Key West Weekly 22-1208

Four-bedroom, three-bathroom home with pool. Enter this home and immediately be drawn to the verdant backyard views with your own private pool accessible through the new wall of sliding glass doors. An ideal space for entertaining or getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city, which lies just minutes away. This four-bedroom home is complete with a dining area, open kitchen, and home office, including a private guest or rental suite in the rear of the home. The house has been newly painted inside and out. The entire yard is planted with St. Augustine grass, and the back privacy wall is flanked with Areca Palms and a lovely Mango tree. With off-street covered parking, an outdoor entertainment area with TV, a new central a/c unit, a private laundry room, and a beautiful in-ground pool, this home has everything that island life has to offer.

KEY WEST | $1,265,000 | Listing ID: 603291

Bob Cardenas, Managing Broker Each office is independently owned and operated.

5450 MacDonald Ave. No.5

Key West, FL 33040 Office: 305.453.6928 www.keysweekly.com

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WHO APPLIED TO BE KEY WEST’S NEXT CITY MANAGER?

KEYS WEEKLY OBTAINS LIST OF 43 APPLICANTS AFTER PUBLIC RECORD DEBATE

MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

Forty-three people have applied for the Key West city manager position, including a few locally familiar names — former mayor Morgan McPherson, former planning director Thaddeus Cohen and retired Army Col. Abe Conn.

(Additional applicants may be local residents, but due to potential similar ity in names, the Keys Weekly cannot confirm them until we receive the ap plicants’ full resumes.)

The Keys Weekly received the list of applicants just after 5 p.m. on Dec. 5, a week after filing a public record request for the information.

“The full applications will be provided after their social security numbers have been redacted and any other sensitive information not subject to the public records law. Have a nice evening,” states Monday’s email from the Key West city clerk’s office.

Some city officials and search consultant Dona Higginbotham of The Mercer Group, which specializes in executive recruitment for Florida cities and counties, initially declined to release the list of applicants. They cited an agreed-upon timeline that would have provided the applicant list to the search committee appointed to evalu ate candidates on Dec. 15.

Key West City Attorney Shawn Smith emphasized in repeated emails to Higginbotham, Mayor Teri Johnston and the city commissioners that the city’s refusal to release the requested applicant list violated the state’s public record laws.

The fact that applications were sent to a third-party consultant (Higginbo tham at The Mercer Group) rather than directly to the city did not change their status as public records under state law, Smith wrote in an email, warning Higginbotham and city officials of po tential civil and criminal penalties.

In examining a list of job open ings advertised on The Mercer Group’s website, the Keys Weekly noted that other listings for government jobs in Florida — Cape Coral building official, Fort Myers city manager and Sewall’s Point Town Manager — all include a statement at the bottom telling poten tial applicants, “Resumes are subject to the provisions of Florida’s public record laws.”

The Key West city manager job posting includes no such statement.

The Keys Weekly has asked Hig ginbotham, Mayor Teri Johnston and City Manager Patti McLauchlin, who retires in July, about the discrepancy. The Keys Weekly also pointed out that the Key West job posting describes the city as a “commission-manager” form of government. But the city charter describes Key West as a city manager form of government, which McLauchlin confirmed on Monday morning.

McLauchlin responded promptly to our email the morning of Dec. 5, writing, “The public record request has been sent to (Higginbotham) and the information will be sent to all who have requested it. Key West is a city manager form of government. I will make sure we have a correction with the Mercer Group.”

Higginbotham had not replied to the Keys Weekly’s question about the public record disclaimer that is absent from the Key West job listing as of 6 p.m. Dec. 5.

But now on to the applicant list for Key West city manager.

The list was sent at 5 p.m. Dec. 5 to the mayor, commissioners, search committee members and other local media outlets.

Following is the list of applicants for Key West city manager. The job description posted online seeks a candidate with a degree in public ad ministration, business administration, finance or a related field. It also seeks a candidate with at least five years of local government management experi ence.

CITY MANAGER APPLICANTS

Troy Bell

Raymond Bossert

David Burke

Tina Burns

Albert Childress

Thaddeus Cohen

Abraham Conn David Couch Ken Decker

Jason Eisenbeis

Jerry Gabrielatos

Brian Geoghegan

Robert Haverty

Stanley Hawthorne

Lisa Hendrickson

Alfonso Jefferson Jr.

Travis E. Kendall

Don King

William Lawrence

Andrew Linko

Morgan McPherson

John Manning

Benjamin Marchant

Paul Martin

Michael Metheny

Blake Moorehead

Joe Neeb

John Ogren

Richard Olson

Raymond Palmer Gregory Parker

Carlo M. Pilgrim

Rick Rudometkin

Ron Russo

Anthony Schembri

Michael Silverman

Harry Still

Randy Stoval

James Tierney

Phyllis Tynes

Fred Vella

Robert Zienkowski

George Zoukee

75Everglades National Park celebrated its 75th anniversary on Dec. 6. The park was dedicated on Dec. 6, 1947 in Everglades City. A rededication ceremony held on Dec. 3 welcomed officials throughout South Florida to celebrate the occa sion and view the newly renovated Guy Bradley Visitor Center.

Renowned artist Alexei Butirskiy is in Key West this week for painting demos and a show at Key West Gallery, 601 Duval St. See page 8.

KEY WEST COMMISSION MEETING GETS CRANKY

NEW COMMISSIONER’S FIRST SESSION WAS CITY ATTORNEY’S LAST

MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com

The Dec. 6 Key West city commission meeting got snarly during a two-hour discussion of the pocket park at the top of Duval Street and the neighbor ing Southernmost Mansion, which paid to build the park four years ago and still pays to maintain it.

It was the last commission meeting for City Attorney Shawn Smith and the first for newly sworn-in Commissioner Lissette Carey, who was well-prepared and decisive on the dais.

Carey voted with the 5-to-2 majority to approve a lease amendment for the South ernmost Mansion, which is owned by local attorney Michael Halpern, that would leave things as-is at the top of Duval Street.

The contention goes back more than four years, when Halpern sought to convert the southernmost block of Duval Street into a pedestrian plaza, or pocket park. The area had been plagued by flooding, seaweed and cleanliness issues, and included metered parking spots that backed into an active road.

Halpern offered to pay for the conver sion to a pedestrian plaza, and convinced city officials also to allow him to place cafe tables with 116 seats on the plaza for use by his then-new Seaside Cafe at the Mansion. In his lease with the city, Halpern agreed to pay the city 6.5% of gross revenues from the cafe seating at the plaza. In addition, Halpern and the resort restaurant across the street agreed to spend about $400,000 each on drainage improvements to the area.

The cafe seating in the plaza never came to fruition due to the continuing seaweed and flooding issues. So Halpern moved the seats onto his private property at the South ernmost Mansion and Seaside Cafe.

Mayor Teri Johnston has been critical of Halpern and outgoing City Attorney Shawn Smith for Halpern’s lack of payments of the 6.5% for the past four years. Halpern said the cafe tables were never able to be used on the city’s property and thus he owes the city no money. He requested a lease amend ment that would eliminate the 6.5% require ment, as he is not using or making money from city property.

The requested lease change prompted backlash on Dec. 6 from Johnston and Com missioner Jimmy Weekley, who both voted against the lease amendment.

“So he gets the tables and chairs on pri vate property and the city gets hoodwinked,” Weekley said, adding that Halpern had moved the tables onto private property with out proper city authorization, as he is only licensed for 20 seats on private property. As such, Weekley claimed Halpern owed the city impact fees for each additional seat in his Seaside Cafe.

During the meeting, Carey calculated that those fees would total a little more than $40,000. She then pointed out that Halpern has already spent more than $800,000 on the drainage improvements, and on the park itself.

Commissioners Billy Wardlow and Sam Kaufman agreed.

“I want to thank Michael for spending the $800,000,” Wardlow said. “He’s still main taining the park, so I think the impact fees are kind of a wash.”

The lease amendment ultimately passed with Johnston and Weekley dissenting and with Halpern becoming agitated at the end, telling Johnston from the audience, ‘Tell the truth, mayor.”

In other city news….

• Commissioners appointed Chief Assis tant City Attorney Ron Ramsingh as interim city attorney while officials undertake a search for a new city attorney. Ramsingh has applied for that position, which concerned Weekley, who said he didn’t like the idea of someone who has applied for the job having the benefit of being named to it in the interim. The appointment of Ramsingh ultimately passed.

• Commissioners unanimously approved a plan for Tropic Cinema and the Key West Library to host free monthly outdoor mov ies in the block of Eaton Street between Duval and Whitehead streets. The movies will run December through April and will include screenings of “Gremlins,” “Big,” “Star Wars,” “Back to the Future,” “Footloose” and “Grease.”

The pocket park at the end of Duval Street was the subject of contention at the Dec. 6 city commission meeting. Keys Weekly file photo

Incoming Commissioner Lissette Cuervo Carey takes the oath of office at the start of the Dec. 6 Key West City Commission meeting. ALYSON CREAN/City of Key West

COUNTY COMMISSION SEEKS TOURIST DOLLARS FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING

JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com

Monroe County commis sioners kicked off the Dec. 7 meeting in Key Largo by remembering the life and work of Mayor Emeritus Sylvia Murphy, who passed away on Nov. 26 at the age of 86. Following a video from her retirement in 2020, which looked back on the county commissioner’s work, a moment of silence was held inside the Murray Nelson Government Center.

During the discussion portion of the meeting, Mayor Craig Cates and county commissioners delved into ways to potentially use tourist dollars to support housing for a workforce that’s integral to the industry.

County Attorney Bob Shillinger said statute allows for Tourist Devel opment Council dollars to fund the building, acquisition and modifica tion of public facilities, so long as it’s needed to increase tourist-related activities in the county. Shillinger told commissioners that public facility projects include, but aren’t limited to, transportation, solid waste and pedestrian facilities. In Shillinger’s view, affordable housing would meet requirements in the statute.

“When the legislature starts a phrase with ‘including but not limited to,’ this is not an exhaustive list,” Shil linger said.

He acknowledged some limita tions to using tourist dollars for public facilities projects. The county would need to receive at least $10 million in tourist tax dollars the year before. Shillinger said receipts in the county exceed that figure. If a vote came up to fund a specific project, the BOCC would need a two-thirds vote. And a 30% match would be required for the project that’s paid with non-tourist tax revenues.

Cates said the county constantly speaks about housing needs for the workforce. He acknowledged the important role workers in the tourism industry have on the local economy.

“We have a large amount of money. I don’t know the exact figure but I’d like to see money set aside,” he said.

No definitive action was taken on the matter. Shillinger said they’d need to seek input from the TDC on the proposal.

County commissioners approved a resolution to impose a facility

charge on customers who rent cars from rental companies at the Key West International Airport. The item was pulled by Commissioner Michelle Coldiron to allow Richard Strickland, airports director, to provide a pre sentation on the charge. Strickland said 95% of the $4 fee will be paid by traveling public visitors. The funds will help with the planning, design and construction of a new facility at the airport, he said.

“It will relocate and consolidate all rental car operations,” he said. “Cur rently they operate out of car washers and gas pumps there.”

The charge will be collected by rental car concessionaires beginning March 1, 2023. Projected revenue for 2023 from the charge is $1.6 million.

A Florida Department of Trans portation grant totaling $852,000 to improve and expand public transit in Key West was approved by county commissioners. Per the grant, a local 50% match, $426,000, is required in order to submit the grant. Richard Clark, new county transportation executive director, said the grant will fund small, on-demand transportation to help move people between Stock Island and Key West.

Commissioners approved a resolution to set a public hearing in January 2023 for a proposal to amend the county’s alcoholic beverages code to create a definition section and address outdoor, on-premise consumption. According to Emily Schemper, planning director, the amendments seek to relocate exist ing definitions located in alcoholic beverages chapter to reside in a single location and define alcoholic beverage sales. Proposed amendments would also address common situations in the county that place conditions on alcoholic beverage use permits issued to applicants proposing outdoor on-premises consumption, with or without music and entertainment.

A Florida Department of Trans portation representative unveiled its upcoming five-year work program to county commissioners. A 2024-2028 work plan includes $498 million in projects, of which $257 million will go to bridge repair and replacement. State funds for roads and bridges in the Keys have increased since the 2020-2024 work plan that dolled out $137.1 million. A Seven Mile Bridge replacement is slated for a 2030 work plan. The cost for the new bridge by FDOT is outlined at $677 million.

KEY WEST GALLERY HOSTS RENOWNED PAINTER

ALEXEI BUTIRSKIY MAKES KEY WEST APPEARANCE

me. I observe the beauty of my surroundings and love to share my appreciation of the world through my eyes and transfer it to my viewers by way of my canvas.”

World-renowned fine artist Alexei Butirskiy will be in Key West for live painting demonstrations and an exhibit Dec. 8-11 at Key West Gallery, 601 Duval St. Butirskiy’s paintings portray the world around him in truthful and non-glorified terms. A sense of tranquility is conveyed in each one. They are typically without action or con viviality, and most are uncan nily still, with only light, space, shadows and color offering dialogue.

“When I paint, I don’t just copy from any particular place. I try to memorize the original impression I had when I was somewhere, and then I recom pose it in my head, based on how I feel about it,” the artist said. “After that, I paint. I think it is very important for an artist to not just copy mechanically from nature. In that case, the artist could be replaced by a camera. ... The source of my inspiration is life itself. I find peace and harmony all around

Butirskiy, 42, has already achieved what many artists can only hope to achieve in an entire lifetime. His works are exhibited in galleries and private collections throughout France, England, Austria, Ger many, Switzerland, Japan, The Netherlands, Canada, Mexico, Russia and the United States.

In 2007 and 2011 he was invited to exhibit his work at the II Vittoriano in the Piazza Venezia, Rome, Italy. He joins a prestigious group of artists including Picasso, Dali, Chagall, Monet, Manet and Degas who have exhibited there. In 2013 his work was on display at yet another museum event at the Marietta Cobb Museum in Marietta, Georgia.

More information is at keywestgallery.com or 305-2929339.

— Contributed

Alexei Butirskiy will be in Key West Gallery:

Thursday, Dec. 8, 7-10 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 9 & Saturday, Dec. 10, 11a.m.-4 p.m. and 7-11 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 11, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and 7-10 p.m.

‘Heartbeat of the City’ by Alexei Butirskiy.

