WHAT HAPPENED ON THE WATER? RESCUED FREEDIVER SHARES HIS STORY | P. 4
WHAT’S NEW AT MILE MARKER 22? COFFEE, SANDWICHES, GIFTS, WINE & CHEESE | P. 26
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MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com“One last dive.” That was Dylan Gartenmayer’s plan on Jan. 19, when he dove 35 feet to the ocean floor with a deep breath and a loaded speargun.
He never imagined the last dive of the day could be his last one, ever.
Video of Gartenmayer’s family finding him at sea, hours later, clinging to three rubber mooring balls in near-darkness, has gone viral since the incident. The video, shot by a cousin from the family’s boat, has appeared on CNN and countless other media outlets. The “Today” show interviewed Gartenmayer, 22, with his mother, Tabitha, who’s seen in the video clinging to her son in relief once he’s found and pulled on board.
While he was underwater, the powerful Gulf Stream current swept Gartenmayer, 22 and an experienced freediver, away from his 20-foot boat, where two other divers were watching for him to surface.
“I don’t know the guys, Justin and Chris, well,” Gartenmayer told the Keys Weekly on Jan. 30. “I had been diving with Justin once before, and we follow each other on Facebook and Instagram. But I just met Chris that day. They had been doing a good job following me at first.”
On his last dive of the day, “I was down and saw, by looking at the ocean floor, that the current had started pushing hard to the east. I started moving really quickly,” he said.
“The guys said they didn’t see me surface,” Gartenmayer said.
Gartenmayer did surface, minutes after descending, but he could no longer see the boat, and the other divers couldn’t see him.
Night was falling and conditions on the water — already less than ideal — were deteriorating.
Gartenmayer swam over a mile, with the help of a piece of bamboo he found floating, to the shallow part of the reef that’s marked with floating mooring balls. He cut three of them free, lashed them together and used them as a flotation device. He also hoped their light color would make him easier to see, as Gartenmayer eventually heard a helicopter and boat in the distance.
Artist Mackenize Thorpe and his love-inspired work, including the cover image of ‘Hand in Hand,’ appears at Key West Gallery, 602 Duval St. on Feb. 3 and 4.
Throughout the hours-long ordeal, Gartenmayer kept his speargun with him, knowing that dusk was prime dinner hour for bull sharks and other predators.
“If it were me, I would have stayed out looking for someone until I ran out of fuel,” Gartenmayer said “But after the guys searched for me, it was getting dark and they weren’t comfortable navigating at night. They called the Coast Guard with my last coordinates. Then they took my boat back to Murray’s Marina, even though I haven’t kept my boat there since October. We had left from behind the house on Riviera Canal that day. They also called a buddy of mine, who dropped everything he was doing and went to let my family know I was missing. They instantly got on another boat to come find me.”
Gartenmayer said on the morning of Jan. 30 that his two fellow divers hadn’t called to check on him since the incident occurred.
“That seems messed up,” he said. “But I called Justin today (Jan. 30) and we spoke. I’m a very understanding person.”
Gartenmayer said the two men have been portrayed as reckless and negligent villains in online comments.
continued on page 7
continued from page 4
“They’re not villains,” he said. “They did call the Coast Guard. They weren’t comfortable being out at night. I think they just panicked.”
Coast Guard Lt. Paul Benyovszky, who was the command duty officer at Sector Key West on Jan. 19, said it’s not uncommon for a diver to drift far from the vessel, given the surface wind and currents that can move in different directions at the surface versus the bottom.
“Additionally, in that area of Western Sambo, the depth changes dramatically, which also contributes to shifting currents,” Benyovszky said.
“We got a missing diver distress call from someone aboard Dylan’s boat at 4:19 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19,” Benyovszky said. “They had searched the area for Dylan for about an hour before calling us.”
The Coast Guard immediately launched a search vessel, based on Gartenmayer’s last known coordinates, and received assistance from a Coast Guard helicopter out of Miami, Benyovszky said.
“We were about a half-nautical mile away from the family’s own search boat, when we got a call at 6:35 p.m., saying they had found him,” Benyovszky said, adding that Coast Guard personnel examined Gartenmayer, ensured that his body’s core temperature was on the rise and released him to his family.
Benyovszky emphasized that “search and rescue operations are there for a reason. No one should ever hesitate to call us as soon as something doesn’t feel right. We have someone constantly manning channel 16 on the VHF radio and are always available by phone.”
He also reminded boaters to file a float plan and let someone on land know where they’re headed when they go out on the water.
“At least then we have a place to start the search,” Benyovszky said. “But as for this incident, we are just very, very thankful that this turned out as it did, because not all of those calls end as well as this one.”
MANDY
mandy@keysweekly.com
One of the Memphis’ sidewalk cameras, mounted above an intersection, watched — and recorded — as police officers brutally beat Tyre Nichols, who died from his injuries three days later.
The footage shocked the nation and prompted second-degree murder charges against five Memphis police officers, additional firings and a continuing investigation.
While the suspected Memphis police officers and other responders may now resent the cameras’ vigilance, other law enforcement professionals have long recognized the investigative value.
Key West Police Chief Sean Brandenburg is in the process of upgrading the seven sidewalk cameras that Key West installed in 2019 under then-chief Donie Lee.
Since then, cameras have overlooked the Duval Street intersections of Front Street, Caroline, Eaton and Truman Avenue. Cameras are also mounted in the 400, 700, 800 and 900 blocks of Duval.
“Right now, all the footage goes to a central location, and we can get it when we need it,” Brandenburg said. “But my plan is to get all the city-owned cameras streaming live into our dispatchers, so they can access all of them in real time, view multiple angles and rewind them a few minutes, hours or days.
“So often, the crux of an incident happens before police arrive,” the chief said. “It will be much more efficient
when my dispatchers can rewind that footage immediately and see what really happened. There’s always three sides to every story when the police get involved: my side, your side and the truth.”
The cameras tell the truth, whether they’re owned by the city or by a local bar or business, many of which have installed their own live-streaming webcams inside and just outside their business so online visitors can see what’s happening.
A commercial webcam at the Southernmost Point buoy, usually accessed by people who wish they were in Key West, captured a suspected sexual assault in 2021 and later led to the arrest of two suspected arsonists who set the landmark on fire in January 2022.
“I have some great dispatchers who are skilled investigators in their own right,” Brandenburg said. “When they get calls about an incident downtown, they’ll immediately consult the webcams in front of Sloppy Joe’s, or Irish Kevin’s or the Southernmost Point and relay what they see to officers on the scene.”
In answer to the usual complaints about “big brother watching,” City Manager Patti McLauchlin emphasized in 2019 that city and police officials aren’t interested in invading anyone’s privacy, but in preventing and solving crimes and protecting the public.
(The KWPD also just completed a huge upgrade to officers’ body-worn and in-car cameras. More on that in next week’s Keys Weekly.)
“Donny Barrios can walk into a room of 50 strangers and walk out having made 50 friends,” Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay said on Jan. 30 while promoting Barrios, who was flanked by Tiffany, his wife of 25 years, and brother Robert.
Barrios, 47, previously the director of internal affairs and professional standards, will be station commander at the MCSO Marathon substation, serving under Capt. Don Hiller, the District 4 & 5 commander.
“I’ve known Donny for over 20 years,” Hiller said. “He’s a great guy and has contacts all over the place. He’s going to bring a lot of experience and leadership to the district.”
Ramsay, who presented Barrios with his declaration of promotion, said although it is “tough to pick the right person” for such a crucial spot in his chain of command, it is also his “favorite part of the job.”
In addition to being heavily involved in the Keys community, Ramsay said, Barrios has a genial, friendly demeanor.
Ramsay handed Barrios a gold wreathed lieutenant’s badge, one of only eight in an agency of over 200 sworn law enforcement deputies, and said, “I know you’ll continue to do the great things that are happening in Marathon. Congratulations; today is your day, sir.”
Born in Key West, Barrios began his career as a 16-year-old Conch with the Key West Police Department Explorers Program. Graduating from Key West High School in 1995, Barrios attended Pasco-Hernando Community College, receiving his Florida law enforcement certification. At the time, there were no open positions at Key West Police Department, so Barrios held one of the most unsung positions in any agency — communications officer.
That September, Barrios hit the road as a patrol officer, assigned to the midnight shift for the next four years. He also worked as a bike patrol officer and field training officer, mentoring younger trainees for the KWPD.
Policing in paradise might seem a dream job, but Barrios soon experienced the harsh realities of his chosen craft. In April 1997, he was on a routine bar check at Rick’s entertainment complex in the 200 block of Duval Street. A garbled radio transmission indicated there was an unknown problem at the former Rumrunners/Hide-A-Way Bar, now the location of Teasers, just up the block.
“I could barely understand what they were saying because the music was so loud,” Barrios recalled. Instead of waiting for clarification, he sprinted down the pavement, weaving through a crowded, late-night Duval Street to the front of the bar.
“People were just running out screaming, ‘There’s a shooting! There’s a shooting!’” Barrios recalled this week.
As he entered the chaos, a bouncer said he had the assailant’s gun and directed him to a man being pinned against the bar by a
group of good Samaritans. On his approach, Barrios had to step across one of four victims lying on the floor as more good Samaritans administered CPR. Unfortunately, that victim later died. Three others would recover from their gunshot wounds and the shooter, Jeffrey Wade Wallace, would receive a life sentence.
After cuffing the man, Barrios recovered 98 9-millimeter bullets in his possession.
“I would have done more if (I had) not been stopped,” the man, who would later enter a plea of not guilty by insanity, told another officer.
Two years later, Barrios became a motorcycle officer and traffic homicide investigator.
Raised navigating the waters surrounding the Keys, Barrios joined the marine unit in 2002. After a later stint as a recruiting officer, he was promoted to road patrol sergeant in 2015 and, as all new sergeants do, found himself back on the midnight grind.
