16 minute read
Marathon city race heats up
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According to a survey of 2,000 people conducted by a dog food company, two in three Americans admit they’ve cooked a special meal for their dog — especially on their dog’s birthday (44%), after coming home from a long trip (22%), or on their adoption anniversary (18%). Brittany Mobley, an FWC officer, demonstrates the proper way to measure a Florida spiny lobster in the Florida Keys. For more information about the Lobster sport season, see page 10. FRAZIER NIVENS/Florida Keys News Bureau
PICK TWO
Gonzalez, Thompson, Wofsey and Coldiron declare candidacy
SARA MATTHIS
sara@keysweekly.com Luis Gonzalez
Lynny Del Gazio Greg Coldiron
Trevor Wofsey
Up until last week, it didn’t look like it was going to be much of a horse race. Only incumbent Mayor Luis Gonzalez and newcomer Lynny Del Gazio (nee Thompson) had declared their candidacy for a seat on the Marathon City Council for the November election. Then, late last week, Trevor Wofsey and Greg Coldiron filed papers with the Monroe County Supervisor of Elections, too.
Marathon Council elections are at-large, meaning that regardless of the number of candidates, the top vote getters are elected to two open seats in November.
Coldiron said he’s running because he thinks “Marathon could be the best small town in Florida. We’re almost there.”
His top three concerns are the city’s building, code and planning departments. “Our building department is completely broken until we give them the tools, the software. If the software we have is the problem, throw it in the trash and start over even if it costs $60,000, $70,000 or $80,000. As far as code enforcement, I’m sure they are understaffed and this needs to be addressed.”
Coldiron gives the city high marks for its parks and recreation department, the service of City Manager George Garrett, and the community itself.
“We have such a great community and I truly believe that most of the city council has the best interests at heart and is trying to make our city a better place for all of us. It’s my turn to serve. Leadership matters,” Coldiron said.
Coldiron has been a longtime visitor and property owner in the Keys, and a full time resident since 1999. Previously, he said he organized very large events for a national brand and had business holdings to support the business running from a trucking terminal to ownership of an ice company. Coldiron was previously married to former Marathon Councilwoman, and current Monroe County Mayor, Michelle Coldiron.
Wofsey has lived in the Keys for 21 years, the last nine in Marathon and works for the U.S. Post Office.
“We have a great community; a lot of people step up and go above and beyond. I just wish there was more of it,” Wofsey said, adding that he wants to spend city money on projects for locals.
“We’re getting taxed for the sewers and the hospital, but I hear the city nickel and diming the rest of us. We sure as hell can afford a pool; we need to give something back to the people,” Wofsey said.
Wofsey also said the city needs to do more to encourage affordable and workforce housing that is truly affordable. “We can’t rely on the public bus to bring employees down here. I am a 21year union member, proud and strong. There are people putting in 50 or 60 hours a week to make it down here. We need to take care of the people that we rely on daily to run our community,” he said.
As previously reported in the Keys Weekly, Del Gazio has lived in Marathon since 1971, with a brief interruption when she lived in New England. She graduated from Marathon High School and has a long and varied career in hospitality and real estate. In addition to growth, Del Gazio said her top issues are vacation rentals and preserving the Keys’ unique environment.
MARATHON’S TAX RATE GOING UP
On July 13, Marathon City Council set the preliminary tax rate and, for the first time in four years, proposed to raise the ad valorem taxes on homes. The tax rate is going to 2.77 mills. Previously, homeowners and property owners in Marathon paid $11.88 per $100,000 value of their homes and the new rate is proposed to be $29.88 per $100,000 of value. Owners of homesteaded properties will only see their tax rates raised by 3% or less.
While the tax rate can be lowered at subsequent meetings to discuss the budget, it cannot go higher. Meetings are set for Sept. 9 at 5:05 p.m. and Sept. 14 at 5:05 p.m., both at Marathon City Hall.
As proposed, the tax rate would raise $8.3 million for the general fund, up from $7.3 million last year. The city’s operating budget is about $14.5 million. The city of Marathon has 10 months of operating expenses in a reserve fund, to be used in case of an emergency like a hurricane.
At the same meeting, the council voted to increase vacation rental fees. Going forward, new license fees begin at $1,000 (up from $750) for a one-bedroom home and renewal fees are $650 (up from $500) for a onebedroom home. New and renewal fees are higher for larger vacation rental homes, maxing out at $1,200 for a new license for a four- or more bedroom home or $850 for a renewal of license renewal a property with four or more bedrooms.
