Key West Weekly 22-0331

1¢

Mandy and her fish tacos.

March 31, 2022

NOT-SO-FRESH PRINCE TOP 10 LESSONS OF WILL SMITH’S SLAP | P. 19

WHAT DID KEY WEST BURY IN 1972?

COMMITTEE SEEKS OLD TIME CAPSULE | P. 4

APRIL IS FOR AUTISM AWARENESS WHAT ARE SOME WARNING SIGNS? | P. 7

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

NUMBER OF THE WEEK KEYS

NEWSPAPERS

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

Publisher

Britt Myers britt@keysweekly.com

Publishing Partner

Jason Koler jason@keysweekly.com

Editor

Mandy Miles mandy@keysweekly.com

Account Executive

Stephanie Mitchell stephanie@keysweekly.com

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In 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported that about 1 in 44 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Most children were still being diagnosed after age 4, though autism can be reliably diagnosed as early as age 2. Early intervention affords the best opportunity to support healthy development and deliver benefits across the lifespan.

ON THE COVER

The Keys Weekly proudly highlights Autism Awareness Month through April. See page 7.

KEYS WEEKLY EXCLUSIVE: WHAT DID KEY WEST BURY IN 1972?

AND WHERE, EXACTLY?

Staff Writers

Jim McCarthy jim@keysweekly.com Alex Rickert alex@keysweekly.com

Copy Editor

Mike Howie mike@keysweekly.com

Production Manager

Anneke Patterson anneke@keysweekly.com

Circulation Manager

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Classifieds

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Se habla español

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News Deadline

Tuesday Noon

Advertising Deadline Tuesday 2 p.m.

From left, Key West 200th coordinator Paul Menta, former Key West Mayor Dennis Wardlow, planning commissioner Jim Gilleran and former county commissioner Jerry Hernandez are part of a committee that plans to unearth a time capsule buried near Front Street and Mallory Square in 1972. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly

MANDY MILES

J

mandy@keysweekly.com

ust days after Key West filled and sealed a time capsule in honor of the island’s 200th anniversary as an American territory on March 25, a Key West committee is working to unearth another time capsule that was buried 50 years ago near Mallory Square.

“We are still doing our research and can hopefully do some ground-penetrating radar to pinpoint its exact location, and hopefully recover it with permission of

the property owner,” said Key West businessman Jim Gilleran.

He’s working with former Monroe County Commissioner Jerry Hernandez, former Key West Mayor Dennis Wardlow and business owner Paul Menta, who coordinated the Key West 200th celebration and time capsule.

“I’m a little nervous to see what they decided to bury 50 years ago,” Wardlow said, laughing as someone chimed in with a suggestion of “square grouper, perhaps.”

“They buried the time capsule when they dedicated a plaza downtown near Mallory Square,

but there is no marker for it, so we have some residents who were in high school in 1972 and remember coming downtown for the capsule’s burial,” Gilleran said. “We’re hoping one of them remembers the exact location. We’re going to continue our research and will obviously contact any nearby property owners once we identify its location.”

Anyone who recalls the location of the 1972 time capsule is asked to email jamesgilleran@ gmail.com. Stay tuned for further details at keysweekly.com.

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

16 Providers.

7 Locations.

7 Specialties.

JOIN THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF ONE OF FLORIDA’S LARGEST NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS The Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe, Inc., is seeking private sector and/or nonprofit board members to fill three board seats. One member from either Miami-Dade or Monroe county to be appointed by the Governor and two members from Monroe county to be appointed by the local governing board. To quality members must meet the following statutory requirements, as defined is Chapter 1002.83, Florida statutes.

Private sector business members, either for-profit or nonprofit, who do not have, and none of whose relatives as defined in s. 112.3143 has, a substantial financial interest in the design or delivery of the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program (1002.51 – 79, Florida Statutes) or the School Readiness Program (1002.81 – 995, Florida Statutes).

With 16 primary care and specialty providers located full time in Big Pine Key and Key West, Keys Medical Group offers convenient, quality care for your family. From sore throats and fever to annual wellness visits and more specialized care, we’ve got you covered close to home.

Schedule your same-day or next-day primary care appointment online at LowerKeysPrimaryCare.com.

You can also request a quick appointment with a specialist.

To complete an application please visit https://bit.ly/ELCMDM_BOD or scan the QR code.

For more information contact Kristine Gregory 305-646-7220 kgregory@elcmdm.org

Telehealth visits available.

*Most requests for primary care will result in a same-day appointment; patients may be seen by a physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant who may not be your regular provider.

Primary Care • Orthopedics • OBGYN • Cardiology Gastroenterology • Pulmonology • Psychiatry

About the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe: Established by the Florida Legislature to administer and provide access to Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and School Readiness Program at the local level in all 67 counties. Board members include: a Department of Children and Families regional administrator or his or her permanent designee who is authorized to make decisions on behalf of the department; a district superintendent of schools or his or her permanent designee who is authorized to make decisions on behalf of the district; a local workforce development board executive director or his or her permanent designee; a county health department director or his or her designee; a children’s services council or juvenile welfare board chair or executive director from each county, if applicable; a Department of Children and Families child care regulation representative or an agency head of a local licensing agency as defined in s.

402.302, where applicable; a president of a Florida College System institution or his or her permanent designee; one member appointed by a board of county commissioners or the governing board of a municipality; a Head Start/Early Head Start director; a representative of private for-profit child care providers, including private for-profit family day care homes; a representative of faith-based child care providers; a representative of programs for children with disabilities under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; additional members who must be private sector business members, either for-profit or nonprofit. The Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring high-quality early education for children in Miami-Dade and Monroe. Through a community-based collaborative approach, we are committed to promoting high-quality early learning, advocating on behalf of children, and preparing every child for success in both school and life.

Sponsored by the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe and the State of Florida.

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

By Alex Rickert and Jill Campbell

THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE

THE TOP 15 AUTISM “RED FLAGS” Children with autism may…

1. Avoid or have difficulty keeping eye contact.

2. Be overly sensitive or not sensitive at all to stimuli such as light, sounds, smells, textures or touch.

3. Have trouble transitioning from one activity to another or deviating from an established routine, order or ritual.

4. Line up toys rather than playing with them, or play with parts of a toy rather than the entire toy.

5. Exhibit a lack of speech development, or lose language milestones.

Autism Awareness Month begins in April

A

s we enter Autism Awareness Month in April, Keys Weekly is proud to partner with the Autism Society of the Keys (ASK) to bring our readers critical information about autism. Check back each week during the month to learn more about community initiatives throughout the Keys intended to raise awareness and support for such a complex disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a condition with a staggering growth in diagnosis. According to the CDC, autism rates have increased from 1 in 150 children in the year 2000 to the current rate of 1 in 44 children. With more than 2% of children falling somewhere on the disorder’s spectrum, the importance of recognizing early signs of ASD has never been greater.

Autism is typically diagnosed when a child is around 18 months old, but children can also be diagnosed later in life depending on the severity of their ASD. Early intervention is key, and there are many therapies and resources available for children.

Here are a few of the most common early warning signs of autism. A single one of these characteristics is not a sure indicator of autism, but if a parent notices multiple signs, they are advised to consult their pediatrician or contact the Autism Society of the Keys for further guidance.

6. Display a lack of social engagement or desire to play with other children.

7. Walk on their tiptoes for extended periods.

8. Display “stimming,” defined as repetitive or unusual movements such as hand flaps, in excited situations or to self-regulate when they are overwhelmed.

9. Be less likely to point at objects they want or at objects or events a parent is looking at or pointing to.

10. Have a generally obsessive, narrowed or restricted interest.

11. Repeat words, activities or movements, often without understanding their meaning.

12. Rock, sway or spin their bodies repetitively.

13. Not respond when they hear their name called, and may not like to be photographed.

14. Display unusual eating or sleeping habits.

15. Have difficulty understanding other people’s feelings and deriving meaning from facial expressions and body language.

ASK is a local nonprofit organization established in 2009.

The organization works with children and families throughout the Florida Keys to provide help and assistance. It offers support meetings, educational speakers, family socials, sensory boxes and training. More information is available from Jill Campbell, founder and executive director, at 305-942-5172 or via email to autismsocietyofthekeys@gmail. com.

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

FLORIDA SETS 12-YEAR TERM LIMIT FOR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS SAME LAW ALLOWS PARENTS TO PURGE BOOKS MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

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new Florida law will impose 12year term limits for school board members throughout the state, but it won’t affect two veteran Monroe County board members who have already served more than 12 years.

The same bill also provides a mechanism for parents to pull books and instructional materials from classrooms and school libraries if they object to the content.

School board vice chair Andy Griffiths is in his 30th year, and chairman John Dick is in his 16th.

“From what I understand, the term limits can’t be applied retroactively,” Griffiths told the Keys Weekly on Tuesday.

“If I wanted to serve 44 years, I could, but that’s not going to happen. I’m on my 10th superintendent. I’ve worked with elected and appointed superintendents. I’ve seen it all, but I can’t see myself serving into my 70s,” added Griffiths, who also has been elected president of the Florida School Boards Association.

But the clock doesn’t start ticking until after the 2022 election cycle, according to House Bill 1467, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed on March 25. The bill passed the Florida House on Feb. 10 and the Senate on March 10.

“The bill prohibits a school board member from appearing on a ballot for reelection if the member will have served, or would have served if not for resignation, in that office for 12 consecutive years. The proposed limitation would apply only to terms of office beginning on or after Nov. 8, 2022, and is prospective, so that school board members reelected to a consecutive term in 2022 could serve another 12 consecutive years before reaching the term limit,” states an analysis of the bill.

Andy Griffiths is currently in his 30th year on the board. CONTRIBUTED

School board chair John Dick is in his 16th year on the board. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly

The Florida House initially wanted eight-year term limits, but the text was changed, according to a March 25 story in FloridaPolitics.com. “‘In Florida, we believe parents not only have a role, but a fundamental role in the education of their kids,’” DeSantis said,” according to the report. “The governor said voters don’t have to wait for term limits to give bad board members the boot, saying they could ‘throw the bums out’ at the next election.”

As for the books and instructional materials, the new law, which takes effect July 1, requires each elementary school “to post on its website a list of all materials maintained in the school library or recommended or assigned as part of a school- or grade-level reading list and requires “school districts to publish on its website a searchable list of all instructional materials available to students.”

As of June 2023, school districts must report annually to the Commissioner of Education any materials that have received objections over the prior year

and the Department of Education must publish annually a list of materials that have been banned. “‘This is going to be a really significant win for parents in the state of Florida,’ DeSantis said,” according to FloridaPolitics.com. “Parents could object to material that ‘deviates from state standards’ or is ‘inappropriate,’ citing ‘really graphic stuff’ that kids have access to, even in middle school. “‘Some of the stuff that has ended up there, incredibly, incredibly disturbing stuff,’ DeSantis said.

“The governor was in Daytona Beach with outgoing Education Secretary Richard Corcoran and Senate President Wilton Simpson, in a room full of supporters with placards proclaiming ‘Year of the Parent.’

“Corcoran was enthusiastic. “‘There is no greater accountability than telling a politician your career ends dead certain at this point in time,’ Corcoran, a former House Speaker, said.”

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

COME WORSHIP WITH US ‘‘The churches of Christ greet you.’’ Romans 16:16 NKJV ENGLISH SERVICE Sunday Bible Study 10am (on site) Service 11am (on site) & Service 6pm (on site) Wednesday Bible Study 7:30pm (on site) The Monroe County Tourist Development Council has funding available to governmental entities and non-profit organizations for capital projects.

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 April 27, 2022 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.

KREYOL SEVIS Dimanch Klas Biblik 7:30pm (on site) Adorasyon 8:30 pm (on site) Vandredi Klas Biblik 7:30pm (on site)

Minister/Minis Rodrigue Aleandre Cell 305.296.3331 SERVICIO ESPAÑOL Servicio de adoración dominical a las 4:30pm (en el sitio) Estudio bíblico del jueves a las 7p.m. (en el sitio) Ministro Pedro Ruiz Celda 347.430.2263

1700 VON PHISTER ST, KEY WEST

‘‘Search me, O God, and know my heart.’’ ‒ Psalms 139:23 NKJV

JERILYN BARACK ZONTA CLUB OF KEY WEST

Where does the money go?

Donations from the 40th Annual 7 Mile Bridge Run 2021 Switlik Elementary School classrooms and programs

$12,000+

Marathon Middle and High School Athletic Department teams and programs

$66,000+

Community Programs

WANT TO HELP OUR KEYS COMMUNITY? FIND OUT HOW AT CFFK.ORG

$9,000+

Total $87,000 41st Annual 7 Mile Bridge Run Saturday, April 2, 2022 (Registered Runners Only!)

7 Mile Bridge will be closed from 6:00am - 9am. Please plan ahead!

IN PARADISE FOR GOOD

VOLUNTEER

OF THE WEEK

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

SAFER CLEANER SHIPS OPPOSES NEW PIER B AGREEMENT VOTE SLATED FOR APRIL 5 MEETING MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com

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ust as it seemed Key West’s cruise ship debate was drawing to a close, the group seeking to significantly reduce cruise ships in Key West is sounding an alarm over an agenda item for the Tuesday, April 5 city commission meeting.

The Key West Committee for Safer Cleaner Ships (SCS) is organizing a protest before next week’s meeting in opposition to a proposed resolution that calls for the approval of an “operating and settlement agreement between the city and Pier B.” The proposed agreement would be in addition to the existing Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions that govern Pier B’s cruise ship operations.

Attorney Ed Pozzuoli, whom the city hired to help with the cruise ship legislation, warned the commissioners on March 10 that “Nothing in the existing agreement talks about any operational limits,” adding that the contract requires Pier B to use its best efforts to maximize cruise ship revenues, which it has shared with the city for more than two decades. “So any changes to that agreement have to be something (Pier B) agrees to voluntarily, because there’s no authority we have to require it,” he has said.

The proposed resolution for the April 5 meeting states, “This agreement, in addition to the existing ‘Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions,’ for Pier B, provides certain conditions, including, but not limited to, a cap on the number of cruise ships that may dock at Pier B, increased disembarkation fees, limits on the number of passengers who disembark within certain timeframes, black-out dates, and limits on the maximum length of cruise ships docking at Pier B; and whereas, the City Commission, having considered local and state concerns, and legislation regarding the impact of cruise ships on the City of Key West and its surrounding environment, hereby finds that executing the attached ‘Operating and Settlement Agreement’ with Pier B is in the best interests of the city, its residents, visitors and the surrounding environment.”