WORLD AIDS DAY CONTINUES THE FIGHT

‘EQUALIZE’ WAS THEME OF THIS YEAR’S REMEMBRANCE

Key West recognized World AIDS Day as it has for more than 25 years, with a candlelit march from City Hall to the Key West AIDS Memo rial on Dec. 1. During the march, all 1,250 or so names that are etched into the memorial are read aloud, recalling lives of loved ones lost to HIV and AIDS.

At the local memorial, the first of its kind in the nation, residents and visitors gather to recall the rav ages of the epidemic in the 1980s and ’90s, and to renew the fight against it.

“The global HIV response is in danger, even as HIV remains a ma jor public health issue that affects millions of people worldwide. Over the last few years progress towards HIV goals has stalled, resources have shrunk and millions of lives

are at risk as a result,” according to the World Health Organization.

“Division, disparity and disre gard for human rights are among the failures that allowed HIV to become and remain a global health crisis.

“On Dec. 1, WHO joins partners to commemorate World AIDS Day 2022, under the theme ‘Equalize.’

“WHO is calling on global lead ers and citizens to boldly recognize and address the inequalities hold ing back progress in ending AIDS; and equalize access to essential HIV services, particularly for children and key populations and their part ners: men who have sex with men, transgender people, people who use drugs, sex workers and people in prisons.”

BRIEFLY

Congregation B’Nai Zion hosts free movie Dec. 19

Congregation B’Nai Zion, 750 United St., Key West, hosts monthly free movie Mondays, with the December offering screening at 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 19.

The movie, “Legacy of Lies,” is based on true events. Johann Radmann, a young prosecutor in 1958 Germany, examines the case of a teacher identified as a former Auschwitz guard. Rad mann’s investigation ultimately brings to light the horrors of the concentration camps and makes a lasting change to how Germany teaches about the Holocaust.

Schooner Wharf Bar’s Lighted Boat Parade sets sail Saturday, Dec. 10

Join your friends at Schoo ner Wharf Bar and all along Key West’s Historic Seaport for the annual and ever-popular Schooner Wharf Bar & Absolut Vodka Lighted Boat Parade.

The harbor is illuminated with dancing dolphins, Santas and snowmen as local captains deck their hulls for the holiday event. Come early to stroll the Harbor Walk of Lights.

Music Room students perform free concert at St. Paul’s Church Dec. 17

The Music Room presents its 42nd annual Christmas Concert on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 4 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episocopal Church, 401 Duval St.

. Forty of Robin Kaplan’s music students accompanied by Joe Dallas and Skipper Krip itz share their talents and love of favorite holiday tunes in this free performance. The stu dents, joined by some of Key

West’s finest musical guests, will perform solo works and compositions of every holiday theme and its variations on piano, guitar and vocals. The songs range from jazzy “Jingle Bells” to pop hits like Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath The Tree,” along with traditional favorites.

Key West High School Band performs Holiday Concert Dec. 9 & 10

Come out for an evening of holiday fun and support the Key West High School Music Department for the annual Holiday Concert at 7 p.m. Fri day, Dec. 9 and Saturday, Dec. 10 in the KWHS auditorium. Both nights are the same pro gram and will feature the Jazz Band, Percussion Ensemble, Combined Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Colorguard, Steel Pan Band, Chorus Ensembles and all 150-plus musicians in a special combined piece. Admis sion is $10; for tickets and donations, visit kwhsband.com.

Santa Claus plans visits to Shops at Mallory

He has made a list and checked it twice and now Santa is heading to the Southernmost City for warm weather before gathering up the reindeer for Christmas. Santa will be at the Shops at Mallory, 291 Front St., Key West on Saturday, Dec. 10 and 17 from 2 to 4 p.m. Kids of all ages can tell Santa their Christmas wishes, take a pic ture and receive a sweet treat.

Fantasy Fest Queen Fran Decker and King Carlos Home take part in the 2022 World AIDS Day ceremony in Key West. LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly

DJ Sanaris (left), duke of Fantasy Fest 2022, and Fritzie Estimond of the Key West Business Guild speak at the World AIDS Day ceremony.

CITY SIDEWALKS, BUSY SIDEWALKS

HOMETOWN HOLIDAY PARADE

One of the most popular events of Key West’s holiday season took place Dec. 3, when the Hometown Holiday Parade stepped off from Truman Avenue and White Street.

The procession of about 55 floats made its way down Truman Avenue, then turned onto Duval Street.

Throngs of locals and visitors lined the streets and sidewalks, scrambling for the candy that each float tossed, filling kids’ bags with as much candy as Halloween.

Entries included marching bands, law enforcement groups, city officials, your own Keys Weekly local news team, dogs, kids and even an alpaca from the Sheriff’s Animal Farm.

1. Scott Waddell of Stock Island pedals a holiday-decorated bicycle inspired by Key West’s famous free-roaming fowls.

2. Key West City Commissioner Sam Kaufman adds Hanukkah wishes to the Hometown Holiday Parade.

al paca

3. Farmer

Key West’s

4. Children and grownups on board the AB Builders float share candy and good cheer in Key West’s Hometown Holiday Parade on Dec. 3.

5. Keys Weekly’s own Stephanie Mitch ell, center, joins her son Jack and hus band Joe in the Keys Weekly’s holiday parade float.

6. Key West’s drag queens strut their holiday style during the parade.

7. Chabad Jewish Center of the Florida Keys and Key West, with Rabbi Yaakov Zucker at the wheel and daughter Rivka Zucker, 10, alongside, lead a procession of Menorah-illuminated vehicles.

8. Tony Yaniz leads a flock of Christmas penguins in the parade.

— Mandy Miles

Photos by CAROL TEDESCO/ Key WestHolidayFest.com and LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly

Jeanne Selander leads an

from the Sheriff’s Animal Farm in

Hometown Holiday Parade.

COME WORSHIP WITH US

‘‘The churches of Christ greet you.’’ Romans 16:16 NKJV

ENGLISH SERVICE

Sunday Bible Study 10am (on site)

Service 11am (on site) & Service 6pm (on site)

Wednesday Bible Study 7:30pm (on site)

Evangelist Rodrigue Aleandre Cell 305.296.3331

KREYOL SEVIS

Dimanch Klas Biblik 7:30pm (on site)

Adorasyon 8:30pm (on site)

Madi Klas Biblik 7:30pm (on site)

Minis Rodrigue Aleandre Cell 305.296.3331

SERVICIO ESPAÑOL

Servicio de adoración dominical a las 5pm (en el sitio) Estudio bíblico del jueves a las 7pm (en el sitio) Ministro Pedro Ruiz Celda 347.430.2263

1700 VON PHISTER ST, KEY WEST

‘‘But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.’’ Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

2222 N. Roosevelt Blvd | Key West | 305.394.5100

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FANTASY FLIGHT TO THE NORTH POLE

SILVERLINERS SPARKLE WITH HOLIDAY SPIRIT AT THE AIRPORT

MANDY MILES

drops stuff, breaks things and falls down more than any adult should. She’s married to a saintly — and handy — fisher man, and has been stringing words together in Key West since 1998.

MILES TO GO KIDS CAN’T CATCH

I’m con cerned. This is a problem. Kids can’t catch. Seri ously. It’s bad enough they can’t write in cursive, read a map or count back change.

But they can’t CATCH. Anything, apparently..

paired socks from the laundry. Because trust me, if Saturday night was any indication, they will get hit in the face with whatever you throw.

Then graduate to a juice box (unopened), a simple rub ber pinkie ball, a roll of paper towels, a bottle of water, the TV remote, car keys.

The Dec. 1 Fantasy Flight to the North Pole, presented by the Silverliners at Key West International Airport, features faux snow, presents from Santa and Mrs. Claus, tons of food, holiday storytime and live holiday music. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly

The Silverliners did it again. The group that started with retired Eastern Airlines flight attendants now in cludes retirees from other airlines. For more than 30 years, the Key West chapter has hosted a Fantasy Flight to the North Pole at Key West International Airport.

The Conch Flyer restaurant at the airport is transformed into the North Pole, where Santa and Mrs.

Claus greet arriving youngsters, each of whom gets to unwrap a gift.

This year’s event welcomed more than 200 local kids, who walked through fake snow, heard holiday stories and danced to their favorite holiday tunes.

— Mandy Miles

I tossed HUNDREDS of individual Tootsie Rolls — the longer, 3-inch ones — to kids at Saturday’s holiday parade. I threw them gently, underhand, to kids who were looking right at me from 2 feet away.

Their outstretched hands closed uselessly together, AFTER the candy had hit them lightly in the chest, or the face. Over and over again.

Two — only two — kids actually caught the candy I threw Saturday night. And I’m not counting the tiny ones whose fine motor skills are still developing. (I’m not an animal.)

But I’m sorry. Kids 7, 8, 12 years old should be able to catch a Tootsie Roll or a mini-Snickers from a couple feet away.

Some of them didn’t even try, and were content to just let it hit them in the chest, then fall to the ground, where they picked it up. Others hid in horror from a piece of candy, dodging it as if it was a grenade.

What are we doing? Aside from making Keep Away and Dodgeball much easier for kids who CAN catch?

Physical education teach ers can only do so much. Parents, this is on you. Please start tossing things to your kids.

Start with something easy — and painless (given their current abilities) — like their

These are items common ly tossed in the world, or at least in my world, across the living room or over the roof of a car.

And for God’s sake, even tually, teach them to catch — and throw — a Frisbee, a baseball, a tennis ball and a football. (Your dog can help with the tennis ball lessons.) But don’t attempt those until the socks stop hitting them in the face. Frisbees and base balls can take out a tooth or break a nose. But even that’s not the end of the world. Kids survive. They may get beaned in the face a time or two, but they start CATCHING things.

The biggest defense of online gaming is the hand-eye coordination it teaches kids.

So, what? They can shoot a hooker from a block away in Grand Theft Auto, but they can’t catch a real-life Tootsie Roll?

And they don’t seem to care. Or even try. It’s as if they don’t even know that catch ing is part of the arrangement when someone tosses them something.

I’ll never forget the first time I played tee ball at age 4, my dad took me out to buy a left-handed glove and then to the backyard to play catch.

He refused to have his daughter “throw like a girl,” and proceeded to teach me to throw with my whole arm, not just from the elbow. To this day, I can catch with the best of them, usually one-handed. And when someone’s throw ing chocolate, I don’t miss.

Dedicated to full time plein air painting, Rooney chooses the outdoors to a comfortable studio. Bugs, bystanders and bad weather are just a few of the inconveniences he endures to capture the colors and nuances of nature and shifting light. His paintings, although observed from life, are pared down to colorful recognizable blurs, documenting his sensualist encounter with his surroundings. He has painted all his life. Inspiration comes from The Cape Cod School of Art, the rst outdoor school of gure painting in America founded in Provincetown, Massachusetts in 1898. It emphasized using color to describe the form, as well as to capture time and place.

Rooney’s subject matter varies, but the theme is capturing what he loves the most, water, boats, architecture and the beach. He paints the Eastern seaboard from Cape Cod to Key West, nding small coastal towns to paint in all along the way.

These ebullient boats, houses, and seas seem to crave the great out of doors, as does this enthusiastic painter.

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

Board the Old Town Trolley for a culinary tour of Stock Island favorite restaurants. At each stop, the chef or owner will welcome you and introduce the dish you are enjoying along with the sommelier or brewmeister to share the pairing notes.

STOPS: Matt's Sock Island Kitchen, Sloppy Joe's Dockside, Salty Oyster, Roostica, Hogfish Bar & Grill, Fishbusterz, The Docks, Yellowfin @ Oceans Edge and the newly opened Cayo Hueso Brewing Company.

WHAT'S INCLUDED:10 chef inspired small plates & a small dessert • 10 wine, beer or signature cocktail pairings • trolleys depart & return to the Perry Hotel • knowl edgeable local host aboard each trolley • meet the locals along the way... that make Stock Island so unique • souvenir beverage cup. WE

This is a fast paced, hop-on / hop-o tasting experience that requires some walking. If you or a participant in your party has mobility issues or is in a wheelchair, please contact Event Coordinator, Liana Pyne, so that we can best accommodate you. 603-651-9797

Mike Rooney

BIKES LIGHT THE NIGHT

WESLEY HOUSE HOSTS HOLIDAY VILLAGE & BELIGHTED BIKE RIDE

More than 3,000 bicycles, standup scooters and other forms of human-powered transportation joined the rolling revelry that took to the streets of Key West on Dec. 2 for the Be Lighted Bike Ride presented by Wesley House Family Services.

The ride raised holiday spirits and funds for Wesley House’s programs.

Before the ride departed the Truman Waterfront Park, Wesley House transformed the Coffee Butler Amphitheater into a Holiday Village for kids.

There was live music by the Bahama Vil lage Music Program, visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus, a booth with fake snow for Key West kids to explore, games, crafts, face-painting, free bike helmets and more.

— Contributed

1. Katchen Duncan of the Bahama Village Music Program introduces a group of students, who per formed during the Wesley House Family Services Holiday Village event on Dec. 2 at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater. CAROL TEDESCO/KeyWestHoliday Fest.com

2. Jaylee Garner, 7, and 8-month old Julian Garner pose for a photo with Santa and Mrs. Claus (Ric and Cindy McCausland) during the Wesley House Family Services Holiday Village extravaganza on Dec. 2 at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater.

3. Small people, tall people and assorted canine companions took to the streets of Key West Dec. 2 for the annual Wesley House Family Services BeLighted Bike Ride.

4. Tell Starsky and Hutch their car has been found — and is now being driven by a 21st century ‘Hutch,’ aka David and Sophia Hutchinson, who travel Duval Street in Key West during the Wesley House Family Services BeLighted Bike Ride on Dec. 2.

5. A cyclist pedals a bike “guided” by a red-nosed reindeer.

6. More than 3,000 bicycles and scooters embark on the annual BeLighted Bike Ride down Duval Street on Dec. 2.

7. From left, Carrie Blass, 3, Vera Esquinaldo, 3, and Grace Griffin, 2, all of Key West, play with faux snow at the Early Learning Coalition of MiamiDade/Monroe booth.

8. An Abominable Snowman helps to pedal a tan dem bike behind a human companion on Duval Street.

LOCAL BENEFIT HELPS TEEN WITH LEUKEMIA

MUSICIAN NICK BROWNELL’S SON, MYLAN, FACES 2 YEARS OF CHEMO

SEVEN MILE BRIDGE RUN REGISTRATION SET FOR JANUARY

Musician Nick Brownell is a famil iar face and musi cal personality in Key West, but had to cancel all his upcoming gigs.

