 radio station for 14 years.

“She went skydiving with the Golden Knights, the U.S. Army’s Parachute Team.

She went to the U.S. Marine boot camp on Parris Island. She flew in the Blue Angels’ legendary C-130 ‘Fat Albert,’ and enjoyed a thrilling tail-hook landing aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.”

A native of Oklahoma, Russin was also a proud member of the Cherokee Nation who loved Southern-style cooking, Oklahoma Sooners football and her commitment to service above self with The Rotary Club of Key West.

COUNTY NEWS

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

17

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1,300 BUILDING PERMITS HANG IN THE BALANCE TIFFANY DUONG

I

tiffany@keysweekly.com

f push came to shove during a hurricane, could we all get out on time? What if there were more people to evacuate? That was the initial question at the recent administrative appeal case over 1,300 building permits for workforce housing.

In May 2018, as a response to Irma and the shortage of workforce housing, thenGovernor Rick Scott directed the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) to allocate 1,300 new permits to local governments to address the dire lack of workforce housing in the Keys.

Marathon, Key West and Islamorada each accepted their maximum 300 permits allocation and began to amend their comprehensive plans to allow for the additional units. In November 2018, three residents independently challenged the issuance of these building permits. The challenges were bundled into one hearing, which took place in Marathon last week.

Building permits are limited to ensure timely hurricane evacuation, said George Garrett, the City of Marathon

planning director. But as the hearing wore on, it became clear there were more than hurricanes on people’s minds.

Petitioners argued that the Keys are at, or beyond, their carrying capacity and thus the additional housing permits should be denied.

Garrett said the core issue is the lack of workforce housing in the Keys. This dearth prompted the issuance of the 1,300 permits in the first place and supports the municipalities’ position. While hurricane evacuation, water quality and carrying capacity must be considered, the cities argued that each of their decisions to accept their 300 units was not only legal, but necessary to keep workers in local businesses.

With the hearing finished, the 15,000-odd pages of evidence will be analyzed with court transcripts. The parties will receive the final transcript within 30 days, and then will have an additional 30 days to propose a recommended order to the judge, who can use one, both, a combination, or none at all in issuing her recommendation to the DEO. The final decision lies with the secretary of the DEO, who is expected to issue a final order in April 2020.

Covering All The Keys From Key Largo To Key West Upper Keys Weekly 91760 O/S Hwy, Ste 3 Tavernier, FL 33070 305.363.2957

Marathon Weekly 9709 O/S Hwy Marathon, FL 33050 305.743.0844

Key West Weekly 5450 MacDonald Ave, Ste 5 Key West, FL 33040 305.453.6928

DAVE CONDRA and GUIDANCE/CARE CENTER Guidance/Care Center provides behavioral health services to adults, children and families.

Dave is the leading fundraiser for The Heron facility, having raised over $51,000 through the Dragon Boat Races, leveraging businesses and furniture donations.

Keys Weekly, Ocean Wellness Spa, and CFFK.

18

NATIONAL HEADLINES 2019

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

FOCUS ON THE FLORIDA KEYS LOCAL ISSUES MAKE NATIONAL NEWS

1

2 3

A

t least a few times each year, depending on hurricane threats, the national media spotlight finds its way to the Florida Keys.

Sometimes that spotlight shines and shows our good side. Other times its glare is harsh.

But either way, the rest of the world gets a glimpse of what goes on along a long, hot road that dangles like an afterthought between the Gulf and Atlantic.

Above all else in 2019, the Florida Keys remained blessedly free of hurricane threats and the accompanying panic wrought by an often ill-informed national media.

But 2019 did find the Florida Keys, from Key West to a flooded neighborhood in Key Largo, at the center of a recent media maelstrom when a Dec. 4 New York Times article opened with, “Officials in the Florida Keys announced what many coastal governments nationwide have long feared, but few have been willing to admit: As seas rise and flooding gets worse, not everyone can be saved.

And in some places, it doesn’t even make sense to try.”

Despite the dour tone, the article, which included coverage of a climate change summit in Key West, prompted worthwhile, necessary and solutions-based discussions among committed Keys officials and residents.

The national cameras also focused for a bit on our beloved Key deer, amid talk of ending their federal protection by removing them from the Endangered Species List. The measure met with the expected opposition from Key deer advocates.

Key West’s planned ban on the sale of certain sunscreens that some say are harmful to the coral reef also received some national attention, while other headlines and video clips (often provided to the news outlets by the Keys’ own PR team) highlight the lighter side of island living, from seafood festivals and soldier rides, to bridge runs, boat races, Blue Angels air shows and celebritystacked bone-fishing tournaments.

Fortunately for the Florida Keys, the good news far outweighed the bad in 2019.

Let’s keep it that way for 2020.

1. Mud, salt and standing water are apparent inside the Stillwright Point community in Key Largo, which dealt with just over 90 days of water-laden streets. Water filled streets so much that it drew signs like these to be posted on utility poles. TIFFANY DUONG/Keys Weekly 2. Big Pine’s cherished Key deer received federal attention in 2019 with discussions of reducing their protection under the Endangered Species Act. ANDY NEWMAN/Florida Keys News Bureau 3. Super Cat-class race boats line up to start at the Race World Offshore Key West Championships in November 2019 in Key West.

CAROL TEDESCO/Florida Keys News Bureau

KEY WEST

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

19

CONNECTING CULTURES TIBETAN MONKS RETURN TO TEACH IN KEY WEST

The visiting monks were at Key West’s South Beach pier in 2019 to offer blessings after completing a stunning sand mandala and then blowing it into the ocean. CAROL TEDESCO/Contributed

A

group of Tibetan monks studying under His Holiness Dalai Lama will be in Key West Jan. 19-25 as part of a Sacred Art Tour.

The week of events is sponsored by the local meditation group Tara Mandala Key West and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is hosting the monks at 401 Duval St. The seven-day festival will be led by eight visiting monks from the Drepung Gomang Monastery and includes noontime dharma talks, a Tibetan Marketplace, classes in the Tibetan Arts, varying music and dance demonstrations of Tibetan culture, and morning and afternoon blessings for the monks’ week-long creation of a Medicine Buddha sand mandala for world healing, which will conclude with a procession down Simonton Street to the bayside ocean for a closing ceremony.

The tour aims to spread a message of peace, loving kindness, wisdom and compassion while sharing traditional Tibetan arts and culture, and to raise support for the monastery in south India, where their traditions and culture are preserved.

Community and personal arranged blessings by the monks are available. For more information, visit keywesttaramandala. org or email kwtaramandala@ aol.com.

The public is invited to stop

by St. Paul’s Church during the week to watch the fascinating creation of a complex and vibrantly colored sand mandala.

The monks fill wooden straws with colored sand and then tap the sand onto a canvas to create a stunning masterpiece that is later blown away to remind followers how fleeting life and beauty can be.

— Contributed

SUNDAY

dec 29 6PM TILL END OF FIREWORKS

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20

HOLIDAYS

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

ERIN STOVER SICKMEN www.keysweekly.com

Indulgence squared

WINE AND HOLIDAY COOKIE PAIRINGS

For a classic Christmas combination, we recommend pairing the traditional peanut butter kiss cookies with a port wine. PETR KRATOCHVIL/ Contributed

The sweets of the season can taste even better when paired with the right glass – or three – of wine.

JEAN BEAUFORT/Contributed

A

nyone who’s spent a well-oiled afternoon at a winery has likely been coached through some concepts of pairing food and wine while ordering platefuls of overpriced nibbles. No, just me? Okay, well, not to worry. Fortunately, the season of sugar and alcohol is upon us and overindulgence is, if not encouraged, at least allowed. Of all the temptations the season has on offer, nothing beats Christmas cookies for ubiquity or deliciousness. In terms of boozy enticements, we turn to our old friend wine for a touch of class. Plus, we wouldn’t get too far down the list if we were leaning on the vivacious carbohydrates of beer or the alcohol content of liquor. As for White Claw and its bumbling sorority sisters —just no, this is a grown-up holiday party.

SUGAR COOKIES, ROSÉ Since this is a cookie-forward list, with wines falling into accompanying roles, it seems fitting to start with the granddaddy of Christmas confections. Sugar cookies present a dangerous challenge as they are essentially globs of grainy sugar coated with glossy sugar. The accompanying wine can’t be sweet, but a bone-dry wine would, contrary to popular belief, not offer the perfect solution. Overly dry wines, paired with sweets trick our tongues into creating a bitter taste.

Rosé to the rescue. Light and floral without being overpowering, a solid Provencal Rosé is your best friend in this scenario. Look for a very pale peach tint.

GINGERBREAD, VIDAL ICE WINE (RIESLING IN A PINCH) The arguable number two in the Christmas cookie world, gingerbread offers a snappy retort to all the brazenly saccharine treats available this time of year. If you can handle some sweetness in your wine, this is place to drop in a steel-cask Riesling. A proper Riesling doesn’t lean on sweetness, but carries some citrus and acidity on a ribbon of honey. If you’re up for a search and don’t mind dropping some cash, the best bet though would be to go full dessert wine on these anthropomorphic spice monsters and find an ice wine. If you can get your hands on a bottle from Inniskillin (Ontario), you’ll be in good hands.