But the language of the new agreement is not acceptable to the leaders of Safer Cleaner Ships.

Supporters of Safer Cleaner Ships protest the arrival of a cruise ship at Pier B on Feb. 5.

LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly

“This agreement calls for the city to give away part of Mallory Square and allow up to 1.3 million cruise ship passengers per year, which is significantly more than we’ve ever had,” Arlo Haskell, treasurer of Safer Cleaner Ships, told the Keys Weekly on March 30.

In reference to the “giveaway of part of Mallory Square,” the proposed agreement specifically states, “In furtherance of the safety of cruise ship passengers and the public, and at the discretion of the cruise ship captain, (Pier B) may utilize the City Dolphin Mooring Bollards and the mooring bollard on the southwest corner of Mallory Square identified … when not in use by city or where capable of use by both city and (Pier B) in connection with the management and operation of Pier B.” The proposed agreement also specifies that no cruise ships will visit Pier B on New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, July 4, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Eve. “It’s a complete, authorized expansion of cruise ship operations at Pier B. The city is authorizing larger ships at Pier B than are even allowed by the state,” Haskell added.

In an email newsletter to its subscribers on March 30, Safer Cleaner Ships writes, “The proposed agreement is far worse than we feared. It is a blatant giveaway to private interests that would authorize larger cruise ships than Key West has ever seen. …

“The agreement would authorize cruise ships up to 1,100 feet long and with a carrying capacity up to 3,700 passengers. These ships are bigger than any cruise ship that has ever called on Key West before and would violate Pier B’s permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

“...The agreement would authorize cruise ships at Pier B 349 days per year.

This is far more ships than Pier B has ever received before. “...The agreement would allow up to 1.3 million passengers per year. This is more passengers than Key West has ever seen in a single year and will create more overcrowding and congestion. “... The agreement would allow large cruise ships to tie off to city property at Mallory Square anytime they want. This would eliminate any chance of the city generating revenue from its own valuable waterfront property. “...The agreement would never end, permanently sentencing the city to a future of large cruise ships and giving away prime public waterfront property to be used by a private corporation.

“The people of Key West voted for smaller and fewer ships. The city has repeatedly promised that it can control its own property, including Mallory Square. This proposed agreement makes a mockery of what our city officials have promised and authorizes the exact opposite of the change demanded by voters. It is an insult to all we have fought for.”

Attorneys for the city did not respond to requests for comment before presstime Wednesday.

The city commission meets at 5 p.m.

Tuesday, April 5. A complete copy of the agenda is available at cityofkeywest-fl.gov.

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EASTER IS ON A ROLL LITTLE WHITE HOUSE HOSTS EGG ROLL AND HUNT ON APRIL 9

MARRIOTT PLANS EASTER EGG HUNT

GOLDEN EGGS WILL HOLD RAFFLE TICKETS

Truman’s Little White House hosts its annual Easter egg roll and hunt from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 9. JOHNNY WHITE/Contributed

T

he Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation invites kids and their adult companions to get a hop, skip and jump on Easter celebrations during the fifth annual Easter Egg Roll, from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 9 on the grounds of the Harry S. Truman Little White House, 111 Front St., in Key West.

The Key West event started five years ago in the tradition of the White House event in Washington, D.C. In 1878, President Rutherford B. Hayes opened the lawn of the White House on Easter Monday so children could roll their eggs.

In an effort to conserve food during World War I, the roll was canceled in 1918, and again from 1943 through 1952.

During the war years, the roll was canceled to conserve food; and while the Trumans were renovating the White House from 1948 to 1952, the South Lawn was a construction site.

In 1969, President and Mrs. Nixon began the tradition of the White House Easter Bunny.

President and Mrs. Reagan introduced the wooden Easter eggs in 1981, a tradition that continues today in both Washington and Key West.

Admission to the spring revelry in Key West is free and

includes the famous egg roll and egg hunt, arts and crafts activities, pictures with the Easter Bunny, and live music. Children 12 and under will receive a commemorative wooden egg and a springtime cookie. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

The Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation, a nonprofit organization, was launched in 2002 to preserve Florida’s only presidential museum, the Key West Little White House, and to provide programming that supports civic engagement, education and the historic and cultural influences of the Truman era. Through April, individuals and businesses wishing to support the foundation and its mission can order colorful ‘Easter egg’ lawn signs, which can be delivered to your door. For more information, visit trumanlittlewhitehouse. org/foundation/events.

The Harry S. Truman Little White House is open daily from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. More information about the Little White House Easter Egg Roll is available from Brooke Atwell at (305) 294-9911 or via email at Brooke.Atwell@historictours. com .

— Contributed

The Marriott Beachside will host a Beachside Easter Egg Hunt at 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 17. CONTRIBUTED

T

he Key West Marriott Beachside, 3841 N. Roosevelt Blvd., Key West, will host its first-ever Beachside Easter Egg Hunt at 11 a.m. Sunday, April 17 at the hotel’s Waterfront Patio.

This event will feature an Easter egg hunt for all kids up to 12 years old. A sugar cookie decorating station will allow kids to add icing and assorted sprinkles to their own cookies.

Golden Easter eggs will be scattered throughout the beach. Each of these eggs has a raffle ticket that allows kids to enter to win the Mega Beachside Easter Basket.

The hotel is expecting a visit from the Easter Bunny, and in true Key West fashion, a bar will be open for the adults during the event.

Tickets are $25 per child and can be purchased at fareharbor.com.

— Contributed

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

SUPPORTING CITIZENS MORE FUNDS AIMED AT NONPROFITS PROVIDING MEDICAL SERVICES JIM McCARTHY

jim@keysweekly.com

S

ome $2 million is available to nonprofit organizations serving residents in the Florida Keys. With an application process beginning, members of the county’s Human Services Advisory Board convened inside the Marathon Government Center on March 30 to discuss the funding for the upcoming fiscal year.

Grants provided by the advisory board are funded by the Monroe County Board of Commissioners. Created in 1991, the advisory board funds community-based nonprofits that provide health and social services to citizens. The board reviews funding requests from non profit human services agencies and provides recommendations to the BOCC. The advisory board’s recommendations are based on the county’s needs, agency capability and past performance and an established set of guidelines.

Since 2014, the county’s granted $17.5 million in funds to local nonprofits serving communities from Key Largo to Key West.

In the current fiscal year, some 30 nonprofits were awarded $2,050,000 in funding.

With a new fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, grant applications are available to nonprofits. They’ll have until May 18 to submit applications.

Board member Sandra Higgs, representing District 2, proposed that the advisory board break down funding allocations by percentage to nonprofits in health, core services and quality of life. Per her proposal, nonprofit agencies providing health services to citizens would get 40% of the available funds, while core services would also obtain 40%. The remaining 20% of funding would go to nonprofits providing quality of life services.

In last year’s funding cycle, $525,000, or 26%, went to medical services, $1.2 million,

or 62%, to core services and $255,000, or 12%, to quality of life services.

“I’m trying to protect health care. That’s the main emphasis,” Higgs said. “Without health care, we have nothing.”

Board member David Manz, representing District 4, said he had no disagreement with the philosophy, so long as it wasn’t a rigid guideline. Board members voted 3-0 to go with Higgs’ guideline for allocating funds to various agencies.

With more funding for medical services available, it could help the likes of Florida Keys Area Health Education Center, or AHEC. The nonprofit was among several in the medical services category receiving county funds last year. Providing direct medical care and oral health services to medically vulnerable children, AHEC didn’t obtain the $650,000 it requested from the state legislature this year to run vital programs. And it completely blindsided Michael Cunningham, CEO of AHEC. It comes after Keys AHEC expanded its services to bring a mobile dental unit to Monroe County schools. AHEC said the dental van will be providing services to students this summer.

Also hoping to obtain funding is Chapters Health System, which provides hospice services in the Florida Keys. Adam Stanfield, vice president of development and executive director, and Lisa Moeller, grants writer, offered brief comments to the board regarding their organization. Sheryl Schwab, executive director of the Domestic Abuse Shelter, and Diana Flenard, executive director of MARC House, also offered comments of appreciation to the board.

The Human Services Advisory Board will hold its next meeting on June 1. Also serving on the board are Michael Ingram, chair and District 1 representative, and Laura Lietaert, District 5 representative.

The District 3 seat is currently listed on the county’s website as “TBA.”

MONROE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE CRIME BRIEFS Jacksonville woman arrested after fleeing from deputies A 58-year-old Jacksonville woman was arrested on the afternoon of March 27 after fleeing from deputies on U.S. 1.

Anna Marie Bonanno was charged with fleeing and eluding, reckless driving and operating an unregistered vehicle. She was also ticketed for numerous traffic violations.

The incident began at about 1 p.m. at MM 38 when Deputy Juan Martin-Reyes saw a white Hyundai speeding and passing illegally. MarinReyes attempted to stop the car, but it did not stop and he eventually stopped following it for safety reasons.

Traffic Enforcement Unit Deputy Shaun Lones attempted to stop the car at MM 53, but the car continued north while its speed fluctuated between 70 and 100 mph.

Tire spikes were deployed at MM 79 and the car finally stopped at MM 80.

Bonanno appeared disoriented and made rambling statements. She was taken to jail.

Woman faces multiple charges after resisting arrest A 33-year-old Key Largo woman was arrested March 26 after biting and spitting on a deputy.

Courtney Sophia Crichton was charged with resisting arrest with violence, resisting arrest without violence, battery on a law enforcement officer and criminal mischief for intentionally breaking a $200 hobble restraint device.

Deputies were sent to the 101000 block of the Overseas Highway regarding an unknown problem. They arrived to find Crichton and a 39-year-old man yelling at each other. Both fled into nearby woods.

Both were quickly caught and the male followed commands. Crichton obstructed deputies before, during and after her arrest, the sheriff’s office says.

Crichton refused commands, was physically and verbally combative, pulled away from deputies numerous times, tensed her body, kicked at deputies and at one point bit Deputy Casey Matthew’s hand while he was trying to handcuff her.

She also spit in his eye.

It was learned Crichton had active warrants out of Monroe County for battery, leaving the scene of a crash and DUI. Matthews was taken to Mariners Hospital for treatment to his hand. Crichton was taken to jail.

13

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

THE YOUNG DANCE COLLECTIVE PRESENTS

AN EVENING OF DANCE FEATURING THE BALLET

PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER ONE PERFORMANCE ONLY!

PLUS OTHER ORIGINAL WORKS!

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TICKETS $20-$30 AT KEYSTIX.COM MORE INFORMATION AT COFFEEMILLDANCE.COM Sponsored in part by the Florida Keys Council of the Arts, the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture and private donations. Additional sponsorship by Merging Ideas Developing Arts (MIDA) and the CoffeeMill Dance Studio.

at the Perry FREE CONCER TS

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15

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

Thank you Veterans Thank you for serving our nation, our debt can never be repaid.

Thank you for your sacrifice, your bravery, and the example you set for us all.

We owe you a debt of gratitude, but more than that, we owe you our freedom.

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From Key Largo to Key West, Chapters Health Hospice is your guide, friend and partner in a continous range of compassionate care services for your ever-changing needs and life’s most challenging moments.

As part of our expanded hospice care services, we’re honored to offer the services of the Chapters Health Valor Program. This year-round program honoring veterans and first responders includes licensed professional grief counseling, peer-to-peer “Valor Cafes”, volunteer visits to veterans and first responders in hospice and home care, pinning ceremonies and community outreach.

Call or email today for more information on how Chapters Health Hospice honors and recognizes veterans and first responders who have honorably served our country.

Interested in volunteering? We’d love to have you join us!

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Funding for the Chapters Health Valor Program for Military Veterans and First Responders in the Florida Keys provided in part through grant funding by the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys, the CSX Pride in Service Grant, and the Ocean Reef Community Foundation Grant.

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

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17

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

SPORTS & MORE

WHERE WERE HEAT ANNOUNCERS FOR THE SKIRMISH?

CONCH BASEBALL STATS

I

watched the Miami Heat game on RALPH March 23 as MORROW I usually do. Fol... a veteran sports lowing their loss columnist, says to the Golden the only sport State Warriors, he doesn’t follow I scanned the is cricket. That leaves plenty internet. No of others to fill particular reahis time. son, but I found ralphmoro1936 a story by the @gmail.com South Florida Sun-Sentinel about a third-quarter scrum on the Heat sideline, a nearfight involving coach Erik Spoelstra and players Jimmy Butler and Udonis Haslem.

Did I miss this on television?

It wasn’t described on the Bally Sports channel. Why not? The Heat announcers made no mention.

I turned back to the post-game report that included the coach’s press conference. The media’s first question was about the near-fight.

Spoelstra tried to laugh it off – unsuccessfully.

The next day, the near-fight was at the top of the news. There was tape of the incident. The coach had asked Butler if he wanted to fight him. Haslem, the veteran who rarely plays, but is a semi-coach, reportedly yelled at Butler, “I’ll whoop your ass,” a few times.

Spoelstra smashed his clipboard on the floor. It took the rest of the players to hold back the combatants.

Interesting stuff, but why wasn’t it reported on the Heat’s channel?

It was reported a few days later that the Heat had instructed the announcers not to mention it. Wrong!

No one should interfere with news.

It happened. Report it. Whatever Heat representative squashed that report was wrong, wrong, wrong.

He or she should be embarrassed.

The next night was the United States-Mexico soccer World Cup qualifier. I’m not a big soccer fan, but I wanted to watch the game. I could not find it on my TV, at least not in English. Could you? If so, please email me at ralphmoro1936@gmail.com. So I watched most of the game in a language I do not speak.

You would think some channel, some network would have telecast — in English — this very important game. It ended in a scoreless

tie. (Very exciting, no matter the language.)

College basketball’s Final Four is my favorite sporting event. This year’s event is Saturday, April 2.

Kansas, the only No. 1 seed left, takes on Villanova on CBS at 6:09 p.m.

Duke faces its neighbor, North Carolina, at 8:49 p.m. The first Final Four I covered was in 1962 when I was working for the Rochester, New York, Times-Union. Cincinnati defeated in-state rival Ohio State in the championship game. Jerry Lucas was the Buckeyes’ star and he was injured in the “semifinal” game, but did try to play in the title game.