— Sara Matthis
from page 4
Gonzalez is a longtime business owner in Marathon with a growing family. He said he is a diligent public servant. “I think I’ve been a voice for the citizens; there haven’t been any issues or concerns that I haven’t followed through on,” said Gonzalez, adding his top priorities are finishing the redevelopment of the skate park and splash pad, as well as the Quay property. “Most importantly, I want to continue to find that balance so that residents feel comfortable calling Marathon home,” Gonzalez said. Gonzalez was the only candidate to collect signatures of registered voters to qualify. The others will have to pay $840 — a figure based on the council person’s salary — to qualify, as well as sign an oath of office and provide financial disclosure information. Qualifying ends for the City of Marathon election on Aug. 10 at noon. Early voting begins on October 18 and runs through Oct. 29. Election day is Nov. 2. 2021 is an “off” election year in Monroe County. Only Marathon and the City of Layton are holding elections, which typically depresses voter turnout.
Layton City Council incumbent Gregory Lewis has announced his candidacy for the seat he currently occupies. The filing fee in Layton is $50. Qualifying ends on Aug. 13 and, like Marathon, the election is on Nov. 2.
Lewis has served on the Layton City Council for 10 years and this will be his fifth term.
“Our constituents are happy with what we do. With our ‘new’ Mayor Bruce Halle, he brought a whole new flavor to everything and we’re moving forward and being progressive.”
Lewis said Layton’s biggest challenge going forward would be addressing sea level rise. Lewis’ background is in building and he has been a full-time resident of Layton since 2011.
mandy@keysweekly.com
WELCOME BACK, GOLD FRIEND
1622 ATOCHA SHIPWRECK STILL PAYS OFF FOR MEL FISHER’S TREASURES
Silver tarnishes and darkens, but gold shines on — even after 400 years submerged in saltwater.
That was the case on July 16, when the Nuestra Senora de Atocha, one of the world’s most famous and valuable shipwrecks, gave up a gold coin for the first time in 20 years. Though other gold artifacts have been found, gold coins are a rarity. Fewer than 130 have been recovered in total. No one knows how many were on board the galleon when it sank. The gold coins don’t appear on the ship’s manifest as cargo, and would have been carried (or smuggled) aboard the galleon by wealthy aristocrats or clergymen.
Mel Fisher’s Treasures diver Zach Moore was working with an underwater metal detector, scouring the current search site with other experienced treasure divers from their work boat, the JB Magruder, with Capt. Tim Meade at the helm.
Beneath 30 feet of ocean, under 10 feet of sand, after 400 years, the glint of gold was unmistakable to Moore, who has also worked with Mel Fisher’s Treasures excavating the 1715 fleet in Vero Beach.
Moore’s parents were both a part of “the golden crew” that discovered the $400 million mother lode of Atocha treasure on July 20, 1985.
On one dive in 1985, Zach’s father, Bill Moore, and others found 165 pounds of gold finger bars, chains and discs. His mother, Julie Moore, was also a diver on the Atocha site during the mother lode days, and recovered several Atocha emeralds, Zach Moore said.
He was still reeling from the golden discovery when the boat returned to its dock at Safe Harbor Marina late on July 17.
“I fanned away some sand while working the crease of the hole, between the sand and the rocky bottom, and it was just stuck there in the bottom, shining as brightly as it had 400 years ago.”
The coin’s antiquity value is said to be as much as $98,000, according to the Mel Fisher’s Treasures team. It is the 121st gold coin recovered from Spanish galleon that sank in a 1622 hurricane 35 miles off Key West.
The JB Magruder’s recent 10-day search also yielded two silver coins and an ancient musket ball.
One silver coin was found by diver Jacob Bell, who scored his first find, and the other was found by Jerry McAdams, an investor in the continuing search for the remaining treasure of the Atocha.
The latest finds occurred just a few days before the 36th anniversary of the 1985 Atocha motherlode discovery and Key West’s annual Mel Fisher Days celebration and fundraiser benefiting Wesley House Family Services and Michael Abt Jr. Have a Heart Foundation.
A diver reunion party was planned for July 20 at Schooner Wharf Bar accompanied by a huge online silent auction.
More information is at melfisherdays.com.
Mel Fisher’s Treasures diver Zach Moore, aboard the treasure vessel JB Magruder, shows off the rare gold coin he recovered on July 16 from the Atocha shipwreck. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly
Four hundred years on the ocean fl oor did nothing to dull the glint of a gold coin from the 1622 wreck of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha.
Diver Jacob Bell recovered a silver coin from the site of the Atocha shipwreck.
Silver reacts with saltwater and becomes encrusted in a rocky, shell-like covering that requires careful conservation to reveal the silver coins that hang as ‘Key West dog tags’ around the necks of hundreds of divers and shipwreck enthusiasts.
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After the proclamation in support of Cuba passed in Marathon, citizens fi led out of city hall to wave signs on the side of Overseas Highway. SARA MATTHIS/Keys Weekly
#CUBALIBRE
SARA MATTHIS
sara@keysweekly.com
This week, both the City of Marathon and the City of Key West passed special proclamations in support of Cuban liberty.
