Key West Weekly 22-0728

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“I’m from Key West.” — Mike Stack

July 28, 2022

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

THE BUBBAS TAKE CENTER STAGE AT AWARDS GALA | P. 24 SAVE THE CITY POOL

LATE - IN -LIFE LIFEGUARDS COME TO THE RESCUE | P. 4

CAMPAIGN SPENDING GROWS AS PRIMARY LOOMS

STATE HOUSE CANDIDATES LEAD FUNDRAISING | P. 7

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

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 Director of Sales Manuela Carrillo Mobley manuela@keysweekly.com Account Executive Stephanie Mitchell stephanie@keysweekly.com 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 Executive Administrator Charlotte Hruska char@keysweekly.com Design / Pre-Press Irene de Bruijn irene@keysweekly.com Javier Reyes javier@keysweekly.com Design / Web Master Travis Cready travis@keysweekly.com Director of Digital Media Chanice Dos Santos chanice@keysweekly.com Classifieds Anneke Patterson anneke@keysweekly.com 305.743.0844 Se habla español THE KEY WEST WEEKLY (ISSN 1944-0812) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY FOR $125 PER YEAR

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NUMBER OF THE WEEK The U.S. Navy's Blue Angels pilots have their first woman demonstration pilot for the upcoming 2023 season. Her name is Lt. Amanda Lee, of Mounds View, Minnesota. While women have served with the Blue Angels in other capacities, it’s the first time a woman has joined the iconic flight squadron. She’s currently assigned to the Gladiators of Strike Fighter Squadron 106.

ON THE COVER Key West rapper Mike Stack wins Best Local Celebrity in The Bubbas: Key West People’s Choice Awards on July 23. See page 24.

RESIDENTS RALLY TO KEEP KEY WEST’S CITY POOL OPEN

RETIREES BECOME LIFEGUARDS TO HELP STAFFING SHORTAGE MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

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he smell of chlorine and sunscreen. The splash of cannonballs and the relentless refrain of “Marco,” “Polo.” Summertime is synonymous with swimming pools — or at least it’s supposed to be.

A lack of lifeguards has forced the city of Key West to close its only public pool for nearly half the summer. But a dedicated group of residents, many of them retirees, are rallying to keep the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Pool, 300 Catherine St., open seven days a week by obtaining their lifeguard certification and spreading the word about the southernmost swimming pool that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean.

“I’ve always loved that pool,” said Karen Anderson, who has lived five doors away from the pool since the early ’90s. “When I read they’d have to close if they didn’t find lifeguards, I said, ‘Well, that can’t happen.””

Anderson, 63, and her friend and fellow swimmer, Annie Johnson, who’s 72, decided to get their lifeguard certification through the College of the Florida Keys and take

The city pool on Catherine Street overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and is located next to Nelson English Park. CONTRIBUTED

their places in the elevated lifeguard seats for as many shifts as possible.

Two others followed suit.

“Annie started straightaway and was working five days a week, but I could only commit to 10 hours a week, and the city was initially holding out for full-time lifeguards,” Anderson said. “But now they’re happy to work around anyone’s schedules.”

The city is also going to increase the pay for lifeguards to $18 an hour, is considering a signing bonus and is paying the $150 fee for people who get their Red Cross lifeguard certification and agree to work for the city.

“Now there’s four of us who work down there, and another three people were due to take their lifeguard test this past weekend, so hopefully they passed and can begin,” said Anderson, who started a Friends of the MLK Community Pool group. She has posted fliers around town encouraging people to support the city pool and consider becoming a lifeguard. Another supporter started a Facebook group with the same name. Find them @MLKPoolKW. “Come on, high schoolers, we’d love for you to spend your summer lifeguarding at the pool,” said Samantha Farist, the city’s human resources director. “We are lacking two full-time lifeguards and three part-time ones. We also need a pool facility supervisor, who would also be a lifeguard. The supervisor would handle scheduling as well as the

chemicals and equipment.”

Farist added that the city also would welcome anyone who is qualified to teach water aerobics classes, swimming lessons and other activities.

“The city is a great place to work, and full-time employees get a great pension, health benefits, paid vacations and holidays,” Farist said.

The current staffing shortage keeps the pool closed Saturday, Sunday and Monday, Anderson said.

“And that’s just awful to not have it open on the weekends for kids and families to come cool off,” Anderson said. “Right now, it’s open Tuesday through Friday from 9 to 11:45 a.m. for adults and lap swimming. It’s closed for lunch from noon to 1 p.m. and then open swim for kids and everyone is from 1 to 5:45 p.m.”

She added that she is encouraged to see some much-needed repairs taking place at the pool, including replacement of awnings, and the reopening of the women’s restroom, which was unusable for months.

“But the city can’t fix these things if they don’t know about them,” she said. “I’m glad people are paying attention, and hopefully we can get the pool fully staffed.”

For more information about employment, contact Farist at sfarist@ cityofkeywest-fl.gov.

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

CAMPAIGN SPENDING GROWS AS PRIMARY LOOMS Republican incumbent for state representative leads fundraising

WILL KEY WEST OFFICIALS GIVE THEMSELVES A 150% RAISE? PRELIMINARY BUDGET BUMPS COMMISSION SALARY FROM $20K TO $50K A YEAR

Candidates for Florida House District 120 are spending campaign dollars as an Aug. 23 primary approaches. MIRIAM DOERR MARTIN FROMMHERZ/Shutterstock

JIM McCARTHY

jim@keysweekly.com

Less than a month remains before registered Republican and Democratic voters select a Florida House candidate to represent their party in the Nov. 8 election. With an Aug. 23 primary approaching, candidates are collecting and spending money as they make their names and platforms known through mailers, advertisements and more.

Republican incumbent Jim Mooney’s campaign leads the way in contributions among all candidates vying for the District 120 seat with a total of $219,800. His contribution account received a boost when the Florida House Republican Campaign Committee provided $56,000 in late April and the Republican Party of Florida funneled $43,450 dating back to May. In-kind contributions total $54,670.

Since June, Mooney’s campaign has gathered $25,500 in contributions and spent $65,664. During July, his campaign spent $33,300 on advertising, promotional materials, finance consulting and other event supplies.

Since he announced his reelection for state representative, Mooney’s campaign has spent $101,000.

Republican challenger Rhonda Rebman Lopez, who lost by only 148 votes in the 2020 Republican primary, garnered contributions totaling a little more than $99,800 for her campaign.

A majority of her contributions have come from residents within the district. They include Islamorada fishing guide Steve Friedman, commodore of the Florida Keys Fishing Guides Association; Jim McCarthy, vice president of sales and operations for Tom Thumb; and former Monroe County Mayor Mario Di Gennaro. On July 1, Rebman Lopez took out a $10,100 loan.

Since announcing her candidacy, Rebman Lopez has spent $64,749 on her campaign. Since June, she’s spent $43,390 on various things, including

consulting and direct mailers from Dark Horse Strategies marketing firm in Miami, advertising and media, campaign work and campaign staff.

The third Republican challenger in the race, Robert Allen, has received $150 in campaign contributions so far, of which $50 come from him and $100 from Rose Dell, of Big Pine Key. On June 13, Allen took out a $3,200 loan.

A house painter from Big Pine Key, Allen spent $2,064 on his campaign to date, of which $1,781 was paid to the division of elections in order to qualify.

On the Democratic side, lawyer and Big Coppitt Key resident Adam Gentle has gathered a little over $100,000 between his campaign and affiliated political committee since announcing his bid to run in early January. Contributions to his campaign come from as far west as Los Angeles, as far north as New York and south to Key West.

Since June, he’s received $7,600 in contributions and has spent $31,050 on web management, consulting, mailers, digital ads, the qualifying fee, database management and other things.

So far, Gentle’s campaign has spent $52,037 on the campaign. He’s received in kind contributions totaling $4,491.

Lawyer and Cutler Bay resident Daniel Horton-Diaz has received $61,100 in campaign contributions since he announced his candidacy at the beginning of the year. Since June, he’s received $6,600 in contributions.

In that same time, he’s spent $28,000 for things such as campaign consulting, printing, website maintenance and digital media, among other things. He’s taken out $16,000 in loans.

In-kind contributions total $1,120.

Winners of the Democratic and Republican primaries on Aug. 23 will face one another in the Nov. 8 election for the opportunity to represent constituents in the Florida Keys and south Miami-Dade county.

MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com

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ome city workers were surprised last week by the city’s preliminary, proposed budget, which includes a 150% salary increase for the mayor and city commissioners. If approved, the current annual salaries would increase from $20,000 to $50,000 per year. (The Key West mayor currently makes $22,500.)

By comparison, one city employee told the Keys Weekly, most workers are getting a 5% salary increase.

City manager Patti McLauchlin told the Keys Weekly that the proposed salary increase for the city’s seven elected officials was recommended last year by the salary study conducted by Evergreen Solutions consulting company.

The study recommended commissioner and mayor salaries between $32,000 and $50,000.

“We didn’t include the recommended increase last year, but the mayor reminded me of it this year,” McLauchlin said on July 21. “The commission can say yes or no to it during the budget negotiation process. They could also decide on less of an increase, or decide to spread it out over a few years.”

The proposed budget is likely to change between now and its September approval.

Mayor Teri Johnston said the “last increase to the commissioners’ and mayor’s salaries was in 2011, and the commission then wanted to do it on a four-year glidepath for implementation. In 2011, those salaries went from $8,499 to $11,375.

Then in 2012 we went to $14,250. In 2013, we went to $17,125 and we’ve been at $20,000 since 2014.

“The commission has always been very sensitive about these increases for themselves, and actually most of us are going to be termed out soon, so this won’t apply to most of us for long. But I’ve spoken with so many people, young ones, potential city candidates, the ones we need, who can’t see their way to candidacy due to the small pay.

Unless someone is independently wealthy or self-employed, there’s really no path to becoming a candidate, and we need to do something to attract other candidates.”

When asked about the potential 150% salary increase, Commissioner Sam Kaufman said, “We should advocate for more gradual salary increases as appropriately determined for each employee, including commissioners. … The city made strides by increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour several years ago. Now, increasing the minimum wage for the lowestpaid employees to $18-$20 per hour should be considered as a higher priority than increasing the salaries of the elected officials, in my view.

“This proposal should also be viewed by looking at the city budget as a whole and understanding its impact on taxes. I understand this proposal is derived from the Evergreen Study conducted in the past year and the desire to attract talented candidates for local public office. Although this is a worthy goal, I would support a more gradual approach over time.”

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

Monroe County School District’s executive director for personnel support Harry Russell is leaving “no leaf unturned” to find qualified candidates for 64 job openings. CHARLOTTE TWINE/Contributed

‘LEAVING NO LEAF UNTURNED’ Monroe County feels pinch of nationwide teacher shortage CHARLOTTE TWINE

charlotte@keysweekly.com

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ith the Aug. 10 start date for the school year coming fast, Monroe County officials are scrambling to fill teacher positions, “leaving no leaf unturned.” They are not alone. School districts across the nation are struggling to find educators to teach their children.

“There’s a national teacher shortage,” Harry Russell, the school district’s executive director of personnel support and instructional leadership, told Keys Weekly. “And Florida is not immune to that.”

At a recent school board meeting, superintendent Theresa Axford said Florida currently has 7,500 job vacancies throughout its school systems.

The Monroe County School District currently has 64 positions that need to be filled, Russell said. Of those 64 openings, 17 are for teachers. “From Key West to Key Largo and all the schools in between, we need food service workers, paraprofessionals, substitute teachers, school psychologists, administrative assistants, maintenance positions, activities leaders, day care workers and bookkeepers.”

The reasons for the shortage? Russell said that locally, affordable workforce housing is a problem. But he also pointed out a nationwide trend since the pandemic.

“The job market is going through selfcorrection nowadays,” he said. “Employees are looking for opportunities to work virtually. The market is reshaping itself.”

As of press time, “the greatest need for teachers is in the Key West area,” Russell said. Key West High School needs five teachers, and Horace O’Bryant School needs five, as well. Poinciana Elementary School needs two, and Gerald Adams Elementary School needs two.

However, Russell pointed out, other areas in Monroe County have filled all or most of their teacher openings. Three schools in the Upper Keys — Coral Shores High School, Plantation Key School and Key Largo School — have hired all needed teaching staff.

Sugarloaf School needs one teacher, while “Marathon will probably have zero openings by the end of the week,” Russell said.

A common problem is that good candidates are hired from out of state, but then they back out upon realizing that they can’t afford to live in the Keys. “We proactively ask candidates: ‘Are you familiar with the Keys? The cost of housing?’” said Russell. “We definitely don’t sugarcoat that so they know what they’re up against and don’t back out.”

Sometimes, state requirements come into play when looking for an educator, said Key Largo School principal Darren Pais.

“The hardest positions to hire are for the middle school,” he said. “Those teachers are required to be certified in specific content areas. For instance, our 7th grade math teacher is required to have a certification in math 5-9 or 6-12. That is a very specific need, and the teacher shortage makes it comparable to looking for a needle in a haystack.”

Russell said the district’s new strategy is to focus on hiring local talent, since those candidates usually already have housing.

To that end, staff has also held eight local job fairs since May throughout the county, putting up a tent to hand out notices of the openings at locations such as Baby’s Coffee on Sugarloaf Key. “We’ve left no leaf unturned,” said Russell. “We impress upon people that we have competitive paying jobs with benefits. Those are the types of things that may make a difference.”

A common problem is that good candidates are hired from out of state, but then they back out upon realizing that they can’t afford to live in the Keys.

The efforts of district staff to address the shortage have not gone unseen.

“I tip my hat to the superintendent and the staff,” said school board member Bobby Highsmith. “They are working hard. … I think every person in our school district has always worked very hard to deliver the best possible education, going above and beyond” School principals have a plan in place in case some openings are not filled. “We are working on utilizing all school personnel and long-term substitutes to cover the positions that are open on the first day,” said Key West High School principal Larry Schmiegel.

“Having a prepared teacher in front of the students each day is our priority.”

Schmiegel is also staying positive.

“We are excited to welcome students back on Aug. 10,” he wrote Keys Weekly in an email. “Our theme this school year is ‘Rise as one! Rise as Conchs!’ It is our hope as a school family to persevere despite these staffing challenges with the support of our most seasoned educators. Our students deserve the absolute best and that is what we strive to provide. In the meantime, if parents have any questions they can contact our main office at 305-293-1549.”

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

SCHOOL BOARD REJECTS 23% TAX HIKE Officials cap increase at 18% MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

S

chool board members on July 26 rejected the budget — and 23% tax increase — proposed by the finance staff and school district administration.

After a lengthy discussion, board members instead capped any potential property tax increase at 18%, reduced the district’s proposed tax revenue by $5.1 million and indicated that further reductions could occur before the final budget approval in September.

“I question why we’re taking this amount of money,” chairman John Dick agreed. “When we have a chance to help taxpayers, we need to help them any way we can. This is a time for us to show fiscal restraint and good faith to the community.”

Finance director Bev Anders acknowledged, “It’s a significant increase, but we’ve had significant cost increases,” which have included unfunded mandates from the state.

Board members and district administrators cast their perennial aspersions against the state’s education funding formula, a formula that makes Monroe County a “donor” county due to its wealth and property values, that gives more than it gets in school funding.

As proposed, the school district would have collected $24 million, or 23% more, in property taxes than it raised last year. Revenues would have grown from $107 million last year to this year’s proposed $132 million.

Board member Bobby Highsmith called the proposed increase “way too high” at Tuesday’s board meeting and budget hearing — the first of four public hearings before final approval in September.

Anders pointed out that the county’s overall property values skyrocketed by 32%, or $11 billion.

She added that the proposed 23% increase would be borne almost entirely by owners of commercial properties and second and third homes. Homesteaded properties can only increase in value by 3% a year.

As such, owners of a homesteaded house valued at $500,000 would see a $53, or 3.4%, reduction in their school tax bill. On the other hand, non-homesteaded properties valued

at $500,000 would see a $49 increase on their bill.

“Sure, homesteaded property taxes go down, but remember, most of our employees live in rental housing, which is not homesteaded, and when their landlords’ taxes go up, so do their rents,” Highsmith said. “I can’t see myself supporting this.”