Brownell’s 15-year-old son, Mylan, recently received a terrifying leukemia diagnosis, and Nick and his wife, Kara, will spend the next several months at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital while Mylan undergoes chemo treatments.

The good news is nine out of 10 kids now survive this childhood blood disease, but Mylan will miss the rest of his sophomore year in high school and much of his junior year.

Mylan’s family will need to turn a room in their house into a space just for him to protect his fragile immune system. He will not be able to have contact with anyone other than his immediate family during that time.

A benefit to help the Brownell family during this time will take place at Nick Brownell’s main musical venue, Hank’s Hair of the Dog Saloon, 409 Caroline St., starting at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 13.

All donations raised between 1 p.m. and closing time will benefit Mylan, and the owner of Hank’s will match all donations. The event will feature live music, raffles and other prizes.

Anyone wishing to help, but unable to attend the event, can donate through a Venmo account using the QR code below.

— Contributed

The 42nd Annual 7 Mile Bridge Run will be on April 1, 2023 and plans are to again run from west to east. Registration, which costs $100, is online only.

Registration opens on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023, be ginning at 6 a.m. Anyone can register on this date, but only 1,500 entries are accepted and the field fills very quickly. Runners must show a photo ID when picking up their bib num bers that matches the address used to register.

Early registration opens for Monroe County residents on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023 at 6 a.m. To qualify as a Monroe County resident, runners must use a county address that matches a photo ID. There is a limited number of entries avail able for locals only who regis ter on this date. Runners must show a photo ID that has the same address used to register when picking up run numbers. If unsuccessful on Jan. 26, Monroe County residents may also try registering on Jan. 31.

Packet pickup at Faro Blan co will be on Friday, March 31, 2023 until 8 p.m. Runners need to be present with a photo ID that matches the registration address to pick up the runner’s packet.

Runsignup.com will again be used for registration, so prior registration of an account there will help to expedite reg istration for the bridge run.

Accommodations are made for Monroe County students who register at a dis counted rate, courtesy of Keys Federal Credit Union, early in the month of January. Those interested can send a selfaddressed stamped envelope to Marathon Runners Club, PO Box 500110, Marathon, FL 33050, and a student registra tion form will be mailed to them. These student-only regis tration forms must be received back at the Post Office box no later than Friday, Jan. 20.

More information is avail able via email to 7MileBridg eRun@GMail.com.

Hundreds of runners fill the Seven Mile Bridge at sunrise in the 2022 race. FLORIDA KEYS NEWS BUREAU/Contributed

Nick and Kara Brownell with their two young daughters and Mylan, far right. CONTRIBUTED

... is a photogra pher, 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 Audu bon Society.

BIRDING WITH THE COSMIC UNCONSCIOUSNESS

Iwas up on Rockland Key, scanning around with my binoculars, somewhere between the highway, the cockfighting district and the roaring jets at NAS Key West, when I saw them – four big, white birds perched atop a small mangrove cluster, like candles on a cake.

And only one phrase came into my head: “plate of shrimp.”

I’m not exactly sure how, but during my high school and college years I, by casual estimate, man aged to see the movie “Repo Man” 30 or 40 times. Which is a lot considering I don’t believe I ever actually put the movie on myself. It was always just there, usually playing from a friend’s or roommate’s well-worn VHS tape.

The movie starred Emilio Estevez (arguably his best work, though I’ve never seen “The Mighty Ducks”) and Harry Dean Stan ton, and had cameos by a lot of musicians, including Michael Ne smith of the Monkees, the founding members of the Circle Jerks, and most unexpectedly, Jimmy Buffett of Jimmy Buffett fame. It was peak mid-’80s punk – cheaply cynical, wiseassed, borderline plotless, and funnier every time you watched it. It was so lowbudget that director Alex Cox overspent on glow-in-the-dark paint for the ’64 Chevy Malibu in the final scene and was almost unable to complete the movie. (Cox went on to make the very successful Sid Vicious biopic “Sid and Nancy,” then to make the much less successful, and hardly watchable, “Straight to Hell” with Dennis Hopper, Grace Jones, Elvis Costello, Joe Strummer and the world’s greatest traditional-Celtic-music-inspired punk band the Pogues.)

During a pivotal scene, Estevez and a character named Miller are in a parking lot burning old clothes in a 50-gallon oil drum when Miller lays out one of his life philosophies.

“A lot of people don’t realize what’s really going on. They view life as a bunch of unconnected incidents and things. They don’t realize that there’s this, like, lattice of coincidence that lays on top of everything. Give you an example, show you what I mean: sup pose you’re thinking about a plate of shrimp. Suddenly someone’ll say, like, “plate,” or “shrimp,” or “plate of shrimp” out of the blue, no explanation. No point in lookin’ for one, either. It’s all part of a cosmic unconsciousness,” he said.

For years afterwards, if any of my friends said “plate” or “shrimp,” or “plate of shrimp,” someone else would mention there’s no point looking for it. Because the lattice of coincidence is always with us.

At the Christmas Parade the other night, somewhere between Mayor Teri Johnston in her sporty Saturday Night Fever-ish pant suit, the Conchettes riding the Conch Train, and the person from Overseas Media Group winging a pack of Dots – much preferable to Smartees – at my chest, I was having an in-depth conversation with someone about what a seminal and important film “Repo Man” was, at least to me in my youth.

Right before that conversation about “Repo Man,” though, I’d been talking birds with fishing guide Aaron Snell. He said he was a bit surprised the other day when he was driving down U.S. 1 near Big Coppitt and saw a small flock of wood storks circling overhead.

He said something like, they’re pretty cool, and I said something like, yeah, they are pretty cool. And then the marching band came.

Wood storks are mainland birds. Their scientific name is Mycte ria americana, which roughly translates to “American big nose” on account of their big honking bill – though “honking” may not be the best adjective, as their voice is considered underdeveloped, coming off more like a grunt than anything. But the point is, they are Ameri ca’s stork, the only one we have. (USA! USA!) Back in Audubon’s day, their range spread from Florida as far north as Alabama, Louisiana and Texas. Audubon said he saw flocks of thousands. In the 20th century, though, their population, largely due to plume hunting, habitat loss and changes in Florida’s hydrology, crashed and re tracted mostly to central and south Florida. From 1984 to 2014 they were listed as a federal endangered species, and since 2014 have been listed as threatened, which is a lesser grade of protection, but still some protection.

In Audubon’s time they were officially known as the wood ibis, as they look something like an overgrown version of the more deli cate and diminutive white ibis. They were also known more casually as the gourd head, flint head, iron head, flinched, and for reasons unclear, the preacher and the Colorado turkey.

The focus on their head is probably due to two things: that big honking bill, which can probe deep into the mud, clamp down and snatch things up as large as a baby alligator by feel, and also the fact that their head is pretty much featherless, thus drawing even more attention. Most wading birds, when you stare at them long enough, look a bit like dinosaurs, but wood storks look really, really like dinosaurs. Which is why, I believe, both Aaron and I thought they looked pretty cool.

I’ve seen wood storks in the Keys maybe once or twice in my life. They tend to come down here as day trippers, out of a lark, out seeking new shallow muddy ponds to snack in. I’ve seen enough of them on the mainland that I didn’t really consider going out to try and find them. And honestly, five minutes after talking to Aaron, I’d forgotten all about those birds.

But then I was on Rockland, and there they were, as if they’d been waiting for me, as if the lattice of coincidence and the cosmic unconsciousness needed to remind me of the way the world really worked.

A wood stork in flight. MARK HEDDEN/Keys Weekly

MARK HEDDEN

ampa Police Chief Mary O’Connor recently resigned from her position amid allegations of impropriety when police body cam footage showed the chief and her husband attempting to use her position with the department to get out of a traf fic violation while driving a golf cart with no license plate on a road. She first flashed her badge, then identified herself as police chief before politely asking the deputy if he could “just let her go.”

We all know our beloved sheriff would never at tempt something like this, but we found ourselves wondering…

10. “You may know my sister, Beth. She is a Key Colony Beach city commissioner.” 9. “I’m on my way to Chief Brandenburg’s house for a cockfight.” 8. “Funny you pulled me over. I was just looking for a parking valet at this year’s MCSO Holiday party.” 7. “You see that light in the corner of your eye? That’s your career glimmering into a distant haze.” 6. “Don’t tase me, bro.” 5. “Listen, if I don’t make it to a toilet in five minutes we’re both going to be sorry. Now let me go.”

4. “You mention this to anyone and you’ll be shoveling alpaca poop at the animal farm until your pension kicks in.”

3. “What a coincidence, I was just talking about you with Internal Affairs.”

2. “What are you doing here? I thought you were one of my 45 empty patrol cars along the highway.”

1. “When bad news happens in our department, you’ll hear it from me first. … By the way, you’re fired.”

SPORTS & MORE

USA NEEDS A POWER PLAYER TO COMPETE IN WORLD CUP

RALPH MORROW

... a veteran sports columnist, says the only sport he doesn’t follow is cricket. That leaves plenty of others to fill his time.

ralphmoro1936 @gmail.com

The United States’ par ticipation in the Group stage and the Round of 16 at the World Cup lasted only four games for soc cer fans (football to the purists), but it was a heck of a lot of fun.

To be honest, the United States still needs some help to look the big-time soccer powers in the eyes. We aren’t there yet. We need some strong players who can easily score. We had a hard time putting the goal in the net.

Soccer means a lot more to fans elsewhere in the world, which leads to strong players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappé. I’m basing my opinion on what I’ve read as well as what knowledgeable people tell me.

I never played the game. It wasn’t offered at my schools. I guess I played every sport that was offered, but I had to wait until I had children so I could watch their games as Molly, Rob, Peter and John did play soccer.

The U.S. faltered in its open ing World Cup game, a Group B contest on Nov. 21, tying Wales, 1-1. The United States’ Timothy Weah scored in the 36th minute, while Gareth Bale equalized at the 82nd of 90 regular game minutes. And from what I’ve read, the United States had the superior team, but didn’t show it.

In its next group contest, on Nov. 25, the U.S. surprised a better team, England, with a scoreless tie. That meant that in its third game of Round B, it would be necessary to come out a victor to advance to the Round of 16 and the United States did just that, defeating Iran, 1-0, on Nov. 29, with America’s ace, Christian Pulisic, scoring the goal at the 36th minute.

In the Round of 16, on Sat urday, Dec. 3, the U.S. drew a formidable opponent in No. 8 Netherlands, which was living on an unbeaten streak of 12 victories and four ties.

Netherlands soccer star Memphis Depay, seen here while playing for Barcelona in 2021, helped his team defeat the U.S. on Dec. 3. WIKIPEDIA/ Contributed

For the first eight minutes of the game, the U.S. set the pace, out playing its well-regarded opponent. Even getting a shot on goal. But, of course, the die was cast.

Goals from Memphis Depay, Daley Blind and Denzel Dumfries, starting with the Depay goal at the 10th minute of the first quarter, settled the issue.

After Blind scored just before halftime, the U.S. scored its goal at the half on a shot by Pulisic that bounced off Haji Wright and into the net at the 81:30 mark. That made it 2-1 Netherlands, but the Dutch soon scored another goal for the 3-1 final score.

“This is a difficult one to han dle,” U.S. head coach Gregg Berhal ter said in a post-match interview. “We came up short today, but not for lack of trying or lack of effort.”

So, the Netherlands moved on, while the United States team went home.

In 1930, with only 13 teams in the field, the U.S. made the semifi nal. But this is a different era. And, as I said, we need better players.

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

GRACE ANDREW

Team

Marathon Girls Soccer @ Archimedean 11/29 W, 5-1

Marathon Boys Soccer @ Archimedean 11/29 L, 5-2

Marathon Boys Basketball @ Somerset S. Homestead 11/29 L, 51-33

Key West Girls Basketball @ Pace 11/29 L, 44-20

Coral Shores Boys Basketball Redland Christian 11/29 W, 62-26

Key West Girls Basketball @ Mater Lakes 11/30 L, 81-18

Key West Boys Basketball @ Miami Christian 11/30 L, 60-44

Key West Girls Soccer @ St. Brendan 11/30 L, 1-0

Coral Shores Boys Soccer @ Pace 11/30 W, 5-1

Coral Shores Girls Soccer @ Pace 11/30 W, 8-0

Marathon Boys Basketball Silver Palms 12/1 L, 35-32

Coral Shores Boys Basketball @ LaSalle 12/1 L, 87-49

Key West Girls Basketball @ Westminster 12/1 L, 48-42

Coral Shores Girls Basketball @ LaSalle 12/1 L, 34-24

Coral Shores Girls Soccer @ Florida Christian 12/2 W, 1-0

Key West Girls Basketball Gulf Coast 12/2 L, 59-18

Key West Boys Basketball @ NSU University 12/2 L, 88-38

Marathon Girls Soccer Pace 12/2 W, 8-0

Marathon Boys Soccer Pace 12/2 W, 6-2

Marathon Girls Basketball Gulf Coast 12/3 L, 48-26

Key West Boys Basketball Westminster 12/3 L, 65-30

Key West High School, Junior Girls Soccer

Key West’s solid 4-2 start this season is due in part to defen sive midfielder Grace Andrew. A dynamic player, Andrew uses her speed to get the ball out of Conch territory and to set up offensive plays when needed. Grace plays her part on the team by creating scoring chances for the forwards, earning assists on offense and covering Key West’s half of the field when necessary. After watching Andrew’s performance in a win against Lemon Bay on Nov. 19 – a match in which she earned Player of the Game honors – and a second game against St. Brendan that ended early due to inclement weather, coach Scott Paul described her as a “dominant presence.”

– Scott Paul, Key West girls soccer coach

For her strong work ethic and unselfish per formance, Key West’s Grace Andrew is the Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.

“She was dominant defensively and made offensive runs as well.”