LINZERS, PINOT NOIR Originally created in Linz, Austria, these little tarts, with their buttery edges and jammy centers, have earned their tenure at the cookie table. Their precise assemblage, though, doesn’t always work with busy American holiday planning. Thus, the thumbprint cookie, the Linzer’s slightly rumpled American cousin, was born. Either version offers shortbread goodness with a side of sweet fruit, ideal elements to bring out the best in a Pinot Noir. A perfect California specimen will fit the bill without breaking the bank. Murphy-Goode Pinot Noir, a mediumbodied wine with light tannins and whiffs of berry, can be found just about anywhere, which means this is a pairing that can happen on a 10 p.m. impulse.

CHOCOLATE CHIP, SAUVIGNON BLANC You could argue that a chocolate chip cookie is not a Christmas cookie, but why would you? This is the quintessential classic.

I speak as something of an expert on this pairing as I’ve spent nearly 20 years perfecting the combination. For me, this coupling is all about mouthfeel. Chocolate chip cookies are rich and buttery, dotted with bits of the most indulgent substance on Earth. Any wine standing up to that needs to be dry and zesty, with the lowest possible viscosity. There’s nothing worse than a swig of full-bodied wine to wash down the sweet oiliness of a great cookie. Enter Sauvignon Blanc — zesty, crisp and acidic. The best options are light-bodied, herbaceous wines from New Zealand. Very 2015, I know, but it works.

PEANUT BUTTER KISS, PORT Let’s end this thing on a bold note, shall we? Dessert on the plate, dessert in the glass. Peanut Butter Kiss cookies were a staple of my Midwestern childhood, an easy option for parents rushing off to their umpteenth damn cookie swap. It’s genius in its simplicity though, a standard peanut butter cookie with a chocolate candy smashed into the center. No subtle notes here, so it’s time to go all in. Grab a bottle of rich Port, preferably a tawny from Taylor Fladgate, and prepare to indulge. Tawny Ports reek of Old-World oak, roasted nuts and allspice — Christmas in a glass. This pairing is best enjoyed in front of a roaring fire, but an artificial tree and a rerun of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will also work.

COOL STUFF

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

Mainstreaming

21

WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK

NOW TRENDING

T

he new year is here, which means running shoes will be purchased, new gym membership cards will be issued, gyms will fill (at least through January) and ridiculous diet plans will be incorporated into empty resolutions that will fade by February.

But what if this is the year we all stick it out and commit to the plan? To do so, you’ll need the right prep and products to get you over the hump.

And maybe, just maybe, 2020 will be the year of the new you!

T

he latest Star Wars movie hit theaters this week, which means fans will be lining up to be the first to see the final piece of the most recent trilogy. “The Rise of Skywalker” will conclude director J.J. Abrams’ spin on a galaxy far, far away —while creating another generation of loyal fans (along with billions of dollars at the box office).

Unlike any other movie franchise, Star Wars commands the loyalty of committed fans across the globe, with many taking their affinity for little green guys and hairy wookies to levels well beyond cult status. You know the people we mean. They are in coffee shops, bars and social media chat groups debating the newest plot twists as we speak. So, as the world’s biggest movie opens up, we give you...

10. You’re always “that guy” in your town, the first to post a selfie from the movie theater on premier night.

9. You replaced Jesus with a baby Yoda in your nativity scene.

8. Your wedding vows included at least one Stars Wars quote.

YOU ARE A STAR WARS DORK

7. Your wifi network is called “Millennium Falcon.”

6. You incorporated the phrase, “The Rise of Skywalker” into foreplay.

5. You’ve lobbied to have May 4th be recognized as a national holiday.

4. Your job resume is formatted into an opening crawl.

3. You’ve been in at least one fistfight over something to do with Jar Jar Binks.

2. You’ve taught your children that President Trump is a Naboo Senator.

1. You are over 30 and still occasionally try to move objects using only The Force.

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HELLOFRESH Eating healthier typically involves more time at the grocery store and in the kitchen, which never works against the trials of work, soccer practice and social events. This is why meal plans can actually save you time and provide a structured diet intake catered to your choosing. Many of the most recognized meal plan services do not deliver to the Keys, but HelloFresh remains one of the top names in the industry that services Monroe County. The brand uses fresh ingredients and “chef curated recipes that are easy to follow.” hellofresh.com

HEADSPACE: MEDITATION & SLEEP APP Headspace claims to be a proven resource to improve focus while alleviating stress and managing anxiety. In addition, the app offers techniques to enhance breathing, happiness and sleep — giving you the mindfulness to commit to a daily routine.

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

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PHOTOS 2019

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

Kayakers with the Coconut Castaways raise money for the American Cancer Society during their annual paddle from Miami to Key West. CONTRIBUTED

TOP SHOTS

T

he Key West Weekly is fortunate to work with some ridiculously talented professional photographers such as Larry Blackburn, Carol Tedesco, Ian Wilson, Nick Doll and Barry Gaukel.

And then, we have talented amateurs as well, who are generous enough to share their good works with us. Finally, it doesn’t hurt that we live in one of the most photogenic places on earth.

It’s eye candy, and we are proud to publish it.

— Weekly Staff report

A WLRN documentary ‘Troubled Waters’ traces the threats to one of the Keys’ most beloved marine animals, the sea turtle. BEN HICKS/Contributed

JD Reinbott hands Coral Restoration Foundation volunteer Kristen Anderson a crate of coral fragments. SNUBA OF KEY WEST/Contributed

Federal grant money funded the clean-up of more than 200 canals throughout the Florida Keys in the wake of Hurricane Irma. Crews used barges, cranes and divers to remove cars, appliances, patio furniture and assorted hurricane debris.

CONTRIBUTED

The crowd outside LaTeDa (named for La Terraza de Marti) awaits the historic visit of the Cuban ambassador in May 2019. LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly

The sky was the limit once again in late March, when the U.S. Navy’s precision flying team, the Blue Angels, took to the skies above Naval Air Station Key West for neck-craning, eye-popping maneuvers.

BARRY GAUKEL/Keys Weekly

RETROSPECTIVE 2019

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

1¢

9 days to the Marathon Seafood Festival

1¢

Lose an hour at the Marathon Seafood Fest!

1¢

Get well, Mike Card & Marilyn Tempest

JONATHAN! Weekly interview with 7MBR’s winner | P.42

25

SKIPJACK REDUX Stop-n-start meeting addresses development | P.4

FEMA’S NEW FLOOD MAPS Revised elevations could have serious implications | P.19

1 WEEKEND, 4 EVENTS

DON’T DO THIS A top 10 for surviving the Fest | P.28

Plenty happening in Marathon | P.24

RELEASE THE

ZONTIAN KCB KRAKEN

INSIDE

d n Seafoo Marathol | P.10 Festiva

43rd ANNUAL since 1976

Key Colony Beach Day is this Sunday | P.10

High school show is this weekend | P.36

OCEAN HEALTH Saving the seagrass | P.20

MARCH 9 & 10 / 2019

Shriners’ Pancake Breakfast 8am

Free Admission • Free Parking • Old Fashioned Turn Oceanside off U.S. 1 at MM 53.5 traffic light

More info: KCBCA.ORG

A Not For Profit Organization

Parade 11:00am Fabulous Silent Auction 50/50’s More than 70 Vendors

Barracuda Races & Music All Day

Feb. 28, 2019 The Zonta Rubber Ducky races are an established element of the annual Key Colony Beach Day, one of the longest running events in the Middle Keys. Keys Weekly designer Javier Reyes super-imposed “the kraken” on this photo shot by editor Sara Matthis.

THE BEST COVERS OF 2019

1 1¢

COMMUNITY NEWS

No stone crab for you.

April 11, 2019 Marathon looks forward to the quality productions of the high school’s drama club. In April, the kids took the stage to perform the musical “Mamma Mia.” This photo — which perfectly captures the color and energy of the rehearsal — was taken by Cathy Walters.

1 1¢

1¢

There’s a lobster under this newspaper!

MR. KEY LARGO

Community remembers local icon, philanthropist | P. 26 RACE TO ALLIGATOR Swimmers near and far compete | P. 22

KEYS CONNECTION

Commissioner boards Truman carrier, meets natives| P. 6

CHIMING IN Read what stakeholders say about the Restoration Blueprint | P. 8

SIGN OF THE TIMES

COLLEGE-BOUND Highlighting ICS seniors and their next journey| P. 10

SIGHTS SET Groups seek acquisition of Alligator Light | P. 20

GREAT WHITES Examining the apex predator in the Keys| P. 16

Scenes from the Florida Sea Base’s Tarpon Tournament | P. 18

Coastal Realty

Former resident displays message along U.S. 1 | P. 4

Coastal Realty

OF THE FLORIDA KEYS

CORALPALOOZA™

OF THE FLORIDA KEYS

WORLD OCEANS DAY, JUNE 6

SALES • VACATION RENTALS • PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

SALES • VACATION RENTALS • PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

305.664.0077 | CoastalFloridaKeys.com

www.coralrestoration.org/coralpalooza-2020

305.664.0077 | CoastalFloridaKeys.com “Manatee Pass” | MLS 583247

“Caribee Beach House” | Vacation Rental

Sept. 19, 2019 The sun rises behind Alligator Lighthouse, located 4 nautical miles off Indian Key. Alligator Reef Light Station, built in 1873, is a 148-foot-plus cast iron octagonal screw-pile tower with keeper’s quarters and landing dock. The picture was taken

by David Gross.

