Key West Weekly 22-1222

OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND

One of the most beautiful commercial buildings in Key West in a prime location on famous Duval Street! The quality of construction is exceptional. 5,000 +/- sf on the 1st floor with mezzanine and large covered porch on the 2nd floor. Plenty of storage on the 2nd-floor area with approximately 1848 indoor space and 1600 sq. ft. of porch area. One upstairs apartment and a huge parking lot with 10 off-street parking spaces behind the building. Located next to famous bars and tourist attractions. The owner is using the lease space as a gallery. Could be divided into several commercial units. Please do not disturb the business.

KEY WEST | $8,250,000 | Listing ID: 602921

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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NUMBER OF THE WEEK

$434.5 million The much-anticipated release of “Avatar: The Way of the Water” earned $434.5 million in its global debut, according to the Associated Press. The film rolled out internationally on Dec. 14 and in the U.S. on Dec. 15. Former Islamorada resident Jon Landau helped produce the film alongside director James Cameron.

Bruce, left, and LooLoo are all wrapped up and ready for Christmas in one of Nick Doll’s annual holiday pet portraits to benefit the MARC House and Florida Keys SPCA. NICK DOLL/NickDollPhotography.com

There’s no snow on the ground, and our trees still have leaves, but the warm weather doesn’t melt the holiday spirit in Key West.

In case you missed any of the Conch Train holiday light tours this year, we’ve collected a quick roundup of impressive Christmas displays between Duval and 1st streets.

— Mandy Miles

You can’t miss this spectacle on George Street, near Washington.

The Sir family’s Key West Home Services on Catherine Street never disappoints.

Avalon Guesthouse on Duval Street is a beacon of holiday lights.

Reindeer steal the heart at this Old Town home.

This Midtown home is a favorite with the Conch Train Christmas light tours this year.

Lighted flamingos pull a rooster’s sleigh in this Old Town yard.

WeBeFit decks its halls for all holidays.

Photo

MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

9 FINALISTS NAMED FOR KEY WEST CITY MANAGER

SEARCH COMMITTEE MEMBERS EACH TO CHOOSE THEIR TOP 3

Nine finalists have made the short list for Key West’s next city manager. The list of eight men and one woman includes four Florida Keys locals, four residents of other Florida cities and one village administrator from Michigan. Keys residents who made the short list are James Brownlee, David Burke, Thaddeus Cohen and Abe Conn.

Consultant Dona Higginbotham of the Mercer Group, who was hired by the city to conduct the search, narrowed the field from 43 applicants to the nine finalists. She provided that short list to the city and to the search committee whose members were appointed by the city commissioners and mayor.

Higginbotham told the search committee at a Dec. 19 meeting that she had reviewed all 43 applications, using the education and experience criteria set forth by the city commission to recommend the nine finalists.

Now it’s up to the committee members to narrow the list further. Each will submit his or her top three candidates to Higginbotham by Jan. 16. She’ll compile the top vote-getters and pass those names to the city commission for interviews.

Before finalizing their top three choices, members can meet privately with Higginbotham on Jan. 10 and 11 to discuss candidates, qualifications and potential concerns.

But the committee will not discuss or debate the individual candidates, nor will the committee conduct any interviews, committee chair Sam Holland said, adding that it wouldn’t be appropriate for an advisory committee.

“This committee won’t sit in a forum and discuss individual applicants, dress them up and down, consider their pros and cons,” Holland said. “We’re not going to do that. It’s not appropriate. Discussion of individual applications will take place at the commission level. Once we’ve selected our top three or four finalists, it’s then in the commission’s hands. And I know they’ll have some pretty hefty public interview sessions with each candidate.”

Interviews will likely take place in late January or early February, and an offer could be made the second week of February. If all goes according to schedule, the successful candidate will start work in April to provide three months of overlap with City Manager Patti McLauchlin, who retires in July, Committee member Arlo Haskell wanted to ensure as much transparency as possible throughout the process.

“I think the more transparency, the better,” he said. “I’d like to see at least the nine finalists’ applications made public.”

City Clerk Cheri Smith said the applications are all a matter of public record. City spokeswoman Alyson Crean sent an email after the meeting, saying that the nine finalists’ applications had been posted on the city’s website at cityofkeywestfl.gov. Click on “City Manager Search.”

The below candidate summaries, compiled by Higginbotham, include the nine finalists, their current city of residence, educational degrees and their current or most recent position.

RAYMOND BOSSERT

Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin

• Master of Public Administration

• Village administrator in Port Edwards, Wisconsin, May 2020 to present

JAMES BROWNLEE

Key West, Florida

• Master of aeronautical science

• Executive officer at Naval Air Station Key West, June 2021 to present

DAVID BURKE

Key West, Florida

• Master of science in national security & master of science in global leadership

• Chief of staff, captain, U.S. Navy, 2020 to present

ALBERT CHILDRESS

Doral, Florida

• Master of business administration & master of public administration

• City of Doral, Florida, 2005 to 2021

THADDEUS COHEN

Key West, Florida

• Bachelor of architecture

• MBR Construction, project manager

ABRAHAM CONN

Sugarloaf Key, Florida

• Master in strategic studies

• Senior special agent with the DEA and U.S. Army colonel (retired)

BRIAN GEOGHEGAN

Fort Myers, Florida

• Master of administrative science

• City manager in Howell Township from 2017 until August 2022

LISA HENDRICKSON

Redington Shores, Florida

• Master of public administration

• Assistant city manager of Pinellas Park, Florida, 2000 to 2022

DON KING JR.

Land O Lakes, Florida

• Master of arts in executive strategic studies & business management

• Chief of staff, Special Operations Command Europe, 2020 to present

• U.S. Army colonel

JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com

STATE’S PROPERTY INSURANCE REFORM NOT PERFECT

BILL DIDN’T HARM RATES IN THE KEYS, MOONEY SAYS

catch you when you’re most vulnerable as your roof’s gone and you’re feeling like the world’s coming to an end,” he said. “They tell people ‘Let me show you how I can make this better.’ The person signs over the benefits and that person disappears.”

Legislation also addressed growing issues with the state’s insurer of last resort, the nonprofit Citizens. Playing a critical role in Florida’s property insurance marketplace, Citizens provides various types of property insurance to homeowners and businesses who are in good faith and entitled to coverage, but can’t find it in the private market.

More property owners have flocked to Citizens for coverage in recent years. In June 2020, roughly 474,000 were insured through Citizens. But due to issues facing the insurance market in recent times, Citizens policies could hit 1.6 million by 2023.

Per new legislation, Citizens won’t renew policies if a policyholder is offered coverage from a private insurer that’s within 20% of their current premium.

SHERIFF’S CAPTAIN GRADUATES FROM FBI NATIONAL ACADEMY

Aspecial session in Tallahassee seeking property insurance reform culminated with the signing of a bill by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Dec. 16 in Fort Myers. While some say the bill enacts measures not seen in recent history, others believe there’s still more to accomplish to keep rates from further spiking.

Proposals debated in committee and on the floor of the Florida House and Senate combatted one larger issue facing the industry in lawsuits, which Republican supporters reiterated during the session. Legislation did away with one-way attorney fees, which force property insurers to pay attorney fees when policyholders’ lawsuits are successful over a claim. The bill also ended the state’s assignment of benefits laws, which allowed property owners to sign over their claims to contractors to handle with insurance companies.

DeSantis, in a press conference, acknowledged that the state had to do something to decrease the legal costs for insurers. He noted that Florida’s property insurance market was “very good for lawyers.” Backers of the property insurance bill hammered a statistic that, of the roughly 7% of nationwide claims, 76% of homeowners’ lawsuits in the U.S. were filed in Florida.

“It’s made a lot of people very, very rich. But the question is, is that in your best interest to have a situation like that?” DeSantis said.

Not only has the state seen six insurers go insolvent this year, but the state has also written two consecutive years of net underwriting losses that exceed $1 billion.

State Rep. Jim Mooney was one of 84 members in the House who backed the bill. He applauded a component of the bill that addressed some issues with the assignment of benefits.

“There are people who come in within hours of a storm being over. They’re predatory and

Mel Montagne, president of Fair Insurance Rates in Monroe (FIRM), said the state is trying to operate Citizens as a normal insurance company, when it’s a state-owned nonprofit that’s paid by Florida taxpayers that should only provide wind coverage and nothing more.

“My whole contention with Citizens for years has been why have you deviated from the prime directive? It was created to provide wind coverage in Monroe County. Nowhere in this legislation gets Citizens back to what it was created for.”

More than 9,000 homeowners in Monroe County have a wind-only policy through Citizens, and more than 1,000 have a multi-peril policy.

Mooney said Citizens’ current glidepath cap of 1% increases to 15% in 2026 and subsequent years remain the same for Monroe. Local officials are seeking support for legislation in the 2023 session that provides an exemption from the annual rate increase and maintains a 10% rate cap. County officials are seeking help from the state to lower premiums and annual rate increases by Citizens in recognition of the county’s strong building codes and housing affordability issues.

Mooney said secondary homeowners who have long-term leases with tenants are protected from any further increase. As for a new requirement that condo owners need flood insurance, Mooney said that issue will likely be discussed during the regular legislative session in 2023. He also said the county needs more competitive property insurance options.

“Was the legislation the perfect fix? No. But it’s not the end of discussion by any imagination,” Mooney said.

Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Derek Paul recently graduated from the 284th session of the FBI National Academy, becoming the eighth Sheriff’s Office member to complete this prestigious program.

“I’m proud of Capt. Paul for all he has accomplished and what he continues to do in service of the members of this great community,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay.

Paul began his career with the Sheriff’s Office in July 1997 as a Bureau of Corrections deputy at the Key West jail. In 2001, he transferred to the Marathon District as a road patrol deputy. Capt. Paul is currently assigned to the Village of Islamorada as the district commander.

The graduation took place at the National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Nationally, fewer than 1% of law enforcement officers have the opportunity to attend the program.

Internationally known for its academic excellence, the National Academy offers 10 weeks of advanced communication, leadership and fitness training. Participants must have proven records as professionals within their agencies to attend. On average, these officers have 21 years of law enforcement experience and usually return to their agencies to serve in executive-level positions.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signs a bill that makes several reforms to the state’s property insurance industry on Dec. 16 in Fort Myers. GOVERNOR’S OFFICE/Contributed

Monroe County Sheriff’s Capt. Derek Paul graduates from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. MCSO/Contributed

A crowd assembles at Bayview Park on Dec. 18, for the annual Menorah lighting ceremony, held just before sunset to mark the beginning of Hanukkah, the eightday Jewish Festival of Lights. CAROL TEDESCO/KeyWestHolidayFest.com

The city of Key West hosted its menorah-lighting ceremony on Dec. 18 at Bayview Park. Vice Mayor Sam Kaufman, with Rabbi Shimon Dudai from Congregation B’Nai Zion and Rabbi Yaakov Zucker from Chabad of the Florida Keys, lit the giant city

menorah that shines alongside the Christmas tree at the park.

The Menorah-lighting ceremony is one of many celebrations during the island-wide Key West Holiday Fest, which runs through December.

— Keys Weekly staff

Above: Lazer Zucker, 14, right, watches as his father, Rabbi Yaakov Zucker, center, and Key West Vice Mayor Samuel Kaufman, left, light a Shamash, the candle used to light the other candles of the Menorah.

Left: Symbolic of Key West’s “One Human Family” motto, a Menorah and a Christmas tree illuminate Bayview Park.