Ella Dunn MHS 140

Valentina Rizzo CSHS 120

Ella Dunn MHS 130

Valentina Rizzo CSHS 100

Olympic 1 Allie Brabenec MHS 230

Allie Brabenec MHS 200

Savannah Chadic KWHS 220 2 Savannah Chadic KWHS 165

Danna Correa KWHS 185

Danna Correa KWHS 180

Olympic 1 Valerie Thene KWHS 245 1 Valerie Thene KWHS 220 2 Ella Hall KWHS 235 2 Ella Hall KWHS 190 3 Larissa Prieto MHS 200 3 Sierra Earnhardt MHS 175 129 Traditional 129 Olympic 1 Mikkel Ross MHS 230 1 Mikkel Ross MHS 200 2 Abigail Cowen KWHS 215 2 Kali Gormer CSHS 155 3 Cami Wrinn MHS 170 3 Cami Wrinn MHS 155 139 Traditional 139 Olympic 1 Rodemaelle Cineus KWHS 205 1 Lily Hitchcock CSHS 190 2 Lily Hitchcock CSHS 200 2 Alexa Condella KWHS 170 3 Malena Rocafort MHS 195 3 Malena Rocafort MHS 150 154 Traditional 154 Olympic 1 Dazmine Jenkins KWHS 235 1 Dazmine Jenkins KWHS 215 2 Nicole Merryman MHS 230 2 Nicole Merryman MHS 200 3 Cassie Brezil MHS 215 3 Cassie Brezil MHS 185 169 Traditional 169 Olympic 1 Jennille Arias CSHS 220 1 Jennille Arias CSHS 185 2 Samantha Ventimiglia KWHS 215 2 Kaylee Matas KWHS 140 3 Kaylee Matas KWHS 160 3 Shayla Lopez MHS 130 183 Traditional 183 Olympic 1 Justice Lee MHS 265 1 Justice Lee MHS 240 2 Sabrina Schofield MHS 220 2 Sabrina Schofield MHS 195 3 Angelina Bello CSHS 215 3 Angelina Bello CSHS 170 199 Traditional 199 Olympic 1 Aleksandra Turek KWHS 205 1 Aleksandra Turek KWHS 185 2 Emily Brown CSHS 155 2 Olivia Wilson CSHS 125 3 Olivia Wilson CSHS 130 3 Emily Brown CSHS 125 Unlimited Traditional Unlimited Olympic

Traditional

Some of the Keys’ strongest women went toe-to-toe on Nov. 30 as all three high school girls weightlifting teams met in Tavernier. In the traditional division, which combines each individual’s top lifts in the bench press and clean and jerk, Marathon came in first, with Key West claiming second and Coral Shores third. Marathon was also first in the Olympic division, which pairs the clean and jerk with the snatch lift, with Coral Shores coming in second and Key West taking third place. The Lady Fins also had the top three overall lifters of the meet, calculated with a formula that takes into account an athlete’s body weight along with her best attempts at each lift. Allie Brabenec, Mikkel Ross and Justice Lee took first through third place, respectively. All three teams are working toward big gains at districts this season, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023.

GIRLS/BOYS

Tracy and Sean McDonald VS

WRESTLERS HIT THE MATS

Key West High School officially opened its season at the H-Town Throwdown in Hialeah Gardens on Dec. 2-3. The event hosted 20 teams across south Florida, and though they faced many competitors from larger 2 and 3A divi sions, the 1A Conchs took an eighth-place finish.

Ralph Riche took second place overall in the 285-pound class. Riche logged three pins as he wrestled his way to the championship round, eventually falling to last year’s FHSAA 3A bronze medalist Gozie Mosi. In the 138-pound class, Dostmukhammad Bakhtiyorov earned four of his wins by pin, taking third place. Also earning third place in his 145-pound class was Jason Flynn. Abram Canet (138) and Jaden Fox (182) both placed fifth in their respective classes.

The Conchs take to the mats again on Saturday, Dec. 10 for the Bear Down Duals at Mater Lakes Academy, while Coral Shores started its season at Florida Chiristan on Dec. 7.

SOCCER SEASON IN FULL SWING

BOYS

The Conchs had a big win against Boca Raton High on Nov. 28, beating the 7A Bobcats 2-1 on the road. Loubins Fleu rridor and Jonathan Bahri each scored for Key West, while keeper Karel Bublak made some big saves to keep the Conchs in the game. The Conchs are currently tied for third place in FHSAA 4A District 16 play with nine games left in their regular season.

MIXED STARTS FOR KEYS HOOPERS

Coral Shores strong out of the gate; Marathon and Key West struggle

BOYS

Marathon won two last week, beating Archimedean on the road on Nov. 29 before handing Monsignor Pace a solid 8-0 loss in the Fins’ home opener on Dec. 2. Marathon’s of fensive onslaught was buoyed by hat tricks from both Rain Banks and Reese Elwell. Banks also had three assists in the match. Jordan MacDonald and Mackenzie Budi each had a goal in the game and MacDonald added three assists. Goalkeeper Kiki Hewlett had two saves plus a saved penalty kick to secure the shutout. In the Archi medean game, Budi scored two and Elwell, Banks and Hannah Davis had one goal each.

Coral Shores evened up its record with wins against Monsignor Pace on Nov. 30 and Florida Christian on Dec. 2. The Canes scored 8 against Pace, with a hat trick from Sophia Jans, 2 goals each from Ashley Jans and Kai Redruello and 1 from Jenna Mandozzi. Katarina Telhiard’s lone goal was all it would take to beat the Florida Chris tian Patriots.

It was a mixed bag for Marathon’s boys this week. They were scheduled to play four matches in five days, but a last-minute cancellation gave them a break and a win by forfeit. Their first game of the week was a 5-2 loss against Coral Shores on Nov. 28. Jaden Rosete scored 1 goal and Henry Herrera scored on a penalty kick. The following day, the Fins played to a 5-2 loss to Archimedean. Scoring for the Fins were Mikhail Marshall and Juan Vasquez. The Dolphins used the next few days to regroup and rest before beating Monsignor Pace at home 6-2 with 2 goals from Vasquez, 2 from Ro sete, 1 from Herrera and 1 from Oscar Cardona.

After beating Marathon on Nov. 28, Coral Shores played at Pace on Nov. 30, winning 5-1 against the Spartans. The Hurricanes are currently sitting in first place in the FHSAA 3A District 16 standings.

Coral Shores Donovan Thiery (11) goes for a lay up against Mater Academy Bay. DOUG FINGER/Keys Weekly

Key West did not get a win in its first three games, but both the Conchs’ offense and defense are on the right track. In a loss to Miami Christian on Nov. 30, James Osborne had 14 points and Kevon Mills had 13. Eric Moore pulled down 9 rebounds and had 3 blocks. Two days later, Osborne went 4-for-4 from the three-point line, Mills had 5 rebounds and a block, Moore scored 10 points with 8 rebounds, and Watson Chery scored 10 with 7 rebounds in a loss to NSU University School. The next day, Chery scored 11 points with 7 rebounds against Westminster Christian. Mills had 7 points with 5 rebounds and a block and Nazair Bernanrd scored 5 with 9 rebounds and a block. The Conchs will look to rebound over an in-county rival on Friday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. in Marathon.

Marathon started its season 0-2 against Somerset Silver Palms and South Homestead on Nov. 29 and Dec. 1, but head coach Kevin Freeman is undeterred. “We have lost the first two games so far, but there is definite promise with this team,” he told Keys Weekly. “Our defense is better than last year already, and getting better.” Daeshawn Holmes led the scoring in the 51-33 South Homestead loss with 10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks. Oscar Garcia had 8 points and a rebound. In the narrow 35-32 loss to Silver Palms, Adrian Cruz scored 7 with 4 assists, Garcia had 10 points and 7 rebounds and Holmes had 6 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks for the Fins.

GIRLS

Coral Shores enjoyed a big 41-9 win against Mater Bay on Nov. 28, led by Brooke Mandozzi’s 14 points. Lea Castellanos added 7 and Grace Lef fler had 6 points and 4 blocks for the Lady ‘Canes. In their 34-24 loss against LaSalle on Dec. 1 Mandozzi again had the team high with 5 steals and 7 rebounds to go along with her 12 points, before ending the night early with an injury. Linsy Cedillo grabbed 10 rebounds and had 4 steals and 2 points in the game.

Key West played at Pace on Nov. 29 and at home against Gulf Coast Dec. 2, losing both games. Marathon played Gulf Coast Dec. 3 at home, also losing to the Sharks. Marathon and Key West will face one another Friday, Dec. 9 in Marathon at 5:30 p.m..

Coral Shores’ boys played three games in four days last week and came away with two wins. On Nov. 28, they put on a show at home against Mater Bay. Isaac Holmes scored 17, Matt St. Aubin had 15 and Eddy Espinosa added 11 in a massive 78-24 win. Allen Perez came up big with 10 rebounds and 8 points. The following night, the ’Canes enjoyed another lopsided 62-26 win, this time against Redlands Christian. Ayden Lane had a game-high 14 points and 9 rebounds and Perez scored 12 with 10 rebounds. LaSalle handed the ’Canes an 87-49 loss to ring in December, but St. Aubin put up 19 points in the effort along with 10 from Perez and 9 from Holmes.

BASKETBALL

GIRLS

Coral Shores girls basketball player Makayla Hahn (1) drives to the net against Mater Academy Bay.

GIRLS SOCCER SILVER PALMS KEY WEST DECEMBER 12 | 4 p.m.

VS

BOYS SOCCER ST. BRENDAN CORAL SHORES DECEMBER 15 | 3:30 p.m.

VS

‘NUTCRACKER KEY WEST’ BLENDS CONCH LIFE WITH CHRISTMAS

PALM TREES AND SUGAR PLUM DREAMS

AMY PATTON www.keysweekly.com

It’s difficult to imagine a more iconic storytell ing of the magic of Christmas than George Balanchine’s classic ballet fantasy, “The Nutcracker.”

But there’s no need to leave town to enter this dreamy wonderland. A charming two-act iteration of sugar plum fairies and waltzing flowers set to Tchaikovsky’s symphonic masterpiece is on stage right here in Key West for a limited run through Sunday, Dec. 11 at the Tennessee Williams The atre on College Road.

But in the islands, the perennial dance display is reworked with a twist. Soldiers are sailors, fair ies are fish, and conch shell-adorned characters twirl through nautical, underwater scenes.

The 100-cast repertory boasts an impressive range of performers, including locals from the Nutcracker Key West studio and imports from the New York Dance Project. The merging of the two dance companies is both complicated and joyous, said director and producer Matthew Rawls, adding that the blend makes the show unique. Rawls gives credit to Joyce Stahl, the initial creator of the tropical take on the ballet.

“She created this adaptation of Nutcracker in 2005 to reflect the images and themes of the island,” said Rawls at the dress rehearsal on Dec. 5. “We’ve taken her vision and brought it to the stage with this.”

Stahl helmed the show and brought it to the local stage every two years since its inception. When she was unable to continue the production, Stahl donated all the show’s assets (costumes, sets, etc.) to the nonprofit Performing Arts Center Key West, which operates the Tennessee Williams Theatre.

The Nutcracker’s coming-of-age story of Clara and her family’s Christmas Eve gathering with friends (yes, there’s a giant tree) dissolves into elaborate dance sequences, bringing her crush on a boy at the party into a full flight of imagina tion. Adorable Key West chicken sprites peck and scamper throughout Clara’s “dream.” The scenes evolve into snowy egrets flying through the night among moonbeam dust. Audiences and children living in the Keys’ climate will delight in the fall ing snow that floats upon the Sea Star Fairy, the Angelfish and the finned mermaid, some of whom represent the show’s Royal Court.

So many dancers are involved in the produc tion that the show has been split into two casts: “Reese,” named for the dancer Reese Kight playing the lead character of Clara, and “Nela” for bal lerina Nela Sulak. “We double-cast every other show,” said Rawls, “so that we can alternate roles” of the ballet.

‘Nutcracker Key West’ artistic director Matthew Rawls (in white T-shirt) goes over final notes with New York Dance Project performers Francesca Kraszewski and Kahlil Jackson before a Dec. 5 dress rehearsal.

Tchaikovsky’s soaring score is not produced by a live orchestra in this ballet, but is an existing track from a previous performance.

Credit must be given to the costume and set design in this onstage confection. Dancers are bedecked with hand-sewn garments that are re served only for the biennial Christmas show. ”You could put these pieces in a museum,” said Rawls.

A sunken ship prop piece bears the name “Atoeshu,” a tongue-in-cheek nod to the ballet en pointe slipper and Key West’s famed Atocha shipwreck.

The gemstones are another extravagance of the Nutcracker Key West. The ballet’s production team borrowed an astonishing $5 million worth of jewels from local jewelers Neptune Designs, Emer alds International, Blue Sophia and Pacific Jewelry.

If you’re close enough to the stage, you can see the sparkling precious stones that adorn some of the prima ballerinas; including an 11-carat dia mond ring on loan to the show.

Gracing world stages since its 1892 premiere in Moscow, the Nutcracker’s endearing and sen timental elements have helped keep this classic holiday ballet alive. The ballet eventually made its way to Manhattan in 1954, danced by the NYC Ballet Co., and continues, in many adaptations, to

thrill audiences in small cities like Key West.

“This show only exists because the community wants it and supports the arts,” Rawls said. “It’s a true reflection of the island’s culture. As the Keys become more commercialized, this ballet is one of the last holdovers from an earlier generation of creative people.”

In the words of the great playwright Tennesee Williams, whose eponymous theater is home to this year’s Nutcracker Key West, “An artist must believe in himself. Your belief is contagious.”

So, too, is this charming and infectious holiday celebration.

“It’s the perfect gift we can give to our island city,” Rawls said.

Local children costumed as colorful reef fish interact with ‘Jewels of the Atoeshu’ ballerinas. CAROL TEDESCO/KeyWestHolidayFest.com

Francesca Kraszewski and Jeremiah Bernal, both New York Dance Project corps members, perform as Snowy Egret Queen and King in a Key West salt ponds scene.

CHOCOLATE HOLIDAY MARTINI

JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com

KEYS SEEK MILLIONS FROM FLORIDA LEGISLATURE

LOCAL DELEGATION MEETS WITH STATE OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS PRIORITIES IN TALLAHASSEE

Florida Keys officials hope another leg islative session in Tallahassee will yield millions of dollars for ongoing projects, fixes to the state’s crippling insurance industry and changes to a law that has compli cated matters for local specialty contractors.

Local municipalities, agencies and nonprof its relayed their list of priorities to state Rep. Jim Mooney and state Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez during a Dec. 5 virtual meeting of the Keys delegation. The Florida Legislature won’t con vene for session until March 7, 2023, but work is underway to draft bills and develop money requests.

Funding for the Florida Keys Stewardship Act, which covers water quality projects, sits atop the priority list for Monroe County and other local governments. Passed by the Florida Legislature in 2016, the Stewardship Act once funded solely wastewater projects. Since then, funds have covered stormwater enhance ments and canal restorations.

Last year, the Keys received $20 million in Stewardship Act funding and $5 million for land acquisition. County officials aren’t only looking to secure another $25 million in the upcoming session, but they’re also hoping to approve a recurring five-year, water-related work plan for distribution of state funding.