In 2019, Barrios retired after a 24-year career as a KWPD officer.
But he still had gas in the tank and joined the Sheriff’s Office in June 2019.
“I’m looking forward to working with a very productive group of young deputies,” said Barrios, who will be responsible for about 30 deputies, including detectives, in Marathon.
Aspiring to the position of district captain, Barrios is slated to attend the prestigious Southern Police Institute Command Officers Development next week.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m here for the long haul,” he said.
Last week the Florida Keys was the setting of a protest against circumcision — yes, circumcision. The Keys Weekly broke the “cutting edge” story, which garnered widespread views and comments on our social pages, questioning many elements of the protest — including the organizers’ choice of venue. But it goes to show that America loves a good protest and these days citizens break out the poster boards and costumes for just about anything or anyone. But are the Florida Keys the best place to host your protest? Always here to help….
10. All the old hippies who would normally care have sold their homes and moved to Costa Rica or Ocala.
9. Keys residents are too busy bitching about vacation rentals to care about anything else right now.
8. The cause has nothing to do with real estate, fishing or drinking.
7. The organizers use Tik Tok. The Keys still operate on Facebook or the dark web.
6. “If it doesn’t affect the price of Tito’s, it doesn’t affect me.”
5. Most residents in the Keys are too busy actively protesting a dozen other things on social media to give a shit about your protest.
4. Protests require dedicated staffing, planning and affordable lodging. ’Nuff said.
3. There is no real TDC data that the movement will actually “put heads in beds.”
2. Your protest doesn’t include a silent auction, cash bar, goodie bags or commemorative T-shirt.
1. Your protest conflicts with happy hour.
The 8th annual Crooks Second Line parade will march up Duval Street once again on Sunday, Feb. 5.
Benefitting the Bahama Village Music Program, the event celebrates the lives of those we have loved and lost. It started in Key West in 2015 after the island lost world-class drummer Richard Crooks.
The traditional New Orleans second line send-off was attended by hundreds, then became an annual event in 2016, in memory of Crooks’ mother-in-law, Nancy Robinson.
The parade participants will dance and march from the Hog’s Breath Saloon up Duval Street to the Green Parrot Bar, with musical performances along the route.
Participants are urged to dress in festive attire for the event, and to gather at noon at the Hog’s Breath for music, a 50/50 raffle and a bloody Mary, sponsored by Bombora Vodka, Key West Bean Co. and the Hog’s Breath. Parade para-
phernalia also will be for sale.
At 2 p.m., the march begins with the accompaniment of the Key West Funeral Band, BVMP Jr. Junkanoos and other musicians. Attendees may bring musical instruments and take part.
The parade will culminate around 3 p.m. at the Green Parrot with a brief memorial program and a jam led by Key West’s Bill Blue Band. The party will continue until 6 p.m.
Those who make a $100 donation will receive a photo placard to carry in the parade as well as a permanent spot on the Crooks Annual Second Line website.
Previous participants are urged to bring their photo placard and may make a donation in any amount.
More information is at crookssecondlinekw.com, on Facebook at the Crooks Annual Second Line, via email to crookssecondlinekw@gmail. com or at 305-504-7664.
— Contributed
FYT fitness and yoga studio has partnered with 24 North and the Gates Hotel for “Nama-Sit & Stay” dog-friendly yoga classes on the Sunset Green event lawn each month.
The program is free to participate, but a suggested $10 donation benefits the Florida Keys SPCA.
The dog-friendly yoga class will take place at 9:30 a.m. on the second Sunday of each month, starting Feb. 12 with a Valentine’s Day theme.
Dogs are encouraged and welcome, but certainly not necessary to take the yoga class.
After the class, FYT will offer “pupachinos and a Valentine’s photo booth for the dogs.”
— Contributed
Lisa Tennyson, Monroe County’s legislative affairs director, is gearing up for another 60-day session of the Florida Legislature that begins March 7. Having served in the position for more than 10 years, Tennyson is closely monitoring a number of Keys priorities, including one county-backed proposal that seeks to allocate funding on an annual basis for the island chain’s precious environment.
Not only will she be going on the offense, Tennyson will also be playing defense to ensure Monroe County isn’t harmed by any of the thousands of bills filed by state legislators.
“It’s a roller coaster ride,” Tennyson told the Keys Weekly. “Not only are we working to get stuff done and get bills passed, we’re also looking at over 3,000 bills filed and lots of amendments. Any one of those bills could have a negative impact for us. It’s constant monitoring of all legislative activity happening.”
Sitting atop the priority list for Monroe County is legislation recently filed by state Rep. Jim Mooney and state Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez that would allocate $20 million annually to the Florida Keys Stewardship Act. The program was authorized by the legislature in 2016. Since then, millions of dollars have been distributed for Keys water quality projects and land acquisition. For years, legislators, lobbyists and Monroe County officials eagerly awaited the governor’s budget proposal, which either included or excluded funds for the program. It followed with intense advocacy for a program that protects the Keys’ nearshore waters.
If legislation passes this session, the Stewardship Act funds would be granted through a pool of roughly $1 billion from the state’s Land Acquisition Trust Fund. Everglades restoration projects and South Florida Water Management and St. Johns River Water Management districts receive annual allocations from the trust fund. It’s funded by documentary stamp tax revenue, or a tax on a
mortgage, lien or other indebtedness filed or recorded in Florida.
Tennyson said county officials argue that funding for Keys environmental projects merit the same statewide priority and attention as projects in the Everglades.
“There’s something particularly special about the marine environments of the Florida Keys. That’s the pitch we usually make,” Tennyson said. “There’s a lot of competition for this special source of funding. We think we’re deserving of that.”
If legislation passes and is signed into law, Tennyson said, there’s still no true guarantee that funding would be recurring each year. However, approval would put the program on a pedestal with other key environmental projects across the state.
“It would put us maybe 75 to 80% down the path of being able to know that we secured funding that year versus what we have to do right now, which is start from scratch,” she said.
Tennyson and county officials are also monitoring fixes to a bill passed in 2021 that preempted local governments from licensing local contractors. While House Bill 735 set out to create less bureaucracy for local contractors by eliminating the need for local licensing, Tennyson said it affected smaller contractors’ ability to obtain permits.
Those installing fences, pavers, granite or windows are able to get a license through the county to get a permit to do work. But House Bill 735 created a situation where only general contractors could pull permits.
Tennyson said they’re working on new legislation that would ideally repeal the preemption or modify the legislation to enable local governments to issue some form of licensing to make local small contractors whole.
“We’re not the only counties whose small contractors have been harmed by this,” Tennyson. “We’re working in conjunction with other counties that are trying to work on the item of local contractors as well.”
Tennyson was one of several county officials who visited Tallahassee last week to discuss county priorities. According to a county press release, County Administrator Roman Gastesi met with Kevin Guthrie, Florida Division of Emergency Management director, to discuss a county request for $6 million to cover additional expenses associated with the Emergency Operations Center in Marathon. Affordable housing, flood mitigation and infrastructure were also discussed with state officials.
Jan. 31-Feb. 4
• Key Western Fest features concerts by Clint Black, Sara Evans, The Oak Ridge Boys, Clay Walker, Sawyer Brown and many more. Visit keywesternfest.com.
Monday, Feb. 6
• The Friends of the Key West Library’s speaker series will present Robert Jensen, the owner of the world’s largest disaster management company, at 6 p.m. in the library’s Palm Garden, 700 Fleming St. Lectures are free and open to all, but you must register to receive a ticket at friendsofthekeywestlibrary.org.
Feb. 10-26
• Artists in Paradise gallery on Big Pine Key hosts a judged art show, “Waves, Wild & Wings” that will be on display from Feb. 10-26. “ Art drop-off for consideration takes place from 2 to 6 p.m. Feb. 4 and 5 at the gallery. Contact artistsinparadise. com.
Friday, Feb. 10
• Sixth annual Carmen’s Crew fundraiser to fight scleroderma in memory of the late Key Wester Carmen Lehmann. From 5 to 8 p.m. at SideBar, 504 Angela St.
Saturday, Feb 11
• Inaugural charity golf tournament to raise money for the David Maus Foundation’s Toughest Kids program that benefits kids of fallen soldiers. The tournament will feature appearances and autographs by baseball legends Roger Clemens and Tommy John. Contact paddywhackgolf@gmail.com. Golfing is not necessary and a time will be designated for kids to receive signed baseballs.
Sunday, Feb. 12
• A guided cemetery stroll will be offered at the Historic Key West Cem-
etery. Tours depart at 9:30, 9:50, and 10:10 a.m. During the stroll, small groups of visitors will be escorted to gravesites where interpreters will tell the stories of the deceased in brief monologues. Reservations are necessary, and can be made by calling or texting 305-3041453 or emailing at hfkf@ bellsouth.net.
Tuesday, Feb. 14
• Wesley House Family Services 41st annual Valentine’s Gala, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at Custom House Museum, 281 Front St. 1800s Baroque period costumes are encouraged, but cocktail attire without ties is acceptable.
Sunday, Feb. 19
• Gunhild Carling, “Sweden’s Queen of Swing,” performs at Key West Theater with members of her family. Carling sings swinging jazz standards, plays 11 instruments, juggles and tap dances. 7 p.m. Visit thekeywesttheater.com.
Monday, Feb. 20
• Congregation B’Nai Zion presents a free movie, “Persian Lessons,” a story of survival inspired by true events. A rabbi’s son from Antwerp, en route to a concentration camp, trades his sandwich for a book of Persian legends and avoids execution by very clever twists and turns. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the movie will start at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 4
• 20th annual Garden Fest at Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden features an exhibition and sale of rare plants, fine arts and crafts. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 5210 College Road, Stock Island. Admission is free.
An 11-year-old New Jersey boy was arrested by authorities on Jan. 26 for allegedly threatening violence at Key Largo School. The boy, who wasn’t identified by name, faces a second-degree felony for sending a threat to kill or harm another person.