After that first Final Four game, won by Ohio State over Wake Forest in Louisville, Kentucky, there may have been a half dozen writers in a hallway interviewing Fred Taylor, the OSU coach.

I asked him something about Lucas’ injury. “Why don’t you ask him?” Taylor responded. So, a reporter from Newsday and I walked into the Ohio State dressing room and without hindrance talked to Lucas. Saturday, a few hundred reporters seated in a large room will have the opportunity to question the stars of the game. None will be in the dressing room. Ah, times have changed.

I have covered 17 Final Fours.

I say the first night is the most exciting because there are four teams playing before their exuberant fans. Half of those fans have probably gone home (and maybe sold their tickets) by the time the championship game is played. The most people to watch a championship game on TV was in 1979 in Salt Lake City. It was Michigan State and Magic Johnson defeating Indiana State and Larry Bird. I was there. It was very exciting. Bird disappeared after the game. We didn’t get the opportunity to talk to him. But I did speak with the Magic man.

Overall Record: 7-3 State Rank: 40 League: 4A District: 16 Division: FL 4A # Athlete Games Avg. At Bats

Played 24 T. Zuelch (Sr) 10 .500 26

Runs Hits RBI

2B

3B HR

9

13

5

4

1

0

10 P. Herce (Sr)

10 .462

26

9

12 13

4

2

1

1

10 .435

23

2

10

1

0

0

0

10 .304

23

7

7

3

2

1

0

N. Burnham (Fr)

22 A. Rady (Jr) 9

J. Haggard (]r)

9 .280

25

6

7

2

1

0

0

3

K. Smith (Sr)

10 .267

30

10

8

2

0

0

0

9 .182

11

1

2

1

0

0

0

10 .167

24

2

4

2

0

0

0

23 J. Perdigon (Fr)

9 .167

18

2

3

2

0

0

0

11 G. Williams (Jr)

10 .143

14

2

2

4

0

1

1

25 A. Barroso (Jr)

9 .125

8

0

1

1

0

0

0

18 A. Lariz (So)

8 .071

14

1

1

0

0

0

0

30 J. Yarbrough (Sr)

4 .000

3

0

0

0

0

0

0

10 .286

245

51

70 36

11

5

2

19 S. Holland (Fr) 14 W. Kuhn (Jr)

Season Totals

— Stats courtesy of MaxPreps.com

18

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

DON’T FIX WHAT’S NOT BROKEN

WORDS OF WISDOM FOR THE FUTURE

SUPERINTENDENT ADDS LETTER TO KEY WEST’S 200TH TIME CAPSULE

Dear Citizens of Key West: After the establishment of the checkpoint by the Border Patrol and the loss in federal court, the decision was made for Key West to secede from the United States.

“If they are going to treat us like a foreign country, we will become a foreign country.”

Over the years, Key West has fought to overcome losses.

In the early 1900s, the booming cigar industry, Ruy Lopez, owned by John Wardlow, was lost to Tampa after fires and hurricanes destroyed the factories. The sponging industry was lost to Tarpon Springs because Conchs harvested the sponges environmentally safely from boats with hooks while spongers from Tarpon Springs walked on the bottom wearing diving suits with heavy boots that killed juvenile sponges. The shrimping industry, “pink gold,” largely moved to Texas because of the cost of fuel and transportation.

The Navy was a big presence in Key West until they withdrew in the 1970s because of political pressures, leaving us a ghost town. You could shoot a cannon down Duval Street and not hit anything. Buildings were boarded up and business closed.

To overcome all this, we established the Key West Tourist Development Committee to promote tourism to bring people to the Florida Keys and Key West. One of the things we did was meet with and “beg” the cruise ships to come here.

They did, and were a positive influence to our tourism. I was then invited by Monroe County to help establish the Florida Keys Tourism Development Council, of which I was a founding member. Our efforts to encourage tourism as a new industry were threatened in 1980 when the Mariel boatlift started from Cuba and again in 1982 by the Border Patrol roadblock.

The founding of the Conch Republic shone a new light on the uniqueness of Key West, Duval Street and the welcoming “live and let live” attitude of the Conchs.

Key West has attracted artists, songwriters, singers, authors, movie producers and people from all walks who come here for our quaint and unique way of life.

We need to ensure that we do not lose the things that bring people here. Our uniqueness cannot and should not be changed, especially Duval Street.

Sincerely, Dennis J. Wardlow Mayor emeritus, Key West Prime Minister of the Conch Republic

Students representing all Florida Keys public schools helped fill Key West’s Bicentennial time capsule March 25 at Mallory Square. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly

(Editor’s Note: This letter, from Schools Superintendent Theresa Axford, was added to the carved stone time capsule that was filled and sealed on Friday, March 25 at Key West’s Mallory Square).

Dear future students, educators, parents and community supporters of the Monroe County School District, I bid you greetings from Key West and the Florida Keys on March 25, 2022. We have a great school system, which puts students first, and we feel like a family at each school in our district. We are an A-rated school district and put great emphasis on student success in our schools.

We have just succeeded in defeating a global pandemic, which began in March 2020 and ended this year in January 2022. It has been a time fraught with ambiguity, fear and distrust. However, the school district was able to survive and flourish because we incorporated two very important qualities, which we recommend to future generations as well: Compassion and grace.

We learned how very important it is to show love and caring to each other during difficult times. We also learned that grace, or understanding the importance of “courteous goodwill,” can help pilot us through contentious times.

Both those qualities came out on our playing fields as our student athletes took to the fields encumbered by a great number of COVID-19 precautions, but nevertheless went out and played. Our other performing groups like bands, cheerleaders and dance teams also inspired us with memories of a more normal time. Athletics and other activities were the beacon of hope in confusing and trying times, and our athletes and coaches performed with great compassion and grace.

We recommend to the future that you hold to these qualities and continue the great traditions embraced in Monroe County schools: value the opinions of others; be inclusive of everyone; understand that human dignity, happiness and love of country are the most important values to embrace; and, above all, that compassion and grace will help you deal with any circumstances.

Yours in education, Theresa Axford Superintendent

19

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

t was the slap heard around the world. Just when you were perfectly fine skipping the Oscars (after all, Bradley Cooper was snubbed for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “Licorice Pizza”), Will Smith went and did the most Hollywood thing possible — he made it all about, well, Will Smith. Yes, the “bad boy for life’s” infamous slapping of Oscar host Chris Rock now upstages the buffoonery from 2017’s Oscar mixup, but the aftermath and reactions to the incident have left many of us scratching our heads. And here are our...

REVELATIONS FROM WILL SMITH’S OSCARS SLAP 10. People care a lot more about a movie star storming a stage than hundreds of people storming our Capitol.

9. We can all agree a much more entertaining Oscars would have featured Will Smith trying to slap “The Rock” instead of Chris Rock.

8. You would never see Denzel or Clooney walk on stage and assault a dude over a joke.

Never.

7. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is now the biggest Will Smith fan in the world. #distraction 6. The people of Ukraine are watching and saying, “Really, this is important?”

5. Chris Rock’s stock went way up. Will Smith will likely be joining his TV cousin, Carlton, in hosting game shows.

4. For a guy who starred in the movie “Ali,” it was a disappointing slap.

3. Clearly, Hollywood has one set of standards that applies to everyone but them.

2. So your wife can sleep with a 22-year-old August Alsina, but you’re going to slap Chris Rock over a joke?

1. “I got in one little fight, and my mom got scared…” But I was still allowed to return to my seat and give an acceptance speech in which I played the victim role to justify my violence — ruining a special evening for writers, lighting and sound artists, musicians and many others who rarely get an opportunity to be recognized.

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

COMPLETE FIELD OF 1,500 RUNNERS SET TO COMPETE IN 41ST ANNUAL 7 MILE BRIDGE RUN

BACK IN FULL FORCE THE ‘NEED TO KNOW’ INFO

The stage is set for 1,500 runners to take off into the sunrise in the 41st annual 7 Mile Bridge Run. ANDY NEWMAN/Florida Keys News Bureau.

ALEX RICKERT

alex@keysweekly.com

T

ime to run it back(wards).

For the second year in a row, the annual race across the Keys’ longest bridge will be run from west to east instead of its traditional direction. But unlike the 2021 race, in which the only runners allowed to register were the ones who paid for the canceled 2020 contest, the 2022 iteration of the run will see the competitive field return to its full 1,500-runner capacity.

“We have people coming from 41 states, and even some from Canada, Germany and Singapore,” said race organizer Ginger Sayer. “Registration sold out in less than three minutes.”

The lead pack should see a blazing pace, as the overall winners – and many of the top trios – from the last three races are set to compete: 2021 champion Collin Wainwright of Chester, Pennsylvania and Marathon’s own Jonathan Pitchford (2019) and Aydan Child (2018).

But as always, the race is for everyone.

“We have four 7-year-olds that are running, and an 85-year-old gentleman and a 75-year-old woman,” said Sayer.

As a massive annual fundraiser, this year’s race will send more than $87,000 back to Marathon schools and community programs. More than $12,000 will

go to Stanley Switlik Elementary School classrooms and programs, MMHS athletic department teams and programs will see more than $66,000, and other Marathon community programs will receive upwards of $9,000.

The return of the race’s full contingent of runners underscores the importance of the event’s volunteers and organizational partners. Although their steadfast commitment to supporting the race could easily be taken for granted after so many years, Sayer was quick to highlight those who make the classic race a possibility.

“We have a lot of the same people doing the same thing for 41 years. Mike Puto, (MCSO) Capt. Don Hiller and his gang, these kinds of people have been integral in our planning,” said Sayer.

“Sponsors like Fishermen’s Community Hospital, Keys Federal Credit Union, Michelob Ultra, Publix and many others make the run possible.”

“Isla Bella Beach Resort, Faro Blanco and Sunset Grille have been so hospitable in working with us to provide space for our parking, packet pickup and afterparty,” she continued. “These resorts and the restaurant are so busy, sometimes beyond their limits. For them to go above and beyond for something local is something we truly appreciate.”

Bridge closed to vehicular traffic: 6 to 9 a.m. Even if you “know somebody.” Plan accordingly.

FOR RUNNERS Packet pickup: Friday, April 1 from noon to 8 p.m. at Faro Blanco Resort and Yacht Club. Runners must pick up only their own numbers and must present photo identification with an address matching the address used during registration.

Parking: Limited free parking for runners will be available at 1 Knights Key Blvd. (near Isla Bella Beach Resort and Sunset Grille) between 4:30 and 5:30 a.m.

Getting to the start line: A bus shuttle for bibbed runners only will run from 1 Knights Key Blvd. to the west end of the bridge. All runners must be seated on a bus no later than 5:40 a.m., and the final bus shuttle will leave at 5:45 a.m. Bibbed runners from the Lower Keys may be dropped off in the turn lane of Veteran’s Park on the west side of the bridge.

Beat the bus: The race begins at 6:45 a.m., and buses will start their slow sweep from the west end of the bridge at 8:20 a.m. If a bus pulls up to a runner, he or she is expected to board immediately.

21

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

NEW MUSIC VENUE — IN AN OLD SPOT

KEY WEST STUDENT HONORED AS A FREEDOM WRITER CLAIRE SCHOONOVER RETURNS FROM BOOK-SIGNING IN LOS ANGELES

THE BACKYARD BAR FEATURES FOOD, MUSIC & DRINKS

BEN SOLOVE

R

estaurateur Scott Taylor ... is a local radio personality and of Kaya music promoter Island Eats recently who loves to share announced the his passion for opening of the new music.

Backyard Bar, formerly Cowboy Bill’s honky-tonk saloon, at the Kaya Island Eats complex at 618 Duval St. (And in the interest of full disclosure, yours truly is the new director of music.)

The complex already features the restaurant Kaya Island Eats with Taylor’s killer recipes and Duval Stars, the popular karaoke bar in the rear of the complex. Now, the complex will include a hot new live music venue in the old honky-tonk bar.

“With Solove as our director of music, our stage will feature some of Key West’s finest musicians. We are looking forward to bringing great shows to our community of local music fans,” Taylor said.

He has given the old honkytonk bar a complete makeover.

With the new paint job, Adirondack chairs, colored lights and other fun features, the space has the vibe of a great neighborhood backyard party. And Kaya Island Eats’ full menu is available until 10 p.m. daily.

The stage is one of the biggest in Key West and can house large bands with a full sound system. The dance floor gets movers up close and personal with their favorite Key West bands.

Over the past week or so, the Backyard Bar has had a soft opening of sorts to test run the space. Lady A Band, Ike Kanakanui, Ross Brown & Cayo Ritmo, Happy Dog and Jesse Cotton Stone have already performed on stage.

“The Backyard Bar is really a cool space,” said Jesse Wagner of Happy Dog. The official grand opening is set for Friday, April 1 (no fooling), when Key West’s Glass Cats band will perform a late-night party concert from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

“This space has huge potential to be one of the best live music venues in Key West,” said Glass Cats keyboardist and vocalist Michael Wingate. “We are super excited to be part of the regular music schedule.”

Here is the schedule of weekly music and specials for the Backyard Bar: • Blues Day Tuesdays featuring live blues bands from 8-10 p.m.

• Thirsty Thursdays (Ladies drink free from 8 to 10 p.m. and Ike Kanakanui performs 9 to 11 p.m.

• Friday nights feature Glass Cats from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

• Saturdays will feature other popular Key West bands from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Live music and other specials for the remainder of the week are in the planning stages.

Follow the Backyard Bar Key West on Facebook for schedule updates. Join the party for the grand opening on Friday, April 1.

Key West Freedom Writer Claire Schoonover participates in a book-signing celebration in Los Angeles. CONTRIBUTED

MANDY MILES

W

mandy@keysweekly.com

hen their struggles became stories, young writers became warriors.

Remember the 2007 movie, “Freedom Writers,” with Hilary Swank as California teacher Erin Gruwell, who transformed a class of students others had deemed “unteachable?”

The movie’s true story about Gruwell’s high school initiative that turned at-risk students into authors has grown into a global curriculum that trains teachers to transform students by introducing them to relevant reading material and the emotional release of writing.

Claire Schoonover, a Key West High School junior, last year was chosen as one of just 50 students worldwide to participate in the Freedom Writers program that produces a compilation book of the 50 students’ stories.

