Upper Keys Weekly 21-0812

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Is it just me, or did Mom seem a little too happy about the first day of school?

CLASS PREP Super Bowl champ meets teachers | P. 5

MASKING STUDENTS

COVID surge draws school board action | P. 4

SCHOOL’S IN SESSION College opens new center | P. 16

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

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Florida lawmakers set aside about $208 million in CARES Act funding to distribute one-time relief payments of up to $1,000 to over 193,000 first responders. Payments will go to more than 49,000 sworn law enforcement officers, 40,000 EMTs, 35,000 firefighters and 33,000 paramedics across the state, as a show of appreciation of their sacrifices throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘HEATED ISSUE? AN UNDERSTATEMENT’

School board votes unanimously to mandate masks; parents may opt out

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Cudjoe Key resident Cindy Dreson was one of many impassioned speakers at the August 10 school board meeting about the mask mandate. “More people die on U.S. 1 every year than will ever die of COVID,” she said. CONTRIBUTED

CHARLOTTE TWINE charlotte@keysweekly.com

S

ignaling the long discussion that was to come in the Aug. 10 board meeting, Monroe County School Superintendent Theresa Axford described a phone call she and other superintendents had just participated in with Gov. Ron DeSantis. “To say this is a heated issue throughout the state is an understatement,” she said. And so the meeting began, which saw at least a half-dozen emotional public speakers expressing their opinion about a mask mandate, as well as board members under pressure to explain their thoughts and an impassioned plea from well-known pediatrician

Stan Zuba to “defy the governor.” In the end, the board unanimously approved a mask mandate for anyone on school property. An opt-out option will be made available for parents who sign an official document, a disclaimer prepared by the legal department. “For the last 10 days, we’ve had 575 positive cases of COVID recorded for Monroe County,” Bob Eadie, administrator for the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County, said. “Eighty-four of those were 18 and under, which is 14.5 percent of those numbers. And if we go back to January, we only had 9.2 percent that were positive under 18 years old.” Eadie also pointed out the breakdown geographically of the positive cases over the past 10 days: 53% were in the Upper Keys, 14% were

ON THE COVER Crews install the College of the Florida Keys sign outside the new Upper Keys Center at MM 106, bayside, in Key Largo. Open houses were held this week. Fall classes start Thursday, Aug. 19. DAVID GROSS/Keys Weekly

in the Middle Keys, and 33% in the Lower Keys. This marks a shift from the early days of the pandemic, when Key West typically saw the highest percentage of cases. Eadie recommended vaccinations for everyone 12 and older, and also suggested that all students, teachers and staff should be masked on school property, but with a parental opt-out. He said he wouldn’t recommend getting into a confrontation over masking. A group of public speakers expressed their opinion both by phone and in person about a mask mandate. Key Largo’s Herve Pullar is a clinical laboratory scientist in Monroe County who performs tests for COVID, and he has seen an increase in positive test results for children. He also has a 5-year-old daughter in the school system. “I’m urging the board to mandate masks for the school year,” he said. Cudjoe Key resident Cindy Dreson said, “I was more than a little upset about Bob (Eadie) advising to have the children vaccinated and wear masks. For one thing, this is an experimental vaccine. … More people die on U.S. 1 every year than will ever die of COVID.” (Editor’s note: Twelve people died in Monroe County crashes in 2020, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The final 2020 report by the local health department, issued on Dec. 30, 2020, showed 35 deaths from COVID.) “I’ve seen more COVID cases in children than in the entire first year of the pandemic,” proclaimed pediatrician Stan Zuba. “I urge you to go against this governor and care about our children.” In the end, the decision came down to the four school board members who were present: John Dick, Bobby Highsmith, Sue Woltanski and Andy Griffiths The members agreed on a mask mandate with an opt-out for parents who will have to sign a disclaimer. After the vote, Axford said the district would re-examine the status of the virus every two weeks. For more, visit keysweekly.

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

TURNING THE PAGE

RETIRED NFL PLAYER GIVES BACK-TO-SCHOOL PEP TALK FOR TEACHERS IN THE KEYS

“B

e the coffee beans.” It was an odd but effective message to come from a former New England Patriots wide receiver. But then again, Malcolm Mitchell’s career trajectory has also been odd, but extremely effective. Mitchell spoke Monday at a back-to-school rally for Monroe County School District teachers, staff and members of the high school football teams. He was at Key West High School early Monday morning and at Coral Shores in the afternoon. Having excelled at sports, particularly football, while growing up with a single mom and two siblings, Mitchell and his family moved in with his grandmother in Valdosta, Georgia. “Before we moved to Valdosta, Georgia, I lived in Tampa, Florida,” Mitchell told the packed auditorium. “My mom had gotten divorced and we were a little lost, with nowhere to go, staying in friends’ homes and on couches. Then my grandmother saved us. She invited us to live with her in Valdosta. When I was 15, my grandmother told me she’d be around long enough to see my dreams come true. “In 2016, I was drafted by the New England Patriots. She died a month later. And today’s her birthday,” Mitchell said, pausing for a prayer for his grandmother. But back to being the coffee beans. Mitchell told a story his mother had told him when he was a kid: A little boy gets home from school very sad and upset. His mom sits him at the kitchen table and starts three pots of water boiling on the stove. She places a carrot in one, an egg in the next and a handful of coffee beans in the third. After boiling for several minutes, the mother removed each pot from the stove. “When facing adversity and obstacles and discomfort — such as boiling water — the carrot yields and becomes soft. The egg becomes hard inside and out. But the adversity didn’t change the coffee beans. Indeed, the beans changed their adverse surroundings.

Former New England Patriots wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell, who now writes children’s books and sponsors a literacy foundation, speaks to Lower Keys teachers on Aug. 9 at Key West High School. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly

“Be the coffee beans. Change the situation around you,” was Mitchell’s message. Mitchell revealed that when he had started college at University of Georgia, where he also played football, and showed up at his first English class, “I could only read at a junior high level. I couldn’t read nearly as well as the girl reading aloud in class. And the competitor in me wasn’t going to let that happen.” Mitchell joined a monthly book club after meeting a woman in Barnes & Noble. He was the only man and the youngest in the group by a generation. But that’s when Mitchell realized that reading had the power to change lives. “I was called a nerd for the first time in my life, and it was a badge of honor for me,” he told the Key West High School audience. “When I was growing up, reading was for straight-A students. Reading was for people who wore glasses. I didn’t realize its universal power for everyone. I still watch every movie with subtitles to continue reading. For me, reading broke down all the barriers that my statistics had predicted: Disadvantaged, African-American boy, from a single-mother home, no access to my father. But by learning to read, those statistics are no longer relevant.” When knee injuries forced him to retire from the NFL after a stellar 2016 season and a 2017 Su-

per Bowl win over the Atlanta Falcons, Mitchell found his true calling. He wrote a culturally relevant children’s book, “The Magician’s Hat,” and created the Read With Malcolm literacy program and Share the Magic Foundation. “Share the Magic Foundation’s mission is to unlock the potential of young lives through literacy,” says the foundation’s website. “By introducing book ownership to students in households where reading is not a priority and inspiring below grade-level readings through innovative and inclusive literacy programming, students at risk of academic failure are empowered to read to a better future.” Read With Malcolm and its national sponsors provide free books to kids, as well as in-school lessons and virtual reading challenges. Since its inception, the foundation has served more than 293,000 students. At the end of his speech, Mitchell answered questions and told a requisite Tom Brady story: “Our lockers were right next to each other, which was intentional since I was the new guy,” Mitchell said. “One day I was complaining about my neck hurting, and Tom asked me, ‘What kind of pillow do you use?’ “I shrugged and told him, ‘Whatever’s on the bed.’ I certainly had never been pillow-shopping at Bed, Bath & Beyond. But the next day, Tom handed me a fancy, new, extra-long, bamboo pillow. I still have it. Now it’s flat and is looking beat up, and my girlfriend said I needed to get rid of that pillow. I told her, ‘No way, never. That’s my Tom Brady pillow.’” Before he left the stage, Mitchell reminded every teacher in the room, “We’re going to have to choose every day to be the coffee beans. And you all have the power to completely change the trajectory of a child’s life. And I’d like to help you do it.”

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

Snorkelers lobster in Upper Keys waters. WEEKLY FILE PHOTO

TROPICAL STORM FRED FORMS Keys to see rain Friday evening JIM McCARTHY

jim@keysweekly.com

E TEEN BITTEN, BUT BY WHAT? Youth injured while lobstering near Ocean Reef

JIM McCARTHY

jim@keysweekly.com

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teenager was airlifted to a Miami hospital after he was bitten while lobstering in the Key Largo waters last weekend. The incident occurred just after 7:30 a.m. on Aug. 7, when a 15-year-old located just outside Ocean Reef Club was searching for lobster. According to Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation, the boy was swimming in murky waters when he suddenly felt a sharp pain. He swam back to a personal boat and was brought back to shore. The teenager was treated by Ocean Reef public safety crews for injuries to his lower extremities. He was airlifted to Jackson South Medical Center in Kendall. It’s unknown what bit the teen. Florida Fish & Wildlife Officer Bobby Dube told the Keys Weekly that experts were called to the hospital to look into the biting attack. “By time our officer was on scene, he was already bandaged and getting ready to get airlifted,” he said. Attacks in the water such as the Aug. 7 incident are rare in the Keys. The last known reported incident occurred in September 2020, when a 30-year-old Atlanta man was bitten in the shoulder by a shark at Sombrero Key Light off Marathon. The man’s pregnant wife watched it all unfold and jumped into the water to pull him back to the boat. Witnesses reported seeing an 8- to 10-foot bull shark in the area. Dube said the FWC doesn’t investigate shark bites. “We do alligator investigations if somebody gets bit, but we don’t do anything with shark bites,” he said. The attack in Key Largo is the third major incident reported in the Keys since the two-day lobster mini-season, which went from July 29-30, and the beginning of the regular spiny lobster season on Aug. 6. A Sewall’s Point man died after losing consciousness while snorkeling for lobster near Sawyer Key on July 28. A 41-year-man from Naples was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital after a boat propeller struck his leg near Cudjoe Key.

xpect heavy rains and some possible tropical stormforce winds in the Keys this weekend. Tropical Storm Fred approached the Dominican Republic on Wednesday morning, as Keys officials gathered for a storm call via Zoom. Fred was expected to weaken to a tropical depression on Aug. 11 as the core passed through Hispaniola, said Jon Rizzo, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service out of Key West. There’s uncertainty, however, over the storm’s organization after it emerges to the northwest of Haiti. Rizzo expressed confidence that the storm will likely approach Florida as a weaker tropical storm or a tropical depression. Heavy weather impacts will be felt in the Keys beginning Friday evening. Conditions could mirror those witnessed in Key West with Tropical Storm Elsa, Rizzo said. “One signal we are getting in the models is that this could be a heavy rainfall producer. We do have the potential for street and poor-drainage-area flooding,” he said. “A lot of times with these weaker storms, a lot of that intense rainfall comes in rain bands.” Rizzo said there’s been very little adjustment to the storm’s track, which shows it traveling through the Straits of Florida and to the Gulf of Mexico. Rizzo said there’s a chance the storm will stay north of Cuba, meaning interaction with land in the next few days may not be as high as forecasters thought when it was a disturbance. There’s currently a 20% chance for tropical storm-force winds for the Lower Keys. Rizzo said the Keys could get 6 to 8 inches of rain Friday evening through Sunday. “As the storm moves into the Gulf of Mexico, it kind of turns more northwest and north. And sometimes we get stuck, just like we did with Elsa, with that tailing squall,” Rizzo said. “Wherever that sets up is going to get several more inches of rain than that.”