May 16, 2019 A fisherman nabs a tarpon during the Florida Sea Base’s Tarpon Tournament, held May 7-10. The Sea Base is located next to some of the best tarpon fishing in the Keys. The photo was taken by Keys Weekly’s Ian Wilson.

1¢

Dad went to the store to get cigarettes and wound up in Key West.

2020

In every edition, the Keys Weekly puts a lot of effort into choosing something eye-catching for its cover.

Following are the top three from Marathon, Key West and the Upper Keys. Believe us, it was a hard choice.

— Weekly staff report

COMMUNITY NEWS

Show the homecoming spirit, green and gold!

March 7, 2019 It was an epic, all-day affair to get this picture. Ian Wilson, an Upper Keys waterman and Keys Weekly photographer, boarded Capt. Justin Bruland’s vessel to document a day in the life of a commercial fisherman in the Florida Keys. At one point, he jumped in the water with a special housing for his camera to get this shot.

Official publication of all surviving spiny lobsters.

1¢

July 25, 2019 Tequesta resident and former Islamorada homeowner Terri Robinson stands alongside U.S. 1 on Plantation Key holding signs as motorists pass by on July 21.

Photo taken Keys Weekly’s Jim McCarthy.

July 25, 2019

June 13, 2019

1¢

Breaking: Miami Dolphins are not good.

September 12, 2019

THE BUBBAS

SECOND WEEK FOR NOMINATIONS | P.22

CHANGE OF COMMAND

KEYS WELCOME NEW CAPTAIN | P.18

HOMESTEAD UPDATE

REP. MUCARSEL-POWELL ON THE IMMIGRATION FACILITY | P.7

ROB BENTON INTERVIEW

KEY WEST CARES

GUITAR MAESTRO’S KEY WEST SUCCESS STORY | P.20

HURRICANE DORIAN RELIEF EFFORTS RAMP UP | P. 4

UNDERWATER RUGBY YEP, THAT’S A SPORT | P.38

“D” IS FOR DAD LOCAL DADS IN THEIR OWN WORDS | P.28

WE A NE RE A W PA CCEP TIE TIN NT G S

THE BUBBAS’ BIG NIGHT 2019 KEY WEST PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS PARTY PICS AND WINNERS | P.28

Island of Giving

PHOTOS FOR FIDO

FKSPCA AND NICK DOLL TEAM UP THIS WEEKEND | P. 3

FOSTER FAMILY MEMBERS

WESLEY HOUSE OFFERS FOSTER PARENT TRAINING | P. 12

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June 13, 2019 Dads like Joe Mitchell spend their lives fixing whatever their kids break, and young Jack Mitchell’s broken leg was no exception. Key West Weekly celebrated Father’s Day 2019 by featuring dozens of local dads and their thoughts on the most important job they’ll ever have.

512 FRONT STREET | WWW.TWOFRIENDS.COM

July 25, 2019 The Key West People’s Choice Awards, aka The Bubbas, have become one of the best evenings of comedy in Key West: Good people celebrating the good work of an amazing community — while poking plenty of fun at themselves and everyone in their crosshairs.

OLD KEY WEST WITH A TWIST OF SOMETHING NEW.

BREAKFAST | LUNCH | DINNER | KARAOKE | DAILY LIVE MUSIC

A KEY WEST ICON SINCE 1886.

September 12, 2019 Photographer Nick Doll shared one of the pet portraits he took as part of the Photos for Fido fundraiser that benefits the Florida Keys SPCA. And in narrowing down our choices for favorite 2019 covers, who could say no to that face?

26

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

George M. Botelho,

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MD FAAOS Dr. George Botelho is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon of 20 years. He specializes in the evaluation and treatment of orthopedic conditions and spinal disorders.

A native of Elizabeth, New Jersey, Dr. Botelho completed his undergraduate degree at John Hopkins University and obtained his medical degree from Rutgers Medical School.

After completing his residency at the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, Dr. Botelho started his practice in the Florida Keys in 1993. He now has three office locations throughout Florida, including an office in Marathon. Dr. Botelho has operating privileges at Mariner’s Hospital as well as numerous outpatient surgical centers. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and a member of the North American Spine Society.

“I would like to say how glad and thankful I am that we have a surgeon in the Keys who has both a brilliant mind and a compassionate and common sense approach,” says Jan Burch, a Marathon resident and patient of Dr. Botelho’s.

At the Injury and Spine Institute, we treat our patients like family and look forward to meeting you.

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BOOKS

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

NEW YEAR’S READING RESOLUTIONS

Challenge yourself by making a reading resolution: create more time for reading, try a new genre, renew your public library card, listen to an audiobook, share and donate books and, most importantly, check out these three fabulous new releases!

KAREN NEWFIELD First and foremost a reader, she has reviewed hundreds of books on her blog www. readingandeating. com. And, more recently, this new Keys resident has also begun writing.

READERGIRL TIP: If you are an Amazon Prime member, you are eligible to receive a FREE Kindle book from their editors’ picks on the first of every month. Check it out; it is too good to pass up! https://www. amazon.com/firstreads

RECIPE FOR A PERFECT WIFE

by Karma Brown

HILL WOMEN

by Cassie Chambers

MR. NOBODY

by Catherine Steadman

Alice Hale is a young woman striving for success at a high-end Manhattan publishing firm. Newly married, she has an adoring analytical husband, a nightmare boss and a top-notch best friend.

Overnight, her world comes crashing down. With her career destroyed, Nate surprises Alice with a beautiful fixer-upper in the ‘burbs and plenty of time to get pregnant and focus on writing her novel. Feeling displaced in her new home by strange noises and sensations of the original owner, Alice discovers a box in the basement filled with the life of Nellie Murdoch, a 1950s housewife. Realizing their lives contain startling similarities, Alice begins to find solace in cooking her way through Nellie’s antiquated recipes: baked Alaska, jellied salads and tuna casserole. With the help of her quirky neighbor, additional secrets are discovered in the garden and the truth for both women is shockingly revealed. Funny, twisted and startlingly original.

Cassie Chambers grew up in Owsley County, one of the most impoverished communities in the Appalachian Mountains. Her mother, Wilma, left the tobacco farm to attend a small college.

Frightened leaving home, Wilma knew this was the key to a better life. Cassie was often looked after in the ramshackle home of her Granny, Papaw and Aunt Ruth.

Even though the family struggled, her days were filled with an abundance of love and hard work in the fields. Later, Cassie strove for the same accolades as her mother, good grades and an upward climb on the steep education ladder. An opportunity for a unique boarding school in New Mexico during senior year took Cassie away for the first time. A turning point, this filled her with even more drive and determination, which served her well through the most prestigious academic institutions of Yale University and Harvard Law. Torn between two very different worlds, it took years for Cassie to understand and honor the beauty she found in these heroic mountain women. Non-fiction that reads like a novel.

A handsome man washes up on a beach in a charming coastal village in England. Dressed in wet tattered clothing, he has a bump on the back of his head and no identification. When a passerby discovers him, the police are notified and he is quickly taken to a nearby hospital. With no memory of how he ended up on the beach and, more importantly, no idea of his own name, Dr. Emma Lewis, eminent neuropsychiatrist, is called in. The man, dubbed “Mr. Nobody,” has remained mute until he meets Dr. Lewis and quietly mumbles her name. Eerily, it is her old name, one she hasn’t used in over 14 years. It is difficult enough for Emma to be back in this town her family abandoned all those years ago; she can no longer ignore the impossible coincidences and slips of information Mr. Nobody whisperers. It is Emma’s job to solve this great mystery and to do so without the past repeating itself.

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

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ENVIRONMENT

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

TIFFANY DUONG

tiffany@keysweekly.com

RESTORATION BLUEPRINT Stakeholders weigh in on Sanctuary proposal NOAA’s Restoration Blueprint was introduced at the Sanctuary Advisory Council’s meeting in August, and the community has been buzzing about it since.

The proposal seeks to balance the need to bring our marine environments back to health while still promoting the economies and industries depending on those resources.

Four alternatives were presented, but constituents were invited to comment upon as much or as little of the proposals as they wanted – whether that be a specific reef, certain regulations, or an entire alternative. Alternative 3, the sanctuary’s preferred plan, would result in major changes in terms of expanded boundaries, additional zoning, tighter regulation and a new management plan.

Keys Weekly spoke with environmentalists and stakeholders in affected industries about NOAA’s Restoration Blueprint.