Schoonover wrote and submitted a story about overcoming dyslexia and learning to adjust her thinking so she could read and write even while her brain and eyes conspired against

Key West High School English teacher Kyla Shoemaker and local Freedom Writer Claire Schoonover celebrate the Freedom Writers’ book release in California this week.

her and rearranged words and numbers.

She and her Key West English teacher, Kyla Shoemaker, spent the past 10 months writing and editing Schoonover’s piece, and returned this week from the Freedom Writers book release celebration in Los Angeles, California.

The Freedom Writers program is now a global movement and curriculum that trains teachers, provides scholarships and inspires students to engage in their surroundings and to share their stories of struggle, survival and success.

22

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022 A magnificent frigatebird chasing a royal tern in the Lower Keys. MARK HEDDEN/Keys Weekly

I

t seemed like a squabble between royal terns at first – two seemingly identical birds, white with orange grove orange bills, way high up, circling around, one chasing the other, then the other chasing the one. But it also seemed a little flirty, like an improvised dance, a little unsure, a little awkward, maybe the first stages of trust. There was also a lot of yelling, him shrieking skirrup and her screaming, kleep kleep over and over again. (Unless it was the other MARK way around.)

HEDDEN Thinking about it, royal terns are generally peaceable creatures, unless you’re a small fish. They don’t ... is a photogrago in for the aggressive, for the agonistic. So I started pher, writer, and semi-professional to suspect all the skirrups and kleep kleeps translated birdwatcher. He roughly to a series of Hey, ladies and Hey, sailors. has lived in Key Which tuned out to be true.

West for more Things finally clicked between them. All the loose than 25 years and choreography hit a groove, and they fell into this long, may no longer be employable in perfect, synchronous, descending spiral – their bodthe real world. He ies only inches away – as if they were trying to draw is also executive Frank Lloyd Wright’s floor plan for the Guggenheim director of the Florida Keys Audu- museum in the sky. Just before they hit the water they pulled up, and without so much as a curtsy, went their bon Society. separate ways. Maybe it was the start of something – royal terns are seasonally monogamous and will sometimes start the mating process while they are outside of their breeding territory. (They breed in Florida, but not the Keys.) Maybe it was just a little vacation fling before they head back to find their Mr./Ms. Right – or Mr./Ms. Right for the season, anyway. A courtship flight doesn’t have to be a commitment.

It was a spectacular thing to see, but I hadn’t come down to the dock for a love story. I’d come for the piracy, the harassment, the theft and the abuse. Which sounds judgmental, so maybe it’s better to couch it in more scientific terms: I’d come to see kleptoparasitism in action.

Kleptoparasitism is basically one creature stealing another creature’s food. It’s bullies stealing someone’s lunch instead of their lunch money, but as an evolved feeding strategy.

You see it in the Keys sometimes when brown pelicans dive into the ocean, fill their pouches full of water and fish, and then slowly try to drain the water without losing any fish. Since the pelicans are somewhat immobilized in this process, laughing gulls will come in, land on their head, and try to jab their bills into the pelican’s mouth to steal the fish.

What I’d come to see in this instance was the latest episode of the eternal contest between royal terns and magnificent frigatebirds. It’s generally an unpredictable event, and usually it happens out on the open ocean.

The magnificent frigatebird’s three chief weapons are fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency and an almost fanatical devotion to the laws of aeronautics.

I’d caught a preview of it from far away the evening before.

There were slightly fewer than 200 royal terns spread out across the railing of a very long dock, all facing into the wind. A frigatebird had come in slow, making herself known at the last moment, then dropping lower and lower. Some of the terns squawked, some crouched down, but a dozen or so took off in panic, and the frigatebird followed them loosely until she could cut one loose from the flock, and then she chased it back and forth across the water for a long time, ultimately giving up, unless she made another run after I was gone.

All of which got me wondering how habitual frigatebirds were.

During daylight hours there was always a significant number of terns hanging out on that railing. Which seemed like easy picking for an air pirate. Why not come back every night for a regular snack?

ADVENTURES IN LOW SEA PIRACY

The stealing another bird’s food thing isn’t as gross as it sounds.

Terns, like most birds, don’t chew their food. They swallow it whole.

But it doesn’t go directly to their stomach. It goes to their crop, a kind of pre-digestive antechamber to the digestive track. So the fish a frigatebird is trying to get regurgitated is usually recently caught and still whole.

Frigatebirds spend their lives at sea, but they can’t get wet. Their feathers lack the oils to repel water, so if they hit the water, they generally don’t come back up. Which means they either have to snag fish from the top few inches of the ocean with their bills, dangling their head down like a skyhook. Or they have to steal other birds’ food.

After the whole romantic prelude, it only took about five minutes for a frigatebird to slide into the airspace above and loom. It actually wasn’t the same bird from the evening before, it was a juvenile. (Adult male magnificent frigatebirds have all black feathers, adult females have a white breast, and juveniles have a white head and breast.)

I expected it to drop down and try to scare up some birds off the railing, but instead he caught sight of a royal out by itself over the water, trying to return to the railing and the comfort of the flock. But the chase was on.

A royal tern is smaller than a magnificent frigatebird, with less than half the wingspan and less than a third of the weight, making them more agile, but frigatebirds know how to work it.

The tern threw a long series of jukes and turns, speeding up, slowing down, flying sideways, banking hard, doubling back, then going all out again. But the frigatebird managed to simultaneously keep the pressure on and hang back far enough to anticipate the tern’s moves.

They would go at it intensely for 30 or 40 seconds, then there would be a pause in the action while they both gathered themselves and caught their breath. Then the frigatebird would turn the pressure on again. More jukes, feints, banks and lunges. They would climb several hundred feet, then dive down toward the hard deck of the ocean.

It was amazing how well the frigatebird could anticipate, but possibly that is the difference between chasing and being chased.

Eventually, though, the royal tern did it – opened its bill and puked out the fish. It fell a distance, then splashed onto the surface of the water. The frigatebird changed direction with an unhurried nonchalance, plucking it from the waves like a coin from the sidewalk.

After a few flaps to regain altitude, it took off toward the open water, no doubt seeking other bounty.

23

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

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24

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

UNDER CONTRACT

CONCH SOFTBALL RISES TO 9-1

Lady Conch Isabella Franco readies at second base. CAROLINE SMITH/Keys Weekly

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LADY CONCHS DEFEAT RIVAL KEYS GATE ON MARCH 25 CAROLINE SMITH

www.keysweekly.com

T

he Key West Lady Conchs varsity softball team climbed to 9-1 for the season with a hard-fought victory over rival Keys Gate Knights from Homestead on March 25 at the Backyard, behind Key West High School.

The Conchs came out on top with a 5-1 win in what turned out to be a pitchers’ duel between the Conchs’ Chloe Gilday and the Knights’ Maddie Webb.

Gilday retired the first three batters in order in the top of the first inning without a ball leaving the infield.

Webb was up to the challenge in the bottom of the inning, retiring three of the first four Conch batters, with a walk to Bella Perez the lone runner of the inning.

The game remained scoreless in the second inning. Gilday retired the first two Knights’ batters. The third batter walked, but was quickly picked off first base by an on-target throw from catcher Perez to first baseman Madison Gonzalez. Key West promptly went down 1-2-3 in their half of the inning on six pitches

by Webb.

Gilday was again sharp in the circle for Key West. She retired three straight Knights batters, with two falling to strikeouts.

Key West broke the scoring drought in the bottom of the third.

Dharma Murray led off with a double on a ground ball to right field on a 3-2 pitch. She moved to third on a groundout and then scored when the first baseman made an errant throw trying to get Murray at third after she made an impressive catch on a hard line drive by Yahaira Williams.

Keys Gate answered right back in the top of the fourth with a run of their own, playing some fundamental softball. Following a single, Keys Gate sacrificed the runner to second, who then scored when the next batter singled to center, making it a 1-1 game.

The Conchs’ big scoring inning came in the bottom of the fourth to respond to the Knights’ run. Ty Cervantes singled on a line drive to right field to lead off the inning.

There was an error on a ground ball hit by Gonzalez, then Chloe Knowles got hit by a pitch to load the bases for Murray. Murray was also hit by a pitch, bringing home the second run by the Conchs.

Caroline Smith then hit a sacrifice fly to right field, driving home Gonzalez to make it 3-1. Williams next doubled to left field, scoring Knowles and Murray with the Conchs’ fourth and fifth runs of the game.

Gilday got the first two outs in the top of the fifth before running into trouble. A walk, a hit batter and a single loaded the bases for Keys Gate. But a fielder’s choice left three Knights runners stranded on base.

Webb and Gilday both settled down the rest of the game with Key West and Keys Gate each going without a hit. In total, Gilday took the win, striking out eight while surrendering three hits.

Key West next travels to Miami for three games over the weekend.

They take on Somerset Academy Silver Palms on Friday, April 1 before traveling to South Dade Senior High for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 3.

Caroline Smith is a junior softball player at Key West High School and the Keys Weekly’s freelance sports reporter.

25

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

MESSAGE FROM THE SHERIFF Visitors and snowbirds are flocking to the Florida Keys as the country returns to normalcy.

That means more traffic on U.S. 1. The typical congestion points, such as on the 18-Mile Stretch and parts of Islamorada, are even more congested.

I have directed my Traffic Enforcement Unit as well as station commanders to do everything they can to keep traffic moving on U.S. 1. That means keeping a high law enforcement profile on the highway, but we can’t be everywhere at once.

I’ve also written Governor Ron DeSantis requesting additional Florida State Troopers. We have a wonderful working relationship with the FHP and their partnership is vital in investigating crashes and conducting traffic enforcement.

I’m asking for your help in one area: Report reckless drivers by calling 911. Don’t use our social media to report crimes underway. Call 911. Get the license plate number and a good description of the vehicle.

Illegal passing, speeding and other dangerous driving patterns affect us all, especially if they cause a serious crash that closes the highway.

Plan ahead, stay alert and be patient.

Together, we can make a difference.

Thank you and stay safe,

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

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

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28

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

HOW CAN I HELP? Many people have been watching the attacks against the Ukrainian people and are asking what they can do to help.

Scan the QR code for information regarding humanitarian support options through the National Bank of Ukraine or visit their website at bank.gov.ua/en Local community service organizations are providing support for the people of the Ukraine. The Marathon Rotary Club is working directly with the Rotary Club Lviv International to help those affected by the attacks. For more information, contact your local Rotary Club.

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

1

ISLAND BICENTENNIAL

2

3

KEY WEST CELEBRATES 200 YEARS AS AMERICAN TERRITORY

U

.S. Navy Lt. Matthew Perry wouldn’t recognize the island he claimed for America 200 years ago, but then, many residents find it difficult to recognize the island they chose to call home 25 years ago.

The only thing certain is change, and Key West celebrated 200 years of history and progress on March 25 and 26.

Paul Menta, owner of Key West’s First Legal Rum Distillery, spearheaded the celebration, which included a ceremony on March 25 at Mallory Square, where hundreds of residents filled an etched time capsule that will be opened in 50 years. On Saturday evening, Menta’s rum company also sponsored a silent — and thus dog-friendly — drone fireworks show at Truman Waterfront. A company called Sky Elements set up dozens of drones along East Quay Wall and lit the night sky with American flags, the words “Key West, 200 years,” and pictures of sea turtles, ships and dolphins.

Six local schoolchildren were entrusted with giant “keys” with which they will open the time capsule in 2072 to reveal letters, Key West photography books, two bottles of Menta’s locally made rum, One Human Family wristbands and a host of other objects and papers.

Here’s to another 200 years, Key West.

4

5

1. A Navy Seahawk helicopter flies over Mallory Square during the March 25 bicentennial dedication of a Key West time capsule. LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly 2. The bicentennial time capsule was filled to the brim on March 25. RALPH DePALMA/Contributed 3. A handful of Key West students were given a ‘key’ with which to open the time capsule in 50 years.

LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly

6

4. Key West’s first-ever drone fireworks display lights up the sky March 26 in celebration of the island’s 200th year as an American territory. LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly 5. A company called Sky Elements launches a silent (and dog-friendly) drone fireworks display over Key West. LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly 6. Mayor Teri Johnston and Commissioner Greg Davila place their own additions into the bicentennial time capsule created by sculptor Craig Berube-Gray.

LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly

— Mandy Miles

7

7. U.S. Senator Rick Scott, left, and Naval Air Station Key West Commander Capt. Mark Sohaney add to the time capsule. LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly

33

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022 MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

1

2

3

‘GREATNESS HAS NO AGE’ FLORIDA KEYS SEA CADETS CHOOSE ADVENTURE

4

T

hey get scuba certified. They fly airplanes. They shoot guns. They get a taste of SEAL training. And they’re just kids, aged 10 to 18.

The Florida Keys Sea Cadets are a division of the national Sea Cadets, a maritime-based youth program that’s sponsored by the U.S. Navy and supported by the U.S. Coast Guard.

“Cadets train on naval bases and other military installations in a variety of military disciplines, always choosing adventure, seeking challenges and stepping outside of their comfort zones to prove to the world that “greatness has no age.”

The organization serves 9,000 cadets annually in 47 states with community partnerships and sponsorships that make participation possible for kids regardless of their family’s financial status.

The Florida Keys Cadets celebrated their promotions and awards at a March 27 ceremony at Key West military memorial in Bayview Park. The Key West Military Affairs Committee enthusiastically supports the local Sea Cadets, and at the ceremony presented the group with a $25,000 check, the second installment of a $100,000 grant that funds the local group and keeps expenses affordable for all families.

“What a cool organization; I wish I’d known about this when I was a kid,” was the consensus among parents at the recent ceremony.

5

1. Florida Keys Sea Cadets celebrate a promotion and award ceremony on March 27.

MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly 2. Flight lessons in small planes are part of the Sea Cadets program. CONTRIBUTED 3. Military-style drills and physical fitness are key components of the adventure-based program. CONTRIBUTED 4. Sea Cadets can get their Open Water and Advanced Open Water scuba certification.

CONTRIBUTED 5. Cadets get a taste of Navy SEAL training.

CONTRIBUTED

35

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

Look at that face. ALEX RICKERT/ Keys Weekly

HE’S HOME Dolphin Research Center family grows by one with rescued dolphin ‘Ranger’ ALEX RICKERT

alex@keysweekly.com

O

n March 25, the Dolphin Research Center pod added a new adopted member: an adorable 2-year-old ball of energy named Ranger.