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

WOUNDED WARRIORS RETURN TO KEYS JAN. 6 & 7

SOLDIER RIDE WELCOMES VETERAN CYCLISTS

FAMILY FUN DAY

The Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride takes place Friday, Jan. 6, and Saturday, Jan. 7, in the Upper, Middle and Lower Keys. Residents and visitors are encouraged to cheer on and support the warriors or join them for the community ride on Saturday in Key West.

“The Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride is an opportunity for those who honorably serve or have served our nation to build confidence and strength from wounds incurred in service,” said Monroe County Veterans Affairs Director Cathy Crane, who is also a coordinator of the event. “We enthusiastically welcome these warriors as they ride through the Florida Keys.”

Motorists should take extra time to get to their destination during the ride times. U.S. 1 will remain open for the Soldier Ride, but motorists should be patient, use caution and note there may be rolling lane shifts in traffic. The schedule is as follows:

FRIDAY, JAN. 6

8:30 a.m. The ride will start at Key Largo VFW Post 10211 with a 9:30 a.m. water stop at Coral Shores High School in Tavernier, ending around 10:30 a.m. at PostCard Inn Beach Resort & Marina in Islamorada.

1:30 p.m. The ride will head south from the Marathon fire station over the Seven Mile Bridge ending at Veterans Memorial Beach on the south end of the bridge around 2:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, JAN. 7

10:30 a.m. The ride departs the U.S. Naval Air Station Key West at Boca Chica Key to Bayview Park in Key West.

Noon: Welcome ceremony at Bayview Park.

12:45 p.m. Community Ride from Bayview Park until 2 p.m., when it returns to Bayview Park. The public is invited to ride with the warriors to historic Key West military sites. Patriotic bike decorations are encouraged. Suggested donation: $20.

— Contributed

Bounce houses, cotton candy, live music, free burgers, hot dogs, desserts and drinks, plus a car show, police horses, K-9 officers, face-painting and free giveaways filled Truman Waterfront Park on Dec. 17.

Kia of Key West hosted its firstever Family Day that drew hundreds of residents and visitors to the waterfront area.

The event offered a reason for the community to come together and celebrate family, friends, neighbors and life in the Keys.

Family Day also hosted a food drive to help Key West’s food bank and local charities.

He plans to make Family Day an annual event.

— Mandy Miles

Live music, comfy seating, bounce houses and free burgers and hot dogs welcome all who attended Kia of Key West’s first Family Day Dec. 17 at Truman Waterfront Park.

CONTRIBUTED

Wounded Warriors pedal down U.S. 1 in the Lower Keys in January 2022. The Soldier Ride returns on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 6-7. LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly

SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETE MAKES HISTORY

KEY WEST WOMAN THE FIRST TO BE ENTERED INTO HALL OF FAME

ZACK WOLTANSKI www.keysweekly.com

On Dec. 7, local athlete Jennifer Averette made history as Monroe County’s first inductee to Florida’s Special Olympics Hall of Fame. A tireless athlete, volunteer and activist, Averette was recognized for her major contributions to the Special Olympics, and for her athletic accomplishments, at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando.

Averette has been involved as an athlete in the Special Olympics for years, and the program has meant a lot to her. “My favorite thing about it is that it doesn’t matter your abilities,” Averette said. “(The program treats) you equally.”

In 2018, she competed in the National Special Olympics games for stand-up paddleboarding, and she helped bring the sport of paddleboarding to Florida’s Special Olympics. She has competed and participated in a long list of sports, including bowling, flag football and bocce.

Outside of being an athlete, Averette has worked as a Special Olympics health messenger and an officiant to the 2022 games in Florida. As an officiant, she took charge in a leadership position that helped to plan the competitions.

She also serves the role of community activist as Monroe County’s sole representative for the Special Olympics Athlete Council. She attends meetings, which, she says, help to “open up a bunch of new opportunities for us down here.” She’s spoken determinedly on the need for funding the Special Olympics and other organizations providing opportunities for those with special needs.

“She is passionate about getting people to understand that she has a vote, that she has a say, and that she’s a citizen just like us,” says her mentor Ruth Holland, describing Averette’s role as an activist and a leader. “She has a speech impediment but she will make you understand what she has to say, and she considers the good of all when making leadership decisions.”

Averette’s induction marks the first time a Monroe County athlete has achieved the Hall of Fame distinction. In her acceptance speech, she thanked her family, coaches and community for helping her get to where she is today.

In the future, Averette hopes to make it to the world games for standup paddleboarding and to continue her cause of promoting opportunities for those with special needs, and inspiring young athletes in the process.

“I would tell (younger athletes) to set your goals, keep your head up, and you will come through,” says Averette.

Speaking about Averette’s many accomplishments, Holland says, “Jennifer speaks for herself. I’m so tremendously proud of her. I’m proud of her for taking on challenges and overcoming them, and I know she’s even going to go higher. This is just the start for her.”

Florida’s Special Olympics seeks to change lives by promoting inclusion for the disabled. “To be part of this organization is an honor, and it is an honor to see people’s lives change,” says Holland.

A HAPPY CHRISTMAS FOR ALL

SILVERLINERS MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE FOR KIDS IN FOSTER CARE

The Key West chapter of the Silverliners, retired Eastern Airline flight attendants, fulfill the Christmas wishes of seven local children in foster care with the help of Deborah Bailey, who’s known as the kids’ fairy godmother. From left are MJ Webster, Shelly Willey, Joyce Benavides, Bindy Blatt, Deborah Bailey, Chrissy Gallager and Letisia Powell.

The Silverliners ensured the kids will receive new clothes, a fishing pole, artwork, toys, a fishing trip donated by Capt. RT Trosset and gift certificates for Roostica and Benihana, along with other gifts. Anyone who wants to help can contact Benavides at 305-797-1500. CONTRIBUTED

Local Special Olympics athlete Jennifer Averette is inducted into the Florida Special Olympics Hall of Fame on Dec. 7 at Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando. RUTH HOLLAND/Contributed

Jennifer Averette, left, and Armida Averette, mom.

CRICKET DESMARAIS www.keysweekly.com

SOMEONE YOU SHOULD MEET...

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR: SHANNA JASPER DELIVERS THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

Shanna Jasper would rather shine the spotlight on others than be in it, claiming she leads “a very plain and boring life,” but then going all-in as an elf for the Key West Christmas parade with her colleagues. She doesn’t say much, but in her actions one sees who she is.

Today she’s greeting every person who walks into the Salvation Army on Flagler Avenue with a sincere and happy hello. Some barely look up, others are visibly lifted by her simple kindness. Either way, she’ll offer a cart to help make your shopping easier.

“I try to always remember that people will do what works best for them,” she says, referencing more than whether the cart is ignored or taken.

One of the store’s newest employees, Shanna – “like banana,” she says – ironically had never set foot into a thrift store here in the eight years she’s lived in Key West.

“I was just praying for a second job, trying to manifest one,” she says. “My sister went in there just for sh*ts and giggles and there was a “help wanted” sign for a full-time employee. I applied — the application was like a 27-page packet, no kidding — and two weeks later I got the job.”

“It’s the best and most fun job I’ve ever had, along with my other job at Sally O’Brien’s,” she says. “And I love the team of people.”

Shanna lives the spirit of what the Salvation Army stands for, written across its aprons: “Dedication to doing the most good.” And I would know, having been the recipient of that good on more than one occasion.

I met Shanna in 2015 while she was out walking her sweet shih tzu, Mitzi, in midtown Key West, where we were next-door neighbors. I was taken by her vibrant but humble personality, her twinkling eyes and smile that could give Santa a run for his reindeer. We crossed paths regularly, me sweating on a Zigo bike

Shanna Jasper exemplifies the Salvation Army’s motto on the apron she wears to work at its thrift store in Key West: ‘Dedication to Doing the Most Good.’ CRICKET DESMARAIS/ Keys Weekly

What are your superpowers? That I’m quirky, cheeky and clumsy.

Who are your heroes? Jaycee Dugard, Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, Georgina Dejesus and all the other women not mentioned who have struggled through the most horrific situations and survived.

What do you love best about Key West? There’s always something fun going on, the people are awesome, and I can be myself. I am accepted as I am.

with my smalls in their pod, racing the clock to get them to or fro, and her heading out or coming home from her waitressing shift at Denny’s. Like many Key Westers, we were often dead tired, under pressure and harried. Still, Shanna always made a point to shout out some sort of kindness.

It’s hard to write a column about a self-declared introvert who’d rather shine the spotlight than be in it, but I’ll give it my Christmas best. Though she was a constant and sure presence in my day-to-day life, I knew little about her other than where she worked and the name of her dog. I got the sense she preferred it that way and so kept my questions to a minimum.

I didn’t share much about myself, either, though the sounds emanating from our open window into her yard on cooler winter days probably gave her some insight. With three people living in what a friend called “a small

glorified shed with nice stuff in it” (mostly from Salvation Army, ha!) and two of them under the age of 7, I’m sure she was showered with enough vocal protests or hilarious laughter to put two and two together.

On Easter Sunday morning, I rose in the dark to hide the small handful of eggs I found at good ol’ Sally Anne’s (aka Salvation Army). I was overwhelmed and underprepared for the holiday that usually came in April, but that year occurred in March. But the Easter Bunny had already come. Eggs were scattered about my yard and a bag of a few dozen more hung from my front gate.

When I saw her next, she just smiled her usual smile and waved as she drove away.

Christmas. Valentine’s Day. There were gifts waiting for my smalls who held the wonder of magic strong in their hearts. When I asked if it was her, she just laughed.

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I want to wish everyone a happy holiday season and thank you all for your partnerships. I couldn’t ask for better community support and friendships that I have enjoyed over the years from Ocean Reef to Key West and everywhere in between. It continues to be a privilege and an honor to serve as your Sheriff.

I’m always reminded this time of year of those partnerships and friendships, which are so important to me both professionally and personally. We really couldn’t do what we do here at the Sheriff’s Office without you: whether it’s a crime tip, assisting with a clean-up along U.S. 1, or helping a neighbor in need. Thank you.

I also want to remind everyone to reduce some stress this holiday season and give yourself extra time while traveling on U.S. 1. We typically see a large increase in the amount of traffic right after Christmas and through New Year’s Day.

Do yourself a favor: prepare and expect some delays.

Thank you again and Happy Holidays!

Champion, 39 x 23 x 30, Mixed Media

Cindy Wynn grew up in western North Carolina and like most kids, Wynn loved drawing in grade school, but later on at University of North Carolina and at the Penland School of the Arts, her studies in ceramics would eventually gravitate to metalworking. When Wynn discovered scrap yards and the eclectic shapes and forms she encountered there she began to work with found objects. Decades later she is still haunting scrap yards and making ever more sophisticated and surprising fine-art furniture. “I tend to shop instinctively, then later see what the metal compels me to configure. My work has become visually lighter and more streamlined, and simultaneously more detailed. Despite how bulky the materials can be, I look for a final impression of energy: the piece should look like it’s about to jump up and run away.”

Cindy Wynn

Monroe County Sheriff, Rick Ramsay

Wisdom, the Laysan albatross, is thought to be the oldest bird in the world. KEEGAN RANKIN/USFWS

BIRDS IN THE NEWS

Christmas carol mathematics

This has been calculated before, but I started a spreadsheet the other day to double check the math on exactly how many birds are given in the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”

Giving a partridge in a pear tree for 12 straight days gets you to 12 partridges. Two turtle doves on the second day means 11 days of giving two birds, which adds another 22 to the list. And so on, through all calling birds, French hens, geese a-laying, and swans a-swimming.