The incident happened on Jan. 3, one day before students, teachers and staff returned to the classroom following a twoweek holiday break. Students arriving by bus and bike and parents who drove their children to Key Largo School, and other Keys schools, noticed a heavier police presence. The move by Sheriff Rick Ramsay was made to ensure the safety of everyone returning to their work and studies.
From there, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and Monroe County State Attorney’s Office worked with New Jersey authorities to identify the source of the threat. An arrest warrant was issued on Jan. 4 for the New Jersey boy. By Jan. 26, the boy was in custody.
“I want to thank my staff, our partners at the Monroe County School District and State Attorney’s Office as well as officials in New Jersey for resolving this case quickly,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay. “I take these threats very seriously and protecting our children is my highest priority.”
Monroe County prosecutors are working to extradite the boy to answer the charge in court. According to the Miami Herald, the boy’s mother is fighting the extradition. Monroe County State Attorney Dennis Ward told the Keys Weekly in early January that social media threats made against schools are “one of the most serious threats we have in these times.”
“Sheriff Ramsay and I take these threats very, very seriously, and people need to understand that we don’t care who you are and what age, if you make a threat against our schools, we’ll do whatever it takes to assure the safety of our children, teachers and school staff,” Ward said.
Threatening a school on social media could carry a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. According to the FBI, a threat is any communication of intent to commit an act of violence. A threat can be written, spoken or symbolic. This includes comments that imply or directly state intention to use guns, weapons or any other means to cause harm at a public school, even if the statement is a joke or prank.
It’s not the first time a Keys school received a threat through social media. Last May, Coral Shores students reported to staff that rumors of violence were circulating via social media. Few students were in attendance when school began on May 13. School and law enforcement officials said the threat was unsubstantiated. Another threat was reported roughly a week later as seniors were preparing for a parade to mark the end to their high school careers.
Similar threats have increased in the U.S., as more kids gained access to phones and social media channels such as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram. In December 2021, schools across the nation were on high alert after threats were issued from TikTok. What made it more concerning was that specific schools weren’t named. As a result, some schools kept kids out of classrooms, while others had students under lockdown.
According to Pew Research Center, more than 90% of teens report going online daily. And 71% of teenagers scroll through more than one social networking site.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) started two major road construction projects on Jan. 3. The projects include South Roosevelt Boulevard from Bertha Street to the end of Smathers Beach, and Whitehead Street from Fleming Street to Truman Avenue.
The South Roosevelt Boulevard project will cost an estimated $23 million and will take about 27 months to complete.
The Whitehead Street project will cost an estimated $2.6 million and will take about 6 months to complete, states a press release from FDOT.
Schedules may change due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances.
The South Roosevelt work will include raising the road by 17 inches, along with widening, milling and resurfacing.
Storm drainage and a water pump station system will be installed for mitigation of tidal flooding. Additional work includes repairing and closing the seawall gaps, and sidewalk upgrades, curb ramps and pavement markings.
Three crosswalks with pedestrian hybrid beacons will be installed, along with a sidewalk on a portion of the north side of the road.
The Key West city commission heard from an FDOT project manager at its Jan. 18 meeting, where officials lamented the lack of a designated bike lane in the scope of work along the beach boulevard.
But, Commissioner Sam Kaufman reminded his fellow lawmakers, that’s not FDOT’s fault. A previous commission asked FDOT to remove the bike lanes from the plans, Kaufman said.
As for Whitehead Street downtown, work will include updating signs, pedestrian signals, detectors and ramps. Damaged sidewalks will be replaced, and street lighting will be upgraded to LED. Additional work includes enhancing sight visibility at intersections and improving ADA parking and curb access. The road will also be repaved and restriped with new pavement markings.
“To build these projects safely, it will be necessary to close travel lanes and sidewalks and establish detours at times,” states the FDOT release. “Work will be done in stages to minimize construction-related impacts. Drivers might experience delays traveling through the area and should seek alternate routes if possible. Please use caution when traveling through construction zones.”
More information is available from FDOT’s public information office at 305 4705349, or community outreach specialist Julie Brown at 305927-1479 or Julie.Brown@exp. com. Information about this or other FDOT projects is at fdotmonroe.com.
— Contributed
STARTER CHOICE OF Potato and Leek Creamy Soup
Key West Pink Ceviche
Half Dozen Fresh Water Cold Oysters
Tuna Tartare
Red Endive Leaves
Shor Wedge Salad
ENTREE CHOICE OF Catch Of The Day
Filet Mignon
Lobster Ragout Pappardelle
Grape Tomatoes, Fresh Tarragon
12oz Ribeye
Coconut Seafood Risotto
Semola Flour Gnocchi
DESSERT CHOICE OF Vanilla Creme Brulee
Warm and Cold Tiramisu
| 305.809.1234
The Crooks Annual Second Line is a way for us to celebrate the lives of those we have loved and lost in the best way we know:
Jr. Junkanoos, and assorted other musicians.
Artist Rubén Alpízar would like you to follow him down the rabbit hole.
Alpízar’s painting ,“Alice’s Wonderful World,” is on view at The Studios of Key West Feb. 2-23, with an opening reception Thursday, Feb. 2 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Alpízar, of Santiago de Cuba, smartly uses Lewis Carroll’s famed character Alice as the metaphorical jumping point to lead his audience on a fantastical journey.
Filled with masterly painting techniques and allegorical images, Alpízar’s work is reminiscent of old masters combined with postmodern humor and irony. The result is a symbolic playground of intellectual whimsy and the emotional reverberation of the Cheshire Cat’s famous line, “We are all mad here.”
Like Alice, Alpízar seems to be asking, “I wonder which way I ought to go.”
Using palette colors that replicate the work of Dutch Renaissance artist Peter Bruegel, the ochre colors and architectural structure set the tone for our historical journey. But then, as if looking at art history is equivalent to a mad tea party, the canvases deliver a disarray of images of historical artists and cultural icons such as Christ, Da Vinci, Velázquez, Goya, Van Gogh, Duchamp, Warhol, Kahlo, Picasso and Rembrandt. But he also includes familiar iconography of art such as Andrew Wyeth’s Christina, George Seurat’s Sunday in the Park, the Rolling Stones’ lip symbol, or even Twitter’s bird icon. No symbol is without a cultural meaning on the broad spectrum. Alpízar is playful with his choices, highlighting art’s irony that a pink flamingo is just as important as Dali’s melting clock.
The work is paying homage to the masters while folding Alpízar into the fabric of art history. Like Alice, he is saying, “and what is the use of a book without pictures or conversation?’”
Staff from your Monroe County Public Library recommend some of their favorites from the collection.
What: “My Sister, the Serial Killer” by Oyinkan Braithwaite
What is the use of paintings without symbols to guide our fantasies? What use is going forward without building from the past?
Alpízar has created a theater for us to ponder artistically where we are from, what is essential, and where we are going next. It’s not about the endgame for Alpízar; he isn’t delivering a Mona Lisa or Tower of Babel, but demonstrating the joy of playing the game of art. It’s mixing and matching what he deems important, unusual, delightful and fun to look at, then showing the viewer the possibilities.
It’s hard not to see the image of Alice as the artist himself. Standing contemplative, she holds the apple, the universal symbol of knowledge and sin, pondering the options: Twitter (the escape)? The Cheshire Cat (the madness)? Or follow the rabbit (the journey)? – all under what appear to be lottery numbers. Like any thoughtful artist choosing imagery or path, it’s sometimes a crapshoot what will win out.
Alice stands before the works of Wyeth, Michelangelo and Dali deciding which is more meaningful to her (or to Alpízar?). It’s as if Alpízar is following Alice’s instruction, “If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense.”
With subtle charm, Alpízar illuminates that art is about choice. The rabbit hole has a plethora of options provided by history, not excluding the present day.
So how does art’s iconography combine and create our world (or any artist’s world)? Do we drink the poison and follow the rabbit? Can we get out of our ordinary existence and create something visually extraordinary? Maybe Alpízar is asking for us all. Or, as Alice says so succinctly, “Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s the great puzzle.”
The Studios of Key West kicks off its theater season on Wednesday, Feb. 8 with “See Jane Run,” a new musical in which three leading ladies play over 20 roles in scenes about today’s everywoman, Jane, learning to run in her big-girl shoes.
The musical was written by Maribeth Graham and Dana P. Rowe, who also serves as musical director.
“See Jane Run” is directed by Murphy Davis and stars Graham, Krysten Cummings and Lauren Thompson, with choreography by Kyla Piscopink.
The production runs Wednesday through Saturday nights, Feb. 8-11 and 15-18. Tickets available at tskw.org or 305-296-0458.
Why: “She killed him on the first strike, a jab straight to the heart. But then she stabbed him twice more to be sure. He sank to the floor. She could hear her own breathing and nothing else.”
A line like that is enough to grip a reader’s attention into a disturbing yet funny read of a serial killer and her sister. Set in Nigeria, “My Sister, the Serial Killer” follows nurse Korede and her younger sister, Ayoola, who just happens to kill her boyfriends. Korede has been left to clean up her sister’s “messes” since she was 17. She fears this will be her new norm while her sister continues to be a serial killer. If you’re looking for an easy short read, I would highly recommend this book.
Where: This is available as a regular and large-print book, eBook and a book club kit (which includes 10 copies) 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. If you don’t have a card, you can visit your local branch or register online to get one. Questions? info@ keyslibraries.org
Recommended by: Patricia Blanco, library associate, Key West branch
... 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.
Iwas sitting on the cement wall down at Rest Beach, watching the Sandwich terns, when the band started up. It looked to be a New Orleansstyle second line – a trombone, a trumpet, a tambourine, a couple drums, a neon sousaphone, an electric guitar, and at least three types of saxophone – a funeral or memorial service of some kind.
As you often do in a small town, I wondered if it was for anyone I knew, at least in passing.
