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MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

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MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

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The number of New Yorkers who exchanged their New York drivers licenses for Florida credentials between September 2020 and March 2021, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. That’s a 19% increase from the same period between 2019 and 2020. New Yorkers are migrating mostly to Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

ON THE COVER Salutatorians Owen, left, and Jonathan Pitchford, right — brothers and twins — tied for the position with a grade point average of 4.593 and Valedictorian Katia Nikiforova, center, earned a 4.684 GPA. Jonathan is headed to University of Florida with a full-ride academic scholarship, while

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A nursing student from the College of the Florida Keys administers a COVID-19 vaccine to a female resident during a clinic in Key Largo in March. WEEKLY FILE PHOTO

LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT ISSUES FINAL CASE COUNT JIM McCARTHY

jim@keysweekly.com

aily reports detailing new COVID-19 cases in the Keys will no longer be issued by the Monroe County Department of Health. Those wishing to monitor new daily cases can still do so, however, by visiting the state health department’s website. A report issued May 21 marked the last case count update by the local health department to recipients who signed up to keep track of new infections. Health officials in Monroe County began monitoring new daily cases in the county on March 20, 2020 when the Keys saw its first positive case of COVID-19, in a 72-year-old female resident. The second case came three days later, involving a 54-yearold female resident. In late March of last year, local health department officials began issuing reports that specified new cases by area. The March 29, 2020 report showed 23 total cases in the Keys, with 13 cases in Key West and four in Key Largo. Deaths were tracked following the first COVID-related death on April 2 of a 55-year-old male. Not long after that, local health officials added hospitalizations to the daily report.

With cases decreasing in past months, reports went from seven days a week to five — a Monday report detailing cases over the weekend. A final report prepared by the Monroe County Department of Health on May 21 reported two new cases in Monroe County, with one in Key Largo and another in Marathon. Total cases were just over 7,000. A total of 50 residents, or 1% of all cases, have died from COVID-19. Of those, 76% were residents 65 years and older.

Residents can still monitor daily new cases in Monroe County by visiting flhealthcovid19.gov.

COVID-related hospitalizations in Monroe County total 274 since the pandemic began. That’s 4% of all cases in the county. New daily cases between May 14 and May 21 averaged around four. In a statement, the local health department acknowledged relatively low case numbers in the county — a positive rate of less than 3%. As of a May 24 report, 41,700 county residents were vaccinated. Residents can still monitor daily new cases in Monroe County by visiting flhealthcovid19.gov. The Florida Department of Health’s website offers a variety of reports, from vaccine counts to long-term care facilities with positive COVID-19 cases. With local daily reports ending, the Monroe County Department of Health said it has also returned to in-person operations and services. “This is a huge step in the right direction,” the health department said. Testing is ongoing in Monroe County through Curative, urgent cares and doctors’ offices, and vaccinations are available at pharmacies up and down the Keys. Bob Eadie, top health officer in Monroe County, said residents receiving the one-shot Johnson & Johnson or two-shot Moderna or Pfizer vaccines are “pretty good to resume normal life.” He said, however, that it’s still recommended to wear facial coverings on buses and airplanes. “The health department is still wearing masks and we require people seeking services to wear masks,” he told Islamorada council members during a May 23 meeting. “That’s to protect those not vaccinated yet whose immune systems could be compromised.” Eadie said those who aren’t vaccinated should continue to wear a mask, social distance and avoid crowds.

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

SARA MATTHIS

sara@keysweekly.com

he City of Marathon’s Planning Commission recently gave its stamp of approval for two projects in Marathon: a new 5,200-square-foot convenience store and gas station where the Circle K and boarded up Burger King are now, and a 15,200-square-foot research and education center for the Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters. The Marathon City Council will hear about both projects, and give the final yay or nay, at a future meeting. There’s also a glimmer of interest in the former Kmart store in Marathon. Floor & Decor has submitted a request to the City of Marathon for a “pre-application concept meeting,” though a date has not been set. A spokesperson for the company, headquartered in Georgia, declined to comment. Floor & Decor has multiple locations in South Florida and sells flooring as well as bathroom cabinets, sinks and shower doors.

COMMERCIAL CONCERNS Aquarium, Circle K and Floor & Decor have plans for Marathon

Circle K The Circle K Corporation has submitted plans for a large convenience store and 14 self-service fuel pumps on the east end of Marathon. The project would spread across Circle K’s current location, as well as the former Burger King that has been boarded up since Hurricane Irma in 2017. The convenience store would be constructed at the back of the Burger King lot, with the gas pumps in front. The plans show open space, or maybe a stormwater retention pond, close to the Coldwell Banker Schmitt building, with the new construction on the other, east, side of the lot. Earlier this year, the Marathon Council gave its approval for a similar convenience store and gas station — this one owned by RaceTrac — to be constructed across Overseas Highway from Marathon Community Park, where Fairway Market and other businesses like South Sea Boat Trailers are now.

Aquarium The plan for a new education and research center for the Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters is generating interest, especially among homeowners of Seawatch condominiums. The aquarium plans to build a two-story 15,200-square foot building on the land it owns between its current developed attraction and the condos, all of it fronting Vaca Cut. “This is Phase 2 of Aquarium Encounters,” said principal Ben Daughtry. “This has been a dream of mine and will increase the variety of things we can do.” Daughtry said the new space would have office space, holding tanks for live animals and space for coral restoration and propagation. It would also feature a classroom and wet lab where kids and adults can learn. “It would also give us more room to work with manatees, work that we have been doing for the past two or three years,” Daughtry said. In order to avoid disturbing the wetland environment, the aquarium has asked for a variance on the setback from 50 feet to an average of 25 feet surrounding the building it proposes to build. The city has approved similar variances for Fishermen’s Community Hospital and the Coco Plum wastewater plant. Daughtry and the board of the Seawatch Condominium Association have already been in talks. “We know what Ben wants to do and we just don’t support this activity and this structure in that location at all,” said George Conniff, president of the association. “The structure is not tiny … and it will be located 15 feet from our fence and about 55 feet from one of our towers. It will totally change the pastoral nature of our community.” Conniff said the board has questions that can’t be answered because there is no architectural plan submitted at the time of the City of Marathon Planning Commission decision, nor is it required. The board also has concerns about parking, traffic and impact to flora and fauna, he said. Daughtry said the plans aren’t finalized but the new building design will be in keeping with its mission — research and education — but not like the tiki buildings currently on site.

“It won’t be a tiki hut. We’re envisioning ocean or earth tones to blend in with the environment,” he said. Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters opened in the summer of 2014. Dynasty Marine, its sister company that is permitted to capture and sell live marine animals to entities such as aquariums, was formed 38 years ago. Daughtry said the aquarium is on track to receive 60,000 visitors this year. The expansion would not attract more visitors. “It’s just something more to explore while at our facility,” he said. Daughtry said he would like to build a wooden walkway over the wetlands to connect the two parts of the aquarium. Conniff said Daughtry is well-liked in Marathon and has its support. “Ben has the advantage in these circumstances, politically,” Conniff said. “But I think there are a plethora of reasons to give us a good legal argument.” Conniff said the board is undecided whether to air those legal arguments at the upcoming Marathon Council meeting. “I’ve spent my adult life at Dynasty Marine and the aquarium in order to help educate the public about the amazing creatures that we have here in the Florida Keys. That reputation has been attacked on social media since the Phase 2 has become public,” Daughtry said. “I hope that my more than four decades of living in the Keys, plus three decades working to help educate tens of thousands of people, doesn’t get lost in the comments from the keyboard warrior, social media world we live in today.”

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PIPE BREAKS CUT WATER TO KEYS RESIDENTS Water inundated the Old Highway in Islamorada on the morning of May 21 following a water main break near MM 88. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly

JIM McCARTHY

jim@keysweekly.com

ipe breaks over the last week left residents from the Upper Keys south to Big Pine Key with low water pressure or no water at all. An advisory issued by the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority on the morning of May 21 detailed a leak involving a 30-inch transmission line on the Old Highway in Islamorada, near Coral Harbour Club at MM 88. The break occurred around 6 a.m. as water spurted up from the location of the break, inundating a portion of the road in front of the condo club. FKAA trucks arrived roughly an hour later for repairs on the transmission line, which continued into the morning of May 22. An alert went out around 6 a.m. on May 22 urging residents to conserve water following the report of a second leak on the transmission line, located at the north end of the weigh station MM 86, that further reduced water storage tanks. FKAA crews completed repairs roughly two-and-a-half hours later around 9 a.m., but noted that restoration of water service to the Keys would take several more hours. On May 25, FKAA crews were repairing road shoulder and pavement damage caused by the leak at MM 86. Major leaks witnessed over the last week, notably the break on Old Highway, were among the few seen since the early 2000s. “The last time we had similar, critical circumstances was in 2006,” said Julie Cheon, FKAA spokeswoman. “We have some aging pipe in that area and we are expanding our capital improvement plan to include this area.” FKAA is the water service provider for the Florida Keys, while providing reclaimed water and wastewater services in select areas. About 17 million gallons of drinking water are supplied daily through 1,086 miles of pipe, 26 pumping stations and 45 bridge crossings. The primary water supply for FKAA is the Biscayne Aquifer. Supplementing it is the Floridan Aquifer, which is a deeper, more brackish aquifer. In emergency situations, the FKAA has the capability of using two seawater plants, one in Marathon and one on Stock Island. Leak issues weren’t only seen in Islamorada. FKAA issued another water advisory on May 25 at MM 112 in Key Largo, as crews repaired a 4-inch main leak. Repairs took two to three hours. Residents on Hazel Street, Morris Avenue and Morris Lane experience low water pressure or none at all.

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MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021 By Mandy Miles, Sara Matthis and Jim McCarthy

Americans are desperate to travel beyond their COVID bubble — and they’re willing to pay top dollar for hotels in the Florida Keys, where staffing shortages are worse than usual. PIXABAY/ Contributed

EXPENSIVE ESCAPE KEYS VISITORS PAY SKY-HIGH PRICES AT SHORTHANDED HOTELS

This list shows the 20 priciest destinations for U.S. hotels this spring, according to cheaphotels.org. The rates shown reflect the average price for each destination’s most affordable double room available between May 1-31, 2021. Key West (FL) $299 Islamorada (FL) $295 Marathon (FL) $285 Poipu (HI) $245 Sanibel Isl. (FL) $243 Sedona (AZ) $235 Tybee Isl.(GA) $224 Wailea (HI) $212 Lahaina (HI) $194 Waikoloa (HI) $192 Anna Maria Isl. (FL) $187 Napa (CA) $185 Calistoga (CA) $175 Sarasota (CA) $172 Santa Monica (CA) $170 Newport (RI) $165 Fort Myers Beach (FL) $165 Key Largo (FL) $164 St. Pete Beach (FL) $157 Charleston (SC) $156

$1,416. $1,143. $1,398. Those aren’t monthly rents or mortgage payments. They’re nightly room rates at Key West hotels such as the Casa Marina Resort, Pier House Resort and Opal Key Resort for the Memorial Day weekend, according to prices listed this week on Expedia.com, which don’t include the additional daily resort and parking fees that typically add about $40 per night to published room rates. As of May 6, Key West hotel prices were the highest in the country, with Islamorada and Marathon filling the No. 2 and 3 slots, according to a survey by cheaphotels.org that included all hotels rated three or more stars in destinations all over the country that were either near a beach or an urban center. In Islamorada, prices for weekend stays were as high as $1,009 a night at Cheeca Lodge. Rooms at La Siesta Resort & Marina were $1,003 a night, while Postcard Inn Beach Resort & Marina was around $766. In Marathon, hotel room rates have increased by nearly 50% based on a Google search of accommodations in the Middle Keys when compared to tourist reports from 2019 during the month of May. In 2019, the average room rate in the Middle Keys was $230; now it’s up to about $336; that’s an increase of 46%. On holiday weekends, the prices are even higher. Isla Bella Beach Resort & Spa and Hawks Cay Resort — both waterfront, luxury resorts — are advertising rooms for Saturday, May 29 for $935 and $829 respectively. National brand, midlevel hotels are going for about $650 for one night over the Memorial Day weekend.

And yes, plenty of people are paying those prices. “Our occupancy is way beyond where it should be right now,” Jodi Weinhofer, president of the Lodging Association of the Florida Keys & Key West, told the Keys Weekly on Tuesday. “But as soon as occupancy drops, hotels will lower their rates. For now, they’re riding this wave and trying to recoup what they lost during the pandemic closures. It’s not that they’re being greedy, but as a business you don’t want to leave money on the table when people are willing to pay it, and are filling these rooms.” The entire Florida Keys island chain is experiencing an unprecedented number of visitors, demand for lodging and willingness to pay the equivalent of a month’s rent in most cities for a single night in Key West or Islamorada.

“There’s no doubt that throughout Florida and nationally, the travel and tourism industry is struggling to meet the needs of this sudden and unprecedented boom in business.” — Stacey Mitchell, director, Monroe County Tourist Development Council.

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

Rooms at Postcard Inn, located in Islamorada, were going for around $766 a night for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. CONTRIBUTED

A recent survey reveals that Key West, Islamorada and Marathon hotels are the top three most expensive in the country for the month of May. PIXABAY/ Contributed

But throughout the state and nation, staffing shortages are also unprecedented, prompting many in the hospitality and leisure industries to ask: What do these visitors get when they arrive? And could the sky-high hotel rates backfire on a destination when visitors don’t get the service they expect for the price they paid to be here? Stacey Mitchell, director of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council (TDC), is asking — and trying to answer — the same questions. “There is such pent-up demand for people to get away, wherever they can go, and a lot of people have an unparalleled amount of savings right now, whether it’s from stimulus money, or from not spending it on other trips for the past year and a half,” Mitchell said. “Visitors are willing to overlook many shortcomings in terms of service and places being short-staffed,” Mitchell said. “That tolerance will only last so long. We are forecasting a future where value for price paid, and services commensurate with the price point, will be instrumental in maintaining our market share and the integrity of our brand,” Mitchell wrote in a recent report to Keys tourism officials. In other words, people won’t always be willing to overlook our shortcomings in service, in a location for which they’ve paid dearly, and will soon expect to get what they paid for. “There’s no doubt that throughout Florida and nationally, the travel and tourism industry is struggling to meet the needs of this sudden and unprecedented boom in business,” said Mitchell, who just returned from a tourism conference at a hotel in St. Augustine Beach. The host hotel, whose brand is known for its included breakfasts and nightly manager’s happy hour, was not offering those services.

“They just don’t have the staff,” she said. Jodi Weinhofer, president of the Lodging Association of the Florida Keys & Key West, has heard of all the same staffing challenges — and the same disbelief about exorbitant room rates. “We have general managers cleaning rooms so they can check people in,” Weinhofer said. “And I’ve had general managers and front desk managers say they’re embarrassed to tell people their nightly room rates. “But they’ve all been warned, and they already knew, this won’t last,” Weinhofer said, adding that once the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe reopen and once cruise ships start sailing again throughout the world, the demand, and prices, will drop significantly. “The hotel industry is second only to the airline industry when it comes to reacting quickly to the marketplace,” she said. “The minute their occupancy drops, their rates will drop. But right now, our occupancy numbers are way beyond where they should be. And it’s not just Key West. For the first time ever, Islamorada’s average daily hotel room rate was higher than Key West’s last week. “I think everyone figures this will be over by the end of summer, and they’re just riding the wave now, while people are willing to pay these rates, to get out of the hole they were in at the height of the pandemic, when no one was going anywhere,” Weinhofer said. But are visitors complaining when they pay $800 per night at a chain hotel that’s usually affordable, and then don’t get daily housekeeping service in their room, or the free hot breakfast in the lobby? “I won’t lie. I think there are definitely some complaints, and I’m sure some brands are getting hammered, especially by their VIP members who accumulate points each stay,” Weinhofer said. “But the same things are happening everywhere, and I do think most properties are doing a good job of letting people know they’re short-staffed and explaining the situation.”

Where are the workers? The staffing shortages prompt yet another question: Why? Why is it so much more difficult to find workers now than it was before COVID struck? There are many theories and targets. Earlier this week, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Florida will end its participation in the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program, the $300 per week supplemental payment, effective June 26. Many business owners are blaming the government’s unemployment benefits for making it more profitable for many workers to stay home than go to work. And that is the case in many situations. “Why would you expose yourself to the risks of working in close quarters, serving people food and drinks, when you could just make more money on unemployment?” one longtime restaurant employee, who asked that his name not be used, for fear of hurting his future employment prospects, told NPR for a May 5 article about the national worker shortages. But Daniel Costa, an immigration researcher at the Economic Policy Institute, a liberal-leaning think tank, said in the same article, “if people are doing better on unemployment, it only means they were underpaid to start with.” “I think we should take what (businesses) say with a grain of salt,” Costa told NPR. “Every time you hear ‘I can’t find any workers,’ you should add to the end of that – ‘at the wage I want to pay,’ because you’re talking about some very low-wage jobs.” Travel restrictions and visa processing delays for seasonal foreign workers also are contributing to the staffing shortages, especially in summer resort towns that depend on such workers. “Work at U.S. embassies and consulates is still ‘severely’ slow, because of pandemic restrictions, according to a State Department official, and J-1 and H-2B visas are at the bottom of the priority list,” NPR reports.

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

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What do you enjoy about being on the basketball team? The best part of playing any sport, but especially basketball, is winning. My teammates and I really work hard. After winning, you really feel proud because all your team's hard work was worth something great. How long have you been playing on the team? I have been playing basketball for four years. My love of com-

petition is really what got me into playing. It was when I was in sixth grade that I knew I would want to continue. I was really unsatisfied with losing to eighth graders even as an eighth grader. So since then I’ve worked very hard to get better and better. Describe one of your best moments in athletics. It's hard to pick a best moment for me, because every moment that I am competing I feel great. I play with my all, because as an athlete I find it important to make your shots, and do your best, but even more importantly, when that doesn't work out, it is important to never give up. By not giving up, you are one step closer to winning. Coach Freeman says… “It’s just a lay-up.” Lay-ups are something our team particularly struggles with, so when coach says this it reminds us that it is something we can do.