Anders and Superintendent Theresa Axford told the board they would adjust the proposed budget to reflect the lower tax rates approved by the board at Tuesday’s budget hearing.

The school district’s proposed budget initially included a tax, or millage, rate of 3.0745, but the board approved a slightly lower rate of 2.962 mills, which reduced the expected tax revenue by about $5.1 million. Property taxes are calculated as a percentage of a property’s assessed value. One mill is equal to $1 for every $1,000 of taxable value, or $1,000 for every $1 million of taxable value, which is more often the case with Keys properties.

As property value increases, so do property taxes, unless the taxing entity lowers its millage rate accordingly, to what’s known as the rollback rate. Rollback is the tax rate that would generate the same amount of revenue as the prior year. Any amounts over rollback are considered a tax increase. The school district’s proposed millage rate is 6.4% lower than last year’s rate, but would raise 23% more revenue due to Monroe County’s skyrocketing property values, which increased this year by a whopping 32% — approximately $11 billion.

Dick agreed and suggested two parts of the school tax that could be lowered to reduce the revenue collected by the school district by about $5.1 million.

Board member Andy Griffiths further questioned the school district’s proposal to add $2.5 million to its “fund balance,” or savings account. “$2.5 million is an appreciable amount,” Griffiths said. “If our clients can’t afford to put money in the bank, why are we?”

KEY WEST TO BECOME A ‘COAST GUARD CITY’ HISTORIC CEREMONY SCHEDULED FOR AUG. 5

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk has been part of Key West’s Coast Guard tradition for more than a decade. CONTRIBUTED

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he city of Key West and the U.S. Coast Guard invite the community to a ceremony designating Key West as a Coast Guard City. The ceremony will be held on Thursday, Aug. 4 at 10 a.m. at the Truman Waterfront Park near the USCG Cutter Ingham Museum.

The ceremony coincides with the Coast Guard’s 232nd anniversary.

The recognition as a Coast Guard City is bestowed to communities for outstanding support of the U.S. Coast Guard.

USCG Commandant Admiral Linda L. Fagan will preside over the event. Also on the dais will be USCG District 7 Commander Rear Admiral Brendan C. McPherson, Commander of the USCG Sector Key West Captain Jason Ingram, Key West Mayor Teri Johnston and Key West City Manager Patti McLauchlin.

“We are humbled by this recognition,” said McLauchlin.

“Our community has a long

history of supporting the military. The Coast Guard plays an important role here. But more than that, its members are part of the fabric of Key West. Being named a Coast Guard City is truly an honor.”

Key West will be the 30th city in the nation recognized as a Coast Guard City.

The Coast Guard in Key West was established in 1915.

Sector Key West is a unified command consisting of six fast response cutters, three small boat stations, an Aids to Navigation Team and a number of staff departments. The sector commander performs the duties of search and rescue, mission coordination, captain of the port and much more.

Sector Key West has a unique area of responsibility: 55,000 square miles bordering the territorial seas of Cuba and the Bahamas.

— Contributed

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

Sam Lapinsky, Monroe County Sheriff’s reserve deputy, measures a lobster during a stop. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly

Two men are stopped along the shore at Indian Key Fill.

TWO MEN DEAD ON FIRST DAY OF MINI-SEASON Incidents earlier in week claim two more lives JIM McCARTHY

I

jim@keysweekly.com

ssuance of warnings, citations and some advice were among several steps Monroe County Sheriff’s marine deputy Nelson Sanchez took during the start of a two-day lobster mini-season in the Upper Keys on July 27. In the Lower Keys, law enforcement said two men died while on the water.

Even before lobster mini-season, law enforcement reported two separate on-the-water incidents this week that resulted in the deaths of a 53-year-old man and 27-year-old man.

The sheriff’s office reported two deaths that occured in the Lower Keys on July 27. A 51-yearold Tampa man died after losing consciousness in the water Wednesday just north of Key West.

The incident happened around 12:30 p.m. after the man was reported unresponsive in the water near Bluefish Channel. CPR was initiated on the man and continued by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The man was pronounced dead at Lower Keys Medical center. An investigation is ongoing and autopsy results are pending.

A 64-year old Garland, Texas man died on July 27 after collapsing in a boat on the gulfside just north of MM 3. The sheriff’s office said Gregg Leon Dietz was standing in a 32-foot rental vessel when he collapsed around 12:30 p.m. Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation officers took Dietz to the U.S. Coast Guard Station Key West. He was transported to Lower Keys Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. An investigation is ongoing and autopsy results are pending.

Less than ideal conditions on the oceanside of the Upper Keys pushed a majority of boats to the bayside. Lobster hunters packed the waters just beyond Plantation Yacht Harbor and around Channel 2 Bridge in Islamorada.

“I’ve never seen so many boats out here,” said Pastor Tony Hammon as he came into Plantation Yacht Harbor marina from a successful lobster trip with his grandson, Sawyer.

Monroe County Sheriff’s marine deputy Nelson Sanchez measures 12 undersized lobsters during a stop at Indian Key Fill. All lobsters were returned to the water.

In the Upper Keys, morning stops by Sanchez and Sam Lapinsky, reserve deputy who spent 15 years with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, came with some education on the rules, including the need for a diver-down flag when diving and measuring lobster while in the water, not on the boat.

But one stop by Sanchez led to citations against some Georgia men fishing near Indian Key Fill. Sanchez spotted some lobster hunters under the bridge when he noticed two undersized lobsters in a bag. He directed three men back to the boat where three other men were hanging out.

A search of the boat well found that of 30 lobsters, 12 were undersized. Sanchez told the group a large number were “grossly undersized.”

“The law states you must measure them in the water. You can’t put them on your

boat and then measure them. That’s not how it works.”

Catching undersized lobster is a misdemeanor. Three men will come back in August to face the judge.

“You guys gotta play by the rules,” Sanchez said. “I don’t like all this paperwork, and I’ve got more that I have to do after this.”

No arrests were made during the first day of the lobster mini-season. Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission issued several resource tickets.

“It’s been steady, lots of stops,” said Jason Rafter, FWC public information officer.

Before the two-day lobster sport season even began, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation reported on July 25 that they were checking two vessels near Stock Island when an officer was advised that a snorkeler hadn’t surfaced. Search efforts were initiated by FWC units and aircraft and the Coast Guard and went several hours before they recovered the body of a 27-year-old man from Port Orange, Florida. FWC said preliminary information indicated head trauma from a possible vessel strike. An investigation is ongoing into the incident.

On July 26, a 53-year-old Englewood, Florida man died during a snorkel trip in the Lower Keys. According to the sheriff’s office, Kale Dailey was snorkeling in Sawyer Channel with a group around 11:24 a.m. when he told others he wasn’t feeling well. He returned to the vessel, but his conditions worsened as others helped him onto the boat.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded and brought Dailey ashore to Blimp Road on Cudjoe Key. Dailey was pronounced dead at the scene. The sheriff’s office said foul play is not expected to be a factor. The investigation is ongoing and autopsy results are pending.

The two-day lobster mini season concludes Thursday, July 28 at midnight. Commercial lobster season begins Aug. 6.

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

COMING SOON: ‘TREATING CONCHS & BRUISES’ FLORIDA KEYS URGENT CARE OFFERS NEW MEDICAL OPTION

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

COW KEY BRIDGE BECOMES CHERYL H. CATES MEMORIAL BRIDGE

County Commissioner Craig Cates, left, unveils the sign designating the bridge between Key West and Stock Island the Cheryl H. Cates Memorial Bridge. LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly

Darlene Fischer, with her husband Van, celebrates the ribbon-cutting of her Florida Keys Urgent Care, 2506 N. Roosevelt Blvd., Key West. ANNIE BRIENING/ Overseas Media Group

Local pediatrician Dr. Melanie Youschak congratulates Darlene Fischer. ANNIE BRIENING/Overseas Media Group

Rebecca and Dr. Hector Guzman, Keys Weekly’s own Stephanie Mitchell and Paul Findlay.

bdominal pain? Broken wrist? Sprained ankle? Flu, cold, bronchitis? COVID travel tests? Sports physicals? Dive physicals? Scooter wreck?

Florida Keys Urgent Care is the island’s new and convenient health care center at 2506 N. Roosevelt Blvd., Key West (next to GFS in the Conch Plaza, with plenty of parking.)

No appointments are required, insurance plans are accepted and office visits for uninsured patients are $125.

Owner Darlene Fischer wanted a place that made it easy for Keys locals and visitors to get skilled,

compassionate and affordable care without waiting hours in an emergency room — or spending their whole vacation budget on a mishap.

“Our state-of-the-art office uses advanced medical technology to provide comprehensive healthcare in a safe and clean environment with hospital-grade equipment for imaging, X-rays, CT scans, ultrasounds and in-house lab services,” she said.

While no one wants or plans to become sick or injured, Fischer wants to be there for Key West when it does happen.

— Mandy Miles

A

M

ore than 100 people braved the thunderstorms on July 26 to attend a ceremony celebrating the renaming of Cow Key Bridge in honor of Cheryl Cates, the late wife of County Commissioner Craig Cates. Cheryl Cates died in December 2020 after a battle with COVID. Peter Batty, who co-wrote the petition to rename the bridge with Jim Gilleran, spoke to the crowd about Cheryl Cates’ tireless work to bridge gaps among people and communities, especially when it involved underserved children.

Craig Cates was joined by his family as he unveiled the new sign dedicating the Cheryl H. Cates Memorial Bridge. The sign was installed later that day on the side of the bridge that enters Key West from Stock Island.

— Mandy Miles

Craig Cates thanks the crowd at a ceremony celebrating the renaming of Cow Key Bridge for his late wife, Cheryl Cates, who died in December 2020.

LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly

A sign installed on July 26 marks the Cheryl H. Cates Memorial Bridge. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com

CHAMBER MEMBERS QUESTION MAYORAL CANDIDATES

THE PERRY HOTEL GETS NEW CHEF OYSTERS ARE FINALLY ON THE MENU AT RESORT’S SALTY OYSTER RESTAURANT

TOPICS INCLUDES PARKING, CRUISE SHIPS, POLITICIANS’ SALARIES

Teri Johnston

T

Margaret Romero

he professional world turned political on the afternoon of July 27, when the Key West Chamber of Commerce hosted a debate between the two candidates for Key West mayor, incumbent Teri Johnston and Margaret Romero.

The lunchtime crowd at Opal Key Resort submitted questions that the chamber’s director Robert Goltz asked each candidate to answer. A sampling of the questions and answers follows: What are your thoughts about building parking facilities to get cars off city streets?

Johnston: We have been working with transportation officials for years on an exciting intermodal transportation facility on College Road. A lot of downtown parking spots are taken up by people in vacation rentals and people who park once and never move their cars for a week. Why not capture them out on College Road and provide shuttles back and forth every 15 minutes?

Romero: Many hotels provide transportation and shuttles. Our parking problem is not entirely caused by tourists. My suggestion is to put a multi-story parking garage by the fire station on Simonton, where one previously existed, as well as one near the Waterfront Brewery or perhaps the courthouse complex. Just as we can go up for housing, we may have to go up for parking as well.

Would you support the proposed raise in mayor and commissioner salaries from $20,000 to $50,000 per year?

Romero: I think that’s absolutely ridiculous, especially while sitting in budget meetings this week and hearing our police and fire departments crying about needing money to keep themselves staffed and to prevent burnout. I would absolutely not support it.

Johnston: I’m clearly on the other side of this, but I do believe we need to increase it. The Evergreen salary study last year recommended we go up to about $30,000. I support it in an effort to bring young, new talent to the city commission. Bright, young people can move us forward. The next 10 years for Key West will be transformational. You’ll never make money at this job, but please don’t deter someone because it will hurt them financially.

What are your priorities for the city’s lobbyist in Tallahassee?

Romero: Help us utilize our designation as an Area of Critical State Concern for a program I want to start called SOAR — Save Our Affordable Rentals. We need to preserve the affordable housing we do have by giving an exemption, similar to a homestead exemption, to those who rent affordably to our working community. And they need to be available and listen if we have a hot topic, so they’ll get on it right away.

Johnston: Along with what Margaret said regarding tax breaks for rental landlords, we also really have to look at our BPAS (building permit allocation system), because those are running out quickly from the state and we’re up against a drop dead wall in terms of hurricane evacuation. We’re basically built out and at capacity.

Nothing says summertime refreshment like a watermelon salad. CONTRIBUTED

Nunzio Scordo is the new executive chef at The Perry Hotel’s three restaurants — Salty Oyster, Matt’s Stock Island Kitchen and Sloppy Joe’s Dockside.

BRITT MYERS/Keys Weekly

MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

F

irst things first. When chef Nunzio Scordo took the helm as executive chef at The Perry Hotel’s three restaurants, his top priority was to make sure a place called the Salty Oyster actually served raw oysters.

Check.

Scordo has taken a broader look at all three menus and is making significant improvements at Salty Oyster, Matt’s Stock Island Kitchen and Sloppy Joe’s Dockside.

But this isn’t another case of some chef coming to the Keys from a northern city and deciding what will work best on island menus and plates.

Scordo is hugely familiar with the Florida Keys.

“I had lived here in the early 2000s and actually opened Hot Tin Roof at Ocean Key Resort,” said the Youngstown, Ohio native, who also owned, and eventually sold, three successful restaurants in Raleigh, North Carolina.

“I wanted to come back to Key West, and my friend, Troy Talpas, is general manager of The Perry,” Scordo said. “I’d been a frequent customer and guest at The Perry, and Troy and I had discussed me coming on board a few times. I

The Salty Oyster at The Perry Hotel now serves oysters on the half shell.

wasn’t a hotel chef, but I knew that if I was ever to be a hotel chef, then this is where I’d want to do it. I love this property, its historic character and rustic feel. My first priority was to get raw oysters on the menu at the Salty Oyster. It’s tough with staffing shortages because shucking them is so labor intensive, but we’ve made it happen.”

Salty Oyster also features New England-style seafood rolls on a buttery split bun and jam packed with Maine lobster, shrimp or crabmeat. There’s also a new island tuna poke bowl and a whole new menu and direction are coming to Sloppy Joe’s Dockside, which, like Salty Oyster, overlooks the charter boats and yachts at the attached marina.

“We’ve made changes to Matt’s dinner menu, but are sticking with a Southern coastal theme there. I also want to replace some items with rotating seasonal items,” Scordo said. “In the Keys, we often lose sight of the farms and fresh, local produce that’s available pretty close by. I have a friend with a farm in Loxahatchee who grows amazing stuff.”

Scordo has been a chef for the past 30 years.

“It’s all I’ve ever done and I’m thrilled to be back in Key West and at a place like The Perry Hotel.”

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

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18

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

‘A VERY CHALLENGING WEEK’ Sheriff’s office, partners tasked with unusual string of significant crimes

MCSO deputies find an injured Key deer illegally stashed in the back of a vehicle. MCSO/Contributed

ALEX RICKERT

alex@keysweekly.com

T

o say the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office has had a busy week of unusual cases would be an understatement. Keys residents were surprised this week to find usual reports of resource violations and smaller disputes replaced with two significant murder charges, as well as the kidnapping of a beloved Key deer and a slew of other unusual arrests, all within the last seven days.

“It’s been a very challenging week for citizens, but also a very big challenge for law enforcement,” Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay told Keys Weekly. “We took every case to a full-court press and had persons under arrest in all cases in a very short amount of time.”

While Ramsay said he understood the backto-back reports were “obviously shocking” for Keys residents, he stressed that the more significant violent incidents were an anomaly and involved victims and alleged perpetrators known to one another.

“We continue to send a message that we never have just random people committing these acts,” said Ramsay, noting that the sheriff’s office typically sees a murder “once every couple of years.”

“If it happens, it’s almost always going to be predominantly domestic-related,” he continued.

“We are lucky that we’re not like bigger areas that have random acts of violence.

“I’m thankful for the partnerships in these cases that are really in-depth like this. I want to thank everybody involved, and at the end of the day it goes to show the testament and the vigilance that the sheriff’s office provides that we’re able to investigate, solve and hold people accountable.”