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

I’ve seen an argument made that the five golden rings somehow represent a species of pheasant, but that seems a fringe notion without a lot of support.

The song seems purpose-built to drive birders a little crazy. For instance, the calling birds? What kind of calling birds? The song was written in England, which means there were 643 possibilities. Most likely they were some type of songbird. But does the gargling purr of a European nightjar count? Or the effervescent twittering of a common swift? Nothing drives a birder madder than something being called a bird with no follow-up details. I mean even the partridge in the pear tree – there are 43 species of partridges in the world, two of them native to England. Life is torture without specifics.

We’re just going to skip over the human rights/human trafficking issues brought about by the notion of giving away lords a-leaping or maids a-milking and stick to avifauna.

So, if you add them all up, you get a total of 184 birds, which is a substantial, and to many minds, an excessive number of birds to give anyone. Actually, to my mind, one of the things that makes birds great is the fact that they are not owned, that they have this physical freedom that we can only wonder at, which makes me opposed to possessing birds as a general rule. But that’s me.

I am not alone in having some issues with the song. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources recently tweeted: “It is reckless and illegal to give your true love any amount of wild birds for Christmas.” In a similar vein, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service account cautioned, “Seven swans a-swimming: Best enjoyed in the wild!” and “You certainly don’t want to mess with any geese a-laying, but especially not six!”

Science sez birdwatching is good for you

There’s been a story from the New York Times getting reposted a lot in birding circles in recent days with some pretty heartening information: birdwatching, it turns out, is good for you. It was very similar to a story published on the National Geographic UK website.

Both stories acknowledge that there isn’t a lot of data about the physical benefits, though everyone agrees that getting out and walking around, which birdwatching often requires, is generally beneficial.

The benefits are largely to one’s mental well-being. And this is backed up by science – specifically an article published in the journal Nature at the end of October. (Links to all three stories can be found at markhedden.com/notes.)

Under the narcolepsy-inducing headline “Smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment reveals mental health benefits of birdlife” the article documents the results of a three-and-a-halfyear study of 1,292 subjects.

Over a period of 14 days, each app user was asked, “Can you see or hear birds right now?” They’d have an hour to answer in

order to have the survey considered complete and added to the data set. They were then asked a series of 10 questions about their mental well-being. There’s a lot of detailed data crunching in the story if you want to get granular about it.

“Everyday encounters with birdlife were associated with timelasting improvements in mental well-being. These improvements were evident not only in healthy people but also in those with a diagnosis of depression, the most common mental illness across the world. These findings have potential implications for both environmental and wildlife protection and mental healthcare policies,” the study’s authors wrote.

I’m looking forward to the day when you can get a prescription to go birdwatching.

One more trip around the sun for an amazing bird Wisdom, a Laysan albatross who nests on the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, deep in the heart of the Pacific Ocean, came back. This is notable because Wisdom is at least 71 years old and is the oldest known living bird in the world. Field biologists banded her in 1956, when she was laying what may or may not have been her first egg.

Laysan albatrosses don’t nest every year and the USFWS estimates that Wisdom has laid between 30 and 36 eggs in her lifetime. One of her offspring even came back to nest a few feet away from her.

The last time she laid an egg was in 2020, though the last time she raised a chick was 2017. Sadly, her partner Akeakamai, with whom she had mated since 2006, has not been seen in the last two years and Wisdom is presumed to be widowed.

An alert reader with a good memory might notice that I wrote something about her last year, but an amazing story like Wisdom’s will never get old. I really hope to write something about her again next year.

• Link to the NYT story https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/10/well/move/bird-watching-healthbenefits.html?searchResultPosition=2

• Link to the National Geographic Story https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/animals/2022/11/what-happensto-your-brain-when-you-see-a-bird-in-nature

• Link to the Nature story https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-20207-6

MARK HEDDEN

KEYS KIDS SEND CHRISTMAS WISHES TO THE NORTH POLE

In today’s instant world of text messages and DMs, kids aren’t exactly known for sending hand-written letters — unless the recipient lives in the North Pole and holds the key to their Christmas wishes.

Come December, kids start writing earnest letters to the big guy in the red suit, assuring him they’ve been “good all year,” “nice to their little sister” and “trying to be good, with no Fs.”

Tampering with mail is a federal offense, but thankfully, due to partnerships with Twisted Tinsel in Key West and the North Pole Postal Service (NPPS), Keys Weekly obtained exclusive access to some of Santa’s mail. Please note, all letters were received and read by Kris Kringle, who kept the originals for his all-important purposes. Though some were lightly edited for clarity or length, we elected in most cases to leave them completely as-is, in all their earnest, heartwarming — and misspelled — glory.

(In reviewing some of the letters, we at the Keys Weekly realized we had lots to learn about today’s hottest toy trends, namely LOL Surprise! Dolls and Mini Brands toys, which appear on multiple wish lists. The LOL dolls are pint-sized plastic people that are sold in opaque packaging to make each doll a surprise until opened. Mini Brands toys are tiny, plastic figurines that look like common household items — a miniature can of Pringles, a tiny box of Frosted Flakes and countless other collectibles.)

Dear Santa, I want mini brands, Amirican girl doll, and stuff for me and my sister and bruthr. I was sooo kind. And stuff for my famliny. Love, Khloe ***

Dear Santa, I have been very good. LOL doll Bike Barbie Dream House Unicorn toy Love, Luna ***

Dear Santa, Can I have a watch? Love, Maeson ***

Dear Santa, I want a LOL Surprise Dalls. Your friend, Winter

Dear Santa, I want mini brands, lagos, a real elf and stuff for my family. See you soon. Khloe ***

Dear Santa, I want a Barbie house, my own camera, my own picnic table, and my own kickball. I think I’ve been a really good girl this year. Fly safe. Enjoy the cookies we’ll leave for you. Love, Juliana ***

Dear Santa, May you please get me Jordans? I got no Fs. He was lying. From, Cody

Santa

Dear Santa, I want some Robux and Nintendo gift cards. Love, Chase

***

Dear Santa, I waunt a unicorn and a mary go around and a sticker. From, Charleigh

***

Turtles Earrings and necklaces Mini brands Grinch pillow Love, Tegan

***

Dear Santa, Tall, dark, handsome. I need a husband, please. From, Deborah ***

Hi, I want for Christmass is for everybody to have a good Christmass. Laila ***

Dear Santa, I have a list at my house. I will give you another letter with my Christmas list. Thank you so much! Lucy

***

I want a baby yoda or hd putty and minecraft fox legos. LOL famles and the LOL sun and moon famles. Love, Penny

Dear Santa, I would like a monster truck for Christmas. Thank you, Apollo

***

Dear Santa, This year all I want more than presents is that I want my mom more at home than at work. Also, I want presents for my sister and my brother too. And presents for my mom, uncle, auntie and grandma too. Finally, what I want for Christmas is to have a joyful and amazing year and new years eve too. Thank you, Santa. Love, Antonella

***

Dear Santa, I would like a mechanical pencil, LOLs, play doe, hamster, stuffys, mini skatebord, lol tweens, stikers, shoes, neckless, lol clothing, lol accessaries. Love, Reyna ***

Dear Santa, Mini dirt bike, electric nerf gun, toy army set, remote truck. From, Fisher ***

Dear Santa, How do you have majic? Can you bring me a grave digger please? I will be good. Silas

***

Dear Santa, We want a little brother or sister. Love, Emma

NORTH POLE SANTA CLAU S

Dear Santa, I have been very good. T-Rex. Love, Tyson ***

Dear Santa, I really want a lot of Barbie stuff and a lot of surprise toys. I was wondering if you cold rap my gifts in dog raping paper. Thank you, Avery ***

Dear Santa, I am 28 and I believe! Give us blessings and good times. Love, Rachel & Ebony ***

Dear Santa, Give me a house with a built-in saltwater pool and palm trees. Love, Renee ***

Dear Santa, Emma: DJ set with everything Lola: Uni cry baby dolll Maya: Cry baby doll We been really good this year. This is what we really want for Christmas. Hope we’r on the good list.

Love, Emma, Lola and Maya

... 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

SPORTS & MORE

STUDENTS PERFORM HOLIDAY SONGS;

PLUS BOWL GAMES & WORLD CUP

Members of the Key West High School band perform holiday songs for residents of Poinciana Gardens. RALPH MORROW/Keys Weekly

Musical performances are some of the most exciting times of the holiday season. One of those occasions took place on an afternoon last week, when some members of the Key West High School Band visited the residents at Poinciana Gardens on Duck Avenue.

I know that I, for one, enjoyed the occasion.

Gary Hernandez has been the KWHS band director for 14 years. He grew up in Key West and graduated from the University of Central Florida. He taught for a few years at schools in the Orange County area before moving back to Key West.

He brought a group of 17 student musicians, who entertained the Poinciana Gardens residents. Some filled the courtyard, some watched and listened from their apartments and some enjoyed the show from their balconies. Based on their applause, the audience clearly enjoyed the afternoon concert.

ONE OF THE MOST exciting games to kick off the football bowl season was Jackson State against North Carolina Central, both unbeaten, in the Celebration Bowl. The regular game ended on a fourth down completed pass from “Coach Prime’s” son, Shedeur Sanders. (Coach Prime is former NFL star Deion Sanders, who was known as “Prime Time” during his pro career.) That sent the game to overtime and it ended when Shedeur’s long pass fell incomplete.

It also ended Coach Deion Sanders’ career at Jackson State as he is moving to the University of Colorado for a reported $500,000 a year (compared to $300,000 at Jackson). It’s also the end of his sons’ careers at Jackson State as Shemeur and Shilo are both transferring to another college.

HOWEVER, THE MOST EXCITING game of my week or maybe my year was the World Cup. Argentina’s World Cup. Lionel Messi’s World Cup. Argenti-

Students from the Basilica School at St. Mary Star of the Sea entertain Poinciana Gardens residents with holiday songs on Dec. 8. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly

na and France tied, 2-2, in regular time, then 3-3 in extra minutes, as Kylian Mbappe scored all three French goals for the hat trick. Messi scored twice in the extra times for Argentina.

Then the teams went to a shootout, each team selecting five players to shoot a penalty shot. France went first and Mbappe connected on his shot. So did Messi for Argentina. But when Gonzalo Montiel’s shot attempt missed for France, that gave Argentina an unbeatable 4-2 lead. And the celebration began. The Argentine players stripped their shirts. They hugged each other and anyone who came within reach. They cried – except for Messi, who was all smiles despite losing the prized Golden Ball Award to Mbappe.

Then the players from both teams received their awards from dignitaries from both teams’ countries as well as Qatar, where the final games were played.

I can’t tell you how happy I am that Brittney Griner is free and safe at home. And that she has announced that she will play with her Phoenix basketball team in the WNBA.

Trolling tips for the pelagic speedsters

This time of year a few things happen in the Florida Keys. One thing is when the snow starts falling up north, the phones start ringing down south. Instead of the leaves changing like up north, the license plates start changing color down south. Another change is the wahoo bite. When the wind stirs up the water and we get a little chill in the air, the wahoo bite goes from good to great. The food chain changes, and that’s the main reason for the increased wahoo action. It starts with a glass minnow hatch. When the glass minnows get big enough they school on the outside edge of the reef. These glass minnows attract the juvenile bonita, a wahoo’s number one meal – which is why most artificial wahoo lures are modeled to resemble juvenile bonita. When we fillet a wahoo this time of year they have juvenile bonita in their belly. We open the bonita’s belly and find glass minnows in it.