Originally rescued in June 2021 from Goose Island State Park in Texas, where he was found orphaned near his deceased mother and suffering from a respiratory infection and dehydration, the calf was transported to Texas State Aquarium’s Wildlife Rescue Center for rehabilitation.

Due to his young age at the time of his rescue – most calves stay with their mothers for several years learning to hunt and survive, and Ranger was estimated to be just over a year old – the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) deemed him non-releasable.

The service eventually selected DRC as his forever home. Last week, the little dolphin made his way from Texas to the Keys in style on a flight donated by Tampa-based Jet I.C.U., an air ambulance service.

The company originally wanted DRC to cover some of its costs, but a call from Jet I.C.U. CEO Mike Honeycutt mere days before the transport told another story. “He said, ‘take whatever money you raised and give it to DRC,’” said Linda Erb, DRC’s vice president of animal care and training. “Their pilots were amazing. The captain of the flight took his wings off, gave them to us and said, ‘Ranger has his wings now.’”

Currently in a quarantined medical pool with treated and purified salt water, Ranger will progress through a monitoring period in which a slow introduc-

tion to natural water from the Gulf of Mexico will help rebuild any missing links in his immune system. When coupled with a relatively short rehab period after more than a year in the open ocean, Ranger’s young age should allow him to adapt well as he returns to DRC’s natural lagoon environment. His caretakers will monitor him with constant observation and repeated blood tests, but so far he seems to be doing just fine.

“For all practical purposes, he’s a healthy little dude now,” said Erb, noting that Ranger has grown more than a foot and gained more than 100 pounds since his original rescue.

In about a month, it will be time for him to meet his adopted family. Introductions will likely begin with some of DRC’s adult and juvenile females who may be willing to adopt the little one, and the hope is that the center’s two expecting females will eventually raise calves close in age to Ranger.

In the meantime, the priorities for his trainers are playtime, basic training, and teaching him not to play with his food. After all, he’s only 2.

“It’s both fun and a little overwhelming, because we’re all he has right now,” said Erb. “When he’s out there in the lagoons, he’ll have other dolphins to play with. He’s pretty good at entertaining himself, but the goal is to get him out there to meet his family.”

Ranger is slowly learning to keep his food in his mouth, a vital skill if he wants to avoid losing some of his meals to opportunistic mangrove snappers in DRC’s lagoons. He’s even learning to touch a plastic symbol, much like a nametag, at the start of his sessions – a cowboy boot, fittingly created for his name and origin. And when it comes to playtime with his favorite toys, let’s just say DRC is lucky his pool has a fence around it.

Within seconds of being reintroduced to one of his favorite toys from the Texas State Aquarium during this interview, the young dolphin was having a ball punting the inflatable donut around the pool with his tail, at one point narrowly missing his trainers and this reporter.

But according to several of his caregivers, this is nothing new, especially when the DRC’s vice president of animal care and training Linda Erb enyoungster wants attention. joys some snuggles with Ranger.

Erb said seeing Ranger ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly finally touch down and make his way to his forever home was a relief after the stress of working through logistics leading up to the transport. However, the support of the Marathon community and DRC’s staff, volunteers, donors and supporters has been unwavering throughout the process.

“We couldn’t do this without everybody,” she said.

“It’s a community effort all the time. Marathon and the Keys are our home, and we get so much support all the time, but it even goes beyond that. The friends and connections you make down here keep coming through for you. We appreciate all the support in helping us do what we do, which is give these guys forever homes.”

36

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

WE ASK; KIDS ANSWER “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” — Dr. Seuss

T

he Keys Weekly is proud to feature local middle-school students and their answers to some fun questions in our Kids Weekly segment. Instead of asking about their favorite teacher or school subject, we want to know what superpower they’d most like to have, their favorite YouTube channel and the hardest part about being a kid today.

To have your fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth graders included, please contact Key West Editor Mandy Miles at mandy@keysweekly.com for the questionnaire and directions for photo submissions.

Special thanks to Sigsbee Charter School student Jack Mitchell and teacher Jessica Forsyth for helping us assemble this Kids Weekly feature.

SAVE THE DATE Through March 31 • “A Wood Show Like No Other” on display at Collections, Key West Gallery on Stock Island, behind the Hogfish Bar & Grill, open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• The Studios of Key West presents “Play Ball!” a multiartist tribute to baseball featuring more than 100 baseball bats that are painted or sculpted into original artworks.

Thursday, March 31 • Deadline to apply for the Key West Chamber of Commerce’s three scholarships for Key West high school graduates. Apply at keywestchamber.org/scholarships.

• The Southernmost Chamber Music Society presents a concert featuring a world premiere of songs by Key West composer Seth Grosshandler, 7 p.m. at St. Paul’s Eposcopal Church, 401 Duval St. Saturday, April 9 • Easter Egg Roll & Hunt, 9 a.m. to noon at Truman’s Little White House, Key West.

Saturday, April 16 • Best Cuban Sandwich Throwdown, 1 to 3 p.m. at The Green Parrot Bar. Tickets are $15, which includes sandwich tastings. All proceeds benefit The Key West Learning Center.

Sunday, April 17 (Easter) • Easter egg hunt, 11 a.m. at Marriott Beachside Hotel, Key West.

• Breakfast with the Easter Bunny, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hard Rock Cafe, Key West.

ADELAIDE SIR

Sigsbee Charter School 8th grade Activities: Hang out with friends.

What superpower would you most like to have? Invisibility so I could spy on conversations.

If you could make a rule for the whole world to follow, what would it be? Be nice.

What makes you laugh?

Friends.

When do you think a kid is old enough to have a cell phone? 10

What’s your favorite YouTube Channel? The CHALLENGE. The hardest part about being a kid is … Going through things with friends, groups and arguments.

The hardest part about being an adult must be … having adult responsibilities.

When I grow up, I want to … help the people in the world who need help, and to go on to become a nurse or lawyer.

Sunday, April 24 • Dr. Ryan Barnett of Key West Chiropractic and physical therapist Dr. Randall Sheffield will host a free health talk at noon on Sunday, April 24 at FYT Gym, 5450 Macdonald Ave. #9, Stock Island. They will talk about ways to achieve the next level of health and a beneficial mindset.

37

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

TAKE ME HOME? FIND A FRIEND AT THE FLORIDA KEYS SPCA

T

he Keys Weekly family loves animals as much as our friends at the Florida Keys SPCA do, and we’re honored each week to showcase some “furever” friends that are ready, waiting and available for adoption by loving families from the organization’s Key West campus.

From cats and dogs to Guinea

pigs, hamsters, rabbits, reptiles and birds, the perfect addition to your family is waiting for you. The SPCA’s knowledgeable staff will help with advice and care tips while working to ensure a good fit between each pet and its people.

The SPCA’s Golden Paw program also provides special assistance with vet bills and medications for special-needs and older animals that may require a little extra TLC. Check the Key West Weekly every week for just a few of the animals waiting for a home, and see them all at fkspca.org.

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38

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

RACE INTO SUMMER WITH HEMINGWAY 5K EVENT ALSO INCLUDES PADDLEBOARD RACE

KEY WEST SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LINEUP

NASHVILLE STAR CHRIS YOUNG HEADLINES AT AMPHITHEATER

The 33rd annual Hemingway 5K will take place July 23 in Key West. CONTRIBUTED

O

ld Town Key West will host runners, fitness walkers and paddleboard enthusiasts testing their skills and celebrating Ernest Hemingway’s sporting lifestyle on Saturday evening, July 23. The longest ongoing race in Key West, the Hemingway 5K Sunset Run/Walk and Paddleboard Race, presented by Papa’s Pilar Rum, was rated No. 3 in 2018 on Active.com’s list of top 10 international destination races to turn into a vacation.

The well-established athletic challenges are part of Hemingway Days, a six-day commemoration of the life and work of the author who lived and wrote in Key West for most of the 1930s.

“This is the hottest race in Key West, literally,” said organizer Barbara Wright. “It’s held on a hot summer night here, but the great thing is participants can jump into the beautiful Key West waters to cool off after the race and there are lots of cold libations to satisfy their thirst — just like Hemingway did.”

The Paddleboard Race kicks off at 5:30 p.m. at Southernmost Beach, 1405 Duval St. on the Atlantic Ocean. A 3-mile ocean course will challenge paddlers before they finish back at the beach.

Then, at 7:30 p.m., the popular 5K Run/Walk begins at the Southernmost Point. Participants race through picturesque Old Town Key West, past landmarks including the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum, Green Parrot Bar, the Key West Lighthouse and Custom House Museum as they complete the fast, flat 3.1-mile course.

On race day, a registration booth will be open from 3-7 p.m. on South Beach outside of the Southernmost Beach Café. Race

packets, bibs and shirts can be picked up there. Collectible race tech shirts feature iconic Key West images and more.

A post-race awards beach party with live music is scheduled outside in the same area and includes free food, libations and raffles.

A pub crawl is planned for noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday. The “Smile Mile” includes several bars offering a free adult beverage.

Crawlers can sign up on RunSignUp.com and need to stop by the Smile Mile table at registration on Saturday to pick up materials.

Great prizes, including Caribbean trips, will go to the overall winners.

In addition, those competing in all challenges will receive unique finisher medals.

Those who want a triple challenge can join the annual Hemingway Bicycle Tour, which starts at 9 a.m. on race day at Sombrero Beach in Marathon. To register, visit keywesthalfmarathon.com/ Hemingway-event-details/.

Runners and paddleboarders can register online at RunSignUp. com or download registration forms by visiting keywesthalfmarathon.com.

The entry fee includes a collectible race tech shirt, chip timing, custom bibs, food, finisher medals, libations and giveaways including Caribbean Resort Trips for up to four.

Proceeds benefit Key West Sunrise Rotary Scholarship Fund and the College of the Florida Keys Youth Swim Program.

For more information, contact Barb Wright at 305-240-0727 or visit keywesthalfmarathon.com.

— Contributed

The Key West Songwriters Festival will take place from May 4-8 in a variety of locations. CONTRIBUTED

S

ongwriters behind some of America’s biggest country hits are scheduled to perform during the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association’s 26th annual Key West Songwriters Festival presented by BMI. An annual tradition that brings together music lovers and over 130 music makers, the festival will take place in venues across the island May 4-8.

Sony Nashville superstar Chris Young will headline a show at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater on Thursday, May 5.

Saturday, May 7 will feature the annual free block party featuring BMLG recording artist Riley Green. Big Loud recording artist ERNEST will open the festival the evening of Wednesday, May 4 at the annual kick-off party at the Ocean Key Resort’s Sunset Pier.

This year’s confirmed performers include Hall of Fame songwriters Liz Rose, BMI Country icon Dean Dillon, Jeffrey Steele, Craig Wiseman, Kostas and Texas legend Jack Ingram.

Since 1997, the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association and BMI have brought Music Row to Duval Street and beyond, creating a unique environment where industry professionals, songwriters, locals and tourists can experience the best of Nashville in the most intimate of venues.

Over the years, the festival has become a breeding ground for new talent and has become one of the most sought-after invites within the Nashville songwriting community.

Notable Key West Songwriter Festival alumni include Kacey Musgraves, Florida Georgia Line, Luke Combs, Maren Morris and Cole Swindell.

Fans can choose from more than 50 shows at venues across the island including Key West bars and restaurants, waterfront resorts, boutique inns, intimate theaters and more.

More than 30 performances are free, including multiple offerings at the festival headquarters, the Rams Head Southernmost Bar & Restaurant. Ticketed shows for the festival will include theater shows at the San Carlos Institute, the Tropic Cinema, the Key West Theater, and The Studios of Key West. Each show features songwriters in the round, playing their hits and sharing stories behind their biggest songs.

Proceeds from the Key West Songwriters Festival will benefit the BMI Foundation, a nonprofit that since 1985 supports the creation, performance and study of music through awards, scholarships, grants and commissions.

More information is at keywestsongwritersfestival.com.

— Contributed

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

“THEY CALL ME BIG PAPI” RED SOX SUPERSTAR DAVID ORTIZ IS A HIT WITH KEY WEST FANS

KEEP KEY WEST BEAUTIFUL

APRIL CLEANUPS PLANNED

R

etired Boston Red Sox great David “Big Papi” Ortiz was in Key West last week and graciously posed for photos with fans, including Key West local Julie Doe. “This was one of the most epic moments of my life,” Doe said. “My last words to him were ‘I miss you, Papi.’” Ortiz’s son, D’Angelo, plays baseball for Westminster Christian Academy in Miami, which defeated the Key West Conchs in a tournament game on March 24. CONTRIBUTED

NBA HALL OF FAMER VISITS THE KEYS Twenty-one volunteers took part in the Friday morning clean-up on March 25 at Mallory Square, preparing for the afternoon’s bicentennial festivities. CONTRIBUTED

O

F

ive-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman spent this past weekend enjoying all that the Florida Keys had to offer. He started in Key West, where videos from his Instagram showed him at Southernmost Point with visitors. On Sunday, he spent some time in Key Largo. Luis Lohuis, mate from Sailors Choice Fishing Boat, is pictured with Rodman at Sharkey’s on Sunday night. Rodman made his way around the Keys promoting the Rodman Brand. CONTRIBUTED

ne hour a week makes a huge difference, and volunteers are always welcome every Friday morning, when teams clean up a designated area of the island.

The Friday, March 25 cleanup took place at Mallory Square in preparation for the afternoon’s bicentennial festivities.

Twenty-one ploggers, including four guest ploggers from Publix removed 54 pounds of trash, 11 pounds of recycling and 2.5 gallons of cigarette butts.

All are invited to join the Friday morning cleanups from 8 to 9 a.m.

Parking is provided and all volunteers receive a 24-hour bus pass in exchange for their time.

Early Bird Cleanups take place in the following locations for April: Friday, April 1 — Key West City Hall, meet at the tiger Friday, April 8 — Donald Avenue & 16th Terrace Friday, April 15 — Custom House on Front Street Friday, April 22 — Venetian Drive/Airport Blvd. (Stay tuned for more Earth Day events.)

Friday, April 29 — Simonton Beach For more information, or to volunteer, call Dorian Patton at 305-809-3782.

— Contributed

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

THE HERMIT ARTIST OF KEY LARGO Art collection depicts mans’ adventure

Sonntag inside his Key Largo Art Gallery circa 1952. JIM HADLEY/Contributed

This the first in a two-part series on Harry Sontang, the Hermit Artist of Key Largo.