Here is a compilation of some of the significant Sheriff’s Office cases throughout the Keys over the past week. All information is summarized directly from MCSO incident reports.

LOWER KEYS & KEY WEST On July 22, 25-year-old Stock Island resident Christopher Estime was arrested at the Canadian

border for immigration violations. Once he is likely extradited to Monroe County, Estime will face a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after he allegedly stabbed his former roommate. At about 2 a.m. on June 25, the 35-year-old male victim stated he kicked Estime out of his residence during an argument. Estime left and came back with a knife and stabbed the victim in the neck and arms.

The victim was airlifted via Trauma Star to Jackson South Medical Center and eventually recovered.

A day later, 44-year old Stock Island resident Delmon Washington was charged with the murder of 46-year-old Latisha Tiare Alce and tampering with evidence. Key West police stopped a Hyundai that was being driven with a blown tire shortly before midnight on July 23. Washington, the driver, had a significant amount of blood on his clothes and body, but no visible injuries, and was behaving erratically. Key West police arrested Washington at that time for DUI, resisting arrest and other charges.

Key West Police found Alce’s purse in the car, but were not able to contact her. Alce’s family, suspicious that she was not with Washington, went to the couple’s residence on Suncrest Road on Stock Island. The family found Alce covered in blood and unresponsive at the residence, and she was eventually pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives located security camera footage from a nearby business that showed Washington and Alce arriving at the residence earlier on July 23.

It also showed Washington throwing away an object and some clothing before leaving the scene in the Hyundai. There were no other vehicles or people seen entering or leaving the residence.

Already in jail, Washington was additionally charged with murder by MCSO. He has a lengthy criminal history in Monroe County dating back to 1999 that includes aggravated battery, battering on law enforcement, kidnapping, armed burglary, larceny and numerous other charges.

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

MIDDLE KEYS On July 21, 42-year-old Melody Sunshine Carter of Marathon was arrested and charged with attempted arson and battery for lighting bed sheets on fire while her boyfriend was sleeping. The 24-year-old victim suffered a burn to his foot.

Deputies were called to an Ocean Breeze Avenue residence in Marathon at roughly 10 p.m. regarding a domestic issue and found the victim and McCarter, who appeared to be intoxicated, outside. The victim stated he went to bed after an argument with McCarter and awoke to find the sheets on fire and McCarter stating she was calling law enforcement. After admitting to setting the sheets on fire, McCarter was taken to jail.

The next day, on July 22, 39-year-old Sean Booth Chidester was charged with murder for fatally shooting his girlfriend after falsely claiming she committed suicide.

The case began on July 14 when the sheriff’s office was called to a residence on Sylvia Avenue in Marathon regarding an alleged suicide. The body of 38-year-old Daniela Blackburn was inside the residence. She had been shot in the head with a handgun. Chidester claimed Blackburn shot herself while he was in another room. The 9mm handgun was found in the residence.

Observations made by detectives at the autopsy found the wound was not consistent with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, while Blackburn had no prior history of mental illness or suicidal tendencies. Chidester is currently in jail on a $1 million bail on the murder charge.

Social media was set abuzz on July 24 when 38-year-old Yoankis Hernandez Pena and 45-year-old Andres Leon Valdes, both from Miami, were arrested for kidnapping a Key deer.

Around 2 a.m., deputies stopped a vehicle near Mile Marker 56 that was failing to stay in its lane. An injured Key deer was inside the vehicle on top of a cooler, lawn chairs and other objects. The two men said they struck the Key deer on U.S. 1 north of the Seven Mile Bridge and initially thought it was dead. That area is not consistent with the known Key deer habitat on Big Pine Key, No Name Key and patches of other areas in the Lower Keys.

The men said they initially thought the deer was dead but realized it was still alive, so they decided to take it to a veterinarian in Miami for treatment. Both men said they never called 911, FWC or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. FWC law enforcement arrested and charged both men with cruelty to animals and taking, possessing or selling a federally designated endangered or threatened species. They were taken to jail.

The deer was taken alive to U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials on Big Pine Key where it is being treated by a veterinarian. The deer will be released back into the wild if it survives.

UPPER KEYS On July 21, the Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Division along with the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco conducted an operation checking Upper Keys businesses that sell alcohol. Four of eight Key Largo businesses sold alcohol to a minor during the investigation. The remaining businesses checked were in compliance with the law. The clerks who sold the alcohol were issued a Notice to Appear citation before a Monroe County judge.

The following businesses sold the alcohol: Circle K gas station, 106501 Overseas Hwy.; Marathon Gas Station, 106200 Overseas Hwy.; Valero Gas Station, 99675 Overseas Hwy.; and Denny’s Liquors, 99600 Overseas Hwy. The maximum individual penalties for these violations are up to 60 days in jail, a $500 fine and up to $350 in other miscellaneous costs.

Penalties for licensees range from a $1,000 fine and seven-day suspension for a first offense up to a license revocation for a third offense.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

DEP VIOLATED ITS OWN MISSION STATEMENT WITH PIER B EXPANSION Dear Editor,

Sean Booth Chidester. MCSO/Contributed

Delmon Washington. MCSO/Contributed

“I’m thankful for the partnerships in these cases that are really indepth like this. I want to thank everybody involved, and at the end of the day it goes to show the testament and the vigilance that the sheriff’s office provides that we’re able to investigate, solve and hold people accountable.”

— Sheriff Rick Ramsay

The following is an open letter to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, namely FDEP Secretary Shawn Hamilton; Chief Science Officer Mark Rains and spokeswoman Alexandra Kucht: In an article recently published in the Key West Weekly and at keysweekly.com, the DEP announced a decision to expand the boundaries of Pier B. In that article we learned this decision was negotiated in a series of meetings with Walsh & Co. behind closed doors. This is important because this determination on the face of it violates two rules of the DEP’s mission statement, which emphasizes the importance of: 1. Communication (Transparency, sharing information frequently and honesty) 2. Accountability (Accept personal ownership for our actions and responsibilities.)

So why the secrecy? What exactly was discussed? Who decided not to include the public? Is this expansion really necessary?

Is this expansion beneficial to our environment? What was the compelling science to justify this decision? And most importantly, does this agreement oppose or support the spirit of the cornerstone, the very bedrock, of the DEP’s mission, which is to protect our environment?

Finally, is the DEP considering a public hearing regarding its recent decision to expand the boundaries of Pier B so our community can be informed as to the basis and legality behind this recent agreement? In the spirit of communication and accountability, which are necessary for public trust, these questions, one way or another, must and should be addressed.

Sincerely, Joel Biddle Key West

20

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022 Laughing gulls loafing on a Key West beach. MARK HEDDEN/Keys Weekly

KEYS GULLS: NICER THAN YOU THINK

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

A

thought occurred to me this week, an unexpected one that, for reasons unclear, has kind of stuck with me: We have some awfully well-behaved gulls here in the Florida Keys.

I saw a tweet during the recent heat wave in England that made me think. It was about a hospital that didn’t have air conditioning, so they were keeping the doors open, and as a result the hallways had filled with seagulls.

It being the internet, some birder got in there and said you shouldn’t really use the word “seagull,” since a lot of those birds can be seen very far inland, away from the sea – trust me, this is a thing in the birder world – and that they should just be called gulls. And then a lot of people got on his case, saying things to the effect that he was just being a pedantic wanker, and if the word seagull was good enough for William Freaking Shakespeare, it was good enough for them, and also, the real point of the whole initial tweet was that as soon as they opened up the doors, gulls decided to take over a hospital.

Why would gulls invade a hospital? Most likely looking for food. According to multiple news reports there is currently a herring gull in England that has figured out how to work the automatic doors at the local grocery store and through repeated sorties has absconded with an estimated £300 worth of crisps (or, if you want that translated into ‘merican, about $400 worth of potato chips). There are, in fact, a good number of videos of gulls sneaking into stores over there and making off with bags of potato chips – usually the single serving size – but also the occasional tuna sandwich or bag of Doritos. Indoors, to some gulls, apparently equates to food.

British coastal towns seem to be a hotbed of gull-on-human robberies. Ten seconds of Googling can lead to you to a solid number of compilation videos of gulls stealing food from people at the seaside – fish, fries, Cornish pasties, burgers, prawn sandwiches, ice cream cones. Some of these are labeled as attacks, but the birds aren’t aiming to do harm to the people; they just want their food.

I have also seen at least four different videos of gulls stealing GoPros and flying off with them. These are always entertaining to watch, and you have to wonder how many GoPros get stolen and not recovered.

Gull-on-human robberies are apparently so common in the UK that the University of Exeter put out a video with advice on the best way to avoid having a gull steal your food. The short answer: glare at them. Unwavering eye contact seems to keep them at bay. Which makes sense. In most of the videos out there, the gulls seem most successful when approaching quickly and from people’s blind sides.

Of course, this is not just a problem in the UK. My editor, Mandy – a woman who, because of some traumatic experience with a peacock that, years later, she still can’t coherently speak about, is not a fan of birds, but still bravely lets me write this column every week – recently forwarded me a New York Times story about the gull situation in the Shore town where she grew up, Ocean City, New Jersey.

In it the mayor of Ocean City describes a galvanizing incident when he was at the boardwalk and saw a gull swoop in and steal a slice of pizza from a little girl in a stroller. “The mayor swears he saw blood on the little girl’s face, though he admits it may have been sauce,” the story said.

The central focus of the piece is on the solution that Ocean City took up to try and abate the gull problem: raptors. Specifically, trained raptors, a.k.a. falconry birds. And they have apparently met with some success, keeping gulls at the margins of the busiest areas, but also providing entertainment to beachgoers who were interested in seeing the hawks and falcons work.

The thing to keep in mind in all of these incidents, joking aside, is that the gulls are not really doing anything wrong; they are just doing what works. Since a lot of the habitat that gulls use for feeding – estuaries and marshes and beaches – has been developed, they are basically finding other ways to feed. It is an adaptation. The problem is that they have adapted so well.

So why doesn’t this happen in the Keys? While we have beaches, we don’t have beaches that are quite as commercialized as they are in places like New Jersey and Britain. Other than the spring breaks of yore, the Keys don’t attract beachfront hordes on the same scale. And, a lot of times, what keeps the gulls attracted is a high volume of easily-accessible garbage.

Also, I think it’s our makeup of gull species. We actually have a lot of the same species that create problems in those other places – herring gulls, ring-billed gulls, and lesser black- backed gulls. But we don’t have them in their numbers, we don’t have masses of them.

Our most common gulls, by several magnitudes, are laughing gulls, which have about a third of the body mass of a herring gull and therefore are much less aggressive.

I’m not saying that no gull has ever stolen anything from anyone in the Keys. (If you have any good stories let me know.) I’m just saying, you can walk around here wantonly holding an ice cream cone or a bag of chips, and it’s pretty unlikely that any gull is going to swoop in and grab it out of your hands. And maybe we should appreciate that fact a little.

21

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

HUGE COUNTRY MUSIC LINEUP HITS KEY WEST IN OCTOBER

I

n case you’ve been living under the Cow Key, we mean, the Cheryl H. Cates Memorial Bridge, then you know we at the Keys Weekly have just wrapped up another fun and blistering Bubbas: Key West People’s Choice. Our Top 10 list of ways “You Might Be a Bubba” has become a staple of the annual awards, and for those who weren’t able to attend, we didn’t want you to miss out.

So here it is, our 2022 version…

YOU MIGHT BE A BUBBA IF..

PERFORMERS INCLUDE GEORGE STRAIT, RONNIE DUNN, JAMEY JOHNSON

10. You are still citing “trauma and stress from Hurricane Wilma” (in 2005) while renewing your medical marijuana card.

9. You voted Key West Fire Department as “Best Family Business.”

8. You constantly complain about gas prices, yet you have four Mercury Verado 600hp V12 engines on the back of your 44-foot 2022 Contender.

7. You’ve married, divorced or owe money to anyone with one of these last names: Toppino, Lewin, Barrios, Spottswood, Albury, McCoy, Niles, Oropeza, Calleja, Weekley, Cobo, Sands Parks, Haskins, Curry, Galvan, Alea, Davila, Varala, Wardlow or Barroso. (Our note: We owe money to everyone on this list) 6. You just learned two months ago that there’s a girls’ varsity softball team. #bandwagon 5. Less than 24 hours after your baby girl was born, she had her ears pierced, a 24 kt. gold name chain and a red KW Conchs baseball cap.

4. You voted for Jack Niles as “Best Auto Dealer,” but you drive a Kia. 3. You netted $2.4 million on the Conch cottage your great-grandpa built with his bare hands.

2. You squandered the $2.4 million you netted from your greatgrandpa’s house on a long weekend of yayo, prostitutes and craps at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino.

1. You know every word to Mike Stack’s “I’m from Key West,” but only know about half of the national anthem.

A three-night country music festival will come to Key West in October. CONTRIBUTED

T

he inaugural Legends of Music Row Music Festival will take place Oct. 13-15, 2022. The three-night musical extravaganza, presented by Dean Dillon, will feature country music superstars and world class singer/songwriters and recording artists, along with up-and-coming hitmakers. Attendees will have their days free to explore Key West, then enjoy over 15 artists performing at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater.

Headliners include Jamey Johnson, Saturday night’s closer, one of only a few people in the history of country music to win two Song of the Year Awards from both the CMA and ACMs. After a successful songwriting career of penned hits for Trace Adkins, George Strait and others, Johnson skyrocketed his solo career with songs like “The Dollar,” “High Cost of Living” and “In Color.”

Country superstar Ronnie Dunn, winner of over 28 ACM Awards, 19 CMA Awards, and two Grammy Awards, and more than 30 million albums sold as half of the most-awarded duo in history, Brooks & Dunn, will headline on Friday. Georgia native Billy Currington, known for his show-stopping live performances, will finish out Thursday evening with his string of No. 1 hits.

“This is an experience of a lifetime,” said Dean Dillon. “We can’t wait to bring this extraordinary lineup to Key West.”

Dillon has had an unprecedented songwriting career with numerous hits by artists like Kenny

Chesney, Chris Stapleton, Toby Keith, Vince Gill, Brooks & Dunn, and more. Strait has recorded 86 of his songs, and recently inducted Dillon into the Country Music Hall of Fame. It is only fitting that the “King of Country” will also make a special guest appearance at the event.

Other artists on the lineup include a who’s who of hit songwriters and recording artists, including Craig Morgan, Blackberry Smoke, Scotty Emerick, Lainey Wilson, Brice Long, Jim “Moose” Brown, Josh Martin, Randall King, Casey Beathard, Marla Cannon-Goodman, Buddy Cannon, and more to be announced.

Sirius XM’s on-air personality Storme Warren will host charity auctions at intermission each evening, with exclusive items benefitting the Nikki Mitchell Foundation for pancreatic cancer, and Adaptive Sports Center, a therapeutic recreation program for those with disabilities.

Ticket options include nightly or full event passes. A VIP package is also available to those wanting to attend Dean Dillon’s exclusive Late-Night Guitar Pull, and other special festivities. Tickets may be purchased at legendsofmusicrow. com.

Legends of Music Row is sponsored by Phillips & Jordan, Niles Sales & Service, Herzog, Reads Jewelers, Gulf Southern Construction Co., Reel Impact Marina, Rocklin Guitars, Nanoush and Kolache Kitchen.

— Contributed

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

TURTLES ‘PAPA’ AND ‘SPOOK’ RETURN TO MARATHON WATERS

W

ith three releases in seven days, the Turtle Hospital in Marathon had a busy week of returning beloved reptiles to their ocean homes. Following the release of “Tortie” on July 15, another juvenile green turtle, “Spook,” made her way back to the waters off Marathon’s Sombrero Beach on July 19 after 10 months of rehabilitation and treatment for fibropapillomatosis.

And on the 123rd anniversary of legendary writer Ernest Hemingway’s birth, around a dozen “Papa Hemingway” look-alikes helped to return endangered loggerhead turtle “Papa” back to his home in Keys waters on July 21.

Accidentally hooked by a fisherman on July 13, “Papa” was rescued by the Turtle Hospital with the assistance of the U.S. Coast Guard. After untangling the line and a few minor treatment procedures, “Papa” spent a mere eight days at the hospital before being cleared for release.