The band, and the crowd that mixed in with them, made their way over the elevated part of White Street Pier – the section they’d added a while back so the water could flow through and keep the sargassum from building up, and thus keep the neighborhood from becoming too acridly fragrant in the warmer months – and then continued out into the wider expanse of the pier. I was expecting them to play something of a dirge, but the song was pretty up-tempo, a little jazzy, something I didn’t recognize, that faded the further they went out on the pier.
Whoever’s service it was, I wondered if they got what they wanted out of their life, and hoped that they did.
Meanwhile, the Sandwich terns went about their business.
Sandwich terns don’t necessarily throw themselves at life, but they do throw themselves at lunch. Also, dinner, breakfast and the occasional between-meal snack. They aren’t one of those bird species that wander around, pecking at things. And they don’t freeze like statues, waiting to stab at something with their bill. They are plunge divers, committing their whole selves to falling out of the sky with the intention of nabbing a single fish – usually something about an inch and a quarter long. According to the literature, on average they are successful three out of four times.
They are smallish birds. With their wings folded they are about the length of a large meatball sub. (This is not where their name comes from.) They are relatively subtle and quiet about things, so sometimes it is difficult to notice how full-contact their lives are.
I’d actually come down to try and photograph them diving and was finding myself a little frustrated. Other plunge divers are easier to track. A brown pelican, for instance, will start to do a barrel roll when they dive, sometimes hitting the water sideways, like a tomahawk, sometimes angling in and hitting the water almost inverted. An osprey will hover, flap, then rise up a little bit, before falling down on its prey. Both species face into the wind before they do it.
Sandwich terns will also face into the wind, and sometimes hover. And it’s pretty easy to track them to that point with a long lens. But then they will just drop out of the frame, faster than you, or at least I, can follow. They don’t give any warning, as far as I can tell, they just fall. Sometimes you might catch them rising up out of the water again, but mostly they just lose you. Or at least me.
After a while I gave up with the camera and decided to just watch to better understand the dynamics of their dives.
I counted a total of nine of them at one point, all working the same area. They seemed to pay no attention to one another, flying on different vectors, switching zones, shifting around in the air like a poorly organized soccer team. Sometimes one would give a call that sounded similar to a smoke alarm with a low battery.
Occasionally one would dive, hit the water, splash, then rise up, I hoped with a fish in their bill. More often than not, though, they would start a dive, then break off part way and abandon it, circling around for a second as if they had something better to do.
The thing that got me about their dives when they did make them was how fast they were. While pelicans follow a path similar to the arc of a rainbow, and osprey hit with something close to Superman drama, the Sandwich terns just dove wings out, almost straight down, like a fast-forwarded kamikaze dive. It was lightningfast, deftly efficient, and as visually deceptive as a game of three-card monte.
A trio of brown pelicans worked the same bit of ocean. They seemed to be diving five or 10 times as often as the terns.
I started to wonder why there was such a difference in their rates of diving. Looking it up later, a Sandwich tern, when feeding, tends to dive slightly more than twice a minute. With these birds it seemed more like once every five minutes.
It had been blowing for days, and the water close to shore was pretty cloudy – that inharmonious beige-suspended-in-blue color we get down here. So visibility probably had something to do with it. Possibly it was the fact that the average size of the fish a brown pelican will consume is about two-and-a-half inches – twice the size of the ones Sandwich terns consume.
But I also started to think about their different hunting techniques, as well as the birds’ physical forms. The brown pelican’s methods are pretty similar to fishermen using a seine net. They basically hit the water open mouthed, aiming at whole groups of fish, capturing as much as 20 pints of fish-filled water in their gullet, then slowly draining the water out until they are left with nothing but fish.
Anyone who’s ever witnessed a peregrine falcon maraud into a flock of birds will see that they don’t chase the group as a whole, but instead pick out one individual and aim for it. Sandwich terns, it would seem, need to employ a similar surgical precision, and maybe picking out an an inch-and-a-quarter long fish in cloudy water from 20 feet up was not as easy as it seemed to the casual observer.
While I wondered about all this, the second line started up again, getting louder as they made their way back down the pier, playing what I believe was the same song again, but then switching to something new and a little more up. They kept playing until they made it to the parking lot, where people hugged and talked for a while before they slowly dispersed.
The terns and the pelicans kept feeding, or at least trying to. I watched as the light halved itself, then halved itself again, as the people on the pier turned to silhouettes, then shadows. I was trying to catch that moment when the birds called it a night. I was still watching when I realized they already had.
‘‘The churches of Christ greet you.’’ Romans 16:16 NKJV
ENGLISH SERVICE
Sunday Bible Study 10am (on site)
Service 11am (on site) & Service 6pm (on site)
Wednesday Bible Study 7:30pm (on site)
Evangelist Rodrigue Aleandre Cell 305.296.3331
KREYOL SEVIS
Dimanch Klas Biblik 7:30pm (on site)
Adorasyon 8:30pm (on site)
Madi Klas Biblik 7:30pm (on site)
Minis Rodrigue Aleandre Cell 305.296.3331
SERVICIO ESPAÑOL
Servicio de adoración dominical a las 5pm (en el sitio)
Estudio bíblico del jueves a las 7pm (en el sitio)
Ministro Pedro Ruiz Celda 347.430.2263
www.keysweekly.com
In order to preserve a crumbling but historic 1880s-era power plant that straddles the Bahama Village and Truman Waterfront neighborhoods, two non-historic portions of the former Keys Energy Services Diesel Plant in Bahama Village are being demolished.
Fortunately, the Fort Street-facing mural will be preserved along with the historic structure.
“When the mural project began, I always understood it was going to be a temporary wall installation,” artist Eric Anfinson said. “I never dreamed that the image would become so important to those living in the neighborhood. To know that Isaiah will live on into the future is very humbling.”
The street’s iconic angel was a towering and welcome presence on the wall previously covered in graffiti and a beacon visible from several blocks away. He would later watch over the adjacent unofficial pocket park that evolved below it in 2020, complete with a Key West Little Pantry and Bahama Village Little Library, a bench and several chairs to comfort those in need during the pandemic’s more difficult days.
The original is a 24- by 30-inch oil painting on canvas painted at the Lemonade Stand art studio on Thomas Street in Bahama Village, where Anfinson was a resident artist. Unlike many of Anfinson’s portraits of real people who sit for him, this image was imagined and one he started and finished quickly.
“It just kind of poured out at me,” he says. “When it was finished, I recognized his face as a protective presence I have felt for many years.”
Leaders from the Just 4 Kids art program on Fort Street approached Anfinson about using it as a mural on the nearby building, which had plywood covering an opening at the wall’s center. With the help of Laura Theobald, Anfinson transferred the image’s face and upper body to two new pieces of plywood to be attached to preexisting plywood. Friends, program volunteers and Just 4 Kids children painted the rest of the wall.
“The mural was my gift to the art program and to the neighborhood,” says Anfinson. “It was important for me that the children of the art program participated and also signed the mural. I wanted them to have ownership.”
Anfinson, the beloved painter of the beloved mural, is currently being celebrated in a retrospective exhibit at Key West Art & Historical Society’s Custom House Museum, 281 Front St. “Earthly Bodies: Two Decades of Nudes with Eric Anfinson” draws from private collections and works that span over 20 years. The show is on display until Feb. 12.
“As it happens,” he says, “in the next gallery over is a wonderful exhibit based on Bahama Village.”
The deconstructed plywood panels make the mural’s own preservation possible and are now being restored at Anfinson’s current Mockingbird Studio.
God only knows where Isaiah flies next, but more than a few people hope he’ll land close by.
1700 VON PHISTER ST, KEY WEST
‘‘Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.’’
‒ I John 4:7 NKJV
... 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
We now know who will play in the Super Bowl.
It’ll be the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles kicking off around 6:40 p.m. on Sunday, Feb 12 in Phoenix, Arizona. It’ll be televised on Fox for those of us who can’t afford to be there in person.
I bought a ticket at regular price for a Super Bowl back in the day in Detroit. It cost me $40.
The cheapest tickets for Super Bowl LVII will run you about $4,366 — each.
I found the conference championship games last Sunday, Jan. 29, enjoyable, even though the Cincinnati Bengals, for whom I was rooting, lost the American Conference title to the Chiefs by a field goal with 23 seconds left, 23-20.
The Bengals and Chiefs came to the final minutes tied at 20.
Kansas City had the ball, but a long way to go in less than a minute to get to the 35-yard line, which would put them in field-goal range.
Then the Chiefs got a lucky break. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, with a supposed gimpy ankle, was forced to run toward the right sideline with seconds and still a distance to go.
Mahomes got out of bounds, where Bengals linebacker Joseph Ossai barreled into him with a late hit.
The move elicited a collective moan among the group with whom I was watching. It was a costly 15-yard penalty that gave the Chiefs a first down and put them in field goal range.
We had been preparing for overtime, but then awaited a field goal that would decide the game.
The Kansas City coaching staff knew what was needed. Everyone knew what was needed. The Chiefs had used up all but three seconds and gained all the yardage they could before the winning field goal sailed straight through the uprights.
On the Bengals’ bench sat Ossai, head in his hands and tears streaming down his face after his penalty ended a game destined for overtime.
Later that night, the Philadelphia Eagles, with quarterback Jalen Hurts, 1,000-yard rusher Miles Sanders and their notoriously rowdy hometown crowd, destroyed the San Francisco 49ers, 31-7, to win the National Football Conference title.
The 49ers in that game lost quarterback Brock Purdy to an elbow injury that needs surgery.
Purdy had been undefeated since Week 13, when he was tapped to replace Jimmy Garoppolo, who broke his foot.
With Purdy injured on Jan. 29, San Francisco tapped third-string quarterback Josh Johnson, then put Purdy back in, despite his limited throwing ability, with no success.
