Upper Keys Weekly

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

Publix vaccine appointment: more competitive than being first in line at the Snake Creek Bridge.

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COMPARISON A back-to-back look at Moderna, Pfizer vaccine | P.12

VACCINE FRUSTRATION Citizens’ rumblings about lack of info, shots | P. 13

VACCINES AT PUBLIX Shots to be offered at grocery | P.4

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

NUMBER OF THE WEEK

21.8%

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

Guess what makes solar panels more effective? It’s capsaicin, the stuff in peppers that makes them spicy. When added to the composition of solar panels, the efficiency is 21.8%, which is very close to the efficiency of the most expensive single-crystal panels at 21.93% The study was published on studyfinds.org.

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News Deadline

Tuesday Noon

Advertising Deadline Tuesday 2 p.m.

Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a press conference in Jupiter on Jan. 19. DeSantis announced Publix stores in Islamorada and Key West will begin to offer vaccinations, by appointment only, beginning on Jan. 21.

TWO LOCAL PUBLIX STORES GET VACCINES Supplies limited, online reservations go quick JIM McCARTHY

jim@keysweekly.com

A

few more vaccines made their way into Monroe County this week, but supplies remain limited with online reservations for the shot booked within an hour.

Two Publix stores in Monroe County began vaccinating seniors and other eligible groups on Jan. 21. It came following Gov. Ron DeSantis’ announcement two days before that Publix stores in Key West and Islamorada would initiate vaccinations to those who make appointments online.

Eligible groups include adults aged 65 and older, health care personnel with direct patient contact and residents and staff of long-term care facilities.

Those eligible have to make online reservations. That commenced on Jan. 20 at 6 a.m. with vaccinations commencing on Jan. 21 and continuing into Friday, Jan. 22. Reservations made on Jan. 20 were completely booked within an hour.

Maria Brous, Publix director of communications, told the Weekly appointments for those signing up on Wednesday, Jan. 20, will be for Thursday and Friday. The system will then go back up on Friday, Jan. 22, for appointments on Saturday, Sunday and into next week.

“We’re trying to make sure that we’re spacing out the amount of people who are trying to come through and make appointments.”

Appointments cannot be made by calling Publix or the Publix pharmacy.

DeSantis said “the way Publix is doing it I think is the right way.”

“It’s by appointment only, so don’t just show up,” DeSantis said during a press conference in Jupiter. “They have a process for this. It’s been very orderly and very easy.

“If you show up unannounced, they’re just going to simply give you the information how to sign up,” he continued.

Monroe County’s top health official, Bob Eadie, said following the announcement that any chance to expand locations for COVID vaccines is a “very good thing.” Eadie acknowledged that he was hoping for more vaccines, but had no idea they were coming so soon.

According to Monroe County, there are 600 doses of the vaccine available in the Keys this week — 250 each at the two Publix sites, and 100 with the Department of Health.

According to the state mandate, the vaccine is only offered to front line medical personnel with direct patient contact, residents of long term care facilities and citizens age 65 or older. The federal and state distribution strategy is to divide available vaccines to states, and then counties, based on the elderly population. In the Keys, there are an estimated 17,000 residents who are 65 or older, or 23% of the population.

“This is a supply and demand issue. And with the presidential transition this may be rocky for a couple of weeks before things settle down,” said Shannon Weiner, the county’s emergency management director.

Eadie echoed the thought. “I imagine we are going to see a new federal plan for vaccine administration and execution of that plan.”

What won’t change, though, is holding back enough doses to make sure that residents who have received the first shot will get the second shot.

Any remainder will be given to “new” patients.

Eadie also said Monroe County is not likely to launch its own reservation system and instead will wait to join the state’s system. As of Jan. 20, the state’s system is only taking reservations in Miami-Dade as part of a phased rollout. Eadie said it’s unknown when the reservation system will be available to Monroe County residents.

“I’m not going to give a time frame.

I’ve given up on that because it’s always ‘tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow,’” Eadie said. “The names on our waiting list will be transferred to the state system when it is available.” He said patients will be contacted by telephone to confirm the vaccine appointments.

A total of 181 Publix pharmacies across 15 counties in Florida are providing vaccines to seniors. More information is at https://www.publix. com/covid-vaccine/florida.

— Sara Matthis contributed to this report

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

Two matching bills making their way through the Florida House and Senate, if passed, would void Key West’s voterapproved cruise ship limitations and eliminate local control of the state’s port facilities. ED JUDKINS/Pixabay

L A U N N A T N S U R N O FIR H ARAT

M F L A H 10K &

AND PHOTOS

LEGISLATORS SEEK STATE CONTROL OF SEAPORTS Matching bills in House, Senate would sink cruise-ship ban MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

A

Florida Senate bill that would void Key West’s voter-approved cruise ship reduction, has found a match in the Florida House.

Keys Weekly previously reported that Republican Sen. Jim Boyd from the state’s west coast on Jan. 5 had filed Senate Bill 426, which would eliminate local governments’ authority to restrict or regulate commerce at Florida seaports. The bill, if passed, would void Key West’s voter-approved changes to the city charter requiring the city to significantly reduce the size and capacity of cruise ships that visit the island.

Boyd’s bill has been referred to the Senate’s Transportation and Community Affairs committees, and now has an identical companion bill in the Florida House of Representatives.

Republican State Rep. Spencer Roach, from near Fort Myers, on Jan. 14 filed House Bill 267 with text identical to Boyd’s bill.

The bills state, in part, “a local government may not restrict or regulate commerce in the seaports of this state … including, but not limited to, regulating or restricting a vessel’s type or size, source or type of cargo, or number, origin or nationality of passengers. All such matters are expressly preempted to the state. … Any provision of a county or municipal charter, ordinance, resolution, regulation, or policy that is preempted by this act and that existed before, on, or after the effective date of this act is void.”

Key West City Attorney Shawn Smith alerted city commissioners to Boyd’s initial bill just before the Jan. 5 city commission meeting adjourned.

There was no discussion of the bill

by the commissioners, although Mayor Teri Johnston asked Smith where it had originated. Smith told the mayor it came out of Manatee County on Florida’s west coast.

In order to become law, the bills must pass both houses of the state legislature.

“Allowing each local government in which a Florida seaport is located to impose its own requirements on the maritime commerce conducted in that port could result in abrupt changes in the supply lines bringing goods into and out of this state,” the bills say, “thus disrupting Florida’s economy and threatening the public’s health, safety, and welfare, and allowing each local government ... to impose its own requirements on the maritime commerce conducted in that port could reasonably be expected to suppress such commerce and potentially drive it out of the port and out of the state in search of a more consistent and predictable operating environment, thus disrupting Florida’s economy and threatening the public’s health, safety and welfare.”

The bills also say that “allowing each local government in which a Florida seaport is located to impose its own requirements on the maritime commerce conducted in that port could result in abrupt changes in vessel traffic, frustrating the multi-year planning process for all Florida seaports and the assumptions and forecasts underlying federal and state financing of port improvement projects, and, in light of these negative impacts, federal and state governments must be relied upon to adopt uniform regulations governing seaport operations.”

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

FISHING FOR TRASH Two organizations compete for funds to clean up shoreline SARA MATTHIS

sara@keysweekly.com

T

he Monroe County Commission couldn’t find a way to “split the baby.” Both Environmental Adventure (AE) and the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen Association (FKCFA) applied for a $1.43 million bid to manage a nearshore debris cleanup between Marathon and Sugarloaf Key. The cleanup is funded by a state Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) grant to finish up after Hurricane Irma.

The funds have a dual purpose: hurricane financial reparations for commercial fishermen hard hit by the storm, and cleaning up the environment.

“I love both these companies. I don’t want to have to choose between these two. If there’s a way to ‘split the baby,’ so to speak, I would like to explore it,” said Commissioner David Rice. “I think either of these companies are infinitely qualified to do the job. And I think it’s a flip of the coin, quite frankly. Wouldn’t it be nice if they could shake hands and split this, legally?”

Adventure Environmental is a locally owned company that performed much of the canal cleanup following the hurricane, under contract with Monroe County. Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen Association is a long-standing and successful nonprofit that represents local fishermen. The FKCFA proposes to use the Conch Republic Marine Army for labor, prompting questions to that organization as well as AE from commissioners about how many commercial fishermen it promises to employ.

At the virtual monthly meeting on Jan. 20, Monroe County Mayor Michelle Coldiron asked both entities to respond to the shared contract suggestions.

AE’s spokesperson Greg Tolpin said, “At the end of the day, Monroe County is my client.

I would do whatever you guys want.” He also noted his company’s expertise in handling the logistics of such an operation — scheduling, tracking and documentation.

Bill Kelly and Brian Vest, founders of the Conch Republic Marine Army, stated they would rather be awarded the entire contract, but would have discussions with AE regarding a shared contract. Vest said 95% of its membership are commercial fishermen who have been providing this service already on a volunteer basis.

“It can’t be divided geographically,” said Vest.

Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi suggested to commissioners they should see if the two parties could come to some

The Conch Republic Marine Army was instrumental in volunteering to clean up nearshore waters after Hurricane Irma in 2017. It and the Florida Keys Commercial Fishing Association are bidding on a $1.43 million contract to do more of the same. WEEKLY FILE PHOTO

agreement on how to share the contract, which the county attorney said was doable, but if they couldn’t, commissioners should award the contract to the toprated vendor, Adventure Environmental, at the February meeting.

“I don’t want to put our staff in the middle. If the two organizations can’t come up with a solution, then I say we should go with the (top ranked vendor) Adventure Environmental. The difference between the two top ranked vendors is only three points, but any game, or any RFP, can be lost by one point. I say we give them a chance to collaborate, and if they can’t, we bring back a contract for the winning bidder.”

Rice said that prejudices any negotiation between the two companies.

“I couldn’t agree with that. We can’t have a negotiation with a known winner. I don’t want to announce how we will make a decision or what it would be ahead of time.”

Coldiron agreed. “Based on the bids, and FKCFA’s use of commercial fishermen, I would pick FKCFA. I can’t say who we would automatically pick,” she said.

The work must be complete by June.

Both bids specified the work would be done by commercial fishermen with different levels of detail, and the bids also varied on how many days the project would take and what equipment would be deployed.

In the end, the commission agreed to table the matter until the February meeting. Both companies agreed to meet and discuss a shared contract, and to bring back a more detailed business plan that outlines who would do the work and what percentage of the contract dollars would be paid to commercial fishermen.

In other news: • The commission discussed when and how to bring county employees into the office.

• Monroe County approved a land swap that would allow Fishermen’s Hospital to expand onto the adjacent lot of the Marathon library. A new library is being constructed across the street and is likely to be open in June.

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

A PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIR

KEY WEST’S LITTLE WHITE HOUSE HOSTS INAUGURATION LUNCHEON MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

P

resident Joe Biden’s message of hope, healing and unity resonated on Jan. 20 in Key West, where an Inauguration luncheon at the Harry S. Truman Little White House marked the change in national leadership.

The museum hosts the luncheon every four years, regardless of the incoming president’s political affiliation. The property, now operated by Historic Tours of America, was the winter White House of President Harry Truman, who spent 175 days of his presidency there from 1946 through 1952.

Six televisions lined the grassy and treeshaded grounds, where 100 or so attendees stood solemnly for the Pledge of Allegiance and covered their hearts or saluted while Lady Gaga belted out the national anthem.

Champagne toasts followed the oaths of office by Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden, and Biden’s inaugural message of unity, truth and empathy.

Below are a few excerpts from the new president’s speech: “This is America’s day. This is democracy’s day. Today we celebrate the triumph, not of a candidate, but of a cause; the cause of democracy....”

“We’ve learned again that democracy is precious; democracy is fragile. And at this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.”

“The dream of justice for all will be deferred no longer.”

Truman’s Little White House in Key West on Wednesday, Jan. 20 hosted an Inauguration Luncheon as it does every four years, regardless of the president’s political affiliation, to recognize the nation’s leadership transitions. Six televisions lined the museum’s grounds so attendees could see and clearly hear the ceremony and speeches in Washington, D.C. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly

“With unity we can do great things, important things. We can right wrongs, put people to work … deliver racial justice.”

“I know the forces that divide us are deep and they are real, but they are not new. … The battle is perennial and victory is never assured.”

“In each of these moments, enough of us have come together to carry all of us forward, and we can do that now. We can see each other not as adversaries, but as neighbors. …

We can stop the shouting and lower the temperature.”

“This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge, and unity is the way forward.”

“Let’s start afresh, let’s see one another, hear one another, respect one another.”

“We must reject the culture in which facts themselves are manipulated and even manufactured. America is better than this.”

“I promise you I get it.”

“We must end this uncivil war that pits red versus blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal. … We can do this, if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts; if we show a little tolerance and humility and if we’re willing to stand in the other person’s shoes just for a moment.”

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

OUBLE BLIND Information superhighway hits speed bump; some records no longer public

By Sara Matthis and Mandy Miles

G

overnment transparency is getting a little murky.

Recent changes to the Florida Constitution and a county contract with a private company have limited the public’s — and media’s — access to information formerly considered a matter of public record. The Florida Highway Patrol is no longer identifying the names of accident victims, and Monroe County officials can no longer provide hotel occupancy and other data compiled

by STR, a private data company that contracts with governments, hotels and other tourism-related entities to analyze their visitor statistics.

First, the FHP changes: On Jan. 5, a 58-year-old male bicyclist was killed in an accident at the intersection of Sadowski Causeway and Overseas Highway in the Middle Keys. Unfortunately, it’s an all-toocommon accident. What’s different, though, is the Florida Highway Patrol is no longer identifying victims of vehicular accidents.

The Keys Weekly asked for the accident report, and was provided with a redacted copy of the accident report, meaning the report identified neither the occupants of the vehicle nor the bicyclist.

Lt. Alex Comacho of FHP said the complete and unredacted report won’t be available for 60 days. A public record request will also come with a $10 fee for the report.

The change is due to a revision to Florida’s constitution designed to protect victims of crimes. The FHP is omitting all names from news releases, regardless of whether investigators suspect a crime was committed.

The amendment to Florida’s Constitution was passed in 2018 by 62% of voters and took effect in January 2019.

The amendment prevents “disclosure of information or records that could be used to locate or harass the victim or the victim’s family, or which could disclose confidential or privileged information of the victim.”

As for the county’s hotel data from STR: The Keys Weekly on Jan. 11 requested from the Monroe County Tourist Development Council hotel occupancy information for the Christmas and New Year holidays. The TDC provided the reports, as it always has, but also included a note that said,

“For data beginning Jan. 1, 2021, STR no longer allows us to release the requested information. I encourage you to contact STR directly to obtain the requested information. STR asserts that some or all of the requested information and/or data is exempt from your public records request as a ‘trade secret’ under Florida law.”

The Keys Weekly then followed up with the county attorney’s office, and received an explanation from assistant county attorney Christine LimbertBarrows, who said the county recently renewed its two-year contract with STR for $27,700 per year.

“In our latest contract with STR, they assert that their Destination Reports and STR data is confidential and proprietary information and exempt from public record disclosure,” wrote Limbert-Barrows, who also provided the specific state statutes that outline the public record exemptions for information that’s considered a trade secret. “In accordance with our contract with STR, we are limited in what we can disclose under their external sharing guidelines and adherence to their assertion of a trade secret exemption under public records law. … We negotiated with STR for many months on this current contract and while STR limited our ability to release STR reports and data, at the end of the day, the information is a vital marketing and research tool which is needed for TDC operations.”

When the Keys Weekly contacted STR’s media representatives directly, we received a quick response and were told by STR’s communication director Nick Minerd, “We are not involved in these types of contracts, but I would not be surprised if there was a change in terms as it relates to republishing and sharing of reports with third parties. There will be some changes like this as we integrate our product with our parent company, CoStar Group.”

CoStar, a provider of commercial real estate data, bought STR in late 2019 and initiated changes to the availability of STR’s data.

“With all that said, STR still provides media with data,” Minerd wrote to the Keys Weekly. He later followed up and provided the 2020 year-end occupancy data for the Florida Keys.

While media outlets no longer can request Keys hotel data from the county’s TDC, it seems it’s still available directly from STR, the company that collects and compiles it.

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

COUNCIL TO ASK GOVERNOR TO HALT PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE Action follows public opposition heard during meeting JIM McCARTHY

jim@keysweekly.com

A

n attempt by Islamorada Village Council to halt construction of a $4.68-million pedestrian bridge near Founders Park took a first step on Jan. 14. Following lengthy discussion and spoken opposition from about 20 residents, council members unanimously agreed to ask the Florida governor to tell the Florida Department of Transportation to cease construction of the pedestrian bridge by Founders Park.

With a 5-0 vote, council authorized Mayor Buddy Pinder to issue a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis related to the bridge project, where utilities have been relocated, but no actual construction of the structure has started.

“I’ve been against it since day one,” Pinder said, following comments from the public and council members. “Such a structure is contrary to our village mission statement and inconsistent with our community character. It serves no purpose but to dominate our skyline. Ted Williams (the baseball star who lived in Islamorada) wouldn’t have wanted this.”

Pinder said the letter is expected to be crafted this week.

A dais of five new members following their election victories sought information and answers to questions about FDOT’s project to install an elevated bridge with elevators late last year. It was led

by Councilman Henry Rosenthal, who raised the topic during the council’s first meeting on Nov. 19, in which he suggested a referendum.

Council left the meeting wanting to review information in depth regard-

ing the project’s history, timetables and communications the former dais had with state transportation officials.

Discussion of the bridge was postponed to the first meeting of 2021, after a December meeting lasting more than five hours didn’t allow time for the topic. It became one of the first matters during the council’s Jan. 14 meeting.

Acting Village Manager Maria Bassett told council members that three official actions were taken by the past village council related to the pedestrian bridge. The first was on Feb. 1, 2018, when a resolution was passed accepting FDOT’s recommendation for a steel truss pedestrian bridge with stairs and elevators. Council also agreed to maintain the elevator with a forthcoming agreement for approval.

On Dec. 13, 2018, council approved a resolution for the bridge’s design. On June 27, 2019, a resolution for a maintenance agreement between FDOT and the village was approved. That expense is estimated around $3,500 a year.

“At a staff level, we don’t know what FDOT’s response would be if the village rescinded support and agreement to maintain elevators,” Bassett said. “At this point, this is an FDOT project.”

In his remarks to the public, Rosenthal acknowledged that he didn’t see how construction of a pedestrian bridge is consistent with the village’s mission statement.

What started as a bridge to address traffic issues eventually shifted as a project to address the safety of those crossing the highway.

Rosenthal also alluded to a September 2016 feasibility study by FDOT regarding pedestrian bridges at five possible locations in the

Florida Keys, from Marathon Community Park at MM 49 to Key Largo’s Rowell’s Waterfront Park. Within the 120-page report, FDOT states that Founders Park was identified as the highest priority out of the five locations reviewed, based on the “highest total annual event attendance generating pedestrian traffic and lack

“You can convert that to a red light to let people cross, which makes sense, where people do park on the Old Road next to the trailer park, they’re not going to be walking down to some crosswalk. They’re going to walk across the street when traffic breaks.” ­— Bob Lodge

of existing pedestrian facilities.”