The 185-pound loggerhead was fitted with a satellite tracker and will be monitored as part of the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s annual Tour de Turtles, a “race” following the long-distance migration of sea turtles over a three-month period. Online monitoring for tagged turtles is available at TourDeTurtles.org from Aug. 1 to Oct. 31.

— Alex Rickert

1

HOMEWARD BOUND

ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly and ANDY NEWMAN/Contributed

2

4

1. From left, Turtle Hospital manager Bette Zirkelbach, Key Colony Beach commissioner Beth Ramsay-Vickrey and Turtle Hospital founder Richie Moretti release ‘Spook.’

2. Turtle Hospital founder Richie Moretti shares a few final words with ‘Papa’ before his release.

3. Turtle Hospital manager Bette Zirkelbach and founder Richie Moretti team up with a dozen Papa Hemingway look-alikes to release ‘Papa.’

4. With three releases in seven days, the staff of the Turtle Hospital celebrates a busy but successful week.

3 5

5. Children gather around to get a glimpse of ‘Papa’ and wish him well.

GOING ON NOW! 23

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

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24

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

OH, WHAT A NIGHT!

9TH ANNUAL BUBBAS: KEY WEST PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS

T

o our sponsors, our businesses, our friends and the entire Keys community, we can’t say it enough: Thank you, thank you, thank you for yet another fantastic night of fun, charity, strong drinks, thick skins and nonstop laughter.

The 9th annual Bubbas: Key West People’s Choice once again brought together the best this island chain has to offer and was further proof that the people make this place what it is.

The months of June and July were filled with good-natured competition for global votes.

We received votes from all 50 states, six continents, nine European nations and our southernmost ballot came from Burnham, New Zealand.

The Bubbas chaos culminated in the July 23 awards gala at the always generous Key West Theater, where the event raised more than $30,000 for this year’s nonprofit recipient, Bahama Village Music Program.

Since the Key West Weekly launched The Bubbas nine years ago, the awards have raised well over $100,000 for local charities.

We couldn’t be more proud of this community and the people who call it home.

Here’s to another great year.

— The Keys Weekly family

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

25

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

THANK YOU KEY WEST! WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE BEEN CHOSEN AS BEST GUEST HOUSE/B&B AGAIN IN 2022 526 ANGELA STREET

WANT A REWARDING CAREER MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY? Join the team at Samuel’s House, a nonprofit established over 22 years ago that serves women and children experiencing homelessness in Monroe County.

Samuel’s House is currently seeking experienced applicants to join our team.

A few open positions include a case manager for the evening shift 2 pm – 10 pm, house monitors for the early morning weekend and evening shifts, along with more positions available.

If you have a passion for helping others and want to make a difference in the community, we want to hear from you.

HELPING YOU SINCE 1939 WINNING BUBBAS SINCE 2014 Second Annual

ALL INTERESTED APPLICANTS PLEASE SEND YOUR RESUME TO MARIA@SAMUELSHOUSE.ORG

THANK YOU FOR VOTING US #1 IN CUSTOMER SERVICE! 1101 Eaton St. • 305-296-9091 Mon-Sat 7am-6pm • Sun 8am-4pm

27

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

THANK YOU KEY WEST FOR VOTING US BEST SUMMER CAMP 6 YEARS IN A ROW!

THANK YOU KEY WEST FOR VOTING US BEST DESSERT

WE LOVE HANGING OUT WITH YOUR KIDS!

WINNING THE BUBBAS AWARD FOR BEST DESSERT IS BETTER THAN SEX 926 SIMONTON ST. | KEY WEST | 305.296.8102 | BETTERTHANSEXDESSERTS.COM

28

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

MIND | BODY | SOUL From the time you walk in the door until the moment you float out, our goal at Flow Spa is to totally pamper and relax our clients.

FACIALS | MASSAGE | BODY TREATMENTS | NAIL & HAIR SERVICES | ENERGY HEALING | LASH EXTENSIONS | MICROBLADING | WAXING | SPRAY TANNING We ensure you will leave Flow Spa feeling as fabulous as you look.

9AM - 6PM MONDAY - SATURDAY

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THANK YOU FOR VOTING US

BEST SPA & BEST BARBER!

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TAVERNIER 93911 Overseas Hwy., Ste. 5 (2nd Floor) Tavernier, FL 33070

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29

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

CASUAL WATERFRONT DINING

HUMAN RESOURCES, HEADS UP! You are invited to join us for an informative evening that could streamline all your workforce health needs.

Dinner & Drinks August 11, 2022 @ 5:30 PM Kaya Island Eats (618 Duval St.)

to learn about our new OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAM Kindly RSVP by August 5.

You may bring one quest.

COME FOR THE FOOD. STAY FOR THE VIEW.

WORLD FAMOUS LOBSTER PIZZA TOP RATED GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA AND VEGETARIAN MENU

WE LOVE KIDS & DOGS Celebrating 96 Years!

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTES KEY WEST!

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1400 DUVAL ST, KEY WEST OPEN DAILY 11:30A - 8P | SEASIDECAFEKW.COM

30

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

THANK YOU, KEY WEST, FOR VOTING US BEST CONTRACTOR IN 2022!

life is delicious

t i y o j n E

Sunday Jazz Brunch

11:30AM-3PM • Live Music • Bottomless Mimosas

Jazz up your Sundays with Four Marlins oceanfront brunch featuring a delicious selection of fun interpretations of classic menu items.

Located at The Reach Key West | 1435 Simonton St. Reservations Recommended | 305 293 6250 reachresort.com | Free Valet Parking While Dining See the menu

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31

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

A 3 - TIERED PROPERTY CATERING TO THE NEEDS OF SENIORS UNITS AVAILABLE NOW!

1664 Dunlap Drive, Key West, 305-440-3191 FIRST FLOOR — Independent Living

• Restricted to Near-Elderly and Elderly Residents • Studios, 1-Bedrooms, 2-Bedrooms — $1266 - $2207 per month* • Rates include electric, water, & cable. Onsite pay-by-card laundry room.

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• Restricted to Residents 62 + Years of Age or with a Disability • Studios, 1-Bedrooms, 2-Bedrooms — $2091 - $3800 per month* • Rates include electric, water, & cable, 3 meals a day plus 2 snacks, weekly laundry service (2-loads max), weekly housekeeping, activities/programs, transportation coordination

THIRD FLOOR — Assisted Living

• Restricted to Residents 62 + Years of Age or with a Disability • Studios, 1-Bedrooms — $1900 - $3600 per month* • Rates include electric, water, & cable, 3 meals a day plus 2 snacks, laundry service, housekeeping, activities/programs, transportation coordination, healthcare services coordination, assistance with personal care (bathing, dressing, toileting, etc.), 24-hour supervision & care, medication management, assistance with self-administration of medication

Schedule Your Personal Tour Today! *rates subject to change and units subject to availability

32

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

MARINA ACQUISITIONS

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WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE WON

BEST REAL ESTATE COMPANY 6 YEARS IN A ROW

AND TO HAVE BEEN NOMINATED FOR BEST OVERALL BUSINESS & BEST REALTOR WE CAN’T THANK YOU ENOUGH! Second Annual

33

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

THANK YOU FOR VOTING

CATERED AFFAIRS BEST CATERING COMPANY

THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTES THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTES! BEST TACO, AGAIN, IN 2022!

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34

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

WE ARE SO HAPPY! AND HONORED TO WIN BEST NON-PROFIT FOR THE 9TH YEAR WE WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO DO THIS WITHOUT ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT! THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR LIFESAVING MISSION!

BIRTHDAY BIRTHDAY Celebration

CELEBRATE YOUR BIRTHDAY AT TAVERN N TOWN WITH A FREE ENTRÉE ON THE DATE OF YOUR BIRTHDAY.

Offer only available on date of birthday, must have valid ID.

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THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR VOTING US

BEST DENTIST 6 YEARS IN A ROW! WE ARE HONORED AND WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP YOUR SMILES LOOKING THEIR VERY BEST.

From left to right: Dr. Hector Guzman D.D.S Dr. David McDonald D.M.D Dr. Natalia Vazquez-Marrero D.M.D Dr. Oscar Rodriguez D.M.D

Located at 2758 N. Roosevelt Blvd. (in the Overseas Market) • Key West, FL 33040 Phone 305.294.9914 • Fax 305.295.9691 • doc@docguzman.com • www.docguzman.com

35

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

WE MOVE YOU RELAX

TAKE ME HOME?

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 at 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 require a little extra TLC. Check these pages each week for just a few of the animals waiting for a home and see them all at fkspca.org.

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Covering All The Keys From Key Largo To Key West Upper Keys Weekly 91760 O/S Hwy, Ste 3 Tavernier, FL 33070 305.363.2957

Ed is a 1-year-old male domestic shorthair.

Summit is a 1-year-old male Alaskan husky mix.

Persimmon is a 6-month-old female American rabbit.

Zorah is a 7½-year-old female medium mixed breed.

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Eleanor is a 1½-year-old female domestic shorthair.

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36

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

HELP KEEP KEY WEST BEAUTIFUL

PITCH IN FOR A 1-HOUR CLEANUP EVERY FRIDAY MORNING

Seventeen volunteers met at the corner of Elizabeth and Greene streets on July 22. They braved the rain and collected 44 pounds of trash, nine pounds of recycling and two gallons of cigarette butts. Special thanks to Susan of Breakfast Club Too for providing the volunteers with breakfast.

CONTRIBUTED

O

ne hour a week makes a huge difference, and volunteers are always welcome every Friday and some Saturday mornings, from 8 to 9 a.m., when teams clean up a designated area of the island.

A troubling number of cigarette butts and plastic bags have been included in recent hauls. Please remember your reusable bags when shopping so we can keep the plastic off the streets, parking lots and, most importantly, out of the water. And dispose of cigarette butts in any receptacle rather than the street or sidewalk, as from there, they easily end up in the ocean.

The city of Key West and its residents ask everyone to do their part to help keep Key West beautiful. With simple steps like making sure you bag your trash before putting it in your Waste Management trash cans or Dumpsters, and making sure the lids on Dumpsters are closed, will keep a lot of trash from blowing into the streets. Call Waste Management at 305-296-8297 for any furniture items left on the city right of way.

Please pick up around your home or apartment complex.

Every piece of trash picked up is one less that may end up in the ocean that surrounds and sustains our island community.

It is not just the large items you can see easily when you are

walking, but the smaller items such as bottle caps and cigarette butts that are collected by the volunteers that make the biggest difference.

It takes committed community involvement to Keep Key West Beautiful and we are making progress with every cleanup event and every spot that’s adopted.

Please call Dorian at the city of Key West at 305-8093782 to know more about how your business, nonprofit or club can help.

All are invited to join the Friday morning cleanups from 8 to 9 a.m. Parking is provided and all volunteers receive a parking pass when needed for metered or residential parking spots. See the calendar here for Friday cleanup locations.

Upcoming Friday cleanups; all events are 8 to 9 a.m.: Friday, July 29: Little Hamaca Park (Meet at Government Road big curve.)

Friday, Aug. 5: Staples Ave. Bridge (Meet on 7th Street side of bridge.)

Friday, Aug. 12: Northside Drive & 14th Street (Meet at city parking lot next to Wells Fargo Bank) Friday, Aug. 19: Truman Waterfront (Meet in the parking lot by the Fitness Trail.)

Friday, Aug. 26: Bayview Park (Meet at Vietnam Memorial.)

— Dorian Patton, city of Key West

SPORTS & MORE THE POSSIBILITY OF A PUP GOT ME THINKING

RALPH MORROW

T

he following story is nearly all ... a veteran sports true, and I columnist, says want you to laugh the only sport at the unlikeliness he doesn’t follow is cricket. That of it. leaves plenty It began at the of others to fill dining room table. his time.

I was sitting, as I ralphmoro1936 often do, with my @gmail.com friend Sharon, who lives in an apartment around the corner from mine. (The company that runs the building also provides three meals a day in the dining room.)

Sharon and I have a lot in common, as do several other tenants who often dine together. The other night, five or six of us were at the same table.

I mentioned I was looking for a subject for my next column. “Why don’t you write about dogs?” Sharon suggested.

And that’s when this story started.

I have owned dogs (all of whom I loved), while my late wife had a passion for kittens. In fact, we had five when she died, along with my dog, Gibbs, a part-Yorkie I had grown to love an awful lot. I don’t remember the names of all the kittens, but they mostly came from the shelter on College Road, as had Gibbs (named for Mark Harmon’s character in the show “NCIS.”) Several months later, after Patsy had died, I was moving from our house to an apartment. I knew Gibbs was coming with me, as was Charlotte, a Himalayan kitten who needed fluid injections every few months. After Patsy died (whom I loved most, of course), Harry the kitten attached himself to me. So, I brought him along as well. I sadly had to take the other three kittens back to the shelter. I hope they found loving owners.

Over the years, Gibbs, Harry and Charlotte all died, so I’ve been without pet companionship for a long time.

Then I read a message on Facebook from a friend. She had a friend who had an “extra” pup and was looking for an owner. I thought about it for 15 minutes and told my friend I wanted the dog, a 4-year-old Yorkie (my very favorite breed). In subsequent conversations, I saw a picture.

Oh, God. I was hooked, even more so when my friend indicated I was likely getting the little gal.

Over the next few days, I silently made plans. I’ll need to find a groomer.

A Yorkie like this one had two potential owners in the same building. CONTRIBUTED

I thought of potential new names for her. Where would I put her food and water bowls? I committed myself to spending more time in my apartment with her, and walking her at least twice a day, in the morning and evening.

Then I received the fateful note.

The owner of “my” new dog was giving her to someone else. She hoped I understood. At first, I didn’t. I was angry, very angry. But I got over it.

Then I joined Sharon and the others at dinner that recent night.

I knew vaguely that Sharon was getting a dog, but no specifics had been mentioned. As she suggested I write a column on dogs, she started talking about her new four-legged friend, a 4-year-old Yorkie. Then she mentioned the dog’s name.

“What?!” I probably yelled. “That’s MY dog!”

Well, she wasn’t mine, as I had already been told I wasn’t getting her.

I had gotten over it, but wasn’t letting Sharon know that, at least not immediately.

But how small can this island be that two next-door neighbors, through different friends, get somehow connected to the same puppy? I kidded that I had been chosen as the new owner. And Sharon got as angry as I had when told I would not, in fact, need food and water bowls.

We went back and forth for a while, then settled down. Of course, I eventually told her the truth and wished her and the dog the best.

Sharon is a nice person, even if she is a Republican. (I once went with her to a GOP gathering. That may result in another column some day.)

P.S. Sharon eventually also learned she wasn’t getting the puppy either.

What?! There goes the neighborhood.