Here’s what the community has to say:

The Re print storation is Blue florid availabl e at akey s.noa blue pr a publ int. NOA .gov/ ic co A is t mme aking prop nt o 31, 2 sals thro on the ugh 020.

Jan Co may be su mment . s bmit at ww te w.re gulat d online (doc ke io NOS t numbe ns.gov -201 r NO 9-00 94). AA-

‘Fix the water, protect the habitat and pass on a pristine Florida Keys to future generations’ As a Florida Bay fishing guide, my initial reaction to the proposal of more regulation and potential closures is a resounding “NO!” However, I am also very aware of the direct relationship between healthy habitat and healthy fisheries. Even the newest of guides inherently understand this fact. Traversing the state recently, I found a direct connection between fish stocks and healthy habitat. Even common core math points to the obvious. Where habitat thrived, so did fisheries. Where habitat loss is present, so is the decline of all associated industry.

Hotels sell few beds if the water is unsafe to swim in and guides sell few days if the marine habitat doesn’t support the world-class fish it once did.

We must protect marine habitat, without restricting access to the fishing zones that make the Florida Keys the fishing capital of the world. This is an extremely important point to understand. With increased fishing pressure, limiting access to key areas only drives even more pressure to those that remain. The fishing industry is a small world and word travels fast. If the Keys were marked as having high pressure zones, traveling fishermen simply go elsewhere.

Everglades restoration plays a much larger role in restoring habitat and clean water in Florida Bay than any new regulation ever could. If regulation had any bearing on protecting habitat from bad water, Snake Bite in Florida Bay would still be pristine. After all, it has been over-regulated by access limitations since 2011 and still suffered immensely during the hyper-salinity habitat loss event of 2015. Yet, Everglades restoration is barely mentioned in the blueprint.

They are not mutually exclusive, however. The blueprint, if done in consideration of all parties, has the potential to be an excellent complement to Everglades restoration efforts. Fix the water, protect the habitat and pass on a pristine Florida Keys to future generations.

I strongly encourage the FKNMS to listen closely to the LKGA, FKFGA and all professional guide input with regard to closures and running zones. Protecting access to the fishing zones that make the Florida Keys famous is extremely important.

I strongly encourage the FKNMS to acknowledge the importance of Everglades restoration and the critical role clean water plays in habitat restoration.

I strongly encourage the FKNMS to continue to work with the entire community to educate, promote stewardship and find common ground.

Captain Benny Blanco Florida Bay fishing guide President, Everglades Guides Association

Captain Benny Blanco is a veteran Florida Bay fishing guide, president of the Everglades Guides Association and host of Guiding Flow TV. He attended Georgia Institute of Technology, majoring in environmental engineering, and has spent most of his adult life in Everglades National Park.

His TV show, Guiding Flow TV is the only conservation-based fishing show of its kind. He is a leader among Florida’s outdoor recreational community and a true champion of Everglades restoration.

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ON STAGE

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

THEATREXP AND THE STUDIOS BRING THE LAUGHS ‘CLASSICS OF COMEDY 2’ RUNS JAN. 9-11

The cast and producers of TheatreXP’s ‘Classics of Comedy 2’ will deliver plenty of laughs at The Studios of Key West Jan. 9-11. THEATREXP/Contributed

K

ey West’s eclectic TheatreXP, in association with The Studios of Key West, will present the new edition of the hilarious and popular comedy event, “The Classics of Comedy 2,” set to run Jan. 9-11.

Tickets are now on sale for the threenight event, which sold out completely in its first incarnation.

One of the smash hits of last summer’s Key West Summer Stage, “The Classics of Comedy” was a new event created by TheatreXP’s founder Bob Bowersox. It only ran for two nights, but the Helmerich Theater at The Studios of Key West was packed each night.

The evening offers a collection of faithful recreations of some of the classic comedy sketches by the top comics and comedy teams of the Golden Ages of comedy, some going back to the early days of film and television. “(Actor) Mathias Maloff and I were sitting around one night trying to remember Abbott and Costello’s classic ‘Who’s On First’

bit,” said Bowersox, who produces and directs the event. “And it occurred to us that there are probably an awful lot of people who have never seen that sketch actually performed. The idea just grew from there.

There’s so much great comedy out there that hasn’t been seen for years or never been seen live.”

Bowersox assembled a troupe of some of Key West’s best comedic actors, including Maloff, Pony Charvet, Tony Konrath, Don Bearden, Melody Moore, Karl Stahl, Tammy Shanley, Donna Stabile and Susanna Wells.

They combed through hours of old film and TV tapes to find the sketches that made up “Classics of Comedy 1,” and meticulously recreated them for the stage.

“We couldn’t get through a rehearsal without laughing ourselves to tears,” Bowersox said. “Those old bits were written perfectly, and were so naturally funny they never needed a laugh track like today’s sitcoms. There’s a reason they’re called ‘classics.’”

The new edition of “Classics of Comedy” will feature the top four sketches from the first show, and nine new ones. Joining Abbott and Costello will be Bob and Ray, Nichols and May, the Marx Brothers, Monty Python, Bob Newhart, Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore, Johnny Carson, and Cheech and Chong, among others.

“It’s a fabulously funny evening,” said Studios board member Rosi Ware, who attended last summer’s inaugural edition.

“A truly inspired idea. We can all use a good laugh these days, and this show really delivers.”

Tickets for “The Classics of Comedy 2” are $45 preferred, $35 general, with a $10 discount for members – advanced purchase only. Tickets are at tskw.org or 305-2960458. More information is at theatrexp.org or call them at 302-540-6102.

The event is sponsored by the Harry S. Truman Little White House.

— Contributed

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

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ENVIRONMENT

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

TIFFANY DUONG

tiffany@keysweekly.com

N

OAA’s Restoration Blueprint aims to curb the habitat losses and coral degradation found throughout the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Since its unveiling in August, it’s elicited many responses on all sides. The Weekly has been following the blueprint since day 1 and will continue to report on this monumental plan. Each week, we’ve published an opinion column from an invited expert or community member with a stake in the sanctuary asking them what they think will work and what changes they’d rather see. Below, find some of the most critical takeaways from our community board.

“The proposed zone regulations from Long Key to Tennessee Reef will be highly problematic for catch-andrelease tarpon fishermen.”

– Captain Will Benson, Flats fishing guide from Sugarloaf Key and Sanctuary Advisory Council member

“Change is painful and almost always inconvenient — but we know that the alternative, in this case, would be worse.”

– Elizabeth Jolin, director, Florida Bay Forever Save Our Waters

“Closing areas and limiting access fails to address the three major issues facing the health and well-being of the sanctuary. Water quality, law enforcement and education need to be adequately assessed….”

– Captain Bill Kelly, executive director, Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association

“Most of us want the same things from the sanctuary: a healthier environment and the opportunity to enjoy it, now and for future generations.”

– Chris Bergh, The Nature Conservancy

“The implementation of mooring buoys was overlooked and, in my opinion, is extremely important to the sustainability of our coral reefs.”

– Cortney Benson, marine conservation coordinator, Key Dives in Islamorada

“Doing nothing more means that the reefs are dead in about 30 years which is another nail in the ocean’s coffin.”

– Captain Michael Barber

“I don’t like that Key Largo will be made into a no-anchor zone, but I think it’s necessary.” – Captain Travis Ice

“SPA zones are ineffective in protecting resources. Instead, we should determine what the goal is in each proposed SPA and ensure it’s being addressed.”

– Ben Daughtry, president, Aquarium Encounters in Marathon

“Restrictions on access to the reef and backcountry have nothing to do with our water quality.” – David Paul Horan

“I believe to truly limit usage in certain areas, there needs to be a carrying capacity limit for commercial operators, Blue Star or not.”

– Captain Tony Young, owner, Forever Young Charter Co.

“Our biggest problem is water quality from upstream. All the closures in the world will not cure that problem.”

– “Lobster Lee” Starling, Key West commercial fisherman

“Random massive closures are not the answer. Education and enforcement are what’s needed.” – Captain Steve Friedman, commodore, Florida Keys Fishing Guides Association

“Protecting 20% to 30% from all harvesting now allows it to be a source for replenishing the 70% to 80% outside of its boundaries for the future.”

– Cindy Lewis, deputy director and scientific researcher, Keys Marine Laboratory in Layton

“I do not believe that the FKNMS is correct regarding many of the suggestions offered in the Blueprint, but the sanctuary has the distinction of being the only group trying to plan something better.”

– Captain Joe Weatherby

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

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MONROE COUNTY 2019

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

No NOAA. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly

Canal Restoration. MONROE COUNTY/Contributed Trauma Star. MONROE COUNTY FIRE RESCUE/Contributed

TIFFANY DUONG

tiffany@keysweekly.com

T

he year 2019 was no doubt a busy one throughout Monroe County, with many changes for the future already underway. Irma repairs continue while new construction projects — from infrastructure to buildings — take off. With much work still ahead in the year to come, here’s a look back at some of the top county stories from 2019.