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COUNTY FOCUSES ON TRANSIT TO ADDRESS AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROBLEM Commissioner Rice to put public transportation on agenda in June meeting CHARLOTTE TWINE

charlotte@keysweekly.com

t a recent workshop, the county commissioners had a real conundrum on their hands. Polls say that residents want to slow development in the Florida Keys, and yet they also need more affordable workforce housing. So what should the county do? Commissioner David Rice proposed an out-ofthe-box solution: a more robust public transportation system. The May 25 strategic planning workshop was coordinated by Kimberly Matthews, Monroe County’s senior director of strategic planning. Matthews was giving the commissioners the results from a round of recent online town halls asking residents, among other queries, an essential question: “What are the county’s greatest challenges?” Locals answered that the county’s top four challenges are: traffic and road safety on U.S. 1, growth control/overdevelopment, water quality and affordable workforce housing. These answers were from five online town halls held over the past few weeks with 85 respondents. Of those respondents, 35 percent were from the Upper Keys, 49 percent from the Lower Keys, 10 percent were for the Middle Keys, and 6 percent were visitors from outside the county. Due to these pandemic times, the town halls were held virtually, but back around 2019, a much more comprehensive survey was conducted. “How we turn the concerns of the public into solutions — that is what strategic planning is all about,” said Matthews. Strategic priorities plus resource allocation equals action. With a strategic plan, local governments make priorities for their fiscal years, then implement the plan in the budgets and in staff directives. Matthews said the 2019 survey, which helped form the strategy for Monroe County’s fiscal years 2020 to 2025, was a “huge community process where we talked to 3000 people” during 13 in-person town halls for residents, surveys, staff meetings and talks with stakeholders. At that time, to the question, “What are the county’s greatest challenges,” the top four answers were the same, though in a different order: affordable workforce housing, growth control/overdevelopment, traffic and road safety on U.S. 1 and water quality.

The recent series of online surveys, Matthews said, “was to reaffirm and review our strategic priorities.” Commissioner Craig Cates said he wasn’t concerned about the moving over the past couple of years of the residents’ concerns in the rankings, which he attributed to COVID. “But I’m glad to see it’s all the same (concerns),” he said. “That just means we’ve got work to do.” Mayor Michelle Coldiron agreed. “This is what we hear when we’re out in the community every single day, all four of these issues.” “I share with Commissioner Cates the feeling that if one slips from 2 to 3, that’s really not significant,” said Commissioner David Rice. “What’s significant is the overall picture doesn’t change.” Since this meeting was a workshop, with no actions to be taken, all five commissioners spoke freely about possible solutions to these issues, especially affordable housing. “We know we can't build enough affordable housing,” said Rice. “We don't even have enough locations to build enough affordable housing. But I think in the future it will become vitally important for us to set more of a priority to set up a much more robust transportation system.” Cates supported Rice’s view. “Like what (Matthews) said, it's diametrically opposed: growth and building affordable housing. We need to look at answers like what you have because we can't build our way out of this.” Rice advocated action and said he will bring an agenda item to be voted on at the June BOCC meeting “for the transportation issues we discussed.” The commissioners also discussed other Monroe County challenges for Matthews to keep track of in the strategic plan: building a skilled workforce, educating the public about residential floodproofing, beautifying the U.S. 1 corridor, prioritizing parks and recreation, taking inventory of the county’s mental health resources in a post-COVID world, and broadening access to water for recreation and the economy.

County commissioners are considering a more robust public transportation system to deal with affordable workforce housing issues. CONTRIBUTED

Republican Club holds monthly meet-and-greet The Middle Keys Republican Club will be holding its monthly meet-and-greet on Wednesday, June 2, at the Marathon Yacht Club, 825 33rd St., Marathon, Florida. Social hour begins at 5 p.m.; the meeting begins at 6. The guest speaker will be State Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez. Libraries’ summer programs provide activities for children The Monroe County Public Library Summer Reading Program for children is starting June 5, with virtual programs and videos to be presented on Saturdays. The summer session is free and open to the public. This year's theme is "Tails and Tales." Events will include Highlights Bingo, "Take and Make" crafts and animal-themed storytimes. While some of the summer programming is virtual, all county libraries are open to the public Monday through Saturday. For more information, go to www.keyslibraries.org or contact your local branch: Key West Library, 305-292-3595, facebook. com/KeyWestLibraryYouth; Big Pine Key Library, 305-872-0992, facebook.com/ bigpinekeylibrary, Marathon Library, 305-743-5156, facebook.com/MarathonLibrary; Islamorada Library, 305-664-4645, facebook.com/IslamoradaLibrary, Key Largo Library, 305-451-2396, facebook. com/keylargolibrary. Marathon Yacht Club donates to Healthy Start The Marathon Yacht Club Auxiliary held its annual baby shower for the Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition. This year, the gathering took place virtually out of caution for the pandemic. Members of the yacht club donated gift cards, checks, clothing, strollers and other baby items that the coalition needs. A total of over $5,000 in money and items was collected, and Julie Francis, who co-chaired the event with Jackie Sparber, made and donated a blanket. Every year, the Marathon Yacht Club gives back to the community through the shower for the Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition, scholarships for graduating seniors and a giving tree at Christmas. Marathon Yacht Club is located at 835 33rd St. Gulf. For more information, call 305-743-6739.

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

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WHAT A YEAR IT HAS BEEN! Who could have predicted the events of the past 12 months? It seems like every aspect of our daily lives have been affected. Here at Marathon Boat Yard, we have and continue to face obstacles like we have never seen before – from dealing with unprecedented price increases and delays in shipments and supplies. And, as many businesses are experiencing, the current labor shortage affects our ability to assist our customers as timely as desired.

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BUT…LOOKING AHEAD… We want to thank our loyal customers for their patience and understanding during these times. We also want to thank our dedicated and talented staff members for their hard work. Yes, there will continue to be challenges. Hurricane season will soon be upon us! We’re fortunate to be able to look ahead with confidence. We want our boating community, both pleasure and commercial, to know we stand steadfast and ready to serve your needs. Stop by, call us or email us and let us know what we can do for you.

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MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

$1M+ Marathon High School seniors receive generous scholarships on class night SARA MATTHIS

sara@keysweekly.com

• U.S. Marine Corps: Kevin Mercado. • Martine Vegue Athletic Award: Jonathan Pitchford • Florida High School Athletic Association: Owen Pitchford and Katia Nikiforova. • Senior Scholar Athlete Scholarship: Owen Pitchford, Jonathan Pitchford and Katia Nikiforova. • Spirit of the Community: Reef Holdinga. • Daughters of the American Revolution: Rachel Matthis. • Florida Keys Gator Club: Mary Ryder. • Take Stock in Children: Erick Clark Alvarez, Dailianys Gonzalez, Edian Hernandez, Isabella Kingsley, Anne Kreshpane, Jilliana McGuire, Samantha Roiz, Yilena Roque Ramos, Kelly Salazar and Shahed Shuvo. • Zonta Club of Marathon Senior Scholarship: Katia Nikiforova. • Zonta Club Women in Public Affairs Scholarship: Sara Gonzalez, Mary Ryder, Rachel Matthis, Allison Paskiewicz, Isabella Pis and Paige Richard. • Zonta Club Youth Scholarship: Yilena Roque Ramos. • Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen: Haley Buxton, Allison Paskiewicz and Sarah Paskiewicz. • Middle Keys Marine Association: Marisol Chavala, Allison Paskiewicz and Edian Hernandez. • Marathon Chamber of Commerce: Rachel Matthis, Erick Clark Alvarez, Jonathan Pitchford, Marisol Chavala and Mary Ryder. • Marathon Moose: Matthew Kratzert, Sara Gonzalez, Erick Clark Alvarez, Paige Richard. • Palmerino D’Ascanio Memorial Scholarship: Marisol Chavala and Edian Hernandez. • Guides Trust Foundation Scholarship: Allison Paskiewicz. • Florida Keys Community College Board of Trustees: Marisol Chavala and Paige Richard. • Marathon Alumni Athletic Club Scholarship: Cecily Ozbun, Jonathan Pitchford, Sarah Paskiewicz, Haley Buxton and Allison Paskiewicz.

t’s a long ceremony, but worth it. On May 25, Marathon High School seniors received $1,000,163 in scholarships and awards. The bulk of it is awarded via Bright Future scholarships, a statewide merit program, and Take Stock in Children scholarships for students from lowincome families. Five MHS students received the Medallion Bright Future Scholarship worth $19,000 or 75% of tuition, and five qualified for the Academic Bright Future scholarship worth $25,000 or 100% of tuition at state universities and colleges. Ten MHS students received the Take Stock in Children award for full academics, and six of those students also received housing support. Fifteen students received cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude designations for grade point averages ranging from 4.0 and up. The valedictorian is Katia Nikiforova and the title of salutatorian will be shared by twins Jonathan and Owen Pitchford.

• Marathon Rotary Club Scholarship: Mary Ryder, Paige Richard, Jonathan Pitchford, Sarah Paskiewicz, Allison Paskiewicz, Cecily Ozbun, Katia Nikiforova, Rachel Matthis, Alliyah MatieAdams, Anthony Machado, Isabella Kingsley, Reef Holdinga, Mitchell Grant, Sara Gonzalez, Taylor Dieguez, Patrick Daniher, Marisol Chavala, Johnny Bonachea and Erick Clark Alvarez. • Florida Keys Contractors Association: Erick Clark Alvarez. • American Legion Auxiliary Scholarship: Katia Nikiforova and Isabella Kingsley. • Sons of American Legion Scholarship: Mary Ryder, Alliyah Matie-Adams and Mary Ryder. • American Legion Riders Scholarship: Erick Clark Alvarez. • Marathon and Lower Keys Association of Realtors Scholarship: Jonathan Pitchford, Katia Nikiforova and Sara Gonzalez. • Ocean Reef Conservation Association: Allison Paskiewicz. • Islamorada Fishing and Conservation Trust: Allison Paskiewicz. • Marathon Yacht Club: Erick Clark Alvarez, Sara Gonzalez and Mary Ryder. • Marathon Yacht Club Educational Foundation: Mary Ryder, Marisol Chavala and Patrick Daniher. • United Teachers of Monroe Scholarship: Khendra Stanton and Paige Richard. • Reef Rider Motorcycle Club Scholarship: Edian Hernandez. • St. Columba Episcopal Peace Scholarship: Sara Gonzalez. • St. Columba Episcopal Celtic Festival Scholarship: Sara Gonzalez. • Opportunity Knocks Scholarship: Sara Gonzalez, Isabella Kingsley, Jennifer Nieda, Mary Ryder, Sarah Paskiewicz, Jonathan Pitchford, Patrick Daniher and Johnny Bonachea. • Island Community Church: Sara Gonzalez, Anthony Machado, Katia Nikiforova and Mary Ryder. • Florida Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America: Sara Gonzalez.

“All three of them achieved higher grade point averages than previous salutatorian and valedictorian, not an easy thing to do during the pandemic,” said MHS principal Wendy McPherson. Most of the scholarships range from $250 to $1,000 each with some of the larger ones as recurring annual awards spread over four years up to $10,000. Maria’s Hope and Prosperity foundation handed out 17 brand new, in the box, laptop computers. Here is a list of the other honors awarded to students.

• Marathon Chapter of Organized Fishermen of Florida: Haley Buxton, Patrick Daniher, Allison Paskiewicz and Sarah Paskiewicz. • Marathon Elks Lodge Scholarship: Erick Clark Alvarez, Matthew Kratzert, Rachel Matthis, Patrick Daniher, Katia Nikiforova, Mary Ryder, Cecily Ozbun and Jonathan Pitchford. • Pay it Forward Scholarship: Allison Paskiewicz, Anthony Machado, Samantha Roiz, Mary Ryder, Patrick Daniher, Isabella Kingsley, Katia Nikiforova, Jonathan Pitchford and Sara Gonzalez. • Gina Lavay Frederick Scholarship: Sara Gonzalez. • Coldwell Banker Schmitt Charitable Scholarship: Erick Clark Alvarez, Mary Ryder and Katia Nikiforova . • Centennial Bank: Jonathan Pitchford. • Marathon Business and Professional Women Stacie Kidwell Memorial Scholarship: Marisol Chavala, Sara Gonzalez, Reef Holdinga, Rachel Matthis, Katia Nikiforova, Cecily Ozbun, Allison Paskiewicz, Paige Richard, Mary Ryder and Khendra Stanton. • Marathon Garden Club: Reef Holdinga. • Marc Davis Memorial Scholarship: Isabella Kingsley. • Marathon Masonic Lodge and Shriners: Erick Clark Alvarez, Mary Ryder, Sara Gonzalez and Cecily Ozbun. • Tom E. Nichols Scholarship: Sara Gonzalez, Mary Ryder and Taylor Dieguez. • Lodging Association of the Florida Keys and Key West: Rachel Matthis. • Maria’s Hope and Prosperity: Nikolas Bonilla, Enoc Campos, Carley Childress, Jayden Cruz, Isabella Fryza, Edian Hernandez, Nadia Hull, Isabella Kingsley, Leslie Martinez, Jilliana McGuire, Jennifer Nieda, Isabella Pis, Samantha Roiz, Yilena Roque Ramos, Flora Sanchez, Katie Wuerth and Dylan Schirling.

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

NEW PRINCIPALS TAKE HELM AT 2 KEYS HIGH SCHOOLS Key West and Coral Shores see leadership change

wo of the Florida Keys’ three public high schools will have a new principal in the fall. Christina McPherson is leaving Key West High School for an administrative job as the school district’s executive director of teaching & learning. And Laura Lietaert has been promoted to principal of Coral Shores High School. McPherson’s replacement at KWHS has not been named. “The KWHS position will be advertised and will be selected in the coming weeks,” school district spokeswoman Amber Acevedo told the Keys Weekly. “I know change always causes speculation, but all are committed to a smooth transition.” McPherson is no stranger to district administration, having served as MCSD’s director of assessment and accountability from 2011-2014. “Christina’s breadth of experience will be an asset in this role,” Superintendent Theresa Axford said. “As a former elementary, K-8 and high school principal, she is uniquely qualified to understand the needs of students and administrators.” “I have the honor of working with amazing educators who work tirelessly to provide our students with the best possible educational experiences that lead to growth and future opportunities,” McPherson said. Christine McPherson, At the other end of current Key West printhe island chain, Axford cipal who’s leaving to take an administrative announced, Coral Shores job with the school graduate Lietaert, principal district’s executive at the K-8 Key Largo School, director of teaching will be the next Coral Shores & learning. CONTRIBprincipal. UTED Lietaert grew up in the Upper Keys. “The foundations provided to me by the teachers at Key Largo School, Plantation Key School and Coral Shores set me up for success,” Lietaert said. “This is my opportunity to give back to a school and community that has given me so much. I’m proud to be a Hurricane once

Blake Fry, retiring Coral Shores principal. WEEKLY FILE PHOTO

again.” Lietaert will take over for retiring principal Blake Fry when the new school year begins. “We are thrilled to have Ms. Lietaert lead Coral Shores High School,” Axford said. “Her years of innovative leadership and dedication will continue to propel them. I appreciate Laura’s work in building relationships at Key Largo School and I know she will use these same skills to support Coral Shores High.” Lietaert’s many assets include her approachability, Axford said, noting she welcomes input from students, parents and the community members who are part of the school system where her four children attended. Her daughter, Stephanie, is a teacher at Plantation Key School. Sons Robert, John Laura Lietart, current and Bernie are serving in Key Largo School printhe U. S. Coast Guard. cipal and new Coral No word yet on her Shores principal. CONTRIBUTED replacement as principal of Key Largo School. Fry served as Coral Shores principal for 10 years. He told the Keys Weekly that his wife, Mary Jo, and he decided it was time to retire and enjoy family time. “We have always planned to spend half the year in Michigan, then when the snow flies return to Key Largo,” he said. “Right now the time just seems right,” noting their daughters “both relocated to southern Michigan and just finished graduate school and are planning their futures in Michigan. “ Fry said his time teaching, coaching and working with “outstanding educators at every level has been a dream come true.” “Coral Shores has been a major part of our lives for decades and we are grateful for the opportunity we have had here,” he said. — Keys Weekly staff

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

MY LISTING: 215 JEROME AVENUE

JUST SOLD!

KEITH ALLEN

MHS SUPERLATIVES

Each Office is Individually Owned and Operated

Each year, the senior class votes for its superlative candidates, or students who are the “most” — friendly, ambitious, etc. These awards were recognized in the 2021 MHS yearbook, “Unscripted,” and reprinted here with the help of Tracy McDonald and thanks of the Marathon Weekly Newspaper.

305-481-5544 realkeys@bellsouth.net www.TheRealKeys.com

Thank You!

Most Artistic (Pictured above) Celine Ponzoa & Kevin Mercado

I simply want to give a big thank you to Dr. Christina Belotti. You have been the Class of 2021 sponsor for the last 4 years and no one could have done a better job. I cannot sum up in words how grateful and appreciative I am for all your hard work and dedication to this class and their families. I know you don’t always get the recognition you deserve, but just know that all your efforts have not been in vain. I’ve noticed and am so thankful we had you to count on for everything. For everything! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Most Likely to Be Famous Isabella Kingsley & Erick Clark

Most Likely to Succeed Mary Ryder & Owen Pitchford

Most Photogenic Isabella Pis & Jimmy Gimeranes

Most School Spirit Alliyah Matie-Adams & Erick Clark

Most Athletic Allison Paskiewicz & Miguel Avena

Friendliest Rachel Matthis & Miguel Avena

Class Clown Isabella Kingsley & Anthony Machado

Most Talkative Carley Childress & Anthony Machado

Best Dressed Jennifer Nieda & Patrick Daniher

Most Likely to be a Millionaire Katerina Nikiforova & Patrick Daniher

Most Likely to Be President Sara Gonzalez & Erick Clark

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MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

2 3

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

CAPPED Week of events culminates in MHS graduation

arathon High School’s Class of 2021 engaged in a slew of graduation activities leading up to the formal graduation on Thursday, May 27 at 8 p.m. on the Marathon High School field. As with 2020, graduation traditions were altered to accommodate safety during the pandemic (although as cases continue to drop, so do the restrictions compared to 2020 graduation). The graduating seniors are celebrated in a variety of ways — from car parades to dinners to speeches.