37

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

PRESENTED BY

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

FOOD & DRINK

Best Key Lime Pie KERMIT’S KEY WEST KEY LIME SHOPPE Best Cuban Sandwich KIM’S KUBAN Best Ethnic Food EL SIBONEY Best Cup of Coffee CUBAN COFFEE QUEEN Best Breakfast GOLDMAN’S DELI Best Brunch BLUE HEAVEN Best Lunch PEPE’S CAFE Best Bar GREEN PARROT BAR Best Gay Bar 22&CO Best Wine Bar GRAND VIN WINE BAR Best Mojito EL MESON DE PEPE Best Beer Selection BEARDED LADY KEY WEST Best Bartender CARLOS HOME – 22&CO Best Waterfront Dining LATITUDES Best Pizza ROOSTICA WOOD-FIRE PIZZERIA Best Seafood HOGFISH BAR & GRILL Best Steak PRIME STEAKHOUSE Best Taco SINZ BURRITOS Best Food Truck GARBO’S GRILL Best Dessert BETTER THAN SEX Best Conch Fritters THE CONCH SHACK Best Bloody Mary TWO FRIENDS PATIO Best Late-Night Spot MARY ELLEN’S BAR & KITCHEN Best Margarita PEPE’S CAFE Best Martini VIRGILIO’S

Best Place to Cure a Hangover FIREFLY KEY WEST Best BBQ SMOKED BBQ (ON THE WATER) Best Bar or Restaurant Restroom TAVERN N TOWN Best Sushi MISOHAPPY SUSHI & THAI Best Catering Company CATERED AFFAIRS OF KEY WEST Best Organic/Health Food THE CAFE Best Happy Hour BOAT HOUSE BAR & GRILL Best Overall Restaurant A&B LOBSTER HOUSE

THE COMMUNITY

Best Place to Take the Kids THE KEY WEST BUTTERFLY & NATURE CONSERVATORY Best Local Event/Festival KEY WEST SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL Best Tourist Attraction THE KEY WEST BUTTERFLY & NATURE CONSERVATORY Best Local Celebrity MIKE STACK Best Teacher/Professor/School Admin LAUREN “LO” ALBURY- KWHS Best Non-Profit Organization FLORIDA KEYS SPCA Best Elected Official CRAIG CATES MONROE COUNTY BOCC Best Local Musician CAFFEINE CARL Best Band THE DURTBAGS Best DJ DJ SANARIS Best in Drag SUSHI Best Artist FRAN DECKER Best Thespian/Performing Artist ERIN MCKENNA Best Live Music Venue GREEN PARROT BAR Best Performing Arts Venue KEY WEST THEATER Best Art Gallery or Studio THE STUDIOS OF KEY WEST

THE BUSINESS

Best Accounting Firm OROPEZA & PARKS Best Law Firm OROPEZA STONES & CARDENAS Best Charter Fishing Captain/Guide DJ BARRIOS – ROUGHSHOT CHARTERS Best Furniture Store ROYAL FURNITURE Best Dive Shop CAPTAIN’S CORNER Best Bait & Tackle Shop ESKY RODS Best Watersports Company FURY WATER ADVENTURES KEY WEST Best Marina A&B MARINA Best Customer Service STRUNK ACE HARDWARE Best Resort/Hotel THE PERRY HOTEL & MARINA KEY WEST Best Grocery Store FAUSTO’S FOOD PALACE Best Contractor CHARLEY TOPPINO & SONS Best Landscaping Company ECOSCAPES Best Auto Repair PIT STOP TIRE Best Photographer NICK DOLL PHOTOGRAPHY Best Doctor DR. JOHN NORRIS Best Veterinarian LOWER KEYS ANIMAL CLINIC Best Realtor BASCOM GROOMS Best Real Estate Office BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES KNIGHT & GARDNER REALTY

Best Bank FIRST STATE BANK OF THE FLORIDA KEYS Best Jewelry Store JEFF’S GEMS AND NAUTICAL DESIGNS Best Car Dealer NILES SALES AND SERVICE Best Bed & Breakfast THE GARDENS HOTEL Best Chiropractor RYAN BARNETT KEY WEST CHIROPRACTIC Best Dentist DR. HECTOR GUZMAN FAMILY DENTISTRY Best Florist LOVE IN BLOOM FLORIST Best Insurance UNITED ATLANTIC INSURANCE GROUP Best Liquor Store TIPSY ROOSTER LIQUOR STORE & BAR Best Local Retailer BESAME MUCHO Best Fitness Center/Gym FYT KEY WEST Best Nail Salon NAIL BAR AND LOUNGE Best Spa FLOW SPA KEY WEST Best Hair Salon SALTY ROOTS Best Barber BEARDS & BREWS Best Summer Camp REEF RELIEF Best Family-Owned Business TWO FRIENDS PATIO Best Overall Business RAMONA’S CONCH CREATIONS

SPONSORED BY

ALL PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT BAHAMA VILLAGE MUSIC PROGRAM

38

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

On tour with the not-for-profit Active Disabled Americans. BRAD BERTELLI/Contributed

ONES FOR THE BOOK

W

Reviving old columns and spreading local history

hile it is hard to believe, I have been writing a history column in one of the local newspapers for a decade. Since 2018, my work has appeared in The Keys Weekly Newspapers, and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to share my stories up and down the island chain.

The column is a fantastic outlet for what have become my two greatest habits: history and writing. Thankfully, it is not my only outlet because apparently, I have a lot to say. If you have not visited my Facebook group Florida Keys History with Brad Bertelli, consider yourself officially invited to take a look. I post daily history nuggets and share some great pictures of how the islands used to be. The page has proved extraordinary and surprisingly popular.

One of the best things that happen there are the memories and stories shared by, among others, many longtime and lifetime Conchs. While I love sharing what I have learned over the years, it is wonderful to have created a space where the history and the stories are shared back and forth in the comments. I learn a ton from the page.

One of the things the group has inspired me to do is revisit some of the old columns. I went back and picked out some of my favorite pieces and then spent time reimagining and enhancing them to create versions of their stories that have been allowed to step outside of their 800-word constraints and stretch their legs a bit. The result has been a collection about Ben Baker and the wrecking industry, pineapples, Key lime pie, the Overseas Highway, Fern Butters, and more called “Florida Keys History with Brad Bertelli, Volume 1.” If everything goes according to plan, the book should be out by the Labor Day weekend.

It should be noted, of course, that things rarely go as planned.

Though writing is my preferred means of sharing local history, it is not the only way I am able to share it with the public.

On the first Monday of every month, the Islamorada Moose Lodge invites me in to talk about some aspect of the local history.

This free event is open to the public. The program starts at 6 p.m.

For the Monday, Aug. 1 program, I will be talking about William J. Krome, the 60-foot Schooner Island Home, the Purple Isles and how legends and myths have colored the Islamorada story. The Purple Isles is a fun topic, and people in the community can be passionate about the story.

When I give this talk or write a story about the legend of the Purple Isles, it is the only time I receive less than flattering emails in return.

One of the projects I am most excited to be a part of is the not-for-profit Active Disabled Americans’ latest Live Unbound project. Executive Director Ken Ostebo asked me to come aboard with Captain Mick and spend a few hours on Sunday mornings talking about the local history.

According to Ostebo, “Our initiative is committed to inclusion. It is our belief that the water and all it has to offer is a place of healing, reflection, and joy. Our goal is to normalize ‘normal’ for everyone.”

Active Disabled Americans opened the Live Unbound program to the public, in association with Bass Pro/World Wide Sportsman, on July 17. The boat excursion is free of charge and offers a complimentary tour around some of the storied waters surrounding Islamorada. Ostebo says, “We set sail from the Biscayne Marina facility every Sunday at 8 a.m. and travel in and around Islamorada and its scenic coastline. These trips will be offered on a first-come, firstserve basis.” Trips can be booked through their website at www.activedisabledamericans.org.

During the threehour tour, I spend more than two hours talking about the amazing local history and a little about the environment.

In addition to spending some quality time out on the water, we BRAD do a little bird watching. On the inaugural BERTELLI trip, we saw an Atlantic is an author, yellow-nosed albatross speaker, and Florida Keys historian. sitting up in the bushy green branches of a His latest book, red mangrove tree. I “The Florida Keys Skunk Ape Files,” had no idea that there is a fun blend of were albatrosses in the two of his favorite subjects — Florida Keys. They are considered rare visitors, so I Keys history and learned something, too. the Skunk Ape. To help subsidize my history and writing habit, I am also spending a couple of days a week bartending at the world-famous Robbie’s Marina.

The best part is that, from the bar, I can see Indian Key. If you are in the neighborhood, stop by, feed the tarpon and have a frosty beverage at one of the great Florida Keys’ roadside attractions. Also, please stop by my Facebook group Florida Keys History with Brad Bertelli, and be sure to check out the great work being done by Active Disabled Americans at their website www.activedisabledamericans.org. If you are free on Monday evening, Aug. 1, come by the Islamorada Moose Lodge and listen while I tell the true tale of Islamorada. Hope to see you there.

39

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

THE SPORT AUTHORITIES

M

ake way for a new – yet familiar – home for Keys sports.

New for the 2022-23 school year, Keys Weekly is proud to introduce the Keys Weekly Sports Wrap, a coordinated roundup of prep sports throughout Monroe County.

With a two-page feature in each edition of the Keys Weekly newspapers, plus a podcast and ALEX RICKERT web content, the weekly celebraalex@keysweekly.com tion of Monroe County athletes will blend interviews, game recaps, statistics, standings, athlete features, historical pieces and much more to become the only destination for comprehensive Keyswide prep sports coverage.

The project will be helmed by Marathon High School teachers Sean and Tracy McDonald. The pair bring more than 50 years of experience in Monroe County schools between them and have coached a variety of sports across all age groups up and down the Keys. Their three children – Jackson, Riley and Maverick – have all attended Keys schools and are active in athletics.

After graduating from Florida State University with a degree in physical education, podcast host Sean moved just south of his hometown of Miami after landing a teaching position at Sugarloaf School. Though his main love has always been football, Sean has coached all ages in basketball, baseball and softball at Marathon High, Key West High and various youth programs. As he recalls, he first immersed himself in coaching to fill a community need.

“I was teaching these middle school classes full of great kids who were athletic and loved sports, but they couldn’t play anywhere,” he said. “Their parents couldn’t get them to practice every day in Key West or Marathon, so Tracy and I worked to make magnet teams for the Lower Keys kids. We practiced right after school so a lot of parents could just pick their kids up on the way home from work and they only had to drive on game days.”

With a gift for public speaking, Sean has been a co-host on US1 Radio’s Biz Baz and football broadcasts.

Marathon High School relies on him as their go-to emcee for pep rallies, school events and live streams.

Tracy moved to the Sean McDonald, right, will helm a Keys and met Sean at a new weekly podcast while Tracy McDonald teacher orientation in August will use her writing talent to compile 1997 after graduating from the Keys Weekly Sports Wrap. CONWilkes University, where she TRIBUTED studied English and played field hockey. Writing for the Weekly comes as a natural fit for her, as both sports and writing have been big parts of her life.

“My father was a coach and athletic director, and my sister and I were expected to play a sport every season,” she said. “It was either play a sport or get a job, and the only jobs in rural Pennsylvania were not the sort of jobs I wanted to do.”

Throughout her career at Marathon High School, Tracy has coached cheerleading, track and soccer. In addition to enjoying long runs in the heat, she has a newfound affinity for technology after learning to edit photos and video footage in preparation for teaching tech classes at the high school.

Look for the first Keys Weekly Sports Wrap podcast online at keysweekly.com before school begins, with an introductory teaser posted beforehand, and the first print feature in all editions of the Keys Weekly Newspapers soon to follow.

Marathon couple to launch ‘Keys Weekly Sports Wrap’

A PERSONAL APPROACH TO BUSINESS The South Florida Professionals business community is coming to Key West Aug. 18-21 for a Professionals in Paradise gathering. FLORIDA KEYS NEWS BUREAU/ Contributed

SOUTH FLORIDA BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS IS LARGER THAN LOCAL MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

E

very South Florida business owner understands the importance of their local chambers of commerce, business guilds, networking events and word-of-mouth recommendations. And the Key West organizations serve their members and their communities well.

Now, the networking group known as South Florida Professionals wants to enhance, amplify and expand the reach, impact and possibilities of Florida businesses and the professionals who run them.

Miami business owners Andy and Vanessa Rodriguez launched the networking group during the pandemic, “but really, it ended up working in our favor,” Andy said on July 27. “Most of the networking stuff we developed for COVID, including Zoom meetings, member pages, recommendations from other members and specialized discussions for certain types of businesses, especially during COVID.” According to the group’s website, “South Florida Professional was developed to help business owners thrive during the pandemic.

We have redefined traditional networking for South Florida business owners by offering a unique, interactive networking and learning platform. Members create complete profiles which include contact info,

social media accounts, video introductions, images and much more.

By leveraging technology to create business opportunities across all of South Florida, we provide a business networking platform that transcends distance and enables business owners to connect on a 24/7 basis, engage and build relationships with other professionals around South Florida.”

The group expanded southward last year once Key West restaurateur Bill Lay joined.

“We wanted to hear from all South Florida restaurants to see what they were doing and how they were faring and what we could do to help,” Rodriguez said. “Our goal is very, very simple: to connect people so they can do business on a larger scale. South Florida Professionals is different. We focus on people first. We build relationships and the business follows.”

The group now has more than 9,500 members on its Facebook page and is coming to Key West next month for its second annual Professionals in Paradise, a weekend of events, cocktail parties and personal introductions for professional improvement in the Southernmost City.

The event takes place Aug. 1821 and includes a variety of attendance packages.

More information is at southfloridaprofessionals.com and pipkw.com.

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

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

BOOKS ABOUT BOOKS YOU’LL NEVER READ

A CLEVER MYSTERY, A HISTORICAL BOOKSHOP AND A STEAMY BATTLE BETWEEN TWO EDITORS. THREE FABULOUS READS FEATURING CHARACTERS WRITING BOOKS WITHIN THE BOOK. A BIBLIOPHILE’S DELIGHT.

THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY

By Sulari Gentill One day, four strangers are sitting at a table in the Boston Public Library. They hear a piercing scream.

The library room is cordoned off and closed. A murder has occurred and these unlikely characters quickly form a fascinating friendship. Handsome Man is a published author working on his next big novel; Heroic Chin is purposefully trying to fail Harvard Law School to exasperate his socialite parents; Freud Girl, a brilliant tattoo-covered beauty, is working on her graduate degree in psychology; and Freddie, an Australian writer on scholarship, deems this scene worthy of chapter one in her latest mystery. The strangers learn about each other as more dead bodies are discovered around Boston and fingers are pointed. The police begin to investigate and alibis become crucial. With unexpected twists, readers find themselves in a fictional funhouse, never quite sure where the story begins and reality ends. Writers, books and murder mystery rolled into one, this wholly original tale is a must-read for summer.

BLOOMSBURY GIRLS

By Natalie Jenner In 1950, as the world adjusts postWorld War II, London is slowly coming back to life. The women hold it together, as many men have not returned.

Centered around a charming old shop called Bloomsbury Books, three women search for their place in this strange new decade. Vivien is a beautiful, talented writer whose wealthy fiancé went missing along with her future. Grace is married with two boys and a husband who is an angry shell of his former self. She would rather be at the bookshop than at home.

Evie, one of the first females to graduate from Cambridge, is a shy, brilliant woman who discovers first love and a literary mystery that can change their lives. As they work among the men, they realize there is more to life than fetching tea and working the register. These women want to rock the literary establishment by changing the way books are sold. This small, quirky cast of characters wrap their lives around books, publishing and the literary salons of the time. As they befriend some famous figures, the women garner the confidence they need to carry on with their plan. A heartwarming story of history, friendship and books.

BOOK LOVERS

By Emily Henry For New York City literary agent Nora Stephens, spending time in North Carolina is not a getaway – it’s the one that got away! This successful dealmaker has lost every one of her recent boyfriends to a meet-cute not of her making. There is no way this stylish hot shot with the regimented skin care routine and strictly scheduled calendar will ever make it through the month in oppressively sunny Sunshine Falls. But Nora promised to spend time with her younger sister Libby before Libby’s next bun is out of the oven. With wonky WiFi, Nora quickly hunkers down in the local bookstore to get some work done and learns, much to her chagrin, that her New York nemesis, top-notch editor Charlie Lastra, is not only in this godforsaken little town at the same time, but his family owns the adorable shop and B&B where she is staying.

Many rom-com moments later, the two cannot deny the unlikely circumstances that brought them together and unquestionable chemistry they share. Sisterly connection, book obsession, enemies to lovers … this laugh-out-loud summer read is a small-town romance for some real city slickers.

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

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Peter Vey has established his place among the American Regionalist painters with thick palette strokes in Abstract Expressionist tempo. Joining the historic American Scene painters like Winslow Homer, Vey strikes a fresh approach.

After a classical education in art history at Duke University, he moved to Florida, where he spent summers at his grandparents’ homes, and now lives and has painted for decades. “The light in Key West is so mesmerizing, Bananas, 40 x 40, Oil on Linen and so are the vivid colors… I really love the waterfront and the tropical foliage, especially palms, orchids, all the vegetation.” His unique view, fresh colors, and mastery of painting technique result in works remarkable for their sense of place. The ambiance in Peter’s paintings is like the atmosphere in which he creates them, echoing the vibrant light of the sun drenched tropics. “I hope my paintings make people stop, get lost in the image, and feel uplifted. My objective with each work is to celebrate life.”