“The Birds ran it down their throats, knocked out two quarterbacks, and cruised to their second Super Bowl in six seasons,” Philadelphia Inquirer sports columnist Marcus Hayes wrote after the win. “Nobody weaned on cheesesteaks and scrapple would’ve wanted the Eagles to win it any other way.”
Monroe County’s strongest young women traveled to Miami on Jan. 28 for the FHSAA District 16 Championships, turning in a strong showing for the Keys.
Key West’s 2A girls took third place in both the traditional and Olympic style lifts. Aleksandra Turek brought home a first-place medal in the 199-pound division for the Conchs, granting her an automatic berth at the regional competition. Savannah Chadic and Valerie Thene won second-place medals in the 110and 119-pound weight classes, respectively, earning them at-large bids to regionals. Also qualifying for the Lady Conchs were Danna Correa (110-pound), Ella Hall (119), Neslo Atilla (129), Whitney Nervilus (129), Alexa Condella (139), Dazmine Jenkins (154), Vera Rodger (154), Samantha Ventimiglia (169), Kayle Matas Cabazuelo (169) and Youma Midy (unlimited).
Coral Shores’ Madison Tillman (154) and Sydney Eysenbach (unlimited) won district championship medals in traditional style lifts, qualifying them for the FHSAA 1A Region 4 event. Second-place finishers were Rachel Rusch (110), Lily Hitchcock (139), Jenille Arias (169) and Vanessa Gabriel (unlimited) in traditional lifts and Tillman and Vanessa Gabriel (unlimited) in Olympic style.
A host of Lady Fins will join the Hurricanes at the 1A Region 4 event as Marathon’s entire team advanced to the next round of lifting. Winning first-place medals in both the traditional and Olympic style events were Allie Brabenec (110), Mikkel Ross (129), Justice Lee (169) and Sabrina Schofield (183). Winning first in traditional style were Ella Dunn (101) and Sierra Earnhardt (119). Nicole Merryman (154), Larissa Prieto (119) and Ella Evans (129) took second in traditional style, qualifying them for at-large bids to regionals.
Additional qualifiers for Marathon are Marquisha Abraham (139), Tatyana Hribar (139), Malena Rocafort (154), Cassie Brezil (169) and Angelika Perez (183).
Also qualifying are Coral Shores’ Valentina Rizzo (101), Elizabeth Giordano (110), Leticia Lima (119), Kali Gomer (129),Calista Wittke (129), Mira Jones (129), Emma Leigh (139), Abbie Bergeron (154), Jennille Arias (169), Sahara Hernandez (183), Olivia Wilson (199), Emily Brown (199) and Vanessa Gabriel (unlimited).
Coral Shores and Marathon will travel to Lemon Bay for the 1A Regional Championships on Friday, Feb. 4. Key West’s 2A event will be held at Archbishop McCarthy High School on the same date.
The end of January brought the start of district playoffs for Keys soccer teams, yielding a strong start with mixed results thereafter for Monroe County squads.
The Lady Conchs played MAST Academy on Jan. 25 in their quarterfinal match. Key West lost to the Makos 2-0, ending their season with an impressive 10-7 record.
The Lady Fins traveled to Somerset Silver Palms on Jan. 26. Avenging a 9-3 loss earlier in the season, Marathon upset the Stallions 4-0, earning the right to play Palmer Trinity in the district semifinals on Jan. 30. Scoring for the Dolphins were Mackenzie Budi with a hat trick and an assist and Rain Banks, who scored 1 and assisted Budi’s 3 goals. Goalkeeper Kylie McDaniel earned the shutout with 4 saves.
“We knew what we had on the line and we knew what we had to do,” McDaniel said of her team’s big win. Marathon is sitting on an 8-6 record, securing their first winning season and first playoff win since 2016.
In the Upper Keys, the Lady ’Canes played Keys Gate on Jan. 26, defeating the Knights 1-0. Freshman Kai Redruello scored the lone goal in the match, assisted by fellow freshman Natalia Hortensi.
“We did a great job passing the ball and dominating position on the field,” said head coach Zach Owens. “Keys Gate’s defense was very difficult to get through. We had a number of shots on goal, but just couldn’t put more in the back of the net.”
The Lady ’Canes advanced to the district semifinals against Somerset South Homestead in what should be a fantastic game. Owens is optimistic about his team’s chances, saying, “I feel if we play together as a cohesive team on Monday, we will get the result we want.”
All three Keys boys’ teams won their district quarterfinal matches, moving the teams into the semifinals and giving them each a chance at a district championship.
Key West defeated the Cobras of South Miami High School 4-3 on Jan. 25. Coach Marc Pierre said the Conchs “completely dominated” South Miami, adding that the score did not reflect the true tempo of the game. Jonathan Gvili struck first for Key West, scoring off a penalty kick. He followed up with an unassisted goal and later teamed up with Loubins Fleuridor, assisting on Fleuridor’s goal. Wyatt Gibson scored 1 goal, assisted by Sebastian Camargo.
Key West faces St. Brendan School in the semifinals, a team that narrowly defeated the Conchs earlier this season, but Pierre is “confident that our boys are ready for the task.”
Marathon won decisively against Keys Gate in their quarterfinal match on Jan. 25. Scoring for the Dolphins in their 7-1 victory were Jay Marshall and Oscar Cardona with 2 goals each, along with single goals from Brayam GonzalezCinto and the Fins’ only middle school varsity players, eighth-graders Estuardo Godoy and Giordani Prieto. Two days later, the Dolphins headed to Palmer Trinity, losing in the semifinal match 8-0 and ending the Fins’ season with a winning 10-9 record.
Coral Shores won their postseason opener 7-1 against Somerset South Homestead on Jan. 25 in a game that had to wait several hours prior to kickoff for a familiar reason: a lack of officials. After making short work of South Homestead, Coral Shores took on another Somerset team, downing Silver Palms in a 1-0 affair on Jan. 27. The ’Canes were scheduled to play in the FHSAA 3A District 16 championship game against Palmer Trinity on Jan.
All three Keys girls’ basketball teams have completed their regular season play and are set to begin the first round of district action. The Lady Conchs ended their regular season with a 1-13 record and face a tough matchup against Killian in the opening round of postseason play. Key West’s young roster gained momentum as the season went on and they should prove to be a solid team as the core continues to play together for the next few years. In their final regular season game, Key West lost a close one to Coral Shores. The 34-30 final score marked a significant improvement from the 16-point defeat the team suffered earlier in the season.
After defeating Key West, Coral Shores played Hillel, winning 53-23 on Jan. 26, then defeated Florida Christian by a single point the following night. The 34-33 victory marked the
end to their regular season with a record of 9-6. The Lady ’Canes face Somerset South Homestead for their opening district matchup.
Marathon’s senior-dominant roster lost a heartbreaker to Carrollton on Jan. 26, putting a damper on the Lady Fins’ senior night, but the 63-27 loss did not stop Marathon from compiling a winning 10-9 record on the regular season. Marathon faces Westminster in their first district game.
Boys basketball closes out the regular season on Friday, Feb. 4, giving Coral Shores a chance to extend their winning streak into double digits if all goes the way the ’Canes hope. The team’s win streak currently sits at eight, and Coral Shores seems to be picking up steam as the season winds down. They have not lost a game since Dec. 28 and added a pair of wins to their impressive record last week. The ’Canes
beat Key West 75-58 at home on Jan. 24, then traveled to Hillel, defeating the Lions 58-24.
Marathon split a pair of games last week, winning 43-37 against Palm Glades Prep on Jan. 25, then losing to Palmer on the 27th by a score of 73-46.
Key West played two games after falling to Coral Shores on Jan. 24. The 3A Conchs took on Miami Christian on the 27th, losing 76-60, then faced Blanche Ely, a 6A school in Pompano Beach, the next night, losing 81-43.
District quarterfinal games begin Feb. 7 for boys’ basketball, pitting teams against one another based on power rankings. The ranking system gives teams with stronger schedules and better records an advantage, but still gives each team a chance to advance.
Have you been to MM 22 recently? For something other than lunch, drinks or dinner at Square Grouper and My New Joint?
There are now two new reasons to stop in that Lower Keys neighborhood, or even make a special trip.
Nearly next door to the Square Grouper, Lynn Bell’s popular mainstay restaurant for the past 20 years, on the same side of the street now comes Morning Joint and Mary Jane’s Closet, 22864 Overseas Hwy.
Morning Joint is equal parts delicious, welcoming and irreverent, playing as it does on Bell’s pot theme. (“Square grouper” is the term Keys boaters, fishermen and smugglers used to describe bales of mairjuana and kilos of cocaine that were found floating in the ocean.)
Bell bought the building that now houses Morning Joint, which is owned and operated by Austin and Miranda Gagnon.
The joint features Colombian coffee grown on a farm owned by the couple’s friend. It also offers some of the lightest and fluffiest gourmet waffles (one of which is topped with freshly made whipped cream and Fruity Pebbles breakfast cereal. Don’t knock it till you try it, as I did.)
The panini sandwiches are perfectly pressed and crispy on the outside, while the coffee and tea drinks come hot, iced or frozen.
“We really want to be a fun and inviting place for people in the Lower Keys community, because there really is no place in this neighborhood for people to gather, hold a small meeting, or just relax and hang out,” said Austin Gagnon, who also owns Elite
Bartending and has likely trained more than half the bartenders in the Keys.
Morning Joint opens early for the commuters on U.S. 1 and is still playing with afternoon and evening hours. But whenever you do stop, don’t miss the back patio, where tables, chairs and swings hanging from trees welcome people, kids — and dogs.
Mary Jane’s Closet — a “provisions and paraphernalia” shop (get it?) shares the building with Morning Joint. The two are accessible to each other inside, and have separate exterior entrances.
Mary Jane’s Closet is part gift shop, part local art gallery and part artisanal food shop, featuring authentic and upscale Vermont cheddar cheese as well as wine by the bottle and glass and charcuterie assemblies that can be eaten on the premises, taken home or packed for a day on the boat.