Tropical storm-force winds could be seen in the Florida Keys on Friday evening. NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER/Contributed

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

Wearing masks, Islamorada Mayor Buddy Pinder and Councilman David Webb share discussion before a budget workshop on Aug. 2 inside Founders Park Community Center. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly

ISLAMORADA STAFFERS COME DOWN WITH COVID Officials strongly encourage masks inside village facilities

JIM McCARTHY

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MORE DEPUTIES NEEDED Council mulls more help with increasing activity

jim@keysweekly.com

slamorada officials are urging the wearing of masks inside village facilities after several staff members were confirmed with COVID-19 following a July council meeting inside Founders Park Community Center. As for an upcoming Aug. 19 meeting of council, officials are recommending the public participate virtually. Residents wishing to attend in person can still do so, but they’re encouraged to wear a mask. A recent Florida Health Department report indicated 388 new positive cases of COVID-19 in Monroe County from July 30 to Aug. 5. Recent budget workshops saw one to two members of the public and about 10 department heads attending in person. Other village staff members attended via Zoom. Councilman Henry Rosenthal also virtually participated in workshops after he was told to stay home for 10 days. Rosenthal, who received his vaccines earlier in the year, said two tests performed on him came back negative. “I’ve been behaving myself,” he said. “I should be good to go.” Islamorada Manager Greg Oravec said the village gave employees who want the vaccine up to 12 hours administrative leave. The village also placed emphasis on policies for those who were exposed or contracted COVID-19 and relayed that those not vaccinated should wear a mask, in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Councilman David Webb said there are strong feelings when it comes to individual choice. With regard to the virus, he said a person’s choice can affect dozens of other people. “They're not only responsible for

JIM McCARTHY themselves, but they’re responsible for other people as well,” Webb said regarding masks inside village facilities. Vice Mayor Pete Bacheler said firefighters and law enforcement officers are also among those coming down with COVID-19. He said masks should be “highly suggested” inside village buildings like the administrative building, Founders Park Community Center and pool administrative building. “I think we need to be on the attack for this COVID variant because I don't like it,” he said. “At my age, I really don’t like it and I don’t like people getting sick near me. I don’t like people getting sick, period.” Mayor Buddy Pinder said he’s keeping his meetings with village staff members outside. He, too, believes people should be asked to wear masks inside facilities including Founders Park Community Center. “Especially in close quarters … we should respect each other and wear masks,” he said. With glass dividers installed and masks donned, Islamorada council welcomed the public back to meetings at the community center at Founders Park in May. Before that, public viewers could only watch via Zoom, on television or online. A large plexiglass screen was placed between the dais and the public for a few meetings before it was ultimately taken down. Plexiglass dividers remain on the dais between seats. All members of the dais are wearing masks, as well as village staff at the table. Council members will hear from Bob Eadie, Monroe County’s top health officer, at the meeting on Thursday, Aug. 19 at 5:30 p.m.

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jim@keysweekly.com

ncreasing traffic and activity in Islamorada have council members mulling the addition of two deputies. The number of law enforcement personnel assigned to the village has stayed relatively the same since a contract was put in place in 1987. With the addition of another marine officer on the water roughly six years ago, 18 members of the sheriff’s office patrol the village. Traffic has increased over time, and so has activity in neighborhoods with more vacation rentals and on the water with boat activity spiking. It’s led to patrol shifts, which are already thin, patrolling the Old Highway on busy weekends. Calls regarding the Fills and White Marlin Beach spiked in recent years. Sheriff Rick Ramsay told council members in a recent budget workshop that a lot has changed in the last 25 years, to the point where “there is no more offseason.” “We had a four-month lull of almost nothing happening. That doesn’t occur these days,” Ramsay said. “It’s a season for 12 months. The sheriff’s office has experienced, as we all know, more of a demand. We continue to take on more issues.” If approved, the two deputies would be added during night shifts where more in-progress calls, domestic disputes and incidents of drunkenness are witnessed. Ramsay said the sheriff’s office added two deputies to the Key Largo and Lower Keys districts patrol division for similar reasons. Ramsay said the sheriff’s office can rely on other resources during daytime incidents, which are mainly crashes and heavy traffic.

“At night, it’s not uncommon not to have a single (Florida Highway Patrol) trooper assigned to Monroe, which really makes it hard because we're having to do the responsibility of the state on U.S. 1,” he said. “We see a need at night time and several council members asked us to add manpower.” Councilman David Webb lauded the work of deputies and first responders who serve the Islamorada area. Webb inquired about vacancies within the sheriff’s office. Ramsay said staffing in Islamorada is almost full, but the jail system is down 30 officers and the Marathon district down four. While deputies love the community, training and other aspects, Ramsay said those who leave say they can’t afford the dream to live and raise a family in the Keys. “It’s realistic. We’re like Aspen. We’re like Vail. We're like the Hamptons. But in those places, people can drive 30 minutes into work and drive home. Up here a large amount of staff come from Dade County.” Ramsay said 65% to 70% of staff who work in the Upper Keys commute from Dade County. Unionized deputies didn’t receive a raise last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They’re slated to receive a 7.86% raise, while nonunionized members’ pay is proposed for a 5% increase. Costs in the village’s proposed budget for law enforcement services for the upcoming fiscal year is $2.3 million. The fiscal year 2021-22 budget and 2021 final millage rate will be adopted during the budget hearings on Sept. 3 and Sept. 14 at 5:30 p.m. at the Founders Park Community Center and via a Zoom link.

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

JIM McCARTHY

jim@keysweekly.com

COVID CASES ON THE RISE

Local doctor’s office flooded with patients

N

ew COVID-19 cases increased for a fifth straight week in Florida. In the Keys, hospitalizations are going up while local doctors’ offices see more positive tests. Monroe County’s top health officer, Bob Eadie, told Keys officials during an Aug. 11 emergency management call that 101 new positive cases were reported in Monroe County. Of those, 20 were minors. “We’re seeing more out-of-county residents who are ill,” he said. Data from the Florida Health Department showed 134,506 new COVID-19 cases in the state from July 30 to Aug. 5. That’s up from just over 110,400 positive cases the week prior and 15,998 positive COVID-19 cases reported between June 25 to July 2. Of the total number of new cases, around 44,700 are Florida residents between 30 and 49 years of age. Those ages 20 to 29 account for 23,946 of positive cases, while 13,858 are among those ages 12-19. Around 13,500 new positive cases of COVID-19 were reported in kids 12 and under. Dr. Stan Zuba’s pediatrician office continues to see a flow of patients — 180 in the past two weeks. “We’re all tired,” Zuba said as he read a positive COVID-19 test on a 17-year-old girl. “We’re clearly seeing more children and positive tests.” Monroe County reported 388 new cases in the week spanning from July 30 to Aug. 5. That’s an average of 55 new cases a day. The week before saw 249 new positive cases, or about 35 new daily cases, in the county. Data by the Centers for Disease Control showed no COVID-related deaths between July 25 and Aug. 9. As of Aug. 10, Baptist Health South Florida said 844 COVID-19 patients were being treated across its system , which covers from Miami to the Keys. Eleven COVID-19 patients were being treated at Mariners Hospital. Eadie said Mariners Hospital isn’t able to send patients to its affiliated hospitals in Miami-Dade County at this time. Lower Keys Medical Center census counts are fluid with patients being admitted and discharged throughout the day. As of Aug. 10, 13 inpatients were COVID-19 posi-

Health care workers at a drive-through COVID-19 testing event at Founders Park in August 2020. WEEKLY FILE PHOTO

“One thing that helps is a high dose of steroids for 10 days with oxygen supplemen“At this time, while the hospital is busy tation,” he said. “People are going home and with a mix of patient conditions, we have getting better. We don’t know why, but it sufficient staffing, supplies and equipment,” works and helps.” said Lynn Corbett-Winn, LKMC marketing Current vaccines appear to be helping, director. but Morrison said there’s no one thing in Intensive care units in the Keys had five the history of medicine that treats a disease. patients being treated, as of Aug. 11. Morrison said treatments offered by some Even with soaring new case numbers, clinics include Ivermectin, which treats paraZuba said the total count is probably signifisitic worms, and hydroxychloroquine. cantly lower than the actual amount, due to “It’s an important thing to say that the at-home testing. He said those tests aren’t vaccine does seem to work in the sense that necessarily reported by people to the health department and Centers for Disease Control. people are not sick as long, but it does not protect the community. It Those who test positive protects you,” he said. with an over-counter, The Florida Health home test are asked to Department said those who contact their health care “People who don’t feel sick should isolate and provider for guidance mask and aren’t seek a COVID-19 test. But and seek additional testvaccinated are those tests are getting hard ing with a doctor’s office. to find, as some local CVS Zuba said there are putting my life and and Walgreens pharmacies also instances where others at risk.” have acknowledged that parents have called ac— Dr. Stan Zuba they’ve been running out. knowledging they tested Urgent cares from Key West positive, and that means to Key Largo, Rural Health children should be quarNetwork and Community antining. Health South Florida (CHI) are offering tests. “They can’t start school,” he said. “I have The local health department has developed serious doubts they will quarantine. That’s a list of COVID-19 testing locations. Eadie what is happening in the state.” said the department is also working to bring A little over 920 county residents were vaccinated from July 30 to Aug. 5. That brings back Curative vans for testing in Islamorada and the Lower Keys. the number of vaccinated residents in the Those testing positive should isolate Keys to 49,387, roughly 72% of the populafor 10 days from when symptoms began, tion. the Florida Health Department says. People “We’ve got to push vaccinations more who’ve been in close contact with someone and more because that’s the way we get out with COVID-19 should also quarantine 10 of this. There’s nothing else to say,” Eadie days from last close contact. said. Zuba said the most important thing Past COVID-19 infections have seen people can do at this time is “wear a mask.” symptoms that include headache, loss of Several restaurant workers and store emsmell and taste and fatigue. With the latest ployees have gone back to wearing masks. strain, Dr. Tom Morrison said, aches and “Freedom of choice should not put my pains, significant fever and pulmonary comlife or anybody’s health at risk,” he said. plications are among the ailments. tive.

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

No fossil fuels needed to get the limit of lobster. BOB MURRAY/Contributed

Thanks to Deven Ellis for his fishing skills and reeling this one in. I finally got to see one of these big beauties! It was too cool to keep, had to send it back into its big blue home. RACHEL CARLSON/Contributed

Fishing is both an active and a relaxing activity. TODD CHANDLER/Contributed

Ryan Mullins out back fishing in Content Key. A beautiful shot of the Keys. CHRISTIN MULLINS/Contributed

Our gorgeous water never gets old. SUSAN MCKEE/Contributed

You can cook your whole fish catch at Brutus Seafood in Marathon. DIANA MUCHA/Contributed

Heidi Flagg of Key Colony Beach caught on fly. JEAN HERING/Contributed

TIFFANY DUONG

tiffany@keysweekly.com

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n AUGUST, we’re highlighting FOOD AND FISHING! Summer in the Keys is famous for stellar fishing and even better seafood. Whether you’re out in the flats or backcountry, trolling for mahi, or fishing off one of our beautiful bridges, send us pictures of you with your catch. Then, show us your favorite way to prepare it! Spiny lobster season also opens, so send us pictures of your wild, caught, or cooked bugs! We’re getting hungry just thinking about it.