In Marathon, Mayor Luis Gonzalez called for a special meeting to pass the resolution on July 19.
“Sixty-two. That number represents pain. That number represents suffering,” Gonzalez said. “In Marathon, we know many Cuban Americans who are successful businessmen, hard working hospitality employees and the backbone of our fishing industry. For 10 days, we’ve witnessed a historic moment when Cubans in Cuba flooded the streets, seeking freedom. It is impossible to ignore their pain and suffering anymore, especially knowing they are just 90 miles away.”
The Marathon City Council chambers were filled with supporters — both white and Latin — who cheered the remarks by Monroe County School Board Chairman John Dick, Monroe County Mayor Michelle Coldiron, Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay, as well as Marathon council members Mark Senmartin, John Bartus and Steve Cook. (Councilman Dan Zieg was absent.)
The Key West City Commission adopted a similar resolution in support of the people of Cuba on July 20.
Key West Commissioner Greg Davila introduced the resolution, saying, "I think the least this commission can do, given our Cuban heritage on the dais, is to express support for the people's courageous struggle."
Longtime Key West resident Gilda Niles, whose family fled Cuba in the 1960s, when she was a teenager, spoke in support of the resolution, but urged the commission, which agreed, to strengthen its wording beyond supporting the people, but also opposing the current leadership. "When I hear of these people finally saying they want their freedom, it does my heart good," Niles said. "I always wondered why we left, why didn't we stay and fight for our country and our freedom. The message I'd like us to add is, 'Mr. Raul Castro, it's time for you to leave. Enough is enough. Sixty-two years of misery is enough."
Castro stepped down as president three years ago after handpicking current President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who is also head of the Communist party in Cuba, after Castro resigned in April from that post. On July 11, spontaneous protests erupted in five Cuban cities and thousands of protestors in Cuba took to the streets in at least five cities. CubanAmericans living in the Florida Keys told the Keys Weekly that their brothers and sisters across the Florida straits are suffering. According to U.S. authorities, the Cuban government has interrupted internet and phone service for Cubans in Cuba and the picture of the political unrest is hazy.
According to Monroe County Mayor Michelle Coldiron, the county intends to pass a similar resolution. On July 19, Monroe County School Board Chairman John Dick made a speech in advance of a proclamation signed by the Marathon City Council in support of Cuban people. Dick, an Army veteran, compared the recent events in Cuba to what is happening in Venezuela now, and what happened in Vietnam many years ago. Below are excerpts from his speech:
ON COMMUNISM
School board’s John Dick makes impassioned speech
The rallies on U.S. 1 and in the rest of Florida and all around the country are a testament to how strong people believe in liberty and freedom for all. What is taking place here this evening is not only important for the people suffering in Cuba, but also to show those misguided Americans that mistakenly believe it’s best to move our country toward socialism/communism. They need to hear and witness the videos with their own eyes that show the oppression, poverty, and despair; along with the human rights violations that socialism/communism breeds in Cuba and other unfortunate countries around the world. I have never been to Cuba and therefore I cannot give you an eyewitness account of the numerous atrocities taking place there. As a “gringo,” I can say that I do have knowledge of the Hispanic culture’s exceptionally strong passion for the freedoms and family values that come with a democracy. I learned that throughout the 51 years, and still counting, of being married to my lovely wife Lourdes, who was born in Puerto Rico ... Monroe County But I can give an eyewitness account of School Board people living in the fear of socialism/commuChairman nism. Long ago when I was 20 years old and John Dick a member of the United States Army, I was sent to help in the fight against communism in the country of South Vietnam. The people of South Vietnam were living in fear of communism and were fighting to keep their way of life free with the help of U.S. forces against the communists backed by Russians. We could have easily won that war, but for weak American politicians that put in rules of engagement that made victory impossible. Then, in 1975, when the Americans abandoned the country and the communists took over, it was the start of a 25-year exodus of people fleeing that country, and just like Cuba they did it by boat in extremely dangerous waters with overcrowded boats. Over 1.2 million of them fled the country of Vietnam and it’s estimated that nearly 400,000 lost their lives at sea.
We know that over 1.4 million people have fled Cuba in the same manner on overcrowded boats in dangerous waters, and it’s estimated that nearly 100,000 lost their lives in the Florida Straits.
Those Americans today that think socialism/communism is the direction America should be headed have to ask themselves why millions of Vietnamese and Cubans risked their lives to escape that form of government. Why have nearly 3.5 million people walked out of Venezuela into their neighboring countries? ...
As a third generation American I am always proud when I see video of people rising up against an oppressive form of government and waving the American flag. You see that American flag in videos coming out of Cuba, Venezuela, Hong Kong, Iran and other anti-democratic countries. The American flag is a symbol of freedom wherever it is flown, and I am proud to see it flying next to the Cuban Flag by those calling for a free Cuba ...