Works Available on Approval & Concierge Services from Key West to Key Largo The Gallery on Greene | 606 Greene Street | Key West, Florida galleryongreene.com | 305-304-2323

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

NEW LISTING!

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45

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

CLOCK IS TICKING ON SPECIALTY CONTRACTORS County seeks ways to combat House Bill 735 ALEX RICKERT

alex@keysweekly.com

F

or specialty contractors in Monroe County, time seems to still be running out.

That is, of course, unless city, county and state administrators and legislators find a way to combat House Bill 735, which preempts the requirement of local occupational licensing for contractors. The bill, which took effect in July of 2021, prevents local governments from issuing specialty licenses – think painters, pavers, landscapers and other similar work outside the scope of general contractors, plumbers, electricians and others whose work involves life safety implications.

For most municipalities in Florida with significantly looser permitting requirements, the bill may make more sense – eliminate redundant fees and overlapping licenses as specialized contractors register in multiple municipalities, and just send significant licenses up to the state level.

But in Monroe County, where the designation as an Area of Critical State Concern requires permits for even simple tasks like laying down pavers or putting up a fence, the problem gets much more complicated.

Specialty contractors can’t pull a permit to complete these tasks without a license.

If homeowners try to pull owner-builder permits themselves, the application is heavily scrutinized, and the homeowners are responsible for insuring, paying and supervising those who actually do the work.

Proponents of the specialty licenses point to their ability to protect a homeowner against subpar work from inexperienced contractors, as well as giving these contractors a legal recourse should a client choose not to pay their invoices. With ongoing material shortages, some companies are flat-out unwilling to sell their products to contractors who can’t produce an official license.

In theory, a general contractor could pull the permit for a specialty worker to complete a job – but, understandably, they won’t do it for free, and it’s technically illegal.

In any case, the resulting additional costs would be passed on to the customer, making homeownership in the Keys even more of a challenge.

“The customer shouldn’t have to pay that cost,” said Derrick Lazzara, president of the Florida Keys Contractors’ Association.

“Everything’s already expensive enough down here. We can’t keep adding costs; we’re going to keep losing people.”

Monroe County stopped issuing new specialty licenses in July of last year. The existing specialty licenses will be honored by the county for two years, the maximum allowed by law, before they expire in 2023.

As of now, many of the specialty licenses recognized in Monroe County do not exist at the state level, leaving these contractors out of business.

As it stands, the way for contractors to skirt the bill’s impacts would be to obtain a state contractor’s license. But this requires time, a significant financial commitment, and passing an eight-hour exam – if candidates can make it through a congested swarm of others seeking the same license. Obtaining the license, even if specialty contractors have no intention of performing work outside the scope of their pre-existing businesses, has major insurance implications as well, as the contractors would fork over larger premiums to be insured for more significant work with potential life safety implications.

At the July 20 meeting of the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners, county attorney Bob Shillinger sought the commissioners’ blessing to make a proposal to the Florida Association of Counties seeking the repeal of the bill, reflecting the wishes of the Monroe County Contractors’ Examining Board.

Hoping to educate legislators with a stronger voice of multiple counties, Shillinger was hopeful the legislation could at least be modified to allow greater functionality in special areas like Monroe County.

If repeal of the bill seems unlikely, the contractors’ board wishes to see language added to the state law that would give local specialty contractors credit for time already spent in their trades if these contractors choose to pursue a state license.

“We had one gentleman who had been working under a local contractor’s license for 40 years, and none of that time counted towards him sitting for a state license,” said Shillinger. “Obviously, he’s been doing something right for 40 years. … You would think that would demonstrate enough competence that would allow him to sit for a state license exam.”

“I think we’d all support that,” said Monroe County Mayor David Rice. “This is creating problems we don’t need.”

In Lazzara’s view, a change at the state level is unlikely, and help for specialty tradesmen must come, to the extent possible by law, from municipalities.

“The state isn’t going to budge on this. … I don’t see anybody getting that big of a headway on it yet,” he said. “We have to really figure out a way to let these (contractors) work on job sites without pulling all these little itty bitty permits for stuff.

“We have to figure out a way for building departments to figure out from the state what they’re allowed to actually do, and they have to find a way to do it, because we still are in an area of critical concern.”

“It’s opened up the doors to unlicensed contracting,” said Armand Messina, owner of Marathon-based AM Electric and custom hurricane shutter manufacturing company SunMasters. “I don’t think (Governor Ron DeSantis) realizes what he did.

“I believe the only option that would satisfy everybody was if the state was to grandfather any existing licenses, give us state licenses, and then make those licenses non-transferable,” he continued. “If I was to sell the company or transfer it, hopefully by that time they’d have come up with some kind of a license for it (at the state level).”

Whatever the recourse, a ticking twoyear clock is now down to one. With roughly 400 licensed specialty contractors in the county when House Bill 735 took effect, Keys residents could soon find themselves struggling to legally complete all but the most critical home projects within the next year.

“Hundreds of companies might be shut down, including their workers losing work,” said Lazzara. “I don’t think the Keys can survive that.”

46

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • NOTICE OF HEARING TO REIMPOSE AND PROVIDE FOR COLLECTION OF DUCK KEY SECURITY SERVICES SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS Notice is hereby given that the County Commission, Monroe County, Florida will conduct a public hearing to consider reimposing security services assessments for the Fiscal Year beginning October 1, 2022, against certain improved and unimproved properties located within Duck Key, to fund the cost of security services provided to such properties and to authorize collection of such assessments on the tax bill.

The public hearing will be held at 1:30 P.M., on August 17, 2022, at the Harvey Government Center, 1200 Truman Avenue, Key West, Florida 33040. The public can also attend the Public Hearing via Communication Media Technology (“CMT”)/Zoom at the following virtual address: https://mcbocc.zoom.us/j/82370285170 for the purpose of receiving public comment on the proposed assessments.

All affected property owners have a right to appear at the hearing and to file written objections with the County Commission within 20 calendar days of the date of this notice. Pursuant to section 286.0105, Florida Statutes, notice is given that if a person decides to appeal any decision made by the County Commission with respect to any matter considered at this hearing, such person will need a record of the proceedings and may need to ensure that a verbatim record is made, including the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be made. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, persons needing a special accommodation or an interpreter to participate in this proceeding should contact the County Administrator at (305) 292-4441, at least 48 hours prior to the date of the hearing. If hearing impaired, dial “711” for assistance.

The annual Duck Key security assessment is based on the number of improved or unimproved lots contained within the Duck Key Security District. The total annual assessment revenue to be collected within Duck Key for the upcoming fiscal year is estimated to be $117,000. The annual assessment rates for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2022 remain the same as the current year at $292 per improved lot and $28 per unimproved lot.

Copies of the legal documentation for the assessment program will be made available upon request by contacting the County Attorney’s office at (305) 292-3470 Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

If you have any questions, please contact the County at (305) 292-3470, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

The assessments will be collected on the ad valorem tax bill to be mailed in November 2022, as authorized by section 197.3632, Florida Statutes. Failure to pay the assessments will cause a tax certificate to be issued against the property which may result in a loss of title.

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 Florida Keys Volunteer Center located at 300 Southard Street, Suite 201, Key West, FL 33040 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

By: Community Foundation of the Florida Keys, Inc. Publish: July 28, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

Deadline for receipt of application at the above address is Friday, August 26, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. A resume may be attached to the application.

Publish: July 28, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

viewing the agenda packet for the August 17, 2022 meeting, which will be posted beginning on August 5, 2022 at: http:// monroecountyfl.iqm2.com/ citizens/default.aspx. The ordinance may also be viewed at the Monroe County Attorney’s office at 1111 12th St. Ste. 408 Key West, FL 33040.

The public can participate in the August 17, 2022, meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, FL by attending in person or via Zoom. The Zoom link can be found in the agenda at http:// monroecountyfl.iqm2.com/ citizens/default.aspx.

ADA ASSISTANCE: If you are a person with a disability who needs special accommodations in order to participate in this proceeding, please contact the County Administrator’s Office, by phoning (305) 2924441, between the hours of 8:30a.m.—5:00p.m., prior to the scheduled meeting; if you are hearing or voice-impaired, call “711”. Live Closed-Captioning is available via our web portal @ http://monroecountyfl.iqm2. com/Citizens/Default.aspx for meetings of the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners.

Dated at Key West, Florida, this 25th day of July 2022.

KEVIN MADOK, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Ex Officio Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida Publish: July 28, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

Pursuant to F.S. 50.0211(3) (a), all published competitive solicitation notices can be viewed at: www. floridapublicnotices.com, a searchable Statewide repository for all published legal notices.

Requirements for submission and the selection criteria may be requested from DemandStar at www.demandstar.com OR www. monroecounty-fl.gov/bids. The Public Record is available upon request.

Monroe County Purchasing Department receives bids electronically. Please do not mail or attempt to deliver in person any sealed bids. Mailed/ physically delivered bids/ proposals/responses WILL NOT be accepted.

The Monroe County Purchasing Department hereby directs that bids be submitted via email to: OMB-BIDS@monroecounty-fl. gov, no later than 3:00P.M., on September 20, 2022. Please submit your confidential financial information in a SEPARATE EMAIL from your bid and required documents. Your subject line on both emails must read as follows: EYW New Beacon Pole and Relocate Existing 9-20-2022 Files that do not contain this subject line WILL BE REJECTED. Please note that the maximum file size that will be accepted by email is 25MB. Please plan accordingly to ensure that your bid is not rejected due to the file size. Should your bid documents exceed 25MB, in advance of the bid opening, please email: ombpurchasing@monroecounty-fl. gov so accommodations for delivery of your bid can be made prior to the bid opening. Please be advised that it is the bidder’s sole responsibility to ensure delivery of their bid and waiting until the bid opening to address or confirm your bid submission delivery will result in your bid being rejected.

The bid opening for this solicitation will be held virtually, via the internet, at 3:00 P.M., on September 20, 2022. You may call in by phone or internet using the following: Join Zoom Meeting https://mcbocc.zoom. us/j/4509326156 Meeting ID: 4509326156 One tap mobile: +16465189805,, 4509326156# US (New York) +16699006833,, 4509326156# US (San Jose) Dial by your location: +1 646 518 9805 (New York) +1 669 900 6833 (San Jose) Publish: July 28, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

DISTRICT V ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DAC V) (From Mile Marker 90.940 to the Dade/Monroe County Line and any Mainland portions of Monroe County) of the MONROE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL has an opening for a TOURIST RELATED BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVE - Shall be persons involved in business which is interdependent upon the tourist industry who have demonstrated an interest in tourist development but who shall not be employed in any position within the lodging industry (motels, hotels, recreational vehicle parks and other tourist accommodations and whose business is in the tax collection district for which they are applying).

Any person wishing to participate on the District V Advisory Committee of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council within the district so noted above, may request an application from the Administrative Office by calling (305) 296-1552 and submit an application to the address shown below: Monroe County Tourist Development Council 1201 White Street, Suite 102 Key West, FL 33040

NOTICE OF INTENTION TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF COUNTY ORDINANCE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN that on August 17, 2022, at 1:30 P.M., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, at the Harvey Government Center, 1200 Truman Ave, Key West, Florida, the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida, intends to consider adopting the following ordinance: AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, EXTENDING THE ONE CENT INFRASTRUCTURE SALES TAX, OTHERWISE DUE TO EXPIRE IN 2033, THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2048; PROVIDING LIMITS ON THE USE OF THE FUNDS AFTER 2018 UNLESS WASTEWATER PROJECTS ARE IN PROGRESS ANF FULLY FUNDED: PROVIDING THAT SUCH EXTENSION IS ONLY EFFECTIVE IF APPROVED

BY THE COUNTY ELECTORATE VOTING IN THE NOVEMBER 8, 2022 GENERAL ELECTION; PROVIDING FOR NOTIFICATION OF THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE IF THE TAX IS APPROVED BY THE ELECTORATE; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF ALL ORDINANCES INCONSISTENT HEREWITH; PROVIDING FOR INCORPORATION INTO THE MONROE COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. The proposed ordinance may be inspected by the public at the Monroe County website by

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, at 3:00 P.M., the Monroe County Purchasing Office will receive and open sealed responses for the following: EYW New Beacon Pole and Relocate Existing

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING The City of Marathon Parks and Recreation Department will hold a public meeting on the items below on Tuesday, August 16, 2022.

This meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Marathon Community Park, Main Pavilion, located at 200 Ocean, 36th St, Marathon, FL 33050

Please use the link below to join the webinar: When: Aug 17, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) https://mcbocc.zoom.us/j/82370285170 Or iPhone one-tap: US: +16465189805, 82370285170# or +16699006833, 82370285170# Or Telephone: Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 646 518 9805 or +1 669 900 6833 Webinar ID: 823 7028 5170 International numbers available: https://mcbocc.zoom.us/u/k8Rqkd6G2 If a person wishes to comment on a particular item on the public portion of the Agenda, when the webinar monitor and/or the Mayor calls for speakers on the item on which you wish to comment: a) If phoning in: Dial *9 to “raise your hand” to be recognized by the Zoom webinar monitor; b) If watching online: click on/open the live Zoom Webinar link, which link appears in both the published Agenda and Agenda Packet. When prompted, enter your email address and name to join the webinar and then select the “Raised Hand” feature that appears at the bottom of the Zoom webinar screen to be recognized by the webinar monitor. To report problems, please call (305) 872-8831 A person may submit written or other physical evidence on a particular agenda item for consideration at the BOCC meeting to: Lindsey Ballard, via email, to: ballard-lindsey@monroecounty-fl.gov. The documents must be received by 3:00 PM on Monday, August 15, 2022, and must include the submitter’s name, address, phone number, email address, and the agenda item number to which the documents refer.

Dated at Key West, Monroe County, Florida, this 21th day of June, 2022.

KEVIN MADOK, CPA, Clerk of the Circuit Court and ex officio Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida

305.743.0844

ITEM FOR PUBLIC MEETING: Application and project information for the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program (FRDAP) Grant.

A PUBLIC MEETING REGARDING The Florida Land and Recreation Grants staff administers grants to local governments through the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program (FRDAP).

This competitive, reimbursement grant program provides financial assistance for acquisition or development of land for public outdoor recreation.

Eligible participants include all county governments, municipalities in Florida and other legally constituted local governmental entities with the responsibility for providing outdoor recreational sites and facilities for the general public.

The projects to be discussed are demolition and installation of new tennis courts, and demolition and installation of new basketball courts at Marathon Community Park.

Interested parties may appear at the public meeting(s) and be heard with respect to the proposed items. Pursuant to Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes, if a person decides to appeal any decision made by the City Council with respect to any matter considered at such hearing or meeting, one will need a record of the proceedings and for such purpose that person may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made; such record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.

ADA Assistance: Anyone needing special assistance due to disability should contact the City of Marathon at 305-743-0033 at least two days prior thereto.

Publish: July 28, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

Publish: July 28, 2022, The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Wednesday, September 1, 2022, at 3:00 P.M., the Monroe County Purchasing Office will receive and open sealed responses for the following: UPDATES OF 2009 GEOSPATIAL LAND COVER DATASET AND TIER OVERLAY DISTRICT MAPS FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS Pursuant to F.S. 50.0211(3) (a), all published competitive solicitation notices can be viewed at: www. floridapublicnotices.com, a searchable Statewide repository for all published legal notices.

Requirements for submission and the selection criteria may be requested from DemandStar at www.demandstar.com OR www. monroecounty-fl.gov/bids . The Public Record is available upon request.

Monroe County Purchasing Department receives bids electronically. Please do not mail or attempt to deliver in person any sealed bids. Mailed/ physically delivered bids/ proposals/responses WILL NOT be accepted.