But just a few paragraphs after, FDOT states that a temporary pedestrian bridge is not a cost-effective option based on usage at the five locations reviewed that included Founders Park. It also said a permanent pedestrian bridge is not warranted based on the expected usage at the five locations reviewed, including at Founders Park.

Construction of a permanent bridge at Founders Park at that time was estimated at $1.2 million.

“DOT’s own study decided it shouldn’t be built,” Rosenthal said.

“The board of the (Islamorada) Chamber of Commerce agreed. They petitioned the former council urging them to abandon the project. The Florida Keys Scenic Alliance also opposed, saying it didn’t fit the character of the scenic highway.”

But FDOT kept the subject of a pedestrian bridge at Founders Park on a spreadsheet of transportation issues, according to Bassett. By August 2017, FDOT recommended to then-mayor Jim Mooney a pedestrian bridge with elevators.

“They were still considering the project in March and April of 2017,” she said. “It’s possible the 2016 report wasn’t a final determination for whatever reason.”

11

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

Councilman David Webb said the technical memorandum in 2017 didn’t come with any study to support their switch in favor of the project. He said a significant amount of resources was expended by a state agency that used its own protocols for a project they initially believed wasn’t warranted.

“This seems to be a horrible policy decision,” he said.

Twenty-two residents joined the meeting via Zoom, with a majority voicing opposition. Bob Lodge, a 40-plus-year resident, said a traffic light by the fire station should be looked at.

“You can convert that to a red light to let people cross, which makes sense,” he said. “Where people do park on the Old Road next to the trailer park, they’re not going to be walking down to some crosswalk. They’re going to walk across the street when traffic breaks.”

Joe Roth, an Islamorada Chamber of Commerce board member and an Upper Keys Rotary member, said a bridge across the street will do nothing to cure the vehicular traffic problem, which exists due to the Snake Creek Bridge that goes up every hour, and the shifting of

An aerial view of the highway near Founders Park where crews have moved utilities for the Florida Department of Transportation’s pedestrian bridge project. DAVID GROSS/Keys Weekly

“It’s a big boon to traffic safety at Founders Park, I think it’s good for the community, having lived here all my life and almost being run over by Founders Park.”

— Van Cadenhead

A rendering of FDOT’s pedestrian bridge near Founders Park in Islamorada. CONTRIBUTED

two traffic lanes to one near Coral Shores High School. He, too, acknowledged that it would change the community character.

“I think we need to take a step back and take a look at this again,” he said.

Resident Van Cadenhead, who grew up in Islamorada and spoke in favor of the project, said the village will be on the hook for all the money FDOT has spent thus far.

“It’s a big boon to traffic safety at Founders Park,” he said. “I think it’s good for the community, having lived here all my life and almost being run over by Founders Park.”

Pinder said the village received 30 emails opposed to the bridge and eight emails in favor of it.

Councilman Mark Gregg said someone’s going to be unhappy no matter which way council goes. He urged on the side of caution in not going “willy nilly” and demanding things within the village’s letter.

“There could be legal consequences, and we have to bear that in mind,” he said. “It’s imperative in my view to taxpayers that we don’t have any financial responsibility, or if we do that’s minor or insignificant.”

Councilman Pete Bacheler said he expressed his opposition to the bridge during a run for office twoand-a-half years ago. He said the people who spoke against the bridge Jan. 14 were persuasive in their tones with points well taken.

“We finally got some numbers and comments from people and action by the public that we’ve been waiting for a very, very long time,” he said. “This is very nice to see and I’m very pleased with it, and I’m pleased with what citizens are saying.”

While the village prepares a letter to the governor, Bacheler said, the state “doesn’t have to listen to us.”

“They can thumb their noses to us,” he said. “We’ve got no strength or players in their game.”

Sergies Duarte, senior community outreach specialist with FDOT, said they’re aware of council’s recent action. Once FDOT receives a letter, it will be addressed appropriately, he said.

“Construction for the utility relocations is well underway and nearly complete. Construction activities related to installing the foundations for the pedestrian bridge are expected to begin within the next several weeks,” Duarte told the Weekly in a statement.

To date, FDOT has expended $1,161,848 for the pedestrian bridge project.

12

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

SARA MATTHIS

sara@keysweekly.com

SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON A look at the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines

F

or Monroe County, the vaccine is Moderna.

As of Jan. 18, almost 4,000 have been vaccinated, but only about 400 of those have had both doses of the vaccine. Those numbers are reported by the state Health Department on a dashboard and updated daily. Patients who have received one dose are guaranteed the second.

Monroe County officials are notified weekly regarding how many doses they have to distribute (see opposite page). Previously, the top health official in the Keys said the vaccines that did arrive came without notice.

In the U.S., two COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for distribution — Pfizer and Moderna. Both use “messenger RNA” which is different from traditional vaccines, which often use a weakened or dead

Target age: 16 and older Efficacy: 95% at preventing COVID-19 infection starting 7 days after second dose Efficacy with preventing severe COVID infection: n/a Doses: 2 Interval between doses: 21 days Size of dose: 30mg Storage temperature: -94º Fahrenheit, requires ultra cold storage Cost per dose: $20

version of a virus. The mRNA vaccines use a snippet of the COVID-19 virus that instructs the body to build copies of the spike protein on the virus’ surface. The human body creates antibodies that are ready to fight when confronted with an actual infection.

Besides Moderna and Pfizer, there are three other pharmaceutical companies conducting large clinical trials: AstraZeneca, Janssen and Novavax.

In the U.S., vaccine doses were purchased by the federal government and given at no cost. However, some providers charge an administration fee to inject citizens. According to the CDC, no one will be denied a vaccine if they are unable to pay the vaccine administration fee.

Here’s more information about the two vaccines:

Target age: 18 and older Efficacy: 94.1% at preventing COVID infection starting 14 days after second dose Efficacy with preventing severe COVID-19: 100% Doses: 2 Interval between doses: 28 days Size of dose: 100mg Storage temperature: -4º Fahrenheit, or regular freezer temperature Cost per dose: $33

Source: CDC, WHO, suppliers, statnews.com

13

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

VACCINE FRUSTRATION Please monitor the Keys Weekly’s daily news stories for the most up to date information on our website (keysweekly.com), in our email blast (sign up on the website on the bottom of the home page by clicking the link “subscribe to our email blast”) or our Facebook page (@theweekly).

Residents increasingly upset over lack of shots SARA MATTHIS

sara@keysweekly.com

W

here can I get a shot?

The Keys Weekly’s email inbox is testament to the public’s frustration in trying to find out who is giving the COVID-19 vaccine in the Keys and how to sign up. Local media, including this newspaper, is pushing out the information as fast as it receives it, but it’s often incomplete.

For example, the announcement Tuesday that Publix grocery stores (see page 4) would begin vaccinating at the Key West and Islamorada stores was just that.

The web address for signups wasn’t provided until 4 p.m. that day by the county’s health department.

Keys residents who have received the vaccine liken it to a difficult treasure hunt. Myra Horn of Key Largo spent three weeks, mostly on the computer, trying to secure a slot before obtaining appointments for herself and her husband from Jackson Health System on the mainland in midJanuary. It was her daily mission to boot up the computer and pull the telephone closer.

“We looked at the health department web site and called, we called Mariners Hospital. We just kept going to every website — Palm Beach County, Jackson Hospital, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic. I even called our representatives and the governor’s office,” Horn said. “I would learn when the online registries would open and log on but all the appointments would be taken.”

Horn and her husband finally obtained the vaccine at an outpatient clinic of the Jackson Health System. The couple is set to obtain

a second dose in early February.

The state Department of Health revealed on Jan. 16 that more than 40,000 residents are overdue for the second dose of the two-part vaccine.

While some Keys residents are obtaining shots on the mainland, Monroe County has reportedly received and administered 1,300 doses of the Moderna vaccine. The top official of the Monroe County Health Department has said the doses “just showed up” and said he has no idea when the county will receive more.

“When might Florida receive more? If citizens could be reassured that there will be a steady flow of vaccine that will cover everyone who wants it, I know I would not be frustrated,” said Janet Sheath in an email to the Keys Weekly. “What is frustrating is the drip, drip, of bits of information that leaves many questions unanswered causing anxiety and resulting in frantic calls swamping the health department.

The health department is shooting itself in the foot giving as little information as possible.”

Cookie Birmann of Summerland Key also wrote the Keys Weekly explaining that she and her husband are elderly and need the shot. They, too, are frustrated.

“I realize the Keys are 'far away' but we are not a different country,” Birmann wrote. “We've been trying daily to make a connection for an appointment to get our shots and are told there isn't even a system set up yet for same. That’s pretty inconsiderate and indifferent about the elderly in the Keys. What's going on?”

Attempts to book a reservation online through Publix for a vaccination were unsuccessful for Key Largo resident Barbara Cimmarusti.

She woke up at 5:30 a.m. to get in the queue for the vaccine. She waited in the queue for an hour and was later notified it was fully booked for Monroe County.

“The good news is my husband and I did get an appointment at the Marlins Stadium in Miami on Friday,” she said. “I was hoping to not have to drive to Miami, but I definitely will.”

Cindy Lewis, of Islamorada, also tried to book a reservation through Publix to obtain a vaccine. And she, too, was unsuccessful after getting online early in the morning.

“I got up at 5:30 a.m. to get on the computer,” she said. “I was sitting there waiting and refreshing the website, and it didn’t come live until 6 a.m. It said I was in the queue, and I sat there 45 mins.”

Through Jan. 18, the state of Florida is reporting that just over 1 million residents have been vaccinated on its dashboard. Of those, 100,000 have received both doses. The same site reports that 4,207 Keys residents have received a vaccination, with 260 who have received both doses. The disparity between the 1,300 doses confirmed in the Keys versus the 4,200 is due to the vaccines given at the institutional level — for example, employees of medical facilities.

That included Ocean Reef.

According to Monroe County, the Baptist Health South Florida facility in Ocean Reef received 1,200 doses.

According to one resident who did not receive a shot, the vaccine was continued on page 28

14

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

DOMESTIC TROUBLE Police intervene in county commissioner’s family dispute

mandy@keysweekly.com

WHOSE SEAT IS IT?

Carruthers’ challenge to Martinez’s election continues in court

MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

K

ey West police were called on Jan. 12 to intervene in a family dispute involving newly-elected County Commissioner Eddie Martinez and his 24-year-old stepdaughter, Natalie Guerra, who was ultimately arrested on misdemeanor battery charges.

Police arrived at 1009 Simonton St. around 11 p.m., and several people outside directed officers to a second-floor apartment that’s accessible by a rear staircase.

“We entered the apartment, there were things thrown all over the place and vomit on the staircase. We went up the stairs and spoke to a male later Identified as Eddie Martinez,” the police report states.

Martinez told officers he had gotten into an argument with his stepdaughter, who had driven down from her home in Homestead to pick up her younger sisters. Guerra told police her younger sisters had called her because their parents had been fighting for two days and the two younger girls wanted Guerra to come get them, reports state.

Guerra later told police Eddie Martinez was “kicking her mother, Maria Martinez, out,” and she had driven down with her fiance to collect all three of them. But when she arrived, Eddie and Maria Martinez were reportedly getting along better, reports state.

When Guerra arrived, she and Eddie Martinez began arguing about Guerra taking her younger sisters to Homestead. Guerra told police Eddie Martinez had “told her to get out of his house,” and then “threw a punch that missed Guerra,” according to police reports.

Guerra’s fiance then “bear-

MANDY MILES

Monroe County Commissioner Eddie Martinez says the Jan. 12 police incident involving his family was ‘nothing more than a rebellious stepchild. She did some bad things and got put in jail for it.’

hugged” Eddie Martinez from behind, pinning his arms down. Guerra said she intervened to separate her stepfather and her fiance by “smacking them away,” reports states.

Officers photographed bruises and marks left by Guerra on Eddie Martinez’s head.

Eddie Martinez told police he did not want to press charges against his stepdaughter, but Florida law enables police to make an arrest in a domestic violence situation without the victim’s consent, according to the police report.

Guerra was arrested on misdemeanor battery charges and officers alerted the Department of Children and Families to the fact that minor children had been present during the altercation.

Martinez told Keys Weekly on Jan. 15 that the incident was “nothing more than a rebellious stepchild, unfortunately. She did some bad things and got put in jail for it. That’s my only comment.”

Eddie Martinez, a Republican, narrowly defeated incumbent Democrat Heather Carruthers in the Nov. 3 election for the County Commission District 3 seat. Carruthers later filed a legal challenge that claims Martinez did not live in District 3 at the time he was elected. That challenge is still pending in court.

County Commissioner Eddie Martinez’s stepdaughter, Natalie Guerra, 24, was arrested Jan. 13 for misdemeanor battery on Martinez. MONROE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE/ Contributed

C

ounty Commissioner Eddie Martinez participated fully in the Jan. 20 commission meeting despite a legal challenge to his election still pending in the circuit court under Judge Mark Jones.

Martinez on Nov. 3 narrowly defeated former incumbent county commissioner Heather Carruthers for the District 3 seat.

Three weeks later, on Nov. 23, attorneys for Carruthers filed a lawsuit against Martinez, Supervisor of Elections Joyce Griffin and the county’s canvassing board, claiming Martinez did not live in the County Commission District 3 on Election Day, and is therefore ineligible to hold the office, according to the Florida Constitution.

The suit claims that Martinez was registered to vote using an address of 1100 Truman Ave., Key West, which is located in District 3; however, the suit claims, that address is not a residential dwelling, but rather the business address and a commercial property that houses Martinez’s land surveying business.

When contacted by the Keys Weekly in late November, Martinez said the Truman Avenue property includes a residential apartment.

“I’m shocked and saddened that she can’t accept that she lost,” Martinez said. “It’s a shame she’s wasting everyone’s time and she better stay away from investigating my family and what school my kids attend.”

“Martinez changed his address to 1009 Simonton St., Key West with the supervisor of elections on Nov. 5,” the suit claims.

Further, the complaint states that Martinez slept at the Marriott Beachside Hotel on Election Night, not at 1100 Truman Ave. The Beachside Hotel is not in District 3, but rather District 1, the lawsuit states.

“Carruthers further seeks a judgment of ouster of Martinez and a revocation of his commission as Monroe County Commissioner District 3,” the lawsuit states.

The complaint asks the court to direct Griffin and the canvassing board to “vacate the results of the Nov. 3 general election for Monroe County Commissioner District 3 and certify Carruthers as the winning candidate.”

Martinez’s attorney, Michael Halpern, on Dec. 7 filed a motion to dismiss the case, followed by a Jan. 4 memorandum in support of the dismissal, which states, according to online court records, “This court is only empowered to enter a judgment of ouster and cannot enjoin defendants Griffin and the canvassing board to vacate the certified election results.”

In addition, Halpern claims on behalf of Martinez that Carruthers’ complaint “contains 11 paragraphs which improperly plead more than one set of circumstances.”

Carruthers’ attorneys have asked Martinez to produce a series of 33 different documents, receipts or other items related to his residency on Nov. 3, including, but not limited to, Martinez’s driver’s license, all leases or rental agreements for properties at 1100 Truman Ave. and 1009 Simonton St., hotel room receipts for election night and school records of Martinez’s minor children.

A hearing took place on Jan. 5, but no further motions or documents have been filed, according to court records.

15

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

MESSAGE FROM THE SHERIFF As Monroe County Sheriff, I am extremely proud to administer the amazing Trauma Star program.

I am committed to this important program, which saves lives each and every day as we fly approximately three critical patients a day to a higher level of care. These flights preserve life, reduce suffering and ensure the best possible medical outcome for you, your family and friends.

While Trauma Star is not designed to make a profit, the program continues to pay for itself. I am proud to say that Monroe County residents and property owners fly for free as many times as they may need.

I have built the program to what it is today with two full-time air bases: One in the Middle Keys and another in the Lower Keys to ensure the services are available countywide. The program has three helicopters with one serving as a backup to ensure flight operations continue uninterrupted.

We have one of the most impressive crews anywhere based on a partnership between the Sheriff’s Office, Monroe County Fire and Rescue and the Board of County Commissioners.

Trauma Star is now averaging nearly four times the number of flights per year in comparison to other air ambulance services in the country.

You can be assured that your safety and wellbeing remains my top priority as I remain committed to you and the Keys.

Monroe County Sheriff, Rick Ramsay Download the MCSO App Today!

16

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021 JIM McCARTHY

jim@keysweekly.com

An aerial view of the College of the Florida Keys’ new Key Largo facility under construction. Located at MM 106, the Category 5 facility will open to students and faculty in August 2021. DAVID GROSS/Keys Weekly

COLLEGE CONSTRUCTION

The College of the Florida Keys’ campus in Key Largo is under construction. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly

CAMPUS EXPECTED TO WELCOME STUDENTS, STAFF LATER THIS YEAR

C

oncrete walls to a new College of the Florida Keys center stand along U.S. 1 in Key Largo as construction continues. Later this year, students and faculty will enter through the doors in what will be a new chapter for an institution that’s not only expanding its presence in the upper islands, but also extending its reach beyond the Keys.

An old commercial building, once home to the Shell World, was razed last year.

Construction then started on a two-story, 38,000-square-foot building on roughly 2 acres.

Construction crews continue to work, and College of the Florida Keys President Jonathan Gueverra said they’re planning ahead and making sure they don’t run into any stoppages.

“We already ordered fixtures and equipment for the building just to make sure we don’t run into any kind of shipping delays that we’ve all experienced since the world has gone shipping happy,” he said.

A $20 million Upper Keys Center will be one of the first structures travelers will see as they make their way into the Florida Keys. Located at MM 106, bayside, the facility will accommodate students in programs like nursing, emergency medical technician, public safety, marine environmental technology and construction apprenticeships. The Category 5 facility can also be used as an emergency operations center in the event of a storm.

“Come August, we expect to be there fully and operational,” Gueverra said.

The effort to bring a facility to the Upper Keys goes back several years, when Gueverra spoke to community clubs up and down the Keys regarding a bigger and better facility in the Upper Keys. It kicked into motion in August 2018 when the college purchased commercial property in the old Shell World.

A deal the college could afford was inked between Gueverra and owners Jim and Cyrie Waterman.

With the purchase complete and a project in motion, Gueverra said they began to eliminate what he called an “education desert for people in Key Largo.” The new facility will replace the college’s increasingly limited space at Coral Shores High School and allow the college to double its capacity to serve more than 300 students annually.

“It’s always gratifying when you have watched something take shape from sort of a visionary idea to a more tangible state, and ultimately see that vision come through,” Gueverra said.

A $16 million grant through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration was critical for the Upper Keys Center, along with several million in donations from private and public sources.

In January 2020, Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay presented Gueverra with a $100,000 check. Money came from drug-related funds.

In March 2020, the board of county commissioners voted to allocate $250,000 for the 2020 and 2021 fiscal years toward the Upper Keys Center.

“The importance of that is not just the money that we got. The importance of that was the relationship, because it says that here are individuals and entities who can and will work together,” Gueverra said.

In spite of the pandemic, the College of the Florida Keys had its highest enrollment in some eight years. Gueverra said there was a 7% to 8% increase in enrollment between 2019 and 2020. Moving into a new year, he said, that trend continues.