I compare wahoo fishing to whitetail buck hunting. Sometimes wahoo fishing is the most boring type of fishing in the world until you get one on. You have to be committed to it. You have to spend hours, just like sitting in a tree stand for hours waiting for a twelve-point buck to step out. Just like hunting, when the buck does step out, it’s normally a game of inches and seconds. When the wahoo strikes, you’d better have your drag set right, your knots tied tight and have a ready angler on standby.

If you Google how to catch wahoo, you’ll find a hundred different techniques. We’ve tried many ways and been successful catching wahoo with several of them. Our top three favorites are: Slow trolling - We like to troll

IT’S WAHOO SEASON

…is a fifth-generation Floridian and second-generation fishing captain who owns and operates Ana Banana Fishing Company in Marathon. His passions include fishing, hunting and spending time with his family.

a pink and black double-hooked Nomad lure on an 80 wide Penn reel at six knots, using a 60-pound braided line with a 50-foot 100-pound mono leader connected with a snap swivel. We slow troll 125 to 250 feet deep. Don’t troll in a straight line; troll in wide sweeping turns left and right. Have one lure out 200 yards and the other out 75 yards so no matter how tight your turns are, you won’t tangle your lines.

Bump trolling - Catch and immediately de-hook and re-hook a live bonita on #8 wire leader. Use a main “J” hook through the roof of the bonita’s mouth and a treble hook stinger rig either dangling or hooked slightly in the bonita’s back so as not to hinder its natural swimming motion. Bump your boat in forward and back to neutral, never exceeding three knots.

High-speed trolling - Troll from 11 to 14 knots using a black and purple Tormentor feathered or plastic skirt dart with a one pound in-line cabled weight. We buy wahoo gear from the Tackle Box in Marathon. They are wahoo pros and can hook you up with the right tackle. It’s hard to imagine a fish being able to eat while going that fast, but it’s nothing for a wahoo. Wahoo are one of the fastest-swimming fish in the ocean, clocked at more than 60 mph – and some of the best tasting too!

To book a charter with Ana Banana, call or text Capt. Joel at 813-2674401 or Capt. Jojo at 305-879-0564, or visit anabananafishing.com.

RALPH MORROW

CAPT. JOEL BRANDENBURG

Capt. Joel Brandenburg, left, helps a client bring a wahoo on board during a recent Ana Banana fishing charter. CONTRIBUTED

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

RALPH RICHE

THE SCOREBOARD

Key West Girls Soccer Silver Palms 12/14 W, 6-0

Key West Girls Basketball Pace 12/14 L, 52-18

Coral Shores Girls Soccer Marathon 12/15 W, 6-0

Marathon Boys Soccer SLAM Academy 12/15 L, 0-4

Key West Girls Basketball St. Cloud 12/16 L, 69-21

Key West Boys Soccer Ransom 12/16 L, 4-0

Key West Girls Soccer Orangewood Christian 12/16 L, 4-2

Key West Boys Basketball Keys Gate 12/17 L, 84-57

THIS WEEK IN KEYS SPORTS

Date School Sport Opponent Start Time

1/3

1/4

1/4

Marathon Boys Basketball @ Silver Palms 4 p.m.

Coral Shores Weightlifting Marathon 3:30 p.m.

Coral Shores Boys Soccer @ Gulliver Prep 4 p.m.

1/4 Marathon Boys Soccer Key West 6 p.m.

1/4

Marathon Boys Basketball Palmer 4 p.m.

1/5 Marathon Girls Soccer @ Westwood 4 p.m.

1/5

Coral Shores Boys Basketball @ Oxbridge Academy 6 p.m.

1/6 Coral Shores & Key West Wrestling Somerset Scuffle @ Pembroke Pines All Day

1/6

1/6

Coral Shores Girls Basketball Marathon 4 p.m.

Coral Shores Boys Soccer Westminster 6 p.m.

1/6 Marathon Girls Soccer Coral Shores 6 p.m.

1/6 Key West Girls Soccer @ South FL HEAT 4 p.m.

1/6 Marathon Boys Basketball Boca Raton 6 p.m.

1/6 Key West Boys Basketball South Broward 7:30 p.m.

1/6 Marathon Boys Soccer Country Day 4 p.m.

Key West’s Ralph Riche didn’t take much time to transition from dominating on the gridiron to dominating on the mats. The multisport athlete has honed his skills and is becoming a fearsome rival across South Florida.

“He has developed his offense since last season and is scoring early in his matches,” explained Conchs head coach Chaz Jimenez. The early scoring is often a moot point, however. Riche’s matches often end in pins, including three in the Key West Invitational, where he placed fourth among a pool of the top wrestlers in Florida. Riche won second place in the H-Town Throwdown tournament on Dec. 3 and went 5-0 in his matches last week.

— Chaz Jimenez, Conchs wrestling coach.

The statistics he has accomplished already are impressive by themselves, but in a few weeks, the command he holds over his opponents will likely increase. Riche is currently wrestling up a weight class and will move back down to the 220-pound category when teammate Andre Otto cuts to 285 pounds. Wrestling opponents more than 60 pounds heavier is a feat in itself, but having a high rate of success in that situation makes Ralph Riche this week’s Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.

“He’s dominating at a heavier weight class and can’t wait to see what he will do when he’s at 220.”

Key West High School, Junior Wrestling

Coral Shores traveled to Marathon on Dec. 14 to compete in the final weightlifting meet of 2022. Mikkel Ross was the overall top lifter – calculated with a formula that takes into account each athlete’s weight class and top lifts – in both Olympic and Traditional scoring. Her total lifts of 250 pounds also won her the top spot in the 129 pound weight class. Teammate Justice Lee Isom’s 295 pound total was second among all lifters by the formula and first in her 183 pound class. Coral Shores’ Rachel Rusch won the 110 pound class with 190 total pounds lifted, earning third place among all lifters.

Marathon won the meet, scoring 100 points to Coral Shores’ 53 in Traditional scoring, which totals a lifter’s bench press along with the clean and jerk lift. The ’Canes narrowed the gap in Olympic scoring but still fell short to the Fins 91-58. Olympic scoring totals a lifter’s best clean and jerk attempt with her best snatch lift.

Both teams will measure their gains from the holiday break when they meet again on Wednesday, Jan. 4 at Coral Shores.

Photos by RILEY McDONALD/Contributed

PREP

Prep soccer has reached the halfway point of the season, and it is looking good for Monroe County this year. All six teams can claim a winning record as they take a two-week hiatus for the holiday season. Key West’s girls had a win and a loss last week. The Lady Conchs beat Somerset Silver Palms 6-0 on Dec. 14 with a hat trick from Kathryn Smith, 2 goals from Victoria Daley-Willy and 1 from Madison Kilduff. On Dec. 16 they lost 4-2 to Orangewood Christian, putting them at 7-3 for the first half of the season. The Lady Conchs play again Friday, Jan. 6 on the road against South Florida HEAT.

Marathon started the week with a win against Cushman on Dec. 13, winning 8-0 against the Spartans. Rain Banks and Jordan MacDonald each had a hat trick. Riley McDonald and Reese Elwell had a goal each in the win. Two days later, they headed to Coral Shores for a rescheduled matchup, losing 6-0. Marathon returns from the holiday break to play Westwood Christinan in Miami on Wednesday, Jan. 4 then Coral Shores at home on Thursday, Jan. 5. They are 5-3 at the halfway point of the season.

Coral Shores made the most of its only game the week prior to the holiday break, beating Marathon at home 6-0. Sophomore Sofia Jans led the scoring with 2 goals and an assist. Izzy Malloggi, Joe Eysenbach, Ashley Jans and Delaney Donnelley each scored 1 in the match. Katelyn Gilman and Jessie Liddell combined in goal for six saves, earning a shutout for the ’Canes. Coral Shores is currently 5-2 for the season. Their next game will be against Marathon again, this time on Dolphin turf.

In boys soccer, Key West played Ransom Everglades on Dec. 16 in Miami, losing 4-0 against the Raiders. They are 6-2-1 for the first half of the season and open their 2023 drive on Jan. 4 at Marathon.

Marathon won a mercy rule victory against Cushman on Dec. 13 at home. Henry Herrera and Oscar Cardona scored 2 goals each in the match and teammates Jayden Rosete, Gabriel Hernandez, Juan Vasquez, and Sebastian Stasiewicz each added 1. On Dec. 15 the Dolphins lost to SLAM in a 4-0 road game. The 6-5 Fins take on Key West at home Wednesday, Jan. 4 in their next match.

Coral Shores kept their first half winning record intact last week despite a loss. The 4-3 Hurricanes lost their Dec. 15 game against St. Brendan 5-1. They play again on Wednesday, Jan. 4 when they take on Gulliver Prep on the road.

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

Mackenzie Budi takes a shot on goal against Cushman on Dec. 13.

Mikkel

Marquisha Abraham prepares for her lift.

Marathon’s Larissa Prieto attempts a lift at the Dec. 14 home meet.

Monroe County matmen and -women competed against the best wrestlers in Florida at the 2022 Key West Invitational on Dec. 16 and 17 at Key West High School. Top finishers for the Conchs were Jason Flynn, who took second place in the 138-pound class, winning four of his matches via pin; Alfredo Corrales and Elijah Miranda, who took third place in the 145-pound and 170-pound classes, respectively; and fourth-place finishes from Dostmukhammad Bakhtiyorov (138 pounds), Jaden Fox (182 pounds), Weston Andrews (195 pounds) and Ralph Riche (285 pounds). Abram Canet (132 pounds) earned 5th place honors.

The Lady Conchs fared well at the event as well. In Group 1, Sheyla Figueria came in third and Lola Jaime was fourth. In Group 2, Fernanda Cruz took third place, and in Group 3, Natalie Arguello won second place. Three of Arguello’s wins came by pinning her opponent.

Coral Shores’ top finishers were Jayden Angel (145 pounds) and Sebastian McCoy (113 pounds), who both finished in eighth place. The ’Canes and Conchs will both compete again on Jan. 6 and 7 at the Somerset Scuffle in Pembroke Pines.

Photos by Ella Hall and Tracy McDonald

Alex Marcotte

Justin Tran

Weston Andrews

Lazaro Diaz

Jaden Fox

Sebastian McCoy of Coral Shores faces Christopher Blanco of Florida Christian in a preliminary 113-pound bout on Dec. 16 at the Key West Invitational at which he placed 8th.

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

BOYS BASKETBALL SOUTH BROWARD KEY WEST JANUARY 6 | 7:30 p.m

VS

LisaForian,PharmaceuticalProductSeniorDirector

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.

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 - Grace Jones Community Center, Inc. (C16MO0048) 230 41st Street Gulf, Marathon, FL 33050 Kelly Ullrich • 305-743-6064 • gjcckids@gmail.com Vacancies: 3 teachers

MM 87.5 - St. James Children’s Center (C16MO0033) 87500 Overseas Hwy, I slamorada, FL 33036

Contact: Sue Ellen Bennett • 305-852-2161 • childrenscenter@stjamesthefisherman.org Vacancies: 1 teacher

MM 92 - Burton Memorial CDC (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

WORKING SHRIMP BOAT RETURNS TO KEY WEST HARBOR

MISS KEY WEST BRINGS HISTORIC INDUSTRY BACK TO THE ISLAND

Ask anyone who remembers Key West in the 1960s what the Historic Seaport looked like back then, when it was still called Key West Bight and was still a rather rough neighborhood of hard-working — and hard-partying — commercial shrimp boats.

But those days have long been gone, and the bight for decades has housed a collection of catamarans and sailboats offering snorkel trips and sunset cruises. Thanks to the efforts of the late Paul and Evalena Worthington, the harbor also has been home to stately, historic wooden schooners. But the commercial shrimping industry that put Key West on the map during the “pink gold rush” of the 1960s had been relegated to the past and remembered only in historic photos — until this year.