In addition to the Square Grouper merch, such as hats and shirts, the Closet also features glassware, dishes, jewelry, local artwork, books, photography and more.
“While Morning Joint just opened last Monday, it was important to me to get Mary Jane’s Closet open before Christmas, so we opened two weeks prior in December,” Bell said. “I have a vested interest in the coffee shop, but I really wanted Austin and Miranda to do it and be part of it. They’re great people with a great business sense.”
An official ribbon-cutting and grand opening will take place around 9 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 10.
Check out both places — and the original Square Grouper. You won’t be disappointed.
1. Morning Joint and Mary Jane’s Closet bring coffee, sandwiches, gifts and artwork to mile marker 22. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly
2. Morning Joint offers indoor seating and a back patio with swings, tables and chairs.
3. Miranda and Austin Gagnon opened Morning Joint coffee and sandwich shop on Jan. 23.
4. The new shop continues the irreverent pot references that started next door at Square Grouper.
5. From Colombian coffee grown on a sustainable farm, to panini sandwiches and some of the lightest waffles one has ever tasted, Morning Joint on Cudjoe Key is the new must-stop spot in the Lower Keys.
Concert series sponsored by Blue Heaven
Bringing the nation’s best singer-songwriters
Key West for concerts under the stars
intimate theater setting!
TUE FEB 7, 7PM
$50 VIP, $40, $30
Defying genres where jazz, country, blues and old school rock ‘n’ roll meet.
TUE FEB 14, 7PM
$50 VIP, $40, $30
A working-class folk musician with small town roots and city streets mentality.
TUE MAR 7, 7PM
WED MAR 8, 7PM
Vintage jazz and world beat grooves on anything from the piano to the spoons.
Romantic,
APPETIZERS
JUMBO LUMP CRAB CAKE
arugula, key lime remoulade sauce | $20
BACON WRAPPED SEA SCALLOPS
avocado mousse, passion fruit vinaigrette | $26
ENTRÉES
SURF & TURF
grilled beef tenderloin, wild mushroom demi-glace, lobster tail, drawn butter truffle mash potato, grilled asparagus, baby carrots | $75
LOBSTER OSCAR
steamed Maine 8oz. lobster tail, jumbo lump crabmeat, saffron jasmine rice, asparagus and hollandaise sauce | $58
DESSERT
CHOCOLATE DECADENCE CAKE & CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES
layered chocolate cake tower, vanilla cream | $12
Valentine's day hours: 5pm - 9pm. Reservations are recommended (305.295.3255 or Open Table). Regular dinner menu is also available on Valentine's Day.
JOHN GORKA, JAKE SHIMABUKURO & VANCE GILBERT!
Wine is fermented grape juice. It is as old as humans have been thirsty to still their fears, put their minds at peace, stir inspiration, relax and have fun.
The fruit of the vine is universal and more productive than any other. The oldest winery was found in a cave in Armenia dating back to 4100 B.C. Fossils have been found in Egypt, Syria, Iceland, the Marne Valley and Rhineland Germany that indicate that vines grew there long before there was civilization as we know it today.
Archeologists have found remains of presses from the Bronze Age, 3300 to 1200 B.C., and grape skins, pips and stalks have been found that date to the Minoan period, 3500 to 1100 B.C. In 1970, a wine stain was found inside a Persian Amphora dating back to 3500 B.C. found at Godin Tepe, Iran.
Regulations regarding the sale of wines were found in the laws of Hammurabi, king of Babylon, 1790 B.C. They stated that the penalties for selling bad wines, riotous conduct, and overcharging were punishable by loss of a limb or sometimes life!
The Phoenicians, the Greeks, and the Romans realized that wine was a force to be reckoned with to bring a sense of civility among the barbarians.
As the Romans marched across Gaul and through the Rhineland, they shared their wine with natives to allow safe passage and also taught them how to cultivate vines of their own. The Romans were mostly responsible for spreading grapevines throughout Europe.
When Noah disembarked from the ark, one of his first priorities was to plant grape vines. After 40 days and nights in a raucous storm, he must have easily depleted his stash, so those vines would have needed to be planted pronto.
Aristotle left notes in 340 B.C. after drinking “black wine” in Lemnos, Greece that it tasted of oregano and thyme.
In 340 B.C., Pliny the Elder wrote, “In Vino Veritas” (In wine there is truth) in Naturalis Historia.
Timeline 0 – Jesus turns water into wine. John 2:1-12.
The oldest operating winery, Staffelter Hof, was established in 862 A.D. in Kröv, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Ninety percent of its wines are white, mostly Riesling.
In 1000 A.D., Château Goulaine in Loire Valley, France was built.
... is a wine lover and expert, and is the eighth woman in the world to earn the title of master sommelier, the highest professional qualification in the hospitality industry.
The winery is still operating and is the second-oldest winery in the world. They make Muscadet, Sancerre, Vouvray, Chardonnay and Folle Blanche. In 1336, just before the Black Plague, the Cistercian monks built a walled vineyard monastery named Clos de Vougeot in Burgundy, France.
When the Black Plague arrived in 1400, wine was declared safer to drink than water. Could this still be true today?
Wine has this long and fascinating history. It was and is the reason I became interested and obsessed with it. The wine journey begins with a single bottle and then a single sip.
Until next time, cheers!
Save a little: Geyser Peak, since 1880, family-owned, one of the oldest wineries in California. Cabernet Sauvignon: Floral nose with ripe berries. Medium-bodied, fruit-forward, blackberries, licorice, touch of earth and spice, smooth fruity finish. Easy to drink. Less than $20.
Spend a little: Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon, family-owned since 1972. The label represents the three graces: Beauty, Mirth and Elegance. Ripe dark fruit and spice aromas. Full-bodied, elegant with complex spice, cassis, plum, sage, cedar and oak. This wine has dollops of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot for added complexity, and 16 months in French oak barrels. $55.
Last night I had the pleasure of seeing the Bubba System band take the stage with 10 of its closest lifetime members. As I sat and listened it occurred to me how difficult it is to keep a band together over the space of a couple decades.
There are many practical and sensible factors involved in a band’s longevity, but one is a bit less quantifiable. A bit more difficult to describe. It’s a group’s ability to decipher, feel and express a piece of music.
When you are listening and a piece of music swells in volume and then resolves back down to its original level, this is referred to as a crescendo. In written music, this is an instruction left by the composer to signal his intent in the expression of a passage. For many of our favorite bands, these crescendos were created in a group setting in a spontaneous, improvisational and organic manner. Then they become a staple of future renditions.
Often not a word was spoken to discuss its placement. It just seems as if that’s where the music wanted to go. And when several people all instantaneously feel and execute the same dynamic, in time with each other, now we’re cooking with gas.
After realizing this bond, and then forging an alliance around
... 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.
it, all we need is a cool name and matching leisure suits. But, akin to a good relationship, there will also be some work ahead. We will need to get to know each other. Learn to communicate, and find our role in the group dynamic. We will need to get to a point where we can take a musical chance that may not work, and know that it will be received with winks and smiles. A place where, when honest criticism leads to defensiveness, an apology is always the remedy, and becoming a better person goes hand in hand with becoming a better band member. When there is an unspoken understanding that what we are doing is bigger and better than those of us who are doing it, now we are ready for backup singers and a horn section.
Paulie Walterson, the Bubba System’s drummer who is known around town for his ability not only to be a melodic metronome, but also for his excellent volume control, described it as a family dynamic.
“You have to have patience and good communication skills,” he said. “There will be problems. Feelings get hurt, egos get bruised and insecurities can raise their heads from time to time. But it’s a family, and someone has to exhibit patience and leadership, add in a little respect and love, issues get resolved and we get back to the fun of making music.”
When asked to elaborate on the bruising of the egos, Walterson said, “Everyone in the group needs the space to be themselves, to feel they are expressing themselves and their art inside of the collective effort. When there is respect for everyone’s part, it makes it such a joy to share the stage with your family.”
If you lived in Key West from 1937 to 1946 (because I’m certain there are many octogenarian and nonagenarian Keys Weekly readers), you might have met former U.S. poet laureate Elizabeth Bishop. Maybe you bumped into her doing the rhumba at Sloppy Joe’s. Or pedaling her bike about town, taking in the colors of the sea and trees of which she was so enamored. Then again, she was quite shy (until after a few cocktails), so there’s a good chance you didn’t meet her.
Allow me the pleasure of introducing you now, so you’re ready to posthumously wish her a happy birthday at a Feb. 8 party in her honor at the Gardens Hotel.
Bishop arrived in Key West when she was 27, visiting with her Vassar College sweetheart Louise Crane.
“I hope it will be my permanent home someday,” she wrote to a friend.
A year later they returned and bought a home together on White Street — an eyebrow house with vertical tongue-and-groove siding that cost $2,000 and required $500 in repairs.
Bishop was not a prolific writer. She wrote only 101 poems in her lifetime. She aspired toward accuracy, labored over syllabic placement and diction while maintaining mystery, a tension beneath the surface of what – on first read – might seem too simple.
In a 1978 interview, a year before her death, she said she could carry a poem in her head “for 10 minutes to 40 years” before committing it to paper. “I don’t think a good poet can afford to be in a rush.”
But 1937 was a productive year. The island of Key West was a quiet escape from Manhattan and seemed a balm for Bishop’s chronic asthma and intense perfectionism. Her first Key West poem, “Late Air,” was published in the fall of 1938. She went on to become what critics hailed as one of the most important American poets of the 20th century.
Her first book, “North & South,” was a collection of poems published in 1946, inspired by her routine of wintering in Key West and summering in New York City. She won the Houghton Mifflin Poetry Prize Fellowship for it, and later, multiple Guggenheim Fellowships, the Pulitzer Prize, and the National Book Critics Circle Award.