The Monroe County Purchasing Department hereby directs that bids be submitted via email to: OMB-BIDS@monroecounty-fl. gov, no later than 3:00P.M., on September 1, 2022. Please submit your confidential financial information in a SEPARATE EMAIL from your bid and required documents. Your subject line on

47

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES •

305.743.0844

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

both emails must read as follows: UPDATES OF 2009 GEOSPATIAL LAND COVER DATASET AND TIER OVERLAY DISTRICT MAPS FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS 9-1-2022 Files that do not contain this subject line WILL BE REJECTED. Please note that the maximum file size that will be accepted by email is 25MB. Please plan accordingly to ensure that your bid is not rejected due to the file size. Should your bid documents exceed 25MB, in advance of the bid opening, please email: ombpurchasing@monroecounty-fl. gov so accommodations for delivery of your bid can be made prior to the bid opening. Please be advised that it is the bidder’s sole responsibility to ensure delivery of their bid and waiting until the bid opening to address or confirm your bid submission delivery will result in your bid being rejected.

The bid opening for this solicitation will be held virtually, via the internet, at 3:00 P.M., on September 1, 2022. You may call in by phone or internet using the following: Join Zoom Meeting https://mcbocc.zoom. us/j/4509326156 Meeting ID: 4509326156 One tap mobile: +16465189805,, 4509326156# US (New York) +16699006833,, 4509326156# US (San Jose) Dial by your location: +1 646 518 9805 (New York) +1 669 900 6833 (San Jose) Publish: July 28, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

https://mcbocc.zoom. us/j/4509326156 Meeting ID: 4509326156 One tap mobile: +16465189805,, 4509326156# US (New York) +16699006833,, 4509326156# US (San Jose) Dial by your location: +1 646 518 9805 (New York) +1 669 900 6833 (San Jose) Publish: July 28, 2022

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: July 28, 2022.

Personal Representative: Dolia P. Valdes 109 Nautilus Drive Islamorada, Florida 33036 Attorney for Personal Representative: Robert K. Miller, Esq. Attorney Florida Bar Number: 359173 Cunningham Miller Rhyne PA 10075 Overseas Hwy PO Box 500938 Marathon, FL 33050 Telephone: (305) 743-9428 Fax: (305) 743-8800 E-Mail: service@floridakeyslaw. com Secondary E-Mail: rmiller@ floridakeyslaw.com Publish: July 28 & August 4, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION CASE NO.: 22-CP-144-K IN RE: ESTATE OF CYNTHIA KATHRYN PHILLIPS (A/K/A CYNTHIA K. PHILLIPS A/K/A CYNTHIA PHILLIPS) Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Cynthia Kathryn Phillips (a/k/a Cynthia K. Phillips a/k/a Cynthia Phillips), deceased, whose date of death was December 23, 2021, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, Florida 33040. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is: July 28, 2022.

Personal Representative: Daniel M. Szewczyk 1564 Nantucket Court Palm Harbor, Florida 34683 Attorney for Personal Representative: Tanya Bell, Esq. Florida Bar Number 52924 Sarah E. Voss, Esq. Florida Bar Number 1025128 Bell Law Firm, P.A. 2364 Boy Scout Road, Suite 200 Clearwater, Florida 33763 Telephone: (727) 287-6316 Fax: (727) 287-6317 TanyaBell@BellLawFirmFlorida. com Svoss@BellLawFirmFlorida.com AMullins@BellLawFirmFlorida. com Publish: July 28 & August 4, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

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: July 28, 2022.

Personal Representative: Suzanne Lewis 948 Joshua Dr. Burleson, TX 76028 Attorney for Personal Representative: VICTORIA MIRANDA, ESQUIRE Florida Bar No. 1015363 E-Mail: VMiranda@HLYlaw.com HERSHOFF, LUPINO & YAGEL, LLP 9350 S Dixie Highway, Suite 1470 Miami, FL 33156 and 88539 Overseas Highway Tavernier, FL 33070 Publish: July 28 & August 4, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Thursday, September 7, 2022, at 3:00 P.M., the Monroe County Purchasing Office will receive and open sealed responses for the following: Art in Public Places – Biannual Request for Qualifications Pursuant to F.S. 50.0211(3) (a), all published competitive solicitation notices can be viewed at: www. floridapublicnotices.com, a searchable Statewide repository for all published legal notices.

Requirements for submission and the selection criteria may be requested from DemandStar at www.demandstar.com OR www. monroecounty-fl.gov/bids. The Public Record is available upon request.

Monroe County Purchasing Department receives bids electronically. Please do not mail or attempt to deliver in person any sealed bids. Mailed/ physically delivered bids/ proposals/responses WILL NOT be accepted. The Monroe County Purchasing Department hereby directs that bids be submitted via email to: OMBBIDS@monroecounty-fl.gov, no later than 3:00P.M., on September 7, 2022. Please submit your confidential financial information in a SEPARATE EMAIL from your bid and required documents.

Your subject line on both emails must read as follows: Art in Public Places – Biannual Request for Qualifications 9-7-2022 Files that do not contain this subject line WILL BE REJECTED. Please note that the maximum file size that will be accepted by email is 25MB. Please plan accordingly to ensure that your bid is not rejected due to the file size. Should your bid documents exceed 25MB, in advance of the bid opening, please email: ombpurchasing@monroecounty-fl. gov so accommodations for delivery of your bid can be made prior to the bid opening. Please be advised that it is the bidder’s sole responsibility to ensure delivery of their bid and waiting until the bid opening to address or confirm your bid submission delivery will result in your bid being rejected.

The bid opening for this solicitation will be held virtually, via the internet, at 3:00 P.M., on September 7, 2022. You may call in by phone or internet using the following: Join Zoom Meeting

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 22-CP-89-P IN RE: ESTATE OF JOSEPH V. MUPO, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of JOSEPH V. MUPO, deceased, whose date of death was May 20, 2021, File Number 22-CP-89-P is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is Plantation Key Government Center, 88820 Overseas Highway, Plantation Key, FL 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice has been served must file their claims with this Court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE TIME 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 first publication of this notice is: July 28, 2022.

Personal Representative: NANCY MUPO 94220 Overseas Highway, Unit 8D Tavernier, FL 33070 Attorney for Personal Representative: JOE A. CATARINEAU Florida Bar Number: 0517291 91750 Overseas Highway Tavernier, FL 33070 Telephone: (305) 852-4833 Publish: July 28 & August 4, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 22-CP-78-P IN RE: ESTATE OF JORGE VALDES HUET, a/k/a JORGE VALDES Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Jorge Valdes Huet, a/k/a Jorge Valdes, deceased, whose date of death was April 13, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88820 Overseas Highway, Plantation Key, Florida 33070.

The names and addresses of the personal 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

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 22-CP-000187-K IN RE: THE ESTATE OF EVELYN VIRGINIA CASPER A/K/A EVELYN F. CASPER, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of EVELYN VIRGINIA CASPER a/k/a EVELYN F. CASPER, deceased, whose date of death was May 2, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for MONROE County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE 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 the first publication of this notice is July 28, 2022.

Personal Representative: CORINNE CASPER BROWN 485 Nolichuckey Road Greeneville, Tennessee 37743 Attorney for Personal Representative: RODOLFO SUAREZ, JR., ESQ. Attorney for Petitioner Florida Bar Number: 013201 Suarez Law 9100 South Dadeland Blvd., Ste. 1620 Miami, FL 33156 Telephone: (305) 448-4244 Fax: (305) 448-4211 E-Mail: rudy@suarezlawyers.com Publish: July 28 & August 4, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION CASE NO.: 22-CP-000072-P IN RE: ESTATE OF MARJORIE I. STRIVINGS a/k/a MARJORIE MARIE ISMERT STRIVINGS, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of MARJORIE I. STRIVINGS a/k/a MARJORIE MARIE ISMERT STRIVINGS, deceased, whose date of death was December 26, 2021, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88820 Overseas Highway, 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

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION CASE NO: 44-2022-CP-000057-M IN RE: THE ESTATE OF JAMES R. MCCAIN, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of James R. McCain, deceased, whose date of death was March 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 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: July 28, 2022.

Personal Representative: Marc R. Gaylord 12000 SE Dixie Highway Hobe Sound, FL 33455 Attorney for Personal Representative: Ford T. Dwyer Attorney Florida Bar Number: 1015835 Law Offices of Marc R. Gaylord, P.A. 12000 SE Dixie Highway Hobe Sound, FL 33455 Telephone: (772) 545-7740 Facsimile: (772) 545-7782 E-Mail: ford@marcgaylordlaw. com Secondary E-Mail: marc@ marcgaylordlaw.com

LEGAL NOTICES Publish: July 28 & August 4, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 22-CP-62-M DIVISION: MIDDLE KEYS IN RE: ESTATE OF JERRY W. BRADFORD Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Jerry W. Bradford, deceased, whose date of death was May 31, 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: July 21, 2022.

Personal Representative: Alice A. Bradford 8102 Gulf of Mexico Blvd.

Marathon, Florida 33050 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: July 21 & 28, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 22-CP-132-K DIVISION: LOWER KEYS IN RE: ESTATE OF ROBERT T. SMITH Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Robert T. Smith, deceased, whose date of death was February 21, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for MONROE County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, Florida 33040. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

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

LEGAL NOTICES 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: July 21, 2022.

Personal Representative: Joshua W. Hyman 321 Booth Ave. Englewood, New Jersey 07631 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: July 21 & 28, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 2022-CP-76-P IN RE: ESTATE OF RICHARD G. BECKMANN Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of RICHARD G. BECKMANN, deceased, whose date of death was May 1, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88820 Overseas Highway, Plantation Key, FL 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representatives and the personal representatives’ attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIOD SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is: July 21, 2022.

Co-Personal Representative: MICHAEL J. BECKMANN 3920 N Hwy. A1A, 401 Hutchinson Island, FL 34949 Co-Personal Representive: BARBARA BACKHUS 155 N Granja St. Clewiston, FL 33440 Attorney for Co-Personal Representatives: URBAN J. W. PATTERSON, ESQ. Email: ujwplaw@gmail.com Secondary Email: ujwplawfirm@ yahoo.com Florida Bar No. 382035 Urban J. W. Patterson, P.A. P.O. Box 783 Islamorada, Florida 33036 Telephone: 305-664-5065 Publish: July 21 & 28, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

48

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA KEY WEST DIVISION IN ADMIRALTY CASE NO.: 22-cv-10027-KMM IN THE MATTER OF: THE COMPLAINT OF KEY WEST JETSKI, INC. AS OWNER OF THE YAMAHA PERSONAL WATERCRAFT (HULL ID# YAMA0735A121) ITS ENGINES, TACKLE, APPURTENANCES, EQUIPMENT, ETC. IN A CAUSE FOR EXONTERATION FROM OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY, Petitioner.

MONITION TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: THE MARSHALL OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FOR THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA: WHEREAS, a Complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, on the 18th day of April, 2022 by the Petitioners, KEY WEST JETSKI, INC., as owners of a Yamaha Pleasure Watercraft bearing the Hull Identification Number YAMA0735A121, have filed a Complaint pursuant to Title 46, United States Code, Sections 30501-30502, claiming the right to Exoneration From or Limitation of Liability for all claims allegedly resulting from an accident which occurred on or about January 5, 2022 in the navigable waterways of Key West, Florida, as more fully set forth in the Complaint. For those reasons and causes set forth in the Complaint, Petitioners pray for the issuance of a Monition and Injunction, and that all persons or corporations claiming for any and all loss, damage, injury or destruction caused by or resulting from the incident set forth in the Complaint be cited to appear and file their respective claims with the Clerk of this Court, and to make due process thereof and citing them to file their answers to the Complaint and all proceedings to be had, and if it shall appear that Petitioner is not liable for any loss, damage, destruction or injury, it may be so finally decreed by this Court; YOU ARE THEREFORE COMMANDED TO CITE ALL PERSONS OR CORPORATIONS in respect to which Petitioner seeks limitation to file respective claims with the Clerk of this Court and to serve on or to mail to the attorneys for Petitioners, Campbell Johnston Clark, LLP, 2600 Douglas Road, Suite 508, Coral Gables, FL 33134, copies thereof on or before the 1st day of August 2022, and citing such claimants to appear and answer the Complaint herein on or before the last named day or within such further time as the Court may grant, and once completed to then make return to the Court together with this Writ.

Dated at, Florida on this 1st day of July, 2022.

Angela E. Noble, Clerk United States District Court Southern District of Florida By: Mary Etienne Deputy Clerk Publish: July 7, 14, 21 & 28, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

311 JOHNSON ROAD, LOT 79 SUGARLOAF KEY, FLORIDA 33042 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 the Petitioner/Husband, RONALD J. RIDGE, through his counsel of record Samuel J. Kaufman, Esq., The Law Offices of Samuel J. Kaufman, P.A., whose address is 3130 Northside Drive, Key West, Florida 33040 on or before August 8, 2022, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, before service on the Petitioner/ Husband or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition.

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

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

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

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

Dated: June 30, 2022 Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Riza Hall Deputy Clerk Publish: July 7, 14, 21 & 28, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

CITRUS CAPITAL HOLLDINGS FBO SEC PTY holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate Number: 2019/388 Alt Key No: 1142832 Date of Issuance: June 1, 2019 RE: 00113160-000100 Description of Property: 21 66 29 LITTLE TORCH KEY PT GOVT LOT 2 OR-635-423 OR8471316/1321 OR884-2218/2219C/T OR898-697 OR1304-2106/07/ TR OR1441-1781 OR1549-234 OR2169-593/94C/T OR2357773/74C OR2357-773/74C OR2412-1813/1814C OR26141340/41 OR2701-2342/43 OR2701-2344/45 OR27581542/43 Name in which assessed: ON THE ROAD LLC All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.

Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder at the Old Courthouse Steps: 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL Sale Date: August 31st, 2022 Sale Time: 10:00am Dated this 6th day of June 2022 KEVIN MADOK CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk Publish: July 14, 21 & 28 and August 4, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 2022-DR-156-K DIVISION: FAMILY IN RE: THE MARRIAGE OF: RONALD J. RIDGE, Petitioner/Husband, and, TIFFANY ANN RIDGE, Respondent/Wife.

AMENDED NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE (NO CHILD OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT) TO: TIFFANY ANN RIDGE Respondent/Wife LAST KNOWN ADDRESS:

NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2022-25 Notice is hereby given that JOHN & RAEANN BERGE holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate Number: 2018/1218 Alt Key No: 1453668 Date of Issuance: June 1, 2018 RE: 00370500-000000 Description of Property: CRAINS SUBD OF GRASSY KEY PB 1-51 PT SECS 24-25-26 TWP 65S R 33E LOT 3 SQR 33 G56-473 OR466-731 OR1600-2271D/C OR2048-1374/76 OR2128-81Q/C Name in which assessed: PATTON SEAN ALLEN All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.

Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder at the Old Courthouse Steps: 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL Sale Date: August 31st, 2022 Sale Time: 10:00am Dated this 6th day of June 2022 KEVIN MADOK CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk Publish: July 14, 21 & 28 and August 4, 2022 The Weekly Newspapers NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2022-26 Notice is hereby given that CITRUS CAPITAL HOLDINGS, LLC

COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR RENT Warehouse space for rent in Marathon. 1000 sq. ft. on 1st floor & 500 sq ft. on 2nd floor - 1500 sq. ft total. Call 305-481-7557 EMPLOYMENT UPPER KEYS Boat Rental Business in Tavernier looking for someone w/exp. docking & launching boat in tight quarters. Mechanical exp. a plus.

Open til 8p.

Compensation based on experience. 305-896-2219 Hiring excavator operators, deckhands, & boat operators in Key Largo.

40/hrs per week MondayFriday.

305-440-3304 Shell World Key Largo, seeking engaging, dependable, experienced person(s) to work with the team at Mile Marker 97.5, Part and Full time opportunities available, some weekend and evening hours.

Opportunities for advancement, great benefits, competitive salary and flexible hours.

Please stop by and fill out an application, drop off resume or Fax to 3 0 5 - 8 5 2 - 9 6 3 9 .

AUTOS WANTED

EMPLOYMENT

ALL YEARS! Junk or Used.

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

MIDDLE KEYS

AUTOS FOR SALE 2005 Honda Civic LX color: Gold.

Located in Big Pine Key. New alternator, battery, brakes, radiator & A/C $4,000 OBO 336-894-8126 PLACE YOUR AUTO FOR SALE AD here for only $25.00/week for up to five lines of copy. Call 305-7430844 TODAY!

NOW HIRING - Full Time Seafood Packers/Graders.