Daniel Smith and James Phelps, who own the Miss Key West shrimp boat and Southeastern Shrimp & Seafood Co., are proud to say they aren’t just a part of Key West history, but are making history by bringing back an industry that was as quintessentially Key West as sponging, wrecking and, now, tourism.

The Miss Key West late last month offloaded — for the first time in 30 years — sacks of locally caught Key West pink shrimp onto the docks at the Key West Historic Seaport.

The vessel “is the only registered and producing commercial shrimp vessel in Monroe County,” Smith said, adding that the shrimp boats on Stock Island are either unused relics or are owned by companies in Louisiana and elsewhere.

He added that he’s in the process of meeting with local seafood restaurants and vendors, who can now offer locally caught Key West pink shrimp from a locally owned and locally docked vessel.

The return of a shrimp boat to Key West Harbor made headlines in FisheryNation.com, a website dedicated to commercial fishing and the people it employs, as well as fishery regulations nationwide.

The website writes of the Miss Key West: “It was once a significant part of Key West’s economy, but due to numerous economic forces, the last of the shrimping vessels in the harbor left around 30 years ago, according to Dan Smith. But as of a few weeks ago, Smith and James Phelps have brought the first commercial shrimp vessel back to the Key West Harbor since that time. It now sits in the same place where the Schooner Western Union, the flagship of Florida, once was next to Schooner Wharf Bar. On Nov. 30, the two owners stood on the docks next to the Miss Key West, along

CONTRIBUTED

with their captain, Mark Thomson, and some relatives. Phelps and Smith came up with the idea to bring a shrimp vessel back to Key West as both of their families were historically part of the fishing and shrimping industry in Key West.”

The Key West Art & Historical Society has a significant collection of photos, artifacts and information about Key West’s shrimping industry.

“In 1965, Monroe County officials announced that in the first six months of the year, 7.5 million pounds, adding up to $4 million worth of pink shrimp, was landed in the county,” KWAHS reports. “Florida pink shrimp were discovered off the Dry Tortugas in 1949. Fishermen flocked to the Key West Bight bringing nearly 500 shrimp trawlers in the 1950s and 1960s. There were so many boats in port that it was often said that you could walk from one side of the seaport to the other without ever touching water. This era is often referred to as the ‘pink gold rush.’ During its height, the industry netted more than $5 million each year.”

MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com

The shrimp boats Captain Fred, Carol, Sea Pearl, Talisman and others in Key West Bight around 1960. MONROE COUNTY LIBRARY COLLECTION/Contributed

The Miss Key West, owned by Daniel Smith, is the first locally owned and active shrimp boat to operate out of Key West’s Historic Seaport in more than 30 years.

JAIL COUNSELORS WIN AWARD

WEST CARE HONORS KEYS WORKERS AND INMATE PROGRAMS

COLLECTING FOOD

STAR OF THE SEA TEAMING UP WITH KEY LARGO CHAMBER TO OBTAIN NONPERISHABLES

The Monroe County Guidance/Care Center Inc. team of counselors that works with jail inmates with substance abuse and other life issues has been awarded the Jail In-House Program of the Year.

Kristin Flores, the program’s lead substance abuse counselor, was named the Criminal Justice Employee of the Year.

West Care, the company that operates the Guidance/ Care Centers, recognized the Keys program and Flores with the awards earlier this month.

“I couldn’t be more proud of Ms. Flores and these professionals who work with our Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Corrections to ensure inmates

receive the care they need,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay.

The Jail In-House Program started in 1995 at the Monroe County Detention Center on Stock Island. It is a courtordered, 6-month program and the Guidance Care/Center staff works not only with Sheriff’s Office members, but also with local judges and attorneys in addition to the inmates themselves.

The counselors provide inmates with a structured program that addresses life issues such as job skills, anger management, parenting skills, grief issues, literacy, and art and music therapy in addition to substance abuse counseling.

Star of the Sea’s (SOS) food pantry at St. Justin’s Church and Key Largo Chamber of Commerce members are working together to collect nonperishable food for the holidays.

The drive will end on Friday, Dec. 23. This holiday the drive is looking to replenish its food pantry along with supplies for the upcoming year. During the past few months the pantry has experienced difficulties with obtaining key items such as canned meats, tuna and vegetables. Even staples such as peanut/nut butters, pasta and rice are in short supply.

The main offices and facilities for the SOS Foundation, which operates two client-choice food pantries, are in Key West. It also runs the Callahan Community Kitchen, which supplies fresh meals weekly to seniors and other needy residents. A nutrition education program for children and adults and cooking classes are also offered. The northern location for the SOS Foundation Food Pantry is located at 105500 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, at the St. Justin Martyr Catholic Church Parish Hall on the bayside. The pantry operates on Mondays from 1:30 to 5 p.m.

Each Monday, the day begins with trucks rolling in and staff and

volunteers offloading pallets of meats, produce, canned goods and supplies. About 15 local volunteers assist in each part of the operation. This year, the pantry has added pet food for family pet needs.

Publix in Key Largo generously supplies sweet and savory baked goods every week. Upper Crust Pizza and Avenue Subs supply lunches for the volunteers, who often start at 7:30 a.m. and stay till closing at 5 p.m.

This year the pantry has experienced a larger number of service workers in the Keys using the food bank to supplement their food needs. Mothers with children, veterans, elderly, and some who have found their way to the keys and are lost, all need food.

Experienced volunteers do their best to advise, console and sometimes supply something as simple as a seat in the air conditioning and a bottle of water.

The weekly delivery trucks are often only half full of food supplies, yet 150 people and their families each week depend on the pantry to offer healthy choices even with the limited availability in offerings. The Key Largo Chamber of Commerce and its members have helped replenish the SOS food pantry.

Kristin Flores, lead substance abuse counselor who works with Monroe County jail inmates, is named Criminal Justice Employee of the Year.

CONTRIBUTED

Star of the Sea and the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce are teaming up to collect nonperishable food for families this holiday season. CONTRIBUTED

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LOCAL PERFORMERS SAY THEY WEREN’T PAID FOR GIGS

UNPAID MUSICIANS MOVEMENT TARGETS UNLICENSED BOOKING AGENT

MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com

Live music is as much a part of Key West as flip flops and frozen drinks.

But a group of 10 or so local musicians in October launched what they called the Unpaid Musicians Movement to amplify and act on complaints that they hadn’t gotten paid for gigs that a fellow local musician had booked for them at local hotels and boats.

find out that he doesn’t just owe you money, but loads of other people, something has to be done,” musician John Solinski told the Keys Weekly. “He still owes me $2,200, and I’ve gotten nothing but excuses.”

FOR THE LOVE OF AN OLD GUITAR

WEST

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

Luna Fox and Solomon Underwood, who play as a duo called Coconut Koalas, were part of the group that launched the Unpaid Musicians Movement in October. Holland owed them $3,200 at the time and they were struggling to pay rent and bills.

“He finally paid us a week after we launched the movement and marched to the courthouse with a group of musicians to begin the formal complaint process,” Underwood said. “The hotels and the detective have records that Allen had been paid for our gigs, but then he wasn’t paying the musicians he had booked.”

Key West musician

Allen Holland was arrested Dec. 8 for allegedly working as an unlicensed talent agent. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges may follow. CONTRIBUTED

Allen Goldsmith Holland, who plays Caribbean-style music under the name Frankendread and was booking gigs for other musicians at multiple venues, was arrested Dec. 8 and charged with being an “unlicensed talent agent,” according to a report from the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office. Upon learning that a warrant had been issued for his arrest, Holland turned himself in and was released later the same day.

Investigator Frank Zamora’s report states the investigation is ongoing and could result in further charges, based on reports from musicians who say Holland never paid them for gigs he booked for them.

“Records show that Holland, from Jan. 4, 2022 through Oct. 31, 2022, booked over 100 events at (hotel bars) in Key West. Records from (both hotels) revealed that between the two properties, Holland was well compensated; over $200,000, while he allegedly only paid a fraction of the money to the musicians he represented,” the state attorney’s office reports.

Musician Tony Novelli told the Keys Weekly Holland has owed him $2,950 for months, and attempts by Novelli to collect on the debt via text message, email and phone calls have been unproductive.

“This is a small town and you hate to trash-talk someone, but when you

Michelle Dravis, a longtime Keys musician who never used Holland for bookings and wasn’t owed money, helped champion the Unpaid Musicians Movement by organizing the march to the courthouse in October. She said she is now printing out the required forms for small claims court filings.

“I know some people will say, ‘How did the musicians let things get this far?’” Dravis said. “And the fact is, everyone thought they were the only ones who were owed money.” They didn’t want to rock the boat by not playing gigs, and jeopardize their chances of getting paid what they were owed, she said.

The Keys Weekly spoke on Dec. 18 with Holland, who said his lawyers have advised him against saying too much given the open case against him for the unlicensed talent agent activities.

Holland said he would be willing to sit down with the Keys Weekly once he gets clearance from his lawyers “to get my truth out there.”

“This was a planned movement and personal attack, which is why I have a team of four attorneys working on it,” Holland said. “There are things that are not being said, and people are still innocent until proven guilty. I’ve lost everything due to lies and innuendo. I just cannot speak about it at the moment. But these eight or 10 musicians aren’t the 51 others I have worked with without any problems.”

Made in the early 15th century, this is known as the world’s oldest acoustic guitar. FUELROCKS.COM/Contributed

The world of musical equipment is vast and overwhelming. Every day there is a “new and better,” a “magic tone,” a gadget with every guitar sound you have ever heard, ready to help you reach new musical heights. Yet with all the advanced technology at our disposal, one thing remains true: We love our old guitars.

With acoustic guitars, the reason is simple: Older acoustic guitars sound better. As the wood ages and dries, it literally shrinks. This improves a guitar’s responsiveness and resonance. It becomes more expressive to play, louder and clearer to listen to.

All guitars are subject to environmental factors that make acquiring some wood too expensive to be cost-effective. This has resulted in lesser-quality instruments becoming both more accessible and more popular. Consequently, guitars made from these harder-to-obtain materials become more desirable. Whether the materials make a difference in quality is up for debate.

Craftsmanship also makes old guitars coveted. The simple truth is, if an instrument is old, plays great, looks great and sounds great,

chances are great that the guitar will always be great. A new instrument can make no such claim. Also, the onset of CNC, or Computer Numerical Control, dramatically changed guitar manufacturing. It used to take a person three days to make an acoustic guitar neck by hand; now it takes four hours. Yes, consistency is good for making money; but a little human inconsistency, while still maintaining high quality, allows for a few special instruments to be made. And those are magic to those of us who love them.

Of course an older instrument also stands to have provenance. Was it owned by someone famous? Was it seen in a movie? Is it rare? Was it made somewhere, or by someone, special? Did it witness you bawl like a baby when your girlfriend left you? All those things an older instrument can attain throughout the course of its existence. Sometimes it can even be proven, which is nice.

There is another, less tangible aspect of owning an old instrument. Writing music can be a personal and private thing. There may be some songs no one will ever hear, as they’re too personal for the writer to give to the world. There are songwriting times that bring us to tears. There are moments of anger, hurt, love, guilt, redemption, joy, remorse and any other emotion you can name that this instrument may have helped someone express. Someone may have bled on this guitar from playing it so hard or so long. The instrument will physically show signs of a lifetime’s worth of dedication, love, talent and history. And your hands will fall into the same place as who knows how many hands before you. You will add your own bit of wear. Your playing will leave its own impressions on this instrument. In the end, the life experience and emotions you put into this instrument will shape it for the next set of hands.