Photos, captions and photo credit can be emailed to tiffany@keysweekly.com. Rules, schmules: All photos must be original work and feature something in the Keys. Photos can be images that have been published before. No third party may own or control any materials the photo contains, and the photo must not infringe upon the trademark,

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

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

HOW A KEY VACA CONSTRUCTION PROJECT LED TO THE TROPICAL HOTEL T

he American period begins with the Adams-Onis Treaty that transferred the Florida Territory from Spanish ownership in 1821. Indian Key is a small 11BRAD acre island in the Upper Keys surrounded by BERTELLI the Atlantic shallows about one mile offshore of Lower Matecumbe Key. Key Vaca is the island at ... is an author, speaker, and Flor- the heart of Marathon, and Port Monroe was one ida Keys historian. of its earliest communities. During the American His latest book, period, the history of Indian Key starts at the “The Florida Keys small Key Vaca outpost of Port Monroe. Skunk Ape Files,” Joshua Appleby and Captain John Fiveash is a fun blend of two of his favorite established Port Monroe circa 1822. A handful subjects–Florida of families lived at the outpost, including Silas Keys history and Fletcher, his wife and two children. Appleby the Skunk Ape. would partner with a man named Solomon Snyder to establish a general store on Indian Key. They hired Fletcher to build and operate it, and, in 1824, they packed a schooner with building supplies, and Fletcher sailed north. Indian Key had advantages over the Port Monroe location. First, it was located more favorably along the Florida Reef and farther from the superior harbor and stores at Key West. Indian Key, too, had a convenient approach from Hawk’s Channel and a relatively deep natural harbor, which is not a common feature in the Florida Keys. Whether Appleby and Snyder realized it or not, Indian Key also had something going for it that not every island in the chain can claim. Because its position is just far enough offshore of the Matecumbe keys, the Atlantic breezes work to keep Indian Key relatively mosquito-free. Fletcher hired Joseph Prince to accompany him to Indian Key. The two arrived in April 1824 and constructed the island’s general store, its first business. They also built a two-story structure to house Fletcher, his wife Avis, and their children, William and Abigail. Fletcher is considered Indian Key’s first permanent settler in the American period. It seems fitting that his family and Prince should be lumped into that category as well. Fletcher and Prince would have an interesting history, as would the two-story house they built for Silas and his family. In January 1825, Fletcher and Prince made a pact, joined forces, bought out the financial interests of Appleby and Snyder, and became formal partners, buying “the store belonging to Snyder and Appleby, and all their interest and claim in and to Indian Key.” The Fletcher and Prince partnership would prove short-lived. Five months into their arrangement, Prince sold his interest in the general store, making Fletcher the sole proprietor. Prince, having dissolved his partnership, packed up and moved to Massachusetts. He would return several months later to open a second, competing general store on the island. On Nov. 13, 1828, Silas Fletcher sold his general store, a two-story house, kitchen, and outhouse and his rights and claims to Indian Key for $2,500, to Thomas Gibson of Staten Island, New York. Gibson did not move to the island until 1830. Gibson would improve his properties, and by the time he sold his holdings and interests to his brother-in-law Jacob

Housman several years later, the price had doubled. The July 5, 1831, transaction included a one-story store, twostory house, nine-pin bowling alley, billiards room and table, outhouse, and kitchen. The price was $5,000. Fletcher’s former two-story home began operating as one of the Florida Keys’ earliest hotels and the first outside of Key West. Samuel Spencer was hired to run the operation and, by 1835, he was considered the proprietor of the hotel. The following advertisement for the Tropical Hotel was printed in the St. Augustine Herald, Charleston Courier, Philadelphia Saturday Courier, and New York Advocate and dated Indian Key, Monroe County, Territory of Florida, Nov. 7, 1835:

A newspaper advertisement for the Tropical Hotel. JERRY WILKINSON COLLECTION/Keys History & Discovery Center

“The subscriber having settled himself on Indian Key, have determined to open a House for boarding and lodging, and believing it to be one of the most favorable situations in the United States for persons who are suffering from pulmonary, dyspeptic and numerous chronic diseases, and obliged to seek refuge from the chill blasts of a northern winter, he feels safe in saying that Indian Key cannot be surpassed for beauty, health and climate. Frost has never been known here — the thermometer seldom below 55 or 56 in winter, nor up to 90 in summer. It is entirely exposed to the sea from every point of the compass. The fare of his table and bar shall be as good as the market will afford, and attended by experienced servers. Private rooms for lodging gentlemen, ladies, and families neatly arranged. The undersigned hopes by diligent attention and industry to merit the custom of his friends and the public generally. S. A. Spencer (proprietor).” Though he would continue to manage the hotel until the Aug 7, 1840, Indian attack, records indicate Spencer sold his interest in the hotel to Key West’s Pardon C. Greene and Fielding A. Browne in 1838.

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021 CHARLOTTE TWINE

charlotte@keysweekly.com

TOUGHEST BATTLE?

MONROE COUNTY FIRE RESCUE DEPARTMENTS’ STAFF TURNOVER

J

uly 21 was a proud day for recruits to Monroe County Fire Rescue. The newly hired firefighters — Morgan Anderson, Alexis Reyes, Nicolas Rangel and Ignacio Vargas — were pinned with badges, took an oath and met with commissioners in a ceremony at the board meeting. “I just want to say congratulations,” said Mayor Michelle Coldiron. “It has been a goal of ours to have new firefighters and to have new people for rescue teams. I’m just so happy to see all four of you here today, and I expect to see you all for at least 20, 30 years.” But will these firefighters stay in the Keys for 20, 30 years? That is the question. Three of the recruits are graduates of Monroe County’s Hot Shots program: Anderson, Reyes and Rangel. Per Monroe County’s website entry about Hot Shots, “The purpose of this program is to decrease the high turnover rate of firefighters (now about 15 percent annually), which is costly and disruptive. Due to the high cost of living, Monroe County Fire Rescue has been hiring more and more firefighters who live on the mainland and commute to their assigned stations throughout the Keys. Non-residents also can enroll in the firefighting courses, but qualified local residents will receive preference in the enrollment process.” Hot Shots provides free firefighting and first responder training for qualified Monroe County residents in exchange for a commitment to volunteer for three years or work as a firefighter anywhere in the Florida Keys. The program waives the $2,200 fee, which must be returned if the graduate decides to get a job out of the county. Battalion Chief Charlie Mather is in charge of training for the Hot Shots program, and he says the turnover rate is actually higher than the website’s claim of 15 percent. “​​The website was from a couple years ago,” Mather told Keys Weekly. “It was 30 percent turnover every year. The numbers were really bad. Now we’re starting to see it slow down a little bit, trending in the right direction.” Mather said the Hot Shots program, which is starting its fourth year of training, is still in its infancy, but he has reason to feel positive. “We’ve hired a good 30 individuals from the program. All 30 of the individuals we’ve hired for Monroe County Fire are still employed with us. That’s obviously a trend in the right direction.” Chief Don Bock of Key Largo Fire has also experienced a lot of turnover, losing about 10 to 12 personnel a year who are either volunteers or paid staff.

“We lost paid staff last week to Miami-Dade,” he said. “Some years the turnover is higher, some lower.” He said the main reason that staff leave is because Key Largo Fire can’t afford to pay better salaries and benefits. Key Largo is at the very top of its millage rate for property taxes that pay for emergency services, and raising the rate would require an act of legislation — a complicated process. Bock hopes that in 2022, the millage rate will be raised so staff can receive better pay. “It’s not a pleasant situation, but you don’t fault anybody because they have better opportunities,” he said. “Money is the biggest factor.” Chief John Johnson of Marathon Fire Rescue also wrestles with this issue. “We normally have a lot of turnover this time of year, when the larger departments open up. Cost of living here is very high, so it’s hard for firefighters to live here and raise a family.” Johnson noted that when Miami-Dade and Broward counties get their budgets for the new fiscal year, usually around September, some of his employees get hired away, especially if they have family up north that they want to be closer to. “I can’t blame them. The firefighters want to work for their community and raise a family,” he said. But Marathon Fire Rescue has created a possible solution: a two-year fire academy at Marathon High School. “We’re hoping by getting locals involved, learning the fire service, that we have better retention rates because their families are here,” Johnson said. “I hired one kid out of Marathon High School. He is a local on the department for a year now.” Perhaps Marathon Fire Rescue is on the right track. Chief Alan Averette of Key West Fire said the department has had great luck hiring graduates from the Key West High School fire rescue training program, which has been running for a few years. “My deputy chief was in that class,” Averette pointed out. But he also said there is a natural family feeling, a loyalty, to the Key West Fire department, with fathers and sons, and brothers, joining his staff. Averette’s employees often stay for 30 years and retire. He has one commander who is still working for the department after 34 years. “We’re blessed to have a pretty good family,” he said. “They’re born here, raised here. That’s why they stay in Key West. I tell my young guys this job isn’t for everybody. But if it’s for you, you’ll enjoy coming to work. It’s the best job in the city.”

Chief Alan Averette of Key West Fire has had success with preventing staff turnover, partly by hiring local students from the Key West High School firefighters training program. Seen here, the 2021 fire academy graduation. CITY OF KEY WEST/Contributed

Monroe County owns and operates the Joe London Fire Training Academy, located on Crawl Key in the Middle Keys, and its Hot Shots program takes place here. It is one of 43 certified firefighting training centers in Florida. MONROE COUNTY/Contributed

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

A RIDEALONG ON A BUSY WEEKEND Weekend patrol

Deputy assigned to the Monroe County special traffic unit, Shaun Lones, writes a ticket to the driver of a silver Chrysler for passing down the middle lane near MM 82.

sees speeders and some citations

Deputy Ana Coello uses a radar gun to target speeders on Old Highway near MM 80 in Islamorada. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly

JIM McCARTHY

jim@keysweekly.com

O

ne could call the two lanes of road through Islamorada a highway hell. For residents, it’s an all-too-familiar scene on weekends and holidays, as a seemingly endless line of vehicles crawl bumper to bumper south for roughly 13 miles. Impatience takes over in some drivers who just spent a considerable amount of time making their way through Florida City and the 18-mile stretch. Other drivers unfamiliar with the Keys heed the advice of their GPS, veering off onto the Old Highway and putting the pedal to metal in hopes to cut their travel time by a few minutes. Others take a more aggressive, and unsafe, approach due to their anxiousness, as they use center turn lanes to blow past vehicles. A recent ride-along with Monroe County Sheriff’s Sgt. Nick Whiteman in Islamorada would reveal these very instances. Before taking to the road, Whiteman meets up with Deputy Ana Coello at the substation in Islamorada. She just finished her first traffic stop of the day, and it led to the arrest of a woman who was seen committing traffic violations. Coello noticed white powder on the female’s face. Investigation found what appeared to be cocaine in her possession. It doesn’t take long for a traffic violation to occur upon Whiteman’s departure from the substation around noon on a Saturday after the twoday lobster mini-season. Traveling south, Whiteman, a 13-year deputy come October, meets up with Deputy Shaun Lones near Sandal Factory at MM 82. Lones is part of a special traffic unit that roams sections of the Keys to assist where needed. Not only does Lones assist with crashes when Florida Highway Patrol can’t show up, but he also looks out for traffic offenders. “I love the versatility of the job,” he said. “It varies every day. For me, I love it. I’m not one to sit behind the desk.”