County officials are also seeking state funds for the development of mooring fields near Wisteria Island off Key West. A new law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier in the year will force boaters who are not in a managed mooring area and 1 mile off Key West to move roughly a quarter mile every 90 days. But that won’t take effect until the county and state install 100 new mooring buoys off the Key West shores. Lisa Tennyson, county legislative affairs director, said Keys officials went to work on a feasibility study to develop mooring fields. The design, engineering and implementation will be costly.

“The two mooring fields the county com mission is looking at will be around $1.7 mil lion,” she said.

Key West Mayor Teri Johnston expressed the city’s support for funding to install new moorings. She also requested some state funds for costs to service the 100 new mooring balls.

In October, the county broke ground on a new emergency operations center at the Mara thon Airport. Completion of the 28,300-squarefoot facility is expected around spring 2024. A sharp increase in project costs wasn’t expected, however. What was originally going to be a $27.8-million building escalated to $31.8 million due to construction materials and labor. Other cost increases add $2 million to the price tag.

Now, county officials are seeking help from the state.

“We were hit with an unanticipated cost escalation and there is a funding shortfall of $6 million,” Tennyson told Mooney and Rodriguez. “The county commission would like to seek an appropriation to help with the shortfall.”

The EOC project is funded by three grants from the Florida Department of Transportation and Florida Department of Emergency Manage ment.

Monroe County is hoping for a change or repeal to House Bill 735, which preempted local governments’ ability to issue new local contrac tors licenses. Current licenses will expire in July 2023 if no changes are made, meaning only state-licensed general contractors and home owners would be able to obtain work permits.

With no local license, hundreds of small specialty contractors in Monroe County and many more throughout the state won’t be able to obtain work permits. That leaves their liveli hoods and businesses at stake.

“We remember the issue over specialty licensing and we want to make sure local specialty license holders are protected,” said Marathon Manager George Garrett.

Mel Montagne, of Fair Insurance Rates of Monroe, told the state legislators that it’s advocating for a 10% rate cap on Citizens rates. As of now, rate increases are on a 1% increase per year glidepath beginning in 2026 — where it will ultimately reach 15%. FIRM is also seeking a return to the 10% cap for secondary homes that are used as annual rentals for locals. Montagne said roughly 80% to 90% of Citizens policies are written in Monroe County.

“They profit handsomely from Monroe County to the tune of $50 million a year. Those are numbers through 2021 and I anticipate they had a banner year in 2022,” he said. “We’d like to see Citizens move back to its original intent as a wind-only market and get away from everything else driving the issues, like the multiperil policies and fraud.”

Monroe Schools Superintendent Theresa Axford said the district is working with Mooney and Rodriguez to expedite construction of an affordable housing complex on Trumbo Road in Key West. Axford noted that the district hires roughly 100 new people per year. This past year, 60 qualified candidates were unable

to accept offers due to the lack of affordable housing.

“We want to deliver the best possible ser vice to all students,” Axford said.

Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority will seek funds in the tens of millions to continue trans mission line replacement in the Keys. “At a cost of $5 million a mile, as you can imagine we’re eating up funds quickly,” said Greg Veliz, execu tive director.

The village of Islamorada and the city of Marathon are seeking possible legislative fixes to each municipality’s acceptance of 300 af fordable housing units from the state following Hurricane Irma. In August, Florida’s Third Dis trict Court of Appeal deemed the allocations, which were characterized as “early evacuation” units, illegal. Per the ruling, the designation violated Florida statute requiring a hurricane evacuation clearance time for permanent resi dents of no more than 24 hours. A request to re-hear a case was turned down. Both Garrett and Islamorada Manager Ted Yates said afford able housing and ROGO were among the top priorities for their municipalities.

“We’re fighting alongside Marathon to see where all that’s going to play out,” Yates said

Mote Marine Laboratory is seeking $1 million for its coral restoration efforts in the Florida Keys. The nonprofit with labs on Summerland Key, Islamorada and Key Largo received $1 million in state funds last year. Mi chael Crosby, president, said Mote Marine Lab employs 40 full-time staff who have outplanted more than 40,000 corals.

Providing a carve-out for Monroe County from preemptive vacation rental regulations, levying a 1 cent surtax with proceeds used for roads and transportation projects and funding through Florida’s Resilient Florida grant pro gram for road elevation and flood mitigation projects were other requests made by Keys municipalities.

Mooney said he’s on the same page with all priorities outlined by all local governments. He enters his second term in office after his re-election in November. Mooney will have some leadership roles when he returns to Tal lahassee. He’ll serve as Republican Committee Whip on the House Appropriations Committee and vice chair of the State Administration and Technology Appropriations Committee.

Wisteria Island. CONTRIBUTED

GAME DAY IN KEY WEST

WHERE YOU WATCH MATTERS

AMY PATTON www.keysweekly.com

When die-hard football fans Michelle and Tony Marra arrived to attend the Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots game on a recent Thurs day evening you could say they had great seats. That is, at Dons’ Place, the Key West bar on Truman Avenue.

The Jamestown, New York, couple had hopped a nonstop flight that morning from the nearby Pittsburgh airport and in about four hours, they said, escaped the drizzly, dreary weather of the northeast, trading coats and scarves for their breezy Bills wearable merch. Clad head to toe in her team’s logos at Dons’, Michelle said simply of her Bills fandom: “I was born into it.”

The two are season ticket holders at the Bills’ stadium in Buffalo, but simply wanted to be in the sun.

“We’re warm now,” Michelle said with a wink.

Around the island, and with Super Bowl LVII on the horizon for Feb. 12, battle lines are clearly drawn by National Football League fans when it comes to the local watering holes. And the revenue generated from the avid patronage is no game, remarked Shots and Giggles owner Steve Kibbe.

“Our drink sales jump 70% when football is in season,” he said last week at the bar on Ann Street.

Most bars and restaurants that cater to sports fans find that offering the NFL Ticket, a cable package that makes all NFL games available, on their TV screens is a must. And the “ex-pats” in town who have made their way permanently down to the Southernmost City bring their team loyalty with them, abandoning the home couch for the crowd.

“Eastern NFC fans tend to gather here,” he said. “That means teams like the Dallas Cow boys, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and Washington Commanders.”

Kibbe and his wife Hannia go all out with noshies on game day. “We host a kind of pot luck where anyone can bring a dish, dessert, whatever.”

Best of all, said Kibbe, the food is free to patrons.

Hannia, a fervent Washington Command ers supporter, said she “butts heads” at times with her husband, who cheers for the Philly team. “It’s a friendly rivalry,” she added.

Over at the Irish-themed Celtic Conch Pub lic House on Front Street, the whoops, shouts — and shots — flow when the Eagles are on one of the multiple screens there. And the cash flows along with it.

”It’s all beer and wings, all day,” bar manag er Scott Grossman said last weekend. While the Philly fan base is tight at the multi-floored bar

and restaurant, “We take requests for viewing NFL Ticket games from anyone who comes in.”

Which makes one wonder; where are all the Florida fans?

“Oh, we do have some Tampa Bay Bucca neers fans that come into the mix,” Grossman said.

Midwesterners have their place, too, across town at the Viva Argentinian House on Duval Street. There, the Cleveland Browns rule the NFC North, according to a group of Ohio fans who have even given a moniker to their fan dom: Key West Browns Backers.

These rabid football devotees are ready to “kill some Dolphins,” they said during a planned chartered road trip up to Miami’s Hard Rock stadium on Nov. 13 for the game, according to the group’s page on Viva’s website.

In addition to the new Celtic Conch and its flock of Philadelphia Eagles fans, a similarly vocal group can be heard every Sunday at Sally O’Brien’s on Flagler Avenue.

“Let’s go, Birds,” and “Fly, Eagles, fly,” are commonly heard throughout the Irish-themed bar that used to be Shanna Key.

And let’s not forget The Sandbar Sports Grill, 511 Greene St., where Ohio State fans gather on Saturdays. But all football — actu ally, all sports fans — are always welcome to celebrate their team on one of several TVs in the bar.

In Key West, extreme fandom with a side of good-natured rivalry is alive and well. That’s how game day played out last Sunday after noon at Shots and Giggles.

“This is our living room,” laughed Lynn Horst, whose allegiance was made clear by her apparel: Chicago Bears all the way. Her daughters Beth Blejski and Sarah Girdley made themselves at home in the bar’s cozy sofa area for the Bears vs. Green Bay Packers showdown.

Blejski joked that “we sit back here away from the buffet; it’s too tempting.”

The family has been showing up at the place for 10 years, Horst said.

So with the big business of the professional football season benefitting the bottom line of the beer-and-buffet proprietors in Key West, it’s not if you watch the game, but where.

On Thursday night, the Marras’ frenzied fandom at Dons’ Place paid off. The couple’s cheers turned to shouts as the Buffalo Bills beat the Patriots 24-17.

Buffalo Bills fans Michelle and Tony Marra are geared up for the Buffalo Bills game last week at Dons’ Place on Truman Avenue.

AMY PATTON/Keys Weekly

Mother-daughter football fandom: From left, Lynn Horst, Sarah Girdley and Beth Blejski don their merch for game day Sunday afternoon at Shots and Giggles in Key West.

A FRENETIC FULL MOON

TCAPRICORN

CHRIS McNULTY

is an astrologer, wanderer, bartender and advocate for queer justice. He is a loquacious Gemini with a cozy Cancer rising. Find him at hearthandheraldastrology.com

ying up busi ness at the end of the year and preparing for the holidays always has an odd mix of hy peractivity and winding-down, but right now there is some particularly frenetic energy in the atmosphere. We are in the midst of a full moon in Gemini that is exactly conjunct retrograde Mars. Full moons always bring about heightened energy because they represent a culmination and release, and this one in particular carries with it some frustrated and hypersensi tive feels because of the presence of Mars. In addition, Jupiter is just about to move into Aries from Pisces, and whenever a planet is about to switch signs it imbues the world with a healthy dose of anticipation. Now is a good time to practice some patience, get lots of sleep and give everyone just a little bit of space and understand ing because there is some erratic tension out there.

Here are your Gemini full moon horoscopes. Read for your rising and sun signs.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 22 - Dec. 21

You may have been feeling like you’ve been stalled or mov ing backward when it comes to love and partnership, and this full moon will provide you with an intuitive understanding as to why. As you are able to see yourself more clearly, your needs in a rela tionship come into focus. Take this time to feel your frustrations in re lationships and interrogate them, but be careful not to lash out at the ones you love. Use these next two weeks to honor and enjoy your home and family.

Dec. 22 - Jan. 19

Have you been digging up some of your subconscious moti vations lately? This full moon will bring about an awareness of how these hidden reasons infuse your daily routines. Do you leave the dishes in the sink because you’re afraid of living a sterile, Stepford life? Y’know, stuff like that. Use this full moon to consciously as sess your routines to reform your unconscious hangups. This is your time to take control. Getting clear about your value system will help.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 20 - Feb. 18

This is a social time of year for you, Aquarius. Get out there and surround yourself with friends and supporters. They inspire and ignite your own creativity. Howev er, Mars might have you feeling a bit stunted when it comes to your own creative output, and this full moon will bring that frustration to the forefront. Find a healthy outlet and let ’er rip! Show us your creative bliss. Practicing a little self-conservation will boost your creative wellspring.

PISCES

Feb. 19 - March 20

There has been some frustra tion when it comes to your home, your family or literally the land that you live on. (Are there some varmints in the basement?) This full moon will bring the frustra tion to a head and hopefully bring about a release. You may be using work as an escape, but lean into the irritation and discover that it is fleeting.

ARIES

March 21 - April 19

Clearly communicating your self into the world around you may seem a bit impossible at the moment, like your words aren’t coming out the way you want or your facial expressions are misleading your audience. This full

moon will give you some insight as to why that is happening and what you can learn from it. Some thing new is pushing through the familiar and warping your word ing. Embrace it!

TAURUS

April 20 - May 20

You may have been feeling a monetary contraction lately, and it is probably due to investing in other people rather than yourself. You are actually probably a bit an noyed with yourself, and it looks like you may take that frustration and take a personal retreat to recharge. However, the energy, money and time that you have invested in others will come back to support you down the road, so maintain your faith in your choices.

GEMINI

May 21 - June 21

Reorienting yourself to your self is at the forefront right now. Perhaps a new exercise routine or a new personal style is in the works. You are taking a step back in order to slingshot forward in the new year. This full moon will highlight this new you through a partner or loved one as they shine a light on the purpose of your process. Start to think about how you are needed and received by other people.

CANCER

June 22 - July 22

Your solitude is being high lighted right now, and it might even feel a little frustrating. How ever, this full moon will make clear the underlying lessons of your re treat into alone time. You’ve been hitting the grind pretty hard this past month, and the time spent alone is preparing you to enter 2023 with renewed vigor. Enjoy it and be patient with yourself.

LEO July 23 - Aug. 22

It might feel like the people

who are usually your biggest supporters are holding you back from doing what you want to do. Harumph! However, there is an underlying reason for their reti cence, and this full moon should highlight their why. Your creative bliss is incredibly important, and the folks who support your suc cess are pushing back on it so that you can eventually fly farther. Sit in the creative tension for now.

VIRGO Aug. 23 - Sept. 22

Your work life may feel as though it is holding you back a bit or creating undue friction. This wonkiness at work is allowing your home life to shine as the place where you can be yourself and unwind. This full moon will reflect the real reason work is causing some discomfort by shedding light on the hidden plan. Trust the process and be patient.

LIBRA Sept. 23 - Oct. 23

You want so badly to venture into lands unknown, but there is some invisible force holding you back from making the leap. It is not the time to be moving forward into new territories because your familiar surroundings need your attention. What is it about your local environment that is special? Appreciate what is right in front of you so the door to adventure will open.

SCORPIO

Oct. 24 - Nov. 21

It may feel like the energy you are investing into other people is not being returned, but give it some time. Forward momentum is not the name of the game right now when it comes to the shared investments you are making, rath er patience and preparation are at the heart of the matter. Mind your own needs for sure, but wait until the new year to see the bounty of sharing your assets with others.

NOSTALGIA — REMEMBER?

RAY WEST

For the next few weeks my creative energies will be fully engaged (shameless plug) at the Waterfront Playhouse as I play Lonny in “Rock of Ages.” As I am on stage, my character interacts with the audience continually, so I have one eye in the seats quite often during the show. One thing that has struck me is the number of people I see singing along word for word with the song while seemingly engaged in some pri vate thought, showing a variety of emotions from one person to the next. Many of these folks seem old enough to have been young enough to enjoy these songs when they blanketed the actual airwaves.