6 8 7

Photos by SARA MATTHIS/Keys Weekly, CHRISTINA BELOTTI, GINA PASKIEWICZ, LESLIE RYDER/Contributed 1. Seniors gather for the traditional “walkthrough” at Stanley Switlik Elementary, the alma mater of many of the graduates, on May 20. The school has been extensively remodeled and rebuilt since the students attended the grammar school seven years ago.

2. Dr. Christina Belotti, a faculty member at Marathon High School and teacher liaison for the graduating class, dashes back to the tent for another bag of swag. Belotti organizes the graduation “season” and works tirelessly to make it a memorable week for the seniors. 3. The students wear shirts advertising their next adventure. 4. Chase Taylor intends to join the U.S. Coast Guard. He wears the lifejacket for the Careers Drive-Through Parade. 5. The drive-through dinner was made possible by D’Asign Source, the D’Ascanio family and Irie Island Eats. The family received dinner and the graduates received multiple goodie bags filled with swag like lanyards, insulated cups and even a beach towel, emblazoned with MHS logos.

6. Faculty from Marathon High School — Liz Logan, Carrollyn Cox, Kristie Ferrise and Katrina Wiatt — welcome students to the drive-through dinner on May 21. 7. The Class of 2021 files off the field on May 23 after the baccalaureate service as the sun sets. Teacher and former athletic director Teresa Konrath gave an inspirational address to the class. 8. The first time students don all the gear — robe, caps, medals, etc. — was for the videotaping of the ceremonial capping, which can be seen online. Rachel Matthis, left, Jordan Rodriguez and Carley Childress taped their spots within minutes of each other on May 20. All three are headed to Orlando. 9. Taylor Dieguez receives a goodie bag at the drive-through dinner event and that’s junior Tony Palma at the wheel. 10. On May 19, the students decorate cars for the College and Careers Drive-Through Parade. Jonathan Pitchford, performing the Gator clap, is headed to University of Florida, as is driver Mary Ryder.

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

STUDENT OPINION

CLASS OF 2021: WHAT A STRANGE TRIP

Students lived through ’cane, pandemic

arch 2020: a moment when everyone’s lives changed, the novel coronavirus spread to all parts of Earth leading to a worldwide pandemic. The unexpected took us all by storm, even more so, taking the lives of millions of innocent people. Schools and businesses were forced to shut down, millions were without jobs, and hospitals were quickly overcrowded. At the time, I was a junior at Marathon High School, excited about spring break just around the corner. I didn’t know that this would be the longest spring break I would ever have. A few months passed and virtual learning was put in place for all Florida students. These final weeks of junior year were the hardest, not only for me, but for my entire class as a whole. Adjusting to learning online was not an easy task; attending live meetings and keeping up on classwork was mentally exhausting for many of my classmates and me. At many times there was a feeling of defeat in the learning world and led some of us to almost give up completely. (Although it was an awkward way to end our junior year of highschool, this situation was not entirely new for the class of 2021. In 2017, Hurricane Irma struck the Florida Keys, cutting our freshman year almost in half, leaving many of my peers without homes, clothes, etc.) Our senior year has been in complete chaos with the pandemic still present. As “normal” school resumed, our class was put on an “A/B” schedule, which meant a group of students would attend in-person classes on their given A or B day, followed by a day of virtual learning at home. Many events were canceled or changed beyond recognition, like grad bash, prom and homecoming. It made my class lose all sense of hope on enjoying our final year at Marathon. Not going to lie. It hurts. Our senior year was taken away from us. I can’t even imagine all the fun memories that we missed out on. But we have come together as a class and created a sense of unity that we are still here for each other, even though we didn’t get to see each other as often as we used to. Some takeaways from our final year taught us to not take life for granted, stay devoted and overcome obstacles. The struggles have made a graduating class that is up for anything that comes our way. Even though our senior year wasn't as planned, the class of 2021 still made the best of what we had and the many valuable lessons we learned along the way. — Marison Chavala graduates on May 27. She intends to enroll at the College of the Florida Keys and study to be a nurse.

HEY, KIDS, YOU NEED A SUMMER JOB?

o you have a summer job? There are jobs everywhere. Just simply flip to the back of this newspaper; you’ll find advertisements for jobs seeking employees of all ages to work both full- and part-time jobs. Several students at Marathon High work not only on the weekends, and throughout the summer, but all year long. They work at places like Sweet Savannah’s, Driftwood Pizza, The Island Fish Co. and more. Local businessman Anthony Piscatello of Driftwood Pizza said it’s difficult to hire employees … and keep them. “At this point, I can't even let struggling employees go in fear that I won’t have someone to fill in that availability,” he said. Keys people are lucky in that they are able to pursue a trade that not all other cities can offer — fishing. A large portion of the student population, including both male and females, take advantage of this opportunity. A handful of their parents own their own charter or bait companies, so they are fortunate to be able to work and train alongside them. Others are simply intrigued by the work, the money, or the monsters they pull out of the sea, and have chosen to find jobs along that route. Rising senior Tony Palma has not one, but two, parents who are involved in these Keysy professions. He says, “Every day I can't wait to leave school and fish.” Marathon High School’s OJT (on the job training) teacher Teresa Konrath is very persistent about making her students aware of businesses looking to hire in our community. “The jobs are there, the students are there, they just need to reach out and start,” said Konrath. For many high school students this is a time to explore, including securing internships in careers that might interest them for a lifetime. Whether you begin by doing paperwork in an office, you work your way up to a manager at a local restaurant, or even write for your local city paper you gain experience by trying and by getting involved. There are countless job openings and opportunities and money to be made. Just flip on back to the last pages of this paper to see where you're needed next. — Clare Merryman is the Marathon Weekly Newspaper’s student intern. She is president for MHS’s Class of 2022.

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

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MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

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MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

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

Jody & Lynn represented the Sellers of: 7063 Harbor Village Drive, Duck Key, FL 33050

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

CONGRATULATIONS, GRADUATES

It is my distinct pleasure to congratulate and to thank you for your hard work and for the many sacrifices that you have made to get to this point in your life. It has been our joy to help you along the way. For the past year and a half, the nation and the world have been thrown into the path of a pandemic which affected all of us. In spite of all, you have achieved this admirable goal; you have graduated from high school despite all the drawbacks and pitfalls of these past months and there have been many of them, too numerous to name. In truth, it takes both guts and commitment to graduate in a typical year. This year has been beyond typical and yet you have prevailed. Failure could have defined you at this time, but you did not allow that to happen. You have risen above the obstacles and have soared into a future where dreams can be realized and happiness achieved. Strength comes from facing adversity and conquering it and I believe that the class of 2021 has done that and more. As you move beyond the Monroe County School District, remember that many changes will occur based on the pandemic; the world about us is going to look different in so many ways. Stay connected and stand up to be part of the solution as our society creates new practices going forward. Use your voice and your vote to insist on policies that create a better future for everyone. There are great things awaiting you in the future and you have shown that you are more than up to the task of making this world a better place to work and live in. In closing, the future is always uncertain, but in celebrating you for your accomplishments, I am certain of one thing. The class of 2021 will not let us down! Congratulations once again. Theresa Axford, Superintendent, Monroe County School District

A member of the franchise system of BHH Affiliates, LLC

Jody Owen 305.923.1902 jodyowen@me.com

www.KeysRealEstate.com

Lynn B. Lucas 305.393.0559 lynn@keyshomehunter.com

COMMERCE CORNER Established in June 2021, JETSURF Watersports is the only location in the Florida Keys offering the exciting opportuntiy to rent a JetSurf, which is a motorized surfboard that can reach speeds of 35 mph. It is the newest, fastest, lightest and easiest-to-ride motorized surfboard on the market. A variety of riding and lesson packages are available, and no experience is necessary. Anyone who is looking for high-adrenaline fun will love this activity. “‘When you put good into the world, something good comes back to you. This is our motto for success,” says JETSURF Watersports owner Jack Marchant. “I am very fortunate and super grateful to have the opportunity not only to open up a business in paradise, but to own and operate a business that is going to put a smile on every customer’s face. I want to create life-long memories for tourists.” Location: Launching from Coco Plum Beach, Marathon Florida Phone Number: 786-649-9480 Website: www.jetsurfwatersports.com Email: info@jetsurfwatersports.com

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

An osprey mama looking out for her baby with those “eagle eyes.” SUSAN SORENSEN/Contributed Me and my trouble-making mama, telling secrets and painting the town red. TIFFANY DUONG/Contributed

My favorite part of watching my wife Julia be a mom with our new little guy, Andrew, is the love in her eyes as she looks at him, and how she tries to involve our older son Drake so he doesn’t feel left out. DEREK HAGEN/Contributed

My favorite thing about being a mom is witnessing my children’s empathy and compassion for all living things. It gives me hope for the future of our planet. BETTE ZIRKELBACH/Contributed My mom, Helen, and me at the Tipsy Rooster in Key West before COVID hit. My goal is to grow up like my mom. CLAIRE HILLER/Contributed

I’m a mom, stepmom and a grammy. What an incredible journey. As a mom, I just want everyone to be safe and happy. I hope, no matter what, that they always remember I have always been their cheerleader, hoping for their brightest futures. They’re all pretty darn good people. I’m so proud of them. CAROL AUSTIN/Contributed

When my kids (Ali and Zack) were born, I remember thinking “No one ever says ‘I wish I had spent less time with my kids when they were young.’” Now that they are almost grown, I am so grateful for all the time we were able to spend together. SUE WOLTANSKI/Contributed

Key West’s finest and her babies. QUANG NGUYEN/Contributed

TIFFANY DUONG

tiﬀany@keysweekly.com

ur theme for MAY is MOMS. In JUNE, we’re all about PAPAS and PRIDE. June is Pride Month, so show us what it means to have pride in the Keys (we’re looking at you, Key West). Father’s Day is June 20. Send a tribute to the dad in your life, or tell us what your favorite thing about being a dad is!

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.

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

JO ANN COOK, MANAGING BROKER 10055 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY | MARATHON, FL 33050 C. 305.360.7968 | O. 305.735.4095 | JCOOK@OCEANSIR.COM VIEW MY PROPERTIES AT WWW.FLORIDAKEYSOCEANFRONT.COM

MARATHON COMMUNITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH THE PERFECT CHURCH FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T

Pastor: Mary Ashcraft Office Hours: T, W, Th 10AM - 2PM Sunday Service: 10AM Wear a mask • UV Filter Light Zoom: Facebook.com/MarathonUMC Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. - Roman 12:12

3010 Overseas Highway

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MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

Congratulations to All 57 New 2021 Graduates in Monroe County! KEY WEST HIGH SCHOOL

MARATHON HIGH SCHOOL

CORAL SHORES HIGH SCHOOL

ISLAND PREP HIGH SCHOOL

Ashley Rodriguez Joy Brown Taylor

E'Lisha Reese Lindsay Moore

Arwyn Leslie Nancy Funt

Antonio Font Bridget Flores

Amy Guzman Samantha Farist

Deonza Ayala Brian Barroso

Blondine Conserve Tricia King

Atia Yasmin Peary Fowler

Jemima Jean Baptiste Susan Hill

James Vakilpour Jonathan Ingham

Ila Ruth Hake-Creighton Peter Bennett

Emmily Cassis Joelle Keane

Kersha Duvain Anita Garcia

Kayenne Spainhower Chuck Licis-Masson

Justice Winemiller Camille Wiley

Jillyan Holcomb Kristina Shephard

Marie Willy Ranae Moore

Malik Hunter Lindsay Moore

MaeCee Rengiil Ranya Cooke

Lee'Asia Adams Denise Schwarz

Michael Chandler Eric Mealus

Michael Alfonso Kevin Pribramsky

Marsella Munoz Ruth Reiter

Reese James Lewis II Matt Merriman

Ramond Brogli Bill Goldner

Phalandine Noel Janet Sneath

Nataly Sanchez Hannah Johannes

Yanessa Camejo Karine Leroy

Spencer Lannigan David Dornseif

Karolina Gomez Lucia DeRuvo

Edian Hernandez Katrina Wiatt

Dailianys Gonzalez Cathy Walters

Anne Kreshpane Ashley Keeney

Yilena Roque Ramos Julie Johnson

Shahed Shuvo Elliot Hart

Samantha Roiz Tammie Anderson

Kelly Salazar Liz Logan

Erick Clark Alvarez Bruce Franck

Jilliana McGuire Mallory Jones

Isabella Kingsley Stanford Hancock

Alex Gutierrez Raymond Jansen

August Borski Bette Brown

Andrea Galvan Carolyn Wightman

Angel Martin-Santos Maritza Perez

Zareska Mazola Ortega Loretta MacKay

Yoendry Ferro Matthew Johnson

Sokrates Zapsas Michael Ferrari

Noemi Quezada Kirsten Walsh

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

Mariah Bell Javier Saltero Brown

Liyiccia Torres Irevi Troncoso

Lisney Pardo-Figueroa Ana Beaty

LeeKrystal Cruz Veronica Ornelas

Giovanni Torres Tom Hoyne

Damaris Rego Holly Padgett

OUR INVALUABLE 2021 MENTORS: GRADES 7-11

Giovanni Ewing Larry Perll

57 New 2021 Graduates! Congratulations Students, Mentors, Families & Donors!

CHANGE A LIFE... ONE CHILD AT A TIME! Volunteering just ONE hour a week, you can give a child a college education! Don’t wait, volunteer today! Call 305-293-1546 for details and a Mentor application.

MonroeCountyEdFound.org Monroe County’s TOTAL of TSIC Graduates:

838!

Laura Theodore Nikki Wellings

Nicholas Antonelli Tom Matthews

OUR WONDERFUL 2021 DONORS Mary Smith Keys Children's Foundation Spottswood Companies Ocean Reef Community Tim & Anne Sullivan Foundation The Kids Fund Upper Keys Rotary Dr. Bill & Beverly M. Pat Miller Goldner Foundation Joy Brown Taylor Blake Hunter Mary Chambers Robert & Christa Larry Abramovitz Murray Bender & Assoc. Clark & Jean Architects, P.A. Shannon Jean Carper Linda Downs & Angie Majors Karen Kamfjord John Padget Jackson Kaufelt Scott George Jane Packard Sam Steele Vista Foundation Clements Family Key West Sunrise Charitable Trust Rotary Club of the Lynn Kaufelt & Conch Republic Team Kaufelt American Legion Phyllis Rose Post 145 Neal Ruchman Golden Fleece Russell B. & Louise Foundation C. Smith Fund The Lookout Monroe County Foundation School District Bryan Green Margo Alexander Bruce Cohen Clayton Beattie Evan & Barbara Bergstrom Corns Foundation Brad & Hume Gile Holmes Family Foundation Nancy Friday Foundation Dr. Jeffrey Leeds Adelaide Skoglund Gregory Long & Scott Newman The Pantano Family Foundation Manley deBoer Lumber Company The Stentzel Foundation Melamed Foundation Wilson Media Group Lawrence Plummer & Prudence Churchill Andy Griffiths Preferred Properties Denny & Elena Key West Ellerman Redbox Employee Frederick Marcus Giving William Regardie Celeste Schettig The Kirby Family Gwenn Smith Foundation The Sexton Family Edwin & Linda Swift Foundation Thibos Family Alina Davis Doing Good Fund Thomas Vetter Susan Henshaw Philip Wheeler Jones Brian Wruble Kruse Properties Stanley & Judith Frances McKenzie Zabar Patrice Miller Truman & Co.

