Feel-Good Stories

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In recent years, “the media” seems to have become an easy target and scapegoat when news comes out that some would rather not see in print. But here at the Keys Weekly, our staff is proud to work for a company just as dedicated to celebrating our community’s triumphs as it is to covering its trials. Here is just a small sampling of stories from 2022 that made us proud to celebrate the One Human Family in the Florida Keys.

PEOPLE ARE AWESOME, AND DON’T YOU FORGET IT

ALEX RICKERT

alex@keysweekly.com

ONE ANIMAL FAMILY, TOO

Those who live in an island chain surrounded by one of the most magnificent ecosystems in the world are already more willing than most to do whatever it takes to protect the animals sharing their environment.

In January, Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters became the only facility in the islands to house rehabilitating manatees as it welcomed “Heavy Falcon” and “Lil Peep” on their journey toward eventual release.

In March, when birds at the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center needed a new home, Eagle Scout candidate Keegan Wittke stepped in to get the job done.

In May, the staff at Dolphin Research Center took on a Herculean task as they committed to hand-raising a newborn calf born at the center, providing round-the-clock care for months. The center also welcomed a rescue from Texas and celebrated a second calf later in the year.

In June, a couple was heartbroken as their French bulldog Sailor went missing from their home. But due to a collaborative effort between MCSO and the Miami-Dade police, Sailor made her way home in just over a week, with the suspects who demanded a ransom detained.

The next month, the Turtle Hospital celebrated the release of “Tortie.” The juvenile green sea turtle was rehabilitated against all odds after suffering from a load of fibropapilloma tumors and fitted with a satellite tracker upon release to raise awareness for her species.

In late November, Middle Keys residents gathered to celebrate the release of three manatees rescued throughout the previous seven months – some in collaborative allnight community endeavors – showcasing the combined capabilities of multiple Keys rescue organizations.

And as protection of our coral reefs

increasingly becomes a race against time, organizations like I.CARE and Reef Renewal USA are blazing a new path in eco-tourism, engaging community partnerships and putting volunteers who want to help with critical restoration activities to work.

SUPERHUMAN FEATS

Some Keys residents accomplished physical feats this year that left us dumbfounded.

Average New Year’s resolutions were put to shame by a Marathon couple who dropped 240 pounds in just one year.

Thanks to Coral Shores’ Xavyer Ar-

rington and Marathon’s Rylan Chapa, the Keys are home to two state weightlifting champions.

Upper Keys mom Sandy Brito performed an ultimate feat of endurance in May when she became an ironwoman at a Texas race. As did David Castro, who described his journey from homelessness to conquering some of the world’s toughest challenges with a 135-mile race through Death Valley.

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WE’LL BE THERE FOR YOU

Whether it’s money, labor or moral support, a tight-knit Keys community looks after its own.

Take, for example, the Autism Society of the Keys, which celebrated the opening of the new Carrie Brazer Center for Autism and shared with Keys Weekly a touching story about how its work helped change the lives of twin five-year-olds diagnosed with varying degrees of the disorder.

In June, the Castaways Against Cancer made their 23rd bold trek from Miami to the Keys both by land and sea in support of a 5-year, $1.5 million pledge to the University of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Care Center. This year’s paddle raised more than $205,000 – with a 50% match on the way from UM.

When a surprising state budget omission left Keys AHEC in the dark in March, the Keys community took less than three months to raise nearly all of the $650,000 originally requested for the organization, enabling AHEC to continue providing medical and dental care to vulnerable Keys kids.

And when devastating floods tore through Kentucky, then-Marathon City Council candidate Lynn Landry and his wife Freida left town in the middle of campaign season with no set return date to be “boots on the ground” for disaster relief.

REMEMBERING OUR FINEST

In the Keys, it’s not just a title that determines who should be remembered.

Just take a look in the marine science lab at Ocean Studies Charter School, which in February was named the “Pascal Weisberger Discovery Lab” in honor of the young man with an admiration for his environment whose time on Earth was cut short in May 2020.

Later in the year, one plaque at the 2022 Best of Marathon awards stood above all others as dozens of the city’s bartenders urged the community to posthumously honor Keys Fisheries’ Shannon Gosselin as Marathon’s “Best Bartender” after her battle with cancer. Needless to say, the vote was one of the biggest landslides of the year. 1. Rescue crews from Dolphin Research Center and Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters prepare an injured manatee for a tow to Sombrero Beach. CONTRIBUTED.