While speaking with Lones, a silver Chrysler 300 is spotted driving in the center lane heading north. Traffic is normally heavy going south, but the conclusion of lobster mini-season has a long line of traffic going north. Hopping on his bike, Lones takes off after the vehicle and stops it in the Mangrove Mike’s parking lot. Whiteman follows to assist. The driver, who had a Class A CDL license out of New Jersey, was clocked going 60 mph down the center lane. Tickets were issued for speeding and illegal passing. “One carries four points (on a license) and the other carries three points. It’s going to affect his driving status,” he said. “His wife was like, ‘Oh, but it’s going to hurt his license.’ I was like, ‘Ma’am, the way he’s driving, your husband’s going to hurt or kill someone if they pull out in front of him, so what’s more important?’” Whiteman said there’s zero tolerance for passing in areas where it’s not legal, such as a middle turning lane. “I usually tell them it’s our No. 1 complaint here. It’s the No. 1 traffic issue,” he said. “We have zero tolerance for passing violations. If you get stopped for passing violation you get a citation.” Following the traffic stop, Lones heads north while Whiteman travels south to the Old Highway near MM 81 in anticipation of vehicles veering off to cut traffic. Positioning his SUV along the road, the radar picks up on a Range Rover going 46 mph in a 30 mph zone. A traffic stop commences to find a family from Tennessee driving a rental car trying to get to the airport. Several other speeders would give the same reason, including an Equinox going well over the speed limit. A busy July in Islamorada brought 70 traffic stops by Whiteman, most of them on weekends. Between those stops and parking violations, he issued more than 40 citations last month. One of his busiest days was on July 18, a Sunday, when he conducted 18 traffic stops. “Weekends, of course, see big numbers,” Whiteman said.

Sgt. Nick Whiteman issues a warning to the driver of a black Silverado for going 12 mph over the speed limit.

Weekends in Islamorada usually see three deputies patrolling the road and one on the water during the day. Whiteman and Coello would later meet up on the Old Highway to use a radar gun to detect speeders from a further distance. Six cars were pulled off the road for driving well above the speed limit. Several citations and warnings were issued by the two. With traffic citations also came a number of parking tickets for trucks with boats parked in between the U.S. 1 shoulder and on the sidewalk. Three tickets were issued near WorldWide Sportsman to three trucks hauling boats. A bike was stopped at Pierre’s after a call came in to dispatch of a reckless driver around MM 83. Whiteman spotted the biker heading south and conducted a traffic stop. He noticed the biker had his license tag flipped up, which is done to avoid tolls and from being spotted. A citation was issued for an improper tag display. “An effort needs to be made when we get calls for reckless driving,” Whiteman said. “We do our best to find it. We encourage people to call in when they see it happen, but we still have to witness the violation occur.” Most traffic stops conducted by Whiteman saw good conversation and some laughs. A blue Chevrolet was pulled over for speeding in a 30 mph zone. Whiteman, a University of Miami fan, noticed the Florida State University license plate on the vehicle. Instead of a ticket, the driver was given a warning. It contained a little message, however. “Go Canes,” it read.

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021 SPONSORED BY: It’s important to make sure lionfish on a pole spear are really on there, because they’re known to wriggle off and swim away. ERIC BILLIPS/Contributed

LIONFISH HUNTING Keeping Our Reefs Clear

CONSERVATION TIP THIS WEEK’S DIVE REPORT Once again, conditions were very favorable. We had light winds and plenty of sunshine. These are the perfect times to go out and enjoy our Keys waters, and we’re so glad so many of you do! We had “Scuba World” dive shop from Delaware out with us, and they helped us with our invasive lionfish problem. They removed over 50 lionfish over their week of diving with us. Thank you for helping ERIC our reefs! We appreciate you so much! BILLIPS To catch a lionfish, we most often use a pole spear and a Zookeeper. These two items help us is the owner, to catch the invasive species without touching its captain and venomous spines and then to contain it for a safe instructor at Islamorada Dive ascent to the boat. Many local dive shops will hold Center and Florida lionfish eradication dives, and local nonprofits Keys Dive Center. sometimes host educational workshops to teach He specializes in scuba, rebreather, best hunting techniques. It definitely takes practice and patience. Good spearfishing and captaining in the buoyancy also helps a lot so that you’re not bouncFlorida Keys. ing around on the reef while you’re out hunting. NEXT WEEK’S DIVE REPORT The winds pick up over the weekend, and we’re keeping our eye on Fred, the storm brewing. No word yet, but it's always good to be prepared. As we know, summer brings either flat calm seas or youknow-what season.

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305.664.0077 | CoastalFloridaKeys.com PROUD SPONSORS OF I.CARE Islamorada Conservation and Restoration Education

CONSERVATION UPDATE Invasive species like lionfish wreak havoc on endemic species. Because they do not naturally live on the Florida Reef Tract, lionfish have no natural predators to keep their populations in check. Unfortunately, they also have a ravenous appetite and are known to eat all the tiny benthic fish and marine invertebrates that a reef needs to stay in balance. They can clear a reef head of life in a matter of days or weeks. Lionfish also grow quickly and produce thousands of eggs at a time. These can float on ocean currents and distribute widely. Because of this and because they can live in shallow and deep water, it is unlikely that we will ever have the lionfish invasion fully under control. Scientists and conservationists do take effective action against them by hunting lionfish whenever they see them. Reef Environmental Education Foundation hosts annual Lionfish Derbies, which bring together many people for the purpose of eradicating lionfish. The next one is in September.

Invasive species like the lionfish can wreak havoc upon our ecosystems. Look into a "Lionfish eradication" dive at one of our local dive shops to help out.

I.CARE coral plantings are still going strong and will take place at Key Dives this weekend, weather permitting.

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

MESSAGE FROM THE SHERIFF IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME for Monroe County kids and I want to remind residents and visitors of a few things we can all do to help ensure our children stay safe coming and going from buses, vehicles and residences. The biggest reminders are for motorists as some of the most dangerous infractions we see often come from those behind the wheel, so I will be brief: We have a zero tolerance policy for people who choose to speed in school zones and for those who illegally pass school buses. Our Deputies will be out in force patrolling school zones and concentrating in areas surrounding schools and school bus stops. They will be writing tickets to all who fail to follow traffic laws. Keeping our children safe should be priority number one for all of us. Give yourself plenty of time on the roads. Stay extra alert as kids will be excited to start their new school year and they may not be aware of traffic. Our School Resource Officer staff recently underwent additional training with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. That underscores a very important part of my philosophy: To keep as highly trained staff as I can who are up to speed with the latest in law enforcement applications and knowledge — especially when it comes to school safety.

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

A ‘HIGHER EDUCATION DESERT’ NO MORE New center brings opportunities for college students JIM McCARTHY

jim@keysweekly.com

C

ommunity leaders stood on the second floor of the College of the Florida Keys new center in Key Largo on Thursday afternoon. With a glass of champagne raised, a toast made by President Jonathan Gueverra marked a new era of education and opportunities for students, employers and the Upper Keys community. Once deemed a “higher education desert” for graduating students in Key Largo and Islamorada, Gueverra now calls the northern islands an “oasis” with the college’s state-of-the-art Upper Keys Center. Located not far from the gateway into the Keys at MM 106, bayside, the new center delivers a wide range of programming — from marine science and hospitality to nursing and apprenticeships in trades. Basic law enforcement training at the center offers aspiring officers the ability to complete a 770-hour program. A correctional basic training course at the center will prepare students to become corrections officers in Florida, pending passage of a state exam. Students with intellectual disabilities and autism will be able to receive personalized programming, all while earning industry certifications and developing skills, through Project ACCESS. “This is only the beginning. It is a beginning that represents hope and opportunity for quality education close to the home that results in social and economic ability for our Upper Keys community,” Gueverra told attendees during a celebration on Aug. 5. “The magnitude of what we did, in our doing, didn’t resonate with me until a few days ago when I looked at where’s the nearest institution to this community. It might as well be an eternity.” Built by Thornton Construction Company, the $20-million facility features nursing and biochemical labs, an auditorium, testing center and library. In addition to learning spaces, lounges allow students and employees a comfortable place to learn and work. It also features a student activities room and a patio deck. Construction began roughly a year ago in anticipation for completion by the start of the school year later this month. Despite a COVID-19 pandemic and material shortages, the project was completed ahead of schedule. Dagoberto Diaz, executive vice president for Thornton Construction, said construction crews worked some 18-20 hours in three shifts for the past two months. Private and public donations, as well as a $16-million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce, helped fund the Upper Keys Center. Bobby Stoky, chair of the college’s foundation board, said finishing the project wasn’t possible without the support of the Ocean Reef community.

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“I’m excited about this campus, it’s going to be an opportunity for citizens, for future jobs, to have better paying jobs and hopefully to stay local and be a part of the community.”

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“We needed $2.5 to $3 million and Ocean Reef came in,” he said. “I’d love to say this is done, with the building done, but the real work begins. Bring on the students and the future of the College of the Florida Keys.” Former state Rep. Holly Raschein worked diligently in Tallahassee to change the college’s name to the College of the Florida Keys. Raschein praised the work of Gueverra and the college for bringing an “exemplary” building to the Upper Keys. Bringing a new college facility to

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the Upper Keys goes back several years, when Gueverra spoke to community clubs up and down the Keys regarding a bigger and better facility in the Upper Keys. It kicked into motion in August 2018 when the college purchased commercial property in the old Shell World. A deal the college could afford was inked between Gueverra and owners Jim and Cyrie Waterman. The new facility replaces the college’s former home at Coral Shores High School. “Over seven, eight years ago, we started this conversation. And I have one regret: We should have made a deal such that everyone who said to me, ‘When are we going to get the Upper Keys Center,’ you would have to hand me $1,000,” Gueverra joked. A majority of the men and women

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021 within the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office received training through the college, including Sheriff Rick Ramsay. In a time where employers are struggling to find personnel, Ramsay said the sheriff’s office will be able to attract people from the Upper Keys and South Florida. “I’m excited about this campus,” Ramsay said. “It’s going to be an opportunity for citizens, for future jobs, to have better paying jobs and hopefully to stay local and be a part of the community.” Training and keeping nurses in the middle and upper Keys will look to bolster the local hospital system. Jay Hershoff, chairman of the board of trustees for Mariners and Fishermen’s hospitals, said the need for nurses is “incredible.”

“We’d like to grow our own nurses here and grow our own medical support teams and keep them here,” he said. “At the same time, if they get a degree and skills and go somewhere else, Baptist will make sure there's an opportunity somewhere within the system to use skills they learned here.” Hershoff added that the health system is looking at possibly providing faculty to teach at the Upper Keys Center and give up-and- coming nurses an “even better chance to get skills.” Open houses on Aug. 11 and Aug. 12 allowed visitors the ability to tour the new center and learn about the expanded academic and workforce training opportunities. Fall classes start Aug. 19.