NEW CHEMISTRY – District 1 County Commissioner Danny Kolhage resigned from the BOCC effective Nov. 30, 2019. On Dec. 10, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Key West’s Craig Cates to fill the vacancy. District 5 County Commissioner Sylvia Murphy finished her term as mayor and announced that she would not be seeking reelection to the BOCC. County Commissioner Heather Carruthers became the new mayor at the November meeting.

COW KEY BRIDGE – The Cow Key Channel Bridge connects Key West to everywhere else.

County and city officials negotiated firmly with Florida Department of Transportation officials to ensure that repairs are as minimally disruptive as possible, although the island is bracing for severe delays on Stock Island during certain times of the day. Preparations begin in March 2020, but lane closures that slow traffic will not be affected until April 2020 and hopefully end

by October 2020, before the busy tourism season. The goal is to be finished on Dec. 31, 2020.

Craig Cates. CONTRIBUTED Cow Key Bridge. MONROE COUNTY/Contributed

BOCC TOP NEWS BIGGEST MONROE COUNTY NEWS IN 2019

THIRD TRAUMA STAR CHOPPER – The county acquired its third Trauma Star helicopter to provide more life-saving service Keyswide. The third bird allows two to always be in service.

The purchase allows a full-time crew at both the Lower Keys Medical Center on Stock Island and the Marathon Airport. The service collects fares from patients’ insurance companies, unless they reside in Monroe County, in which case it’s free!

SEA LEVEL RISE – In early December, Key West hosted the 11th annual Southeast Florida Regional Climate Leadership Summit. The findings presented made international headlines, stoking fears about the future of the Keys. But here in Monroe, the county and cities remain steadfast in their commitment to our island home.

Rather than retreat, they continue to innovate and find new ways to rise with the tide.

LAST CANAL CLEANUP – In October 2019, county officials, Keys residents and the Department of Environmental Protection celebrated the clearing of the last canal in the Hurricane Irma marine debris removal project. The federally funded project started in August 2018 and finished ahead of schedule with crews using divers, barges and cranes to remove appliances, cars and other refuse from nearly 200 Keys canals. “This has been a tremendous project and it has been truly appreciated by the homeowners on the canals that have been cleared of debris,” said County Commissioner David Rice.

“This shows how we get things done.”

RESTORATION BLUEPRINT – While the BOCC did not take an official stance on the Restoration Blueprint, Commissioner Michelle Coldiron, who represents the county in regard to the sanctuary’s effort, has kept her finger on what’s happening. Hearing widespread concern over the plan, she urged the commission to pass a resolution imploring the sanctuary to listen to Monroe County’s citizens.

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES •

305.743.0844

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY OF KEY COLONY BEACH NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Commission of the City of Key Colony Beach, Florida, will hold a Public Hearing on Thursday, January 9, 2020 at 9:30 A.M., Key Colony Beach City Hall commission room, to hear a Variance Request from 200 4th St., LLC, owner of 200 4th Street.

Applicant requests a Variance to Land Development Regulations Chapter 3, Section 101-12 (5) for a setback variance for a new addition to existing residence.

Interested parties may appear at the Hearing and be heard with respect to the requested variance.

If any person decides to appeal any decision made by the Commission with respect to any matter considered at the Variance Hearing, that person will need a record of the proceedings and for such purpose may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.

If you are unable to attend the Hearing on Thursday, January 9, 2020 but wish to comment, please direct correspondence to: City Commission, P.O. Box 510141, Key Colony Beach, FL 33051, or cityclerk@keycolonybeach. net and your comments will be entered into the record.

Rebecca Todd, City Clerk CITY OF KEY COLONY BEACH Publish: December 26, 2019 The Weekly Newspapers

FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 19-CP-83-M DIVISION: MIDDLE KEYS IN RE: ESTATE OF SERGEI PROUDNIK, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Sergei Proudnik, deceased, whose date of death was October 10, 2019, is pending in the Circuit Court for MONROE County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida 33050. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is: December 19, 2019.

Personal Representative: Elena S. Proudnik aka Alena S. Proudnik 1595 Harbor Drive Marathon, Florida 33050 Attorney for Personal Representative: RICHARD E. WARNER Attorney Florida Bar Number: 283134 RICHARD E. WARNER, P.A. 12221 Overseas Highway Marathon, FLORIDA 33050 Telephone: (305) 743-6022 Fax: (305) 743-6216 E-mail: richard@rewarnerlaw.com Secondary E-Mail: pamela2@ rewarnerlaw.com Publish: December 19 & 26, 2019 The Weekly Newspapers

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: December 19, 2019.

Personal Representatives: PATRICK L.F. MALONEY PO Box 1346 Marblehead, MA 01945 ROBERT J. MALONEY 190 Burgundy Drive Tavernier, FL 33070 Attorney for Personal Representative: JOE A. CATARINEAU Florida Bar Number: 0517291 91750 Overseas Highway Tavernier, FL 33070 Telephone: (305) 852-4833 Publish: December 19 & 26, 2019 The Weekly Newspapers

arising out of or occurring as a result of an incident involving the 1981 41’ Morgan Sailing Yacht bearing Hull Identification No. MRY31024M8I on the navigable waters near Islamorada, Florida, on or about April 9, 2019, as more fully described in the Complaint.

All persons having such claims must file their respective claims, as provided in Supplemental Rule F of the Supplemental Rules for Certain Admiralty and Maritime Claims of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, with the Clerk of this Court at the United States District Courthouse for the Southern District of Florida, 301 Simonton Street, Key West, FL 33040 and must serve a copy thereof on attorneys for Petitioner on or before the 31st day of January, 2020 or be defaulted.

If any claimant desires to contest either the right to Exoneration From or the right to Limitation of Liability he shall file and serve on the attorneys for Petitioner an answer to the complaint on or before the aforesaid date unless his claim has included an answer, so designated, or be defaulted.

DATED this 12th day of December, 2019.

James Lawrence King /s/_J. Lawrence King Clerk of Court Publish: December 19 & 26, 2019, January 2 & 9, 2020 The Weekly Newspapers

Division: Family LAUREN BOHNEN, Mother, and CONSTANTINE FLORAKIS Father.

NOTICE OF ACTION FOR TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS Action files: Petition for Termination of Parental Rights TO: Constantine Florakis Respondent’s last known address: 3873 N. Ocean Drive, Riviera, FL 33404 YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for Termination of Parental Rights has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on: The Manz Law Firm at 5701 Overseas Highway, Suite 7, Marathon, FL 33050, on or before January 13, 2020, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050 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 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: December 4,2019 Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Shakira Mitchell Deputy Clerk Publish: December 12, 19, & 26, 2019 & January 2, 2020 The Weekly Newspapers

Defendant And the Docket Number of which is Number 44-2019-CA-31-M WITNESS my hand and the Official Seal of Said Court, this 20TH day of November, 2019.

KEVIN MADOK Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Shonta McLeod Deputy Clerk Florida Statute 45.031: 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 within 60 days after the sale.

Publish: December 19 & 26, 2019 The Weekly Newspapers

TO FORECLOSE CLAIM OF LIEN BY TRUSTEE FILE NO.: 18-032089 BEACH HOUSE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION OF KEY WEST, INC., A NONPROFIT CORPORATION UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA, Lienholder, vs.

JOHN SADOWSKI Obligor __________________/ TRUSTEE’S NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE PROCEEDING TO: John Sadowski 325 Leslie Lane Lake Mary, FL 32746 YOU ARE NOTIFIED that a TRUSTEE’S NON-JUDICIAL PROCEEDING to enforce a Lien has been instituted on the following Timeshare Ownership Interest at Beach House Condominium described as: Unit C14, Week 30, Beach House Condominium, a Condominium according to the Declaration of Condominium thereof recorded in Official Records Book 1510, Page 225, Public Records of Monroe County, Florida, and all exhibits attached thereto, and any amendments thereof (the “Declaration”).

The default giving rise to these proceedings is the failure to pay condominium assessments and dues resulting in a Claim of Lien encumbering the Timeshare Ownership Interest as recorded in the Official Records of Monroe County, Florida. The Obligor has the right to object to this Trustee proceeding by serving written objection on the Trustee named below. The Obligor has the right to cure the default and any junior interestholder may redeem its interest, for a minimum period of forty-five (45) days until the Trustee issues the Certificate of Sale. The Lien may be cured by sending certified funds to the Trustee payable to the Lienholder in the amount of $3,455.51, plus interest (calculated by multiplying $0.00 times the number of days that have elapsed since December 10, 2019), plus the costs of this proceeding. Said funds for cure or redemption must be received by the Trustee before the Certificate of Sale is issued.

Nicholas A. Woo, Esq. Valerie N. Edgecombe Brown, Esq. Cynthia David, Esq. Michael E. Carleton, Esq. as Trustee pursuant to Fla. Stat. §721.82 P. O. Box 165028 Columbus, OH 43216-5028 Telephone: 407-404-5266 Telecopier: 614-220-5613 Publish: December 19 & 26, 2019 The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING: MONROE COUNTY CONTRACTORS EXAMINING BOARD MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA Notice Is Hereby Given To Whom It May Concern that on Tuesday, January 7, 2020 the Monroe County Contractors Examining Board (“CEB”) will hold their regularly scheduled meeting at the Marathon Government Center, 2798 Overseas Highway, Second Floor, BOCC Room, Marathon, Florida commencing at 9:30 A.M. This meeting is to hear the following: any person(s) to come before the board; any reports from Monroe County Assistant Attorney; any reports from Monroe County Building Official; any reports from Staff; board review of applications for a certificate of competency license and/or testing; any old or new business to come before the board at this time.