I first met Bishop in an anthology in college, reeled in by one of her more famous poems, “The Fish.”
Unlike some of her contemporaries, she was not confessional or intrusive, but kept a levity and a distance I connected with, an irony I admired. I marveled at how simple language could be so evocative. I was dra wn to her observation of the world and its objects, and to her reflection of nature and our place within it:
“The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop:
I caught a tremendous fish/ and held him beside the boat / half out of / water, with my hook / fast in a corner of his mouth. / He didn’t fight. / He hadn’t fought at all. / He hung a grunting weight, / battered and venerable / and homely. Here / and there / his brown skin hung in strips / like ancient wallpaper, / and its pattern of / darker brown / was like wallpaper: / shapes like full-blown roses / stained and lost / through age. / He was speckled with barnacles, / fine rosettes of lime, / and infested / with tiny white sea-lice, / and underneath two or three / rags of green weed hung down. / While his gills were breathing in / the terrible oxygen / —the frightening gills, fresh / and crisp with blood, / that can cut so badly— / I thought of the coarse white flesh / packed in like feathers, / the big bones and the little bones, / the dramatic reds and blacks / of his shiny entrails, / and the pink swim-bladder / like a big peony. / I looked into his eyes / which were far larger than mine / but shallower, and yellowed, / the irises backed and packed / with tarnished tinfoil / seen through the lenses / of old scratched isinglass. / They shifted a little, but not / to return my stare. / —It was more like the tipping / of an object toward the light. / I admired his sullen face, / the mechanism of his jaw, / and then I saw that from his lower lip /—if you could call it a lip— /grim, wet, and weaponlike, / hung five old pieces of fish-line, / or four and a wire leader /with the swivel still attached, / with all their five big hooks / grown firmly in his mouth. /A green line, frayed at the end / where he broke it, two heavier lines, /and a fine black thread / still crimped from the strain and snap / when it broke and he got away. /Like medals with their ribbons / frayed and wavering, / a five-haired beard of wisdom /trailing from his aching jaw. / I stared and stared /and victory filled up /the little rented boat, from the pool of bilge / where oil had spread
The former Key West home of poet Elizabeth Bishop, 624 White St., is now owned by the Key West Literary Seminar. FLORIDA
KEYS NEWS BUREAU/ Contributed
Advice: Lose something every day. Accept the fluster / of lost door keys, the hour badly spent. /The art of losing isn’t / hard to master. / Then practice losing farther, losing faster:/ places, and names, and where it was you meant/ to travel. None of these will bring disaster.
Words to live by: Someone loves us all.
Poet
a rainbow / around the rusted engine /to the bailer rusted orange, / the sun-cracked thwarts, / the oarlocks on their strings, the gunnels—until everything / was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow! /And I let the fish go.
Like Bishop, I left New York City and came to Key West at 27. I’d done my dissertation on her, delved into her sense of displacement in the world, her sense of never feeling quite home. She was shuffled back and forth between Nova Scotia and Boston by her grandparents and aunt after the death of her father when she was a baby and the loss of her mother to an insane asylum when she was 5. Like many of us, she found solace on the island.
“I liked living there,” she said. “The light & blaze of colors made a good impression on me, and I loved the swimming.”
The Keys Weekly family loves animals as much as our friends at the Florida Keys SPCA do, and we’re honored each week to showcase some “furever” friends that are ready, waiting and available for adoption at the organization’s Key West campus.
From cats and dogs to Guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, reptiles and birds, the perfect addition to your family is waiting for you. The SPCA’s knowledgeable staff will help with advice and care tips while working to ensure a good fit between each pet and its people.
The SPCA’s Golden Paw program also provides special assistance with vet bills and medications for special-needs and older animals that require a little extra TLC.
Check these pages each week for just a few of the animals waiting for a home and see them all at fkspca.org.
Olly, a pug mix, is 10. He’s a specialcase dog who will need a home to live out the rest of his days. He loves toys, walks and love, but is showing signs of dementia and is mostly blind and deaf. So he will need a special home ready to take on his needs.
Dimple is a 5½-year-old female domestic shorthair. Dimple has been at our shelter for five years and is looking for a family that will let her come out of her shell at her own pace and a kitty friend for her to snuggle with.
Tiny Tina is a 4½-year-old female domestic shorthair. She’s a shy kitty, but super sweet. She gets along with other cats and is a kind kitty with lots of love to give.
On Jan. 23, Dolphin Research Center staff assisted in the rescue of about 60 waterlogged turkey vultures off the coast of Marathon. While conducting field research in a boat on the gulf side of Marathon, DRC staff came upon a turkey vulture struggling in the water. Turkey vultures do not swim, so staff took her on board and contacted the Marathon Wild Bird Center to evaluate the bird.
Dana Child, a volunteer at the center, advised that when one vulture is found in the water, there are typically many more. Every few years, mass numbers of vultures have been found stranded in water. The reason isn’t clear, but the birds sometimes suffer blunt force trauma from hitting the water or are simply cold and waterlogged without the ability to lift themselves out of the water. These events may be caused by a strong downdraft of air pushing them into the water.
DRC staff members bring a struggling turkey vulture on board for transport to the Marathon Wild Bird Center.
DRC staff were also joined by an FWC patrol boat, and there were reports of local fishermen and boaters who rescued a number of birds.
Karl, a year-old mixed breed, is the happiest boy with a ton of energy. He will do best in a home that’ll give him plenty of exercise and work on his manners.
Benito is an adult, male American rabbit. He’s full of energy, loves his hay and is looking for a home to be able to stretch his legs in.
Knowing there may be a large number of birds in need of rescue, Dolphin Research Center staff along with Child and Kirk Linaje, founder of the Marine Order for Research and Action through Environmental Stewardship (MORAES), returned to the location to search for more birds. The DRC boat spent the next four hours searching for and rescuing these birds. Eventually, 27 waterlogged turkey vultures were brought on board.
In total, about 60 birds were brought to the Marathon Wild Bird Center. Over the following two days, the bird center successfully rehabilitated and released all of the surviving vultures from the event.
As carrion eaters, vultures are a critical part of the ecosystem. They remove pathogens and toxins from the environment, helping keep the ecosystem disease free. Their digestive systems contain a very strong acid that destroys many of the harmful substances found in dead animals.
County officials, board members and advisors descended on historic Pigeon Key on Jan. 26 for the Florida Keys Council of the Arts’ annual meeting. Attendees included Monroe County Mayor Pro Tem Holly Merrill Raschein, the board of county commissioners’ liaison for the council.
The membership meeting included unveiling “Culture,” an annual magazine placed in hotel rooms and other locations for visitors to learn about cultural events and activities throughout the Florida Keys. Monroe County Mayor Craig Cates does the welcome message in the magazine.
In addition to the magazine’s calendar of cultural events, two local writers have featured stories. Historian and Keys Weekly columnist Brad Bertelli exposes “The Florida Keys: Historic Lighthouses, Island Wonders and Natural Beauty,” while Jill Zima Borski chronicles “200 Years of the Florida Keys” in her piece. Each spoke at the membership meeting.
The county is celebrating its 200-year anniversary this year, and the Florida Keys Council of the Arts is helping celebrate by including bicentennial themes in its annual events.
The 2023 “Connections Project” is also celebrating 200 years of the Florida Keys. The project will
include 300 unique art pieces on 6- by 8-inch canvases that will travel from Key Largo to Key West from Feb. 7 to April 20. Receptions will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at the following locations and are open to the public:
– Baker’s Cay Resort, Key Largo, Tuesday, Feb. 7
– Royal Furniture showroom, Marathon, March 2
– Artists in Paradise Gallery, Big Pine Key, March 24
– Historic Gato Building lobby, Key West, April 20
To view the “Culture” magazine, visit fla-keys.com/pdf/culture/CultureMag2023.pdf. To learn more about the Florida Keys Council of the Arts, visit keysarts.com. — Contributed
saturday, Feb 4th
4 pm - 11 pm
4-6 happy hour drink specials
LIVE MUSIC JUNKANOO PIZZA BAR
FIRE DANCERS
FOOD BY BONGOS
$10 ticket with Marathon ID
Weird things happen in the Florida Keys. Some of these odd occurrences can occasionally appear to have a paranormal connection, which makes sense considering that Key West is said to be one of the most haunted cities in the United States.
Grabbing onto the idea that Key West, occasionally referred to as Key Weird, is not the only island in the chain where unusual events occur, the following potential weirdness is offered.
If you have ever driven along the Overseas Highway and across Summerland Key, near MM 25, and that classic 1960s folk song “Everybody’s Talkin” pops into your head, there may be a good reason.
The song was written by New York folk singer Fred Neil in 1966 and was released the same year. “Everybody’s Talkin” was famously featured in the Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman classic “Midnight Cowboy.” Though scores of singers have recorded the song, perhaps the most famous version was done by Harry Nilsson. It is Nilsson’s version that is featured in the movie. Nilsson was a favorite of the Beatles and was once considered the “American Beatle.” While his voice might echo in your mind, he is not the reason the song popped into your head.
That reason would be Fred Neil, who wrote the song while recording his second album, the self-titled Fred Neil, in a Los Angeles studio. Anxious to return home to Florida and one track short for his album, Neil’s producer told him that if they recorded one more song, he could leave. According to the story about that moment, Neil went into a bathroom and created the song in 10 minutes. When he stepped back into the studio, he recorded it in one take and flew home to Coconut Grove.
Neil spent his final years living on Summerland Key, where he died in his home on July 7, 2001. When the police
arrived, a reported $13 was found in his wallet, and a will was discovered on a nightstand by his bed. Though he was being treated for skin cancer, “natural causes” was noted on his death certificate after the autopsy. Perhaps, though Fred Neil left the physical plane, his spirit is still connected to the Florida Keys and that is the reason an old classic like “Everybody’s Talkin” might seep into your brain as if it had been delivered by the island breezes blowing across Summerland Key.