2. Tortie is fitted with her satellite tracker at the Turtle Hospital. ANDY NEWMAN/Florida Keys News Bureau

3. Students at the Carrie Brazer Center for Autism receive one-on-one care. JIM McCARTHY/ Keys Weekly

4. The 2022 Castaways Against Cancer kayak team, from left: Caleb Isenberg, Roger Dabdab, Kari Linfors, team captain Eric Pino, Suzy Cury, Castaways founder Steve O’Brien, Patrick Linfors, Paul Kumer, Jaime Lemus and Omar Beceiro. CONTRIBUTED

5 From left, Daniel and David Hernandez are handsome 5-year-old twins diagnosed with varying degrees of autism. CONTRIBUTED

6. DRC veterinarian Dr. Scott Gearhart makes a final assessment on lacerations caused by a propeller strike to the head of this male manatee in April. The strike caused a skull fracture, with bone fragments later removed at SeaWorld Orlando during the animal’s recovery. FLORIDA KEYS NEWS BUREAU/Contributed

7 Finishing her first Ironman, Sandy Brito shows off her medal. CONTRIBUTED

8. Ariel Poholek, Pascal’s dad, holds the Pascal Weisberger Marine Discovery Lab sign alongside Ocean Studies Charter School Marine Science Teacher Martha Loizeaux and students in her class. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly

9. After a community campaign to posthumously honor one of Marathon’s most beloved bartenders, Bill Alch, left, and Lauren Barbush accepted the 2022 Best Bartender award on behalf of Shannon Gosselin at the Best of Marathon. BARRY GAUKEL/Keys Weekly

10. Gary and Shelly Steinbrugge have lost a combined 240 pounds on their journey to sustainable healthy living. ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly

11. Thanks to the quick work of Monroe County Sheriff and Miami-Dade officers, Sailor is back home with Patti and Mike Rhine. CONTRIBUTED

12. After hours of swimming, a baby dolphin receiving constant care at Dolphin Research Center parks herself in Erica Wisniewski’s arms for a quick nap. ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly

13. Seventeen-year-old Keegan Wittke, front right, oversaw a staff of volunteers as part of the leadership component of his Eagle Scout project at the bird center. From left: Aiden Pegues, Cayson Johnson, Chris Walterson, Conner Bell and Tanny Irons.

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

SIMON GUTIERREZ / Senior, Coral Shores Season Record: 17:53.00 Gutierrez led the Hurricanes this season, on and off the course. “Simon is graduating this year and his leadership and positive attitude are going to be missed,” said Coral Shores coach Gabriel Suarez. ”He has set a great example for the new runners, and I hope they follow a similar path in running.”

ANTONIN “TONY” BURSA

Seventh grade, Marathon Season Record: 18:38.10 “Tony is only in seventh grade and is already running consistently in the 18s. He has multiple great examples in his household that he learns from and I'm excited to see what he can do when he reaches high school.” – Marathon coach Jim Murphy

BOYS SOCCER MARATHON KEY WEST

JANUARY 4 | 6 p.m

MASON BUXTON / Junior, Marathon Season Record: 18:20.00 “Mason is the veteran on our team. He just finished his fourth season and has one more to go. Mason’s times dropped a lot this season and he should be a monster on the track this spring.” – Marathon coach Jim Murphy JAKUB BURSA / Junior, Marathon Season Record: 18:20.00 “Jakub is the workhorse who logs the most mileage on our team. He put in many 50-plus-mile weeks throughout the season and was one of our most consistent runners. He will be coming back next season for his senior year stronger and ready to go.” – Marathon coach Jim Murphy

THE KEYS WEEKLY 2022 ALL-KEYS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM

Vance Bursa, Caylaa Makimaa islands’ top harriers this season

Photos by RICK MACKENZIE

COLBIN HILL / Junior, Key West Season Record: 18:48.20 “Colbin is a runner whose actions speak louder than his words on and off the field. His work ethic is unparalleled, and he is always willing to go the extra mile in his training. He was the clear leader of the team this year, and we’re looking forward to great things from him next season.” – Key West coach Mark Coleman

The 2022 cross country season in the Florida Keys was marked by a number of standout individual performances, crowned by Marathon sophomore Vance Bursa’s blazing finish in the FHSAA 1A state championship meet to claim ninth place.

And in looking ahead, Keys teams appear to just be revving up for 2023.

In a sport with no timeouts, no substitutions and only one significant statistic, choosing the inaugural All-Keys cross country teams was a relatively simple matter. But in naming the top six male and female cross country athletes in the county, our staff noticed something: 11 of the 12 athletes, should they so choose, will have the chance to compete again in 2023, and two of them haven’t even hit high school yet

Needless to say, we can’t wait.

From the staff at the Keys Weekly Sports Wrap, congratulations to the 2022 Keys Weekly All-Keys Cross Country Teams.