PURSUANT TO FLORIDA STATUTE SECTION 286.0105, be advised that, if a person decides to appeal the decision made by the Contractors’ Examining Board with respect to any matter considered at today’s hearing, that person will need a record of the proceedings, and that, for such purpose, he or she may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.

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

NOTICE: It shall be the responsibility of each Respondent or other person addressing the Board to bring an interpreter if the party is not able to understand or speak the English language.

Rick Griffin, Building Official/Board Secretary Maria Partington, Senior Coordinator – CEB Board Monroe County Building Department Publish: December 26, 2019 The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 19-CP-137-P IN RE: ESTATE OF HELEN E. MALONEY, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of HELEN E. MALONEY, deceased, whose date of death was September 11, 2019, File Number 19-CP-137-P is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is Plantation Key Government Center, 88820 Overseas Highway, Plantation Key, Florida 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice has been served must file their claims with this Court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE TIME 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 SO FILED

IN THE CIRCUIT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 19-CP-131-P IN RE: ESTATE OF JERRY L. WALLACE, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of JERRY L. WALLACE, deceased, whose date of death was November 6, 2019, File Number 19-CP-131-P is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is Plantation Key Government Center, 88820 Overseas Highway, Plantation Key, Florida 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice has been served must file their claims with this Court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE TIME 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 SO FILED 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: December 19, 2019.

Personal Representatives: EUGENIA S. WALLACE 176 Bessie Road Tavernier, FL 33070 Attorney for Personal Representative: JOE A. CATARINEAU Florida Bar Number: 0517291 91750 Overseas Highway Tavernier, FL 33070 Telephone: (305) 852-4833 Publish: December 19 & 26, 2019 The Weekly Newspapers UNITED STATE DISTRICT COURTSOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDAKEY WEST DIVISION “IN ADMIRALTY” CASE NO.: 4:19-CV-10160-KING/ BECERRA In the Matter of the Complaint for Exoneration from or Limitation of Liability by Chris Jennett, as owner of the 1981 41’ Morgan Sailing Yacht bearing Hull Identification No. MRY31024M81I, Petitioner.

NOTICE TO CLAIMANTS OF COMPLAINT FOR EXONERATION FROM OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY Notice is given that the abovenamed Petitioner has filed a Complaint, pursuant to 46 U.S.C. §30505 et. seq. for exoneration from or limitation of liability for all claims for any damages or injuries,

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 16TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA Case No.: 19-DR-1018-K Division: Family LYUBOV BITEMIROVA, Petitioner and BAUYRZHAN BITEMIROV Respondent.

NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE TO: BAUYRZHAN BITEMIROV Respondent’s last known address: MAYSKAYA ST. 5-5 TYULKUBAS RG. SASTOBE VILLAGE, KAZAKSTAN 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: Lyubov Bitemirova, 1661 Dunlap Dr #2, Key West, FL 33040, on or before January 5, 2020, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at Monroe County Clerk of Court, 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, Florida, 33040, before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition.

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: December 3, 2019 Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Jaquelyn Fonseca Deputy Clerk Publish: December 5, 12, 19 & 26, 2019 The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA Case No.: 2019-DR-264-M

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CIVIL ACTION Case No: 44-2019-CA-31-M NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

BY CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, Kevin Madok, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Monroe County, Florida, will, on the 7th day of January, 2020, at 11 o’clock a.m., at 500 Whitehead Street, Monroe County, in the City of Key West, Florida, offer for sale and sell at public outcry to the highest and best bidder for CASH the Following described property situated in Monroe County, Florida, to wit: LOT 15, BLOCK 2, KEY COLONY BEACH, A SUBDIVISION ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF AS RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 3, PAGE 120, 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 BEFORE THE CLERK REPORTS THE SURPLUS AS UNCLAIMED. Pursuant to FINAL JUDGMENT OF FORCLOSURE entered in a case pending in said Court, the 13TH day of November, 2019 Style of which is: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE CERTIFICATEHOLDERS OF CWMBS,INC., CHL MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH TRUST 2006-3, MORTGAGE PASS THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-3 Plaintiff VS. GRANT L. GREENWOOD A/K/A GRANT LLOYD GREENWOOD, et. al

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CIVIL DIVISION Case No: 09-CA-001012-P NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

BY CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, KEVIN MADOK, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Monroe County, Florida, will, on the 15TH DAY OF JANUARY 2020 at 11:00AM on THE FRONT STEPS OF THE MONROE COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 500 WHITEHEAD STREET in the City of KEY WEST Florida, offer for sale and sell at public outcry to the highest and best bidder for CASH the following described property situated in Monroe County, Florida, to wit: All upland and submerged land in Lots 9 and 10, Block 8, ANGLERS PARK SHORES, according to the Plat thereof, as recorded in Plat Book 1 at page 148 of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida; together with, to the extent, if any, not included within said Lots 9 or 10, a parcel of submerged land in Largo Sound, Section 14, Township 61 South, Range 39 East, fronting the above described lots and more particularly described as follows: From the intersection of the dividing line between Lots 10 and 11, said Block and subdivision, with the Southeasterly side of shoreland Drive, all as shown on said plat of ANGLERS PARK SHORES, run South 44 degrees 10’ East along the radial dividing line between said Lots 10 and 11, a distance of 110 feet to the mean high tide line on the shore of Largo Sound and the Point of Beginning of the parcel hereinafter described; thence continue South 44 degrees 10’ East, a distance of 100 feet; thence North 43 degrees 40’ East, a distance of 80 feet; thence North 44 degrees 10’ West, a distance of 100 feet, more or less, to the said mean high tide line; thence Southwesterly meandering said mean high tide line a distance of 80 feet, more or less, to the Point of Beginning.

Pursuant to the FINAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT entered in a case in said Court, the style of which is: TOTALBANK; KL RES, LLC Plaintiff VS. OUTLAND PROPERTIES, LTD.; OUT ISLANDS PROPERTIES, INC.; DAVID BLOCK; BLOCK LAND AND FINANCE LTD; HERSHOFF, LUPION & YAGEL, LLP; BOARD OF COUNTY COMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY; SIRENA KEY, LLC Defendant And the Docket Number of which is Number 09-CA-001012-P WITNESS my hand and the Official Seal of Said Court, this 26th day of SEPTEMBER, 2019.

KEVIN MADOK Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Gwen Douglass Deputy Clerk Florida Statute 45.031: 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 within 60 days after the sale.

Publish: December 26, 2019 and January 2, 2020 The Weekly Newspapers NONJUDICIAL PROCEEDING

AUTOS WANTED ALL YEARS! Junk or Used. Cars - Vans Trucks- Running or Not. $CASH$ 305-332-0483

BOAT SLIPS FOR RENT Boat Slips for rent in Marathon. Up to 50’ - 20’ wide.

Starting at $750. Please call 305-304-3610 Liveaboard Boat Slips available in Marathon.

Protected dockage, parking, bathrooms, laundry on premises, pool. $1,200/month incl. utilities. 305-393-1999

BOATS FOR SALE ‘95 Intrepid CC 28’ ‘98 Yamahas X225 - low hours. Too many options to list. Appraisal was $72,400 w/trailer.

Asking $55,000 OBO. Located in Marathon.

Please call after 1pm (305) 743-6505

41

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES 305.743.0844 • CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • •305.743.0844 EMPLOYMENT UPPER KEYS Administrative Assistant/ R e c e p t i o n i s t .

Local real estate office looking for a responsible person to handle a variety of office tasks. Full time position available immediately.

Contact Amy at 305-664-4444.

Project Manager -Upper Keys.

Must have ability to schedule & organize multiple people & trades. Carpenter needed also.

Both must pass background check. Send resume to admin@ cbtconstruct.com 305-852-3002 Rock Reef Resort hiring P/T Front Desk Associate. $13.00/ hour, vacation & incentive pay. Starting 20-30 hrs/week, weekends/holidays a must, some nights.

Requirements: Computer skills (MS Office) user level; PC Reservations system – will train; Non-smoker; Able to multi task within a “small office” operation; Reliable, trustworthy person w/people skills; Reliable transportation. 97850 Overseas Highway, Key Largo (305) 852-2401

MIDDLE KEYS SWEET SAVANNAH’S is now hiring part-time or full-time positions. Must be available for weekend shifts and have a clean driving record for event deliveries.

Position will be crossed trained for FOH, baking and deliveries. Other positions available are day-time sales clerk and part-time baker.

Please apply in person at 8919 overseas Hwy, Marathon Fl. NO C A L L S .