I

n 1960, a Kissimmee couple traveled to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, to enjoy a tropical island vacation. They stayed in a rooming house where, underneath the bed, they discovered a large bag.

When they slid it out from under the bed and set the bag on the sheets, the husband and wife looked inside. They discovered a cache of art that had either been forgotten, disowned or accidentally left behind.

When the Florida couple asked the landlord if he was interested in the collection, he said, “No, take it with you when you leave, if you want.” What they discovered inside the bag was a large collection of paintings, mostly watercolors, a handful of photographs and some newspaper articles. At the end of their vacation, they packed up their luggage, grabbed the bag filled with art and flew back to Florida. The bag, at some point, ended up in a Kissimmee storage locker.

On a lucky July day in 1992, Frank McNall was driving by that same Kissimmee storage facility and happened to stop to talk to a woman cleaning out one of the lockers. He bought a couple of things she had stored inside. Before he walked away, she said, “You can take this old bag of art my husband and I found on St. Thomas, if you want.”

McNall took the bag, put it in the back of his truck, and drove to his apartment. Later that day, Chuck Faulkner stopped by his friend’s apartment for a visit. McNall told him about the bag he left downstairs in his truck. Faulkner said, “Maybe you should go get it in case it rains.”

The bag was collected and brought upstairs, where McNall and Faulkner opened it up to see what it had in store. Not an hour later, an afternoon Florida deluge poured down. If Faulkner had not said something, what would have happened was that the bag’s contents, 170 original watercolors, photographs, and some newspaper articles, would have all been destroyed and most likely tossed into a Dumpster.

Instead, a one-of-a-kind Florida Keys treasure was saved. The collection of watercolors, photographs and newspaper articles was by, of, and about a Keys legend, Harry Sonntag – the Hermit Artist of Key Largo.

Harry J. Sonntag was born in Astoria, New York, on Oct. 12, 1900. At 16, he was studying at the Pratt Institute of Art. He attended the Art Students League twice, first in 1917 and again in 1922. Harry would never outgrow his passion for art. In a story published in the July 6, 1952, edition of the Miami Daily News, Sonntag is quoted as saying: “Art is the universal language, and my desire is to bring beauty to the multitudes, so that people may realize how lovely is this world.”

Sonntag left New York on what turned into quite an adventure. First, he headed northeast and explored Vermont and New Hampshire.

From there, he traveled west until he reached Arizona, where he stopped because the landscapes absolutely captivated him. When he was done admiring the subtle beauty of the desert landscapes, he walked back out to the side of the road, lifted up his thumb and waited for someone to take him west toward California.

Hitchhiking forward, after traveling through California, Sonntag ventured up into Oregon and then Washington, where the local ghost towns enchanted him. He then headed east un-

til he arrived at Devil’s Lake, Wisconsin, where he was drawn to the picturesque horizons offered by the rolling hills. He stayed for three years before going back to Manhattan, where he painted in a private gallery.

His time in Manhattan would BRAD not end on a happy note. His BERTELLI studio caught fire, burned is an author, down and incinerated all speaker, and Flor- of his paintings, according ida Keys historian. to the printed accounts. It His latest book, would not be the last time “The Florida Keys one of his collections was Skunk Ape Files,” is a fun blend of reported to have been lost two of his favorite to conflagration. subjects — Florida In the late 1940s, he Keys history and packed up, hit the road and the Skunk Ape. stuck out his thumb again.

Drawn to Florida, he hitched south to the Keys.

It was circa 1949, and, like the ghost towns of Washington and the rolling hills of Wisconsin, the Florida Keys captivated him. On Key Largo, he squatted on what is today considered a prime piece of oceanfront property in the area of MM 97.5 and just north of the Mandalay Marina.

Sonntag chose to build a small shack out of driftwood and tarpaper close to a small cove where he could catch fish and bathe. He also did a little bit of gardening and grew tomatoes and other vegetables. Sonntag kept a fire burning and "bathed" in the smoke to help combat the buzzing black clouds of blood-thirsty mosquitoes.

Next week: the story of Harry Sonntag, his life on Key Largo, and the whereabouts of his lost bag of art will continue.

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

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42

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

‘COME ON DOWN...’

GAME SHOW FILMS LIVE EPISODE IN KEY WEST

W

hile Key West celebrated 200 years last weekend, “The Price is Right” game show marked its 50th season with a live episode at the island’s Coffee Butler Amphitheater on March 26.

Contestant hopefuls donned costumes and everything else to get attention for the chance of hearing their name preceded by the famous words, “Come on down … You’re the next contestant…”

Host James Todd Newton thrilled the packed crowd and the amphitheater was transformed into a live version of the Burbank, California sound stage, featuring a Contestants Row and cherished games, including the Big Wheel and its beeping sound effect as it turns.

Though Bob Barker, who turned 98 in January, no longer hosts one of America’s longestrunning game shows, the packed crowd at the amphitheater was evidence of its continued popularity and nostalgia.

— Mandy Miles

The Key West Amphitheater said ‘Come on down’ to ‘The Price is Right Live,’ which filmed an episode featuring local game show hopefuls on March 26.

LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

Live Theatre

At Its Best!

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CHOREOGRAPHY Carolyn Cooper LIGHTING DESIGNER Kim Hanson COSTUMES Costume World

Season Schedule, Tickets & Memberships: 305-294-5015 • Waterfront Playhouse.org MASKS ARE REQUIRED. Proof of negative COVID-19 test within previous 72 hours required -- waived with VOLUNTARY proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

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44

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

MEDICAL EXAMS ON THE MOBILE HEALTHCARE COACH MEDICAL SERVICES BROUGHT TO YOU CHECK THE COACH CALENDAR AT RHNMC.ORG CALL 305.517.6613 EXT 500 FOR APPOINTMENT

Rochelle McEntyre, CEO 3706 N Roosevelt Blvd Key West | 305.517.6613 rhnmc.org Providing Affordable Medical and Dental Services to Monroe County Residents SLIDING FEE SCALE AVAILABLE FOR THE UNINSURED

FKMCD & Oxitec Announce Public Educational Webinar #16

FKMCD - Oxitec Public Educational Webinar #16: Takeaways from 2021, Planning for 2022 Tuesday, April 5th, 5:00 pm ET This FKMCD - Oxitec Public Educational Webinar, our sixteenth, features an overview from the 2021 FKMCD - Oxitec Mosquito Project and planning for 2022. The second half of the webinar includes questions and answers with attendees.

Please register at:

keysmosquitoproject.com/events All information is also available on our project website:

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Oxitec is Hiring!

Oxitec is hiring! In preparation for the next phase of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District – Oxitec Mosquito Project, Oxitec is hiring Field and Laboratory Technicians. Housing allowance offered.

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45

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

TOO POPULAR ALREADY?

State officials look at Old Seven “solutions”

I

Reef celebrates his first birthday with some cake. CONTRIBUTED

TURNING 1

From fur farm to island living

H

i friends! Reef the fox here with this week’s “Reef’s Report.” Well, I turned 1 year old on March 28. One year.

Can you believe it? I mean, a lot has happened in my short year on this planet. Let’s recap, shall we?

On March 28, 2021, I was born on a fur farm and destined to become someone’s idea of fashion. On April 7 of that year, I was saved REEF from that fur farm by our friends in Minnesota.

On May 6, 2021, my mom, Nicole Navarro, THE FOX flew all the way to Minnesota to pick me up and Reef is a red fox drive me back to warmer weather in Key Largo. that was saved

By May 20, I made headlines as a new “Reef” from a fur farm. made home in the island chain (I was on the He now lives in front page of the Upper Keys Weekly). On June Key Largo with his human, Nicole 11, 2021, I had the opportunity to meet comNavarro. mand staff at the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and took photos with K9s Coral and Mako.

Later that month, on June 29, 2021, I underwent surgery to fix my funky paw and get my little fluff nuggets removed. Roughly a week later, I had a new sister in Coral. She was also saved from a fur farm.

By September, I entered the realm of writing as a frequent contributor to the Upper Keys Weekly. It’s been a blast highlighting community events, interviewing the likes of Sheriff Rick Ramsay and educating the public about fur in fashion and why not to wear those glamorous coats.

In October, Jasper, Penny, Coral and I moved in together with construction of a new, bigger enclosure. It’s been a good year, and I’m so glad I get to share it with you all every week within the Keys Weekly.

So, thank you all. I really do love our Keys community and all of the support you have shown us is so cool. I know my mom appreciates it too. So keep tuning in every week to see what I’m up to and don’t forget you can always check us out on all of our social media pages by going to pawsitivebeginnings.org and feel free to email me anytime at reef@pawsitivebeginnings.org Until next time, Reef, over and out!

t came as no surprise to anyone who lives here that the Old Seven Mile Bridge has become one of our most popular attractions in the Middle Keys. Pedestrians and cyclists have really enjoyed having the old bridge back. And it’s a testament to the hard work of state and local officials who took on the task of rebuilding this historic structure.

The Old Seven rehab came with a $42 million price tag, and that has some folks in Tallahassee looking at options for some form of cost recovery. Now that everyone is running for everything, politicians are doing all they can to make themselves seem fiscally conservative, even if they spend like drunken sailors during non-election years.

Some of these politicians are using a relatively under-the-radar state department called the Bureau of Fiscal Disbursement to figure out ways to claw back money spent on expensive projects, especially in counties that are considered wealthy. It’s no secret that many state officials look at Monroe County as one of the richest in the state, primarily populated by wealthy property owners with huge bank accounts and stock portfolios.

It should come as no surprise that officials in the Bureau of Fiscal Disbursement are considering a number of “user fees” to offset the cost of the Old Seven rehab project. A Tallahassee source texted me some of the ideas — I can tell you right now, they will not be popular with our locals and visitors.

Here are some of their proposals: 1) Bridge Tolls. The Old Seven Mile Bridge will soon be outfitted with pedestrian gates that will only open after the proper toll has been paid. The bridge walker (or rider) will stand on a scale that will measure the weight of the walker as well as any bicycle or dog (or beer) that accompanies the walker. After the toll — initially set at $1 for every ten pounds — is paid, the gate will open just long enough to allow passage to you and your dog or bicycle. Because of the cost of these specialized gates, the Bureau of Fiscal Disbursement only has one budgeted for installation during the first year of the pedestrian toll program. While they realize that only one toll gate may inconvenience bridge walkers and bikers, the Bureau has to operate under a budget as well.

2) Parking Fees. There will be a parking fee of $5 per axle for any vehicle using the parking facilities near the bridge. This fee will also apply to bicycles, even if the bicycles will be used to ride across the bridge. This

means that cars and bicycles will each pay a $10 minimum charge.

One full-time parking attendant will be at the bridge at all times, so there will be no evening free visits.

JOHN 3) Exit TurnBARTUS stiles. A one-way is the Mayor of turnstile will be inthe City of Marastalled at the exit of thon. He also is the Old Seven Mile a musician who performs around Bridge. It will also be equipped with town. For more a scale to measure see johnbartus. the weight of each com person (plus bike or dog) who exits the bridge, and it will compare it to the weight measured upon admittance. If the weight is significantly lower, the turnstile will print a citation for littering or not cleaning up dog poop. A credit card payment will be required before the turnstile will open.

4) Photography Fees. Scenic photos taken from the bridge that include any images of the bridge, the ocean, sea life, or sunsets will be assessed a licensing fee for use of imagery owned by the state. All these natural wonders are part of the state’s holdings, and the state has been losing millions of dollars every year by not charging visitors who take Florida photographs.

The Bureau of Fiscal Disbursement is targeting all the wealthy locals and visitors who they believe are the users of the Old Seven Mile Bridge.

My Tallahassee source, Senior Budget Official April F. Dia, says the Bureau of Fiscal Disbursement sees these user fees as a way to repay the state for the multiple millions spent on the bridge rehab. The Bureau has been closely working with another relatively unknown agency, the Department of Urban Habilitation, on creating the user fee schedule that they plan to announce on Friday. If approved by the Governor and Cabinet, the fees could begin exactly one year from the date of the announcement, April 1, 2023.

If you don’t like these potential Old Seven user fees, direct your comments via fax to the BFD and DUH, and by the way — have a great April 1st!

- Catch John Mondays at Boondocks, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the Key Colony Inn, Thursdays at Sparky’s Landing, and Fridays on Facebook Live. Music available wherever you get your streaming or downloads. www.johnbartus.com

46

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of GLOW SALON located at 106003 Overseas Hwy, Apt. 1102, Monroe County in the City of Key Largo, Florida 33037-5016, intends to register the said name with the Division of Corporations of the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

Dated at Key Largo, Florida this 24TH day of March, 2022.

By: Chet Cessford Hair LLC Publish: March 31, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of KEY WEST GHOST AND MYSTERIES TOUR located at 330 Elizabeth Street, Monroe County in the City of Key West, Florida 33040-8604, intends to register the said name with the Division of Corporations of the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

Dated at Key West, Florida this 24TH day of March, 2022.

By: Magical Arts and Design Publish: March 31, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of One of One located at 506 Fleming Street, Key West, FL 33040 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

By: Robert A. Spottswood, Jr., on behalf of One of One Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

Publish: March 24 & 31, 2022.

The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE U-HAUL COMPANY OF MIAMI Notice is here by given that on April 11th, 2022, 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: Thomas Flynn Unit 1636 $1,035.25 Christopher Richert Unit 1028 $886.52 The Estate of Ronald Stern Unit 1191 $507.80 Publish: March 24 & 31, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of TAVERNIER CINEMA 5 located at 149 Stromboli Drive, Monroe County in the City of Islamorada, Florida 33036-3313, intends to register the said name with the Division of Corporations of the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

Dated at Islamorada, Florida this 24TH day of March, 2022.

By: Keys Cinemas Inc Publish: March 31, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Sara’s Consulting located at 58569 Morton Street, Marathon, FL 33050 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

By: Sara’s Estate Sales Publish: March 31, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of George’s Plumbing located at 1707 Bertha Street, Key West, FL 33040 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

By: George Can Fix It Inc. Publish: March 31, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Beachside Gift Shop located at 3841 N. Roosevelt Blvd., Key West, FL 33040 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

By: Erica H. Sterling, on behalf of Spottswood Management Inc., a Florida corporation.

Publish: March 24 & 31, 2022.