“If you look around at the rest of the country and state colleges within our sector, you’re hearing a lot that they’re not increasing in terms of the students they serve.

That’s not the case for us,” he said. “We’re bursting at the seams in things like nursing.

For the first time in the college’s history, we literally have to turn people away from our nursing program.”

The college plans to expand five existing programs in the Upper Keys: nursing, emergency medical technician, marine environmental technology, public safety (law enforcement and corrections academies), and apprenticeships. In addition, the college plans to develop new programs there, including: marine resource management, paramedic, pharmacy technician, phlebotomy and construction technologies.

“I suspect that when that campus is running, a couple years into it, we’ll be running pretty close to seven days a week just to keep up with demand,” Gueverra said.

17

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

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19

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

VACANT LOTS ON PLANTATION KEY TO GO THROUGH ADVISORY COMMITTEE JIM McCARTHY

jim@keysweekly.com

V

acant village-owned lots at the corner of Gardenia Street and Woods Avenue on Plantation Key await development.

Islamorada Village Council members agreed on Jan. 14 to send the matter to the Achievable Housing Committee to garner recommendations on how to move forward.

Back in May 2017, the village purchased lots at the corner of Woods Avenue and Gardenia Street through a warranty deed and payment of $393,709. Village planning staff subsequently determined that eight units of deed restricted affordable housing could be accommodated on the Woods corner lots. Council approved a resolution in October 2020 extending the reservation of those unit allocations for development of affordable and employee workforce housing.

The village also secured Gardenia Street lots for just over $1.3 million.

Village planning staff determined that nine units of deed restricted affordable housing could be accommodated, and council approved a resolution in December 2019 to reserve the allocations.

A request for proposals for housing development services for Woods corner lots commenced in January 2018. A few months later, council adopted a resolution approving an evaluation committee’s recommendation that the proposals received from Habitat for Humanity of the Upper Keys and Leben Family Limited Partnership. In July 2019, council approved a resolution approving a proposal received from Royal Crest Companies for Gardenia Street lots, but the village did not enter into any agreements with

the developer for services.

In April 2019, the village council approved a 99-year ground lease with Carysfort Homes LLC, a subsidiary of the Leben Family LLLP, to develop and finance eight workforce/affordable housing units on the Woods Corner Lots. The lease stated that if construction had not started by December 2019, the parties would enter into a termination agreement. Through a letter dated Jan. 6, 2020, Seth Lawless, the village manager at the time, terminated the lease.

Leben continued to submit a site plan and other documents for review by the planning department. Lawless directed that the Planning Department proceed with review of the site plan and other submissions, but the lease was not reinstated. Acting Village Manager Maria Bassett advised Leben that she had directed the planning department to suspend its review of the site plan and that the issue would need to be brought back to the village council for additional direction because the lease had technically been terminated and/or expired. The acting village manager did not want the developer to continue incurring review and other

“We felt the best approach is to just start over, go ahead and put out a new RFQ and try to find a specific developer potentially for both areas.”

— Maria Bassett

costs without a valid lease in place.

“In conference with Ty Harris as the development services director, we felt the best approach is to just start over, go ahead and put out a new RFQ (request for qualifications) and try to find a specific developer potentially for both areas,” Bassett said.

“Knowing we have these 300 units coming from the state for affordable housing, those are specific for rentals. Our thoughts were to suggest that we get proposals for building maybe standalone units for sale. Alternatively, certainly council could direct that we could work with the Achievable Housing Committee and go ahead and put an RFQ, but work with them and see what sort of development we would want to specify for those properties.”

Councilman David Webb said he had recommendations that council turn it back to the Achievable Housing Committee.

“I think that might be the best place to start,” he said. “These properties are already here and I agree with Maria that we should do something with them, and I think they (the committee) might help us with the best determination.”

Councilman Mark Gregg, who’s a former Achievable Housing Committee member, said they’re highly qualified and motivated.

“This is exactly the kind of job we need to task them with and give us the advice,” he said. “We don’t know if we want to have rentals, sales, attached or detached. They're the best qualified group to help us make those decisions.”

20

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021 MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

1

NEW YEAR BRINGS NEW VISION KEY WEST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INSTALLS 2021 LEADERS

T

he Key West Chamber of Commerce installed its 2021 leaders and honored local teachers at a Jan. 19 luncheon at the Marriott Beachside Hotel.

Father John Baker of the Basilica of St. Mary Star of the Sea administered the oath of office to the incoming board of directors, officers and 2021 president Suzanne Moore.

After accepting the presidential gavel from her predecessor Greg Sullivan, Moore spoke about the chamber’s evolution and growth, and how past leaders worked “to make this island one of the top destinations in the world,” but she also acknowledged that “cracks start to appear,” with the “huge growth in airlines, AirBnB, VRBO, hotels, more, more, more.”

“Some start to have different opinions, and are asking if more is better,” she said. “Our demographics show we are now a playground to older, affluent tourists who are looking for historical and cultural tourism, and we have to adapt.”

Moore pledged to set the table and invite everyone to have a seat at it.

5

“I have already met with Mayor Teri Johnston to open the doors of communication,” she said. “I have met with Paul Menta and Mark Gambuzza of Key West Mom and Pop, which represents 260 small businesses. I believe I can invite everyone to have a seat at the table so we can listen to each other in order to achieve a balance of a healthy economy and a vibrant, safe community.”

“I want to be your president,” she said. “I want to create a new table, where all parties have a seat and all parties have a say.”

2

3

1. The 2021 Key West Chamber of Commerce board.

2. Father John Baker, right, administers the oath of office to incoming president Suzanne Moore.

3. Newly installed officers of the 2021 Key West Chamber of Commerce, from left, are Patricia Neyra, Karen Sharp, Diane Gibson and Bill Lay. 4. The chamber’s education committee honors local teachers for their role in shaping the island’s youngest residents and future leaders. Teachers, from left, are Ed Smith, Dianne Russell, Tammy Orcutt, Christine Drewel and Kimberly Dawn Albury. Honored teachers who weren’t in attendance include Hillary Seeland and Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Ford.

5. The Key West Chamber welcomed several new members at its Jan. 19 installation luncheon. Pictured are Emily Lynton Smith of the Peaceable Parent, Jay Berelowitz of Palm Vista Health & Rehab, Annie Briening of Overseas Media Group and Casey Arnold of Southernmost Scavenger Hunts.

4

6

MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly

The 2021 Key West Chamber of Commerce board of directors: Joyce Benavides, Annie Briening, Joe Caso, David Clay, Travis Doll, George Fernandez, Sam Holland, Darren Horan, Melissa Kendrick, Britt Myers, Mark Rossi, Brittany Snyder, Billy Spottswood, Greg Sullivan, Lynne Tejeda and John Toppino.

6. Key West Chamber of Commerce president Suzanne Moore accepts the gavel from 2020 president Greg Sullivan.

21

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

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22

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

JIM McCARTHY

jim@keysweekly.com

Rodriguez draws key committee assignments

State Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez represents Monroe and Miami-Dade counties. CONTRIBUTED

NEW STATE SENATOR NO STRANGER TO LEGISLATURE

A

na Maria Rodriguez is no stranger to the state legislature, having served a term in the House prior to her victory on Election Night to become the next state senator for the Keys and Miami-Dade County.

Rodriguez is making a smooth transition from a 120-member state House to a Senate chamber consisting of 39 other senators. Born in Miami, she’s spent her career advocating on behalf of South Floridians as a professional and public servant. Before her election to the state House in 2018, she served on the Doral City Council for eight years. She previously worked as director of government and community relations for Baptist Health.

She also works as vice president for the Miami Association of Realtors where she advocates for policies to increase home ownership, make housing more affordable and to make communities more resilient to changes in the climate.

Committees are underway with a 60day session set to start March 2. Rodriguez will look to play a key role in Tallahassee in 2021 as she prepares to serve as chair of the Senate Finance and Tax Committee and vice chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.

Rodriguez told the Weekly she wasn’t expecting to get the chairmanship for the Finance and Tax Committee in her first year as state senator.

“I’m honored to be able to serve on such a prestigious committee,” she said. “I’m definitely up for the task to address the state’s tax and finance issues.”

With shortfalls the state has experienced from COVID, Rodriguez said one of the bigger topics legislators will confront is collecting sales tax from internet sales. In June 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states can require out-of-state sellers to collect and remit sales tax on sales to in-state consumers, even if the seller has no physical presence in the consumer’s state.

The decision allowed states to define a sale threshold, whether it be dollar amount or number of transactions, which triggered the collection requirement.

“This is something the state authorized for the last few years,” she said. “Basically it’s an honor system right now where if you make a purchase on the internet, you’re supposed to fill out a receipt through the (state) department of revenue website and pay taxes directly to the state. Honestly, I think most people don’t do it.”

Sales tax collections on internet sales could increase revenues some $700 million to $800 million, Rodriguez said.

Health and human services is usually one of the largest appropriations within the state budget. Rodriguez said expenses for testing, vaccines and other assistance to local governments will be examined in this year’s budget.

“Can I give you an exact dollar amount?

Not really. But I do know there’s been a tremendous shift, because of COVID, to things that weren’t contemplated before,” she said.

“I anticipate this portion of the budget will remain as big or obviously bigger than previous years.”

A number of bills were filed by Rodriguez, including one to strengthen rights for pregnant employees. Senate Bill 384 would make it unlawful when employers fail to make reasonable accommodations upon request for employees with a medical need

related to pregnancy. Such reasonable accommodations include more frequent or longer breaks, temporary job restructuring or temporary relief from lifting requirements.

Rodriguez said she’s also sponsoring a bill to prohibit third trimester abortions in Florida.

“I’m pro-life, so I don’t support abortion at any stage. But I don’t think we should outlaw in the first trimester, in the event of an emergency,” she said. “The third trimester should not be a consideration unless the mother’s health is at risk. That’s the only exception I would make.”

Recently, Rodriguez joined Keys leaders on a virtual call to hear some concerns going into 2021 and legislative priorities they have as state leaders gather in Tallahassee.

Affordable housing and the Sadowski Fund were among the topics, as well as sea level rise and Florida Keys Stewardship Act. “With sea level, obviously some areas are experiencing more acuity than others.

We need to try to remedy the situation in the areas where sea level rise is impacting those neighborhoods,” she said. “I know there’s a bit of septic to sewer to finish in Monroe County. Miami-Dade is another story.

They’ve got a lot of septic to sewer to finish, but Monroe is ahead of the curve having invested a lot in that. What remains to be done we need to try the funding for that.”

Rodriguez said she’s looking forward to delivering for the communities she serves.

And she’s also ready to work with her colleague in the House in new state Rep. Jim Mooney.

“The fact that we campaigned together gives us a tremendous advantage when it comes to just communicating and delivering on the goods,” she said.

23

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men. -Matthew 4:19 Join us in person or on Facebook Live @ 9:00am and 11:00 am this Sunday.

We are streaming our Daily Devotions at 8am, Compline at 9pm & Sunday Prayers at 9am on our Facebook page @stcolumbamarathon May the Peace of the Lord be always with you

WE OFFER A COMMUNITY OF PEACE, LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING.

St. Columba Episcopal Church 451 West 52nd St, Marathon Fl 305 743-6412 • www.stcolumbamarathon.org

TIMES ARE CHANGING NEWS HAPPENS FAST

City Council Luis Gonzalez, Mayor Mark Senmartin, Vice-Mayor John Bartus, Councilmember Steve Cook, Councilmember Dr. Daniel Zieg, Councilmember

City Manager George Garrett City Attorney Steve Williams

Please note that more than one Marathon City Council/Board/Committee member may participate in the meetings listed. To view the City of Marathon’s full calendar, please visit www.ci.marathon.fl.us/calendar

Code Compliance Hearing

1/21/21 • 2:00pm City Hall Council Chambers, 9805 Overseas Hwy.

Firefighter Pension Board Meeting 2/2/21 • 5:00pm Marathon Fire Rescue, 8900 Overseas Hwy.

Executive Shade Session: Rodney Shands vs. City of Marathon 2/9/21 • 4:30pm City Hall, 9805 Overseas Hwy.

City Council Meeting

2/9/21 • 5:30pm City Hall Council Chambers, 9805 Overseas Hwy.

www.keysweekly.com Sign up today for daily email blasts and breaking news.

LOCAL NEWS | LOCALLY OWNED Key West 305-453-6928 | Marathon 305-743-0844 | Tavernier 305-363-2957

Planning Commission Meeting 2/16/21 • 5:30pm City Hall Council Chambers, 9805 Overseas Hwy.

Code Compliance Hearing

2/18/21 • 2:00pm City Hall Council Chambers, 9805 Overseas Hwy. Pursuant to Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes, if a person decides to appeal any decision made by the City Council with respect to any matter considered at any meeting or workshop noted herein, he or she will need a record of the proceedings and for such purposes 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.

The City of Marathon complies with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you are a disabled person requiring special accommodations or assistance, please notify the City Attorney at (305) 289-4130 of such need at least 72 hours (3 days) in advance. 1/20/21hp

24

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

STOP THE OVERWHELMING GOAL-SETTING ADVICE

Have the confidence to follow your own path to success

H

appy New Year! I always wondered when we are supposed to stop saying Happy New Year?

When we have seen and/or greeted MELINDA we know?

VAN FLEET everyone Feb. 1?

Every year kicks Melinda Van off with the priFleet is a consultant, coach and mary content theme speaker who helps – goal-setting, sales executives intention-setting, and their teams. picking a magical More informalife-changing word, tion is at www. goodkarmasucetc. And poof! It all cesscoach.com. happens. Miraculous change! We all see this theme in everything from posts to blogs to podcasts and more.

The theme transcends for a while, sometimes into February. It takes a break and then comes back in December. Reminding us another year has passed. I am not knocking the theme, as I obviously play in the sandbox too.

However, I do like to think about goal setting from an outside perspective and take a pause. Do people stick with their goals? If so, how long? What were the goals? Or was it only one goal?

Or, do they get “advice overwhelmed?” Do these questions and thoughts run through your mind too?

I saw an article online recently about morning habits. What do you do when you get up in the morning?

The article was a successful business person sharing their morning habits.

Their morning habits are: waking up at 6 a.m., work out, shower, eat breakfast, read for an hour and then be at work by 9 a.m.

But what if those habits don’t work for you or feel good?

I have read countless articles in which the author shuns checking social media first thing when you get up. The theory is, checking social media right away may ruin your day or put you in a bad mood. I happen to check my social media right away to get it over.

Well, I go to the bathroom first. To me it’s a checklist activity, like checking our bank account. I happen to think I am still in a good mood regardless of social media. Bank account? Well ... that varies.

If it doesn’t bother me, what’s the big deal?

The older I get, the more I realize I need to do what feels good to me. I need to pay attention to what my intuition says, and within the laws of society, roll with that. If it sounds a little grey to you, you are not alone. It took me years to understand the concept. I started to realize in my 30s that my gut

(AKA intuition) was usually right about things. The things were anything from people, work situations or my husband using all the ketchup and not telling me. Truth.

Here we are, years later, and I am finally listening to and acting upon my intuition. I write about the concept of doing what feels good to you in my upcoming book, “Confidence Mastery For Couples – Roadmap to a More Intimate Relationship.” When you can start to think and then act along those lines, not only do you feel better, but you also find yourself making the right choices for you and your path. As crazy as this may sound, things tend to fall in line better for you. They work out. And often for the best possible scenario.

Of course, for the record, let’s be adults and practice some common sense. I would go down this rabbit hole, but the topic of common sense is much more than my word count allows.

I ask you to keep this in mind as you go about the new year — follow your path, whatever that may be. It’s nice to listen to all the advice out there on what time is best to work out or drink lemon water first before you have your coffee. But if you want your coffee first, drink it. Everyone’s path is different. We can all be open to listening to everyone, but the differences make us unique and special. And we are all special.

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

Clarice Yentsch speaks at the opening ceremony for an exhibit on tooth health and the mobile dental clinic that ran at Key Largo Library in Feb. 2020. CONTRIBUTED

MILES OF SMILES Mobile dental clinic celebrates community grant funding, seeks help to get across the finish line TIFFANY DUONG

F

tiffany@keysweekly.com

or more than a year, the Waypoint Foundation of Key Largo has been singularly focused on procuring a mobile dental clinic for the Florida Keys.

The effort, dubbed the “Mobile SmileMaker initiative,” received a big boost in April 2020 when the Ocean Reef Community Foundation (ORCF) awarded Waypoint a $50,000 matching grant. More recently, two grants have brought the effort even closer to the finish line: Baptist Health South Florida granted Waypoint an additional $25,000, and the PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation gave $8,500. Now, they’re asking for one final push to complete their mission.

“It's so exciting for us to be so close to our goal. It was thrilling to get the support from Baptist South Florida Foundation, Commissioned Officers and ORCF, which shows how much support we have gotten in the community,” said Christine Golia, Waypoint Foundation president. “It's also so gratifying to be working with a team of compassionate, concerned volunteers who want to make a difference for underserved children.”

The SmileMaker Initiative is spurred on through the efforts of Golia, who serves as the community focal point for the foundation; Wally Smith, the visionary dentist with mobile clinic know-how; and Clarice Yentsch, the driving force and glue behind it all.

A mobile dental clinic is similar to a blood-donation-mobile, Smith said, with the bus and dental care practi-

tioners traveling to schools to provide high quality, free dental care to kids in Monroe County. In this way, they are able to provide services to youths who don’t have access to full dental care.

Waypoint has its sights set on a used, two-chair mobile unit to be refurbished and updated. This clinic-onwheels will be run by Florida Keys Area Health Education Center Inc. (AHEC), the current provider of the local dental sealant program.

Through their efforts, and including the most recent donations, they’ve raised a whopping $94,705 out of their initial $125,000 goal. That number was Smith’s original estimate for how much

a mobile clinic might cost to procure and renovate.

Now, he thinks the figure might be closer to $150,000 to $165,000.

“COVID indeed complicated fundraising,” Yentsch said. “We held our breath that (our initiative) could outlive the challenge of COVID. Clearly priorities were reset by everyone.”

All three emphasized how funding initiatives during an economic downturn may seem counterintuitive, but that now is actually when the critical pediatric dental services provided by a mobile unit will be most needed.

“When families are struggling with an economic downturn, their need for assistance with things like dental care for children increases. Increases markedly,” Yentsch told the Keys Weekly.

Golia agreed, saying, “The economic downturn causes additional struggles for families who are already struggling. It’s more important than ever for the community to assist them, (and) particularly the children….”

A mobile clinic would also be easier to sanitize to new COVID-19 standards than an open office and would eliminate the need for travel to dental offices and parents having to take time off work to bring children in, Yentsch and Golia noted.

Smith has his eye out for a suitable unit but noted that Waypoint must first “close the gap” between existing funding resources and what is required to purchase a vehicle before he can take the next step.

He still wants the unit to be ready for the start of the 2021-22 school year.

Yentsch admitted that COVID had left her disheartened and sad, wondering if “perhaps (their) dream was a fantasy too.” The newest influx of grants and funds left her feeling “re-energized” that the SmileMaker Initiative could come to fruition.