VANCE BURSA / Sophomore, Marathon Season Record: 16:18.20 “This was Vance’s second year running cross country, but watching him you would think he was a veteran runner. He is already the second-fastest Dolphin ever with a 16:18 PR and placed the second-highest ever at states for the Dolphins with a 10th place finish. Excited to see what he can do in the next two years.” – Marathon coach Jim Murphy

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

MVP

BOYS SOCCER MARATHON KEY WEST

JANUARY 4 | 6 p.m

CAYLAA MAKIMAA / Sophomore, Key West Season Record: 20:36.00 “Always smiling and turning negatives into positives, Caylaa was one of only two veteran cross country runners on this team. She ensured that she was always lending a helping hand to our runners who were newer to the sport. Caylaa is full of potential as a runner and has a bright future ahead of her.” – Key West coach Keara McGraw

MADELYN THORNTON

Eighth grade, Marathon Season Record: 22:40.40 “Madelyn is an amazing athlete with tons of natural talent. I have no doubt she can do anything she sets her mind to and I can’t wait to see how far she goes with cross country.” – Marathon coach Darby Sheehan LAIRA ANAYA / Sophomore, Key West Season Record: 22:48.70 “In running, mental grit is one of the keys to success, but it's the hardest thing to teach. Laira is one of the grittiest ladies I've ever met. I'm so proud of how far Laira has come this season in so many ways, one of which was learning to take feedback and apply it to her races positively.” – Key West coach Keara McGraw

KAI GUTH / Sophomore, Coral Shores Season Record: 23:07.60 Kai Guth’s time was not the only thing making her a top athlete for the Hurricanes this season. “Kai and Simon (Gutierrez) both helped with getting sponsorships for the team and helped fundraise for our new uniforms. To this day they are still running, entering local 5k races and encouraging my newer runners to join.” – Coral Shores coach Gabriel Suarez MIKKEL ROSS / Junior, Marathon Season Record: 23:02.00 “Mikkel is an incredible leader on our team. She is the person that all the girls look up to and come to when they need help. She has a fun personality that always keeps everyone laughing.” – Marathon coach Darby Sheehan

ELLA DUNN / Sophomore, Marathon Season Record: 22:36.50 “Ella is such a wonderful athlete to work with; she brings so much joy and light to everything she does. She is someone you can always count on to lift you up when feeling down.” – Marathon coach Darby Sheehan

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

THIS WEEK IN KEYS SPORTS

Date School Sport Opponent Start Time

12/29 Key West Boys Basketball Gig Harbor, WA 2 p.m. 1/3 Marathon Boys Basketball @ Silver Palms 4 p.m. 1/4 Marathon Boys Basketball Palmer 5 p.m. 1/4 Marathon Boys Soccer Key West 6 p.m. 1/4 Coral Shores Boys Soccer @ Gulliver 4 p.m. 1/4 Coral Shores Girls Weightlifting Marathon 3:30 p.m. 1/5 Coral Shores Boys Basketball @ Oxbridge Academy 6 p.m. 1/5 Marathon Girls Soccer @ Westwood 4 p.m. 1/6 Marathon Boys Basketball @ Boca Raton 6 p.m. 1/6 Key West Girls Soccer @ South FL HEAT 4 p.m. 1/6 Coral Shores Girls Basketball Marathon 4 p.m. 1/6 Marathon Girls Soccer Coral Shores 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. 1/6 Key West & Coral Shores Wrestling @ Somerset Scuffle 3 p.m.

BOYS SOCCER MARATHON KEY WEST

JANUARY 4 | 6 p.m

KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP CREW WRAPS UP 2022

It was about this time last year when Sean approached Britt Myers and Jason Koler about doing a podcast on the subject of sports in the Florida Keys, and what a year it has been for the Sports Wrap crew ever since. In our 25-plus years living and working in Monroe County, we have come across a multitude of fascinating people, each with a story to tell, and we wanted to capture those before they were forgotten. For the record, Sean wanted to do this – I said I was willing to fill in the Marathon High sports section once my wonderfully talented former student, Clare Merryman, went to college. Somehow it turned into something a lot larger.

Sean and I would like to thank everyone at the Keys Weekly and the community itself for their patience. The support we have received from the staff at the Weekly, from coaches and players and from readers and listeners has been both overwhelming and humbling. And as we continue to plod along and figure things out as we go, any input and ideas are much appreciated. We look forward to a new year of prep sports coverage and hope to delve a little deeper into the former players and coaches who made the Keys their home at one time or another and explore the positive impacts they had on the community. If you have suggestions or just want to say hi, you can email us at sports@keysweekly.com or just tell us when you see us around. We’re pretty easy to find.

Sincerely,

Tracy & Sean McDonald

STAR LINEMAN CHRISTOPHER ANDRE OTTO COMMITS TO FLORIDA STATE

Christopher Andre Otto, standout lineman for the Key West Conchs football team, will take his talents to Tallahassee in 2023 as he inked a national letter of intent to play for the Florida State Seminoles on Dec. 21. Ranked as a three-star prospect and the No. 93 offensive tackle in the country, Otto fielded more than 20 other offers. He eventually chose FSU over the likes of Penn State, Princeton, Stanford, Syracuse and others, citing the university’s film school as a major draw. ELLA HALL/Keys Weekly