The Weekly Newspapers

FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of One of One Hospitality located at 506 Fleming Street, Key West, FL 33040 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

By: Robert A. Spottswood, Jr., on behalf of One of One Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

Publish: March 24 & 31, 2022.

The Weekly Newspapers FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of One of One Stays located at 506 Fleming Street, Key West, FL 33040 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

By: Robert A. Spottswood, Jr., on behalf of One of One Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

Publish: March 24 & 31, 2022.

The Weekly Newspapers

Barry Anthony Mills, M.D. is no longer practicing with Baptist Health Medical Group Gastroenterology at the following locations effective March 31, 2022: 91550 Overseas Highway, Suite 205, Tavernier, FL 33070 and 5701 Overseas Highway, Suite 17, Marathon, FL 33050 .

Patients who wish to receive copies of their medical records may call 305-852-9400, to request a records release.

Publish: March 31, April 7, 14 & 21, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA DIVISION: PROBATE FILE NO.: 22-CP-000048-P IN RE: ESTATE OF WHITFIELD RICHARD VAN COTT, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of WHITFIELD RICHARD VAN COTT, deceased, whose date of death was October 13, 2020, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88820 Overseas Hwy., Tavernier, FL 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN 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 first publication of

305.743.0844

LEGAL NOTICES this notice is: March 31, 2022.

Personal Representative: Patricia Ann Van Cott 809 S. Jade Drive Key Largo, FL 33037 Attorney for Personal Representative: Anthony A. Velardi, Esq. Florida Bar No. 113917 AV Law PLLC 99530 Overseas Hwy., Suite 2 Key Largo, FL 33037 Tel: (305) 453-5277 Fax: (305) 453-4985 E-Mail: anthony@keylargolaw. com Publish: March 31 & April 7, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers IN THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OF FLORIDA IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION CASE NO. 2022-CP-78-K IN RE: ESTATE OF BEVERLY J. AVANT, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The formal probate administration of the estate of BEVERLY J. AVANT, deceased, whose date of death was January 20, 2022 and whose Social Security Number is XXX-XX-3038, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead St., Key West, FL 33040.

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 the 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 SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIOD SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of the first publication of this notice is March 24, 2022.

Personal Representative: OMIS HUGE AVANT, JR. Attorney for Personal Representative: MONICA S. SANTANA, ESQ. Florida Bar Number: 956805 Monica Matthews Santana Law Office 20030 Bluff Oak Boulevard Tampa, FL 33547-2975 813-407-3453 monicasantanalaw@yahoo.com Publish: March 24 & 31, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 22-CP-25-M DIVISION: MIDDLE KEYS IN RE: ESTATE OF ROBERT E. MONTGOMERY Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Robert E. Montgomery, deceased, whose date of death was January 20, 2022, 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: March 24, 2022.

Personal Representative: Elizabeth P. Montgomery 420 10th Street Key Colony Beach, Florida 33051 Attorney for Personal Representative: Richard E. Warner Attorney Florida Bar Number: 283134 RICHARD E. WARNER, P.A. 12221 Overseas Highway MARATHON, FL 33050 Telephone: (305) 743-6022 Fax: (305) 743-6216 E-mail: richard@rewarnerlaw.com Secondary E-Mail: pamela2@ rewarnerlaw.com Publish: March 24 & 31, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

of MAGALY X. CRUZADO BATISTA, deceased, whose date of death was December 20, 2020, and whose Social Security Number is ***-**-6247, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 302 Fleming Street, Key West, FL 33040. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court 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 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 first publication of this notice is: March 24, 2022.

Personal Representative: Steven K. Schwartz 20801 Biscayne Blvd, Suite 506 Aventura, FL 33180-1400 Attorney for Personal Representative: Steven K. Schwartz, Esq. Florida Bar Number: 187976 STEVEN K. SCHWARTZ, P.A. 20801 Biscayne Blvd, Suite 506 Aventura, FL 33180-1400 Telephone: 305-936-8844 Ext 106 Telefax: 305-936-1804 E-mail: Steve@ stevenkschwartzpa.com Publish: March 24 & 31, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 21-CP-000090-K JUDGE KOENIG IN RE: ESTATE OF MAGALY X. CRUZADO BATISTA, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate

Dr. Nikole Czapp is relocating and will no longer be practicing at Islamorada Medical Center effective April 22nd, 2022.

The current providers at Islamorada Medical Center will still be available for patient care. Patient medical records will remain available at Islamorada Medical Center should patients need a copy of their records.

90130 Old Hwy, Suite 1, Tavernier, FL 33070, 305-852-9300 Publish: March 24 & 31, April 7 & 14, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA Case No.: 22-DR-000035-K Division: Family YENI A. MENDOZA RIVAS, Petitioner, and DOROTHY M. BESWICK, Respondent.

NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE TO: DOROTHY M. BESWICK Last Known Address: 4 BETTY ROSE DRIVE, APT. 421, KEY WEST, FL 33040 YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for dissolution of marriage has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on YENI A. MENDOZA RIVAS, whose address is 4 BETTY ROSE DRIVE, APT. 421, KEY WEST, FL 33040, on or before April 11, 2022, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition.

Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. You may review these documents upon request.

You must keep the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office notified of your current address. (You may file Designation of Current Mailing and E-Mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915.)

Future papers in this lawsuit will be mailed or e-mailed to the addresses on record at the clerk’s office.

WARNING: Rule 12.285, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure,

48

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES •

305.743.0844

LEGAL NOTICES

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

HOUSING FOR RENT

PERSONALS

requires certain automatic disclosure of documents and information. Failure to comply can result in sanctions, including dismissal or striking of pleadings.

Dated this 7TH day of March 2022 Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Riza Hall Deputy Clerk Publish: March 10, 17, 24 & 31, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

applicants only please, we need someone who shows up and takes pride in their work.

bank assets assigned to them.

Contribute to the growth of the bank by promoting and cross selling bank products and services.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Equivalent to four years high school or GED, with particular emphasis during high school in office skills, shop skills, or others, plus 12 to 18 months related experience and/or training, 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

Avenue Gulf, Marathon or email resume to: eerpinc@gmail.com

end of 15th Street, Oceanside, Marathon or email: lobstercrawl@ g m a i l . c o m

3BR/2BA Furnished Waterview Apartment available long term lease in Marathon. No Pets. Call 786-218-5799

Affectionate & loving homeowner looking to co-habitate with someone who is clean, personable, with an excellent credit & FICA score. No drugs, no smoking, no pets.

305-747-1700

AUTOS WANTED ALL YEARS! Junk or Used.

Cars - Vans - TrucksRunning or Not. $CASH$ 305-332-0483 AUTOS FOR SALE 1999 Mercedes Benz 500 SL Convertible White w/blue leather interior. 31,000 miles.

Located in Marathon. $21,900 781-422-1131 Place your Auto For Sale ad here for only $25.00/ week for up to five lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today and sell your car!

BOAT SLIP FOR RENT

Boat slip available oceanside in Marathon.

Self contained incl. one parking space. $20.00 per foot/month plus water. F/L/S No pets.

305-610-8002 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

Upper Keys business opportunity - Boat Rentals Highly profitable w/financials, 20+ years, fully equipped, instant ocean-bay access, full service marina. $495K Call 305-896-2256 EMPLOYMENT

We are looking for a responsible, hard working, detail-oriented employee to run our household in Key Largo, Florida. You will be responsible for laundry and housekeeping, stocking supplies, occasional errands, caring for several small dogs, and generally keeping things running smoothly. Background checks are required and d e p e n d a b l e transportation is a must.

This job is 40 hours/ week, $20/hour, usually Mon-Fri but some weekend days may be needed.

If you’re interested, call Kat at 305-240-1315 to arrange an interview. Serious

Computer Programmer

/Coding.

Need an individual experienced in basic computer languages and AWS platform. Please send resume and contact information to: twmcfo@gmail.com.

Help Wanted - Big Time Discount Bait and Tackle in Marathoncompetitive wages and working 30-40 hrs a week. Contact George 305-289-0199 Marathon Yacht Club is hiring a part-time server. $12/hr + Guaranteed Tip Pool, Employee Meals, Private Club & Friendly Atmosphere, Varying Hours Tuesday – Saturday.

Call 305-743-6739 to schedule an interview.

Marathon Yacht Club is hiring a part-time general maintenance person. $18/hr, up to 10 Hours a Week, Flexible Schedule.

Call 305-743-6739 to schedule an interview.

NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY - Concrete Field Testing Technician needed. Full-time. Year round. We train you to go to various job sites and collect samples.

Vehicle provided. Must speak English, live in Middle Keys area and have clean driving record. Starting pay $18/ hour. Pay rate will rise at intervals. 305-393-0643 Groundskeeper/ M a i n t e n a n c e person, KCB, Sea Isle Condominium, 20-25 hrs. per week, $20 per hr., apply by e-mail to HardingThomasL@ aol.com, or call 734-476-0531.

Boat rental company in Marathon needs mechanic.

Boat experience a plus.

Call 305-481-7006 CENTENNIAL BANK IS HIRING! TELLER II MARATHON/KEY WEST. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF POSITION: Conduct transactions with speed, accuracy and efficiency while meeting or exceeding service quality standards.

Safeguard

Marathon Auto Air looking for technician.

Pay based on experience and how often you show up to work! Apply in person at 2525 Overseas Highway, Marathon.

3 0 5 - 289- 9884 The Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club, is seeking a part time line cook.

Perfect second job. 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 to atpor call 305 3930631 ask for April.

City of Marathon Current Job Openings: Recreation Specialist/ General Maintenance Tech, Engineering Intern, and Marina Customer Service Rep. Full Benefits. EOE Please see City website for details www.ci.marathon.fl.us 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 425 E. Ocean Dr. Key Colony Beach or call April (305) 393-0631.

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

The Housing Authority of the City of Key West is hiring a Human Resources & Risk Manager. This full-time position is a highly responsible position that handles all the daily functions or the Human Resources department.

This position is al responsible for maintaining all insurance policies for the Housing Authority.

A minimum of 2 years in a HR position and SHRM certification is preferred.

Salary Commensurate with Experience.

KWHA provides health, retirement, and leave benefits for permanent full-time employees. To apply, please contact Human Resources at: wrightk@ kwha.org or (305)2965621. Applications are available on our website www.kwha.org or at our Administrative Office located at 1400 Kennedy Dr., Key West, FL 33040.

EOE & Drug Free Work Place. This opportunity is covered under Section 3 of the HUD Act of 1968.

Part Time Supervisor/ Housekeeper Position Available Immediately in Key Colony Beach.

Hours may vary depending on need including weekends.

Responsibilities include oversee housekeeping staff, inspecting rooms prior to guest occupancy, making up laundry bags, cleaning rooms, etc. Physical demands: ability to lift and carry laundry bags ~ 35 lb. **Must have reliable transportation** Please call/text or email to discuss pay and to request application.

Michelle - 952-208-2850 Cheryl - 305-505-8747 info@continental innbeachside.com 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,

NOW HIRING: Sweet Savannah's is now hiring for multiple positions: Cashier - must be 16 yrs or older, Full-time Baker & Part-time Baker's Assistant. Stop by for an application at 8919 Overseas Highway, Marathon or email: info@ sweetsavannahs.com PLACE YOUR 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 & Watches.

Call 305-743-4578 HOMES FOR SALE

Duplex For Sale By Owner. 10822 2nd Avenue, Gulf, Marathon.

2BR/1BA each side. Trade RV or BOAT or CASH. Call 305- 481- 131 6

PLACE YOUR HOUSING FOR RENT AD here for only $25.00/week for up to five lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 TODAY! LOT FOR SALE

Lot For Sale By Owner on Duck Key - Trade RV or BOAT or CASH. Call 305-481-1316

YARD SALES

RETIRING YARD SALE - Sat & Sun, April 2 & 3 from 8a-2p. Old Nautical items, tools, (2) 10'x20' tents (almost new), 1/2 priced almost everything.

334 East Seaview Drive, Duck Key, FL, MM61

OFFICE/COMMERC. SPACE FOR RENT

Beautiful Office Space available for rent now on US1 in Tavernier @ MM92. Call 305-3940530 PLACE YOUR COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR RENT AD here for only $25.00/week for up to five lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 TODAY!

MOVING SALE - Sat & Sun April 2 & 3 from 9a-3p.

Household items, tools, diving, fishing & misc. items.

236 West Seaview Drive, Duck Key, FL, MM61 PLACE YOUR YARD SALE AD here for only $25.00/week for up to five lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 TODAY!

Vernis & Bowling of the Florida Keys, P.A., an AV rated firm located at 81990 Overseas Hwy, 3rd Floor, Islamorada, FL, is seeking Legal Assistants/Paralegals to join our team. Duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to: drafting correspondence and pleadings (i.e. motions, subpoenas, notices), e-filing, scheduling, and calendar management. Trial preparation experience is a plus. Very competitive salary, full benefits, and part-time work from home potential.

All interested candidates please send your resume via e-mail to Dirk M. Smits, Esq. at dsmits@florida-law.com and pfalcon@florida-law.com.

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

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES •

Sweet Savannah’s is now hiring for multiple positions: Cashier - must be 16 yrs or older Fulltime Baker Part-time Baker’s Assistant Email info@sweetsavannahs.com Or apply in person at 8919 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL

NOW HIRING

NOW HIRING

Health, Dental, Vision & Life Insurance

Charter Captain / Mate

Paid Holidays, Vacation & Sick Time Paid Time Off for Volunteering Tuition Reimbursement Competitive Salaries 401K Employer Match

Great Hours

NOW HIRING:

Apply Online at

KeysBank.com/Careers

PREP COOKS

$19/HOUR PLUS GRATUITY SHARE Apply in person Mon-Fri 10a-4p at our pre-opening office: 1700 N. Roosevelt Blvd, Suite 6, Key West www.thekolachekitchen.com

Busy fishing charter business in Marathon looking for experienced fishing Captain/Mate. Busy boats and location. Offshore, Inshore, Reef/Wreck. Send text or call 305-481-3259

Quarterly Cash Profit Sharing

$18/HOUR PLUS GRATUITY SHARE

BAKERS

SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES

Invest in Yourself!

CASHIERS

$18/HOUR PLUS GRATUITY SHARE

305.743.0844

Hosts Waitstaff Bartenders Bar Backs Bussers Line Cooks Dishwashers

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

EOE-M/F/V/D

Equal Housing Lender

Dynasty Marine Associates, Inc. www.dynastymarine.net

The Moorings Village is seeking friendly, self motivated, team players for the position:

BEACH ATTENDANT Competitive salary and great benefits.