TO SAVE THE REEF, HE PEDALS ON

CHARLES DEYO DONATES ALL PROCEEDS FROM HIS PEDICAB TO REEF

AMY PATTON www.keysweekly.com

Imagine you’re maneuvering a pedicab down a stretch of Key West’s Duval Street with nightfall’s rosy sunset on the horizon.

All is well until your young female passenger pops suddenly out of the three-wheeler and starts jogging beside it. Wait, what?

That’s what happened to Charles Deyo recently on his quest to raise funds for the marine conservation organization Reef Environmental Education Foundation at reef.org.

“This girl just jumped out and started racing me,” Deyo laughed. “It turns out she was a track star in high school.”

Deyo, a local Key Wester, pedals the cab-for-hire several weekends a month mainly in the Old Town district, picking up passengers and donating the cash proceeds entirely to one of his favored causes, the protection of the marine ecosystem both here and globally. “I raise about $1,000 a month doing this,” he said last week while readying the cab for a night out. “It’s quite a workout for me.”

Deyo’s mission sometimes pays off. “I try to educate the people I pick up about REEF. Most of the time they don’t believe me, that I’m giving all the money to help save the coral environment that we’re in danger of losing.”

But waiting for passengers among the throngs of nightcrawlers who spill out of the bars and into the streets in downtown Key West isn’t all that Deyo is accomplishing with his voluminous charity work and altruistic ethos. The 60-yearold, Texas-born businessman, who staked his success early on in a software company and now manages rental properties here on the island, vibrates with an intense energy that’s hard to measure. He’s

passionate about renewable initiatives and loves to talk about how his nearby motor yacht, Isabella, is powered entirely with solar energy. “That’s about as sustainable as you can get.”

Deyo said that when Hurricane Ian brushed past the Keys in late September, he was able to use the yacht’s solar panel energy to desalinate seawater, a feature he already has on board. With the help of his crew, much-needed supplies of fresh water and food (mostly Spam and Gatorade, he said) were delivered to those in need during and after the storm.

The tireless eco-entrepreneur’s dedication to a cleaner environment is clear.

“My main goal is to encourage people to invest in renewable housing and solar tech. It’s out there, it’s real and we need more awareness about how our decisions impact the

earth. I would like everyone in this world to have a sustainable mindset.”

Deyo, though, is taking a temporary break from his local mission for change, so don’t expect to see him out on the Duval crawl pedicab circuit anytime soon. He’s leaving next week for a world tour to some exotic “bucket list” destinations. “I’m flying to London for Christmas, then on to Athens.”

If that’s not enough travel, Deyo will be visiting the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt and then hop on over to Africa’s Serengeti plains. A stop later on the itinerary is Rwanda to hang with the golden monkeys.

“I’m checking some boxes,” he said.

When he returns home to Key West, “I’ll continue to support the reefs in this unique way, ” said the hands-on philanthropist.

One pedaling block at a time.

SHELF HELP

Staff from your Monroe County Public Library recommend some of their favorites from the collection. What: “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin

Why: This novel spans over 30 years of intense friendship. Watching Sam and Sadie grow up, grow apart and come back together over and over was a slow torture that I did not think I would like. The loathing I feel for the miscommunication trope is monumental, and I thought this whole book was just going to be that over and over again. And it was. But it was also so much more. This is a book about two friends making video games, but at the same time it also isn’t about that. There is so much more than you see on the surface. The characters are compelling, frustrating and relatable. It has been a very long time since I have loved book characters this much.

My favorite quote from the book comes from the character named Marx: “What is a game? … It’s tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. It’s a possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption. The idea that if you keep playing, you could win. No loss is permanent, because nothing is permanent, ever.”

Where: This is available as a print book, ebook and e-audiobook from the Monroe County Library system.

How: You can request books online by logging in to www.keyslibraries.org and get ebooks and e-audiobooks 24/7 at www.estuff. keyslibraries.org. Questions? info@ keyslibraries.org

Recommended by: Jill Kenna, senior library assistant, Key West branch

Charles Deyo educates his pedicab passengers about the threats to the coral reef. He also donates all his pedicab earnings to the Reef Environmental Education Foundation. AMY PATTON/Keys Weekly

KELLIE BUTLER FARRELL www.keysweekly.com

KEY LARGO WOMAN SHARES STORY OF

DETERMINATION, HOPE AND UNWAVERING FAITH

By all accounts, the fact that 63-year-old Karol Harrelson is alive is nothing short of a miracle.

“My heart stopped twice,” she recalled. “They resuscitated me twice, once in the helicopter and once at the hospital.”

Seven years ago, this former nurse’s life changed in a blink of an eye. Harrelson was on her way to Miami at 6 a.m. for her last week of training to become an ICU nurse. She never made it.

“At the green light I looked both ways twice, I always did,” explained Harrelson.

Karol was told she would likely never walk again, but she beat the odds and can get around with the help of a walker or cane. Her speech was affected, but she can effectively communicate.

Karol believes she is here today because of the never-ending support of her husband.

“Terry’s been my inspiration. He pushes me all the time,” said Karol.

“I would not let her give up. I wouldn’t let her give up at all. I would stay on her,” agreed Terry.

Karol also credits her strong faith in seeing her through the most difficult time of her life.

Right: Before the accident in 2015, Karol Harrelson was a nurse at Mariner’s Hospital. She loved nursing and helping people who couldn’t help themselves. CONTRIBUTED

THE MIRACLE ON OVERSEAS HIGHWAY

As she turned out of her Avenue A home across from Tradewinds Plaza onto the Overseas Highway, the driver of a large box truck ran the red light, careening into her car, T-boning the vehicle and pushing it into a light post.

“I heard the crash and I was praying that it wasn’t her,” said Karol’s husband of 30 years, Terry Harrelson. He rushed outside. By the time he reached Karol, she was unconscious.

For the next three months, Karol remained in a medically induced coma at Jackson Memorial Hospital and was later transferred to Kindred Hospital in Coral Gables. Karol suffered compound fractures in her arm and leg along with traumatic brain injury. When she awoke from the coma, she had no idea what had happened to her.

What followed was years of rehabilitation. It wasn’t easy for the Mariners Hospital nurse. She was accustomed to being the caregiver, not the patient.

“I was a nurse. I’m supposed to be on the other side of the bed, not in the bed,” she said.

“It was hard times, it was real hard times,” added Terry.

“I believe in angels,” said Karol. “I know that God was holding me that day. No doubt in my mind,” she said.

Now this mother of three and grandmother of eight is telling her story of faith and survival. With the help of her sister Lynn, she wrote a book about her experience titled “The Miracle on Overseas Highway.” The book is available online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Karol says writing the book was cathartic, a much-needed step toward closure.

“I had to do something with the anger that I had, anger at the guy who hit me,” she said.

According to Karol and Terry, the driver of the box truck that hit Karol left the country. Terry said authorities did not believe he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. They said he may have been texting or could have fallen asleep at the wheel.

After a year of jumping through legal hoops, Terry and Karol were able to reach a settlement from the driver’s employer. That money was used to cover Karol’s staggering medical expenses.

“The medical bills were way over a million dollars, “ said Terry.

During this interview, Karol and Terry sat hand in hand at their kitchen table. Their bond is undeniable and inspiring. Although they’ve been through more than most people could ever imagine, they are grateful.

“I have pain everywhere, but it’s okay, I’m here,” said Karol. “God saved my life. I know that.”

“She’s my miracle,” added an emotional Terry.

Left: From their Key Largo home, Karol and Terry Harrelson hold up a copy of Karol’s newly released book. It is available online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. KELLIE BUTLER FARRELL/Keys Weekly

Thank you to the City of Key West for the use of the Truman Waterfront Park for our Kia of Key West Family Day.

Thank you, Mayor Johnston, City Manager Patti McLauchlin, Executive Administrator to the City Manager Dorian Patton, and the Community Services Department.

Special thanks to the City of Key West Police Department, Fire Department, and the Monroe County Sheriffs Department for your participation.

Thank you to all the families, friends, and customers that enjoyed the day.

Thank you to Mike Gigliarty for volunteering your time for grilling all the hamburgers and hot dogs.

Thank you to our local entertainers and DJ for keeping a fun upbeat time.

Thank you to all our media partners who drove in the huge crowds.

Thank you to Josh Bottoms and the entire staff at Kia of Key West for your hard work at the event.

Thank you to all the Non-Profit Organizations who came out to help others by sharing their services with the community.

Thank you to the Event Coordinators, Curt and Donna Snider from Advertising Made Easy.

Thank you to Jesse and Shea Liechty, owners of Kia of Key West and the entire Liechty Automotive Group, for always supporting our local communities.

We considered the event a success and look forward to more opportunities to serve the Key West community.

Kia and the Keys just go together!

AUDREY GREEN

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ABIGAIL HADDOCK www.keysweekly.com

‘MY RACE IS AGAINST MYSELF’

A sitdown with worldwide windsurfing competitor Valentina Vix

being 50 and still having the energy and drive, because now I can do it. I can afford it. And I can’t afford not to do it!

What brought you to Florida?

What’s your favorite place to surf?

Valentina Vix is a windsurfer, sailor, coach and West Marine manager living in Marathon. She previously participated in the pre-Olympics for windsurfing, medaled in competitions in Central America and has windsurfed worldwide. Valentina recently returned from the Windsurfer World Championship in Sicily, Italy in early October, and is preparing to go to the Australian Windsurfer National Championships in January.

When did you start windsurfing?

I grew up in Venezuela, on Margarita Island. I remember being 10 in my dad’s boat, and dad asked, “What is that?” It was someone windsurfing. My dad said, “We have to do that!” I started to teach others at 12, then raced internationally at 15. Now I’m 50, and grand masters start at 50. I feel like I’m starting a new life.

Back then you couldn’t take any sponsors to qualify for the Olympics, and that made it really hard to afford the sport. I would have a better chance in the States. I was 19 and had family in Miami, so I sold all my equipment and had 50 bucks in my pocket when I got there. 15 years went by where I could barely afford to survive, and I couldn’t surf. I was frustrated – I was at a level where I was ready for the Olympics, and needed to find a purpose. Then it clicked as I became involved with sailing. I said, this is how I’ll save money, I’ll live on a boat and teach. It became my purpose to work hard and one way or another have a life on the water.

Any advice for anyone looking to follow through with their dream?

I think people put limitations on themselves. Ever since I was 12 I said, “It’s not a dream, it’s a goal.” You have to do what you love. As long as it’s something good, live with no regrets. I struggled knowing that what I loved was almost ripped away from me. I had to come back stronger than I’d ever been. It’s been 17 years since I sailed competitively, and I decided I was going to train. Even if I’m the last one in the race, I don’t care. With all my heart I’m going to do my best. My race isn’t against everybody, my race is against myself. My race is just to be there. I’m going to take advantage of

Every place is so different, I can’t compare. Sometimes you connect with geographic places, sometimes people, sometimes food, but I can’t pick a favorite, I think it’s impossible. I boated from Massachusetts to the Keys and even in the smallest little towns I had the most amazing experiences.

What’s next for you?

I’m trying to see if we can reinforce the sailing program here. I love teaching kids and I love sharing the sport. Kids need to know that they are able to do these things. It’s not just how you perform – it’s the experience, it’s the community. People never really leave sailing, they stay connected. And it’s a gift to live here. I throw my board in from any seawall I can. I’m so blessed for my parents; they gave me wings to fly. I’d like to get the basic equipment to teach kids. It would be great to get a sponsor to help kids get access to these events.