Strunk Ace Hardware Elks Key West Lodge 551 Dale--Allen Dr. Michael Berman Ross Claiborne Mike Downer Frederick Eberstadt Mark & Jean Porter Denny Howley Mark Laskow Padget Dekker Fund Robert N. Alfandre Foundation Naomi Rosenfeld Vera Schiff Wilma Garrison Dr. Shirley Freeman Anne Padget Todd German Robert Hesse Keys Contracting Services Maloney-Maykut Family Gift Fund Joelna Marcus Louis Martin Betty Rubenstein Marguerite Whitney Bill & Katrina Wiatt Ricky's Blue Heaven Walter Schmida Alan Teitelbaum Raymond Ruzek Dr. Sidney & Deborah Goldman Warren Abbey M. Gordon Keiser Joyce Laufle James McCulloch Daniel Metzler Theresa Raven Mary Sheerin Robert Simpson Damian & Lynne Vantriglia Jim Hall Lillian Luning Pamela Mayer Noreen Collins Wellings Automotive Key West KIA

Marie Adams Daunte Aguilar Sherry Alana Suzanne Alexander Peter Amendola Colette Anderson Vicky Lynn Anthony Susan Archer Luis Arguez Ashley Arrabal Jermy Ashby Andrea Ayala Vega Jill Baker Daniel Ballon Ashley Baron Syndi Barrera John Bartus Miriam Bedrick Robin Beede Christina Belotti Alvin Bentley Paige Bethel Erika Biddle Christina Boilini Benjamin Bortner Mike Bourcier Sarah Brawer Thomas Bray Rebecca Bray Lisa Brown Spenser Bryan Javier Burga Jack Butler Colton Butler Regan Butler Meggin Cabot Ian Callaghan Gabriel Campa Raymond Casamayor Kim Caton Elizabeth Chamberlain Jacqueline Cholewczynski Mona Clark Daniel Clark Michelle Coldiron Amanda Coleman Kerry Cosme Alyson Crean Diane Culver Spencer Curry Joseph Don Darsey III Anthony Paul Davis Alexandra Davis Michael deBettencourt Karen DeMaria Winnie Dement Trice Denny Frank Derfler John DeWald Kathy Diaz Josefina Diaz Sarah Dolson Darlene Eslick Peggie Fabel Deanna Ferrari Phyllis Foster Michelle Franck Mark Funt Patricia Forbes Gallagher Fitima Garcia Lori Gaukel Dave Geller Yaniuska Gilmore Charmaine Gittens Esneider Gomez Lauren Gonzales John Griffin Cody Griffin Lorraine Grobarek Angela Gruetzmann Erica Hadaric James Hager Eva Hamilton Mary Harris Doris Hawkins Zully Hemeyer

Lance Hernandez Jose Hernandez Alison Higgins Allison Hill Christopher Hinkle Celia Hitchins Monroe Holloway III James Hottman Courtney Howard Brenda Huebscher Alex Hughes Ollie Iarrobino Arthur Jansik Debra Jiovenetta Sharon Jones William Jones Brandi Jordan Jackson Kaufelt Lori Kelly Michael Klitenick William Knetge Robert Kurz Carol Kurz Laura Kyer David LaRochelle Peg Laron Jim Leenhouts Joan Leggett Judy Leggett Martin Lehmann Victoria Leigh Victoria Leonard James Mike Leonard Jerry Lieberman Tanya Litz Kristen Livengood Martin Liz Elizabeth Liz Soraya Lloren Wilmarie Lopez Wilhemina Lopez-Martin Linda Louchheim Thad Lovell Jessica Lugo Amy Lynch Rashon Lyons Tim Maloney Kelly Mangel Jo Marcus Efrain Marin Nancy Masry Teodora Masters Kerry Maxwell Kathleen McCarthy Nicole McCoy Gordon McIntosh Christopher Mendez Lopez Enrique Menendez Hedy Menendez Michael Millard Steve Miller Pamela Molinaro Donna Moore Yanaiz Morales Vivian Morrison Billy Muehlhauser Maureen Mueller Robert Murray Mary Anne Napier Kathryn Norris Sheila Novak Joy Nulisch Robin Nyberg

Victor Odoh Madalyn Opalsky Carlos Ornelas Spencer Oyster Patricia Patten Luana Peixoto James Peterson Devon Pharo Margaret Pinkus Matthew Pitcher Tedra Poitier Helen Purciello Steve Purciello Sue Puskedra Florence Quenin Elvin Quinones Jason Rafter Christopher Ramos Vyviana Rapozo Mardee Rath-Eamilao Jean Reed Colleen Reed John Rhode Nichole Ricardo Felix Patrick Rice Michael Ridgewell Tray-Ci Roberts Christine Robertson Darryl Robinson Mark Roby Millie Rodriguez April Ross Mary Roth Raymond Ruzek Diane Saleeby Gardner Charles Schottland Erin Shattuck Kristina Shearin Linda Signorelli Sharon Smith Larry Smith Jeffrey Smith David Smith Kawana Staffney Mary Steele Sam Steele Cheryl Sullivan Persephone Summers Ethan Swinehart Joy Swinehart M.J. Taylor Krystal Thomas Devin Tolpin Irevi Troncoso Christine Trovato Nicholas Trovato Damian Vantriglia Emilio Vasquez Karen Vaught Amanda Velazquez Genesis Villatoro George vonHilsheimer Marika Weber Tom Wentz Frank Westerband Thelma Whyms Helen Williams Kristen Winters Patricia Witchel Joseph Wolkowsky Tim Wonderlin Joanne Zimmerman

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021 Three young Marathon Spaseball players put on their game face: from left, Maverick McDonald, Cordell Qualls and Raydel De Armas. CHARLOTTE TWINE/Keys Weekly

CHARLOTTE TWINE

charlotte@keysweekly.com

HOME RUN NATION MARATHON PARKS AND REC MAKES HISTORY DEBUTING SPASEBALL, A ‘REVOLUTIONARY’ LIGHTWEIGHT BALL AND BAT

Dave Soderquist is the inventor of Spaseball, a new lightweight ball and bat.

Paul Davis is the director of Marathon Parks and Recreation Department and said kids love Spaseball “because it takes the fear factor out of it.”

Spaseball inventor Dave Soderquist couldn’t resist jumping in and coaching a young player at bat.

here were you on the afternoon of May 24, 2021? In Marathon Community Park, six kids were making history. They were the first children to play a game of softball at a parks and recreation facility in this country using Spaseball, a new lightweight softball and bat — similar to Wiffle Ball, if you will. Dave Soderquist is the founder of Sweetspot Baseball and the inventor of the patent-holding Spaseball. He stood on the sidelines of the game, giving pep talks to the kids at bat. The teammates were all between the ages of 9 and 11 years old. Whiff! One child swung and missed the softball by a mile. “Choke up a little bit on that softball bat,” Soderquist said encouragingly, walking over to coach the young player a bit. “All you have to do is keep your eye on the ball,” he said. Next pitch: Crack! The ball connected with the bat and flew down the first-base line. The child smiled in triumph. “See? Now he’s building confidence,” Soderquist said. “If you don’t hit the ball, your confidence goes down and eventually, you give up on the game,” he said, explaining that the light weight of the baseballs, softballs and bat allows kids to crush ’em when they swing, sparking joy in the game. “We’re a home run nation. People love home runs,” said Soderquist. “Even in Grandma’s backyard. With Spaseball, you

won’t knock your brother’s tooth out and break windows. But you’ll have a lot of fun.” Paul Davis, director of Marathon parks and rec, said, “His stuff is revolutionary. It looks like a regular baseball with the lacing and covering. You would never know it’s like a Wiffle Ball or Bat until you pick it up. It’s no longer the old-school big yellow bat. It takes away the fear factor for kids — that’s the biggest thing.” “I’ve been in the sporting goods business forever,” Soderquist said. “In a previous life, I developed in-line skates.” In fact, Soderquist did so well with producing in-line skates that he sold his company in 2001 after making $100 million in sales. He retired to Layton and worked on an idea that he’d had on his mind for 30 years — a lightweight ball that looked like a normal baseball with the covering and lacings, but weighed 1 ounce versus the usual 5.25 ounces. Though a Spaseball is similar in concept to the trademarked Wiffle Ball, Soderquist makes an important distinction: a Spaseball is a ball, not a toy. “When everyone said, ‘You’ve lost your mind,’ I knew I was dead right on,” Soderquist said with glee. He created all three products from his home in Layton — the lightweight baseball, softball and bat. His inspiration was to get children outside and off the video games, but also to “take away the fear factor,” as Davis said. Many

children, especially girls, Soderquist explained, get scared to hit or catch a regular sized ball. Also, at $29.99 or $19.99 for a senior- or junior-sized set of a bat and ball, Spaseball is much cheaper than standard softball and baseball equipment, where players also need gloves and cleats. Soderquist wants to make the game as accessible to as many children as possible. And he wanted to honor his hometown of 30 years by introducing Spaseball to the Marathon Parks and Recreational facility first. Back at the game, Davis’ kids were smiling, with nary a glove in sight. They were able to catch the balls easily as they hurtled toward them. “This feels very good, I like it. It goes very far when I hit it,” one child said. Soderquist has spokespeople lined up to represent Spaseball, including All-American and future Olympian softball player Sierra Romero and L.A. Dodger Walker Buehler. So the future is looking up and up, much like a Spaseball being hit over Grandma’s house. And Marathon parks and rec was one of the first facilities to play a game with it. “Months from now, they won’t be saying, ‘I played in a baseball tournament,’” said Soderquist,with a smile and a wink. “They’ll all be saying, ‘I played in a Spaseball tournment.’” For more information on Spaseball or to place an order, go to sweetspotbaseball.com.

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

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Memorial Day Remember and Honor

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MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021 CHARLOTTE TWINE

charlotte@keysweekly.com

BASEBALL STAR RETURNS TO MARATHON KEYS BASEBALL TALENT HAS HIS EYE ON THE PROS AND HIS HEART ON GIVING BACK

ineteen-year-old second baseman Mason Neller already has the precise good manners of a professional baseball player who’s been coached by a big league public relations department, with a firm handshake and a “Yes, ma’am” or a “No, ma’am” to politely answer every question. This past Tuesday, when Neller arrived at Marathon Community Park to conduct a private baseball lesson at 4 p.m., he meant 4 p.m. on the dot. At 4:01 p.m., he was already giving instructions to 9-year-old Reef Rella: first, 10-minutes to warm-up with throwing and catching, then a half-hour at the plate for soft-toss batting instruction that focuses on mechanics. Rella told Keys Weekly that Neller is “amazing. He’s really helpful. He’s pretty much the reason why I can hit a ball.” Pete Chapman, a financial advisor and champion of youth baseball in Marathon says Neller “is the real deal.” “The kids look up to him because he is an active player on his way up,” Chapman said. “He’s wicked energetic and knows the game because he’s been coached at a very high level.” This coming Tuesday, Neller will kick-off a baseball clinic for players age 8 and up who aspire to fine tune the basics they learned in the Marathon rec league by learning from one of the best baseball players to come out of Marathon in the past decade. “It’s pretty simple for me,” he explained. “I love kids, and I love baseball. I was surrounded my entire life by baseball. I’m either training or training someone else. I want to give back.” Ralph Henriquez is Neller’s former high school coach who has seen a generation of baseball players rise through the ranks of the Key West programs - some of whom reached the major league. “For a high school kid he handled himself very well,” Henriquez said. “Mason was a leader. … He wanted to excel at baseball, so

he transferred from Marathon High School to Key West. He never gave up. He had a period where he was learning and getting comfortable with excelling here, and it’s a shame the season got cut due to COVID. But it worked out well. We got him a scholarship at Daytona State. And now he's chosen to help kids in Marathon.” Henriquez pointed out that Neller is also guided in his efforts to coach youth baseball by his own son, Ralphie Henriquez Jr., who played 12 years of professional baseball and coached one year with the Atlanta Braves. “Ralphie would get Mason to come out and coach the young kids. He fell in love with giving back to the community.” Neller agreed. “My good friend Ralphie Henriquez in Key West and Jack Niles have really taught me how to organize something like this (clinic), and do it at a successful level.” But, like any baseball player worth his salt, Neller also said that, in addition to his baseball cohorts, his parents were a huge influence on him. “My mom — both my parents — helped me develop all these traits,” Neller said. Henriquez senior said Neller has already drawn interest from pro scouts. “Mason had a couple of scouts who contacted me and wanted to follow his progress,” Henriquez said. “But unfortunately, our season got cut off early because of COVID. A lot of kids got snubbed and the draft was very abbreviated. But Mason had a very good season this year in junior college.” Meanwhile, for the summer, Neller is keeping his focus on developing the next group of baseball talent in Marathon. He dubbed his clinic, “For the Future.” “A lot of these kids don’t touch a baseball until the baseball season,” Neller explained. “My goal is to develop them now, so they’ll have more of a sense of the game and be more prepared for high school or the next level.”

Mason Neller, left, coaches 9-year-old Reef Rella during a private hitting clinic. CHARLOTTE TWINE/ Keys Weekly

Mason Neller has returned to his hometown to develop the next generation of baseball talent. KEY WEST CONCH BASEBALL FACEBOOK/Contributed

Mason Neller played for the Key West Conchs for two years, then got a full scholarship to attend Daytona State College. CONTRIBUTED

For the group lessons, the clinic has three levels for three age groups: 8 years and up is twice a week for one hour; 10 years and up is twice a week for two hours each; and 12 years and up is three times a week for two hours each. For pricing and for information about the “For the Future” baseball clinic or private lessons, text or call Mason Neller at 305-7310981.

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

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MANDY MILES

1. Ocean Aid 360 volunteer Adam Welch jumps into the second Key West and Lower Keys Ghost Trap Rodeo. DANIELLE DAWLEY/Contributed

mandy@keysweekly.com

HUGE HAUL

2. A local commercial fishing boat helps remove lost and abandoned marine gear, lobster traps and discarded line during Day 1 of the Ghost Trap Rodeo. CAPT. VINCE ALMEDA/Contributed

LOCAL CAPTAINS RID WATERS OF 32,600 POUNDS OF MARINE DEBRIS

1 2

leven fishing captains from Key West and the Lower Keys spent three days on the water May 24-26 removing not fish, but abandoned or derelict traps, line and marine debris from local waters. By the end of the second day, they had rid the ocean of 32,680 pounds of debris, including 694 abandoned traps. And those totals were still growing as of press time on Wednesday. One boat even rescued a sea turtle that had become stuck in a ghost trap and suffered an injured flipper. The team brought the turtle to shore and contacted the Turtle Hospital in Marathon. Ghost traps are abandoned stone crab or lobster traps that are lost when their floating buoy marker is dislodged from the trap and the owner can no longer locate it due to a storm or a boat propeller cutting the trap line. Such traps continue to catch and kill marine life despite no longer being checked by an angler (called ghost fishing). They endanger vessels and marine mammals that may tangle in the gear. Animals die in the trap and then become the bait for the next batch of doomed fish. Event organizers from the nonprofit Ocean Aid 360 were overwhelmed by the Keys’ response and haul during both events. Capt. Neill Holland created the rodeos in 2017 with his partner Danielle Dawley. The events now take place throughout Florida and are funded through grants from NOAA’s Marine Debris Program, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the angler-led nonprofit Grassy Creek Foundation, which provides the funding to pay each participating charter captain $500 per four-hour day. Before this week’s results, Ocean Aid 360’s Ghost Trap Rodeos had collected 45,000 pounds of marine debris and more than 750 ghost traps, said Holland and Dawley. In addition to their daily pay, participating captains — being the competitive bunch that they are — compete for prizes donated by tackle and gear companies to see which boat brings in the biggest haul.

3. Ocean Aid 360 Rodeo organizers, Amy Losoya and Danielle Dawley, with about a third of one day’s haul. Photo by Capt. Neill Holland 4. Local fishing family Mimi and Dylan Stafford participate in Day 1 of the Ghost Trap Rodeo. DANIELLE DAWLEY/Contributed 5. Ghost traps, gone. These derelict and abandoned traps were removed from Lower Keys waters by 10 local captains who participated in Ocean Aid 360’s second Ghost Trap Rodeo this week. CAPT. NEILL HOLLAND/Contributed

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MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

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MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

WHAT THE STARS HAVE IN STORE

REDA WIGLE Welcome to the twin-forthe-win season of Gemini. Gemini is ruled by Mercury, messenger demigod and planet of communication. Gemini energy is curious, anxious, enthusiastic and extreme. At best, Gemini is investigative, expansive, with a mind as wide open as the many roads they seek to travel. At worst, Gemini is erratic, incessant and prone to gossip.

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.

Mercury goes retrograde from May 29 through June 22. Mercury influences all conversation, transaction and communication. In retrograde it heralds a time of contemplation rather than initiation. Weigh words and appreciate their capacity to build or burn bridges. Speak with care, and listen with compassion. GEMINI May 21 to June 20 My friend Aine, a Gemini of the highest order, admitted, “I’ll do anything, sometimes.” The ability to entertain all possibilities and discern when and how you engage them is the magic of your constellation. As your ruling planet goes retrograde for the next few weeks, know that no is not forever and yes is not a standing commitment. Notable Gemini: Bucky Sinister/ June 13, 1969 CANCER June 21 to July 22 There is no valor in suffering, moon children. The word “care” derives from the Old English caru, meaning “anxiety caused by the weight of many burdens.” Consider this: “A burden shared is a burden lifted.” Please, allow your-

self that levity and those who love you the grace of your need. Notable Cancer: Benazir Bhutto/ June 21, 1953 LEO July 23 to Aug. 22 My sister, a regal Leo, discussing heartbreak and starting over, imparted this hard-won knowledge: “Relationships, and our pursuit of them, are the hope that lightning can strike twice.” As you move through doubt and recovery, may these words be medicine and may the lightning of surprise light your way back to believing. Notable Leo: Carl Jung/July 26, 1875 VIRGO Aug. 23 to Sept. 22 At 6 years old, after the death of her grandmother, poet and fellow Virgo Sonia Sanchez developed a terrible stutter, a source of great pain and great introspection. She spoke less and read more, paying acute attention to language and sounds. Pay respect to silence and speech by taking your time in cultivating both. Notable Virgo: Kwame Nkrumah/Sept. 21, 1909 LIBRA Sept. 23 to Oct. 22 In his analysis of the paintings of Hans Holbein, Ford Max Ford writes, “the eyes look at you as if to say: ‘I do not know exactly what manner of man you are, but I am very sure that being a man you are no hero.’ This is not a condemnation, but acceptance of the fact that from pope to peasant, poor humanity can never be more than poor humanity.” You don’t have to save anyone, but you would be better for humbly and truly revering everyone. Notable Libra: Mae Jemison/Oct. 17, 1956 SCORPIO Oct. 23 to Nov. 21 Writer and fellow Scorpio D.A. Levy burned bright but brief, publishing renegade and obscene

works of literature throughout his short tenure on earth. When he died by his own hand at 26, he asked an artist friend to turn his ashes into a calligraphic painting of Levy’s own words. May you too reconstitute the remains of what you were into the star-dusted letters of who you are becoming. Notable Scorpio: Phillip Lamantia/Oct. 23, 1927 SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22 to Dec. 21 Fellow Sagittarius and leatherclad lizard king Jim Morrison never learned to play an instrument. He formed a band because he couldn’t silence “the concert being played in my skull.” Musicians were ambassadors to the sounds in his head. In answering his call, they gave the world sonic sustenance. Imagine what would have gone to waste if Morrison hadn’t asked for support. Notable Sagittarius: Crazy Horse/Dec. 4, 1840 CAPRICORN Dec. 22 to Jan. 19 Writer, outlaw, professional pervert and fellow Capricorn Henry Miller writes, “Every man, when he gets quiet, when he becomes desperately honest with himself, is capable of uttering profound truths. We all derive from the same source, there is no mystery about the origin of things. We are all part of creation, all kings, all poets, all musicians; we have only to open up, only to discover what is already there.” There’s nothing you can’t do, you either will or you won’t. I hope you will. Notable Capricorn: Alice Mary Robertson/Jan. 2, 1854 AQUARIUS Jan. 20 to Feb. 18 In her poem “Which Side Are You On?” poet and fellow Aquarius Janine Pommy Vega asks, “How many times will you enter a room and leave it vacant: in and out, in and out, visiting a temple of possibility and never leaving anything on the altar?” You often operate

from emotional distance, preferring observation to participation. In the weeks ahead offer the gift of your present, vulnerable self to the altar of another. Notable Aquarius: Manuel Noriega/Feb. 11, 1934 PISCES Feb. 19 to March 20 In 2010, writer and fellow Pisces S.A. Griffin gathered 900 poems and adapted a Vietnam War-era practice bomb to house words rather than explosives. Griffin dubbed his “Poetry Bomb” a “weapon of mass discussion” and invited folks to add their own poems to its interior. May he and it inspire you to disarm one of your own defenses and repurpose it as a home for communion. Notable Pisces: Ray Bremser/ Feb. 22, 1934 ARIES March 21 to April 19 Aristocrat essayist Marcel Proust writes, “Creative acts originate not from a knowledge of their laws, but from an incomprehensible and obscure power that is not fortified by being explained. A woman does not need knowledge of medicine to give birth to a child; a man need not understand the psychology of love in order to love.” I hope Proust’s observation frees you from the need to grasp the mechanics of your making before you begin. Notable Aries: Marvin Gaye/April 2, 1939 TAURUS April 20 to May 20 The Greek root for the word enthusiasm translates to “divine possession.” You, Taurus, more than any other zodiac sign, are prone to enthusiasm and exhaustion in equal measure. To honor the divinity that enthusiasm stirs, it is not enough to be inspired, you must also be intrepid in your follow-through. Notable Taurus: Harper Lee/ April 28, 1926

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

Mainstreaming

A look at what they're doing on the mainland

NOW TRENDING A fictional tale woven through history, a brand spanking new computer and a tale of women disappearing in a small Pennsylvania town (also, Kate Winslet): here are recommendations for your reading, viewing and computing pleasure.