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1. College of the Florida Keys President Jonathan Gueverra leads a champagne toast on the Upper Keys Center’s patio. 2. Community leaders gather to celebrate the College of the Florida Keys’ Upper Keys Center. 3. Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay discusses the opportunities for law enforcement with the Upper Keys Center.

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4. Monroe County Mayor Michelle Coldiron attends the celebration for the new College of the Florida Keys’ Upper Key Center.

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

FLORIDA KEYS TABLE

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ture to highlight the food, libations and local personalities that define our “must-try” destinations across the Florida Keys. Whether you’re a first-time tourist or fifth-generation local, be sure to indulge in something new or revisit a familiar favorite. And above all, support the local owners and employees who are vital to our Keys communities.

At Castaways in Marathon, Chef Bo Hammett’s tuna nachos is a play on the classic appetizer using sushi, with fresh tuna, avocado, honey sriracha sauce, homemade pico de gallo and a base of wontons. “And Guy Fieri loved it,” said Hammett, explaining that Castaways was on a recent episode of Fieri’s television show “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” on the Food Network. “Our tuna nachos is our most popular appetizer,” said Hammett.

Dotty Cunningham has been a familiar face at Bobby Mongelli’s Key West and Stock Island restaurants for the past 25 years. She started at the now-infamous PT’s Late Night on Caroline Street, and moved to the Hogfish Bar & Grill about 17 years ago, shortly after it opened on Stock Island. “I love meeting customers from all over the world, as well as seeing my regulars from PT’s follow me over to the Hogfish. Plus it’s nice to be in the open air and just steps from the water.” Dotty’s favorite dish? The stuffed hogfish, of course.

Jill and Mike Atwell, co-owners of Key Largo’s C&C Wood Fired Eats, started their restaurant originally for their love of wine. They found this rosé on a wine-tasting trip in Oregon: Elk Cove Vineyards 2020 Willamette Valley Estate Pinot Noir Rosé. “Seriously, we are always in rosé season in Florida. This is a great food wine that pairs well with everything.” The restaurant is featuring this label because they only get a few cases at a time. Come quick to try it — after the summer, it’ll be gone.

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In addition to the eats, the skilled professionals who define our local hospitality industry do much more than mix unique cocktails and serve delicious meals. These men and women are also our ambassadors, social directors, travel advisors and unlicensed — but often effective — therapists. To celebrate our unique culinary culture, Keys Weekly brings you this bi-weekly fea-

KEY WEST

he Florida Keys boast some of the most iconic eateries and bars in the world. Creative culinary minds elevate local seafood to new levels and celebrate contemporary fusion, Cuban, Caribbean, Asian, French and other international influences. Our chain of islands is one of the world’s top food and drink destinations.

sizzle MAKE YOUR SUMMER

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TROPICAL LIVING IN THE FLORIDA KEYS | SUMMER 2021

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For more, visit our Keys Table Magazines online at keysweekly.com/table/. Our Florida Keys Table Magazines are published nine times a year in the Upper Keys, Marathon and Key West. For more information email: Stephanie@keysweekly.com.

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

COMMITTED TO HER ART

BJ Royster’s Keys gallery may be closing, but her passion for painting continues CHARLOTTE TWINE

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charlotte@keysweekly.com

n front of Islamorada’s BJ Royster Ocean Gallery last week, a sign flapped in the breeze that said, “Clearance — Everything Must Go.” But within the gallery, instead of a quiet emptied-out shop that the sign indicated, business was brisk. Artist BJ Royster stood chatting away with two clients who had driven down from the mainland to pick up a “custom Royster” — a large colorfully painted ocean reef scene. And, she told Keys Weekly, she was in the middle of working on five commissions. Make no mistake: marine life artist BJ Royster may be shutting down her gallery and moving from the Keys. But she remains committed to her art. “We’re going to be moving to a little town called Milton to be closer to our sons in Pensacola and Georgia,” Royster explained. “It’s a five-year plan. My husband and I said we would retire in November 2021.” Royster firmly states that she will be still working with clients and continue painting depictions of her favorite subject: the Florida reefs. “Absolutely. 100 percent. And I will keep a presence on social media.” Royster was born and raised in Miami. She always drew and painted, but her typical subjects were not of the ocean but of pets and landscapes. For years, she knew that she had a signature that she was meant to express in her art, but the subject eluded her. Also, she had a lifelong, crippling fear: water. She almost drowned as a child in a swimming pool at Coconut Grove. She had been used to the buoyancy of saltwater from the ocean on family trips to the beach. But in

the pool, “I dropped like a rock and panicked.” As a result, for decades, she wouldn’t even stick a toe in the water. But while raising her sons, Royster would watch from the side as her husband, a trained instructor, would teach her teen boys how to dive. She felt she was missing out. “Finally, I told them, ‘I’m going to try snorkeling — and that’s it! No scuba diving.’ And I fell in love,” she recalled, almost swooning at the memory. “When I got in the water, it was an abyss of openness that went on forever. The fish, the corals, the colors grabbed hold of my heart. I knew I had to come up and paint it.” Royster the artist had found her signature. “If I had not gone overboard, I would not be here as a marine artist,” she said, explaining that her courage to overcome her lifelong phobia led her to her true vocation. She also overcame her fear of scuba diving and became certified in her 40s. “I thought I would feel claustrophobic. Instead it's a fountain of youth. You have to be in shape to jump overboard with a 50-pound tank and then get on the boat,” she said. Royster said she takes special care to build up her strength before taking a dive if any length of time has passed between trips. She’ll go snorkeling first, then take walks and light runs. She doesn’t take deep dives, but she does take underwater photos that she uses as references for her paintings. Royster has had her gallery in the Keys for 10 years. Previously, she and her husband had been living on the Palm Coast. When he retired from his job in the area, she told him that she wanted to open a gallery in the Keys. “It took two weeks,” she said. “It was meant to be.”

But now the couple is moving on. While her husband is a private man, Royster makes clear his role in her life. “He’s the water under my fins, the reason I am a diver. This did not happen without him,” she said. She will still paint the reefs in her new home, as she still has collectors who want to continue purchasing her art. “What’s been incredible about this gallery is not just the art but the people I've met, the people I’ve sat side by side with and instructed,” she said. “I want to thank everyone here in the Keys for their support and loyalty.” And there is one other little thing about the Keys that she’ll miss... “The ocean,” she said, slumping a little in chair and sighing. “But I’ll come back.” Royster’s artwork will be shown by appointment only at her gallery until it closes at the end of August. For information, call 386-569-6331. A few of her paintings can also be seen at Islamorada’s Ocean Sotheby’s gallery until the end of August. After August, Royster’s artwork will be shown exclusively at Islamorada’s Redbone Gallery.

Top left: Artist BJ Royster works closely with her clients while creating commissioned paintings; here she holds a work-in-progress of a commissioned painting with color swatches to show her clients. Top right: The BJ Royster Ocean Gallery will close at the end of August. Customers can see her paintings until then by appointment only. Bottom right: Clients recently picked up an ocean reef painting, commissioned from BJ Royster, at her gallery. CHARLOTTE TWINE/Keys Weekly

UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

The Monroe County Tourist Development Council has funding available to governmental entities and non-profit organizations for capital projects within DAC’s II, IV and V. The facility must have the primary purpose of promoting tourism and must fall into one of the following categories: Convention Center, Sports Stadium, Sports Arena, Coliseum, Auditorium, Aquarium, Museum, Zoological Park, Nature Center, Fishing Pier, Beach or Beach Park Facility, Channel, Estuary or Lagoon, Public Facilities in Accordance with Conditions Set Forth in the Florida Statute The deadline for receipt of applications is September 21, 2021 and applications must be downloaded from Demandstar (www.monroecountybids.com) For more information please call the TDC Administrative office at 305-296-1552 and ask to speak with Ammie or Maxine.

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

20 YEARS AGO...

KEY WEST PLANS SPECIAL 9/11 TRIBUTE MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

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ext month marks 20 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks took nearly 3,000 lives, reduced the iconic Twin Towers of the World Trade Center to rubble and left a heartbreaking hole in the New York City skyline. On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Islamic extremists from the militant group al-Qaeda hijacked and crashed two planes into the World Trade Center, which by that afternoon had forever become known as “Ground Zero.” A third hijacked plane hit the Pentagon just outside of Washington, D.C. and a fourth plane, Flight 93, crashed in a Pennsylvania field when passengers broke into the cockpit, attacked the hijackers and diverted the plane from its intended target — thought to be the U.S. Capitol, the White House, a nuclear power plant or the president’s Camp David retreat in Maryland, according to The History Channel. Key West is set to pay tribute in a special and unprecedented way to the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Two hefty concrete sculptures made by artist Sandra Priest from pieces of the World Trade Center arrived in Key West on the afternoon of Aug. 10. One will be installed as a permanent exhibit at

Artist Sandra Priest uses authentic sections of the World Trade Center for commemorative sculptures to memorialize the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly

the Key West Firehouse Museum, which each year hosts a 9/11 memorial service for firefighters everywhere. The other sculpture will be placed underwater on the deck of the Vandenberg, the former military ship that was sunk as an artificial reef off Key West in 2009. The 9/11 sculpture is thought to be the first underwater tribute of its kind. On the 20th anniversary of the attacks, U.S. Navy SEALS and other military divers will descend to the Vandenberg and unfurl a giant 30-by-40-foot American flag on its deck alongside Priest’s artwork. The sculpture will be transported by barge from a Key West Navy base to the Vandenberg wreck site before being sunk and positioned on the ship’s deck.

SHERIFF’S OFFICE HANDS OUT QUARTERLY AWARDS

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he Monroe County Sheriff’s Office held its quarterly employee awards ceremony in Marathon on Aug. 6. Employees were recognized for five, 10, 15, 20 and 30 years of service to the agency. Sheriff Rick Ramsay also recognized his Employees of the Second Quarter, 2021. The employees received this award for exemplary and outstanding service to the agency and to the citizens of Monroe County. Pictured are Robbie Valenzuela, reserve deputy of the quarter, left; Edwin Sabillon, detention deputy of the quarter; Ramsay; Sgt. Paul Bean, deputy sheriff of the quarter; and Mary Cohen, support member of the quarter. MCSO/Contributed

BRIEFLY Fraud at Boys & Girls Club added as foundation topic The Community Foundation of the Florida Keys has announced that William Archer, former board chair of the Boys & Girls Club of the Keys, has been added as a featured presenter at its upcoming 2021 Leadership Success Academy. Archer will detail the story of the financial fraud that occurred at the club during a four-year span and led to the arrest of its former executive director. The Community Foundation’s twoday signature “boot camp” for board members is Thursday and Friday, Aug. 19 and 20 at the Tennessee Williams Theatre in Key West. It trains individuals working with or serving in an advisory capacity with a nonprofit organization or other community group. The cost of the two-day program is $100 per person, or $200 for three people from one nonprofit, and includes all sessions, including the one with Archer, course materials and lunches. Archer joins a line-up of seven speakers including nonprofit expert Alex Counts, servant leadership expert Dr. Susanne Woods, strategic planning expert Kimberly Matthews, fundraising expert Wendy Gentes and the Community Foundation’s CEO and CFO, Jennifer McComb and Elizabeth Miller. Registration is available at cffk.org/lsa or by calling 305-292-1502. National Marine Sanctuary advisory council set to meet The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary advisory council will meet virtually on Tuesday, Aug. 17, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Council members will hear updates from staff and agency partners on the state of the sanctuary, with a specific presentation on coral reef conditions. The agenda also includes updates on water quality monitoring, historical resources, mooring buoys and stewardship for lobster mini-season, in addition to a report from the superintendent. Public comment will be accepted via email to floridakeys@noaa.gov during the meeting. An agenda and supporting materials will be posted at https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/sac. Key West BrewFest set for next month Fans of beers and ales can sample about 150 of them while also discovering the flavors of the continental United States’ southernmost island, during a festival “brewed” especially for Labor Day weekend visitors. The 10th annual Key West BrewFest is set for Thursday through Monday, Sept. 2-6. Activities “on tap” include brew-focused dinners, pool parties and brunches, the lavish Key West BrewFest Tasting Festival on the beach and other enticements for thirsty attendees.