Competitive Wage. Apply in person at Keys Fisheries Fish House, 3390 Gulfview Ave, Marathon. EOE DFWP Marathon Auto Air looking for Counter Help - full-time. Pay based on experience. Apply in person at 2525 Overseas Highway, Marathon. 305-289-9884 Pancho's Fuel Dock in Marathon is looking for a part-time cashier Thu/Fri/Sat. Please call 305-743-2281.

BOATS FOR SALE 2001 ProLine Express 30' located in Key Colony Beach. 2016 twin 250hp Suzuki 4 stroke, less than 75 hours. 300 gal. gas tank, freshwater tank, elec. head, cabin sleeps two. $40,000 954-849-5650 2008 Triumph 19.5' 140hp Suzuki 200 hours, bimini top, electronics, covers, no rips on cushions, live well, trolling motor, push pole, life jackets, and trailer. Well maintained.

Located in Marathon. $15,400 Call 305-393-3439 SOLD IN LESS THAN ONE WEEK!!!

PLACE YOUR BOAT FOR SALE AD here for only $25.00/week for up to five lines of copy. Call 305-7430844 TODAY!

Help Wanted: Two Conchs Bait and Tackle in Marathoncompetitive wages and working 3040 hrs a week. Contact George 305-289-0199 CDL Drivers needed.

Must have a clean record & drug free. We are offering competitive wages. Please apply in person at Discount Rock & Sand, 10500 Aviation Blvd, Unit 2, Marathon.

City of Marathon Current Job Openings: Part-time Marina Custodian/Maintenance and Marina Tech/ Pump Out Captain. Full Benefits. EOE Please see City website for details w w w. c i . m a r a t h o n . f l. u s

305.743.0844

EMPLOYMENT

HOBBIES/COLLECT.

HOUSING FOR RENT

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 404-2193359 and ask for Dave.

PRIVATE COLLECTOR WANTS Rolex, Dive Watches and Pilot Watches.

Old Model Military Clocks & Watches.

Call 305-743-4578

1 BR/1 BA Efficiency for rent in Marathon.

3-4 months lease. Own entrance. 2 parking spots. $1,350/mo. 305-417-0346

PLACE YOUR HOBBIES /COLLECTIBLES AD here for only $25.00/week for up to five lines of copy.

Call 305-743-0844 TODAY!

RV SITE FOR RENT HOUSING FOR RENT

Boat rental company in Marathon needs a mechanic. Boat experience a plus. Call 305-481-7006 Also hiring a boat cleaner call 305-481-7006.

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 Come Join Our Family and Have Fun At Work!

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

Apply in person at Castaway Restaurant, end of 15th Street, Oceanside, Marathon or email: lobstercrawl@gmail.com Immediate openings for experienced plumbers and helpers (with or without experience - we will train the right person).

Must have a valid driver's license & clean driving record. Please apply in person at 10700 5th Avenue Gulf, Marathon or email resume to: eerpinc@gmail.com |Property Manager, fulltime, Key Colony Beach, Sea Isle Condo 1101 West Ocean Drive, Salary 65K-70K, resume to HardingThomasL@aol. com, or call 734-476-0531 HIRED IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!!

PLACE YOUR HELP WANTED AD here for only $25.00/week for up to five lines of copy. Call 305-7430844 TODAY!

PLACE YOUR HOUSING FOR RENT AD here for only $25.00/week for up to five lines of copy. Call 305-7430844 TODAY!

Available for 1 person 2 1/2 rooms + 8' X 22' screened porch.

All utilities incl. wifi, satellite TV, washer/dryer. 2nd house from ocean.Offstreet parking.Private & quiet. MM 96 Key Largo. $1,850/month F/L/S 3 0 5 - 8 5 3 - 3 7 7 9 Large Studio Bedroom Suite in Conch House in Marathon - Funrnished. $1,600/month includes utilities for 1 person.

Second person additional $$ for utiilities. F/L/S No Pets. 305-610-8002

RV Site For Rent in Marathon. Full Hookup.

Very quiet, gated property.

Dock available. No pets. $1600/mo.6 month minimum. 305-610-8002 Lot for Rent - Key By the Sea Park in Marathon. $950.00/month - yearly only.

305-849-0507 RENTED IN LESS THAN ONE WEEK!!!

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

YARD SALES

3 BR/2 BA home PLACE YOUR YARD for rent in the Middle SALE AD here for only Keys. 75' premium dock. $25.00/week for up to $3,500/month utilities. five lines of copy. Call URGENTE+  NECESITAMOS ASISTENTES F/L/S 786-229-0228 305-743-0844 TODAY!

DE SALUD HHA EN EL ÁREA DE KEY LARGO

URGENTE  NECESITAMOS ASISTENTES DE SALUD HHA EN EL ÁREA DE KEY LARGO Debe poder hablar Español.

Tiempo completo disponible.

Buscando asistentes de salud en el hogar compasivos y para brindar servicios de atención personal a los pacientes en sus hogares en las áreas de Cayo Largo (Key Largo).

Lamar o mandar texto a: 786- 488-8806 / 786 -234-0786

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 / JULY 28, 2022

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES 305.743.0844 • CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • •305.743.0844 WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT OPERATOR “C” LOCATION: DUCK KEY

The Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority’s WASTEWATER DIVISION IS GROWING, and we need a WWTP OPERATOR 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: Duck Key. Salary Range: $52,645.98 - $84,011.20.

Apply online at www.fkaa.com/employment

EEO, VPE, ADA, DFW

Keys Energy Services, in Key West, is accepting applications for the following position in its Fleets & Facilities Section:

HOME HEALTH AIDES HHA NEEDED IN ISLAMORADA AND MARATHON Full Time / Part Time available Must be able to speak Spanish! Seeking compassionate care givers (HHA-Home Health Aides) to provide personal care services to patients in their homes.

Tiempo completo y tiempos medio disponible Se necesita empleados para asistir a personas mayores en sus hogares en las áreas de Islamorada y Marathon. Debe poder hablar español Tel: 786-488-8806

Started as a Teller Growth Opportunities Plus Great Benefits!

The Turtle Hospital in Marathon Join our team! Full and part-time Educational Program Guides/Gift Shop Sales. Public speaking & retail sales experience helpful. $16.00/hour to start. Send resume to: TurtleHospitalMarathon@gmail.com

DUI Evaluator Part-time – Marathon

Yani Garcia AVP/Branch Manager

Health, Dental, Vision & Life Insurance Paid Time Off Starting at 25 days per year

Starting pay rate for this position, depending on qualifications and experience: $27.17/hr. - $30.43/hr.

For more information, including job duties and required qualifications, and to apply for the job, please visit their website at www.KeysEnergy.com.

KEYS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

KEYS promotes a Drug-Free Workplace.

Certain service members, veterans, the spouses and family members of service members and veterans, receive preference and priority in employment, and are encouraged to apply for positions being filled.

NOW HIRING

ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST - FULL TIME WITH BENEFITS. 40hrs per week at the Keys Marine Laboratory (KML), Layton, Florida.

KML supports research and academic programs conducted by universities/colleges throughout Florida, the US, and internationally. Duties include greeting scientists, faculty, and students; preparing invoices and correspondence; data entry; courier and delivery services; assist with scheduling and group arrivals. To apply for this opening visit: Access Careers@USF and search for Administrative Specialist, Job ID 31352.

AUTO DIESEL VEHICLE TECHNICIAN

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.

KELLY ELECTRIC in Marathon is looking for an experienced Electrician who wants to become a Master Electrician & more.

Call or text 305-743-6098 or email: kelly6098@aol.com 305-743-6098 Kelly6098@aol.com Lic # EC 525

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

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

Paid Time Off for Volunteering

SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS NEEDED!

Tuition Reimbursement Competitive Salaries

Monroe County School District

401K Employer Match Quarterly Cash Profit Sharing Great Hours

Apply Online at KeysBank.com/Careers

Member FDIC

EOE-M/F/V/D

Equal Housing Lender

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

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

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

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

OPEN POSITIONS TAVERNIER MARINERS HOSPITAL - Environmental Tech, $5,000 Bonus - Line Cook - Occupational Health Registered Nurse, $20,000 Bonus - Pool Group Exercise Instructor - Pool Physical Therapist - Registered Nurse Case Manager - Registered Nurse, Emergency - Registered Nurse, Intensive Care Unit, $20,000 Bonus - Registered Respiratory Therapist, $15,000 Bonus MARATHON FISHERMEN’S COMMUNITY HOSPITAL - Cook, $5,000 Bonus - Dietitian, $5,000 Bonus - ED Team Coordinator - Floor Technician, $5,000 Bonus - Mechanic, $5,000 Bonus - Medical Assistant, $5,000 Bonus - Patient Experience Advocate - Phlebotomist, $10,000 Bonus - Pool Physical Therapist, Physical Therapy - Registered Nurse, Emergency, $20,000 Bonus - Registered Nurse, Surgery, $20,000 Bonus - Security Officer

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

PART TIME / FULL TIME OPPORTUNITIES W/FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES BELL/VALET Offering a $500 sign on bonus for applicants hired through 8/31/22 Front Desk Agent Reservations Agent remote and in person roles available HOUSEKEEPING Public Area and Room Attendant Offering a $500 sign on bonus for applicants hired through 8/31/22 F&B Server Assistant Restaurant Greeter SPA TERRE AT OCEAN KEY Licensed Massage Therapist Licensed Nail Technician MANAGEMENT OPENINGS Sous Chef WE ARE EXCITED TO OFFER REDUCED-COST EMPLOYEE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES IN OLD TOWN! 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.

GENERAL SURGEON BAPTIST HEALTH SOUTH FLORIDA INC. in Miami, FL and Tavernier, FL seeks a General Surgeon to follow established surgical techniques during operations.

- Examine patients to obtain information on medical condition and surgical risk; - Operate on patients; - Analyze patient’s medical history, medication allergies, physical condition, and exam results to verify operation’s necessity and to determine best procedure; - Prescribe preoperative and postoperative treatments and procedures; - Diagnose bodily disorders and orthopedic conditions and provide treatments.

-

Must have a Medical Degree (US or foreign equivalent); 1 yr. exp. as a General Surgeon; State of Florida MD License; DEA License; Board Certified in Surgery.

Employment requires 50% of time to be spent at Baptist Hospital of Miami in Miami, FL and 50% of time to be spent at Mariner’s Hospital in Tavernier, FL. Employer requires pre-employment physical, drug screen and background check (including a criminal background check).

Resumes to Yussi Medina at YussiM@baptisthealth.net

The Guidance/Care Center, Inc. a division of

“Uplifting the human spirit since 1973”

THE GUIDANCE/CARE CENTER, Inc.

IS HIRING!

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

KEY WEST

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

MARATHON

Peer Support Specialist/BHT (FT) Care Coordinator Behavioral Health Therapist, PT/FT (Child, Adult) RNs and LPNs (3 shifts) (PT/FT & per diem) Advocate (PT) Driver (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

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

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 / JULY 28, 2022

Serving Ipswich Whole Bellied Clams & Maine Lobster Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives.

(305) 294-0102 11:30 AM – 10 PM 629 Duval St, Key West When you’re on Long Island be sure to visit our new location in Wantagh.

Call ahead for Daily Specials 516-900-1400.

LIC# CCC1329991

LIC# CGC032862

BEST CONTRACTOR NOMINATIONS

VOTED BEST CONTRACTOR 5 YEARS IN A ROW

Second Annual

MIKE GARCIA 305.304.4188 CONCHROOFING@GMAIL.COM WWW.CONCHCONSTRUCTIONANDROOFING.COM

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

NOW HIRING BARISTAS! SCAN TO APPLY NOW

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

$14 - $16 HOUR (+ TIPS) ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITH A NEW BUSINESS

Rochelle McEntyre, CEO 3706 N Roosevelt Blvd Key West | 305.517.6613 rhnmc.org

FIND US AT: 7009 SHRIMP RD.

Providing Affordable Medical and Dental Services to Monroe County Residents SLIDING FEE SCALE AVAILABLE FOR THE UNINSURED

HIRING HAPPY

HOUR

FULL TIME PART TIME VARYING SHIFTS

A JOB FAIR WITH DRINKS & SNACKS

EMPLOYEE QUARTER of the

Congratulations

Rachel Thieman Thank you for your outstanding performance, dedication, and expertise!

305-743-7130 | DAsignSource.com

11500 Overseas Hwy, Marathon | MM 53 |_______________

AUGUST 9, 2022 | 5PM-7PM

GRAND BALLROOM | CASA MARINA KEY WEST 1500 REYNOLDS ST., KEY WEST, FL 33040

MANAGEMENT & HOURLY POSITIONS AVAILABLE

APPLY IN PERSON OR ONLINE at jobs.Hilton.com.

EOE AA/DISABLED/VETERAN

53

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

It’s time to get back to the basics of good recycling 1

2

Empty bottles, cans, paper and cardboard.

3 Keep food and liquid out.

Recyclables go directly into the cart.

Serving the Keys for 20 Years!

ARTISTIC CONCRETE DESIGN

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

NEED A BAGGSTER?

Purchase one from your local hardware stores, then call the 800 number to set up a pickup.

ROLLOFF CONTAINERS and PORTABLE TOILETS available.

Call us at 305.296.8297.

EXPERT CARDIAC CARE Licensed & Insured SP#3136

BEDSIDE TO BEDSIDE CARE PRIVATE MEDICAL FLIGHTS WITH AIR TREK AIR AMBULANCE FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1978!

SAME OR NEXT DAY APPOINTMENTS

• The ONLY Ivy League affiliated cardiology practice in South Florida, backed by Columbia University.

• Close to you with TWO convenient locations in the Keys

KEY WEST MARATHON

• Named one of Healthgrades TOP 5% of hospitals in America for 2020 and 2021 • Aircraft are set up as flying ICU’s • International and Domestic medical flights • Licensed and Insured • Medical escorts • All aircraft are pet friendly

1-800-MED-JETS (633-5387) WWW.MEDJETS.COM

CARDIOLOGY OF THE KEYS Physician and location subject to availability.

305.674.CARE

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

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

CGC1523838

SPALLING

ALL KEYS GLASS

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL Windows • Doors

305-743-7800

Authorized Dealer

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

EXPERTS

2728 North Roosevelt Blvd.

Overseas Market Key West

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

GENERAL CONTRACTORS & ENGINEERS

SERGIO CASTILLO

Proud member of:

INTERNATIONAL

CONCRETE REPAIR INSTITUTE

WE SELL EVERYTHING FOR YOUR HOME

VP / Branch Manager NMLS #1546458

305.394.5100 ext 1004 scastillo@gulfatlanticbank.com

We Also Repair & Replace Patio Door Screens

2222 N. Roosevelt Blvd.

Key West, Florida 33040

305-998-8953

NMLS# 1977396

Insured • Professional • Reliable

OVERSEAS MARKET - 2730 N. ROOSEVELT BLVD KEY WEST - 305.296.4066 Mon-Fri 9am-7pm - Sat 9am-2pm - Sun Closed

LICENSED & INSURED CBC1253572 Appliance and Air Conditioning

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

POOL DESIGN CONSTRUCTION-REMODELS-POOL DECKS

COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL

Senior Loan Officer NMLS #913453

305.394.5100 ext 1005 sbriening@gulfatlanticbank.com

CONSTRUCTION

FREE ESTIMATES!

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

SHANE BRIENING

POOLS & DECKS BY

NEW CONSTRUCTION | REMODELS ADDITIONS | HISTORIC RENOVATIONS

305.304.6621

2222 N. Roosevelt Blvd.

Key West, Florida 33040

ECICONSTRUCTION@YMAIL.COM LICENSED & INSURED CPC#1459641/CBC#1253572

NMLS# 1977396

_social media management _search engine optimization _custom website design Residential Commercial Marine

Automotive Installation Specialist

Todd Gibbins 305-393-1092

Chad Cossairt 305-340-8392

overseasmediagroup.com 305.906.0272

Lic No. SP1481

Only $57 Puts Your Business Card Here

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

KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022

FAMILY FOOD & FUN LIVE MUSIC DAILY 5-8PM

LIVE MUSIC DAILY 5-8PM

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