MARE OF EASTTOWN | WATCH If viewers are not drawn in by the mystery of why young women keep disappearing in this small Pennsylvania town (shades of “Silence of the Lambs” here), then they’ll at least watch this seven-episode drama on HBO for Kate Winslet’s astounding performance of an unkempt, temperamental yet brilliant detective whose life is on a downward spiral.

iMAC 27-INCH | BUY Look who’s bringing back the desktop computer? Apple just released the new iMac — it comes in cute, pastel colors — with the M1 chip. Pros: it has a fast processor, 4.5k retina display and a 1080p webcam, all good for Zoom meetings. Cons: It’s expensive ($1,800$2,200) and it’s rooted to the desk.

BOOK OF LOST FRIENDS | LISTEN Lisa Wingate’s newest best-seller follows three young women — a plantation daughter, a mulatto half-sister and a former slave — on a coming-of-age journey in postCivil War Louisiana and Texas. Their story is told alongside a modern teacher’s discovery of their plight. Some wonderful writing here.

arlier this week it was reported that Jeff Bezos and Amazon are “primed” (get it?) to buy MGM Studios for a measly $8.45 billion, which comes with the rights to the iconic James Bond movie franchise. If you’re like most living humans with a pulse, you have a favorite Bond actor — Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and most recently Daniel Craig, who will star in his last installment this October. Who will be the next James Bond? Rumors have circulated that English actor Tom Hardy is slated to be the seventh 007. But with Bezos now calling the shots, he may have other plans. Always here to help with insider info and b.s. speculation, we offer… 10. Jeff Bezos: Sure, the world’s richest man could cast himself in the next Bond film. But something about a bald, aging American dude who is recently divorced just doesn’t jive with the “shaken, not stirred” mystique.

WORST CHOICES FOR THE NEXT JAMES BOND

9. Dr. Anthony Fauci: It’s one thing to accuse the Chinese of leaking a virus from a lab. It’s another thing to infiltrate a Wuhan lab, steal their secrets, sleep with the most beautiful woman in the city and then ride out like a boss back to London. 8. Jake and/or Logan Paul: No one likes those YouTube dudes. 7. Charlie Sheen: We’ll let you determine why this isn’t a good fit, starting with finding the next “Bond Girl.” 6. Gilbert Gottfried: Say, “Bond, James Bond,” five times in your best Gottfried voice. 5. Blake Shelton: “Awww, shucks. I just saved the world.” 4. The Geico gecko: Perfect Bond accent, but a bit too short, even by Hollywood standards. 3. Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay: Could be the perfect James Bond, but will never accept terms requiring him to cut his trademark flat-top hairstyle for the role. 2. Chrissy Teigen: James Bond has been battling bullies since 1963. 1. Prince Harry: He gets Bond points for going rogue against the crown. (But Bond would never air his dirty laundry to Oprah.) Note: Our top 10 best picks for the next James Bond: 1-10: Idris Elba (Do it, Bezos.)

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

THE BARD TURNS 80

BRIEFLY

Reﬂections on the timeless and ageless Bob Dylan

“H

e not busy being born is busy dying.” – “It’s Alright, Ma, I’m Only Bleeding” I had been on the planet for about four months when Bob Dylan released his eponymous debut album. A collection of mostly traditional folk songs, the album featured only two originals that weren’t exactly a bellwether of Bob’s future legendary songwriting prowess. His second album, “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan,” changed everything. “How many times will a man turn his head, pretending he just doesn’t see?”– “Blowin’ in the Wind” Growing up a kid in the 1960s, I was aware of the great music happening all around me. The Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel were my early favorites; my favorite Christmas gift in the mid-1960s was a small Sony transistor radio that opened up the world of music to my young ears. I was a little aware of who Bob Dylan was, but his music mostly stayed under my radar. What changed that for me was Anthony Scaduto’s book, “Bob Dylan: An Intimate Biography.” Published in 1971, with a number of really good photos by Daniel Kramer, this book opened my eyes to the possibility that one guy with a guitar could make a real difference. “Take me disappearing through the smoke rings of my mind.” – “Mr. Tambourine Man” I began devouring Bob Dylan’s music, first acquiring his first and second “Greatest Hits” albums. Then it was just a matter of time (and teenage financial considerations) before I was able to own all his albums. “Blonde on Blonde,” “Blood on the Tracks,” “John Wesley Harding,” “Desire,” “Highway 61 Revisited,” the aforementioned “Freewheelin’”… Bob’s music became the soundtrack to my young life and was perhaps the main reason I picked up a guitar and started writing my own songs. “Don’t criticize what you can’t understand.” – “The Times They Are a-Changin’” I was fascinated by the reaction to all of Dylan’s changes in persona: the folksinger, the protest singer, the rocker, the pastoral country crooner, the Rolling Thunder rebel. He kept reinventing himself and his music, alternately upsetting and delighting those who “really knew” the “real Dylan.” He brought poetry into rock and roll, and along with the Beatles, changed all expectations and limitations of the popular song form. “The ghost of electricity howls in the bones of her face.” – “Visions of Johanna” The first time I saw Bob Dylan live was in 1978, on the “big band” tour in support of the underrated “Street-Legal” album. It was an absolutely amazing show, more than two-and-a-half hours of some of the greatest Dylan songs from the 1960s and ’70s. Unlike a lot of other Dylan tours, on this particular one he was engaging the audience, telling stories, and having big fun introducing his band members. Introducing multi-instru-

mentalist Steve Soles that night, Bob said, “All right, the youngest member of this group, 15 years old, been with me now for five years. Doesn’t smoke dope, drink whiskey, chase women. All that’s gonna change tonight.” JOHN I’ve seen Bob more BARTUS than a few times in the decades since. As true is a City of MaraDylan fans understand, thon councilhe often changes the arman. He also is rangements of his songs a musician who performs around all the time to suit himself — sometimes even in town. For more see johnbartus. the middle of a song. It’s com always a thrill to finally hear a recognizable lyric and be able to discern the song he’s singing. I had a front row seat at a Sunrise Musical Theater show in 1989 while G.E. Smith was Bob’s bandleader. The band had left Dylan and Smith alone on stage to do some acoustic songs. As soon as they started “Tangled Up In Blue,” a woman jumped from the crowd on stage, and stripped to a teddy and g-string and proceeded to dance to the music. Dylan waved off the security and somehow managed to keep composure while G.E. Smith was doubled over in laughter. When the song ended, the woman picked up her clothes and stepped back into the audience — to enthusiastic applause from Dylan and Smith. “You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.” – “Subterranean Homesick Blues” I saw Bob Dylan in a double-bill with Santana — bloody amazing on both counts. I saw Merle Haggard and the Strangers open for Dylan, and it wasn’t as unlikely a pairing as you’d expect. I saw Dylan in 1998 at the small Cameo Theater on Miami Beach. I’ve seen him in performing arts centers and arenas multiple times since, and I’ve always come away from his shows happy and inspired. This past Monday, Bob Dylan turned 80. Last year, he released a critically-acclaimed and top-selling album, “Rough and Rowdy Ways,” that contained his longest song ever, the 17-minute “Murder Most Foul.” Bob and his band were scheduled to begin another tour when the COVID pandemic hit; one can hope that as we come out of lockdown, Bob will hit the road again. I’d sure like to see just what he’ll pull out of the hat this time! Happy birthday, Bob, and I’ll sign off with an appropriate quote: “May you build a ladder to the stars and climb on every rung, and may you stay forever young.” – “Forever Young” Catch John Wednesdays at Herbie’s, Thursdays at Sparky’s Landing, Friday on Facebook Live, Saturday night at the Key Colony Inn, and Sunday at Havana Jack’s. Music wherever you get your streaming or downloads. www.facebook.com/john.bartus

United Way awards $2.1 million to support local reef restoration United Way of Collier and the Keys (UWCK) has awarded $2.1 million to support coral restoration efforts by two local organizations, Coral Restoration Foundation and Reef Renewal USA. These competitive grants are part of UWCK’s Revitalizing the Florida Keys through Reef Restoration and Beyond initiative, with support from the United Arab Emirates. In February 2020, UWCK announced a $3.5 million gift from the UAE for innovative reef restoration and education projects. This funding was the first significant investment in restoration work focusing on two of the seven reefs identified through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Mission: Iconic Reefs, one of the largest reef restoration efforts in the world. Coral Restoration Foundation has been awarded $1,945,926 to expand its work at Carysfort Reef off northern Key Largo, and Reef Renewal USA will receive $176,356 to implement revolutionary coral outplanting techniques at Sombrero Reef near Marathon over the next five years. Both Coral Restoration Foundation and Reef Renewal USA will secure a one-to-one match of the awarded funds, culminating in over $4.2 million for their restoration efforts. This funding could then be used to match available government funds, resulting in more than $8.4 million for coral restoration in the Florida Keys. Grant efforts will prioritize restoration progress towards Mission: Iconic Reefs, financial impacts to Monroe County families living paycheck to paycheck, volunteerism and engagement with students studying marine science. UWCK’s goal is to revitalize the coral reefs - a lifeblood of the Florida Keys economy - while supporting sustainability through education. New fund supports charitable causes throughout the Keys A new fund to support charitable causes in Marathon and throughout the Florida Keys was recently created by Key Colony Beach philanthropist and civic leader Marian Buccafurni at the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys (CFFK). The Buccafurni Fund is the first fund established at CFFK by a Middle Keys resident and will provide grants to local nonprofits for a variety of programs and services to benefit Keys residents. “I’m pleased to be able to work closely with the Community Foundation and provide help for many of our residents in need,” said Buccafurni. “A community foundation is the ideal organization to manage community funds, support local nonprofits, work with donors to improve lives and help build a strong future for our community.” Buccafurni is a retired attorney and business professional with a diverse background in the medical, science and legal fields. She is a CFFK board member, chair of the Middle Keys Advisory Council and member of the investment and grants committees. The Buccafurni donor-advised fund will become a future unrestricted legacy fund upon Buccafurni’s passing. The CFFK’s grants committee will then make grant awards from the fund to benefit the entire Keys community. Over $30 million in grants have been made from the CFFK to student scholarships, arts and culture, beautification and preservation of the Keys, health and human services, hurricane relief, and youth programs. To learn more about opening a charitable fund at CFFK, visit cffk.org or call Jennifer McComb at 305-292-1502.

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THE OVERSEAS HIGHWAY 3.0

BRAD BERTELLI ... is the curator for Islamorada’s Keys History & Discovery Center. A published author of six books, his favorite subjects are Indian Key and skunk apes.

ecessity inspired the first version of the Overseas Highway. It opened in 1928. The Category 5 Labor Day Hurricane forced a reimagining of the second version of the highway. It reopened in 1938. The third incarnation, the Overseas Highway 3.0, was influenced by World War II and the U.S. Navy. The newly improved route opened to the public in 1944. As World War II intensified, two things became apparent. First, the Navy needed access to an additional freshwater source, a pipeline that connected the mainland to Key West. The project was shared by the State of Florida and the Navy. The Navy footed two-thirds of the bill. When it was completed, the 18-inch pipeline from the mainland to Key West followed the right-of-way of Henry Flagler’s Over-Sea Railroad. (Fun fact: it takes anywhere from 10 days to two weeks for a drop of water to travel from the mainland to Key West.) The Navy also needed to transport heavy equipment to its base at Key West. The current version of the highway was unable to handle the load. The road had some tight turns that were fine for cars and trucks and even Greyhound buses but were a little too tight to accommodate the Navy’s equipment. Also, some of the wooden bridges connecting the islands could not bear the extra weight of the military loads. To ensure the wooden-trestle bridges were structurally sound, the Navy upgraded them. Also, the path was redirected to follow the right-ofway established by Flagler’s Over-Sea Railroad. This improvement shortened

Toll booths being removed from the “Florida Freeway” in 1954. KEYS HISTORY & DISCOVERY CENTER, JERRY WILKINSON COLLECTION/Contributed

and straightened the highway. Up to this point in the highway’s history, it entered Key Largo via what is today called Card Sound Road and the Card Sound Bridge. When version 3.0 of the Overseas Highway opened to traffic, 17 miles of the highway had been eliminated. The 18-Mile Stretch was incorporated into the highway, a route that cut 14 miles off the road to Key West. The new and improved highway also bypassed the coastal route along Sugarloaf Key, shaving off another three miles from the highway. Florida Governor Spessard Holland was among a cavalcade of participants in an automobile caravan that, on May 16, 1944, departed Key West at 10 a.m. and arrived at Florida City at 3:30 p.m. The official ribbon-cutting ceremony was held nearly two months later, on July 2, 1944, atop the scenic Bahia Honda Bridge. The Overseas Highway, at this point, also became part of U.S. 1 and linked Key West not just to the mainland but to Fort Kent, Maine. In 1944, the Overseas Highway was still operating as a toll road. When the second version of the highway opened in 1938, two toll booths occupied small sections of the road. One was located at Lower Matecumbe Key; the other, on Big Pine. At $1 for the driver and a quarter for every passenger, the price was not cheap. The cost, in terms of 2021 dollars, would be in the neighborhood of $18.

When tolls were collected, they were brought to the Overseas Road and Toll Bridge District headquarters at Pigeon Key. On Pigeon Key, however, shenanigans were afoot. Though created to repay a $3.6 million federal loan used in highway improvements completed in 1938, toll monies were being used to lavish district headquarters with expensive food and drink. In addition to a host of other fraudulent schemes uncovered by investigative reporters at the Miami Daily News, a $60,000 swimming pool was built at Pigeon Key. Additionally, the district manager was provided with a luxury cabin cruiser for fishing and other entertainment purposes. In 1954, the Overseas Road and Toll Bridge District closed. On April 15, 1954, all tolls were lifted, and the booths were picked up and hauled away. Signs popped along the side of the road that declared the highway was now the “Florida Freeway.” The Florida Keys communities protested this “renaming” of their road. Their voices were heard, the signs were removed, and the road once again became known as the Overseas Highway. The road would continue to see improvements. In 1969, the 65-foot high Card Sound Bridge was constructed. 1972 would see the completion of the modern Bahia Honda Bridge. The new Seven Mile Bridge opened in 1982. The Overseas Highway, by the way, begins or ends, depending on your perspective, at the Monroe County line near Mile Marker 112. Once the road crosses into Dade County, it becomes the Dixie Highway.

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

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MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

BABIES GO FOR A BOAT RIDE

our lucky baby sea turtles representing four species got a boat ride 40 miles offshore of the Florida Keys recently to be released into a healthy patch of sargassum weed in the Gulf current, where they have the best chance of catching the current that takes them to the North Atlantic Gyre. The four small juveniles were rehabilitated at the Turtle Hospital over the past five months. The turtles are: • “Jeff,” a hawksbill discovered by a ranger at Bahia Honda State Park when she was doing a nest inventory last fall. The hawksbill had not come completely out of the egg when hatching. • “Henry,” a juvenile Kemp’s ridley. • “Sky Lynn,” a beautiful post-hatchling green. • “Turkel,” a post-hatchling loggerhead washed back into shore during storms in the Keys. — Contributed

Four turtles were released far offshore recently. CONTRIBUTED

Richie Moretti is the founder and director of the Turtle Hospital in Marathon.

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

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MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

BRINGING FANTASY TO LIFE

KEYS ARTIST USES ANCIENT ASIAN TECHNIQUE

aku firing is a Japanese ceramics technique dating back centuries. This process, originally used to create a unique finish to wares, was first used to make vessels for serving tea and broth. It involves removing the clay object from the kiln SHANNON at the height of the firing and causing it to cool rapidly. P. WILEY There are many variaShannon Wiley is tions to raku, after hundreds a native Floridian of years of experimentation born in Hialeah, by artists the world over. And Florida. He’s an there is an undeniable beauty artist, muralist, graphic designer, to many of the crackled and teacher and coach. pitted effects achieved with He currently lives glaze and underglaze, and with in Marathon with additives like sticks, leaves and his two children. paper. Besides painting, he enjoys all the This fascinating primitive wonders of the process is even more attracFlorida Keys. HIs tive when we see it applied to work is for sale at the captivating and whimsical Guild Hall Gallery in Key West and at characters from the mind (and Shady Palm Galstudio) of sculptor-ceramicist lery in Marathon. Paola Effio of Key West. From concept to creation, from molten-hot firing to the reduction and smoking, Effio’s subjects are as inspired as the process she uses to bring her work to life. Effio designs and forms everything from small hand-built sculptures to largerthan-life installations found in public spaces right here in the Florida Keys. Many of her subjects are a combination of species, conveying mixed emotions and

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evoking fairy tale moments. From her signature feline mermaids, to wacky fish and even salsa-dancing bananas, her work inspires feelings of joy and excitement, but especially movement. She constructs bubbly swine as lovable as Wilbur himself piloted by determined rabbits seemingly out of Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland. Her imaginative characters could not be more lovable. Of her work, she says, “Imagine your own story as you see each unique piece I create.” Effio is from Lima, Peru and found her way to the Keys in 2005. She is self-taught as an artist and, like many artists, she is always advancing her style. She started by creating edible pieces and even designing sculptural cakes (she owns and operates Amazing Cakes and Creations in Key West). She later gravitated to both ceramics and concrete as her chosen media – making for some original works not quite as tasty but certainly just as beautiful. Effio has received worldwide recognition, even showing her work in Japan where she was honored in the National Ceramics Art Competition. She plans to open her own studio in Key West, but her works are currently shown at Key West Art Center and the Guild Hall Gallery. To learn more about the artist, visit www. paolaeffioart.com.