“The good news is that we are now back on track and the finish line is within sight,” she concluded. “The next big hurdle is to come down the finish line … to complete the fundraising, locate and purchase a suitable used double operatory (mobile dental clinic) and transfer … the unit and operation to AHEC.” More info is at www.mobilesmilemaker.org.

Wally Smith and David “Wavy Davy” Adamusko hold up the 1:12 model Mobile Smilemaker. Adamusko, a volunteer for the Waypoint Foundation, designed and created the model. CONTRIBUTED

28

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

from page 13

VACCINE FRUSTRATION “We understand that this news is disconcerting and we share in our community’s disappointment and concern. We have worked tirelessly to build an infrastructure that would allow us to vaccinate our community, but are limited by vaccine supply received.”

— Georgi Pipkin, Baptist Health communications director, on news that vaccine reservations had to be canceled due to supply constraints.

T

available to the elderly of that community. he public’s frustration is matched by those in the medical community, whose main complaint is that they do not know, from week to week, how many doses are coming from the federal government.

“State health officials say the unpredictable shipments have led to chaos on the ground, including the inability to quickly use up all of the doses sent to them,” said a paper authored by Caroline Chen, Isaac Arnsdorf, and Ryan Gabrielson and published by Medscape. “The week-by-week system also makes it hard to plan for the second doses that everyone needs because they come three or four weeks after the initial dose.”

The paper also said Pfizer and Moderna, makers of the two approved vaccines, were each contracted to supply 100 million doses by the end of March. However, only 31.2 million doses were delivered as of Jan. 15. The paper stated, “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the companies will need to ramp up their pace to hit their targets.”

Baptist Health South Florida said vaccine constraints led them to suspend all first-dose vaccinations for appointments booked for Jan. 20 and later. No new appointments are being taken. Hospital officials say they are still able to fulfill all second-dose appointments.

“We have not received an allocation of first dose vaccines for this week and beyond, and the timing of any subsequent deliveries remains unclear,” Georgi Pipkin, communications director for Baptist Health, said in a statement. “We understand that this news is disconcerting and we share in our community’s disappointment and concern. We have worked tirelessly to build an infrastructure that would allow us to vaccinate our community, but are limited by vaccine supply received.”

Pipkin went on to say that Baptist Health hopes that the much-needed vaccine doses will be provided in the coming days, allowing the rescheduling of canceled appointments as soon as possible based on vaccine availability. Baptist Health has vaccinated more than 25,000 residents in the South Florida region since the rollout in mid-December.

COVID-19 TESTING THROUGH CURATIVE CONTINUES JIM McCARTHY

jim@keysweekly.com

N

o-cost COVID-19 testing through Curative continues with more than 500 tests available per day to the public at two locations in Monroe County.

Between 125 and 150 tests are being performed daily at Founders Park in Islamorada, according to Curative’s Paul Cardwell. Testing is offered seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the park, located at MM 87.

At Bernstein Park on Stock Island, around 80 tests are being performed daily. Tests are offered Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the park, located at 6751 Fifth St. Cardwell said anybody can come by and get tested. People can book an appointment at one of the two locations by visiting curative.com. Or, residents can walk up and fill out an application.

The testing startup company based in California formed earlier in the year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that spread quickly throughout the U.S. Each state received federal funding to provide COVID-19 testing, and Curative was chosen by Florida as the contractor to provide the service.

Thousands of tests have been performed by Curative in the Keys since late 2020.

“There’s only a couple that were not eligible to take the test. Most of those people have been quarantining for some time and just had no potential for any exposure during that period in the last four days,” Cardwell said.

In early January, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert to patients and health care providers of the potential risk of false results, particularly false negatives, with the Curative test. According to the FDA, risks to a patient of a false negative result include delayed or lack of supportive treatment, lack of monitoring of infected individuals and their household or other close contacts for symptoms resulting in increased risk of spread of COVID-19 within the community.

Paul Cardwell demonstrates how people show the code on their phone to an attendant to get a test through Curative at Founders Park in Islamorada. DAVID GROSS/Keys Weekly

No such reports of negative results have been seen at Curative sites in the Keys.

“We just have not heard that here in this case,” he said.

The Curative test is a RT-PCR (real-time reverse polymerase chain reaction) used to detect the virus that causes COVID-19. The test is performed by the patient, who is instructed to cough three times, then swab the inside of the mouth for 20 seconds.

The patient then seals the swab in a tube and deposits the tube’s packaging in a receptacle.

Once a person finishes the test, it’s shipped overnight to a laboratory that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Results usually come back in 24 to 48 hours. Cardwell said they experienced some issues around Christmas time.

“We had tests going on at the Hard Rock Stadium. The number of the tests were going up from hundreds to the high thousands,” he said.

Cardwell said Curative is trying to obtain a contract to vaccinate individuals. That will depend on the availability of vaccine supplies, which continue to be limited.

“We just haven’t heard yet whether we’re going to be able to get these at these sites. I know there’s a pretty big waiting list,” he said. “I call in to the health department just about every day just to check. We probably have 800 to 1,000 people asking us. We definitely don’t know.”

29

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

A LEGACY OF SERVICE Feb. 2 is the 2nd annual Pascal Weisberger Day of Service TIFFANY DUONG

tiffany@keysweekly.com

P

ascal Weisberger is fondly remembered as a 14-year-old who fervently loved the environment, the animals and the people who surrounded him. Now, through an annual day of service spearheaded by his school, Treasure Village Montessori Charter School (TVM) in Islamorada, his legacy of service lives on.

Weisberger died tragically last year, and his loss shook the Upper Keys community that he was so integrated into. On Feb. 2, which would’ve been his 15th birthday, TVM will host a Keyswide day of service in remembrance of Weis-

berger and all he stood for. “Every year, we will do this on Pascal’s birthday, as a way to remember and honor him and all that he taught us,� said TVM principal Kelly Mangel.

Last year, after the first Pascal Weisberger Day of Service, Mangel told the Keys Weekly, “I don’t think I will ever stop mourning him, but now at least I can say that I have also found ways to celebrate him.�

These acts of service inspired a movement, dubbed #PascalsWay, which spread throughout the island chain. On service days and beyond, everyone – from dolphins to teachers, boy scouts to complete strangers – does good deeds, like cleaning up the mangroves, volunteering at a local animal shelter, or serving at a food bank.

They share pictures using the hashtag on social media to galvanize a viral show of love and solidarity that honors Weisberger’s impact on his home. “I would say I am shocked, but I am not,� Mangel said of how the idea has spread. “I never met a student who touched the lives of so many as Pascal did.� “‘Pascal’s Way’ refers to having care, compassion and kindness for others, animals and the environment, which is the way that Pascal lived his life,� Ari Poholek, Weisberger’s father, told the Keys Weekly.

This year’s service day will begin with a school-orchestrated fun run at Founders Park in Islamorada, because Weisberger was a dedicated runner and Special Olympics athlete representing TVM. Students will then break off into the community to complete their good deeds. Preschoolers will clean up the beach at Founders; some students will help at Weisberger’s beloved Upper Keys Humane Society animal shelter in Key Largo; others will volunteer at the Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary in Tavernier; and the entire eighth grade class, which includes

Top: During the first annual day of service in honor of Pascal Weisberger, fellow boy scout troop members and TVM sea dragons remembered their fallen friend.

CONTRIBUTED Above: Weisberger often participated in and conducted coastline cleanups to protect the Keys. TIFFANY DUONG/Keys Weekly

some of Weisberger’s former classmates, will assist Bahia Honda park rangers with storm rebuilding and restoration work.

Throughout the day, there will be a bloodmobile outside the TVM campus in case community members want to contribute in that way. Activities will culminate at TVM’s main campus with “kindness in a pocket,� where students will be encouraged to touch base with another student they don’t normally interact with, to have a kind conversation and compliment each other. This idea springs out of Weisberger’s lasting impact on Mangel herself. “Pascal taught me patience and kindness at a whole new level.

He always found time to connect with people regardless of what he was originally doing,� Mangel explained. “We all run from place to place, and if we get stopped by someone, we say we are doing fine and ‘How are you?’ But, Pascal always took the time to completely stop and listen, because he genuinely cared about the answer.

It would catch people off guard.

Now, I try to take that time, too.�

In Weisberger’s honor, his Boy Scouts Troop 912, which is still led

by Poholek as scoutmaster, will be cleaning up Harry Harris Park from 3 to 6 p.m., and the community is invited to join them. Mangel requests that, at sunset, anyone out giving back take a picture and post it using #PascalsWay. “Pascal would be both very touched and surprised by the recognition he has received by members of the community,� Poholek said. “However, primarily he would be grateful to see so many people doing good works around the Keys, and beyond.�

To join Troop 912’s Harry Harris Park cleanup, contact Poholek at 305-879-2118 or apoholek@ gmail.com.

 Â? Â? Â

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

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KEYS HISTORY & DISCOVERY CENTER PRESENTS

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Established as a national park in 1947, the Everglades is home to more than 70 threatened or endangered species and one out of every three Floridians relies on the Everglades for their water supply. Named the River of Grass by Marjory Stoneman Douglas the same year the park was established, the effort to conserve the Everglades has been ongoing for many decades.

Join Dr. Steve Davis, The Everglades Foundation’s Vice President of Communications & Engagement as well as Senior Ecologist, as he gives an update about the Everglades and its ecology. Throughout his presentation, he will connect how Everglades restoration will ultimately benefit the health of Florida Bay and the importance of sending water south.

Wednesday, Jan. 27, 6-7 p.m.

A live virtual lecture.

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The lecture is free for members and $5 for non-members.

Advance registration is required. To register, go to www. keysdiscovery.com/lectures. This program utilizes program utilizes GoToWebinar. For more information on this platform, go to www.keysdiscovery.com./virtual-platforms.

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

1

2

KEY WEST SHUTS OUT MARATHON 5-0 PLAYERS TEST NEW PITCH WITH ARTIFICIAL TURF

T

BARRY GAUKEL/Keys Weekly For more game photos visit www.shadyPalmPhotography. com

he first event at Key West High’s new “Back Yard” was a soccer match.

Marathon traveled to Key West for the first game on the new artificial turf. Key West prevailed with a 5-0 shutout of the Dolphins. The Conchs’ freshman forward Anelson Azard put on a scoring clinic with three goals. Next up: Marathon has a home game against Everglades Prep at 4 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 22 and Key West travels to St. Thomas Aquinas on Saturday, Jan. 23 for a 3 p.m. game.

— Weekly staff report

3

1. Marathon’s Delvin Solis (14) heads the ball past Key West’s Jonathan Bahri (19).

2. Key West’s Anelson Azard (20) keeps pressure on Dolphin goalkeeper Lucas Silva. Azard had three goals for the night.

4

3. Conchs’ goalie with a shutout.

The team boasts two players in that position: Adrian Morales and Marco Davila.

4. Key West’s Anelson Azard (20) gets ready to use his head to move the ball past Marathon’s Miguel Avena (5).

5. Key West defense readies for a Marathon free kick.

5

6

6. Dolphins’ goalie Matthew Kratzert blocks a shot.

38

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

The Keys Weekly is proud to partner with Key Largo’s Ocean Studies Charter School in choosing “The Student of the Week.” Recipients are chosen on qualifications including academic standing, athletics, outstanding achievements, community involvement, individuality and fortitude. We thank our future leaders and Ocean Studies for allowing us to share in a weekly dose of school pride and for giving us a glimpse into their world.

TINASHAY CUNNINGHAM CHEERLEADING | 7TH GRADE

What do you enjoy most about being on the cheer team? I enjoy seeing all my friends, learning new dances and chants with my friends, and cheering on our school’s talented athletes.

When did you start cheering on the cheer team? I started basketball cheerleading in 6th grade. I joined because I always wanted to be part of the team when I was a little kid, and so I wanted to make that dream come true.

Describe one of your best moments in athletics. My favorite cheer moments are when we are getting ready for the games and are getting all fancy. I also loved hearing how excited the team was when we were cheering on the boys during their basketball game.

Coach Allen always says…

“Do your best, and put forward your best effort.” I always try my best after hearing this, and put all my energy towards what I’m doing.

ADELAIDE HOEFERT KINDERGARTEN Who is your all-time favorite teacher and why?

Ms. Jenn. She’s funny and nice.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I want to be a butterfly.

Because you can fly.

What is your favorite subject and why? I like to read.

What is one favorite way you like to spend your spare time? I like to read a book.

What is the best rule at school? Hand sanitizer to keep germs off the hands.

What’s your favorite food for lunch? I like green grapes.

Will you make the Keys your permanent home in the future? Why or why not? I like the water.

39

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

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41

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

BRIEFLY

KEY LARGO COMMUNITY PARK BALLFIELDS OPEN Monroe County’s Public Works and Project Management joined a few coaches and players from the Upper Keys Little League at an informal opening of the ballfields at Key Largo Park last week. KRISTEN LIVENGOOD/ Monroe County

T

he sod replacement and field refurbishment is complete at the two ballfields at Key Largo Community Park, 500 St. Croix Place. The fields reopened last week after a final walkthrough with the contractor. A few coaches and ballplayers from Upper Keys Little League joined Monroe County staff after the walkthrough for an informal reopening. Little League season is slated to begin in February.

The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners authorized an expedited process to refurbish and resod the ballfields at Harry Harris Park, MM 92.6, in Tavernier. The work on the baseball fields started a couple weeks ago and the fields are expected to reopen in mid-February with enough time for the sod to establish on the field. Friendship Park, 69 Hibiscus Lane, is also open with a playable ballfield.

— Contributed

The ballfields at Monroe County’s Key Largo Community Park are open and ready to play ball after being resodded and refurbished.

Key Largo Little League ballplayers Cam Goodwin, left, and Drake Raschein break the new field in after it was resodded and refurbished.

Free COVID rapid tests available for Key West residents and workers Residents of Key West and employees of Key West businesses will have access to no-cost COVID rapid testing, thanks to the city.

Testing will be available at community testing sites, local medical provider offices, urgent care centers, clinics, the hospital (drive-thru) and at College of the Florida Keys (drive through).

Appointments are encouraged. Locations, dates and hours may be found by going to keysahec.org and clicking on the Rapid Test link. Identification for proof of residency and/or employment is necessary.

Pigeon Key hosts reef fish ID seminar Learn about local reef fish morphology, adaptations, and how to be responsible when fishing. The program and fishing tutorial will be led at Pigeon Key on Sunday, Jan. 24 by one of the professional biologists on staff who is also a lifelong angler. There will also be a chance to explore local invertebrates in the Pigeon Key touch tank facilities and take a walking history tour.

For more information or to reserve a spot, call 860961-1982 or email Casey@ pigeonkey.net. The cost is $20 for adults and $15 for children, and a $5 discount is available for locals.

Women’s flag football takes place Jan. 22-24 The 30th Kelly McGillis International Women’s Flag Football Association Tournament (IWFFA), in Key West has been canceled, but a local tournament will take place Jan. 22-24. Event organizer Diane Beruldsen has secured the use of Bernstein Park on Stock Island for a local girls’ and women’s flag football tournament, featuring 13 teams from throughout the Keys. Age groups include girls 8 to 11, 12 to 15 and 16 and older.

Rain or shine, COVID-19 or high water, the games will go on. As always, volunteers are welcome. For information, contact Beruldsen at 305-896-8678 (cell), 305293-9315 (office), IWFFA@ IWFFA.COM, iwffa.com/ or facebook.com/IWFFA/.

U.S Coast Guard Auxiliary offers boater safety course The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 13-8 will hold a boater safety course on Jan. 30 and Feb. 6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The fee for course materials is $20.

Pre-registration is required by contacting Jim Doran at drjimdoran@gmail.com.

Please include your state of residence and phone number. The class size is limited and will fill up quickly. Those ages 12 and up can attend.

Upon successful completion of this course you will receive a certification of completion, a boating safety card and Florida State Boater Education ID card.

Most insurance companies will discount boat insurance up to 15% with this certification.

Artist to discuss role of arts On Saturday, Jan. 23, artist James Emerson will discuss the role of arts in building bridges to a better public understanding of itself. Emerson created the “Red Nun” piece at the entrance to the Crane Point Museum, which will host the seminar at 11 a.m. in the Middle Keys. There is parking available, and it is free.

The talk will be held in the outdoor amphitheater and masks are encouraged.

Anne McKee fine art auction moves online The Anne McKee Artists’ Fund fine art auction will take place Feb. 4-17 in a virtual format.

Online viewing and bidding will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 4 and close at 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 17. In-person viewing (but not buying) will be available at The Studios of Key West, 533 Eaton St., beginning Feb. 4, from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. All sales will be online. For viewing art, auction link and other information, check out mckeefund.org.

42

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

Mainstreaming

COOL STUFF

Pull out the remote, grab a drink, put on your dancing shoes and enjoy what’s trending now.

Must be nice to pardon people for a variety of infractions big and small. If we only had that kind of authority...

PRESIDENTIAL PARDONS WE WANTED BUT DIDN’T GET WATCH | ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI “One Night in Miami” is a fictional account of one incredible night where icons Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown gathered discussing their roles in the civil rights movement and cultural upheaval of the ‘60s. They gathered in a room at the Hampton House in February 1964 to celebrate Ali’s surprise title win over Sonny Liston. It’s the first feature directed by Regina King from a screenplay

by Kemp Powers, based on his stage play of the same name. Watch now on Amazon Prime.

READ | THE VANISHING HALF The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age 16, it’s not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it’s everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities.

As with her New York Times-bestselling debut “The Mothers,” Brit Bennett offers an engrossing page-turner about family and relationships that is immersive and provocative, compassionate and wise.

MUSIC | DANGEROUS Country singer Morgan Wallen burst onto the scene in 2018 with his debut album “If I Know Me,” and fans were instantly charmed. The album length alone – 30 songs – shows his willingness to buck conventional genre trends, with influences from artists as different as Jason Isbell and Diplo, proving Wallen to be as adventurous in his listening as he is in his bar escapades.

10. Joe Exotic — Offense: animal abuse & attempted murder. The world needed a “Tiger King 2” and we missed our chance for more mullets, meth and mayhem.

9. Pete Rose — Offense: bet on baseball & banned from baseball’s Hall of Fame. Rose has more hits than anyone in MLB history. Look, if Tom Brady can cheat and still be the GOAT, it’s time for MLB to get over its Pete Rose grudge.

8. Martha Stewart — Offense: obstruction of justice relating to securities fraud. More than a dozen members of Congress were caught conducting insider trading at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. And Martha Stewart is the felon?

7. Keanu Reeves — Offense: bad acting. It’s time to finally pardon Reeves for his acting skills. He’s just too cool and too likable to hate on.

6. Wile E. Coyote — Offense: habitual stalking & harassment/ domestic terrorism/possession and intent to use bomb-making materials and IEDs/attempted murder/ endangerment of a protected or endangered species. Animal DNA is a slave to instinct. So instead of villainizing this tortured creature, perhaps blame should be placed on the Acme company, which supplied an animal with bombs and illegal weaponry, and you, the viewers, for enabling Mr. Coyote’s behavior from 1966 to 1985.