The event is presented by the Key West Sunrise Rotary Club of the Conch Republic and hosted by the Southernmost Beach Resort. It benefits Rotary charitable initiatives. Featured beers range from intriguingly named offerings such as Funky Buddha, Holy Mackerel, Monk in the Trunk and Andygator to local favorites from the Florida Keys Brewing Co., Waterfront Brewery, Island Brewing and Islamorada Beer Co., among others. While enjoying the afternoon on the Atlantic Ocean beach, attendees can stroll from booth to booth, trying to determine their favorites as they sample beers, lagers and ales including hemp ale. Admission to the tasting festival is $40 per person. However, beer aficionados can choose to pay $100 per person in advance for early admission to a 3-5 p.m. VIP tasting with passed appetizers from the Southernmost Beach Cafe. More than 200 pythons caught during challenge The 2021 Florida Python Challenge yielded unprecedented results this year with participants removing 223 invasive Burmese pythons from south Florida. More than 600 people participated in the 10-day competition, designed to increase awareness about invasive species and the threats they pose to Florida’s ecology. Charles Dachton won the $10,000 Ultimate Grand Prize, for removing 41 pythons. The longest python removed in the competition was 15 feet, 9 inches, removed by Brandon Call. “The fact that the Ultimate Grand Prize Winner is a novice and not a professional python hunter demonstrates that, with the right training and education, even beginners can make a difference in removing Burmese pythons. We thank Governor Ron DeSantis for his leadership, inspiring people from all over the country to get involved with this effort.” said Chauncey Goss, chairman of the South Florida Water Management District Governing Board. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), South Florida Water Management District and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida host the Florida Python Challenge to continue raising awareness about invasive species in Florida and their impacts. The annual competition encourages people to get directly involved in Everglades conservation through invasive species removal. This year, Virtual Business Services provided the $10,000 reward for the Ultimate Grand Prize while the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida provided the additional prizes. Visit FLPythonChallenge.org for more information.

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Bonefish Storage located at 1275 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida. By: Wolfe Unlimited LLC Publish: August 12, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Creekside Inn Islamorada located at 90611 Old Highway, Tavernier, FL 33070 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida. By: LAH Creekside Opco LLC Publish: August 12, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Garden View Apartments located at 5220, 5224, 5228, & 5230 College Road, Key West, Florida 33040 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida. By: The Housing Authority of the City of Key West, Florida Publish: August 12 & 19, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE U-HAUL COMPANY OF MIAMI Notice is here by given that on August 26th, 2021, Leonard Richford Jr. Storage Auctioneer, Executive Administrator for U-Haul Company of Miami, Will be offering for sale under the Judicial Lien Process, By Public Auction, the following storage units. The Terms of the sale will be cash only. U-Haul Company does reserve the right to refuse any bids. The sales will Begin at 8:00 a.m. and continue day by day until all units are sold. The names of whose units will be sold are as follows: 103530 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL. 33037. Names And Last Known Addresses are as Follows: William Parent Unit 1165 $1,205.58 Michael Harrington Unit 1223 $567.68 Incorporated Football League Unit 1736 $1,414.40 William Parent Unit 1425 $2,538.45 Publish: August 5 & 12, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, September 14, 2021, at 3:00 P.M., the Monroe County Purchasing Office will receive and open sealed responses for the following: FULL MAINTENANCE FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA Pursuant to F.S. § 50.0211(3) (a), all published competitive solicitation notices can be viewed at: www. floridapublicnotices.com, a searchable Statewide repository for all published legal notices. Requirements for submission and the selection criteria may be requested from DemandStar by Onvia at www. demandstar.com OR www.

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

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 September 14, 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: Full Maintenance Fire Protection Systems 09/14/2021 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: ombpurchasing@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 September 14, 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: August 12, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

a copy of this notice is served must file their claims with this Court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE 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 the decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, on whom a copy of this notice is served 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 August 12, 2021. Personal Representative: Mary Jo Geopfert Estate of MARTHA ROSE GEOPFERT c/o Cynthia F. Civil, Esq. CYNTHIA F. CIVIL, P.A. 5196 Overseas Highway Marathon, Florida 33050 (305) 743-5884 cfc@ccivillaw.com Attorney for Personal Representative: CYNTHIA F. CIVIL, ESQ. Florida Bar No.: 0082988 CYNTHIA F. CIVIL, P.A. 5196 Overseas Highway Marathon, Florida 33050 305-743-5884 Email: cfc@ccivillaw.com Publish: August 12 & 19, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 2021-CP-000012-M IN RE: THE ESTATE OF MARTHA ROSE GEOPFERT, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the Estate of MARTHA ROSE GEOPFERT, deceased, whose date of death was October 14, 2020, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, File No.: 2021-CP-000012-M, 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, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, on whom

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 2021-CP-0000153-K IN RE: THE ESTATE OF MARIANNA Z. MARIN, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the Estate of MARIANNA Z. MARIN, deceased, whose date of death was December 14, 2019, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, File No.: 2021-CP-0000153-K, 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, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, on whom a copy of this notice is served must file their claims with this Court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE 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 the decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, on whom a copy of this notice is served 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

LEGAL NOTICES 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 August 12, 2021. Personal Representative: David G. Marin Estate of MARIANNA Z. MARIN c/o Cynthia F. Civil, Esq. CYNTHIA F. CIVIL, P.A. 5196 Overseas Highway Marathon, Florida 33050 (305) 743-5884 cfc@ccivillaw.com Attorney for Personal Representative: CYNTHIA F. CIVIL, ESQ. Florida Bar No.: 0082988 CYNTHIA F. CIVIL, P.A. 5196 Overseas Highway Marathon, Florida 33050 305-743-5884 Ema Publish: August 12 & 19, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT, SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY,FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 2021-CP-000155-K IN RE: ESTATE OF BARBARA G. MUELLER, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS TO ALL PERSONS HAVING CLAIMS OR DEMANDS AGAINST THE ABOVE ESTATE: The administration of the estate of Barbara G. Mueller, deceased, whose date of death was November 3, 2020, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, Florida 33040. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this Court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE 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 the 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 SECTION §733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE 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 the first publication of this notice is August 12, 2021. Personal Representative: DENNIS BUCKLEY 10101 NW Maple Rd. Stewartsville, MO 64490 Attorney for Personal Representative: ROBERT B. TRUMBO, JR., ESQUIRE Florida Bar No. 283088 340 North Causeway New Smyrna Beach, Florida 32169 Tel: (386) 423-1110 Email: baileyandtrumbo@gmail. com Attorney for the Personal Representative Publish: August 12 & 19, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

305.743.0844

LEGAL NOTICES

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 2021-CP-000065-M IN RE: ESTATE OF BOBBY JOE HALL, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of BOBBY JOE HALL, deceased, whose date of death was December 4, 2020, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All 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 WITHIN 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: August 5, 2021. Personal Representative: Elizabeth H. Hall 61 Trinitie Trail Kitty Hawk, NC 27949 Attorney for Personal Representative: Bradley J. Davis Attorney for Elizabeth H. Hall Florida Bar No. 136559 Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell, P.A. 300 S. Orange Avenue, Suite 1400 Orlando, FL 32801 Telephone: 407-872-7300 Email: bdavis@rumberger.com Publish: August 5 & 12, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 21-CP-75-P IN RE: ESTATE OF ADOLPH H. ROBINSON, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Adolph H. Robinson, deceased, whose date of death was February 17, 2021, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 50 High Point Road, Plantation Key, Florida 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representatives and the personal representatives’ attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

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: August 5, 2021. Personal Representatives: Lee W. Robinson 210 Sonny Road Islamorada, Florida 33070 Elaine M. Robinson 123 Valencia Drive Islamorada, Florida 33070 Attorney for Personal Representatives: 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: August 5 & 12, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

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: August 5 & 12, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 21-CP-67-M IN RE: ESTATE OF KENNETH DAVIDSON, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Kenneth Davidson, deceased, whose date of death was June 9, 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: August 5, 2021. Personal Representative: Benjamin Davidson 1501 Fairview Run Kendallville, Indiana 46755 Attorney for Personal Representative: Robert K. Miller Attorney Florida Bar Number: 359173

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 21-CP-000049-K IN RE: ESTATE OF DONTA RASHA BRUEIN, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of DONTA RASHA BRUEIN, deceased, whose date of death was October 1, 2020, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division; File Number 21-CP-000049-K; the address of which is 500 Whitehead St., Key West, FL 33040. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. The Fiduciary lawyer-client privilege in s. 90.5021 FLA. STAT. applies with respect to the personal representative and any attorney employed by the personal representative. All creditors of the decedent and other persons, who have claims or demands against decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, and who have been served a copy of this notice, must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE LATER OF THREE (3) MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR THIRTY (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 the decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, must file their claims with this court WITHIN THREE (3) MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT SO FILED 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: August 5, 2021. Personal Representative: Norman Bruein, Jr. 29D 11th Avenue Key West, Florida 33040 Attorney for Personal Representative: Nakeitha Sweeting Hodrick, Esq. Florida Bar No. 0079847 ROBERSON SWEETING Sweeting Law, P.A. 633 NE 167th Street, Suite 1125 North Miami Beach, Florida 33162 786.279.4841 Publish: August 5 & 12, 2021 The Weekly Newspapers

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UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES •

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MISC. FOR SALE

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

Gulf Atlantic Bank in Key West is growing and is looking to hire a Loan Operations Specialist. This position generally requires understanding of booking loans including managing related insurance and appraisal duties, processing loan payments, and creating loan documentation along with other responsibilities. Word and Excel knowledge is required. Prior Banking experience a benefit but not needed. Competitive pay, health benefits, and positive work environment with room to grow within the company Please send resumes to SBriening@ GulfAtlanticBank.com

Marathon Auto looking for full-time general laborer. Apply in person at 2525 Overseas Highway, Marathon.

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

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.

Marathon - For Sale: 1.5 acre - House & Duplex and Mobile Home rights. Waterfront - oceanside, dock possible, gated. Appraised $1.9 million. 3 0 5 - 6 1 0 - 8 0 0 2

Gently used major appliances from renovated condos in Key West. Dishwashers, Stoves/ Ovens, Microwaves, Sinks/Faucets, Garbage Disposals, and more. Prices starting at $25. 3 0 5 - 7 4 7 - 1 7 0 0

BOATS FOR SALE 39' Key West #1 Hull SportsFisherman Detroit 871 Twin Turbo Northern Lights Genset 6.5 kw. Located in Key West. $40,000 All offers considered. 305-360-3538 38' Lindsey Motor Sailer Ford Lehman engine, Kohler generator, fuel/ water tanks (140 gallons each). Located in Marathon. $25,000 609-602-4619 12' Jon Boat w/ 6 hp Nissan motor, and trailer. Located in Marathon. $1,600 305-395-1015 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!