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MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021 A red-winged blackbird mobs a young bald eagle on Boca Chica Key. MARK HEDDEN/Keys Weekly

MOB RULES OVER KEY WEST

was up at Hugh’s View a few weeks ago, on the roof of The Studios of Key West, making small talk about art and stuff, when a broad-winged hawk flew over. It glided slowly on a long, flat flight path, maybe 30 feet above the treetops. It looked a little haggard, largely because it was molting and had lost some primary feathers — the avian equivalent of someone who’s missing a few teeth. Somewhere between the federal courthouse and MARK the Methodist church, a pair of northern mockingHEDDEN birds rose up like F-18s intercepting an enemy bomber. They came up behind him and started screaming ... is a photograin their ratchety manner, diving at him, snapping their pher, writer, and bills at his feathers, doing everything they could to semi-professional harass him, sometimes taking turns, sometimes going birdwatcher. He at it together. has lived in Key West for more If there were subtitles to this skirmish, they would than 25 years and have read like: “Hyah!” and “Nothing to see here!” and may no longer “Move along, you Sterno bum!” be employable in I imagine there would have also been more than the real world. He a dram of profanity. is also executive director of the It seemed a brave move – two songbirds picking Florida Keys Audu- a fight with an alpha predator, a bird-eating bird that bon Society. sometimes consumes mockingbirds for actual lunch. It was your basic David vs. Goliath scenario, but with the pair of Davids acting like punks, and with a good chance that things would not turn out as they do in the biblical parable. The hawk, though, did not fight back. It flapped a couple of times to speed up, but held its line. Somewhere near the square tower of Key West Theater the mockingbirds broke off their assault. One of them dropped from view. The other circled back and landed on a railing, eyeing the small group of people with cocktails in their hands. Was it catching its breath? Showing off? Debating whether to attack us next? Hard to say. All were possibilities, but birds can be inscrutable. After a few seconds the mocker leaped off the railing without ceremony and dropped from view. Over near Duval Street a gray kingbird came up and took over where the mockingbirds left off, harassing the broad-wing until it disappeared behind the La Concha. Mobbing is one of the ancient fighting tactics. Older than stabbing people with swords, or even with sharpened stones. Older, probably, than punching people in the face. Mobbing is basically when a smaller bird, or often a bunch of smaller birds, gangs up on a larger predator. The intent typically is to kick them out of their turf. It usually happens during nesting season, when vulnerable eggs and chicks need protection and everybody’s hormones are ramped up. It’s one of those many behaviors — both avian and human — that shouldn’t work, but does. What, exactly, can a 1.7-ounce bird do to a creature with 10 times its body mass, not to mention a pair of skin-piercing talons and a flesh-tearing bill? For all the Sturm und Drang that comes with mobbing, the understanding of its root causes and intentions are mostly speculative. It may be to annoy a predator into leaving an area. It may be to distract them from noticing the defenseless chicks and eggs. It may be to teach other, younger birds what a predator is and how they are not to be tolerated. It may be a way to alert other birds that something dangerous is coming their way. And it may be a combination of some or all of those things. How does one even study such fleeting and unpredictable behavior?

There is also some debate as to whether this counts as altruistic behavior, i.e. a bird risking its own safety to help others, or selfish behavior, i.e. a bird really just trying to make sure its DNA gets passed along to future generations. But honestly, that sounds more like a philosophical debate than a scientific one. In these parts, the predators you see getting mobbed are mostly hawks and the occasional eagle. The mobbers tend to be northern mockingbirds, red-winged blackbirds, gray kingbirds and common grackles. In the summer, it’s pretty common to see an osprey getting mobbed, which I always find a little sad. Ospreys only eat fish. They’re no threat to songbirds. You’d think after a few millennia they could all work out a truce. And while mobbing is a risky behavior, it may not be as dangerous as it seems. Most predators rely on a combination of stealth, surprise and speed to capture their prey. That advantage is greatly diminished when a bird is close behind you, and acting all spastic and aggressive. Mobbing does not just happen to birds. I received a message through Florida Keys Audubon Society’s website (keysaudubon.org) a few weeks ago from a woman in Marathon. She said every time she left the house with her dog, some bird kept attacking them and she wanted to know what gives. The short version? Whatever bird it was — most likely a northern mockingbird or gray kingbird — probably considered them predators. They were getting mobbed. Birds have mobbed my German short-haired pointer more than once. For a long time she flatly refused to walk down certain blocks of Duval Street because mockingbirds had mobbed her. Despite my best efforts to calmly explain that there was nothing they could really do to her, she yanked on her leash to turn the corner. It didn’t help my case when, one night a couple of summers ago, I had her trotting next to my bike as I rode through Bayview Park. A gray kingbird came out of nowhere and nipped her in the butt. She bolted. Unfortunately I had the leash wrapped around the hand on the side with the good brake and we were heading for an intersection. I had to drag a foot the length of a tennis court to stop us. We both stood there for a minute, breathing heavily, waiting for something to come at us fast and unseen in the dark.

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

OPINION: CONSERVING OUR VITAL SHALLOW WATER HABITATS THROUGH EDUCATION AND ETIQUETTE BILL HORN

www.keysweekly.com

ecord numbers of Keys visitors and an explosion of new boaters and Jet Skiers, unfamiliar with navigating our shallow waters, are wreaking havoc on vital flats habitats. The same “newbies” are all too often unaware of on-the-water etiquette, right of way rules, and navigation markers also creating safety issues while simultaneously infuriating anglers, divers, snorkelers and other veteran boaters. Better boating education and a healthy dose of courtesy are absolutely necessary to cure a growing problem. Our aquatic habitats are unique. The Keys are perched on ancient coral reefs and countless banks and seagrass flats create highly productive shallow water habitats for myriad species. Healthy flats are irreplaceable nurseries for juvenile snappers, forage fish, conchs, lobsters, and blue and stone crabs in addition to high-profile species like bonefish, permit and tarpon. The federal and state governments recognize the value of these habitats via an array of special land and water designations to conserve and protect them: national parks (Florida Bay and Dry Tortugas), national wildlife refuges, national marine sanctuary, Florida Area of Critical Concern, and multiple state parks and preserves. Saving the flats isn’t just environmentalism – it’s good business. Fishing the flats for bonefish, permit and tarpon (and its 99% catch and release) brings over $450 million annually into the Keys. And the value provided via commercial fishing, other recreational fishing, and diving and snorkeling tops $1 billion. Destruction of nursery habitats for fish, lobsters and crabs threatens these sustainable local industries. Yet every day on the water reveals unparalleled adverse impacts on shallow water habitats caused by boaters and Jet Skiers who are apparently clueless about the need to avoid such waters. Groundings on banks and flats are a daily occurrence. Boats and Jet Skis running too shallow chew up the sea grass, churn up long mud trails, and turn clear waters into a murky mess. Propeller scars proliferate daily, criss-cross every nearshore flat from Key Largo to Key West and take years to heal. Rental vessels – boats and Jet Skis - are major culprits. Besides this environmental carnage, the lack of courtesy and etiquette is almost as infuriating. A flats fisher spends 20 minutes silently poling a skiff onto a flat in search of shy bonefish, only to be overrun by half a dozen Jet Skis churning by in 12 inches of water. Adios, bonefish. Or a set of boats are staked out in a few feet of water waiting for the migrating tarpon to swim by. Into their midst comes a boat that treats the anglers like slalom poles on a ski course and runs an “S,” frightening away any tarpon in the neighborhood. Flats anglers (usually in small skiffs with an angler standing on the bow and a guide standing on the stern poling platform) are hunting for swimming

fish, not just dropping a baited hook next to the boat. Courtesy means determining which way the distinctive flats boat is moving, or looking, and simply choosing to not run in front of them. If you see two or three such boats in a line this time of the year, you can bet the tarpon are swimming a line that connects them – simply stay a few hundred yards outside (or inside) that line. I know too the diving/snorkeling community can chime in with plenty of horror stories about vessel operators who simply ignore dive flags putting people in danger. Boat and Jet Ski rental businesses must get aggressive in providing better education about avoiding our shallows. Driving home that a vessel should not be run where there are wading birds, or make the renter repeat the mantra “brown, brown run around” (or aground) should help. Throwing in “red right returning” wouldn’t hurt either – we see plenty of boats trying to run on the wrong side of channel markers with predictably bad results. Emphasizing that running in a straight line from A to B rarely works here and it is essential to consult a good chart or the GPS to figure out how to get into, or out of, marked channels are other crucial facts. And when a mistake happens, stop the boat and try to gently back off or out of the shallows; the normal response appears to be more power which makes matters worse. Add rigorous enforcement of Florida’s boater education requirement (which should be expanded to everyone, not just those born since 1988) and things might get better. Similarly, providing the renters with some information about giving anglers some room AND avoiding boats flying dive flags should be mandatory. Reaching the renters is easy; the rental companies just need to step up in the interests of the environment (and the broader community). Dealing with the visitors from farther up U.S. 1, who bring their own boats, is harder. A blanket boater education/license requirement makes the most sense. In fact, Everglades National Park has blazed this path, mandating that anyone operating a boat within Florida Bay must pass an on-line boater ed course and carry the “I Passed” certificate. If such a commonsense rule is in place for the Bay, shouldn’t a similar rule in place for the marine sanctuary, the wildlife refuge waters, and the state’s Area of Critical Concern? We recently celebrated the 51st anniversary of Earth Day. For the first one in 1970, the then-celebrated cartoon “Pogo” depicted its character observing, “we have met the enemy and he is us.” The Keys’ shallow water habitats are on the verge of being loved to death by a lot of people new to our waters. A bit of education and etiquette can go a long way toward conservation and harmony. — Marathon resident Bill Horn has been visiting, fishing or living in the Keys for 60 years. He was assistant secretary of the interior for fish & wildlife under President Reagan, served on multiple National Academy of Sciences environmental committees, and is author of “Seasons on the Flats: An Angler’s Year in the Florida Keys.”

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

SOFTBALL SEASON ENDS FOR MARATHON GIRLS Fierce Falcons, Groupers end play with a cleanup and party

M Two softball teams of 10- to 13-year-old players — the Fierce Falcons in blue and the Groupers in white — ended their season with celebration. CONTRIBUTED

arathon Girl’s Softball Majors division came to an end recently. “Our 10- to 13-year-old girls have not only learned the basics and fundamentals of the game, but they’ve also had an enormous amount of fun. They were a joy to work with,” said Kevin Carte. The division consisted of two teams: the Groupers and the Fierce Falcons, so named by the players. To end the season, Fierce Falcons coaches Carte and Julie Walker organized a beach cleanup and pool and beach party on Coco Plum Beach at the Royal Plum Club condo complex. “Several large bags of trash were collected and a great time was had by all,” Carte said. “I want to thank the Royal Plum Club for allowing us to enjoy their beautiful property, and thanks to Vista Beauty Bar for sponsoring us throughout the season.” At the season’s end, medals were awarded and park staff provided a pizza party. The Groupers were coached by fatherdaughter team Aaron and Kayla Sipe. — Contributed

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• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • ISLAMORADA, VILLAGE OF ISLANDS NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Thursday, June 10, 2021 at 5:30 P.M., the Village Council of Islamorada, Village of Islands will hold a public hearing at Founders Park Community Center located at 87000 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, Florida and via Communications Media Technology. Pursuant to Executive Order No. 20-69 and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) social distancing guidelines established to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the June 10, 2021 Village Council Meeting will also be conducted utilizing Communication Media Technology (CMT) via a Zoom video conferencing application. For additional information regarding options for viewing the meeting and participation through public comment please contact the Village Clerk at 305-664-6412 or via email at clerk@islamorada.fl.us The purpose of the public hearing is to consider the following items: SECOND READINGS AN ORDINANCE OF ISLAMORADA, VILLAGE OF ISLANDS, FLORIDA, AMENDING CHAPTER 30, LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS; AMENDING ARTICLE V “SCHEDULE OF DISTRICT USE AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS”, DIVISION 6 “LANDSCAPE STANDARDS”, SECTION 30-815 TO SPECIFICALLY AMEND AND ADD BUFFERYARD STANDARDS RELATING TO DRIVEWAYS; PROVIDING FOR PENALTIES; PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF ALL CODE PROVISIONS AND ORDINANCES INCONSISTENT WITH THIS ORDINANCE; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE; PROVIDING FOR THE TRANSMITTAL OF THIS ORDINANCE TO THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE UPON APPROVAL OF THIS ORDINANCE BY THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. AN ORDINANCE OF ISLAMORADA, VILLAGE OF ISLANDS, FLORIDA, AMENDING CHAPTER 34 “NATURAL RESOURCES,” ARTICLE II “WATER CONSERVATION” SECTION 34-31 “PURPOSE” SECTION 34-33 “DEFINITIONS” SECTION 34-34 “HOURS OF IRRIGATION; AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION SYSTEMS” SECTION 34-35 “PROHIBITIONS” SECTION 34-36 “EXEMPTIONS” OF THE VILLAGE CODE TO REVISE LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION RESTRICTIONS; PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF ALL CODE PROVISIONS AND ORDINANCES INCONSISTENT WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ORDINANCE; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE; PROVIDING FOR THE TRANSMITTAL OF THIS ORDINANCE TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE UPON THE APPROVAL OF THIS ORDINANCE BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. AN ORDINANCE OF ISLAMORADA, VILLAGE OF ISLANDS, FLORIDA, AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 20-02 RELATED TO TRANSFERS OF RESIDENTIAL DENSITY; AMENDING CHAPTER 30, “LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS,” ARTICLE IV “ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES,” DIVISION 12 “TRANSFERS OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS” OF THE VILLAGE CODE OF ORDINANCES BY SPECIFICALLY AMENDING 30-503 TO CLARIFY AREAS ELIGIBLE FOR TRANSFER OF RESIDENTIAL DENSITY WITHIN THE VILLAGE; PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF ALL CODE PROVISIONS AND ORDINANCES INCONSISTENT WITH THIS ORDINANCE; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE; PROVIDING FOR THE TRANSMITTAL OF THIS ORDINANCE TO THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE UPON APPROVAL OF THIS ORDINANCE BY THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. A copy of the items may be reviewed at the Village Administrative Center and Public Safety Headquarters, 86800 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, Florida. Affected parties may appear at the public hearing via the Zoom video conferencing tool for the public hearing, be heard and submit evidence with respect to the application. Pursuant to Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes, anyone wishing to appeal any decision made by the Islamorada Village Council with respect to any matter considered at such meeting or hearing will need a record of the proceedings and, for such purpose, may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceeding is made, prepared by a court reporter at the appellant’s expense; such record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based. ADA Assistance: In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, all persons who are disabled and who need special accommodations to participate in this meeting because of that disability should contact the office of the Village ADA Coordinator at (305) 664-6448 (TTY 664-8890) at least three days prior thereto. Two or more committee members from various committees may be present at this meeting.