Vix is also hoping to get the Keys back onto the windsurfing map. “It almost hurts me to see the weather so perfect and not see anyone out there sailing or surfing,” she said. “People from around the world want to go to places to surf, and when you put it as a destination, when you make it an event, it’s not just a race, it’s an amazing source of tourism and connection.”

Valentina Vix at the 2022 Windsurfing World Championship. CONTRIBUTED

Valentina Vix, second from right, at the 2022 Windsurfing World Championship.

With one of the biggest turnouts ever, some races of the 2022 Windsurfing World Championship had more than 350 racers at the starting line.

Valentina Vix surfing in the 2005 British Virgin Islands HIHO regatta. The race was the last time she surfed until 2022.

A CREEKNAMING CONUNDRUM

Cartographer Bernard Romans named the water feature flowing between Old Rhodes and Elliott Key Black Caesars Creek. The choice was made after the Spanish territory of La Florida was deeded to the English with the signing of the 1763 Treaty of Paris.

The document signified the end of the French and Indian War. After taking possession, the English divided the territory into two parts. West Florida became all of the area west of the Apalachicola River. East Florida was everything east of the river and included the peninsula and the Florida Keys.

The government appointed Romans the deputy surveyor for the territory’s Southern District. Between 1770 and 1771, Romans surveyed the waters surrounding South Florida and the Florida Keys. The resulting effort, published in 1774, was called “Maps of East and West Florida.” Why did he choose the unusual name for the creek flowing between Old Rhodes and Elliott Keys? It is a really good question.

According to local legends, the creek is named after the infamous pirate rooted in Florida Keys lore who is said to have lorded over the Straits of Florida from his Elliott Key lair for a decade. After abandoning Elliott Key, the pirate joined forces with Captain Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, and allegedly became one of his trusted lieutenants.

The big problem with this version of the Black Caesar story, and there are many stories about the pirate, is that a pirate by that name does not exist in the historical record. He certainly was never one of Blackbeard’s lieutenants, trusted or otherwise. Coincidentally, a black “pirate” named Caesar had the misfortune of being with Blackbeard the day his sloop Adventure was attacked by British Navy forces and the fearsome pirate was beheaded.

In a book published just six years after Blackbeard’s violent death, information about Caesar, who was aboard the Adventure that

De Mayne Chart of 1821 showing Black Sarah’s Creek. CONTRIBUTED

fateful day, was shared. The book, “A General History of the Pyrates,” written by Captain Charles Johnson (though some feel it was written by the writer Daniel Defoe of “Robinson Crusoe” fame), stated: “Teach had little or no Hopes of escaping, and therefore had posted a resolute Fellow, a Negro, whom he had bred up, with a lighted Match, in the Powder-Room, with Commands to blow up when he should give him Orders, which was as soon as the Lieutenant and his Man could have entered, that so he might have destroy’d his Conquerors: and when the Negro found how it went with Blackbeard, he could hardly be perswaded from the rash Action by two Prisoners that were in the Hold of the Sloop.”

After the event aboard Blackbeard’s Adventure, British forces took Caesar into custody. According to the King’s records, the man identified as Caesar was labeled a Common Sailor and a “Common Sailor” is a term never attributed to a pirate who was, by every account, larger-than-life, Herculean in stature, and both a bloody and ruthless practitioner of his trade.

One of the extraordinary aspects of the legendary story of Black Caesar is that his name, as it has been associated with a pirate who may or may not have ever wrought his piratical intentions from an Elliott Key lair or anywhere else in Florida for that matter, fails to be recorded in a single contemporary document prior to the publishing of Romans’ “Maps of East and West Florida” in 1774.

It could be that Romans simply misheard or miswrote another local name for the creek, which might explain why he appears to be the first person ever to put the name in print. This kind of name bastardization is frequent

everywhere, probably, and certainly when it comes to the history of the names of islands and other features in the Florida Keys.

James Grant Forbes’ “Sketches Historical and Topographical of The Floridas; more particularly of East Florida,” published by C.S. Van Winkle in 1821, identified the same feature as Black Sarah’s Creek. The De Mayne Chart, also published in 1821, identified the pass as Black Sarah’s Creek.

FLORIDA KEYS HISTORY WITH BRAD BERTELLI

An author, speaker, Florida Keys historian and Honorary Conch. His latest book, “Florida Keys History with Brad Bertelli, Volume 1,” shares fascinating glimpses into the rich and sometimes surprising histories of the Florida Keys.

Some of the wreckers working the reef line in the early 19th century, too, referred to the creek as Black Sarah’s, which only adds to the conundrum involving the name. It is interesting that Black Caesar and Black Sarah practically rhyme. Maybe Bernard Romans heard the name Black Sarah when surveying the area, and he decided to jazz up the name by changing it to Black Caesar. Before he began surveying the Southern District, a little pirate blood had flowed through his veins.

Maybe Romans just plain invented the name Black Caesar when he applied the identifier to the creek on his map. And maybe that decision gave birth to the idea of a pirate named Black Caesar and the resulting collection of legendary stories about him that have been stitched into the fabric of Florida Keys history – stories that come with no supporting documentation.

Surveyor the first to pen Black Caesar’s name in record

VISUALIZING SANTA

BUSHY- BEARDED MAN IN RED EVOLVED TO AN ICON

It’s that time of the year when holiday lights dress area homes and businesses. In some yards sit a number of inflatable decorations. We see the imagery all around us, so it’s easy to get used to it and perhaps ignore it. Santa’s image is plastered up everywhere during Christmastime. We see Santa Claus doing all kinds of things: Riding a motorcycle, vacationing in his Hawaiian shirt and dancing. Santa is beyond an icon. As an artist, I always found it interesting how some things become legendary while others fall out of fashion. Just how did the man in red become so iconic? Here’s a deeper dive into the iconography of Santa.

St. Nicholas is where the lore of Santa Claus begins. He was born in the third century A.D. in the village of Patara, which at the time was Greek but is part of modern-day Turkey. He was a devout Christian and became well-known for his kindness, generosity and love of children. He was a bishop at a time when the Romans were persecuting Christians. He died on Dec. 6 in 343 A.D. All the stories of Nicholas showcase him as a protector and helper of those in need.

Over the centuries, his legend would grow. St. Nicholas seemed to always have a large following. In 1492, Christopher Columbus named a Haitian port after St. Nicholas. Jacksonville’s St. Nicholas neighborhood was originally named by Spanish settlers.

While the British had St. George, the Americans of the Revolution invoked St. Nicholas as protector. He was named patron saint of New York and the Historical Society. While many European countries celebrated St. Nicholas, he became more like the icon we know today in the U.S. around

1809. Washington Irving wrote “Knickerbocker’s History of New York,” and in this he referred to a Dutch burgher elfin with a clay pipe, a jolly St. Nicholas.

WILLIAM DEPAULA

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

The 1821 publication “The Children’s Friend” added more to the St. Nicholas lore. In the book he was called Sante Claus, who rode around on a sleigh with flying reindeer and came from, you guessed it, the North Pole. Sante would reward the nice and punish the naughty. The book also features the first time that Sante Claus came on Christmas Eve instead of Dec. 6. Amazingly, this book’s author and illustrator are not known.

The part you all have been waiting for: In 1823, “The Night Before Christmas” – back then known as “A Visit from St. Nicholas” – was published. The poem describes the appearance of St. Nicholas, or rather the round-shaped, clay-pipesmoking, old bearded elf. There is also debate on the true author of the poem: Is it Clement Clarke Moore or Henry Livingston Jr.? Whoever the author was, the poem had a huge impact on the future of Christmas tradition.

Thomas Nast created drawings and images of Santa with a flowing beard and fur clothing. Nast’s illustration featured a Santa who loved his clay pipe and was loyal to the Union and President Lincoln during the Civil War. Nast’s Santa was a large influence on the population and showed us how the elven Santa Claus should look.

Famous illustrators such as Norman Rockwell and N.C. Wyeth tweaked the vision of Santa Claus. In 1930, an advertising campaign would cement the look of Santa Claus. The artist was Haddon Sundblom and he painted 35 years’ worth of Santas for the Coca Cola Company. The illustrators reimagined Santa back into a man, no longer an elf, but a full-fledged icon.

St. Nicholas has come a long way. Starting with an extraordinary life and ultimately attaining sainthood centuries later, St. Nicholas was a remarkable person who was a protector and giver. His generosity was legendary, and for many centuries people admired him and tried to emulate him. He became a symbol so powerful and enduring that the legend grew and evolved. Santa Claus, a man or elf of his time, is adaptable for each time period, giving hope to those who need it the most.

An illustration by William DePaula depicts Santa and St. Nicholas on a playing card. WILLIAM DEPAULA/Contributed

FICTITIOUS NAME

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of SANCTUARY AQUARIUM INC. located at P.O. Box 370664, Key Largo, FL 33037 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

By: Carlos Vilarchao Publish: December 22, 2022

The Weekly Newspapers

PUBLIC SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE TO SELL

Wheatons Towing gives notice that on 12/29/2022 at 10:00 am, the following vehicle(s) may be sold by public sale at 101500 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo, FL 33037 to satisfy the lien for the amount owed on each vehicle for any recovery, towing, or storage services charges and administrative fees

allowed pursuant to Florida statute 713.78. Wheatons Towing reserves the right to accept or reject any and/or all bids.

1GTEC14V3YE185331 2000 GMC

Publish: December 15 & 22, 2022

The Weekly Newspapers

LEGAL NOTICE

LOST TITLE APPLICATION NO: 2431504

OFFICE OF TITLES

NOTICE PURSUANT TO SECTION 82 OF THE REGISTRATION OF TITLES ACT (RTA)

WHEREAS the applicant(s) in the above state application has/ have declared that the following duplicate Certificate of Title has been lost, I HEREBY GIVE NOTICE that I intend to cancel the said Certificate of Title and issue a new one in duplicate fourteen days after the last publication of the advertisement.

LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES

Volume: 1448 Folio: 868

Lot: 8

Place: Part of Bluefields

Parish: Westmoreland

Registered proprietor(s): John McSherry

Dated: November 14, 2022 L. Dunbar

Deputy Registrar of Titles To publish in the Daily Gleaner/ Jamaica Observer for two consecutive weeks and Publish: December 15 & 22, 2022

The Weekly Newspapers

PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE

The District I Advisory Committee (DAC I) of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council will hold a regular meeting on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, at 3:00 P.M., via Communications Media Technology using a Zoom webinar platform.

The access points to view the meeting or for members of the public to provide public comment will be:

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom. us/j/88429343368

Meeting ID: 884 2934 3368

One tap mobile +13052241968,,88429343368# US +13126266799,,88429343368# US (Chicago)

Please contact Maxine Pacini or Ammie Machan to submit written information or for additional information by writing: MCTDC, 1201 White Street, Suite 102, Key West, FL 33040, by email at: Pacini-Maxine@monroecounty-fl. gov, or by calling (305) 296-1552 between the hours of 9:00 A.M. –5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. Documents must be received no later than 12:00 P.M., on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.

All District Advisory Committee Meetings of the Tourist Development Council are open

to the public and one or more TDC Members and/or County Commissioners may be in attendance.

ADA ASSISTANCE: If you are a person with a disability who needs special accommodations in order to participate in this proceeding, please contact the County Administrator’s Office, by phoning (305) 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”.

Publish: December 22, 2022

The Weekly Newspapers

PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE

The District II Advisory Committee (DAC II) of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council will hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at 6:00 P.M., via Communications Media

Technology using a Zoom webinar platform.