Job types: Full-time & Part-time Please email your resume to Lindsey@mooringsvillage.com or call the reception office at 305-664-4708

SUDOKU SOLUTION

Located in the Florida Keys, is a highly-respected supplier of Caribbean marine life to public aquariums and zoos throughout the world.

LOGISTICS COORDINATOR Duties to include invoice and inventory entry, booking airline shipments, creating and filing paperwork for international shipments, scheduling inspections needed for international shipments. Must be proficient in Microsoft word, outlook and excel. This position requires high attention to detail and the ability to multitask. Compensation will be dependent on experience with performance-based incentive program.

Benefits package including vacation, sick days, holidays and 401K PSP retirement plan. Please send cover letter and resume to sales@dynastymarine.net for consideration. No phone calls please.

WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT OPERATOR “C”

LOCATION: BIG COPPITT KEY AND DUCK KEY The Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority’s WASTEWATER DIVISION IS GROWING, and we need (2) WWTP OPERATORS WITH A FLORIDA “C” LICENSE OR HIGHER. You will perform skilled/technical work involving the operation and maintenance of a wastewater treatment plant. This requires technical knowledge and independent judgment to make treatment process adjustments and perform maintenance on plant equipment, machinery, and related control apparatus in accordance with established standards and procedures. Benefit package is extremely competitive! Location: Big Coppitt Key and Duck Key. Salary Range: $52,645.98 - $84,011.20.

Apply online at www.fkaa.com

EEO, VPE, ADA

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

OCEANFRONT PRIVATE SWIM CLUB IN KEY COLONY BEACH IS SEEKING A KITCHEN MANAGER/COOK FOR OUR BUSY SNACK BAR. The Cabana Club is open 10 am - 7 pm daily.

Must have experience. Responsibilities include but not limited to: ordering, cooking, menu design, good organizational skills and maintain a clean kitchen. Our small efficient kitchen mainly serves lunch items.

Pay commensurate with experience plus benefits. Beautiful environment, small friendly staff, open year round.

TheCabanaClubKeyColonyBeach.com Apply in person, email resume atpCabanaClub@aol.com or call 305-393-0631 and ask for April.

50

KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

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

The Turtle Hospital in Marathon Join our team! Full and part-time Educational Program Guides/Gift Shop Sales. Public speaking & retail sales experience helpful. $15.00/hour to start. Send resume to: TurtleHospitalMarathon@gmail.com

DUI Evaluator Part-time – Marathon

The Advocate DUI Program is hiring for a part time position. DUI evaluator - 2 days a week, Bachelors or Masters degree with experience in substance abuse field required. Bilingual preferred, not required. Office located in Marathon. Contact Marcia at (305) 704-0117.

EXECUTIVE AIDE

TO THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR JOB SUMMARY: Providing support for the City Administrator by performing clerical tasks such as but limited to; project oversight, management analysis.

Candidate requires initiative, independent judgement and discretion. Must be able to lead by example and demonstrate the highest level of ethics.

RESPONSIBILITIES • Working with the City Administrator in developing approaches and solutions to City needs.

• Conduct complex and sensitive administrative, operational and management analysis.

• Monitor pending projects. Supports the Administrator and Clerk with the commission, employee and citizen group meetings.

• Understands and complies with Federal, State and Local Law governing City business. Must be versed in the Florida Sunshine Law, Open Records Law and Right to Know Laws.

• Serve as project lead for special projects.

• Manage multiple grants and projects. Provide effective research.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS • Possession of a valid Florida driver’s license or within 30 days if moving from out of state.

• Must be able to pass a drug screening, criminal background check and FDMV record review.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: Bachelor’s degree in public administration, business administration or related government field.

SKILLS: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, QuickBooks and social media.

Please see full job description at keycolonybeach.net Send all resume’s to: cityadministrator@keycolonybeach.net, or City of Key Colony Beach City Hall, Attn: City Administrator, 600 West Ocean Drive, PO Box 510141, Key Colony Beach, FL 33051.

DEADLINE TO APPLY: April 14th, 2022 – 4:00 pm Equal Opportunity Employer

HIRING

FULL TIME PROJECT MANAGER Location: Upper Keys Send resume to: admin@cbtconstruct.com Or call: 305-852-3002

Sweet Savannah’s is now hiring for multiple positions: Cashier - must be 16 yrs or older Fulltime Baker Part-time Baker’s Assistant Email info@sweetsavannahs.com Or apply in person at 8919 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL

Department of Environmental Protection

John Pennekamp State Park is hiring for a seasonal OPS Senior Clerk Position for our Entrance Station. This position’s primary function is to provide excellent customer service, give information about the park and collect tolls. $18.50/hour

For a detailed job description and to apply, please visit; www; https://jobs.myflorida.com search by location Key Largo FL

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace.

SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS NEEDED! Monroe County School District

Salary $18.00 - $25.80/hour Key West, Sugarloaf, Marathon and Upper Keys (4 work locations) No Experience Required, Benefits, CDL Training Provided – work as a Bus Aide while training, Full Time or Flexible, Part Time Hours - 6 to 9 am or 1 or 2 to 5 pm Apply online: www.keysschools.com

JOB TITLE: ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT REPORTS TO CITY CLERK The City of Key Colony Beach is accepting applications for Administrative Assistant. Position includes but is not limited to, front desk, answering multi-line phones, processing mail, administrative support to all Staff, ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with Commission, staff, and public, providing exceptional customer service.

Minimum High School graduate with two years of work experience in customer service and administrative support. Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite. Applicants must possess strong communication skills, both written and verbal.

Competitive salary based on experience. Full benefits provided.

Contact City Hall for an application at 305-289-1212, opt. 2.

Applications are also available at www.keycolonybeach.net; see “City Government” then “Forms”.

Submit applications in person, via email, or by mail to: cityadministrator@colonybeach.net or City of Key Colony Beach City Hall Attn: City Administrator 600 West Ocean Drive PO Box 510141 Key Colony Beach, FL 33051 Equal Opportunity Employer Open until filled

OPEN POSITIONS AT BAPTIST HEALTH SOUTH FLORIDA TAVERNIER MARINER’S HOSPITAL - Physician Practice RN - Pool Group Exercise Instructor - Scheduling Coordinator - Security Office MARATHON FISHERMEN’S COMMUNITY HOSPITAL - ED Team Coordinator - Environmental Tech, $5,000 Bonus - First Cook, $5,000 Bonus - Floor Technician, $5,000 Bonus - Mechanic 3, $5,000 Bonus - Medical Assistant, $3,000 Bonus - Physician Practice Patient Rep, $1,000 Bonus - Phlebotomist, $10,000 Bonus - Pool Physical Therapist

APPLY AND LEARN MORE careers.baptisthealth.net or call 786-243-8507

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

Household Hazardous Waste

LIC# CCC1329991

LIC# CGC032862

BEST CONTRACTOR NOMINATION

VOTED BEST CONTRACTOR 5 YEARS IN A ROW

Drop-off Day SATURDAY, APRIL 2

Sonny McCoy Indigenous Park • 1801 White St.

Residential ONLY Paint, stains, preservatives, pesticides, fertilizers, roofing compounds, waste oil (five gallons maximum), resins and solvents, adhesives and caulks, corrosives and acids, cleaning products, and automotive fluids.

Second Annual

MIKE GARCIA 305.304.4188

(305)

CONCHROOFING@GMAIL.COM WWW.CONCHCONSTRUCTIONANDROOFING.COM

296-8297

HASSLE FREE TRAVEL Serving the Keys for 20 Years!

ARTISTIC CONCRETE DESIGN

GOT CONCRETE?

YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS WITH AIR TREK PRIVATE JET CHARTERS FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1978!

We can Preserve, Protect & Beautify ANY Concrete Surface For more information go to www.keysdecoconrete.com or call 305-923-0654

Licensed & Insured SP#3136

• No long lines, layovers, overbooked flights or lost luggage • Travel on your schedule – you pick the day and time! • Aircraft are cleaned and sanitized before and after each flight • All aircraft are pet friendly

1-800-247-8735 WWW.AIRTREK.AERO

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

Your window treatment source for the Florida Keys.

ROMAN SHADES

Custom Window Blinds, Shades, Shutters and Drapery

SIDE PANELS & DRAPERY

POWERVIEW SHADES MOVE ON YOUR SCHEDULE

SEA-TEX SCREEN SHADES MADE FROM OCEAN PLASTIC

Explore how Hunter Douglas window treatments transform the light in your home, elevating everyday living and defining the mood of your unique and beautiful space.

A DESIGN STUDIO OF FABRIC CHOICES

KEY LARGO

MARATHON

KEY WEST

305-451-5700 MM 99 in the Median

305-743-4397 MM 50 Oceanside

305-295-6400 Next to Publix, Searstown

CLASSIC HUNTER DOUGLAS QUALITY Call 305-481-1790 to schedule a complimentary in-home consultation, or stop by one of our 3 locations.

www.RoyalFurnitureAndDesign.com

OPEN TUESDAY THRU SATURDAY! 11AM-4PM

THE LOFT FEATURING NOW CARRYING RETAIL LINE

NEVER FULLY DRESSED!

EXCELLENT CONDITION PRE-LOVED & NEW WOMEN’S CLOTHING PRIVATE PARTIES & PERSONAL SHOPPING | KIRBYSCLOSET.COM

218 WHITEHEAD STREET #4 | KEY WEST | 305.847.9977 PAID PARKING GARAGE NEXT TO OPAL KEY RESORT & MARINA

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @KIRBYSCLOSETKW @FRANKIEKEYWEST

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

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

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

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

Dolphin Research Center is Hiring!

Marketing Director – Full Time Volunteer Resources Administrative Assistant (Full-Time, Permanent) Media & Marketing Staff Member (Full-Time, Permanent)

Education Program Host (Full-Time, Permanent)

IT Technical Specialist (Part Time, Permanent)

Human Resources Assistant (Part-Time, Permanent)

Guest Services Staff

TEXT “MYTOMTHUMB” TO

242424

(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

Apply online at mytomthumb.com/employment

The Guidance/Care Center, Inc. a division of

“Uplifting the human spirit since 1973”

PART TIME / FULL TIME OPPORTUNITIES W/FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF FINANCE FRONT OFFICE DIRECTOR FRONT OFFICE GUEST SERVICES AGENT & BELL/VALET RESERVATIONS AGENT HOUSEKEEPING ALL POSITIONS SIGN ON BONUS OFFERED! CULINARY KITCHEN MANAGER, COOKS DISHWASHERS F&B SERVER, BARTENDER BUSSERS/FOOD RUNNERS LICENSED MASSAGE THERAPIST NAIL TECH SCAN TO VIEW JOB OPENINGS. APPLY TODAY! APPLY ONLINE AT www.noblehousehotels.com/careers APPLY IN PERSON AT Zero Duval St. Ocean Key Resort and Spa is EOE.

THE GUIDANCE/CARE CENTER, Inc.

IS HIRING! KEY LARGO

Behavioral Health Counselor, FT (Children) Case Manager, FT (Children)

KEY WEST

Behavioral Health Therapist, FT (Children, Adult) Driver PT/per diem Prevention Specialist Behavioral Health Counselor (Children) Peer Support Specialist Crisis Counselor Case Managers (Adult, Forensic, Children ) Motivational Support Specialist Substance Abuse Counselor *Advocate

MARATHON

Peer Support Specialist/BHT (FT) Care Coordinator Housekeeper Behavioral Health Therapist (Children, Adult) RNs and LPNs (3 shifts) (PT/FT & per diem) Advocate (PT) Driver PT/per diem *Assisted Living Support Worker (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 (search by zip code) EEOC/DFWP

Pigeon Key is seeking dedicated professionals seeking to make a positive impact in their community. Those individuals who wish to work on a uniquely beautiful island , while promoting our cultural history and preserving the natural Keys environment are encouraged to apply.

Competitive wages based on ability and experience. Applicants will be subject to criminal background check and drug screening.

Positions include: Trolley Operator (CDL licensing course provided for qualified applicant) Tour Guides, Sales Associates, Customer Relations Reps, Maintenance, Rental Associates and more.

Application online at pigeonkey.net - under the Staff icon. Or apply in person at the Pigeon Key Gift Shop, 2010 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL. Questions and completed applications can be emailed to pigeonkey@aol.com

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

CGC1523838 LET’S DO BUSINESS - 305.453.6928 Licensed & Insured #SP33799

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SPALLING

ALL KEYS GLASS

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EXPERTS

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y’s www.KeysSlidingGlassDoorRepair.com And Sliding Glass Door Repair

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SHANE BRIENING Senior Loan Officer NMLS #913453

POOLS & DECKS CONSTRUCTION

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Daunte Aguilar

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SOLAR DONE RIGHT!

Mortgage Loan Originator NMLS# 2260640

CALL US FOR A FREE HOME ESTIMATE

DAguilar@My100Bank.com Direct: (305) 676-3107 Office: (305) 587-1598

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

2514 N Roosevelt Blvd.

Key West, FL 33040

305-289-1150

MY100BANK.COM | Centennial Bank

Florida Solar Contractor CVC 56734 Florida Electrical Contractor EC13008657

Lic No. SP1481

Only $57 Puts Your Business Card Here

We Also Repair & Replace Patio Door Screens

305-998-8953

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BY

REPAIR INSTITUTE

Mortgage Loan Originator NMLS# 675375

305.394.5100 ext 1004 scastillo@gulfatlanticbank.com

305-304-6621 | KEY WEST ECICONSTRUCTION@YMAIL.COM

INTERNATIONAL

CONCRETE

Dan Blagriff

VP / Branch Manager NMLS #1546458

NEW CONSTRUCTION | REMODELS ADDITIONS | HISTORIC RENOVATIONS

Proud member of:

When It Rains It Pours!

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

Key West 305-292-2666

MARATHON

305-743-0506

KEY LARGO

305-852-5356

rainsavergutters@gmail.com

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

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

UPCOMING EVENTS

NICK SWARDSON

PRESSING STRINGS

ADAM LAMBERT

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 31, 2022

FAMILY, FOOD & FUN

Join us daily 4-6pm for $3 small plates, domestic drafts, wine & liquor!

And don’t miss our Live Music! Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday 5-8pm