Ty Harris, Development Services Director

305.743.0844

LEGAL NOTICES

FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Salty Dog Pet Grooming, LLC located at 11400 Overseas Highway, Suite 101, Marathon, Florida 33050, intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida. By: Salty Dog Pet Grooming II, LLC a Florida limited liability company Publish: May 27, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

which are subject to bed tax in the tax collection district for which they are applying. Any person wishing to participate on the District V Advisory Committee of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council within the district so noted above, may request an application from the Administrative Office by calling (305) 296-1552 and submit an application to the address shown below: Department DAC Monroe County Tourist Development Council 1201 White Street, Suite 102 Key West, FL 33040 Fax #: (305) 296-0788 Deadline for receipt of application at the above address is Friday, June 25, 2021 at 5:00pm. A resume may be attached to the application. Publish: May 27, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

the Monroe County Board of Commissioners may attend the meeting and discuss items that may come before the Commission. 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., prior to the scheduled meeting; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call “711”. Live Closed Captioning is available via our web portal @ http://monroecountyfl. Iqm2.com/Citizens/Default. aspx for meetings of the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners Publish: May 27, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

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 June 30, 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: May 27, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Fenix Cigars located at 700 Front Street, Key West, FL 33040, intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida. By: Martha Ramirez Publish: May 27, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Wheatons Towing gives Notice of Foreclosure of Lien and intent to sell these vehicles on 06/18/2021, 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. 1FMFU18L6VLC03074 1997 FORD 2FTRF17294CA22158 2004 FORD 2GKALUEK5D6180610 2013 GENERAL MOTORS CORP 3FAFP31331R191338 2001 FORD 5JWTD1223B1038254 2011 SURE TRA WDDWJ4KB2JF689850 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ Publish: May 27 & June 3, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers NOTICE OF NONJUDICIAL SALE COVE MARINA GROUP, LLC GIVES NOTICE OF THE INTENT TO SELL OR DISPOSE OF THE FOLLOWING VESSEL ON JULY 26, 2021, 10:00 AM AT 73501 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY, ISLAMORADA, FLORIDA 33036. Pursuant to Florida Statute 328.17, Cove Marina Group, LLC reserves the right to remove vessel from auction prior to auction date. Cove Marina Group, LLC reserves the right to accept or reject any and/or all bids. Vessel Name: N/A Hull Number: SXE500841899 Florida Registration: 4412 LG 1999 Release Owner: Russell J. Moore Publish: May 27 & June 3, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers DISTRICT V ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DAC V) (From Mile Marker 90.940 to the Dade/Monroe County Line and any Mainland portions of Monroe County) of the MONROE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL has an opening for a LODGING INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVE – shall be owners or operating/general managers of motels, hotels, recreational vehicle parks or other tourist accommodations

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING Public Meeting Announcement – Monroe County Human Services Advisory Board (HSAB)/ Monroe County Board of County Commissioners The Human Services Advisory Board (HSAB) will meet Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at 9:00 AM in the Marathon Government Center, BOCC Meeting Room, on the 2nd Floor, 2798 Overseas Highway. The Board will make recommendations on the County Fiscal Year 2022 funding for human services. The meeting will be a hybrid format with the HSAB meeting live at the Marathon Government Center. The public will be able to participate in-person or via Communication Media Technology (“CMT”) using a Zoom Webinar platform. The HSAB meeting will begin at 9:00 A.M., on Wednesday, June 2, 2021. The webinar will begin at 8:30 A.M., ½ hour before the meeting, to allow time for people to join and test connections. Below are the various options available to the public to view the live meeting and/or to make public comments on certain agenda items during the public portion of the meeting. Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://mcbocc.zoom. us/j/95228254230 Or iPhone one-tap: US: +16465189805,, 95228254230# or +16699006833,, 95228254230# Or Telephone: Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 646 518 9805 or +1 669 900 6833 Webinar ID: 952 2825 4230 International numbers available: https://mcbocc. zoom.us/u/avHHhHzEO For a copy of the agenda or other information, contact Janet Gunderson, Grants Coordinator, in writing at 1100 Simonton St., Room 2-213, Key West, FL 33040; by phone at 305-292-4470; or by email at GundersonJanet@monroecounty-fl. gov. If members of the public wish to submit written documentation, the documentation must be submitted to Janet Gunderson prior to the meeting and no later than May 28, 2021 by 5:00 P.M. The public is advised that some or all the members of

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Wednesday, June 30, 2021, at 3:00 P.M., the Monroe County Purchasing Office will receive and open sealed responses for the following: CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK SERVICES FOR MONROE COUNTY KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CONCOURSE A AND TERMINAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM 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 June 30, 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: CMAR Services KWIA Airport Concourse A & Terminal Improvements 06/30/2021 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-

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 21-CP-000044-P IN RE: ESTATE OF CHARLOTTE FEUILLAN Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Charlotte Feuillan, deceased, whose date of death was March 18, 2021, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88820 Overseas Highway, Plantation Key, Florida 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representatives 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: May 27, 2021. Personal Representative: Danielle Feuillan 3146 Patterson Street NW Washington, D.C. 20015 Attorney for Personal Representative: Ashley T. Steffen Attorney Florida Bar Number: 111238 SNYDER & SNYDER, P.A. 7931 Orange Drive Davie, Florida 33328 Telephone: (954) 475-1139 Fax: (954) 475-2634 E-Mail: Ashley@snyderlawpa.

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES com Secondary E-Mail: eservice@ snyderlawpa.com Publish: May 27 & June 3, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 21-CP-38-M IN RE: ESTATE OF JAMES MARK DAVIS, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of James Mark Davis, deceased, whose date of death was February 13, 2021, 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: May 27, 2021. Personal Representative: Christian Davis 11109 NW 39th Street Apt. 204, Building 12 Sunrise, Florida 33351 Attorney for Personal Representative: Robert K. Miller Attorney Florida Bar Number: 359173 Cunningham Miller Rhyne PA 10075 Overseas Hwy PO Box 500938 Marathon, FL 33050 Telephone: (305) 743-9428 Fax: (305) 743-8800 E-Mail: service@floridakeyslaw.com Secondary E-Mail: rmiller@ floridakeyslaw.com Publish: May 27 & June 3, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 21-CP-000040-P IN RE: ESTATE OF ETTA LEA PERDOK, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Etta Lea Perdok, deceased, whose date of death was March 12, 2021, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is

LEGAL NOTICES

88820 Overseas Highway, Tavernier, Florida 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice 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: May 27, 2021. Attorney for Personal Representative: Horacio Sosa, Esq. Email Address: hsosa@ sosalegal.com Florida Bar No. 584029 Horacio Sosa, P.A. 2924 Davie Road, Suite 102 Davie, Florida 33314 Personal Representative: Beverly Paul 915 Cultural Park Blvd. Cape Coral, Florida 33990 Publish: May 27 & June 3, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

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 the first publication of this notice: May 20, 2021. Personal Representative: Laura Kain Hart 1915 S. Westgate Ave Los Angeles, CA 90025 Attorney for Personal Representative: Kimberlee J. De Biase, Esq. Florida Bar No. 67987 Breger De Biase, PLLC 1200 N. Federal Hwy, Suite 200 Boca Raton, FL 33432 Telephone: (561) 225-2676 Email: kim@bdblawyers.com Secondary Email: admin@ bdblawyers.com Publish: May 20 & 27, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 21-CP-000032-P IN RE: THE ESTATE OF NINA HART GRIFFITHS, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of NINA HART GRIFFITHS, deceased, whose date of death was December 23, 2020, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88820 Overseas Hwy, Plantation Key, Florida 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate, on whom a copy of this notice 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

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 2021-CP-88-K IN RE: ESTATE OF JAMES L. CONLEY Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of JAMES L. CONLEY, deceased, whose date of death was December 12, 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 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: May 20, 2021. Personal Representative: Bonnie Sims 1816 Tacoma Point Dr. E Lake Tapps, Washington 98391 Attorney for Personal Representative: COLLEEN M. DURIS, B.C.S. Attorney Florida Bar Number: 975140 500 NE 8th Avenue Ocala, FL 34470 Telephone: (352) 732-7020 Fax: (352) 867-5111 E-mail: service@ocalaelderlaw. com E-Mail: angie@ocalaelderlaw. com Publish: May 20 & 27, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

LEGAL NOTICES

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION CASE NO.: 21-CP-000033-P IN RE: ESTATE OF ELIZABETH A. WINGET A/K/A, BETTY WULSTEIN, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Elizabeth A. Winget, a/k/a Betty Wulstein, deceased, whose date of death was December 10, 2020, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is Plantation Key Government Center, 88820 Overseas Highway, Plantation Key, 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: May 20, 2021. Personal Representative: Dr. Katherine Winget P.O. Box 226 Tavernier, FL 33070 Attorney for Personal Representative: VICTORIA MIRANDA, ESQUIRE Florida Bar No. 1015363 E-Mail: VMiranda@HLYlaw.com JAMES S. LUPINO, ESQUIRE Florida Bar No. 244481 E-Mail: JLupino@HLYlaw.com HERSHOFF, LUPINO & YAGEL, LLP 9350 S Dixie Highway, Suite 1470 Miami, FL 33156 Publish: May 20 & 27, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION CASE NO.: 21-CP-000031-P IN RE: ESTATE OF LINDA MARGARET CARVILL, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Linda Margaret Carvill, deceased, whose date of death was May 21, 2020, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is Plantation Key Government Center,

305.743.0844

LEGAL NOTICES

BOAT SLIP FOR SALE

EMPLOYMENT

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: May 20, 2021. Personal Representative: Andrew Kerr Carvill 7 Seckford Street Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 4LY, United Kingdom Attorney for Personal Representative: VICTORIA MIRANDA, ESQUIRE Florida Bar No. 1015363 E-Mail: VMiranda@HLYlaw.com JAMES S. LUPINO, ESQUIRE Florida Bar No. 244481 E-Mail: JLupino@HLYlaw.com HERSHOFF, LUPINO & YAGEL, LLP 9350 S Dixie Highway, Suite 1470 Miami, FL 33156 Publish: May 20 & 27, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

Indoor / Dry Boat Storage Rack / 155 Wind Code The Boat House Marina Condo - Marathon, FL. 36.5L X 12.7W X 16.2H Max Boat Size. $225K / FSBO/ No Realtors / Avail. Now. RGC2RGC@yahoo. com (M) 412-848-1272

Experienced Electric & Low voltage Techs wanted i m m e d i a t e l y 4 0 1 k / i n s u r a n c e / P TO Email: admin@ c h e c k e l e c t r i c l l c. co m Call: 305-292-3369

AUTOS WANTED

ALL YEARS! Junk or Used. Cars - Vans - TrucksRunning or Not. $CASH$ 305-332-0483 BOATS FOR SALE

1993 Hewes Redfish 18' - 115 hp - newly rewired Yamaha 2-stroke, Lowrance HDS8 Chart Plotter, Minn Kota remote trolling motor and Trailer. Located in Marathon. $14,000 OBO 970-331-4511 1999 World Cat 27' with twin 175 Suzuki motors. Runs good. Dual stations. Located on Duck Key. $40,000 OBO 305-481-1316 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!

BOAT TRAILER STORAGE

Boat Trailer Storage available at MM103 Bayside. Up to 100' Call 305-394-1684 DAY LABOR NEEDED

Need help moving furniture, appliances & boxes from 2 BR Home with stairs in Marathon. Tuesday, June 1. $25/ hour (approx. 4-6 hrs) Raul 305-793-9998 EMPLOYMENT

Help WantedLawn Maintenance Drug-Free, Apply in Person at Dot Palm 5200 Overseas Hwy, Marathon FL 33050 3 0 5 - 7 4 3 - 3 0 9 0 Help wanted - Big Time Discount Bait and Tackle in Marathon- competitive wages and working 2535 hrs a week. Contact George 305-289-0199 The Marathon Yacht Club is looking to hire a Sous Chef to assist our Executive Chef. Please call us at 305-743-6739 to schedule an interview. The Marathon Yacht Club is looking to hire someone for serving and bartending. The position pays $12/hr and a guaranteed 20% gratuity in our tip pool. Hours are approximately 3pm to 9pm Tuesday through Saturday and the occasional Sunday. Please apply in person at 825 33rd Street, Gulf, Marathon, FL from 11am2pm Tuesday-Friday. Immediate openings for experienced plumbers and helpers (with or without experience - we will train the right person). Must have a valid driver's license & clean driving record. Please apply in person at 10700 5th Avenue Gulf, Marathon or email resume to: eerpinc@gmail.com

The Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club, is seeking a part time line cook. Club is open 10am - 7pm daily. Located in Key Colony Beach. Hourly pay commensurate with experience. Beautiful environment, small friendly staff, open year round. Apply in person, email resume or call 305 393-0631 ask for April Charter Captain/Mate Busy fishing charter business in Marathon looking for experienced fishing Captain/Mate. Busy boats and location. Offshore, Inshore, Reef/ Wreck. Also part-time Boat Cleaner needed for afternoons. Send text or call 305-481-3259 LPS Contracting NOW HIRING: StateLicensed Land Surveyor & Field Techs. Located in Marathon, FL. Email: info@LPSContracting.com Call: 305-240-9882 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@ g m a i l . c o m . Full or part-time litigation paralegal needed in Tavernier. Bilingual a plus. Salary is commensurate with experience. Email resume to Jeff Vastola at jvastola@ vastolalegal.com. NOW HIRING: Sweet Savannah's is now hiring for all shifts. Please apply in person at 8919 Overseas Highway in Marathon.

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • EMPLOYMENT Full-time Construction Workers needed. Superintendents, Carpenters, Painters and Laborers. Top dollar for the right individuals. Start tomorrow. Apply in person, Dooley Construction, MM 88.5 Oceanside or call 305-852-8000 Fl Keys Diesel - Marathon now hiring: Diesel Technician -Competitive compensation package. Exp in the marine field preferred but not necessary. Exp w/ Caterpillar and Cummins Marine Engines a plus. Diesel Mechanic Assistant position available. Motivated candidate willing to learn a new trade or expand current skills. Company willing to train. Qualified applicants please call 305-2892070 or email resume to neil@allkeysdiesel.com . Drug Free and valid Drivers License a must.

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. Marathon Elks Lodge looking for Bartender. Please call Rose at 305-393-9889 HIRED IN LESS THAN 1 MONTH!! Property Manager, Part Time -Two Days per week, 12 hours per week, KCB, Sea Isle Condo, Hourly Rate of $23. Resume to HardingThomasL@ aol.com, 734-476-0531, 1101 West Ocean Drive,

CROSSWORD

EMPLOYMENT

OFFICE SPACE

Colony Beach HIRED IN LESS THAN THREE WEEKS!!

Beautiful Office Space available for rent now on US1 in Tavernier @MM92. Call 305-394-0530

Pool service hiring PT 4/days a week cleaning pools & water testing. Marathon area. Call 305-395-0000 HIRED IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!!

1,082 SF office space. Renovated Corner Unit for rent in Islamorada. $ 3 , 0 0 0 / m o nt h Call 305.712.8888

Key

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!

SERVICES OFFERED

Mobile Boat Detailing from Key Largo to Key West - Chauffeur Tim 305-902-9135

305.743.0844

NOW HIRING! SIGN ON BONUS UP TO $ 1,500 NEEDED: INSTALLERS, APPRENTICES AND SERVICE TECHNICIANS PAY RANGE: $15  $30 PER HOUR BASED ON EXPERIENCE LOOKING FOR A LONGTERM CAREER? COME JOIN OUR TEAM, WE OFFER THE FOLLOWING: Competitive pay | Work Life Balance Continued Training | Opportunity for advancement Paid time off | Medical | 401K Apply via email: Joey@ellingtonac .com Call to schedule a meeting for employment 321.482.3158

Wastewater Utility Technician-Key West Hiring reliable, hardworking, adaptable, trainable Tech. Trade exp in AC, electric, utility, plumbing a PLUS. Paid pension, vacation, sick, holiday 40hr M-F 7-3:30PM+OT Benefits=Health, dental, vision Pay corr w, exp $48K-$69K hiring@kwru.com

HOBBIES/COLLECT.

PRIVATE COLLECTOR WANTS Rolex, Dive Watches and Pilot Watches. Old Model Military Clocks & Watches. Call 305-743-4578 HOUSING FOR RENT

MM96 Buttonwood Bay 2BR/2.5BA furn. townhome. $2750/mo F/L/S app fee $60. No pets/smoking. Tropic Homes year lease. Debbie Taylor 305-394-9787

NOW HIRING: Housekeeping Room Attendants – wages vary Cooks – wages vary

***Sign on bonus of $500 after 30 days of full-time employment & an additional $500 after 90 days Please apply online for our positions: islabellabeachresort.oasisrecruit.com or call # 786 638-8046 and ask for Human Resources 1 Knight’s Key Blvd (MM 47) Marathon, FL 33050

EOE • M/F/Vet/Disability

HIRING SERVER PREP COOK

Apply at S.S. Wreck 58835 Overseas Hwy. Grassy Key Or call for appt. 305-481-3067

LOT FOR SALE

LOT FOR SALE 100' x 100' - Venetian Shores, MM 86, Snake Creek Bridge views. Asking $1.3 Million. Call 561-579-8399

SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS NEEDED! Monroe County School District

MISC. FOR SALE

FloridaKeysTravel.com can now be yours! Go to FloridaKeysTravel. com for details on how to purchase this exceptional domain name immediately for $499 or to make an offer. OFFICE SPACE

SOLUTION

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

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES •

305.743.0844

NOW HIRING

KeysBank.com

Join Our Team! Key West

D’Asign Source is seeking the following professionals. Overtime and benefits are available. For full details & additional openings, please visit DAsignSource.com/careers

Flooring Installer

Information Technology Technician Maintenance Technician Full Time Teller

11 pm - 7 am

Previous hotel experience required. Great Pay and Benefits

Apply in person at Courtyard Marriott Marathon, 2146 Overseas Hwy or email resume to jtyson@shanercorp.com • 305-289-2100

Warehouse & Delivery Crew Must have reliable transportation, be on time and organized. Must have a valid driver’s license. CDL a plus.

Part Time Floating Teller - Key West/Big Pine Interior Designer

Marathon

FT Night Audit Supervisor

NOW HIRING

Assistant Front Office Manager

Finish Carpenter

Branch Management Full Time Teller Full Time Floating Teller - Marathon/Islamorada

Key Largo

Framing & drywall repairs, kitchen & bath remodeling, etc. Must present high attention to detail; workmanship must be very high quality.