BUSINESS FOR SALE Lobster Business For Sale. Includes 45' #1, 892TI, 2400 Trap Certificates-$150.00 each, 1300 Traps, 100 5X6 pallets, 2016 Cat 6K Diesel Fork Lift, Live Wells & much more. $450,000 305-289-0792 Leave message if no answer.

CENTENNIAL BANK IS HIRING! MORTGAGE LOAN ORIGINATOR MARATHON/KEY WEST GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Solicits residential first mortgages through contacts with Realtors, builders, and developers. Interview loan applicants and makes credit decisions. EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Broad knowledge of such fields as accounting, marketing, business administration, finance, etc. Equivalent to a four year college degree, plus 4 years related experience and/or training, and 2 years related management experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience. To apply, please visit our careers page: www.my100bank. c o m / c a r e e r s

The Marathon Yacht Club is looking to hire a Line Cook. Please call us at 305-743-6739 to schedule an interview. RN’s needed for Crisis Stabilization Unit. PT/FT/ per diem. Open 24/7. Day & night avail with shift diff. Drug screen. w e s t c a r e . c o m Night Monitor - The Heron. FREE HOUSING/ food stipend vs. salary. Must be onsite 10p-8a. Sleep OK. 5 days on 5 days off. Drug screen required. w e s t c a r e . c o m Support Worker for group home. Aid residents w/ Meals, Meds, Shopping. No Exp req. 3 shifts (PT/ FT) $16 + eve or weekend differentials. westcare.com NOW HIRING: Sweet Savannah's is now hiring for all shifts. Please apply in person at 8919 Overseas Highway in Marathon. NOW HIRING TOP PAY & BENEFITS Experienced Electricians & Low Voltage Techs E m a i l : c h e c k @ checkelectricllc.com Call: 305-292-3369

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 Come Join Our Family and Have Fun At Work! Hiring: Host, Hostess & Servers - Full &/or parttime. AM & PM Shifts. Apply in person at Castaway Restaurant, end of 15th Street, Oceanside, Marathon or email: lobstercrawl@gmail.com.

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 Place your EMPLOYMENT/ HELP WANTED ad here for only $25.00/week for up to five lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today!!

HOBBIES/COLLECT. PRIVATE COLLECTOR WANTS Rolex, Dive Watches and Pilot Watches. Old Model Military Clocks & W a t c h e s . Call 305-743-4578

HOUSING FOR RENT Lower Sugarloaf 2BR/2BA w/den stilt home w/dock on oceanside, paved parking under home, open living roomdining-kitchen w/vaulted ceiling and tile floors. Access to large balcony. W/D No Pets. $3500/mo + util. F/L/S 305-747-1700

Place your MISC. FOR SALE ad here for only $25.00/ week for up to five lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today and Sell Your Stuff!

Place your HOUSING FOR RENT ad here. Only $25.00/week for up to five lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today!

LOT FOR SALE

Commercial Building with US 1 frontage for lease in Marathon. 2550 sq ft of office & warehouse space w/overhead door. Parking in front and secured parking & storage area with secured fencing in back. Call 305-743-4400

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

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

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 $399 or to make an offer.

OFFICE/COMMERCIAL

SPACE FOR LEASE

1,082 SF office space. Renovated Corner Unit for rent in Islamorada. $ 3 , 0 0 0 / m o n t h Call 305.712.8888 Place your Office/ Commercial Space for lease ad here. Only $25.00/ week for up to five lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844.

RV FOR SALE

Ralons Security Key West Immediate Hire $16-$17/hr Class D License

Ralons Security 786-615-5522 Lic# B1500167

SUDOKU SOLUTION

REDUCED PRICE! 38'6" 2016 Wildwood Lodge FVWW RV Unit located in Bluefin RV Park in Key Largo. 2 Bedroom. $18,500 8 6 3 - 6 6 0 - 9 0 6 5 SOLD IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!

PT CASHIER PT DOCKHAND Apply in person Pancho’s Fuel 1280 Oceanview Avenue, Marathon

305-743-2281

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

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

Business Data Analyst Technical expertise re: data models, database management, ODBC, data mining inquiry & reporting.

Finish Carpenter Must present high attention to detail; workmanship must be very high quality.

Landscape Architect Seeking a detail orientated and organized individual. Site design experience and License a plus. Must know Revit and AutoCAD.

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

Place your RV FOR SALE ad here for only $25.00/ week for up to five lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today and Sell Your RV!

RV SITE FOR RENT

RV Site For Rent in Marathon. Full Hookup. No pets. $1600/mo F/L/S 305-747-1700 Landscape Design

An outdoor design spec that works well with clie YARD SALE producing designs, selectio A BIG processing Treasures sales. &

Trash Yard Sale - Rain or Shine - This Fri Aug 13 & Sat Aug 14 from 8am-3pm. Something for Lead AVeveryone. Bargains galore. AllTechnici must AV and HomeBeach Automat go! 419 Sombrero RoadMask Required. installations. Knowledge of e

electronic componen

Place your YARD SALE ad here for only $25.00/ week for up to five lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 Warehouse & Deliver today and Sell Your Stuff!

Must have reliable transport on time and organized. Mus valid driver’s license. CDL

26

UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

CHECKING OUT THE CORAL

2

1 4

Diving in, from Key Largo to Dry Tortugas

I

n June, Dry Tortugas National Park reported what we’ve all been dreading to hear: Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease had reached our furthest waters. Since 2015, the mystery killer has been spreading across reefs in Florida and the Caribbean, killing a majority of the corals it encounters. The park is working diligently to control the outbreak in our last coral stronghold in the Keys, and we got a peek at what it looks like currently. Fortunately, there’s still a lot of coral to see and enjoy (phew!). It’s a glimpse into what the Keys used to look like, and what coral restoration practitioners hope to bring back. The species particularly affected by STCLD are a treat to behold, as they used to populate the entire Keys and now can almost exclusively be found in the Tortugas. Take a look at what our waters look like right now, up and down the Keys. — Weekly staff report

3

5

6

1. A beautiful little brain coral growing on a reef previously hit by SCTLD. TIFFANY DUONG/Keys Weekly 2. Yellow snapper take refuge from the current. TIFFANY DUONG/Keys Weekly 3. Another species that has been hard hit by SCTLD, several large great star coral stands remain in the Dry Tortugas. KURT TIDD/Contributed 4. A beautiful green sea turtle at Molasses Reef. TIFFANY DUONG/Keys Weekly 5. Divers descend on The Maze reef to investigate what they can find and to enjoy the beautiful weather. KURT TIDD/Contributed 6. A porcupine puffer fish makes its home in a barrel sponge on Jumping Mac Reef. KURT TIDD/Contributed

27

UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES •

305.743.0844 SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS NEEDED! Monroe County School District

KeysBank.com

Join Our Team! Key West

Salary $17.15 – $24.15/hour Key West, Sugarloaf, Marathon and Upper Keys (4 work locations)

Full Time Teller Maintenance Technician CSR - Online Banking Administrative Assistant Accountant I Business Development Specialist Call Center Manager

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

Big Pine

CHARLEY TOPPINO & SONS IS HIRING

Full Time Teller Marathon Assistant Branch Operations Manager Key Largo Full Time Teller

Apply Online at KeysBank.com/Careers 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

Begin an exciting career with one of the most established and reputable companies in the Keys Shell World Key Largo, seeking engaging, dependable, experienced person(s) to work with the team at Mile Marker 97.5, Full-time and part-time opportunities available, some weekend and evening hours. Opportunities for advancement, great benefits, competitive salary and flexible hours. Please stop by and fill out application or Fax resume to 305-852-9639.

EQUIPMENT OPERATORS Loader, Dozer, Excavator, Grader TRUCK DRIVERS W/ CDL CLASS A SKILLED LABORERS EXPERIENCED CONCRETE FINISHERS COMPETITIVE PAY  SIGNING BONUSES AVAILABLE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER For more information and inquiries, call 305-296-5606 or email Reym@charleytoppino.com

Maintenance Technician • General building, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC repairs • 3 - 5 years of experience preferred • Ability to work outdoors and lift up to 50 pounds • Must have a valid driver’s license

Floor Manager Daytime Host Experienced Servers Experienced Bartenders

• Full benefits package for full-time employees

Member FDIC

EOE-M/F/V/D

NOW HIRING

Equal Housing Lender

Apply Online at KeysBank.com/Careers

Busy Key Largo Dive Center has immediate openings for

BOAT CAPTAINS $1,500 SIGNING BONUS

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

High volume restaurant in Key Largo. Apply in person at Snooks Bayside, 99470 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL

MARATHON GARBAGE SERVICE We are now hiring for the following positions:

Diesel Mechanic Truck Helpers CDL Drivers Applicants must apply in person to be considered. 4290 Overseas Hwy, Marathon

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

CoCo’s General Store

NOW HIRING: Full-time & Part-time Deli and/or Retail Sales. Must be available on weekends. Apply in person at 50 Coco Plum Drive, Marathon 305-743-7743

28

UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

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

CGC-040138

TOUR GUIDES NEEDED BE A PART OF KEYS HISTORY Pigeon Key Foundation seeks part time historic tour guide. Upbeat, friendly and confident professional with ability to multi task and work outdoors in all seasons. Pigeon Key is a drug free work place. Please complete application at pigeonkey.net or email chris@pigeonkey.net.

CARPENTERS Would earning $200 bucks extra every week be worth changing your job? WE’RE HIRING: SKILLED CARPENTERS, JOURNEYMEN & MASTER CARPENTERS Advance your career with a reputable hands on employer established 2011 who appreciates your hard work. If you’re not happy at your current job we will match your current pay stub plus $200 per week, it’s that simple.

To see if we are a good fit let’s talk, 305-850-4736 Resume Appreciated All inquiries are kept confidential Framing | Hardie ColorPlus | Rough Carpentry | Plans | Cabinetry Truss | Strength | Precision Caulk | Finished Carpentry | Trim | Base | Crown Scribe | Windows | Doors | Stairs | PIP | Safety | Multi Family | High End Outdoors | Indoors | Team Work | Attention To Detail | Problem Solving Dexterity | Speed | Communication | Time Management | Key West

NOW HIRING:

F/T and P/T Bartenders & Servers 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

Part time & Full time Opportunities! Sous Chef

Engineer - General Maintenance Line Cook Bell/Valet

Front Desk Agent

Reservations Agent

Relief Night Security

Dinner Busser/Runner - Hot Tin Roof

Dinner Greeter - Hot Tin Roof

LMT, Esthetician or Nail Tech. Apply online at: www.noblehousehotels.com/careers Apply in person at: Zero Duval St.

Great pay, amazing benefits, & an awesome team! Ocean Key Resort and Spa is EOE.

Our award winning resort is

currently hiring for the following hourly positions:

FRONT DESK SUPERVISOR

Previous hotel experience required.

EVENING MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR 3 pm – 11 pm

ROOM ATTENDANTS

$500 Bonus after 90 days.