Keys Fisheries hiring well qualified Kitchen Manager. Good compensation and benefits. Apply within 3502 Gulfview Avenue, Marathon. EOE/DFWP

HOUSING FOR RENT

HOUSING FOR RENT

MIDDLE KEYS

3BR/2BA New Construction Duplex on stilts in Key Colony Beach. Annual lease.

Call 786-970-4905

NEWLY AVAILABLE KCB Condo, Direct Oceanfront 1BR/1BA, Seasonal Jan-Feb 2020, $4,400 month. 610-291-6937 or rjhughes01@comcast.net 2BR/2BA Large Apt for Rent. 10828 5th Avenue Gulf, Marathon. $1,850/month plus utilities. F/L/S. Taking applications. Call (305) 394-4545 2BR/2BA Single Family Waterfront Home for rent in Marathon.

Fully furnished. $3,100/month includes utilities.

Available for 3 months - Jan/ Feb/March.

727-278-1105 House for rent in Marathon – Efficiency with 2 rooms/Kitchen/Bath - fully furn. incl all utilities inc. cable for $1,400/ month. No pets. F/L/S 305-610-8002 1/2 Duplex Studio Apartment for rent. Centrally located in Marathon, private backyard. $1,400/month includes utilities.

F/L/$500 Deposit. 305-731-5588 AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN MARATHON: Rooms available for short or long term rentals.

Single: $720/month; Double $1,150/month; Plus tax; F/L/S. Units provide an ideal option to temporary or long term housing.

Furnished with bunk beds, full kitchen with all utensils, tables, desks, coin operated washer & dryer. Residents share the kitchen, bathroom and dining areas.

Linens, towels ,consumables, not provided. For information: Bob Brayman 305-743-5929 bbrayman@hallsdiving.com

The Guidance/Care Center, Inc. a division of

3BR / 2 1/2 BA Townhome in Marathon - Sister’s Creek. Available Jan. 1, 2020. $2,200/month 6185 5 9 - 9 1 4 3

“Uplifting the human spirit since 1973”

THE GUIDANCE/CARE CENTER, Inc.

UPPER KEYS LONG TERM RENTAL in Plantation Lake Estates, Private community, two story 3BR/3BA unfurn. concrete block home, large carport & back yard, homeowners park w/boat ramp/dock, new A/C, W/D, screened in patio. Avail. end of Jan. $2,500/mo. Best to email: slgrisham@icloud.com to set up time to see the house or use WhatAp or FaceTime to call: 011+501+614-1234 FOR RENT in Marathon: Office/Retail Space, 1500sf w/ additional 2 covered porches incl.

Open water views, US-1 frontage, $2700/month. Also small Office Space $500/month. Wifi & Utilities included. Onsite storage & or yard space available - prices by size. Call 305-743-7277 Small office space available for rent. Great location on U.S. 1 in Tavernier. Conveniently located to everything. 305-3940530

ROGO LOTS FOR SALE FOR SALE: 2 Marathon ROGO lots with letters. 4 ROGO points. $30,000 Text LOTS to 305-3932515 and leave name & number.

RV LOTS FOR RENT Large RV Lot for Rent in Marathon. Full hook up. $800/month plus utilities.

305-943-0789

KEY WEST

OCEAN KEY RESORT & SPA IS HIRING! Sous Chef Front Desk Agent Bell/Valet Attendant Retail Sales Associate Apply online at:

www.noblehousehotels.com/careers

Apply in person at: Zero Duval St. Come see why our employees love to call Ocean Key home!

Great pay, amazing benefits, & an awesome team!

EOE

Keys Fisheries hiring Night Receiving Manager, night receivers and freezer help. Apply in person at 3390 Gulfview Avenue, Marathon. EOE/DFWP

Experienced Diesel Technician wanted. Tools and experience is a must. Electronic engine diagnostic experience preferred.

Opportunity for growth and training available for qualified applicants. Florida Keys Diesel Repair, 531 107th Street, Marathon. 305-289-2070 City of Marathon - Job Openings: Wastewater Plant Operator Trainee , Public Works Maintenance Worker.

EOE, FULL BENEFITS www.ci.marathon.fl.us Key Colony Inn NOW HIRING AM/PM SERVERS. Apply in person: 700 Ocean Drive, Key Colony Beach, FL or call for details: (305) 743-0100 Experienced help only needed for all positions. Apply in person Mon-Fri 10-11am at Sunset Grille & Raw Bar, Knights Key Blvd. Marathon

HOBBIES/COLLECT. PRIVATE COLLECTOR WANTS Rolex, Dive Watches and Pilot Watches. Old Model Military Clocks & Watches.

Call 305-743-4578

MARATHON

RNs and LPNs (3 shifts) (PT& FT) (Lead) & Behavioral Health Technicians (3 shifts) Peer Support Specialist (2), (base location flexible) Driver CDL (base location flexible) Crisis Counselor Assisted Living Night Monitor (free housing!)

Assisted Living Direct Care Worker (PT/FT) Drop In Technician Care Coordinator (Family)

KEY LARGO

Community Action Team Leader (base location flexible) Behavioral Health Counselor Peer Support Specialist

Background and drug screen req.

GREAT BENEFITS! Check out all available positions at: www.westcare.com EEOC/DFWP

MARATHON GARBAGE SERVICE

We are looking for some Bartenders. Apply in person at American Legion Post 0154, 4115 Overseas Highway, Marathon IMMEDIATELY HIRING: Hideaway Cafe on Grassy Key: Food Runner, Busser, Dishwasher & Prep. Call for appointment 305-289-1554

Behavior Health Therapist (Children/Adult) PT/FT Case Manager Crisis Counselor Data Clerk Front Desk Specialist (Bilingual a +) Care Coordinator

DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER

We are now hiring for the following positions:

Dolphin Research Center is Hiring!

Diesel Mechanic Truck Helpers CDL Drivers

58901 O/S Hwy - Grassy Key, FL Teaching... Learning...Caring

Applicants must apply in person to be considered.

Education Program Host Facilities Maintenance Apprentice School Programs & Outreach Curriculum Specialist Visual Communications Staff Volunteer Resources Administrative Assistant Benefits include medical, life & disability insurance, 401(k) plan, paid vacation, sick time & Holidays Full job descriptions available at www.dolphins.org/career_opportunities

Email cover letter, DRC application & resume to drc-hr@dolphins.org EOE

4290 Overseas Hwy, Marathon

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

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

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

WE ARE HIRING FOR HIGH SEASON! If you have experience in Hospitality, like to interact with our Guests and be part of an amazing Team, come and join us.

Please apply online for some of our open positions: islabellabeachresort.oasisrecruit.com 1 Knight’s Key Blvd (MM 47) Marathon

42

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC && LEGAL NOTICES • • 305.743.0844 • CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC LEGAL NOTICES 305.743.0844 THE CITY OF KEY COLONY BEACH HAS THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY. THESE POSITIONS ARE OPEN UNTIL FILLED.

NOW HIRING

Marathon, Big Pine Key & Stock Island Locations $15 per hour to start FT Employees are eligible to participate in our health, dental, vision, Life Insurance. PTO and Profit Sharing is available to every member of our team (conditions apply).

HOW TO APPLY: Go to mytomthumb.com or call Cleveland (786) 295-5307.

D’Asign Source is seeking the following professionals.

Overtime and benefits are available.

For full details & additional openings, please visit DAsignSource.com/careers

Architects

We have openings for Intern Architects, Emerging Professionals, and Production Architects.

Experience in High End Residential design is a plus.

Junior Interior Designer

1+ year experience with basic interior architecture detailing. Strong knowledge of AutoCAD, Revit, and 20/20 a plus.

Warehouse & Delivery Crew D’Asign Source is looking for a hardworking Warehouse & Delivery Crew member. Must have reliable transportation, be on time and organized. Must have a valid driver’s license. CDL a plus.

SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS NEEDED! Monroe County School District Salary $15.80- $23.20/hour Key West, Sugarloaf and Upper Keys (3 work locations) • No Experience Required • Benefits • CDL Training Provided work as a Bus Aide while training • Full Time or Flexible Part Time Hours 6 to 9 am or 1 or 2 to 5 pm Apply online: www.keysschools.com

NOW HIRING Front Desk Agent Reservation Sales Agent Bellman Maitre D’ Bartenders Servers Restaurant Host – AM/PM Steward Pizza Cook Overnight Prep Cook Line Cooks Houseman Room Attendants Engineering Spa Attendant Spa Coordinator

FULL-TIME POLICE OFFICER This position will consist of Marine Patrol/Code Enforcement and Shift Patrol Coverage. Applicants must possess a current Florida certification as a police officer. Applicants will undergo a thorough background investigation, including drug screening, medical, polygraph and psychological exams. Salary range $52,500 - $55,000 depending on qualifications. The City is an EOE Employer.

Mail resume to: Chief of Police, P.O. Box 510141, Key Colony Beach, FL. 33051 Or call for additional information (305) 289-1212.

FULL-TIME PUBLIC WORKS MAINTENANCE WORKER Responsible for city building, street and property maintenance, and improvements. Minimum of two years’ experience in building and grounds maintenance, machinery operation & maintenance or equivalent.