Nostalgia seems to be aided by a few factors, one of them being the “reminiscence bump.” This is a term referring to a period when we humans store the most life-defining memories. Outside of trauma, for most of us this is between the ages of 10 and 30. These memories are usually positive ones, part of a life script we construct in our minds. When we fell in love, when we moved to a new place, got a new job, took a trip or had a child. When we found out what we wanted to become.

Music can help in all this by being an emotional companion.

... a professional musician, singer, actor and execu tive director of the Key West Music Awards, is known to sacrifice his comfort for that of his cat.

These times of developmental change can be intense. During adolescence especially, these feelings can be intensi fied by hor monal changes and changes in brain chemistry. Our social interaction and emotional re sponse can be directly affected by the music we listen to, embedding itself alongside our life- changing memories.

Another way music aids in building nostalgia is how it can let the world know what we want it to know about us. Often this starts during adolescence. When we let the world know we prefer one genre of music over others or one band more than others, we are also often letting the world know we associate with the values and beliefs attributed (correctly or incorrectly) with that band or genre.

Which also means we find others who think and feel simi larly. When you’re 16 and wearing that

T-shirt from a group no one’s heard about yet and you see someone else with the band’s shirt on, one of two things is pos sible: Childhood enemy or lifelong friend.

Fast forward a few decades. Pull that old shirt out from that special box, or where your wife hid it, in the bottom of the bottom drawer, and it means something else. We recall when we firmly believed, when life was new. For some of us, we remember our parents playing certain music and we associate it with love and family.

For all of us, music seems to mark time. As each day blends into one long stream of light and sound and activity, music rises just above the din. Music stands like a landmark in our memory, marking moments of change and steps of growth.

What landmarks shall we raise up today?

TEDDY BEARS FOR TOUGH TIMES

KEY WEST WOMAN’S CLUB AGAIN DONATES FOR TRAUMATIZED KIDS

An unusual assortment of police and firefighter uni forms gathered at the Key West Fire Department on Dec. 5, when the Key West Wom an’s Club delivered more than 200 dressed-up teddy bears to local law enforcement and first responders.

“We keep these bears in our patrol cars, and since police officers and sheriff’s deputies are often the first on the scene of accidents and other calls, we can help kids when they’re going through trauma just by giving them something — like a teddy bear — to focus their atten tion and energy on,” Sheriff Rick Ramsay said after picking out his favorite teddy bear — dressed as Spiderman.

Police Chief Sean Brandenburg and Fire

Alan Averette each found bears dressed as police officers and firefighters for their crews. Other bears are dressed as athletes, ballerinas, ducklings and a host of adorable options.

“The Key West Woman’s Club has been donating and dressing the bears for years, and we’re glad to help our local law enforcement officials,” said Susan Mitchell of the club. “We want to give special thanks to our longtime member Jean Shannon, who pays for the bears and encourages everyone to get involved in dressing them up. Unfortunately, Jean is leaving the Keys, and passed the torch this year to other ‘den mothers.’”

Heavy (metal) nostalgia: The guitar belonging to ‘Dimebag Darrell’ of Pantera and the music to ‘Holy Diver’ by Ronnie James Dio are in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Contributed

Chief

MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com

Key West Woman’s Club members drop off dressed-up teddy bears to Key West Police Chief Sean Brandenburg, Key West Fire Chief Alan Averette and Sheriff Rick Ramsay. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly

The Key West Woman’s Club each year dresses and donates more than 200 teddy bears to the Key West Police and Fire departments and to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office to distribute to kids in times of trauma.

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS IN KEY WEST

KEY WEST HOLIDAY FEST OFFERS ARRAY OF FESTIVE EVENTS

Yes, we know, we’ve run this schedule of holi day events before, but there’s a lot going on this month.

Whether you delight in the fun and funky, the enchantingly elegant, or all the above, revelers of all ages can immerse in a solid month of tropical warmth infused holiday magic and merry-making.

Through New Year’s Eve, Key West Harbor Walk of Lights at the Historic Seaport: Lighted palm trees, Christmas trees, ships, shops, restaurants and watering holes.

Through Christmas Eve, the MARC annual Christmas tree lot: Christmas trees, wreaths, gar lands, accessories, ornaments and gifts. More than 1,500 trees are available until they run out or Christ mas Eve, whichever comes first. 1401 Seminary St.

Through Dec. 11, Nutcracker Key West: Sixty local children and adults and 15 professional dancers present this recreation of Key West’s version of “The Nutcracker” ballet at the Tennessee Williams Theater.

Dec. 8, 11-13, 16-23, Conch Tour Train Holiday Sights and Festive Nights Tours depart from Key West High School and convey caroling passengers through streets and neighborhoods to revel in the illuminated city of Key West.

Dec 8-23, Old Town Trolley Holiday Lights & Sights Tours begin at Mallory Square and convey car oling passengers through magically decorated streets and neighborhoods.

Friday, Dec. 9, Holiday Historic Inn Tours –Night 1, 6 to 8 p.m.: Tour four decorated island lo cales: Key West Butterfly Conservatory, The Mermaid & the Alligator, Winslow’s Bungalows, and Weather station Inn.

Friday, Dec. 9, 5 to 9 p.m. 5th annual Holiday Concert & Bazaar at Custom House Museum fea tures local artisans, musicians and choirs, along with a holiday light show.

Friday, Dec. 9, 5:30 p.m. Stock Island Lighted Boat Parade presented by the Rotary Club of Key West at The Perry Hotel.

Friday, Dec. 9 & Saturday, Dec. 10, 7 p.m. Key West High School Band’s Holiday Concert in the school auditorium. Both nights feature the Jazz Band, Percussion Ensemble, Combined Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Colorguard, Steel Pan Band, Chorus Ensembles and all 150-plus musicians in a special combined piece.

Saturday, Dec. 10, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (9 a.m. check-in), 9th annual Parade of Paws & Holiday Bazaar at Higgs Beach / Higgs Dog Park: Benefits the Florida Keys SPCA. Costumes encouraged.

Saturday, Dec. 10, 8 p.m. Schooner Wharf annual Key West Lighted Boat Parade. Arrive at the Key West Bight Marina at the Historic Seaport early in order to stroll through the Key West Harbor Walk of Lights.

Saturday, Dec. 10 and Dec. 17, Visit Santa at the North Pole, 2 to 4 p.m. at the Southernmost “North Pole,” upstairs at the Shops at Mallory Square, 291 Front St. Letter-writing stations and a mailbox will be available for the younger set.

Illuminated watercraft of all shapes and sizes will fill the Key West Historic Seaport on Saturday, Dec. 10 for the annual Schooner Wharf Bar Lighted Boat Parade. CAROL TEDESCO/KeyWestHolidayFest.com

Friday, Dec. 16, Holiday Historic Inn Tours –Night 2, 6 to 8 p.m. Tour four decorated island locales: Hemingway’s Library @ Papa’s Pilar Distillery, The Marquesa Hotel, The Gardens Hotel and Island City House.

Saturday, Dec. 17, 7 a.m. check-in, 8 a.m. start, A Positive Step 5K Rudolph Red Nose Run starting and ending at the Southernmost Beach Café, 1405 Duval St. Don your festival holiday jammies. Runners and walkers of all ages and abilities are welcome; first 100 registrants receive a free T-shirt.

Sunday, Dec. 18, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Holiday Classic Car Show at the Conch Republic Seafood Co. parking lot at the corner of Greene and Elizabeth streets. Bring an unwrapped toy for the Monroe County Domestic Abuse Shelter.

Sunday, Dec. 18, 5 p.m. City of Key West Menorah Lighting Ceremony at Bayview Park.

Dec. 25, Holiday Jazz in the Gardens, 5 to 7 p.m. The Gardens Hotel, 526 Angela St. hosts outdoor jazz in its garden, with a full cash bar on site and a 20% Christmas discount on bottled wine and bubbly.

Saturday, Dec. 31 – For your midnight toast, chose from an abundance of Key West New Year’s Eve Celebrations: The Conch Shell Drop at Sloppy Joe’s Bar on Duval Street; the Red High Heel Drop with Sushi the Drag Queen at Bourbon St. Pub; the Pirate Wench Drop at the Historic Seaport; and the Key Lime Wedge in a Margarita Glass drop at Ocean Key Resort.

— Contributed

SHELF HELP

Staff from your Monroe County Public Library recommend some of their favorites from the collection.

What: “Sorrow and Bliss” by Meg Mason.

Why: I read a review of this somewhere and picked it up just to see what all the fuss was about. Even Ann Patchett gave it a glow ing blurb. However, it seemed like something I would never read.

Let’s just say, I was pleasantly surprised. This is probably one of the best books I’ve read in the past decade. I became such a bore because I recommended it to every single person I met.

The plot is deceptively simple: A study of depression and its effect on a marriage. But don’t let that deter you from reading what is one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. I mean, LOL funny.

I was vindicated recently read ing that Sofia Coppola said that this book is the one she would most like to turn into a Netflix series.

Way to go, Sofia! I always knew you had good taste.

Where: This is available as an ebook – and is on-order in printfrom the Monroe County Library system.

How: You can request books online by logging in to www.key slibraries.org and get ebooks and e-audiobooks 24/7 at www.estuff. keyslibraries.org. If you don’t have a card, you can visit your local branch or register online to get one. Ques tions? info@keyslibraries.org

Recommended by: Jay Bea sley, library assistant, Key West branch

HELP KEEP KEY WEST CLEAN

JOIN A 1 HOUR CLEANUP EVERY FRIDAY MORNING

The Ploggers met the Sea Turtle Club at the entrance to Nature’s Beach by 1800 Atlantic for the Friday cleanup on Dec. 2. They tackled the mangroves and side streets while the Sea Turtle Club cleaned the beach area. A combined total of 23 volunteers collected 355 pounds of trash, 19 pounds of recycling and 2 gallons of cigarette butts. Special thanks to Commissioner Mary Lou Hoover for hosting the after-cleanup food and drinks. CONTRIBUTED

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

Gloves, pickers, buckets, vests, hand sanitizer and a parking pass are provided to all volunteers.

A troubling number of cigarette butts and plastic bags have been included in recent hauls. Please re member your reusable bags when shopping so we can keep the plas tic 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 beauti ful. With simple steps like making sure you bag your trash before put ting it in your Waste Management trash cans or Dumpsters, and mak ing 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 prog ress with every cleanup event and every spot that’s adopted.

Please call Dorian at the city of Key West at 305-809-3782 to know more about how your business, nonprofit or club can help.

Join a Friday morning cleanup in December. Note that all cleanups are from 8 to 9 a.m. except for a special three-hour event on Friday, Dec. 23.

Dec. 9: Lazy Way Lane (Meet in parking lot across from Breakfast Club, Too)

Dec. 16: South Roosevelt at the end of Flagler (Meeting spot TBD) Dec. 23: (8:30 to 11:30 a.m.): Truman Waterfront Park (Meet in the big parking lot to the right of the Ingham)

Dec. 30: 14th Street and Duck Avenue (Meet in the parking lot at 14th and Duck.)

TAKE ME HOME?

FIND A FRIEND AT THE FLORIDA KEYS SPCA

The Keys Weekly family loves animals as much as our friends at the Florida Keys SPCA do, and we’re hon ored each week to showcase some “furever” friends that are ready, waiting and available for adop tion 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 pro gram also provides special assis tance 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 wait ing for a home and see them all at fkspca.org.

Zero is a 1-year-old male lab retriever mix. He’s a sweet, friendly boy who needs a family willing to set a routine and give him lots of love.

Dreamsicle is a 5-½-year old male do mestic shorthair. He’s an independent kitty who loves treats, relaxing in comfy beds and head scratches.

Sneezy is an adult hamster. Hamsters can be great family friendly pets, full of personality.

Danielle is a 2-year-old female pit bull mix. She’s happy, gentle, goofy, friendly and food motivated. She needs snuggles, snacks and could possibly do well with a dog friend.

Tahini is a 2-year-old female domestic shorthair. She’s a shy cat, but comes around once she gets to know you. She’s a petite princess looking for a home.

JOIN THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF ONE OF FLORIDA’S LARGEST EDUCATION FOCUSED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

The Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe, Inc., is seeking a private sector and Early Head Start/Head Start director to ll vacant board seats. To qualify members must meet the statutory requirements, as de ned in Chapter 1002.83, Florida statutes.

Governor appointed private sector business members, either for-pro t or nonpro t, who do not (or any relatives as de ned in s. 112.3143) have a substantial nancial interest in the design or delivery of the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program (1002.51 – 79, Florida Statutes) or the School Readiness Program (1002.81 – 995, Florida Statutes).

To apply for this position go to https://www. gov.com/appointments/ and ll out the application.

Early Head Start or Head Start director, candidate must reside in Florida and be the director of an early care and education program o ering Early Head Start and/or Head Start and conducting business in Miami-Dade or Monroe County.

To apply for this position go to https://bit.ly/ELCMDM_BOD or scan the QR code for the application.

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

This publication was made possible by Grant Number 90TP0068-02-00 from the O ce of Child Care, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

MM 1 - Inez Martin Child Care Center (C16M0012)

1100 Varela St., Key West, FL 33040

Contact: Christine Patterson • 305-809-5055 • christine.patterson@wesleyhouse.org Vacancies: 3 teachers

MM 2 - Sunbeam Christian School (C16MO0034)

1311 5th St., Key West, FL 33040 Contact: Jerlyn Matthews • 305-2946018 • sunbeam@fsbckw.org Vacancies: 3 teachers

MM 5 - Lighthouse Christian Academy (C16MO0014) 5580 MacDonald Ave, Key West, FL 33040 Jennifer Sisco • 305-292-5582 • lcaoffice@cwckw.org Vacancies: 1 floater

MM 22.9 - Banana Cabanna Academy Inc. (C16MO0054) 22673 Pieces of Eight Rd, Cudjoe Key, FL 33042

Contact: Roxanne Rosado • 305-745-1400 • banana.cabanna@att.net Vacancies: 2 teachers

MM 47 - Kreative Kids Christian Academy (X16MO0001) 4711 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050

Contact: Maria Vaillant • 305-743-7165 Kreativekidsca@bellsouth.net • vaillantmaria@yahoo.com Vacancies: 2 teachers

MM 49 Center, Inc. 230 41 Marathon, FL 33050

Kelly Ullrich • 305-743-6064 • gjcckids@gmail.com Vacancies: 3 teachers

MM 87.5 Center ( 87500 Overseas Hwy, I slamorada, FL 33036 Contact: Sue Ellen Bennett • 305-852-2161 • childrenscenter@stjamesthefisherman.org Vacancies: 1 teacher

MM 92 (C16MO0018) 93001 Overseas Hwy, Tavernier, FL 33070

Contact: Nilda Bernaldez • 305-852-0250 • acabar11@yahoo.com Vacancies: 2 part-time floaters

MM 99 - First Baptist Church Jack Hill Child Care (C16MO0021) 99001 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo, FL 33037

Contact: Leeanna Woods • 305-451-2125 • fbcjhccc@yahoo.com Vacancies: 1 teacher

Business rival targeted for lack of regard

It was May 22, 1914, when Captain Bell of the schooner Amelia wanted to get out of some high winds and set a course for the harbor at Key West. The Amelia was carrying a crew of 20.