5. Garth Brooks — Offense: sang “Amazing Grace” at Biden’s Inauguration. If that’s Grace, we don’t want it. (Note: we love some Garth Brooks … just not his rendition of that song).

4. That Viking Guy who stormed the Capitol — Offense: stormed the U.S. Capitol. We don’t condone what he did, but we want him set free so we can witness him raid a few other public places, such as: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Reunion Set, any Capital One commercial with Samuel Jackson and any City Commission / Council meeting that goes past 9 p.m.

3. Johnny Lawrence — Offense: bullying. If Cobra Kai has taught us anything, perhaps it was Daniel LaRusso who ignited the fires of this rivalry. After all, Daniel threw the first punch at a beach party and stole the love of Johnny’s life, Ali. And after Daniel defeated Johnny at the All Valley Karate Tournament, Johnny’s life was sent into a spiral of alcoholism and depression.

2. Harry Styles — Offense: broke up Oliva Wilde and Jason Sudekis. We want to pardon Harry Styles on behalf of Jason Sudekis — who is the coolest actor on the planet. Jason will be just fine. You’re pardoned, Harry — now kiss our ass.

1. Los Del Rio — Offense: created the song “Macarena.” In the early ’90s, Los Del Rio created Macarena, which allowed drunk people at weddings, sporting events and junior high dances to believe they could actually dance. The overplayed song became an anthem for bad dancers and horrible DJs across the globe. We move to pardon the band — only because so much bad music has been produced since. It doesn’t seem fair to single these guys out any longer.

43

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

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CONGRATULATIONS To our BUYERS & SELLERS. We hope you enjoy your new homes.

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44

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

KEYS HISTORY & DISCOVERY CENTER OFFERS ECOLOGICAL UPDATE Scientist talks Florida Bay and the Everglades

K

History of Diving Museum staffers hang a painting by a member of the Art Guild of the Purple Isles. CONTRIBUTED

MUSEUM FOCUSES ON ‘ART OF THE ABYSS’

V

isitors are invited to travel to the deepest, darkest places on the planet to discover a vibrant world of art, technology and science in the History of Diving Museum’s upcoming featured exhibit, “Art of the Abyss.” For the third consecutive year, the museum has collaborated with artists from the Art Guild of the Purple Isles and students in Monroe County to put together a fresh take on the underwater world.

The exhibit opened on Jan. 20 and will be on display through March 17. The exhibit will highlight Guild member artwork that represents the creatures of the deep and the power of the ocean world. Student artwork includes a 6-footlong, life-size sculpture of a coelacanth fish, once thought to be extinct. Other student artwork includes a glowing anglerfish and additional creatures of the deep. Stroll through the Marianas Trench to see what creatures lurk there and what technologies have been used to discover them. Visitors will be able to learn about the few people who have visited these depths and what submersibles were used to get them to the bottom of the abyss.

The exhibit is sponsored by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council. The Art Guild of the Purple Isles is also a cosponsor in the exhibit, through contributions of artwork, volunteer hours and display. More information is at agpi.us.

The History of Diving Museum is a nonprofit located in Islamorada (MM83). Exhibits and museum store are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. More information is at DivingMuseum.org.

— Contributed

eys History & Discovery Center will present “Florida Bay & the Everglades: An Ecological Update,” a live virtual lecture on Wednesday, Jan. 27, from 6 to 7 p.m., by Steven Davis of The Everglades Foundation.

Established as a national park in 1947, the Everglades is home to more than 70 threatened or endangered species, and one out of every three Floridians relies on the Everglades for their water supply. Named the River of Grass by Marjory Stoneman Douglas the same year the park was established, the effort to conserve the Everglades has been ongoing for many decades.

Davis, the Everglades Foundation’s vice president of communications & engagement as well as senior ecologist, will give an update about the Everglades and its ecology. He will connect how Everglades restoration will ultimately benefit the health of Florida Bay and the importance of sending water south.

The lecture is free for members and $5 for non-members. Registration is available at www. keysdiscovery.com/lectures. This virtual program uses GoToWebinar. More information on this platform is at www.keysdiscovery.com/virtualplatforms.

— Contributed Steven Davis.

CONTRIBUTED

45

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

CONGRATULATIONS To our BUYERS & SELLERS. We hope you enjoy your new homes.

Karen represented the Buyers & Sellers of: 431 5th Street, Key Colony Beach, FL 33051

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

A member of the franchise system of BHH Affiliates, LLC

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LUNCH & DINNER • Prime Rib • Local Lobster • Cook Your Own Catch • Great Seafood Selections

SUSHI Established in 1995, Seadog Charters specializes in reef and offshore fishing charters for its customers. It prides itself on value — clients pay $59.99 per person for a four-hour fishing trip.

“We have 40-plus years of fishing experience in the Florida Keys and we are a family owned and operated business,” said Capt. Brad Picariello.

Location: 1248 Overseas Hwy., Marathon Phone: 305-743-8255 Email: seadogoutlaw@gmail.com | outlawsptf@aol.com Web: www.seadogcharters.net

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021 A black skimmer loafs at Mallory Square. MARK HEDDEN/Keys Weekly

COUNTING ON THE BIRD COUNT

MARK HEDDEN ... is a photographer, writer, and semi-professional birdwatcher. He has lived in Key West for more than 25 years and may no longer be employable in the real world. He is also executive director of the Florida Keys Audubon Society.

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he 121st Christmas Bird Count, Key West edition, started with Ellen Westbrook and three guys named Mark (Songer, Whiteside and me) standing at the foot of White Street Pier, dividing up the island. Songer and Whiteside headed toward New Town in a car. Ellen and I kicked up the kickstands on our bikes and pedaled toward the heart of Old Town.

Most years we make a big effort to publicize the KWCBC and invite anyone who’s interested. There’s usually about two dozen of us.

But this year, you know, COVID. So we were a skeleton crew.

The goal was to keep the tradition alive and maintain consistency in the data set if you want to get all science-y about it. If it was a job, it would be punching the clock. In poker, it would be a continuation bet.

Ellen and I had talked before about doing the Old Town part of the KWCBC by bike, but it hadn’t really been feasible with a large group. Now, though, the two of us were a lean, mean, birdcounting machine, zipping along side streets, dodging traffic, never having to find a parking spot.

For weeks there’d been a peregrine falcon perched in the red-and-white steel girders of the FAA tower behind the dog park. She was there that morning, staring down, unfavorably judging all her pokey, gravity-bound inferiors.

We counted doves, pigeons, gulls, and terns by the dozens.

Granted, these were all, in fact, birds, and it was nice to see them in good numbers, but you don’t leave the house with a pair of binoculars without hoping to see something that rings your bell, even if you’re just supposed to be counting things. Only the peregrine had rung our bell so far, and we’d rushed past her to get on with things.

Indigenous Park, which is often full of songbirds, or at least white ibis, was a ghost town. Fort Zachary Taylor didn’t even have any coots in the moat. We rode the elevator to Hugh’s View, the new rooftop garden at The Studios of Key West, and sat for 20 minutes, as the sky is always interesting up there. We were rewarded with exactly one turkey vulture.

The CBC takes place around Christmas not because it’s the best time to see birds. It was created as a substitute for an event from the late 19th century called the Christmas Side Hunt, where people celebrated the holidays by dividing into teams, going out, and gunning down every bird they saw with no regard for size, scarcity, beauty or edibility. Stories abound about heaps of dead birds being left to slowly rot in the cold.

Frank Chapman, noted ornithologist of yore, had a crazy idea.

What if, instead of going out and killing every bird in sight, people just counted them? On Christmas Day in 1900, he and 26 other birders in 25 different locations went out and did just that.

A tradition was born and quickly outpaced the Christmas Side Hunt. There are now more than 2,000 count circles around the world, mostly in the Americas. Tens of thousands of people take part. It’s one of the oldest and most successful examples of broadscale citizen science, and even if it is not the birdiest time of year, it functions as an annual check-up on many bird populations. (Short version: most bird populations are not doing great.)

Almost all CBCs were minimalist affairs this year, what with the plague and birders being big believers in science and all.

Things were livelier when we reached Mallory Square. Half a dozen white-crowned pigeons sat in the scraggly trees that were somehow, in a landscaping sense, supposed to balance out all those bricks. White-crowns are easy to find here from April to November, but they’re scarce in the winter. On most CBCs we don’t see any.

They tend to be highly nervous, taking flight at the slightest human movement, but these birds were just sitting there, stoic and sedate, as if the tourists and panhandlers just below didn’t even exist.

Out on one of the concrete mooring dolphins, a flock of 95 black skimmers was loafing about. I don’t know what it is about skimmers, but they’re always a welcome sight. Even if they are just standing there. They were so welcome that Ellen and I just put down our kickstands, sat on the concrete, and watched them for a while. Part of it was the tuxedo-sharp black and white plumage and the oversized, mostly-red bill. Part of it was the way they barked and snapped at each other when they got annoyed, or how, when they want to really rest, they lay their bills out on the ground in front of them, like a dog does with its chin.

At some point they all lifted up into the air at the same time.

Maybe some raptor spooked them. Maybe it was a false alarm.

They took a turn around the harbor with their slow, languorous wingbeats and landed again, unhurried, on the concrete. Were they all landing in the same spots, surrounding themselves with the same birds, or did they mix it up? Was this order or chaos? We couldn’t really tell and they weren’t saying. But we counted them again to make sure we got it right.

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021 DRN Moving owners Derek and Jacqui Norman just started their 25th year in business. The locally owned company handles residential and commercial moves across town, country or ocean.

LIFT, LOAD, RELOCATE

DRN Moving has done the heavy lifting for 25 years MANDY MILES

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mandy@keysweekly.com

f moving was fun; if people enjoyed packing and hefting all their stuff, often into some reluctant friend’s pickup truck, Derek Norman’s DRN Moving company wouldn’t be starting its 25th year.

Norman admits he wasn’t particularly good at geometry, but after high school, the guy realized he could pack a truck like a champ. That skill eventually led Norman to launch DRN Moving in the late 1990s.

“I realized decades ago that I just had a knack, fitting things into a truck securely and efficiently,” said Norman, who moved to Key West from Canada when he was 11. “My parents had gotten divorced and my mom had always wanted to live in the Keys, so we came down here. My mom met and married my stepfather, who was a teacher at Horace O’Bryant. And then she opened a jewelry store on Duval Street, back when the town and Duval Street looked a lot different.

“I went to Glynn Archer back when that was a school, and not City Hall.

Then I spent a few more years back up in Canada with my dad, but came back and went to Key West High School, Class of 1990.”

After high school, Norman was managing restaurants in the Lower Keys and considering going to culinary school. He also considered getting his business degree. But his main goal was to make and save money, get married, buy a house and support himself.

“I had met Jacqui, who became my wife. I was working a bunch of extra jobs trying to save money for a house,” Derek Norman said. “I was doing landscaping, cooking and then started loading and unloading Ryder rental trucks for people who were moving. I was good at it. And it paid $10 an hour, which was good news back then.”

One day, a woman who was moving homes approached Norman and

said she didn’t feel like renting a truck, packing her stuff and hauling it to the new house.

“She asked me if I would handle all that, and then charge her for the labor and truck rental,” Norman said. “That’s when I realized there was a business possibility here. As I said, if moving was fun, if people liked doing it, then I’d be out of a job.”

The Normans started DRN Moving in 1997 using rental trucks and bought their first truck in July 1998.

“I’ll admit I had no idea how to run a business, but I had some wonderful mentors around me, including accountants, mechanics and others,” said the successful business owner. He now has a staff of about 20 employees and five trucks that handle residential and commercial moves between neighborhoods, cities, states and even nations.

“When we first started, we were only authorized to do intrastate moves, meaning within Florida,” Norman said.

“We were also doing furniture and other deliveries for Sears and Pier 1 Imports.”

Now the company is authorized to handle residential and commercial moves between neighborhoods, cities, states and nations. “Now we can do it all, including military moves, which was the final piece.”

DRN Moving also offers packing services, so people can do as much or as little as they’d like when it comes to boxing things up and labeling everything, Norman said.

“It’s interesting, people seem to be doing less and less of their own labor today,” Norman said. “Especially younger people. When I was younger, I didn’t even consider using a moving company. It was all about bribing some unhappy buddies who had pickup trucks with pizza and beer. But today, more and more people are letting us do the heavy lifting, and I’m certainly not complaining.”

DRN Moving is now based on Rockland Key, where it also has warehouse space to store large crates of belongings, often for military families departing the Keys for their next assignment.

With a truckful of furniture, clothes and other items, DRN Moving driver James Nelson navigates the narrow 600 block of Angela Street to relocate the household contents.

Jermias Taylor and Matt Oestreich finish filling a DRN Moving truck with the contents of a home on Angela Street in Key West.

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

HALF MARATHON 4 MARATHON

WEEKEND RACE ATTRACTS A FIELD OF LOCALS

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ifty-seven local runners woke up early on Jan. 16 to take part in Marathon’s first half-marathon and 10k race that also traversed Key Colony Beach. The race started and ended in the parking lot of Beall’s Outlet in front of Keys Strength and Conditioning gym and included professional details like a uniformed deputy to ensure racers could cross the highway safely, portapotties and hydration stations. Organized by Lara Rutskin-Martin, founder of the Hapynkeys running group, and Terri Swanson, the race was dreamed up and executed quickly — in just two weeks — with the help of a dozen sponsoring businesses. All involved agreed it was a success.

— Weekly staff report

TOP FINISHERS HALF MARATHON, FEMALE Terri Swanson, 1:50:22 Amy Bradshaw, 1:58:09 Elizabeth Love, 1:58:45 HALF MARATHON, MALE Christopher Shultz, 1:50:33 Javier Reyes, 2:02:14 Scott Ray, 2:21:59 10K, FEMALE Nicole Charnock, 53:20 Abby Taute, 53:25 Amber Klein, 53:33 10K, MALE Bucky Wile, 40:50 Pedro Zapata, 42:09, Anthony Kelhower, 42:19

YENI TRUJILLO/Matie Photography

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021 By: Tiffany Duong and Jimmy McCarthy

NEW INK FOR A RESTORED REEF LOCAL TATTOO SHOPS RAISE OVER $3.3K FOR I.CARE

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1. A mischievous octopus holding flowers and a compass was one of the more popular flash designs benefitting I.CARE available at Doc’s Tattooz in Marathon. ALLEN MERTSOCK/Contributed 2. Doc’s tattoo artist Tony Napoli designed this piece for a long-time customer who wanted to partake in the I.CARE flash benefit with an original design, a shark above coral stands holding a sign saying “I Love Humans.”

TONY NAPOLI/Contributed 3. Whale shark tattoo that South of Heaven artist Cassandra Clark drew to benefit I.CARE. CASSANDRA CLARK/ Contributed

4. A coral and wave tattoo drawn by Cassandra Clark from South of Heaven in Key Largo. CASSANDRA CLARK/ Contributed 5. A turtle tattoo drawn by Cassandra Clark to benefit the coral effort through I.CARE. CASSANDRA CLARK/ Contributed 6. I.CARE founders Mike Goldberg and Kylie Smith celebrate the first transplanting dives for the new coral restoration non-profit. CONTRIBUTED

“T

attoos 4 Corals” is not a phrase you hear every day, but for two Keys tattoo shops and one deserving non-profit, that was what December was all about.

Avid diver and tattoo artist Cassandra Clark of South of Heaven Tattoo Shop in Key Largo joined forces with Allen Mertsock and Tony Napoli of Doc’s Tattooz in Marathon to raise funds for I.CARE, a local nonprofit aimed at restoring Islamorada’s reefs.

Both shops had “flash sheet” tattoos available to customers, often of favorite and whimsical reef critters. Fifty percent of proceeds from such tattoos were donated to I.CARE for the entire month of December, and both shops ended up raising $3,350.

“I am so proud to announce our first #tattoos4corals event was a huge success,” Clark announced on Facebook with the grand total raised. “Together we can rebuild and restore our coral reefs as a community.”

Clark told the Weekly she drew 17 tattoos, at a cost ranging from $100 to $400.

From reef scenes to whale sharks, she drew a wide variety of designs on locals and tourists.

“I had people who drove up from Key West. I had people who came from Miami and Homestead. It was a very vast array of people who were locals, tourists and those who even lived on the mainland and heard about it,” she said.

All-in-all, Clark said the fundraiser sends a positive message throughout the community that tattoo artists are helping to restore the reef.

“A lot of people who have come in and seen it said, ‘It’s a great idea, what can I do to help?’” she said.

Mertsock echoed Clark’s sentiments, saying, “It went really good. Great actually. We had a lot of people calling and it worked.”

The Doc’s owner estimated that his shop did 12 pieces for the fundraising effort, with his favorite being a shark above coral holding a sign saying “I love humans” that Napoli designed for a longtime customer. Lighthouses, a mainstay of life on the water in the Keys, were also really popular, as were octopus tentacles wrapped around a compass and flowers.

Kylie Smith, lead scientist and cofounder at I.CARE, was “blown away” by everyone who got a tattoo to support her organization, including many local residents and business owners she’d never met.

“We are so grateful to everyone that participated, especially the talented artists that donated 50% of their profits to support us,” she said. “We know this is a challenging time for so many and we are grateful for the continued support.”

The funds will jumpstart conservation actions and careers, provide necessary supplies for transplanting corals and supporting I.CARE’s new intern program, Smith said. The next step for the non-profit is to finalize a transplanting schedule with local dive shops, currently planned for mid-March.

Smith emphasized how the community effort showcases just how everything and everyone is connected.

“We are doing this work to restore the reef community, the work is being done by members of this community, and the work will help support future generations of the Islamorada community. We are all connected to the reef, directly or indirectly, and it has been amazing to have so much support for these restoration efforts. It gives me so much hope for our future.”

“I would totally do a tattoo benefit again. We’re already talking about it and tossing ideas around,” Mertsock told the Weekly. “We all should make sure we take care of the land that takes care of us and remember why we’re down here in the Keys. People should help all these places that are trying to conserve the beauty of nature.”

Those wishing to visit South of Heaven for a tattoo to support I.CARE can stop in and ask.

“We’re more than willing to do it,” Clark said.

Along with tattoos she drew for I.CARE, sales from jewelry she crafted are also going to support the reef effort.

Through Jellyfish Daydreams Art, Clark raised just over $207.

For more information on I.CARE or to participate and donate, visit icareaboutcoral.org.

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

Sunrise at Coco Plum Beach in Marathon. DANIEL EIDSMOE/Contributed

It’s going to be a good year here in the Keys. JO-ANNA MARY/Contributed For her 42nd birthday, Jeni Oechsle explored waterfalls in central New York that she didn’t even know existed and looks forward to new adventures in 2021. JANET OECHSLE/ Contributed

A little field trip to see the flamingo hanging out in the lower Keys.

Starting the New Year in the pink.

BARBARA OVERTON/Contributed

Wildlife in Paradise: Momma and her young fawn. CRYSTAL GUTIERREZ/ Contributed New year, new growth. Overgrown bougainvillea on Ashe Street. BRIANNA GANGI/Contributed

New days in Key West start out so stunning that even the dogs have to stop and stare. My husky “Dakota” on the Ocean Walk at Sunrise. JIM KRYSIAK/Contributed

A new hiding place for this toad.