Heavy manual labor required.

Successful applicants must successfully complete a drug screening, criminal background check, and FDMV record review.

Possession of a valid Florida driver’s license or within 30 days if moving from out-of-state. It is the duty of every employee to deal courteously with the public. Favorable impressions created by courteous public relations develop citizen goodwill and support for the employee and the city as a whole.

The City provides a competitive wage and robust benefits package.

The City is an EOE Employer. Submit resume and application to cmoonis@keycolonybeach.net Find application at www.keycolonybeach.net City Government/Forms/Miscellaneous Forms/Employment Application

Both full or part time positions available at Hyatt Place at Faro Blanco Resort.

Line Cook, Servers, Host, Housekeepers, Night Auditor, Front Desk Agent and Food Runners.

Excellent Benefit Package Apply in person at 1996 Overseas Highway, Marathon or email resume to hr@spottswood.com EOE/m/f/d/v

JOB OPENINGS GUEST SERVICE AGENT TELEPHONE AGENT NIGHT AUDITOR BELLMAN

If you have a passion for guest service and hospitality, please apply

Excellent Benefit Package EOE M/F/D/V

careers@bungalowskeylargo.com

Bungalows Key Largo is an EOE

EOE m/f/d/v

SCAN FOR JOB

Please email resume to hr@spottswood.com

WILDLIFE 2019

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019 SARA MATTHIS

sara@keysweekly.com

TOP 5 HEADLINES

ABOUT KEYS WILDLIFE* FWC MARKS IGUANAS FOR DEATH July 2019 The FWC comes out with some carefully worded policy that “encourages” homeowners to shoot iguanas on private property whenever possible.

This replaced language that only noted it was legal. The new messaging dovetails with the changing public perception of the reptiles — from oddity to nuisance to invasive exotics. Iguana eradication has become a cottage industry, with businesses like Tom Portuallo’s Iguana Control signing contracts with neighborhoods and resorts in the Keys. Big Pine Key’s Chuck Meier — known locally as the “iguana assassin” — advocates eating them. He’s got a cookbook on Amazon and calls iguanas “a green, walking protein pouch.”

FEDS CONSIDER REMOVING KEY DEER FROM ENDANGERED LIST August 2019 This year, the federal Fish and Wildlife Service started talking about removing Key Deer from the endangered list. The process, though, takes at least three years. The agency’s website said it includes scientific assessment, public comment and peer review. The Key deer is the smallest of its kind — adult males stand about 33 inches high and weigh at most 85 pounds. Population counts range from 600 to 1,000 on islands in the Lower Keys, mostly on Big Pine Key. The deer faced a screwworm infestation that killed more than 100 deer, but was eradicated by April 2017.

Then, in September of the same year, Hurricane Irma crossed the Lower Keys. Stay tuned for more details.

Photo credit: Valerie Preziosi

ANTILLEAN PALM-SWIFT SIGHTED ON GRASSY KEY July 2019 Birdwatchers from around the country lost their minds when an Antillean Palm-Swift was spotted on Grassy Key in late July. Dozens of birdwatchers, slung with binoculars and notebooks, congregated at the corner of Peachtree and Morton. Designated as a “mega rarity” — it was last spotted in the U.S. almost five decades ago in Key West. But is it that rare? Mark Hedden, executive director of the Florida Keys Audubon Society, said two things make a bird “rare” — either it’s somewhere it’s not supposed to be, or it is endangered. The rogue swift was in the former category. “There’s always an individual that likes to wander. It’s the same mechanism that fuels evolution,” he said. Birdwatchers were back a few months later when it was sighted again.

Photo credit: Tom Johnson

SEA TURTLE FOUND, SPEARED BY UNKNOWN ASSAILANT September 2017 A 150-pound sea turtle, dubbed “Splinter,” was found struggling in the waters off the Upper Keys in early September. The reason? It had been speared. The Turtle Hospital’s Bette Zirkelbach said the animal had likely been suffering with the homemade spear through its torso for about a month. She also said the attack likely happened in the waters near Miami or the Upper Keys because the turtle’s condition meant it couldn’t travel very far. Although the reward money swelled to $25,000, the culprit has yet to be found. The silver lining is that following surgery, Splinter was treated, rehabbed and released in early November, to coincide with the screening of WLRN’s documentary “Troubled Waters: A Turtle’s Tale” that highlights the threats to sea turtle survival.

OXITEC UNVEILS NEW METHOD TO KILL MOSQUITOES September 2019 On Sept. 11, the federal EPA opened public comment on the Federal Register on Oxitec’s 2nd Generation technology. It proposes to use biologically modified mosquitoes to combat the spread of infectious diseases via the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Although it is not official and there are no contracts in place, officials at Oxitec — a U.S.-owned, U.K.-based company that develops biologically engineered solutions to insect-control issues — has openly courted the Florida Keys in the past as the best place to conduct a trial of the new technology. Oxitec says the eggs of the 2nd Generation mosquito produce only males. Male mosquitoes don’t bite and are therefore incapable of spreading diseases. When they hatch and mate, they pass the male-only gene on. Opponents of the company and technology denounce the introduction of genetically modified animals into Mother Nature and also have worries about antibiotic resistance. There were more than 30,000 comments logged on the system. The EPA has yet to rule on the permit for the pesticide’s experimental use.

*Not, and we can’t stress this enough, the human variety.

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STUDENT OF THE WEEK

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

Apply Today: Key West & Lower Keys Call John North at 305-293-6071 NMLS# 785028

Middle & Upper Keys Call Dave Peck at 305-809-3456

What organizations are you involved with at KWHS? I’m in NJROTC (Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps) because I want to join the U.S. Navy.

NMLS# 1172912

*Subject to credit approval. Restrictions may apply. Equal Housing Lender. Available on select Mortgages. Keys FCU NMLS#595888. Membership is open to everyone who lives, works or buys property in the Florida Keys.

What class has best prepared you for life after graduation?

NJROTC What advice would you give to underclassmen? Get to class on time.

What’s your favorite social media channel, whom do you follow? Twitter is my favorite.

I follow Terry Crews and some artists that I really like.

What do you want to be remembered for at Key West High School? That I was always a nice and helpful person.

What three things do you want to accomplish before your 10-year reunion? Finish my Navy enlistment, join NCIS or the FBI and own my own house.

Will you make the Keys your permanent home? No, because I am joining the Navy and want to see more of the world.

Finish this sentence: Living in the Keys has taught me … that life can always be unpredictable.

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Who has been your biggest inspiration at KWHS? Mr. Eggers, because he has always been a great teacher and he always inspired me to be who I am right now.

CHRISTOPHER CERVANTES

The Key West Weekly is proud to partner with Key West High School faculty and students in choosing “The Student of the Week.” Recipients are chosen on qualifications including academic standing, athletics, outstanding achievements, community involvement, individuality and moral fortitude. We thank our future leaders and KWHS for allowing us to share in a weekly dose of “Conch Pride,” and for giving us a glimpse into their world.

KEY WEST

KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

START THE YEAR AT THE END OF THE ROAD KEY WEST ‘DROPS’ IN ON 2020

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Gary Marion, attired as drag queen Sushi, hangs in an oversized replica of a women’s red high heel over Duval Street late on Dec. 31, 2018, at the Bourbon St. Pub in Key West. ANDY NEWMAN/Florida Keys News Bureau

MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

K

ey West doesn’t drop the ball when it comes to New Year’s Eve, but we drop plenty of other things, from pirate wenches, planes and drag queens to conch shells and Key limes.

First Flight Island Restaurant and Brewery will welcome a replica Pan American plane at the stroke of midnight to celebrate its location in the airline’s original and historic ticket building in Key West.

Pan Am’s official beginning dates back to October 1927, when its inaugural flight carried sacks of mail from Key West to Havana, Cuba.

The building that housed Pan Am’s ticket office originally was at the Key West waterfront, but was later moved to Whitehead Street and today is part of the First Flight complex.

The restaurant and brewery will pair the plane’s landing with a Great Gatsby-themed party to ring in 2020.

Meanwhile, in other parts of town, Key West’s typical, though not at all traditional, New Year’s Eve fes-

tivities will include several other parodies of the ball-drop in New York City’s Times Square.

Island events include the lowering of a conch shell from the roof of Sloppy Joe’s bar during the countdown in front of a packed Duval Street; Sushi the female impersonator will ride a giant, red, high-heeled pump from the second floor of Bourbon Street Pub/ New Orleans House guesthouse; Evalena Worthington, pirate wench and owner of Schooner Wharf Bar, will descend from the mast of a historic schooner docked in front of the waterfront watering hole; and on Upper Duval Street, a towering champagne bottle atop La Te Da will tip over at midnight and “drench” the enthusiastic crowd below with confetti and streamers; and a replica Key lime will drop into a supersized margarita glass at the Ocean Key Resort on lower Duval.

There’s never any shortage of New Year’s Eve revelry in a town that takes its parties seriously and promises its guests plenty of good times — and more holiday spirits than may be advisable come New Year’s Day.

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / DECEMBER 26, 2019

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