The access points to view the meeting or for members of the public to provide public comment will be:

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom. us/j/86155674193 Meeting ID: 861 5567 4193

One tap mobile +13052241968,,86155674193# US +13126266799,,86155674193# US (Chicago)

Please contact Maxine Pacini or Ammie Machan to submit written information or for additional information by writing: MCTDC, 1201 White Street, Suite 102, Key West, FL 33040, by email at: Pacini-Maxine@monroecounty-fl. gov, or by calling (305) 296-1552 between the hours of 9:00 A.M. –5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. Documents must be received no later than 12:00 P.M., on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.

All District Advisory Committee Meetings of the Tourist Development Council are open to the public and one or more TDC Members and/or County Commissioners may be in attendance.

ADA ASSISTANCE: If you are a person with a disability who needs special accommodations in order to participate in this proceeding, please contact the County Administrator’s Office, by phoning (305) 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”.

Publish: December 22, 2022

The Weekly Newspapers

PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE

The District III Advisory Committee (DAC III) of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council will hold a regular meeting on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, at 9:30 A.M., via Communications Media Technology using a Zoom webinar platform.

The access points to view the meeting or for members of the public to provide public comment will be: Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom. us/j/81105688651 Meeting ID: 811 0568 8651 One tap mobile +13052241968,,81105688651# US +19292056099,,81105688651# US (New York)

Please contact Maxine Pacini or Ammie Machan to submit written information or for additional information by writing: MCTDC, 1201 White Street, Suite 102, Key West, FL 33040, by email at: Pacini-Maxine@monroecounty-fl. gov, or by calling (305) 296-1552 between the hours of 9:00 A.M. –5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday.

Documents must be received no later than 12:00 P.M., on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.

All District Advisory Committee Meetings of the Tourist Development Council are open to the public and one or more TDC Members and/or County Commissioners may be in attendance.

ADA ASSISTANCE: If you are a

person with a disability who needs special accommodations in order to participate in this proceeding, please contact the County Administrator’s Office, by phoning (305) 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”.

Publish: December 22, 2022

The Weekly Newspapers

PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE

The District IV Advisory Committee (DAC IV) of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council will hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at 2:00 P.M., via Communications Media Technology using a Zoom webinar platform.

The access points to view the meeting or for members of the public to provide public comment will be:

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom. us/j/86212474907

Meeting ID: 862 1247 4907

One tap mobile +13052241968,,86212474907# US +16469313860,,86212474907# US

Please contact Maxine Pacini or Ammie Machan to submit written information or for additional information by writing: MCTDC, 1201 White Street, Suite 102, Key West, FL 33040, by email at: Pacini-Maxine@monroecounty-fl. gov, or by calling (305) 296-1552 between the hours of 9:00 A.M. –5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. Documents must be received no later than 12:00 P.M., on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.

All District Advisory Committee Meetings of the Tourist Development Council are open to the public and one or more TDC Members and/or County Commissioners may be in attendance.

ADA ASSISTANCE: If you are a person with a disability who needs special accommodations in order to participate in this proceeding, please contact the County Administrator’s Office, by phoning (305) 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”.

Publish: December 22, 2022

The Weekly Newspapers

PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE

The District V Advisory Committee (DAC V) of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council will hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at 10:00 A.M., via Communications Media Technology using a Zoom webinar platform.

The access points to view the meeting or for members of the public to provide public comment will be: Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom. us/j/88955213123

Meeting ID: 889 5521 3123

One tap mobile +13052241968,,88955213123# US +13126266799,,88955213123# US

LEGAL NOTICES

Please contact Maxine Pacini or Ammie Machan to submit written information or for additional information by writing: MCTDC, 1201 White Street, Suite 102, Key West, FL 33040, by email at: Pacini-Maxine@monroecounty-fl. gov, or by calling (305) 296-1552 between the hours of 9:00 A.M. –5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. Documents must be received no later than 12:00 P.M., on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.

All District Advisory Committee Meetings of the Tourist Development Council are open to the public and one or more TDC Members and/or County Commissioners may be in attendance.

ADA ASSISTANCE: If you are a person with a disability who needs special accommodations in order to participate in this proceeding, please contact the County Administrator’s Office, by phoning (305) 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”.

Publish: December 22, 2022

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT

FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISION

FILE NO.: 22-CP-117-M

DIVISION: MIDDLE KEYS

IN RE: ESTATE OF WALTER FLORIMONT Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of Walter Florimont, deceased, whose date of death was October 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 names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

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

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

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

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

The date of first publication of this notice is: December 22, 2022.

Personal Representative: Cynthia Dawn Florimont 925 43rd Street Marathon, Florida 33050

Attorney for Personal Representative: Richard E. Warner

Attorney Florida Bar Number: 283134

RICHARD E. WARNER, P.A. 12221 Overseas Highway MARATHON, FL 33050

Telephone: (305) 743-6022

Fax: (305) 743-6216

E-mail: richard@rewarnerlaw.com

Secondary E-Mail: pamela2@ rewarnerlaw.com

Publish: December 22 & 29, 2022

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 22-CP-111-M

DIVISION: MIDDLE KEYS

IN RE: ESTATE OF ALLEN L. SIMMONS Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of Allen L. Simmons, deceased, whose date of death was

November 6, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for MONROE County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida 33050. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

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

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

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

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

The date of first publication of this notice is: December 22, 2022.

Personal Representative: Susan M. Simmons 5 Ocean East Marathon, Florida 33050

Attorney for Personal Representative: Richard E. Warner

Attorney Florida Bar Number: 283134 RICHARD E. WARNER, P.A. 12221 Overseas Highway MARATHON, FL 33050 Telephone: (305) 743-6022 Fax: (305) 743-6216 E-mail: richard@rewarnerlaw.com

Secondary E-Mail: pamela2@ rewarnerlaw.com

Publish: December 22 & 29, 2022

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 22-CP-93-M

DIVISION: MIDDLE KEYS IN RE: ESTATE OF PATRICIA A. GROHN Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of Patricia A. Grohn, deceased, whose date of death was July 11, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

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

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

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

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

The date of first publication of this notice is: December 15, 2022.

Personal Representative: Christine McClellan 1280 W. Indian Trail, Unit 5 Aurora, Illinois 60506

Attorney for Personal

LEGAL NOTICES

Representative: Robert K. Miller, Esq.

Attorney Florida Bar Number: 359173

Cunningham Miller Rhyne PA 10075 Overseas Hwy PO Box 500938

Marathon, FL 33050 Telephone: (305) 743-9428 Fax: (305) 743-8800

E-Mail: service@floridakeyslaw.

com

Secondary E-Mail: rmiller@ floridakeyslaw.com Publish: December 15 & 22, 2022

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 2022-CP-043-M IN RE: ESTATE OF DONALD H. BEETSCHEN, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of DONALD H. BEETSCHEN, deceased, whose date of death was April 12, 2011, 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 testate and the date of the decedent’s Will and any codicils are June 21, 2017. 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 15, 2022.

Personal Representative: Donna M. Hoffman, CPA 428 80th Street Marathon, FL 33050

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 Marathon, FL 33050 Telephone: (305) 743-6565 Facsimile: (305) 743-4143 e-mail: jjdorl@yahoo.com Publish: December 15 & 22, 2022

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 2022-CP-340-K

IN RE: ESTATE OF JERRY MAGGARD LAWSON, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of JERRY MAGGARD LAWSON, deceased, whose date of death was January 25, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, Florida 33040. The estate is testate and the date of the decedent’s Will and any codicils are March 22, 2002. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal

LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES

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 15, 2022.

Ancillary Personal Representative: Cynthia Diane Van Vynckt 5051 Highway 162 South Covington, GA 30016

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

JAMES J. DORL, P.A. Suite 12 First Professional Centre 5701 Overseas Highway Marathon, FL 33050

Telephone: (305) 743-6565 Facsimile: (305) 743-4143 e-mail: jjdorl@yahoo.com Publish: December 15 & 22, 2022

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO. 22-CP-000091-P IN RE: ESTATE OF DOUGLAS FREDERICK PEEL, A/K/A DOUGLAS F. PEEL DECEASED.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the Estate of Douglas Frederick Peel, deceased, whose date of death was February 17, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88820 Overseas Highway, Tavernier, Florida 33070. The names and addresses of the Personal Representative and the Personal Representative’s attorney are set forth below.

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

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

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

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

The date of first publication of this notice is December 15, 2022.

Personal Representative: Tina D. Peel 234 Atlantic Boulevard Key Largo, Florida 33037

Attorney for Personal Representative: Cyrus Malhotra, Esq. Florida Bar Number: 0022751 THE MALHOTRA LAW FIRM, P.A.

3903 Northdale Blvd., Suite 100E

Tampa, FL 33624

Telephone: (813) 902-2119 Fax: (727) 290-4044 E-Mail: filings@ flprobatesolutions.com Secondary E-Mail: ryan@ flprobatesolutions.com Publish: December 15 & 22, 2022

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 22-CP-000144-P IN RE: ESTATE OF MARTIN G. LANE, JR., Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of Martin G. Lane, Jr., deceased, whose date of death was October 28, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88770 Overseas Highway, Suite 2, Tavernier, Florida 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

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

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

NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is: December 15, 2022.

Personal Representative: Sheri Phillips Lane c/o Dunwody White & Landon, P.A. 4001 Tamiami Trail North, Suite 200 Naples, FL 34103

Attorney for Personal Representative: DUNWODY WHITE & LANDON, P.A. Alfred J. Stashis, Jr., Esq.

Florida Bar Number: 14772 Jonathan T. Baker, Esq. Florida Bar Number: 97793 4001 Tamiami Trail North, Suite 200 Naples, FL 34103

Telephone: (239) 263-5885 Fax: (239) 262-1442

Publish: December 15 & 22, 2022 The

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.

Night Monitor – FREE Private Room in exchange for overnight coverage at an Assisted Living Facility. 5 nights on, 5 nights off 10pm8am 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

Marathon Yacht Club is hiring a part-time server. $12/hr + Guaranteed tip pool, employee meals, private club & friendly atmosphere. Weeknight and Saturday evening availability. Call 305-743-6739 to schedule an interview.

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

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.

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 8a-5p. 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

Immediate positions at the Grassy Key Marina. Under new ownership and looking for smiling faces. Fulltime or part-time 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.

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

The Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club is seeking a Customer-Service 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 404219-3359 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.

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: Cashiermust be 16 yrs or older, Fulltime 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.

PRIVATE COLLECTOR WANTS Rolex, Dive Watches and Pilot Watches. Old Model Military Clocks & Watches. Call 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

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

EMPLOYMENT

City of Marathon Current Job Openings: WW Operator/Controls Trainee, 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

LOT FOR RENT

PARALEGAL

Turtle Hospital in Marathon

to: TurtleHospitalMarathon@gmail.com

Keys Energy Services, in Key West, Florida, is accepting applications for the following position in its Customer Services Department:

CUSTOMER SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE I

Starting pay rate for this position, depending on qualifications and experience: $19.82/hr. - $22.20/hr.

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

KEYS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

KEYS promotes a Drug-Free Workplace.

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

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

AUTO DIESEL VEHICLE TECHNICIAN

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

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

KEYS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

KEYS promotes a Drug-Free Workplace.

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

There’s nothing like the feeling when your team comes out on top. Well, except for maybe winning with your finances. And, for that, First Horizon is always your team. With banking tools that save you time and support that keeps it simple, you’ll feel like you can take on any financial challenge.