Relaxing reptiles. MAXINE DALE MAS/ Contributed

TIFFANY DUONG

tiffany@keysweekly.com

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ur theme for JANUARY is FRESH STARTS. Send us your favorite interpretation of a fresh start, whether that’s a new haircut, a snapshot of you at the gym, a new pet, or your first day back at work. If you’re ready for FEBRUARY, our theme is LOVE ON THE ROCK. We want to know about what love is like in our islands (the good, the bad and the funny), so send us pictures of you self-quarantining on a Saturday night, your favorite selfie with your honey/kids/pets,

the last time you went dancing at Hog Heaven, or “girls night out” in Key West. Love hurts and love heals — let’s celebrate together!

Photos, captions and photo credit can be emailed to tiffany@keysweekly.com.

Rules, schmules: • All photos must be original work and feature something or someone related to the Keys.

• Photos can be images that have been published before.

• No third party may own or control any materials the photo contains, and the photo must not infringe upon the trademark, copyright, moral rights, intellectual rights, or rights of privacy of any entity or person.

• Any person agrees, by submitting photos, that photos submitted can be used by the Keys Weekly for any and all purposes, including but not limited to advertising, charity work, sales, future editorial, print in the newspapers or online or on social media posts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and any other social media platforms as may come about.

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

WHAT THE STARS HAVE IN STORE Greetings and salutations, star children. If the new year has felt more like a stubborn hangover than a fresh start, fear not.

Aquarius season is here to baptize us in the water of its weirdness. Aquarius energy is all about shifting structures, questioning norms and moving in a humanist direction. We all want better, but Aquarius season reminds us that better rarely comes easily. The danger of its energy lies in prioritizing global change over immediate intimacy, or believing one can exist without the other. We are all the sum of our daily interactions and exchanges, so what are yours communicating to and for the world at large?

is a middle child and Taurus Fire Tiger named after a stigmatic saint.

She divides her time and affections between New Orleans and Key West.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20 to Feb. 18 The work of Nobel Prize-winning writer and fellow Aquarius, Olga Tokarczuk, is described as “inspired by maps and a perspective from above, which tends to make her microcosmos a mirror of macrocosmos.” The same vantage should feel familiar to you, water bearer. In the coming weeks, I hope the space between what you see and what you feel grows closer and you are able to see the map and mechanisms of your own heart with distanced clarity.

Notable Aquarius: Flo Kennedy / Feb. 11, 1916 PISCES Feb. 19 to March 20 A prize Pisces in my life recently passed on the following relationship wisdom: “There is no one-way liberation. If you are trapped or feeling trapped, so too is the person you perceive as your captor.” Get free, baby, and by liberating yourself, you’ll double your dividends by emancipating whoever has been sharing your emotional prison.

You’re the key and the cage.

Notable Pisces: Alan Rickman / Feb. 21, 1946

ARIES March 21 to April 19 The sun’s movement into Aquarius activates your 11th house of friendship and teamwork. This is an excellent time to collaborate with others for the common goal of the common good. On a separate but related note, the illumination of the 11th house asks you to consider what kind of friend you are and how generous of a collaborator you are capable of being. Remember, winning is not nearly as important as evolving.

Notable Aries: Dorothy Allison / April 11, 1949 TAURUS April 20 to May 20 Play the long game, not the quick war, Taurus. Current planetary placements favor acting rashly rather than rationally. Spite may well be your favorite spice but pause, please, to consider whom you are punishing by allowing emotion to overrule you. Don’t poison the well while you are still drinking from it.

Notable Taurus: Stevie Wonder / May 13, 1950 GEMINI May 21 to June 20 It’s the season of strange shores and outrageous schemes for you, Gemini. You will be drawn toward places and people you’ve never thought attainable, and opportunities you’ve never thought possible. Jupiter, benevolent celestial body that it is, has arrived to convince you that you can have everything you’ve ever dreamed.

A word of caution: Perhaps you’re failing to dream to the degree that you need to. If you think small, you will fail to fit in the vastness that awaits you.

Notable Gemini: William Butler Yeats / June 13, 1865 CANCER June 21 to July 22 Your energy intensifies in the last two weeks of this month, Cancer. Your claws feel less like

emotional tuning forks and more like lightning rods. You’ll likely feel emboldened, as if you can’t quite keep what you have inside.

I wholly support your freedom of speech and expression of self, but I caution you to think twice before speaking and thrice before acting in any and all group situations.

You want to be seen and heard as a collected human not a raging bull(y).

Notable Cancer: M.I.A. / July 18, 1975 LEO July 23 to Aug. 22 Poet T.S. Eliot wrote, “What we know of other people is only our memory of the moments during which we knew them. And they have changed since then. We must remember that at every meeting we are meeting a stranger.” Consider this wisdom in the weeks ahead, forgive what you can and greet everyone you meet, stranger or otherwise, with the grace of a clean slate and new possibility.

Notable Leo: Jackie Kennedy / July 28, 1929 VIRGO Aug. 23 to Sept. 22 An unforeseen opportunity will soon present itself. To claim it, you will have to act fast and throw a generous amount of caution to the wind. I can’t tell you to jump or to stand still, I only ask you to consider this question when making your choice: Are you escaping or are you expanding?

Notable Virgo: Iris Apfel / Aug. 29, 1921 LIBRA Sept. 23 to Oct. 22 It’s been said that we are all composed of four rooms: physical, emotional, spiritual and mental.

To live fully and know ourselves wholly we have to visit each room every day. Imagine you were asked to give a home tour of your own interior, Libra. Is there an empty room, a cluttered room,

a locked room? Take stock, tent for termites, sage for the soul and clean the windows so you might see yourself and let yourself be seen.

Notable Libra: Elmore Leonard / Oct. 11, 1925 SCORPIO Oct. 23 to Nov. 21 The feminine is at the forefront for you in the weeks ahead, Scorpio. Your mother or mother figure could play a role in how your life is developing. Alternatively, this may be a crucial life moment when you are finally able to mother yourself in a way you’ve always needed.

Tend to your vulnerabilities, starve your fears and nourish your self.

Notable Scorpio: Grace Slick / Oct. 30, 1939 SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22 to Dec. 21 Action planet Mars is joining forces with Uranus, the planet of sudden, profound change. This union takes up residence in your sixth house of self-improvement and service. You can do it all, Sagittarius, but at what cost to your physical and mental health? Practice pacing yourself and delegating responsibility to people willing to help. As the resident gambler of the zodiac, what could be more thrilling than a trust fall?

Notable Sagittarius: Yolandi Visser / Dec. 1, 1984 CAPRICORN Dec. 22 to Jan. 19 Are your finances in need of course correction, Capricorn?

Are you overspending and under saving? Consider the stern Swedish adage, “He who buys what he does not need steals from himself.” Putting a stop to this karmic thievery might require, gulp, help.

Reach out to a trusted friend or professional. It may be accountability more than advice that irons your dollars and sets you straight.

Notable Capricorn: Aristotle Onassis / Jan. 15, 1906

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

UNIMPEACHABLE FAVORITES THREE BRAND NEW RELEASES THAT WILL WIN YOU OVER IN A LANDSLIDE

... a reader and now a writer, has hundreds of book reviews at: www. readingandeating.com. For questions and comments, email karen@newfield. org.

FAYE, FARAWAY

By Helen Fisher Faye and Eddie share a quiet life and happy home with two little girls they adore. As Eddie prepares to train as a vicar, Faye is terribly worried whether she can live up to her wifely duties. Faye lost her mum as a young girl and was adopted by an older couple. Although she had a lovely childhood, Faye has always longed for the mother she can hardly remember. While cleaning out the attic she discovers a box she recognizes from an old photograph. Faye climbs into the box to avoid stepping on glass and her life is transported to another time. Faye awakens in 1977, in the yard of her childhood home, her mum Jeanie in the kitchen and her younger self nearby. This terrifying leap leads Faye down a path of discovery she never imagined possible. She can finally get to know the woman she has yearned for all these years. Maybe she can change the trajectory of their lives. Love and a little bit of faith in time travel is all you need to go back to the future.

BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME

By Julia Claiborne Johnson In the 1930s, Reno, Nevada was a symbol of hope for women looking for a quickie divorce. Remain in Reno for six weeks and the judge would grant you residency and divorce with assembly-line efficiency. No better place to stay than the Flying Leap Ranch, run with Margaret’s military precision and handsome cowboys to wait on you hand and foot. We meet Nina, a St. Louis heiress, back for her third time, and terrified Emily fleeing San Francisco and her two-timing husband. There is Ward, a Cary Grant look-alike trying desperately not to fall in love and fellow ranch hand Sam who is everyone’s protector.

Post-depression, pre-World War II, most of America is struggling to survive, as these wealthy women search for a freedom they aren’t quite sure they want. Told in a hilarious laugh-out-loud narrative, it is easy to imagine these oddball characters in the heyday of a Hollywood setting.

THE MYSTERY OF MRS. CHRISTIE

By Marie Benedict In 1926 Agatha Christie is a 36-year-old mystery writer on the cusp of becoming a household name. Things with her husband Archie are extremely rocky and against Agatha’s wishes, they are spending the weekend apart. Late on a freezing December night, Agatha gently kisses her 7-year-old daughter Rosalind and gets behind the wheel of her fancy new car.

The following day the car is seen abandoned by a gloomy lake and Agatha is nowhere to be found.

The woman who would one day become the world’s most famous mystery writer becomes the focus of her very own 11-day mystery.

Only a few months after releasing her latest novel, Agatha has disappeared off the face of the earth, only to reappear with absolutely no memory of the time that had passed. Ingenious author Marie Benedict reimagines what might have happened during this puzzling disappearance with gripping and exquisite detail.

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

Open 7 Days a Week 5 pm-10 pm Tapas | Cocktails | Live Music 15% Locals Discount Dinner also available at our new waterfront eatery, Chicken Walk www.TavernNTown.com | 305.296.8100 Located at the Key West Marriott Beachside Hotel 3841 N Roosevelt Blvd | Key West

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KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

I HAVE A DREAM

Lessons from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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his past Monday, we remembered the contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on our National Day of Service. More than just a holiday, we remember King and honor his legacy by serving others. Now more than ever, we should — we must — consider the lessons of a life very well lived.

King inspired so many to take up the cause of civil rights and justice for all. His “I Have a Dream” speech from the March on Washington in 1963 has words that still ring with applicable truth in 2021: “So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream … one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood … my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

King inspired so many. But who inspired King?

Langston Hughes was a celebrated poet and a friend of King, who often quoted Hughes’ poems in his speeches and sermons. One of Hughes’ poems was a major inspiration for MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Titled, “I Dream A World,” its message rang true then as well as now. Here is an example: “I dream a world where all, Will know sweet freedom’s way, Where greed no longer saps the soul, Nor avarice blights our day. A world I dream where black or white, Whatever race you be, Will share the bounties of the earth, And every man is free.”

Another of King’s inspirations was Mahatma Gandhi, whose message of nonviolence resonated as America went through the dark days of the civil rights struggle. From Biography. com: “Gandhi referred to his form of nonviolence as satyagraha, meaning ‘truth-force’ or ‘love-force.’ Practicing satyagraha means a person should seek truth and love while refusing, through nonviolent resistance, to participate in something he or she believes is wrong.”

King noticed the similarities between Gandhi’s methods and his own Christian upbringing. “I came to see for the first time that the Christian doctrine of love operating through the Gandhian method of nonviolence was one of the most potent weapons available to oppressed people in

their struggle for freedom,” King wrote, adding, “The nonviolent resister not only refuses to shoot his opponent but he also refuses to hate him.”

Other thinkers and writers who inspired King is a City of Mara(in addition to thon councilthe Bible) include man. He also is Henry David Thoa musician who performs around reau, whose “Civil Disobedience” town. For more essay highlighted see johnbartus. com the obligation of people to nonviolently disobey laws they believe are unlawful. King often cited the writings of Leo Tolstoy as a major source of inspiration (Gandhi did as well).

Poet James Russell Lowell’s work “The Present Crisis” was a poem that dealt with the slavery issue back in 1845. It was quoted by King in his speeches: “Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne; Yet that scaffold sways the future, and, behind the dim unknown, Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own.”

One of Lowell’s Fireside Poet compatriots, William Cullen Bryant, taught King that, “Truth, crushed to earth, shall rise again; The eternal years of God are hers; But Error, wounded, writhes in pain, And dies among his worshipers.”

Scottish historian Thomas Carlyle, who saw truth and justice coming out of developments in history, provided another quote that King used often: “No lie can live forever.”

King’s legacy is a living one, and it rings as true today as it ever did.

As we move forward in history in the year 2021, now is a very good time to remember one more quote from King: “Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation.”

— Catch John Wednesdays at Herbie’s, Thursdays at Sparky’s Landing, Fridays on Facebook Live for the Social Distancing Concerts, and Saturday night at the Key Colony Inn. Music available wherever you get your streaming. www.facebook.com/john.bartus

SLEEP, EXERCISE AND DIET AND THEIR EFFECTS ON MENTAL HEALTH

A

fter a few contributions on healthier eating and exercise, it was a good coincidence that my wife, Mindy, found an article on how sleep, exercise and diet affect mental health, and more importantly, the order of their importance. In a study published last month in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, the authors concluded that while sleep, exercise and diet have all been associated with mental health and well-being, the most important factor was good quality sleep, then quantity of sleep, followed by … is a preventative health physiexercise and then diet. cian with Baptist The study was focused on young Health Primary adults, but I think we all can agree that it Care in Marathon. is likely applicable to all ages. We all have those days where we stayed up too late the night before … seriously, why are the college football championship and the Super Bowl on work nights and start after 8?

But I digress. What happens if we have a lifestyle of decreased sleep quality, quantity or both? The effects are pretty significant: memory, thinking and concentration problems; mood changes; accidents; increased blood pressure, weight, risk of diabetes and heart disease; decreased immunity, sex drive and balance.

What promotes better sleep quality? According to the CDC there are five things you can do right now to improve your sleep.

1. Make bedtime a consistent time, even when there is no school or work the next day.

2. Make your sleeping area conducive to sleep: dark, quiet (if you wake easily to sudden noises, like a dog bark, wind, etc, get a white noise generator and have waves, or whale sounds or whatever in the background) and comfortable temperature.

3. Turn off the electronics or put in a different room. Take a look at your phone screen, your computer, your TV. Notice there is a hint of blue to the backlight? They know how to trick your brain into thinking it is daytime.

4. No large snacks, meals, caffeine or alcohol within an hour or so of bedtime.

5. Exercise every day.

Notice the last two tips? Sleep may be the most important factor in your life, but diet and exercise significantly affect the quality and quantity of your sleep.

There you have it: sleep better and longer, exercise and eat healthy, and not only will your mental health be better but your physical health will be as well.

Have a great week, and be healthier today than you were yesterday!

Article that I used for this contribution was found on realsimple.com; research article was from the journal Frontiers in Psychology and the sleep hygiene tips were found on cdc.gov Have a health question or topic idea for the doc?

Email sara@keysweekly.com.

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

55

YOUR TALENTS ARE NEEDED! NOW HIRING: WEB EDITOR/ MARKETING SPECIALIST Keys Weekly, the only locally owned, community newspaper that covers the entire Keys, is seeking an experienced writer or marketing specialist to work with our editorial and sales teams on digital platforms including keysweekly.com, email blasts, social media channels and engagement campaigns. Work can be performed in one of three offices throughout the Keys with remote flexibility.

Our staff is passionate about the community and performs duties collaboratively. We are in need of a marketing professional or writer who is creative and organized with a high level of attention to detail to fill this full-time salaried position.

THE RIGHT PERSON WILL HAVE: • Ability to prioritize and balance multiple projects in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

• Strong writing skills and/or marketing experience.

• Excellent teamwork and collaboration skills as well as the ability to work independently.

Please send your confidential resume to: jobs@keysweekly.com.

56

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Hemingway in Key West Tours located at P.O. Box 560444, Montverde, Florida 34756, intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

By: Mark Saunders Publish: January 21, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Mark en Write Florida Keys located at 92550 Overseas Hwy, Suite 112, Tavernier, FL 33070, intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

By: Asian-Euro Enterprises LLC Publish: January 21, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Bob’s Bunz Cafe located at 81001 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL 33036, intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

By: Bob’s Bunz Inc. Publish: January 21, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Wheatons Towing gives Notice of Foreclosure of Lien and intent to sell these vehicles on 01/30/2021, 10:00 am at 101500 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037, pursuant to subsection 713.78 of the Florida Statutes. Wheatons Towing reserves the right to accept or reject any and/all bids.

2T1BU4EE4DC929001 2013 TOYOTA Publish: January 21 & 28, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Wheatons Towing gives Notice of Foreclosure of Lien and intent to sell these vehicles on 02/08/2021, 10:00 am at 101500 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037, pursuant to subsection 713.78 of the Florida Statutes. Wheatons Towing reserves the right to accept or reject any and/all bids.

1FTFW1ET5DKD87124 2013 FORD Publish: January 21 & 28, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING The Monroe County Tourist Development Council will convene on Tuesday, February 9, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at the Harvey Government Center.

Public Participation will be via Communications Media Technology (“CMT”) using a Zoom webinar platform.

Due to Covid-19 and social-distancing guidelines established by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), members of the public are to attend the meeting and participate via CMT by using the Zoom webinar or dialing in on the phone numbers provided below.

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom. us/j/81299955102 Meeting ID: 812 9995 5102

305.743.0844

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

One tap mobile +13017158592,, 81299955102# US (Washington, D.C.) +13126266799,, 81299955102# US (Chicago) Dial by your location +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington, D.C.) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) Meeting ID: 812 9995 5102 Please contact Maxine Pacini or Ammie Machan to submit written information or for additional information by writing MCTDC, 1201 White Street, Suite 102, Key West, FL 33040, by email at PaciniMaxine@monroecounty-fl.gov, or by calling (305)296-1552 between the hours of 9:00 a.m.

– 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Documents must be received no later than Friday 5:00 P.M. on February 5, 2021.

The Visit Florida Keys Corporation will also convene during this meeting.

All Tourist Development Council Meetings are open to the public and one or more County Commissioners may be in attendance.

ADA ASSISTANCE: If you are a person with a disability who needs special accommodations 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”.

Publish: January 21, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

Building Repairs 02/18/2021 Files that do not contain this subject line WILL BE REJECTED. Please note that the maximum file size that will be accepted by email is 25MB. Please plan accordingly to ensure that your bid is not rejected due to the file size. Should your bid documents exceed 25MB or otherwise be rejected or undeliverable to OMB-BIDS@ monroecounty-fl.gov, in advance of the bid opening, please email: omb-purchasing@ monroecounty-fl.gov so accommodations for delivery of your bid can be made prior to the bid opening. Please be advised that it is the bidder’s sole responsibility to ensure delivery of their bid and waiting until the bid opening to address or confirm your bid submission delivery will result in your bid being rejected.