When the anchor was dropped, Bell and six of his crew climbed into a launch and rowed to the docks. Bell and one of the crew walked into town. The others were left to watch the launch.

When Bell returned to where the crew mem bers should have been waiting, they were gone. A mob of 500 had not only gathered but chased his men into a nearby store where two women brandishing pistols held the crowd at bay. Bell attempted to man his launch and row out of harm’s way, but members of the mob clawed at the boat and began ripping it apart. Bell jumped overboard and, while swimming away for his life, was fired upon. A bullet struck his left knee.

SPONGE WARS PIT GREEKS AGAINST CONCHS

When the sheriff arrived, he pulled out his pistol and maybe even fired a shot up into the air. He managed to get Bell away from the mob and, for his protection, to the county jail. Not everyone would be safe that night. At about 11:30 p.m., 25 armed men climbed into the launch Key West and paddled out to the schooner Amelia where they boarded and quickly took control of the ship. At gunpoint, the crew members were forced from the schooner without the benefit of col lecting their belongings or even clothes to wear.

The Key West mob robbed the Amelia of any valuables before they lit dynamite. The ship exploded and burned with one crew member, John Manis, still on board. It was not the only ship that was robbed and burned that day. The Edna Louise was attacked near the Marquesas Keys. In both cases, sponges were the cause of the violence, Conchs were the aggressors, and Greek sponge fishermen were the victims.

Why were the Conchs so pissed off? When they were sponge fishing, a mother ship towed a small fleet of skiffs behind it. The boat would anchor near a sponge bed, and two-person crews would oper ate the skiffs. In “A True Story of Some Eventful Years in Grandpa’s Life,” the memoir of Henry Perrine Jr., printed in 1885, he wrote of the sponge fishermen. “When the surface of the water is rough, the spongers are able to examine the bottom, as their boat glides slowly along, by using a small keg or box, in the bottom of which a pane of glass is securely fixed. By pressing this into the water below the ripples they can see the bottom almost as well as on a calm day. To obtain them, the spongers are provided with poles about twenty feet long which have stout two or three-pronged hooks upon their ends. By inserting these under the sponges they are detached from the rocks and brought to the surface.”

The man in the front of the boat was called a hooker. His job was to scan the bottom for sponges and then use the three-pronged

BRAD BERTELLI

is an author, speaker, Florida Keys historian and Honorary Conch. His latest book, “Florida Keys History with Brad Bertelli, Volume 1,” shares fasci nating glimpses into the rich and sometimes sur prising histories of the Florida Keys.

curved hook to harvest the sponge. When he did, a little piece of the sponge was left behind that would grow and regenerate. The Greek sponge fishermen, however, did things a little bit differently.

The Greeks used two techniques when har vesting sponges. They hooked them from the shallows like the Conchs did but also donned hard-hat diving gear that included 50-pound metal boots that enabled them to walk along the ocean floor. There, they were able to pluck sponges from depths the Conchs could not reach. These deeper sponges were often better quality sponges. Using both techniques, the Greeks could gather up to four times as many sponges as their Conch counterparts.

What infuriated the Conchs, too, was the Greeks’ disregard for the sponge beds, which were damaged as they stomped along the bottom in their heavy diving boots. In a blow to the Greeks, the state passed a law in 1917 that prohibited diving for sponges except in designated areas, and the shallows surrounding the Florida Keys were not among those waters. Primarily operating out of Tarpon Springs, on the west coast of Florida, the Greek spongers made repeated at tempts to relocate to South Florida and the Keys.

In 1927, Conch spongers went to Miami to protest an effort by the Greeks lobbying for the support of the Miami Chamber of Commerce to bring their business to Miami. A story about the Greeks’ efforts was published in the Aug. 20, 1927 Key West Citizen. “Miamians don’t know a conch from a sponge – all they want is to bring money to Miami. They’ve cleaned up the sponges of Tarpon Springs. Now they want to get into the Florida Bay, and know Miami is the nearest that they can hope to locate.”

Conch feelings for the Greeks did not temper over time. The April 14, 1930, edition of the Key West Citizen reprinted a story published in the Tarpon Springs News using the headline “Tarpon Springs Divers Warned From Key West.” It seems that a dozen or so Greek spongers from Tarpon Springs were considering moving their boats and their business to Key West. “It is well known that the average Key Wester has no love for a Greek sponger and look upon him as a rival and competition for his business.”

The Greek spongers never really landed in South Florida, and a sponge blight in the 1940s devastated the sponge beds for decades. For the Florida Keys, the sponge became another boom and bust industry. For Tarpon Springs, it left a more indelible mark on a com munity known still as the Sponge Capital of the World.

EVERGLADES IS KEY TO THE FLORIDA KEYS

The Florida Everglades is the legacy of every Floridian, a vast, iconic ecosystem un like anything else found on Earth. The largest subtropical wet land in North America, it provides critical habitat for more than 70 different endangered or threat ened species like the manatee, the American crocodile and the Florida panther. Its bird community alone includes more than 360 different species.

Its 3 million acres covers a massive expanse, but perspective is important: what we now know as the Florida Everglades occupies less than half of its original foot print.

Those of us in the Florida Keys have a unique relationship to the Florida Everglades, one that should inspire each of us to become vocal and active advocates of Everglades restoration.

Without the Everglades, life itself would not be sustainable for the 82,000 residents and countless tourists in Monroe County. Further, much of the multibillion-dollar Florida Bay recreational fishing industry would not exist. That’s be cause the Everglades is the source for the drinking water that makes our lives possible and provides the freshwater needed to balance the salinity of Florida Bay.

The Keys’ drinking water is drawn primarily from the Biscayne Aquifer. The Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority wellhead is located in a protected rockland forest near Everglades National Park.

Thanks to the natural filtering action of the Everglades and the underground Biscayne Aquifer, the FKAA wellhead draws some of the purest water in the United States, meeting or exceeding all regulatory drinking water standards direct from the wellhead. The treated wa ter is then distributed to the Keys through a 130-mile-long transmis sion main.

Just as the Everglades provides us the water we need to stay alive, it is also the source of the freshwa ter that makes Florida Bay one of the world’s most sought-after sport fishing destinations.

One of the most unique estu aries in the United States, Florida Bay is located on a shallow shelf lagoon where freshwater from the Everglades mixes with salt water from the Gulf of Mexico. The

delicate balance of salt water and fresh in Florida Bay is what gives life to the seagrass, fish and other wildlife that contributes to Florida’s $7.2 billion recreational fishing industry.

Florida Bay’s seagrass provides food and shelter to species includ ing the economically important pink shrimp, stone crab and spiny lobster. Numerous wading birds, as well as endangered species like the bald eagle, also depend on a healthy bay.

The bay, however, is a “nega tive” estuary, meaning that evapo ration exceeds the input of new freshwater for most of the year.

For millennia, Florida Bay re ceived large quantities of freshwa ter via the Everglades watershed, but over the past century, man has siphoned off more than half of the fresh water that once flowed into the bay. This has increased salinity across the bay, rendering the bay more vulnerable to drought and more susceptible to hypersaline conditions, seagrass die-offs, and algae blooms. Carefully increasing the timing and flows of freshwater into the bay through Everglades restoration has now become criti cal.

With all that’s at stake, resi dents of the Florida Keys should understand the importance of Everglades restoration to the bay’s health and the Keys economy, hopefully becoming vocal advo cates for completion of restoration.

Fortunately, there have never been more resources available to those wanting to become more fa miliar with the issues involved. The Everglades Foundation maintains an extensive library of engag ing online educational tools and resources, and Florida Bay Forever maintains an informative list of re sources about the history, science and politics of the issues.

Whatever our political views or partisan affiliations, each of us has a lot at stake here. For those of us in the recreational fishing and hospitality industries, our livelihoods are in the balance, but for every one of us, this is a fight for the very water we need to stay alive.

— Eric Eikenberg, CEO, the Everglades Foundation.

— Jeff Baumgartner, executive director, Florida Bay Forever.

NEW BOAT & BUOYS

all of the yellow boundary buoys on what is our largest SPA.”

Eleven boundary buoys at Carysfort Reef Sanctuary Pres ervation Area (SPA) have been replaced following the maiden voyage of RV Hawksbill, the new work platform acquired by Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary’s Upper Keys buoy team.

The 36-foot Newton vessel, based in Key Largo, is a carbon copy of one delivered to the lower Keys team last year, featuring on-board hydraulics and pressure-washing capabilities.

“The Hawksbill arrived in the Keys (in October) but we had a number of NOAA protocols to follow in order to get her approved for service,” said buoy team leader Brady Booton. “Her first day on the water was a classic Florida Keys dive opportunity, and the sea conditions allowed us to replace

The new vessel is named “Hawks bill” for a turtle species frequently seen in the Keys, and pairs with “Leatherback,” the moniker Monroe County Schools students last year voted to name the lower Keys vessel. The buoy teams maintain a network of more than 800 boundary, mooring and informational buoys spanning more than 100 miles. The singleday success at Carysfort illustrates the efficiency obtained by the new work platforms, which carry a mod est 2-foot draft. Carysfort spans 1.5 square nautical miles and features an unusual double reef configuration.

“We appreciate all the under standing, patience and communica tion from the community to support the buoy team,” Booton said. “We are elated to see a turn of a new tide and finally have a platform that can be used for all necessary maintenance.”

LETTER

NOAA team replaces markers with the ‘Hawksbill’

NOAA buoy team members replace boundary buoys at Carysfort Reef in Key Largo. NOAA/Contributed

The newly-acquired NOAA boat, Hawksbill, transports new boundary buoys to Carysfort Reef. BRITTANY NGUYEN/NOAA

HANGING THE RIGHT ART IN YOUR SANCTUARY

Don’t pick something that just fits

Our home is our sanctuary. What we hang up in our sanctuary says a lot more than we think.

While we often think about our home and its general mood and décor, the artwork is something that most people don’t really think about. At the most, art is regulated as something good to fit that space on that wall in the bedroom or the bathroom. Art is more than decoration; it is a reflection of us and our interests. When referring to a work of art or artwork, I’m talking about photography, sculpture and paintings.

You spent a long time getting your home just right; you might as well have the art reflect what you want it to. Decorating a house is a big job; that is why there are interior designers to help you create your own home. But all too often the artwork gets ignored or is chosen because it is the right size color. The artwork should speak to you. It should be something you find interesting.

It is difficult to talk about art — it is a subject that many people shy away from. Choosing the right color or fit replaces looking for a work of art that you like. Why? Because we don’t want to be wrong; we don’t want to look ignorant. It is easier to say “I picked it for the color” or “it just fit” than admitting that we liked the image. Why are we afraid to choose the wrong artwork? It is your home and should mirror you and your family. Even if we just pick anything to hang on our walls or nothing to hang on our walls, that says just as much as the artwork.

Art and photos are important. It might seem like an afterthought. They are something you will see every day as you pass through your house; why not make it something you enjoy? Artwork has tremendous power and perhaps that is why we often choose to just settle. Think of a beautifully framed photo of you and your family on vacation. You see the photo with everyone’s smiles on their faces.

Perhaps there is a photo of a loved one who is sadly no longer with us. There is a print of your favorite fish hanging on the wall on the other side of the room. You go down your hallway past some artwork from your trip to Italy hanging carefully on the walls. As you walk throughout your home you realize just how much of your life and personality is hanging on the walls.

Okay, that is great and you under stand, but you don’t have the time to curate the art in your house. Curate: a stuck-up little word that probably had you going back to choosing the artwork based on color or size. While the word might make you think of a museum and something you don’t want to do, it just means that you are selecting what is right for you. Museums and galleries have a tough time trying to find art that is relevant for them, their area and how it fits in the history of art. You are not doing that; you are just finding artwork that is for the unique individual(s) you are.

The artwork doesn’t have to be fancy or even important; it should be something that makes you feel the way you want to feel when you see it. The art can be from a world-famous artist, a local artist, a photograph of your favorite place or even a poster. Remember the artwork should be something you enjoy and will continue to enjoy looking at.

Where do we go from here? Now that you are starting to understand, it still seems daunt ing. I would start with family photos; noth ing brings more happiness than seeing your loved ones. Where do you want to hang the pictures? In the living room? Down a hallway? Please, not a bathroom. When looking through the photos, do you want some of them en larged? How do you want to arrange them? I know it is starting to sound a little overwhelm ing but take it slow. If you need help, you might

have a friend or a family member who has a good eye and can help you arrange the photos.

Traveling is one of life’s truly great pleasures. Purchasing artwork from your trip will help you remem ber the trip and enjoy it all over again. You can take photos and put them in photo albums, but they often stay on the shelf. They are not something you see while walking throughout your home. Because of our phones, most of us just have the photos stored digitally. It is time to go past that and hang some photos of your trip up on the walls. One of the neat parts of traveling is meeting new people and discovering new art. On your trip you found a photographer who took some amazing photos of the area. You find an artist who beautifully painted a local landmark. Seeing this artwork in your home will help you get through tough days and be a stimulating conversation piece.

Now that you are starting to understand, take a bit of a leap and start looking at artwork and photos by artists. Not from trips you have taken, but just art, photos and sculptures that are just for art’s sake. You don’t have to go and buy right away. Explore and meet up with various local artists and visit different galleries. If you feel uncomfortable in a gallery, then that art probably isn’t for you and that is okay. You will find art that clicks with you. You can talk to the artist and photographer and see what they were thinking when they worked on a piece. This can help you see if the artwork is right for you.

Don’t be afraid to think of it as a new world to explore. The right artwork will help you set a mood, it will make you feel. When you see that open space in your house, don’t be tempted to just fill it up; make it exceptional.

is an artist, designer and gemologist who believes in the power of art.