Evening Shift FT Salaried Position Hotel Front Desk Supervisory Experience Required Great Pay and Benefits

Landscape Designer

Apply in person at Courtyard Marriott Marathon, 2146 Overseas Hwy or email resume to jtyson@shanercorp.com • 305-289-2100

Lead Teller

Apply Online at KeysBank.com/Careers

NOW HIRING:

We offer 401k, profit sharing, educational reimbursement, health/dental plans, life insurance, holidays and paid time off for full time employees. Member FDIC

EOE-M/F/V/D

Equal Housing Lender

The Turtle Hospital in Marathon IMMEDIATE OPENINGS: FULL/PART-TIME EDUCATION PROGRAM GUIDES/GIFT SHOP SALES

TEMPORARY MARINE PUMPOUT WORKER  KEY WEST

Public Speaking & Retail Sales Experience Helpful

40 hours per week • $27.00 per hour

FULL/PART-TIME OFFICE ASSISTANT

Monroe County BOCC is seeking an applicant with a dynamic personality and who is quick to adapt, a competent multi-tasker, and can communicate effectively for a new temporary position. Primary function is to assist marine captains with pump-out services for anchored vessels. Qualifications: Florida driver’s license, fluent in English (Spanish fluency helpful), and 1 to 2 years boating experience (USCG Captain’s License helpful). Must be able to swim. To apply, please contact Monroe County HR at: Careers@monroecounty-fl.gov. APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE AT: WWW.MONROECOUNTY-FL.GOV. 305-292-4557. Veteran’s Preference Available; E.O.E

Send resume to: turtlehospitalmarathon@gmail.com

F/T and PT Bartenders for BlueWaters Pool Bar and Wedding Event Bartenders $10/hour Great Tips Health Benefits & Room Discounts Sign-on bonus Poolside setting with Gulf View Apply in Person, Start Today! Courtyard Marriott Marathon 2146 Overseas Hwy • 305-289-2100

NOW HIRING: Hosts Waitstaff Bartenders Bar Backs Bussers Line Cooks Dishwashers

Apply in person at Sunset Grille & Raw Bar, 7 Knight’s Key Blvd, Marathon

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES 305.743.0844 • CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • •305.743.0844 JOURNEYMAN ELECTRICIAN Location: Middle Keys – Lower Keys

OPEN POSITIONS AT MARINERS AND FISHERMEN'S COMMUNITY HOSPITAL • Clinical Partner (CNA), Up to $3K Sign-On Bonus • Environmental Tech (Housekeeping), Up to $5K Sign-On Bonus • Fitness Center Manager • Line Cook, Dietary • Medical Staff Asst • Medical Technologist, Up to $10K Sign-On Bonus • Nurse Supervisor • Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, CT Scan • Multiplace Hyperbaric Tech • Patient Scheduler • Physical Therapist • Polysomnographic Tech • Security Officer • Sr Phlebotomist • First Cook, Dietary, Up to $2.5K Sign-On Bonus • Floor Technician, Up to $5K Sign-On Bonus • Food Service Worker (Diet Concierge), Up to $5K Sign-On Bonus • Mechanic, Facility Operations • Nurse Practitioner • Patient Experience Advocate • Phlebotomist, Up to $2K Sign-On Bonus • Pool Clinical Pharmacist • Radiology Technologist • Registered Nurse, Up to $20K Sign-On Bonus • RN Case Manager

Apply at careers.baptisthealth.net Learn more: 786-243-8507

Join the winning Technical Services Dept team at the FKAA for future growth opportunities and an excellent working environment

MUST HAVE an active Journeyman Electrician License. Duties: Install, inspect, test, repair, and maintain all new and existing generators, motors, transformers, motor controllers, and associated equipment throughout our system, with base location in the middle keys. Minimum qualifications: Journeyman’s License, emphasis on electronics, industrial electrical, pneumatics, controls, building automation, fire alarm and HVAC systems, load calculations, conduit requirements, thorough knowledge of NEC requirements, minimum 6 yrs experience. Must be able to operate and use computers with various software applications, including Microsoft Office Suite. Must have a valid Florida driver’s license. Must be able to communicate and comprehend the English language. $55,876. - $88,506. DOQ On-line app: http://www.fkaa.com/employment.htm Deadline: Open until filled. EEO, VPE, ADA

FIELD INSPECTORS Lower Keys Full-Time Middle Keys Full-Time

For more information visit Current Openings at: keysmosquito.org/current-openings/ Deadline to apply June 1, 2021

FACILITIES MAINTENANCE MECHANIC Salary Range: $46,347.98 – $70,968.11 Location: Middle Keys

The Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority is looking for a fulltime Maintenance Mechanic to perform skilled maintenance and repair of buildings, grounds, equipment, and pumps. MUST HAVE: high school diploma or GED; and at least two (2) years of experience and/or training that include construction trades, such as carpentry, masonry, plumbing, or electrical. Must have a valid FL driver’s license. Must be able to obtain an FDEP Level III Distribution License within 18 mos. of hire date. Great benefits like retirement, paid health, dental, vision & life insurance and much more! Must complete on-line application found at: http://www.fkaa.com/employment.htm EEO, VPE, ADA

Floor Manager Daytime Host Experienced Servers Experienced Bartenders High volume restaurant in Key Largo. Apply in person at Snooks Bayside, 99470 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL

Valet Parking Attendant Front Desk Agent Guest Services Manager Front Office Line Cooks Server- am and pm opportunity Engineer-General Maintenance F & B Supervisor-Manager LMT, Nail Tech, Esthetician Sign on Bonus Offered!

Apply online at: www.noblehousehotels.com/careers Apply in person at: Zero Duval St.

Great pay, amazing benefits, & an awesome team!

JOB FAIR

Thursday, June 3, 2021 – 10am-2pm Zero Duval St. Key West, FL 33040

MARATHON GARBAGE SERVICE Key Largo Wastewater Treatment District is accepting applications for a full-time, entry level, Field Operations System Technician. Must have HS Diploma or equivalent and a valid Florida Driver’s License. Must currently live within 25 miles of KLWTD Treatment Plant (100301 Overseas Highway, Key Largo). Hourly starting pay rate of $16.72/hr plus benefits. EOE Email your resume to: hr@klwtd.com

Busy Key Largo Dive Center has immediate openings for

NOW HIRING

Housekeepers

Night Auditor/Night Security

FLORIDA KEYS MOSQUITO CONTROL DISTRICT

is accepting applications for the following position:

Part time & Full time Opportunities!

BOAT CAPTAINS $1,500 SIGNING BONUS

Experience Required. Paid per trip plus tips & sales commission. Send resume to resumes@rainbowreef.com

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

SUDOKU

SOLUTION

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC && LEGAL NOTICES • • 305.743.0844 • CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC LEGAL NOTICES 305.743.0844

NOW HIRING RESTAURANT HOST

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

SERVERS BARTENDERS FOOD RUNNER PUBLIC AREA ATTENDANT LAUNDRY ATTENDANT ROOM ATTENDANTS BELLMEN LINE COOKS SOUS CHEF BAKER

WATERSPORTS MAINTENANCE APPLY AT: bungalowskeylargo.com/careers Bungalows Key Largo is an EOE

Dolphin Research Center is Hiring! • Facilities Maintenance Apprentice • Education Program Host Benefits include medical, life & disability insurance, 401(k) plan, paid vacation, sick time & holidays. Full job descriptions available at www.dolphins.org/career_opportunities

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

THEME: 1970s LYRICS The Guidance/Care Center, Inc. a division of

“Uplifting the human spirit since 1973”

THE GUIDANCE/CARE CENTER, Inc.

IS HIRING! KEY LARGO

Behavioral Health Counselor Substance Abuse Counselor (PT)

KEY WEST

Behavioral Health Therapist (Children) Housekeeper (PT) Peer Support Specialist Crisis Counselor Case Manager (Adult, Forensic) Motivational Support Specialist (base location flexible) Substance Abuse Counselor Behavioral Health Counselor (Children) Engagement Specialist (Suicide Prevention) Behavioral Health Therapist (Adult) FL LCSW,LMHC, LMFT

MARATHON

Maintenance Specialist Research Assistant Housekeeper Engagement Specialist (Suicide Prevention) Driver (CDL required) (FT Temporary) Behavioral Health Therapist (Children) RNs and LPNs (3 shifts) (PT/FT & per diem) Advocate (PT) *Assisted Living Direct Care Worker (PT/FT) *Behavioral Health Technicians (3 shifts) (PT/FT & per diem) *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

Background and drug screen req.

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

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. *Carole King: “But you’re ____ ____ away” 6. “I Thee ____” 9. Ring practice 13. Hacienda brick 14. *Billy Joel: “I love you just the way you ____” 15. What speakers do 16. Leg of lamb 17. Styling goo 18. Spooky 19. *Rod Stewart: “Oh, Maggie, I couldn’t have tried ____ ____” 21. *Stevie Wonder: “Very superstitious, writing’s on ____ ____” 23. Type of constrictor 24. Can of worms 25. *”____ Cola, what a beautiful drink” 28. Capital of Peru 30. *Carly Simon: “I had some dreams, they were ____ in my coffee” 35. Bad luck precursor 37. Swing seat, possibly 39. Macaroni shape 40. Capital on the Baltic Sea 41. Figure with vertex and rays 43. Venetian magistrate 44. Not fitting 46. Sealed with a handshake 47. Wise man 48. Annotator and commentator 50. Facts and figures 52. Bambino 53. Chinese monetary unit 55. International Labor Organization 57. *The Knack: “M M M My ____” 61. *Sister Sledge: “We are family, get up everybody ____ ____” 65. Last European colony in China 66. Pastrami’s partner 68. Sheik’s bevy 69. Movie premiere, e.g. 70. Gunk 71. Ancient assembly area 72. Used to be wild? 73. Attila, e.g. 74. Part of mortise joint

DOWN 1. Long story 2. War god in Norse mythology 3. Same as fogey 4. J. Robert Oppenheimer’s project 5. Reorganize or modify 6. $7.25/hour, e.g. 7. Old fashioned ‘before’ 8. Nile’s mouth 9. Boatload 10. What paralegal and parachute have in common 11. Seed covering 12. Angler’s spool 15. Punch buggy car 20. Indian cuisine yogurt staple 22. Drunkard’s sound? 24. Enter uninvited (2 words) 25. *Bruce Springsteen: “Tramps like us, baby we were born ____ ____” 26. ____ acid 27. “And Seth.... ____ Enos” 29. *Eric Clapton: “Darling, won’t you ease my worried ____” 31. Oldsmobile founder 32. Lusitania’s destroyer 33. Grown-up pupper, in social media 34. *ABBA: “Dancing queen, young and ____, only seventeen” 36. Back of the neck 38. Dashing style 42. Spritelike 45. Test (2 words) 49. *Terry Jacks: “We had seasons in the ____” 51. One tritely familiar 54. Frustration, in print 56. Missouri River tributary 57. Old World duck 58. *Creedence Clearwater Revival: “____ you ever seen the rain?” 59. They’re hidden up a sleeve? 60. Goes with rave 61. Eon, alt. sp. 62. *Black Sabbath: “I am ____ man” 63. Infamous Roman emperor 64. J. Edgar Hoover’s man 67.*Queen:“Scaramouch, Scaramouch, will ___ do the Fandango”

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

LET’S DO BUSINESS - 305.743-0844 Licensed & Insured Contractor # CACO53827

ARTIC TEMP, INC.

Leslie Christensen

Air Conditioning & Refrigeration

OWNER

phone 305-743-6881 AmericanCoastalRentals.com Leslie@AmericanCoastalRentals.com 9141 Overseas Hwy, Marathon

Residential, Commercial & Marine Ice Machine - Sales - Service Phone: (305) 743-5288

Fax: (305) 743-6887

Sportfishing Adventures

SOLAR DONE RIGHT!

info@johnnymaddoxcharters.com

When it comes to solar and power storage for your home in the Florida Keys, turn to the Florida Keys Local Experts at SALT Energy.

Dolphin-Tuna-Wahoo-Billfish-Snapper-Grouper-Shark Deep Sea –Off Shore-Reef-Wrecks-Gulf

305-481-3259

CALL US FOR A FREE HOME ESTIMATE

A division of SALT Service, serving The Keys since 1989

305-289-1150

Keys Fisheries Market & Marina Mile Marker 48.5, Marathon End of 35th Street Bayside

www.saltenergy.net 2992 Overseas Highway Marathon, FL 33050

Florida Solar Contractor CVC 56734 Florida Electrical Contractor EC13008657

Barbara Sanchez

Tewes ewes Mortgage

Home & Offices Expertly Cleaned Fast Dependable Service

Your local, residential lending expert!

Call 305.495.6000

“We Clean Your Place, Like it Was Our Place”

for a FREE Consultation

Brian Tewes

Excellent References Upon Request

Customer service is my strength Brian@tewesmortgage.com

NMLS# 375025 Tewes Mortgage NMLS# 1453791 NMLSConsumerAccess.org

www.TewesMortgage.com

Liz Samess Interiors

Design, Decorating, Drafting, & More…

Serving Monroe, Dade & Broward Including Airports & Ports. SUV, Van & Limousine options available Call us for special events.

Serving Key Largo to Key West

305-743-7454

fkes2011@gmail.com floridakeysexpressshuttle.com

Will Campbell President

Liz Samess Interior Designer

(954) 801-7883 Email: interiordesignbyliz@gmail.com CELL:

Marathon, FL 33050

P.E. Lic. No: 79269 5800 Overseas Hwy. Unit 32 Marathon, FL. 33050

Only $50 Puts Your Business Card Here

Nails by Ivis

Manicures • Pedicures Acrylics • Gelish • Facials • Waxing

5177 Overseas Highway

(Between Office Depot & Main Post Office)

Marathon, FL 33050 305-289-1631

www.marathonhairandnailsalon.com

TEAM SCHUTT ANNA J SCHUTT

REALTOR® | Luxury Specialist

305.923.9226 BUTCH "BLAST" SCHUTT REALTOR® 305.743.1979 Cell: 305-363-8330 Office: 305-735-4626 will@cecflk.com www.CECFLK.com

305-766-0819 305-924-0179

11050 Overseas Hwy, Marathon keyswaterfrontspecialist@gmail.com teamschutt.realestatefloridakeys.com Each office is independently owned and operated

The Weekly Newspapers www.KeysWeekly.com

305-743-0844

Kitchen Cabinets Sales REAL Wood Cabinets at Particle Board Prices KitchenKorner/Fred's Beds 1333 O/S Hwy, MM 53.5 • 305-743-7277

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

LET’S DO BUSINESS - 305.743.0844 MARATHON • KEY COLONY OWNERS

START EARNING 305 3902315

WWW.KEYSRENTALSONLINE.COM OFFER YOUR ENJOY EXPERT MAXIMIZE GUESTS A VIP PROPERTY YOUR INCOME EXPERIENCE MAINTENANCE POTENTIAL

y’s www.KeysSlidingGlassDoorRepair.com And Sliding Glass Door Repair Roller Maintenance Track Maintenance Door Alignment Security Pins Safety Locks Handles

Petersen Repair & Maintenance • Flooring • Inside Trim Work • Door Replacement • Landscaping • Fencing

• Plastering & Stucco • Masonry & Spalling Repair • Waterproof & Roof Painting • Interior & Exterior Painting • Parking Lot Striping

Karen Raspe

Realtor 305-393-9010 karenraspe@bellsouth.net

SP# 4434, 4435, 4436, 4437, 4438. 4439. 4448, 4449, 4450, 4451

Charlie Petersen 920-371-3107 | PetersenRepair@yahoo.com Licensed & Insured #SP33799

Only $50 Puts Your Business Card Here

ALL KEYS GLASS

We Also Repair & Replace Patio Door Screens

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL Windows • Doors

305-998-8953 Insured • Professional • Reliable

Authorized Dealer

305-743-7800

9141 Overseas Highway Marathon, FL 33050 www.karenraspe.com

Sales & Installation • Tub & Shower Enclosures Safety & Tempered Glass • Mirror & Mirror Walls Plexi-Glass & Lexan

GENERAL CONTRACTORS & ENGINEERS

When It Rains It Pours! Need 7” Gutters? We have 6” & 7” Seamless • Copper Specialists

Key West 305-292-2666

MARATHON

305-743-0506

KEY LARGO

305-852-5356

rainsavergutters@gmail.com

Appliance and Air Conditioning

Sales - Service - Installation 1700 N. Roosevelt Blvd #2, Key West 305-294-0090 • www.kolhages.com

Sewer Connections 305

872-1876

• New Construction • Remodeling • Irrigation

Floor & Wall Tiles Porcelain/Planks Marble Carpets Quartz & Granite Countertops

305

Rachellynnes94@gmail.com 305.393.3076

SALES

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Lic## RF11067168

EXPERTS

Proud member of:

INTERNATIONAL

CONCRETE REPAIR INSTITUTE

We Do Installations! Licensed & Insured

FREE ESTIMATES U.S.1 & 109th St, Marathon (Across from Beall’s Outlet)

289-3019

2728 North Roosevelt Blvd. Overseas Market Key West

QUICK & RELIABLE OPEN WATER MARINE SERVICES JARED FRANK

OWNER

(305) 289-1551 towboatusmarathon.com

Butch and Barbara Hewlett

AIMEE

KORNETTI REALTOR ®

Cell 305-600-9726 aimeekornetti@gmail.com

www.KeysWeekly.com

305-743-0844

SPALLING

PC 606

Lic# ENG II 305E

The Weekly Newspapers

296-BLUE

• Heavy Equipment • Solar

Lic#SP-3562

Rachel Sanderson

NOW HIRING!

keycolonybeachproperties.com

305-394-5530 bnbfishing@comcast.net 3900 Overseas Hwy, Marathon FL 33050

Key Colony Beach Realty, Inc.

MARATHON WEEKLY / MAY 27, 2021

Jody L. Owen, P.A. 305-923-1902

Lynn B. Lucas, P.A. 305-393-0559

jodyowen@me.com

lynn@keyshomehunter.com

Over $43.5 Million SOLD in the last 12 months If you want TOP dollar for your proper ty, now is the time. Put the #1 Real Estate Sales Team in the Middle Keys to wor k for you. Call us today!

Vaca Cove - 12555 Overseas Hwy, Marathon

Offered for sale is Vaca Cove complex comprised of 7 stilted waterfront homes built in 2016. Each home is 1,740 Sq. Ft., 4 bedroom, 3 bath, open floor plan living area, large laundry, water front porches with open water views, private spas and covered parking. On site amenities include: Trex pier dockage accommodating up to 40' boats for each home, resort sized custom salt pool, fishing dock and kayak launch all situated on 1.42 acres with over 700 linear feet of water frontage. This is an active and fully licensed vacation rental property with established management and increasing numbers. Please do not go to property unscheduled. Call today for more information and schedule a private walk-thru. 28 bedrooms / 21 Full Baths ● 12,180 SF ● MLS# 594168 ● Offered at $6,900,000

116 N. Indies Dr., Duck Key

Lot 93 Stirrup Key Blvd., Marathon

13,475 Sq. Ft. Lot ● Gulf Frontage ● Open Water Views Building Permit and Fishing Pier/Dock Permit applied for ● Call for more info ● Build your dream home in this gated community MLS# 593710 ● Offered at $415,000

RARE FULL DUPLEX ON DUCK KEY. This is duplex is located just over the first historic arched bridge on exclusive Duck Key. Both sides have been completely updated and offers 2 spacious bedrooms and 2 bathrooms per side with: tile flooring throughout, stone countertops, stone backsplashes, custom cabinetry, updated bathrooms, PVC wainscot and baseboards, new sliders and PGT casement windows. The exterior offers: covered parking, mature landscaping, landscape lighting, a custom in-ground heated salt pool, paver decking, large Tiki hut with built-in grilling station, mosquito mister system and 75’ of seawall dockage with fish cleaning station. 4/4 ● 2,108 SF ● 7,500 SF Lot ● Offered at $1,499,000

©2020 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Equal Housing Opportunity.