The bid opening for this solicitation will be held virtually, via the internet, at 3:00 P.M., on February 18, 2021. You may call in by phone or internet using the following: Join Zoom Meeting https://mcbocc.zoom. us/j/4509326156 Meeting ID: 4509326156 One tap mobile: +16465189805,, 4509326156# US (New York) +16699006833,, 4509326156# US (San Jose) Dial by your location: +1 646 518 9805 US (New York) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) Publish: January 21, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

Restroom Repairs 02/16/2021 Files that do not contain this subject line WILL BE REJECTED. Please note that the maximum file size that will be accepted by email is 25MB. Please plan accordingly to ensure that your bid is not rejected due to the file size. Should your bid documents exceed 25MB or otherwise be rejected or undeliverable to OMB-BIDS@ monroecounty-fl.gov, in advance of the bid opening, please email: omb-purchasing@ monroecounty-fl.gov so accommodations for delivery of your bid can be made prior to the bid opening. Please be advised that it is the bidder’s sole responsibility to ensure delivery of their bid and waiting until the bid opening to address or confirm your bid submission delivery will result in your bid being rejected.

The bid opening for this solicitation will be held virtually, via the internet, at 3:00 P.M., on February 16, 2021. You may call in by phone or internet using the following: Join Zoom Meeting https://mcbocc.zoom. us/j/4509326156 Meeting ID: 4509326156 One tap mobile: +16465189805,, 4509326156# US (New York) +16699006833,, 4509326156# US (San Jose) Dial by your location: +1 646 518 9805 US (New York) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) Publish: January 21, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

date of service of a copy of the Notice of Administration on such person or the date that is 40 days after the date of termination of any proceeding involving the construction, admission to probate, or validity of the will or involving any other matter affecting any part of the exempt property.

Any person who may be entitled to take an elective share must file such election WITHIN THE TIME REQUIRED BY LAW, which is on or before the earlier of the date that is 6 months after the date of service of a copy of the Notice of Administration on the surviving spouse, or an attorney in fact or a guardian of the property of the surviving spouse, or the date that is 2 years after the date of the decedent’s death.

Personal Representative: MICHAEL J. GEDDES 5706 Revere Drive Olmsted, OH 44070 Attorney for Petitioner: RICHARD C. MILLS III, ESQ. Fla. Bar No. 1003321 BOGIN, MUNNS & MUNNS, P.A. 2700 NW 43rd Street, Suite C Gainesville, FL 32606 Phone: (352) 332-7688 Fax: (352) 332-7692 rmills@boginmunns.com Publish: January 14 & 21, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Thursday, February 18, 2021, at 3:00 P.M., the Monroe County Purchasing Office will receive and open sealed responses for the following: LONG KEY TRANSFER STATION BUILDING REPAIRS MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA Pursuant to F.S. § 50.0211(3) (a), all published competitive solicitation notices can be viewed at: www. floridapublicnotices.com, a searchable Statewide repository for all published legal notices. Requirements for submission and the selection criteria may be requested from DemandStar by Onvia at www. demandstar.com OR www. monroecountybids.com. The Public Record is available upon request.

In response to Covid-19, the Monroe County Purchasing Department has implemented a new electronic process for reviewing and opening sealed bids. Monroe County is committed to continuing to receive and process competitive solicitations while maintaining the health and safety of our employees and those who attend bid openings. Please do not mail or attempt to deliver in person any sealed bids. Mailed/ physically delivered bids/ proposal/responses WILL NOT be accepted.

The Monroe County Purchasing Department hereby directs that bids be submitted via email to: OMB-BIDS@monroecounty-fl. gov, no later than 3:00 P.M. on February 18, 2021. Please submit your confidential financial information in a SEPARATE EMAIL from your bid and required documents. Your subject line on both emails must read as follows: Long Key Transfer Station

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, February 16, 2021, at 3:00 P.M., the Monroe County Purchasing Office will receive and open sealed responses for the following: VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK RESTROOM REPAIRS MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA Pursuant to F.S. § 50.0211(3) (a), all published competitive solicitation notices can be viewed at: www. floridapublicnotices.com, a searchable Statewide repository for all published legal notices. Requirements for submission and the selection criteria may be requested from DemandStar by Onvia at www. demandstar.com OR www. monroecountybids.com. The Public Record is available upon request.

In response to Covid-19, the Monroe County Purchasing Department has implemented a new electronic process for reviewing and opening sealed bids. Monroe County is committed to continuing to receive and process competitive solicitations while maintaining the health and safety of our employees and those who attend bid openings. Please do not mail or attempt to deliver in person any sealed bids. Mailed/ physically delivered bids/ proposal/responses WILL NOT be accepted.

The Monroe County Purchasing Department hereby directs that bids be submitted via email to: OMB-BIDS@monroecounty-fl. gov, no later than 3:00 P.M. on February 16, 2021. Please submit your confidential financial information in a SEPARATE EMAIL from your bid and required documents. Your subject line on both emails must read as follows: Veterans Memorial Park

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, February 23, 2021, at 3:00 P.M., the Monroe County Purchasing Office will receive and open sealed responses for the following: FINANCIAL ADVISOR SERVICES, KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TERMINAL EXPANSION PROGRAM MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA Pursuant to F.S. § 50.0211(3) (a), all published competitive solicitation notices can be viewed at: www. floridapublicnotices.com, a searchable Statewide repository for all published legal notices. Requirements for submission and the selection criteria may be requested from DemandStar by Onvia at www. demandstar.com OR www. monroecountybids.com. The Public Record is available upon request.

In response to Covid-19, the Monroe County Purchasing Department has implemented a new electronic process for reviewing and opening sealed bids. Monroe County is committed to continuing to receive and process competitive solicitations while maintaining the health and safety of our employees and those who attend bid openings. Please do not mail or attempt to deliver in person any sealed bids. Mailed/ physically delivered bids/ proposal/responses WILL NOT be accepted.

The Monroe County Purchasing Department hereby directs that bids be submitted via email to: OMB-BIDS@monroecounty-fl. gov, no later than 3:00 P.M. on February 23, 2021. Please submit your confidential financial information in a SEPARATE EMAIL from your bid and required documents. Your subject line on both emails

must read as follows: Financial Advisor Services, KWIA, Terminal Expansion Program 02/23/2021 Files that do not contain this subject line WILL BE REJECTED. Please note that the maximum file size that will be accepted by email is 25MB. Please plan accordingly to ensure that your bid is not rejected due to the file size. Should your bid documents exceed 25MB or otherwise be rejected or undeliverable to OMB-BIDS@ monroecounty-fl.gov, in advance of the bid opening, please email: omb-purchasing@ monroecounty-fl.gov so accommodations for delivery of your bid can be made prior to the bid opening. Please be advised that it is the bidder’s sole responsibility to ensure delivery of their bid and waiting until the bid opening to address or confirm your bid submission delivery will result in your bid being rejected.

The bid opening for this solicitation will be held virtually, via the internet, at 3:00 P.M., on February 23, 2021. You may call in by phone or internet using the following: Join Zoom Meeting https://mcbocc.zoom. us/j/4509326156 Meeting ID: 4509326156 One tap mobile: +16465189805,, 4509326156# US (New York) +16699006833,, 4509326156# US (San Jose) Dial by your location: +1 646 518 9805 US (New York) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) Publish: January 21, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 44-2019-CP-0065 IN RE: ESTATE OF MONETTE R. TRAICHAL, Deceased.

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION The administration of the Estate of MONETTE R. TRAICHAL, Deceased, Probate Case No. 2019-CP-0065 is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Probate Division, the address of which is 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050. The estate is intestate.

The name and address of the Personal Representative, who was appointed by the court on November 26, 2019, and the Personal Representative’s attorney, are set forth below.

Any interested persons on whom a copy of the Notice of Administration is served and who challenges the qualifications of the personal representative, the venue, or the jurisdiction of the court, must file an objection with the court in the manner provided in the Florida Probate Rules and WITHIN THE TIME REQUIRED

BY LAW, which is on or before the date that is 3 months after the date of service of a copy of the Notice of Administration on that person, or those objections are forever barred.

Any person who may be entitled to exempt property under Section 732.402, Florida Statutes, will be deemed to have waived their rights to claim that property as exempt property unless a petition for determination of exempt property is filed by such persons or on their behalf WITHIN THE TIME REQUIRED BY LAW, which is on or before the later of the date that is 4 months after the

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO. 20-CP-000293-K IN RE: ESTATE OF REGLA DE LA CARIDAD RODRIGUEZ, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of REGLA DE LA CARIDAD RODRIGUEZ, deceased, whose date of death was September 21, 2020, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate 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: January 14, 2021.

Personal Representative: Barbara Creme 2750 Pierce St. Apt 12 Hollywood, FL 33020 (954) 326-0628 Attorney for Personal Representative: Alain E. Roman, Esq. The Law Office of Alain Roman, PLLC Florida Bar No. 119796

LEGAL NOTICES 8180 NW 36th Street, Suite 224 Doral, FL 33166 Phone: (305) 489-1415 alain@alainromanlaw.com Publish: January 14 & 21, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO. 20-CP-000307-K IN RE: ESTATE OF CHRISTOPHER HEMANN, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Christopher Hemann, deceased, whose date of death was November 3, 2020, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, Florida 33040. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate 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: January 14, 2021.

Personal Representative: Teresa Hemann 243 Richard Street Rochester, New York 14607 Attorney for Personal Representative: Maylene Abad Florida Bar Number: 0054399 MAYLENE ABAD LAW OFFICES 207 Key Deer Boulevard Ste. B13 BIG PINE KEY, FL 33043 Telephone: (305) 922-2367 E-Mail: maylene@maesq.com Secondary E-Mail: may6995@ aol.com Publish: January 14 & 21, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 20-CP-000121-P IN RE: ESTATE OF JOAN CHRISTINA OLITSKI, a/k/a KRISTINA OLITSKI Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of JOAN CHRISTINA OLITSKI, also known as KRISTINA OLITSKI, deceased, whose date of death was October 2, 2020; File Number 20-CP-000121-P, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88820 Overseas Highway, Plantation Key, FL 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representatives and

57

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

NOW HIRINGrs Educato

OPEN for programs MEET SEA TURTLES AT THE TURTLE HOSPITAL

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. CALL 305-743-2552 FOR RESERVATIONS. 2396 Overseas Highway Gulf, Marathon Now accepting online reservations

www.turtlehospital.org

Come Fish with Us! 8:30am - 12:30pm 1:30pm - 5:30pm

MARATHON LADY DOCKS U.S.1 at Vaca Cut Bridge Mile Marker 53, Marathon

305.743.5580

Marathon Lady • 73’ Party Boat Please make sure to call ahead for reservations and bring your face covering. Thank you!

www.MARATHONLADY.net

58

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES •

305.743.0844

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

the personal representatives’ 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 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: January 14, 2021.

Signed on this 20 day of November, 2020.

Personal Representative: CHLOE CEBEK 19 Erwin Avenue Massena, New York 13662 Personal Representative: DAPHNE CEBEK AITKEN 230 E. 11th Street, Apt. 1 New York, New York 10003 Attorney for Personal Representatives: YOSHIMI O. SMITH, ESQ. Florida Bar No. 905151 Beller Smith P.L. 2101 NW Corporate Blvd., Suite 316 Boca Raton, Florida 33431 Telephone: 561-994-4316 Email: ysmith@bellersmith.com Secondary Email: kayla@ bellersmith.com Publish: January 14 & 21, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIOD SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is: January 14, 2021.

Personal Representative: KAREN SYLVESTER 413 Hand Avenue, #11 Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 Attorney for Personal Representative: Urban J. W. Patterson, Esq. Email: ujwplaw@gmail.com Secondary Email: ujwplawfirm@ yahoo.com Florida Bar Number: 382035 Urban J. W. Patterson, P.A. P.O. Box 783 Islamorada, FL 33036 Telephone: 305-664-5065 Publish: January 14 & 21, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO. 20-CP-304-K IN RE: ESTATE OF EDWARD M GRIMM, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Edward M. Grimm, deceased, whose date of death was September 4, 2019, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate 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: January 14, 2021.

Personal Representative: David C. Grimm 7774 Tartan Hills Drive Dublin, OH 43017 Attorney for Personal Representative: Douglas E. Hoover, Esq. Fla. Bar No. 177535 6660 N. High Street 2E Worthington, OH 43085-2537 Telephone: 614-436-1001 Email: diggerhoov@aol.com Publish: January 14 & 21, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR THIRTY DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All creditors of the decedent and any other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is served within three months after the date of the first publication of this notice must file their claims with this Court WITHIN THE LATER OF THREE MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR THIRTY DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and persons having claims or demands against the decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN THREE MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS, DEMANDS AND OBJECTIONS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. The date of the first publication of this Notice is January 21, 2021.

Attorney for Personal Representative: JOHN CAMPBELL Florida Bar # 443972 CAMPBELL & MALAFY 10887 Overseas Highway Suite #201 Marathon, Florida 33050 305-743-2492 305-743-2432 (fax) Personal Representative: DONNA GREGORY Care of: CAMPBELL & MALAFY 10887 Overseas Highway Suite #201 Marathon, Florida 33050 305-743-2492 305-743-2432 (fax) Publish: January 21 & 28, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is: January 21, 2021.

Personal Representative: Ernest Maseto, Jr. 152 Sands Place Stratford, Connecticut 06615 Attorney for Personal Representative: RICHARD E. WARNER Attorney Florida Bar Number: 283134 RICHARD E. WARNER, P.A. 12221 Overseas Highway MARATHON, FL 33050 Telephone: (305) 743-6022 Fax: (305) 743-6216 E-mail: richard@rewarnerlaw. com Secondary E-Mail: pamela2@ rewarnerlaw.com Publish: January 21 & 28, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA Case No.: 2021-CA-28-K CHARLES A. CHARTRAND, individually Plaintiff, v.

JONATHAN SIDNEY POWELL, f/k/a JOHN D. CHARTRAND, individually Defendant.

AMENDED NOTICE OF ACTION TO: JONATHAN SIDNEY POWELL f/k/a JOHN D. CHARTRAND 29238 Chickasaw Street Big Pine Key, FL 33043 YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action in Partition on the following property in Monroe County, Florida: Lot 19 & 20, Block 40, PINE CREST SUBDIVISION, according to the Plat thereof, recorded in Plat Book 1, page 131, of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida.

More Commonly known as: 29238 Chickasaw St., Big Pine Key, Florida has been filed against you and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it, on David Van Loon, Esquire whose address is Highsmith & Van Loon, P.A., 3158 Northside Drive, Key West, Florida 33040 on or before the 22nd day of February 2021 and to file the original with the clerk of this court either before service on plaintiff’s attorney or immediately thereafter; otherwise, a default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint.

DATED on 1/14/2021 Kevin Madok As Clerk of the Court By: Shonta McLeod Deputy Clerk Publish: January 21 & 28 and February 4 & 11, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

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 this 22nd day of December, 2020 Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Riza Tabag Deputy Clerk Publish: December 31, 2020 and January 7, 14 & 21, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 2020-CP-131-P IN RE: ESTATE OF DAVID PIERCE BUCKWALTER, SR. Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of DAVID PIERCE BUCKWALTER, SR., deceased, whose date of death was November 21, 2020, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88820 Overseas Highway, Plantation Key, FL 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. 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 THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 21-CP-01-M DIVISION: MIDDLE KEYS IN RE: ESTATE OF JUNE OLGA SCHWARTZ, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of June Olga Schwartz, deceased, whose date of death was September 17, 2020, 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: January 14, 2021.

Personal Representative: Randi F. Newbery 3330 Crossings Court #205 Bonita Springs, FL 34134 Attorney for Personal Representative: RICHARD E. WARNER Attorney Florida Bar Number: 283134 RICHARD E. WARNER, P.A. 12221 Overseas Highway MARATHON, FL 33050 Telephone: (305) 743-6022 Fax: (305) 743-6216 E-mail: richard@rewarnerlaw. com Secondary E-Mail: pamela2@ rewarnerlaw.com Publish: January 14 & 21, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION CASE NO.: 2020-CP-072-M IN RE: ESTATE OF MARTHA J. GLEASON, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the Estate of MARTHA J. GLEASON, Deceased, whose date of death was January 26, 2020, File Number 2020-CP-072-M, is pending in the Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE NOTIFIED THAT: All persons of whom this notice is served and who have objections that challenge the validity of the will, the qualifications of the petitioner, venue, or jurisdiction of this Court are required to file their objections with this Court WITHIN THE LATER OF THREE MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 21-CP-03-M DIVISION: MIDDLE KEYS IN RE: ESTATE OF ERNEST MASETO, SR. Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Ernest Maseto, Sr., deceased, whose date of death was December 13, 2020, 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

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 20-CP-000128-P IN RE: ESTATE OF JUSTIN T. DRAKE Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Justin T, Drake, deceased, whose date of death was October 11, 2020, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88820 Overseas Highway, Plantation Key, FL 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. 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: January 21, 2021.

Personal Representative: Kerry Drake Young 1019 Silver Spring Rd. Drumore, Pennsylvania 17518 Attorney for Personal Representative: Alexander Platt Attorney Florida Bar Number: 119583 DI PIETRO PARTNERS, PLLC 901 E. LAS OLAS BLVD. Suite 202 FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33301 Telephone: (954) 712-3070 Fax: (954) 337-3824 E-Mail: service@ddpalaw.com Secondary E-Mail: paralegal@ ddpalaw.com Publish: January 21 & 28, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 16TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA Case No.: 2020-DR-795-K Division: Family ELCANA ANILUS, Petitioner, and JEAN GEORGE DANY HOE, Respondent.

NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE (NO CHILD OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT) TO: Jean George Dany Hoe Last Known Address: 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 Elcana Anilus, whose address is 6500 Maloney Avenue, Lot 16, Key West, FL 33040, on or before January 31, 2021, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition.

The action is asking the court to decide how the following real or personal property should be divided: NONE Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. You may review these documents upon request.

You must keep the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office notified of your current address.

(You may file Designation of Current Mailing and E-Mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915.) Future papers in

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 16TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA Case No.: 21-DR-2-K Division: Family JENNIFER LLAGOSTERA, Petitioner, and MARIO C. STEPHENS, II, Respondent.

NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE TO: Mario C. Stephens, II Last Known Address: Unknown 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 Jennifer Llagostera, whose address is 2307 Seidenberg Avenue, Key West, FL 33040, on or before February 15, 2021, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition.

The action is asking the court to decide how the following real or personal property should be divided: NONE Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. You may review these documents upon request.

You must keep the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office notified of your current address.

(You may file Designation of Current Mailing and E-Mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915.) Future papers in this lawsuit will be mailed or e-mailed to the address(es) on record at the clerk’s office.

WARNING: Rule 12.285, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, requires certain automatic disclosure of documents and information. Failure to comply can result in sanctions, including dismissal or striking of pleadings.

Dated: 1/5/2021 Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Riza Tabag Deputy Clerk Publish: January 14, 21 & 28 and February 4, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

59

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • AUTOS WANTED

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

MISC. FOR SALE

ALL YEARS! Junk or Used.

Cars - Vans - TrucksRunning or Not. $CASH$ 305-332-0483

CEI Inspector needed in Marathon, FL. Fulltime position. Must have high school diploma or equivalent and valid driver’s license. Relevant construction experience is a plus. Email resume to: Pom.Chakkaphak@wsp. com

Digital Marketing Consultant needed. Great growth opportunities.