WILLIAM DEPAULA

A map of Africa. CONTRIBUTED

A piece by modern artist Millard Wells.

Coconut palms by Winslow Homer. ARTIST’S CORNER

‘THANK A FISHERMAN’

DOCUMENTARY SETS SIGHTS ON KEYS COMMERCIAL FISHING INDUSTRY

CHARLOTTE TWINE www.keysweekly.com

wardwinning environ mental journalist and sustainable sea food advocate Sarah Curry has screened her documentaries at film festivals around the world and on PBS. Her nonprofit film production com pany has zeroed in on topics from fish markets in Hong Kong to king mackerel fishing in Louisiana.

Sarah Curry, the founder and execu tive director of Sereia Films, is making a documentary about commercial lobster fishing in the Florida Keys.

And now, she is setting her sights on the Florida Keys, with a still-in-theworks documentary about the local commercial lobster fishing industry and a screening of short films, co-pre sented by Surfrider Foundation Florida Keys, that will take place Friday, Dec. 9, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Angler House Marina in Islamorada.

But like many of us in the Keys, Miami-based Curry is simply stoked to have a great night on the water.

“We had such a blast,” she told Keys Weekly about a November night tagging along with commercial fish erman Jesse Hayes. Curry and her camera crew filmed him bully netting for lobster.

“I thought it was a cool story to tell. I didn’t know bully netting was done commercially. And it was a beautiful night. You could see how passionate he was.”

“It was the perfect night for bully netting,” said Hayes. “The water was deep, there was zero wind and great visibility — and the lobsters were everywhere. I love what I do and to share that with people is really special. I think her mission with educational documentaries is awesome. I’m glad someone is stepping up to do this. Who knows? In 20 years, my occupa tion may not exist any more.”

Curry is the founder and executive director of Sereia Films (pronounced “Ser-ay-uhh,” it’s the Portuguese word for “mermaid”). The nonprofit com bines her two passions: sustainable seafood and documentary filmmaking.

A‘We had such a blast,’ filmmaker Sarah Curry told Keys Weekly about tagging along with commercial fisherman Jesse Hayes. ‘You could see how passionate he was.’ SEREIA FILMS/Contributed

After earning an undergraduate degree in marine science from Louisi ana State University, she spent time on commercial boats that were fishing for cod and haddock out of New Bedford, Massachusetts. From this experience, she realized how much humans affect the environment, and she was mo tivated to pursue a master’s in envi ronmental journalism from University of Colorado-Boulder, with a focus on making documentaries.

Curry is still filming the documen tary about Keys lobster fishing and intends to have a screening of it locally once she is finished with the editing. For now, she is proud to co-present, along with Surfrider Foundation Florida Keys, “Ocean to Everglades: Stories of the Sea,” this Friday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Islamorada’s Angler House Marina at MM 80. Per Surfriders’ website, the gathering is “a night of film screenings and discussion on sustainable seafood in Florida and the ocean livelihoods that depend on it.”

The films are by Curry’s Sereia Films and The Ocean Conservancy, and the panel discussion will feature guests from the conservancy, local commer cial fisherman and scientists. Topics will include Florida fish farms and a chef who is dedicated to reducing fish waste.

“We need to start paying attention to what we’re eating. We import so much salmon, shrimp and tuna,” she said, explaining that Florida shellfish and a Homestead salmon farm can provide sustainable sources for food that are just as delicious.

And she has a message for read ers: “Thank a fisherman or a fish farmer,” she said. “They’re producing food for us, and it’s hard work.”

LEGAL NOTICES

FICTITIOUS NAME

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of UPPER KEYS WEEKLY located at 9709 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida 33050 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

By: Weekly News Corp Publish: December 8, 2022

The Weekly Newspapers

FICTITIOUS NAME

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of MARATHON WEEKLY located at 9709 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida 33050 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

By: Weekly News Corp Publish: December 8, 2022

The Weekly Newspapers

FICTITIOUS NAME

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of KEYS WEEKLY located at 9709 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida 33050 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

By: Weekly News Corp Publish: December 8, 2022

The Weekly Newspapers

PUBLIC SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE TO SELL

Please take notice that in accordance with Florida Statutes 328.17, 713.78, 715.109, Tavernier Mini Storage Inc, claims a Notice of Possessory Lien, Foreclosure of Lien on the following Trailer described as a 2004 Pace American Trailer VIN #4FPFB10104G081186 owned by Zachary O’Donnell. Vessel & trailer to be sold on 12/26/22 at 10:00 am at Tavernier Mini Storage Inc, 135 Hood Avenue, Tavernier, FL 33070. Tavernier Mini Storage Inc. reserves the right to accept or reject any and/ all bids.

Publish: December 8 & 15, 2022

The Weekly Newspapers

THE DISTRICT IV FISHING ADVISORY COMMITTEE

(From the Long Key Bridge to MM 90.39) of the

MONROE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL has an opening for a FISHING ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVE – the applicant must reside full-time in the Florida Keys and have a fishingrelated business or represent and have knowledge of fishing tournaments that utilize/request funding from the specific bed tax district that he/she represents.

Any person wishing to participate on the District IV Fishing Advisory Committee of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council within the district so noted above, may request an application from the TDC Administrative Office by emailing Laurie@fla-keys. com. The completed application should be emailed to: Laurie@ fla-keys.com.

Deadline for receipt of application at the above address is: January 6, 2022, at 5:00 P.M. A resume may be attached to the submitted application.

Publish: December 8, 2022

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISION

FILE NO.: 2022-CP-103-M

IN RE: ESTATE OF DOMENIC R. LOPARDO,

Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of DOMENIC R. LOPARDO, deceased, whose date of death was July 30, 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 estate is intestate. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

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

All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against the decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.

ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.

NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.

The date of first publication of this Notice is: December 8, 2022.

Personal Representative: Carol E. Blake 53 Horseshoe Drive West Boylston, MA 01583

Attorney for Personal Representative: James J. Dorl, Esq. Florida Bar No. 618403

JAMES J. DORL, P.A. Suite 12 First Professional Centre 5701 Overseas Highway

LEGAL NOTICES

Marathon, FL 33050

Telephone: (305) 743-6565 Facsimile: (305) 743-4143 e-mail: jjdorl@yahoo.com

Publish: December 8 & 15, 2022

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 22-CP-000244-K

IN RE: ESTATE OF TRACY COX A/K/A TRACY A. COX, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of TRACY COX A/K/A TRACY A. COX, deceased, whose date of death was February 16, 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 WITHIN THE LATER OF THREE (3) MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.

All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against the decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN THREE (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 STATUTES WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME

EMPLOYMENT LEGAL NOTICES

PERIODS

The date of the first publication of this Notice is: December 8, 2022.

Personal Representative: PHILIP TENNEY 629 William Street Key West, FL 33040

Attorney for Personal Representative: KARLEEN A. GRANT, ESQUIRE Fla. Bar No: 324531

Law Offices of Karleen A. Grant 1033 Flagler Avenue Key West, FL 33040 Telephone: (305) 292-4929

Publish: December 8 & 15, 2022

The Weekly Newspapers

AUTOS WANTED

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

BOATS FOR SALE

2006 Willy Roberts, 15' Slo-Poke, 2006 40 hp Yamaha w/250 hours. $15,500. Call for pics/ info. 870-615-2750

BOAT SLIP/TRAILER STORAGE FOR RENT

Boat Trailer Spaces Available. $100 per week. Boat dockage available $100 per week. Easy access to the Atlantic and lighthouse. Boat length 32’ or less! Dockage is eighty feet long with good depth for boats. Phone 336-4088140 or 336-287-3345.

Dr. Roberto Leoni, D.O. will be relocating North, and is no longer practicing at Islamorada Medical Center at the following location e ective December 13, 2022: 90130 Old High way, Tavernier, FL 33070.

Patients are encouraged to continue receiving their medical care at Islamorada Medical Center with Dr. Leoni until his last day, and after December 13th, with one of our many excellent physicians at Islamorada Medical Center including Dr. Miguel Diaz, Dr. Julio Gonzalez, Dr. Bledar Haxhiu, Dr. Kelvin Ong and Dr. Douglas Guevara.

Patients who wish to receive copies of their medical records may contact the o ce by calling 305-852-9300, or by sending an email to scheduling@islamoradamedicalcenter.com, to request a records release.

Publish: November 17 & 24, and December 1 & 8, 2022. The Weekly Newspapers.

CARETAKER COUPLE

WANTED at small Abaco, Bahamas beach resort having $500-$1000/ night accommodations in exchange for Security and Supervision of the Landscaper. Call or text 305-439-9991.

Professional medical practice seeking FT Receptionist in Upper Keys. Computer skills necessary. Send resume: keysinc2@bellsouth.net

Night Monitor – FREE Private Room in exchange for overnight coverage at an Assisted Living Facility. 5 nights on, 5 nights off 10pm-8am with weekly stipend Drug and background screen required. Apply at www.westcare.com

Join the Ocean Dayz Team! We are accepting applications for a Sales Associate in Islamorada. Must be outgoing, detail oriented and willing to work weekends. Experience a plus. Starting pay dependent upon qualifications. Apply in person at Island Dreamz, 84001 Overseas Highway, Islamorada or submit resume to: csteele@oceandayz.com

The Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club is seeking a CustomerService Oriented Server for the pool deck, beach and/ or bar lounge. Open year round, 10am-7pm daily. 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.

The Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club is seeking a Part-Time Line Cook. Open year round, 10am-7pm daily. Small friendly staff. Hourly pay commensurate with experience. Apply in person at 425 E. Ocean Dr. Key Colony Beach or call 404219-3359 and ask for Dave.

SS Wreck and Galley Grill on Grassy Key is looking for line cooks, full or part time. Please call Nicole at 305433-0515, or email nicole@ themoongroupfl.com.

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

full time either Monday - Friday 10-6 or Wed. through Sunday 10-6. Must be outgoing with leadership traits and must be organized, self-motivated, and have a passion for customer service. Salary commensurate with experience and includes tips and 401k. Please call Nicole at 305-4330515, or email nicole@ themoongroupfl.com.

Boat rental company in Marathon needs an Outboard Mechanic. Some general marina work, and boat experience a plus. Call 305-481-7006

All Keys Yamaha hiring a Technician Marine Repair specializing in Yamaha outboard engines. Hours M-F 8a5p. Apply in person at 2001 Overseas Highway, Marathon. 305-743-3530

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

Meeting Notice

Monroe County Land Authority

The Monroe County Land Authority Advisory Committee will meet in the Marathon Government Center located at 2798 Overseas Highway, Media Room – 1st floor, Marathon, Florida on December 14, 2022 beginning at 9:30 a.m. The agenda is available online at www.monroecounty-fl.gov or by contacting the Monroe County Land Authority office at 305-295-5180.

ADA ASSISTANCE If you are a person with a disability who needs special accommodations in order to participate in these proceedings, please contact the County Administrator's Office, by phoning 305-292-4441, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., no later than five (5) calendar days prior to the scheduled meeting; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call “711”.

SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.

Coast to Coast Pizza Company in Marathon is looking for an Assistant Manager for the front of the house,

305.743.0844

Immediate positions at the Grassy Key Marina.

Under new ownership and looking for smiling faces. Full-time or parttime available. Pay rates are commensurate with experience but we are willing to interview those with no experience who have an interest in working in a marina environment. Please call Randall Glass to schedule an interview at 305-465-1491.

City of Marathon Current Job Openings: Support Services/Logistics, Paralegal, Utilities Maintenance, Recreation Specialist, Right of Way Technician, and Marina Tech/Pump Out Captain. Full Benefits. EOE Please see City website for details www.ci.marathon.fl.us

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

Place your employment ad here for $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today

The Housing Authority of the City of Key West now hiring the following positions: Maintenance Mechanic (Maintenance Worker), Med Tech, Resident Activities Coordinator. To apply, please contact Human Resources at: martinezm@ kwha.org or 305-296-5621. Applications are available at the Administrative Office located at 1400 Kennedy Dr., Key West, FL 33040 or online at www.kwha.orgEOE & Drug Free Work Place. This opportunity is covered under Section 3 of the HUD Act of 1968.

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

Place your employment ad here for $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today!

HOBBIES/COLLECT.

Key Largo - 2BR/2BA Spacious Doublewide, 1400 sq ft modular on canal w/40’ dock, direct ocean access. Very nice community $3200/ month 786-258-3127

LUXURY CONDO FOR RENT IN MARATHON. Seawatch Condos. 2 BR, 2 Bath, Den. 1650 sq ft plus large open balcony. Beautiful water view. Pool, tennis, full gym. Adults only. No pets. Yearly lease--$5250/month plus utilities or Seasonal rental $7500/month(2 mo min). F/L/S [first, last, and security deposit]. Contact Norman at 800-324-6982.

305-743-4578

HOUSING FOR RENT

STUDIO APT

FOR RENT - Furnished Studio Apt w/patio, like new, W/D, off street parking. Key West. $2,300/month including util. F/L/S Owner/Agent Douglas Miller 305-747-1700

RV LOT FOR RENT

Large RV Waterfront Lot with Dockage for rent in Marathon. Full hook up. $2000.00/month plus utilities. 305-731-5042

YARD SALES

SARA’S ESTATE SALE: 144 S. HAMMOCK RD, ISLAMORADA | Fri, Dec. 9 & Sat, Dec. 10, 9am to 1pm both days | GIGANTIC SALE complete bedroom sets, dining set & hutch, nursery furniture, 2 lg tvs, NuWave cookware, 3 sewing machines, Breville toaster, Wagner paint sprayer, LGB Lehmann train cars, garden tools, pots, luggage, purses, airbeds, craft supplies, hundreds of DVDs, costume jewelry, small ladies clothing, shoes, plastic storage drawers. Lots of things, low prices. Follow signs and park w consideration J Photos: Facebook (@sarasestatesales).

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS COORDINATOR

Monroe County is seeking an energetic multi-tasker with excellent computer skills to join our Benefits Team! Great customer service skills and a working knowledge of MS Office required. Coordinator works in a fluid, fast paced environment maintaining benefits records, data, and reports, as well as Group Health Plan eligibility. Position also supports the County’s Wellness program.

To apply, please contact Human Resources at careers@monroecounty-fl.gov.

Applications available at www.monroecounty-fl.gov. 305-292-4557. Veteran’s Preference Available; E.O.E.

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

YARD SALES

FRONT OFFICE ASSISTANT- FULLTIME