Great Pay, Health & Travel Benefits. Apply in person at:

Courtyard Marriott Marathon, 2146 Overseas Hwy, Marathon FL 33050 or email resume to jtyson@shanercorp.com • 305-289-2100

29

UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

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

NOW HIRING BOGIE & BACALL'S SEA SENOR Restaurant Host Servers Bartender Food Runner

Restaurant General Managers

KITCHEN TEAM Pastry Chef Chief Steward Overnight Cook Fine Dining Chef Restaurant Chef

HOUSEKEEPING TEAM

Day & Overnight Houseman Room Attendant Public Area Attendant AM & PM Supervisors

OPERATIONS TEAM

Bellman Watersports Reservations/Front Desk Agents AM & PM Shifts Available Apply At: www.bungalowskeylargo.com/ careers

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

Dolphin Research Center is Hiring! IT Technical Specialist (Part Time, Permanent)

Accounting Manager (Full-Time/Permanent)

Visual Communications Staff (Full-Time/Permanent)

Human Resources Assistant (Part-Time/Permanent)

Guest Services Staff

(Full-Time/Part-Time, Temporary/Permanent)

Benefits include medical, life & disability insurance, 401(k) plan, paid vacation, sick time & holidays. Full job descriptions available at

www.dolphins.org/career_opportunities

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

Bungalows Key Largo is an EOE

THEME: TV THEME SONGS

The Guidance/Care Center, Inc. a division of

“Uplifting the human spirit since 1973”

THE GUIDANCE/CARE CENTER, Inc.

IS HIRING! KEY LARGO

Substance Abuse Counselor (PT)

KEY WEST

Prevention Specialist Behavioral Health Therapist (Children) Peer Support Specialist Crisis Counselor Case Managers (Adult, Forensic, Children ) Motivational Support Specialist Substance Abuse Counselor Behavioral Health Counselor Engagement Specialist (Suicide Prevention)

MARATHON Admissions Specialist

Care Coordinator Maintenance Specialist Housekeeper Engagement Specialist (Suicide Prevention) Behavioral Health Therapist (Children) RNs and LPNs (3 shifts) (PT/FT & per diem) Advocate (PT) *Assisted Living Night Monitor (FREE HOUSING!) *Assisted Living Support 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 have the education, this is the job for you!

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. ____’s razor 6. Credit card-related acronym 9. Goes with rave 13. Garlic mayo 14. “Jack and the Beanstalk” exclamation 15. Echo sounder 16. Beauty shop 17. European Economic Community 18. Falstaffian in body 19. *”Scooby-Dooby-Doo, where are you? We got some work ____ ____ ____” 21. *”So no one told you life was gonna be ____ ____” 23. Pocket watch chain 24. Uncouth one 25. Place to get a massage 28. Boozer 30. Pie nuts 35. Sharpen 37. Orange powder drink mix 39. Tennis-affected joint 40. Bright thought 41. Reputation-damaging gossip 43. Symphony member 44. Famous Beethoven symphony 46. Microsoft browser 47. “Young Frankenstein” leading actor 48. Dines at home 50. Telephoned 52. Up to present time 53. Neat 55. Diamond stat 57. *”Gee, our old ____ ran great, those were the days” 61. *”Let’s ride with the family down the street through the courtesy of Fred’s ____ ____” 65. Loosen laces 66. Opposite of vend 68. Kind of artery 69. One Beatle 70. Recipe amt. 71. Opposite of atonal 72. *”Where the kisses are hers and ____ and his, Three’s company too” 73. Sigma Alpha Epsilon 74. Rosetta Stone, e.g.

DOWN 1. Brewer’s kiln 2. “Ta-ta!” in Italy 3. *”If you’re out on the road feeling lonely, and so ____” 4. Remote in manner 5. S.S. ____ of “Gilligan’s Island” 6. Not many (2 words) 7. *”Movin’ on up to the east side, we finally got a piece of the ____” 8. Right-hand page 9. Schneider and Reiner 10. Afresh 11. Astronaut’s insignia 12. Three pointer 15. Evening party 20. Sad newspaper notices 22. Goes with skip and a jump 24. Without a trace of moisture (2 words) 25. *”Everybody’s got a special kind of story, everybody finds a way to ____” 26. Podium, pl. 27. Concerning, archaic 29. *”Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your ____” 31. Heidi’s “Magic Wooden Shoe” 32. The Beatles’ “____ Road” 33. Not a soul (2 words) 34. *”Sunny day, sweepin’ the clouds away on my way to where the air is ____” 36. “Good ____” cooking show 38. Lady nÈe Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta 42. Extend subscription 45. Infamous German leader 49. Naught 51. Barley kernels 54. Financial woes 56. Where there’s trouble? 57. Verdant 58. Initial stake 59. Hollywood Walk of Fame honor 60. A snob puts them on 61. Use a keyboard 62. Marine eagle 63. Bibliographical abbr. 64. *”Just sit right back and you’ll hear a ____” 67. *”Oh boy it’s swell to say, Good morning ____!”

30

UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

LET’S DO BUSINESS - 305.363.2957 y’s www.KeysSlidingGlassDoorRepair.com d n A Sliding Glass Door Repair Roller Maintenance Track Maintenance Door Alignment Security Pins Safety Locks Handles

Licensed & Insured #SP33799

Lic No. SP1481

ALL KEYS GLASS

We Also Repair & Replace Patio Door Screens

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL Windows • Doors

Authorized Dealer

305-743-7800

305-998-8953 Insured • Professional • Reliable

Precision Pavers Belgard Brick | Clean & Seals | Old Castle Coastal WE WILL MAKE YOUR DRIVEWAY LOOK NEW AGAIN Brick Driveway | Patios | Pool | Decks | Retaining Walls

Need 7” Gutters? We have 6” & 7” Seamless • Copper Specialists

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

OUT DOOR LIVING SPACES

Key West 305-292-2666

CALL US FOR A FREE HOME ESTIMATE

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. A division of SALT Service, serving The Keys since 1989

305-289-1150

SP3102

Florida Solar Contractor CVC 56734 Florida Electrical Contractor EC13008657

MARATHON

305-743-0506

KEY LARGO

305-852-5356

rainsavergutters@gmail.com

SOLAR DONE RIGHT!

FREE ESTIMATES | WILL NOT BE UNDERBID

305.896.3599

When It Rains It Pours!

GENERAL CONTRACTORS & ENGINEERS

SPALLING EXPERTS

Proud member of:

INTERNATIONAL

CONCRETE REPAIR INSTITUTE

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

Tewes ewes Mortgage

Your local, residential lending expert!

Call 305.495.6000 for a FREE Consultation

Brian Tewes

Customer service is my strength Brian@tewesmortgage.com

NMLS# 375025 Tewes Mortgage NMLS# 1453791 NMLSConsumerAccess.org

www.TewesMortgage.com

Sportfishing Adventures

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

info@johnnymaddoxcharters.com

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

305-743-7454

fkes2011@gmail.com floridakeysexpressshuttle.com

305-481-3259

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

Key Largo, FL 33037

24/7 Certified Caregiver Provided

Oceansideseniorcarekeys@gmail.com 305-930-0194

Only $50 Puts Your Business Card Here

Inspired Living Through Custom Design Finishes for Your Home! Faux Finishes | Venetian Plaster & Repair| Gold Leafing CALL TODAY FOR A CONSULTATION!

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

Oceanside Senior Care BEATRIZ MORENO OWNER

TLC Interiors & Exteriors, Inc. 305.803.5220 | tlcdesignfl@gmail.com tlcdesignstudio.net

Lic#SP-3562

The Weekly Newspapers www.KeysWeekly.com

305-743-0844

We Do Installations! Licensed & Insured

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

289-3019

31

UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

Local kids from Islamorada and Key Largo joined the Surfrider July cleanup in a wildlife protected area across from Founders Park. MARITZA THIBOS PHOTOGRAPHY/Contributed

SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY 11AM-9:30PM FRIDAY AND SATURDAY 11AM-10PM

THE FUTURE IS THEIRS Keys kids get hands-on with environmental stewardship

TIFFANY DUONG

tiffany@keysweekly.com

T

he Surfrider Florida Keys chapter has kickstarted a movement to clean up the Keys and inspire the next generation. Each month, they select a site on the rock in need of some TLC. Armed with gloves, trash pickers and paint buckets, they invite the community to join them as they clean up the shoreline. Notably, Keys parents often bring their kids to teach them how to give back and take care of their home. Maritza Thibos, of Key Largo, is one of those parents. After coming to the June cleanup by herself, she brought her then-3-year-old twins Claire and Violet to the July event. “When we do cleanups, we point out the familiar things we find, and the more we see, the more we hate using those types of products — for example plastic water bottles. They know those items are ‘bad for business,’” the avid photographer and conservationist said. She added, “It's so important to instill good environmental habits in children. They are the future generation and the ones that will be left to care for our planet. Unfortunately, they will also have to deal with our shortcomings as consumers.” Thibos changed her purchasing habits after realizing that the stuff she was picking up during cleanups, and getting frustrated at, was the same stuff she was buying. “As a mom, I am responsible for purchasing the majority of our household items. I know I have the power to make that change in my home,” Thibos

said. Once she became aware, she made those shifts. As for her girls, both agreed that they like seeing nature clean, and that their efforts that day left them feeling good because it helped the ocean and the turtles. Violet said, “I had fun picking up ‘basura,’ and when my foot got stuck in the mud. That was fun.” Her twin, Claire, responded, “I didn’t like the mud but we found some toys. That was fun.” For Thibos and Whitney Wemett, the vice chair of the Surfrider Florida Keys chapter, these community cleanups are critical not just because they physically maintain our shorelines, but also for what they teach the community and the kids. “Everything in the Keys revolves around a healthy ecosystem, from jobs and tourism dollars to enjoying personal time out on the water,” Wemett said. In keeping our shorelines clear and our oceans healthy, we’re directly contributing to the future of the Keys and the people who call it home, she added. Getting Keys kids involved in these efforts affords them the chance to learn about their home and give back. The experience creates a feeling of care and responsibility for the environment that will stay with them for their entire lives, Wemett hopes. Thibos wishes for her girls to take this knowledge with them always, protecting all ecosystems they encounter, and not just the Keys. Full story at keysweekly.com

102770 OVERSEAS HWY, KEY LARGO 305.451.0565 | LAZYLOBSTERINTHEKEYS.COM

32

UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / AUGUST 12, 2021

ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY

TO OWN LAND ON CRAIG CAY THE MOST SPECTACULAR PRIVATE THE MOST SPECTACULAR PRIVATE BAYFRONT ISLAND IN THE FLORIDA KEYS BAYFRONT ISLAND IN THE FL KEYS Just south of Islamorada at MM72, this offering consists of 12,000 sq.ft. of land for the development of a one-of-a-kind waterfront estate with stunning Bayfront views. Build your family compound with your own private gated entrance. There will only be 3 homes to ever occupy this historic island. New 9,737 sq. ft. magnificent home to be completed south of subject property. Private man-made island from when the railroad first came through the Keys. Deep water surrounding property. A rare offering for the most discriminating buyer looking to build a one-of-a-kind Bayfront masterpiece on a historic private island in the Florida Keys. MLS #596708 | $5,995,000

RICK BONVIE 954.232.8494 rick@bonviedevelopment.com www.bonviedevelopment.com