Will train right person.

Key West Office, more at TwoOceansDigital.com/ jobs HIRED IN LESS THAN ONE WEEK!!

GE 4 burner electric Stove/Oven for sale. Black.

Located in Marathon.

Call 260-750-6479

Serve/Bartend on the ocean FT/PT Ocean front private swim club is seeking customer service oriented Server/ Bartender. Serve on pool deck, beach and/or bar lounge. Open year round, 10am-7pm daily.

Full time/Part time.

Small friendly staff. Above average hourly wage plus tips. Apply in person at Cabana Club, 425 E. Ocean Dr. Key Colony Beach or call April (305) 393-0631.

HOBBIES/COLLECT.

AUTOS FOR SALE 2007 LXR Cadillac, 14,000 miles, Silver, Located in Key West, $38,000.

Call 419-467-0788 Place your Car For Sale ad here. Only $25.00/ week for up to five lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today and Sell Your Car! 2001 XK8 Jaguar Red Convertible. 74k miles.

Excellent condition.

Located in Upper Keys. $6,000 Call 305-766-6804 SOLD IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!!

BOATS FOR SALE 1999 World Cat 27' with twin 175 Suzuki motors.

Runs good.

Dual stations. Located on Duck Key. $40,000 OBO 305-481-1316 1997 Grady White 209 Escape 21’ center console.

New custom T-top, new rub rails. Brand new electronics and switches.

2 stroke Mercury outboard. $15,000 OBO Located in Marathon.

Call 305-481-1463 Place your Boat For Sale ad here. Only $25.00/ week for up to five lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today and Sell Your Boat!

EMPLOYMENT Bookkeeper needed in Marathon. Full or parttime. Must be familiar with QuickBooks & Quicken.

Call Bob Brayman 305-395-0478 Carpenter, Laborer, Helper and Project Manager needed in Upper Keys. Must pass background check, have valid driver's license and transportation.

Call 305-852-3002 City of Marathon - Job O p e n i n g : Street Maintenance.

EOE, FULL BENEFITS www.ci.marathon.fl.us CDL Driver needed.

Minimum 2 years experience. Call 305248-6149 to apply.

Boat rental company in Marathon needs mechanic with knowledge of outboard motors Call 305-481-7006 Come Join Our Family and Have Fun At Work!

Hiring: Host, Hostess & Servers - Full &/or parttime. AM & PM Shifts.

Apply in person at Castaway Restaurant, end of 15th Street, Oceanside, Marathon or email: lobstercrawl@gmail.com.

Place your Employment ad here. Only $25.00/week for up to five lines of copy.

Call 305-743-0844 today and get the job filled!

The Marathon Yacht Club is looking to hire a Bartender/Server. Hourly pay and guaranteed 20% gratuity. Private club – friendly atmosphere.

Tues-Sat 4p-10p.

Call 305-743-6739 to schedule an interview.

HIRED IN LESS THAN ONE WEEK!!!

Bridge Operator position available in the Snake Creek Drawbridge, located in Islamorada.

Paid training will be provided.

Payrate: $10.50/hr. Email resume to jschultz@ fdi.team or call Jeff Schultz at 708-214-0311.

HIRED TWO NEW EMPLOYEES thanks to advertising in the Keys Weekly Newspapers!!

Looking for a daycare teacher. Will get trained and certified through the daycare if needed.

Mon-Fri Full time position avail. Contact Banana Cabana Academy at banana.cabana@att. net with resume or call 305-745-1400 to schedule an interview.

HIRED IN LESS THAN ONE MONTH!!

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

Call 305-743-4578 HOUSING FOR RENT 2BR/2BA Large Apt. 10826 5th Avenue Gulf, Marathon. $1,850/month plus utilities.

F/L/S. Taking applications.

Call (305) 394-4545

For Sale: 4 brand new Arisun tires for trailer.

ST225/75D15 $350.00 Located in Marathon.

5 6 1 - 2 1 2 - 6 2 8 0 Place your Miscellaneous

Items For Sale here.

Only $25.00/week for up to five lines of copy.

Call 305-743-0844 today!

30" Maytag double-door refrigerator w/bottom drawer freezer $600.00.

30" Samsung Electric Range $300.00. Located in Marathon. 419-506-0246 SOLD IN LESS THAN ONE WEEK!!!

OFFICE SPACE

Key Largo Open Water Large 1BR/1BA Fully furnished.

Dockage available. $2,000/month includes utilities.

305-801-3157

Beautiful Office Space available for rent now on US1 in Tavernier @MM92.

Call 305-394-0530 SERVICES OFFERED

Place your Home For Rent ad here. Only $25.00/week for up to five lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today and rent your house!

HARRY HARRIS PARK, MM93, 3BR/2BA, Central Air, No Pets, Long Term Lease. $1,800/mo F/L/S Call 786-493-7829 RENTED IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!!!

Trailer For Rent 1BR/1BA 28' trailer w/slide-out. $1,200/month F/L/$600 security. Includes parking, Wi-Fi, Direct TV, water & garbage, you pay electric. No pets. No smoking.

Background check required. Come in person to view property Monday-Friday 8am5pm. 2525 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050 RENTED IN LESS THAN THREE WEEKS!!!

Long-term, 2BR/2BA Condo in Key Colony Beach.

Furnished, screened patio, includes water, sewer, basic cable and ocean accessibility. $2,000/ month Call 716-913-3576 RENTED IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!!!

MISC. FOR SALE

Marine Canvas / Costumes / Dress Making / Alterations. Located in Key West. Contact Anne 504-453-4776 Email: ashwindy99@ gmail.com Have a service someone needs? Place your ad here for only $25.00/week for up to five lines of copy.

Call 305-743-0844 today!

STORAGE SPACE Storage space located on Peter Jay Street in Marathon. 1,800 sq. ft. (2) 12X14 roll up doors. Small office with A/C. $2,400/ month 305-393-0643 YARD SALES Garage Sale Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 from 10am to 3pm at Marble Hall (next to the Post Office) on Key Colony Beach.

Place your Yard Sale ad here. Only $25.00/week for up to five lines of copy.

Call 305-743-0844 today and get your stuff sold!

305.743.0844

RETAIL MANAGER

Position immediately available for an energetic store manager.

Retail experience required, supermarket experience a plus. Duties include managing inventory, hiring, training and scheduling of store associates, facility maintenance and other duties as assigned. Reports to the General Manager. Salary based on experience. Competitive salary and benefits. Applicants must complete company application form found on-line at www.faustos.com.

Applicants may also apply in person at Fausto’s Food Palace.

1105 White Street, Key West.

DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER 58901 O/S Hwy - Grassy Key, FL Teaching... Learning... Caring Do you love dolphins, being outdoors and taking photographs?

We have the job for you! Dolphin Research Center has full-time openings for Visual Communications Staff Members (Permanent & Seasonal opportunities available). Applicants should be familiar with digital photography/videography. Benefits include medical, life, disability insurance, 401(k), paid vacation, sick & holidays.

Job description available at www.dolphins.org. E-mail cover letter, DRC application and your resume to drc-hr@dolphins.org. EOE

Meeting Notice Monroe County Land Authority The Monroe County Land Authority Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting using Communications Media Technology (CMT) in the form of a conference telephone call on January 27, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. Members of the public wishing to access the meeting should call 888-585-9008 and enter access code 177-166-577.

The meeting agenda is available online at www.monroecounty-fl.gov. For additional information or to submit written or other physical evidence for consideration at the meeting, contact Dina Gambuzza via phone at 305-295-5180; via email at gambuzza-dina@monroecounty-fl.gov; or via mail to Monroe County Land Authority, 1200 Truman Avenue, Suite 207, Key West, FL 33040.

ADA ASSISTANCE: If you are a person with a disability who needs special accommodations in order to participate in these proceedings, 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".

Absolute Auction Tuesday January 26th @ 11AM 2171 N Dixie Hwy., Pompano Beach, FL 33060 Inspection begins @ 9AM morning of sale

ONLINE & IN-PERSON BIDDING

Convection Ovens, Stainless Steel Tables, Fryers, Wine Cooler, Ranges, Electric Room Servicer Warmer, Equipment Stands, Coolers, Freezers, Revolving Toasters, Microwave, Inflatable Kayak, U/C Dishwasher, Corner Unit Dishwasher, Air-O-Steam Touch Line Combi Oven, Encore Grab & Go w/ Deli Case, Assorted Deli Cases, Warmers, Krown Cook & Hold, Ice Cream Machine, Sandwich Prep Tables, Pizza Prep Tables, Ice Tea Dispensers, Griddles, Char-Broilers, Deli Cases, Small Wares & More..

Toby Neverett Auctioneers www.neverettauctions.com 561-706-7218 * au872 ab628

60

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES 305.743.0844 • CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • •305.743.0844

NOW HIRING

FULL TIME CONSTRUCTION WORKERS Superintendents, carpenters, painters and laborers

TOP DOLLAR FOR THE RIGHT INDIVIDUALS START TOMORROW Apply in person, Dooley Construction MM 88.5 Oceanside

CoCo’s General Store

NOW HIRING: Full-time & Part-time Deli and/or Retail Sales.

Must be available on weekends.

Apply in person at 50 Coco Plum Drive, Marathon 305-743-7743

NOW HIRING! Part Time Maintenance Housekeepers for Saturday and some Sunday Call 305-587-0359 to apply.

CROSSWORD

SOLUTION

NOW HIRING EXPERIENCED PLUMBER

Service area Key Largo – Marathon Driver’s License required.

Benefits included.

305-906-1384

License # CFC057294

Royal Furniture in Marathon and Key West is looking for motivated, hardworking people to join our sales team.

COMPETITIVE PAY & BENEFITS AVAILABLE FLORIDA KEYS DIESEL - MARATHON

NOW HIRING:

Call Christopher: 305-481-1790

Diesel Technician position available.

Competitive compensation package. Experience in the marine field preferred but not necessary. Experience with Caterpillar and Cummins Marine Engines a plus.

Diesel Mechanic Assistant position available.

Looking for a motivated candidate willing to learn a new trade or expand current skills. Company willing to train.

Qualified applicants please call 305-289-2070 or email resume to neil@allkeysdiesel.com . Drug Free and valid Drivers License a must.

www.RoyalFurnitureAndDesign.com

OPEN POSITIONS: Mariner’s Hospital - Tavernier: Pool Physical Therapist, Physical Therapy, Per-Diem, Shift Varies Clinical Partner 1, Multispec Acute Care Ctr, FT, 7P-7:30A Licensed Electrician, Facility Operations, FT, 8A-4:30P Medical Technologist 2, Laboratory, FT, Shift Varies Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, Ultrasound, FT, 7:30A-4P Registered Nurse, Emergency Department, PT, 7P-7:30A Sr Phlebotomist, Laboratory, FT, Shift Varies Sr Phlebotomist, Laboratory, Per-Diem, Shift Varies Security Officer 2, Security/Safety, FT, Shift Varies

Fishermen’s Community Hospital – Marathon: Biomedical Technician 2, Bio-Medical Engineering, FT, 8A-4:30P First Cook, Dietary, Part Time, Shift Varies

Royal Furniture in Marathon and Key West is looking for a motivated, hardworking store manager.

COMPETITIVE PAY & BENEFITS AVAILABLE Call Christopher: 305-481-1790

Medical Technologist 2, Laboratory-Administration, FT, 6A-6:30P Up To $10,000 Sign-On Bonus Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, Radiology, FT, 8A-4:30P Radiology Technologist 1, Radiology-Diagnostic, Per-Diem, Shift Varies Security Officer 2, Security/Safety, Per-Diem, Shift Varies

786-243-8507 Apply at careers.baptisthealth.net

www.RoyalFurnitureAndDesign.com

61

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC && LEGAL NOTICES • • 305.743.0844 • CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC LEGAL NOTICES 305.743.0844 The Guidance/Care Center, Inc. a division of

“Uplifting the human spirit since 1973”

THE GUIDANCE/CARE CENTER, Inc.

NOW HIRING RESTAURANT HOST SERVERS BARTENDERS FOOD RUNNER PUBLIC AREA ATTENDANT LAUNDRY ATTENDANT ROOM ATTENDANTS BELLMEN LINE COOK SOUS CHEF BAKER

IS HIRING! KEY LARGO

Case Manager (Children) Client Advocate

KEY WEST

Prevention Specialist Case Manager (Forensic, Adult) Substance Abuse Counselor Behavioral Health Counselor (Children) Behavioral Health Therapist (Adult) FL LCSW,LMHC, LMFT Crisis Counselor

MARATHON

Behavioral Health Counselor Behavioral Health Therapist (Children) RNs and LPNs (3 shifts) (PT/FT & per diem) Engagement Specialist (Suicide Prevention) Peer Support Specialist Drop In Technician (PT) *Assisted Living Direct Care Worker (PT/FT) *Behavioral Health Technicians (3 shifts) (PT/FT & per diem) *Night Monitor (FREE HOUSING!!!!)

bungalowskeylargo.com/careers

*No experience necessary. Will train.

A caring heart & helpful hands required.

Ability to work some evening or weekend shifts a plus.

If you’ve wanted to get into the medical field but don’t have the education, this is the job for you!

Bungalows Key Largo is an EOE

Background and drug screen req.

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

APPLY AT:

THEME: FAMOUS DUOS

MARATHON GARBAGE SERVICE We are now hiring for the following positions:

Diesel Mechanic Truck Helpers CDL Drivers Applicants must apply in person to be considered.

4290 Overseas Hwy, Marathon

SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS NEEDED! Monroe County School District

Salary $17.15 – $24.15/hour Key West, Sugarloaf, Marathon and Upper Keys (4 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

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.

ACROSS 1. *Timothy Q. Mouse’s friend, in Disney classic 6. River in Germany 9. Bridle parts 13. Whatsoever 14. Like tuna tartare 15. Forearm bones 16. Plural of #3 Down 17. Hardware store 18. “Gladiator” setting 19. *Ferb Fletcher’s stepbrother 21. *Mr. White’s unfortunate student 23. Welcome spot for weary traveler 24. It shall, for short 25. Cul de ____ 28. Young herring 30. Dieter’s cuisine, for short 35. Gator’s cousin 37. French “place” 39. Chunk of iceberg 40. St. Louis monument 41. Like new TV set 43. Front of ship 44. Singular of loci 46. Additional 47. Reality TV’s Spelling 48. *Assistant to regional manager Michael Scott 50. Missing a limb 52. More, in Madrid 53. Like acne-prone skin 55. Pimple fluid 57. *Shirley’s roommate and fellow bottle-capper 61. *Rory Gilmore’s mom 65. Make an effort 66. Legal org.

68. Long stories 69. Scottish valleys 70. Doctor Dolittle, e.g.

71. *One of The Carpenters duo 72. Bone-dry 73. Opposite of WSW 74. Red or orange announcement

DOWN 1. Slightly wet 2. *Malone and Stockton of the ____ Jazz 3. Skirt length 4. Shrovetide dish 5. *Mary-Kate and Ashley 6. Geologists’ studies 7. *____ and cheese 8. Moved under the rug 9. “All ____, no bite” 10. Footnote word 11. *Amy Poehler’s comedic partner 12. Welsh alternative to Siobh·n 15. Was almost out of gas, e.g.

20. Source of indigo dye, pl.

22. “____ Be Home For Christmas” 24. In the best possible way 25. Coffee burn, e.g.

26. *Bow and ____ 27. Spherical bacteria 29. *Corona’s main squeeze?

31. What willow did 32. Read-only chip 33. Greek bazaar 34. *Clark’s fellow traveler 36. College party chant 38. Celestial bear 42. Dancer’s beat 45. Daisy dukes, e.g.

49. “Wizard of Oz” man 51. Archimedes’ exclamation 54. Furlough 56. Flower part 57. Frog delicacy 58. Wheel shaft 59. Swerve 60. European sea eagle 61. *David and Paul on the “____ Show” 62. Italian currency, pl.

63. Maple genus 64. Negative contraction 67. *Jerry’s fellow treat-maker

62

KEY WEST / MARATHON / UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / JANUARY 21, 2021

NICE GUYS FINISH FIRST SARA MATTHIS

Andy Segard of Selevel Construction is never without a smile. SARA MATTHIS/Keys Weekly

sara@keysweekly.com

LOCAL CONTRACTOR KEEPS BUSY

A

ndy Segard and his wife, Sadie, moved to Marathon 16 years ago. Since then, he’s slipped seamlessly into Marathon life, fitting in so well he seems like a natural born Conch. Segard is a contractor by trade — he formed Selevel Construction in 2014 — and worked construction all his life.

He’s a self-acknowledged workaholic who pings from one job site to another. Selevel Construction focuses mainly on concrete work — foundations, auger piles, and columns and shells. “Everything concrete,” he said. And while he says he likes working with his hands, he most enjoys the relationships he forms with his clients. “I’ve worked for a lot of people repeatedly and the Coconut Telegraph does the rest,” said Segard, who recently welcomed partner Alan Warden into the business. “We have a lot of the same values, but he’s more mechanical.”

Segard and Sadie have three children — ages ranging from 10 to 17 — who are homeschooled.

The church and the homeschool community are huge drivers in all of their lives, he said.

Here’s a little more about Andy:

Which tool can you not live without? The Leatherman. So handy.

What’s your favorite smartphone app? Notability.

What’s something most people don’t know about you? My real name is Marc with a “c.” My dad is Mark with a “k.” It got too confusing for my mom. I think it lasted a day before she broomed it.

What’s something you say every day? Unfortunately, i think it’s “bro” or “dude.” I try to catch myself.

What’s your life motto? The Golden Rule.

What was in the last Amazon box (for you) delivered to your home?

For me? I have no idea. We get stuff all the time. Water shoes, maybe; the Croc-y kind.

What’s something you do in your free time? Fishing, snorkeling and freediving. We spend time as a family on the water.

What’s your best fish story? A couple of years ago we were mahi fishing and I got hooked through the finger. But the bite was so hot, we kept fishing for like another three hours — with the hook in my finger because we couldn’t get it out. Eventually I went to Fishermen’s Hospital and donated the hook to the wall of shame. What can I say?

The bite was hot!

What’s a lesson you learned from your mom? Oh, so many things. My mom was the glue for our nuclear family. Just a rock. She’s a Godly woman and a woman of faith.

What’s your guilty pleasure? (Editor’s note: Andy is very enthusiastic about this subject!) Potatoes — mashed, baked, scalloped, hash brown, fried.

And, chips, I love chips. The Cape Cod salt and pepper chips … I can snort the whole bag. The French fries from Burdines are outstanding. I like curly fries, waffle fries. Sometimes I worry about what happens to the center of the potato when they make curly fries, that’s how much I like potatoes.

What’s the smartest thing you ever did? Marry my wife — Sadie, my lady — when we were young. We went to high school together but didn’t date then. Then she came back from college and I knew I had to close the deal fast, before she had time to change her mind about me. We never looked back.

What’s on your bucket list? Travel.

I want to go out west at some point; I’ve never been to California. I’d like to spend a summer in the Bahamas one day. And Sadie and I want to take dancing lessons, live life to the fullest.

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