The island is home to another little mystery that presents a bit of a local puzzle. First, it should be noted that there has been more than one Summerland Key. There is the Summerland Key where Neil died at his home, and 10 miles east, after crossing Ramrod, Little Torch, and Big Pine Keys, there is West Summerland Key – identified in the U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey chart No. 168, “Florida Reefs Long Key to Newfound Harbor Keys,” as Summerland Key in 1863.
The modern Summerland Key east of West Summerland Key is the larger of the two islands and vastly more developed. Around the turn of the century, it was home to the homestead of the Niles family, which is why the bridge connecting Summerland Key to Cudjoe Key is called the Niles Channel Bridge. When the Niles family owned a large part of the island, they had a chicken farm that also had livestock. In the 1940s, the Niles homestead was bought by Henry Hudgins, who developed the island into the residential community it is today.
When discussing the Summerland Keys, everybody talks about why the name West Summerland Key was chosen when the island is so clearly east of Summerland Key. The answer may be linked to Henry Flagler. As it turns out, before the Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway came thundering down the Florida Keys,
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.
West Summerland Key, found in the area of MM 35, was one of three islands. As a group, they were once called the Spanish Harbor Keys. Individually they were known as West Summerland Key, Middle Summerland Key, and the easternmost island of the bunch that appears to have gone officially unnamed. During the Flagler era, fill was used to create the singular West Summerland Key.
While it is certainly odd that West Summerland Key was east of Summerland Key, the “west” designation was not referencing Summerland Key but the three Spanish Harbor Keys. It was the westernmost of those three islands and had no real connection to the larger Summerland Key. West Summerland Key was once home to several Indian mounds and some buildings left over from the days when Henry Flagler’s men were building his railroad. They were also used for housing, as can be seen in the accompanying photograph. The island has since been renamed Scout Key and is home to the nine-acre oceanfront property called Camp Jackson Sawyer Boy Scout camp.
A classic folk song might not be drifting on the Atlantic breeze while crossing West Summerland Key, across Scout Key, but don’t be surprised if “Everybody’s Talkin” suddenly crawls into your head like an earworm while driving over Summerland Key.
Railroad structures on West Summerland. MONROE COUNTY LIBRARY COLLECTION/ Contributed
Dozens of women’s flag football teams and more than 300 women — including local girls aged 8 and up — took part in the Kelly McGillis Classic Jan. 24-30. Teams traveled from Morocco, Pakistan, Honduras, Sweden, Spain, Jamaica and Mexico to take part in this year’s events.
In addition to the competitive games at Wickers Field, tournament week includes a women’s speaker series, water sports, flag football clinics and fun events at local bars, beaches and restaurants.
Named for actress Kelly McGillis, who formerly lived in Key West and played in prior tournaments, the Classic features 8-on-8, semicontact flag football. No helmets or pads are worn.
“With flag football, more finesse and strategy should be used compared to tackle football’s brute force and speed,” said Diane Beruldsen, who founded the International Women’s Flag Football Association and travels the world to promote the sport among women everywhere.
— Keys Weekly staff report
FICTITIOUS NAME
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of KEY BUSINESS
SERVICES located at 25 Pequena Lane, Key West, FL 33040 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.
By: DelGuidice Enterprises,Publish:
January 5, 2023
The Weekly Newspapers
FICTITIOUS NAME
LLC
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of RYAN MANAGEMENT located at 3410 Eagle Avenue, Monroe County in the City of Key West, Florida 33040-4652, intends to register the said name with the Division of Corporations
of the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.
Dated at Tavernier, Florida this 26th day of January, 2023.
By: Daniel T. Ryan
Publish:
February 2, 2023
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF SALE: BEST LIEN SERVICES INC.
LOCATED AT9:00AM AT: 7290
SW 41 ST MIAMI, FL 33155 WILL
SELL AT A RESERVE PUBLIC SALE
AT 9:00 AM THE FOLLOWING
VEHICLES AT SAID LOCATION TO SATISFY LIEN PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 713.585 OF THE FLORIDA STATUES. THE FOLLOWING WILL SALE AT:1503 AQUEDUCT LN KEY LARGO, FL33037P#:786-328-9393
FEB.13,2023
2006 LEXS 4D
JTHCK262665003913
2002 MERZ UT
WDBJH65J52X073066
2018 ZHNG MC
L5YTCKBH5J1167218
2006 TAKM MC
3CG3E1D4163001030
FEB.14,2023
2012 NISS 4D
1N4AL2AP7CC119465
2010 BMW 4D
WBANU5C54AC366409
2015 FORD TK
1FD8X3HT7FEC88296
2009 HD MC
1HD1CZ3159K454345
FEB.16,2023 1960 HD MC 60XLH2191
FEB.17,2023
2014 TAOTAO MC
L9NTEACB7E1200202
1976 PONT 2D
2D37M6A142406
2002 PIO VS PIOTH107I102
OWNER/LIENHOLDER MAY INSPECT/RECOVER VEHICLE BY CONTACTING BEST LIEN SERVICES 7290 SW 41 ST MIAMI,
SR 5/US 1 Long Key Bridge Over Long Key Channel (Bridge # 900094)
Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study
From Mile Marker (MM) 63 to MM 66 Monroe County, Florida
Financial Project ID: 448206-1-22-01
Efficient Transportation Decision Making (ETDM) Number: 14451
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), District Six will host a Hybrid Public Kick-off Meeting for the referenced project on Thursday, February 16, 2023 starting at 5:30 p.m. This meeting will be held in an informal, open house format with a brief presentation at 6:00 p.m. This meeting will provide an opportunity for the public to learn about the project, become familiar with the study process, and provide feedback.
The purpose and need for this study is to evaluate the replacement of the Long Key Bridge to address bridge deficiencies, assess capacity and safety needs, evaluate mobility, improve evacuation and emergency response, and to evaluate bicycle and pedestrian needs. This meeting is an opportunity for the public to discuss the social, economic, and environmental effects of the potential improvements.
The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required by applicable federal environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried out by FDOT pursuant to 23 U.S.C. § 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated May 26, 2022, and executed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and FDOT.
The Hybrid Public Kick-off meeting will be held simultaneously, both in-person and virtually. There are two ways to participate during the meeting:
ATTEND IN PERSON: The in-person meeting will be held at the Marathon Government Center – BOCC located at 2798 Overseas Highway, 2nd Floor, Marathon, FL 33050. The latest Centers for Disease Control (CDC) social distancing guidelines will be followed.
ATTEND VIRTUALLY: To participate virtually from your computer, tablet or smartphone please register using the following link https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5142809936165957470 or scan the QR Code provided above. You will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. If you are using a mobile device, the free “GoToMeeting” App will be required to attend. Participants can also call in by dialing +1 (562) 247-8321 and enter access code 691-965-490
IN-PERSON MEETING LOCATION: Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, or family status. Persons who require accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or persons who require translation services (free of charge) should contact Nicholas Danu, P.E. at (305) 470-5219; in writing to FDOT, 1000 NW 111 Avenue, Miami, FL 33172; or by email at Nicholas.Danu@dot.state.fl.us at least seven (7) days prior to the Public Kickoff Meeting.
If you would like further information about this project, please contact Community Outreach Specialist Veronica Paredes at 305-215-8673 or by email at veronica.paredes@stantec.com. You may also visit the project website at www.fdotmiamidade.com/LongKeyBridge
Publish: February 2, 2023. The Weekly Newspapers
FL 33155 (1-866-299-9391) AT
LEAST 1 WEEK PRIOR TO THE LIEN SALE, ALL SALES ARE WITH RESERVE 20% BUYERS PREMIUM.
Publish:
February 2, 2023
The Weekly Newspapers
**PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS
ANNUAL RETURN
The annual return of the private foundation
THE FRANCES LOUISE WOLFSON FAMILY FOUNDATION, INC required to be filed under section 6033 Internal Revenue Code, is available for public inspection at its principal office 56283 Ocean Drive, Marathon, FL 33050 305-743-5060 for inspection during regular business hours by any citizen upon request, within 180 days after the date of this publication.
Cheryl WilcoxPrincipal Manager
January 26, 2023
Publish:
February 2, 2023
The Weekly Newspapers
DISTRICT IV ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DAC IV)
(Between the Long Key Bridge and Mile Marker 90.939) of the MONROE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL has an opening for a TOURIST RELATED BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVE - Shall be a person involved in business which is interdependent upon the tourist industry who has demonstrated an interest in tourist development but who shall not be employed in any position within the lodging industry (motels, hotels, recreational vehicle parks and
other tourist accommodations and whose business is in the tax collection district for which he/ she is applying).
Any person wishing to participate on the District IV Advisory Committee of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council, within the district so noted above, may request an application by emailing Laurie@fla-keys.com.
Completed applications should be emailed to Laurie@fla-keys. com.
Deadline for receipt of application at the above address is Friday, March 3, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. A resume may be attached to the application.
Publish:
February 2, 2023
The Weekly Newspapesr
Estudio de Desarrollo del Proyecto y Medio Ambiente (PD&E) para la Carretera Estatal 5/US 1 Puente Long Key sobre el Canal Long Key (Puente #900094) desde el marcador de milla (MM) 63 al MM 66 Condado de Monroe, Florida Número de Identificación del Proyecto Financiero: 448206-1-22-01 Número de Toma de Decisiones de Transporte Eficiente (ETDM): 14451
El Departamento de Transporte de Florida (FDOT), Distrito Seis, llevará a cabo una Reunión Pública de Lanzamiento para el proyecto referenciado el jueves 16 de febrero de 2023, a las 5:30 p.m. Esta reunión se llevará a cabo en un formato informal de con una breve presentación a las 6:00 p.m. Esta reunión proporcionará una oportunidad para que el público aprenda sobre el proyecto, se familiarice con el proceso de estudio y ofrecer comentarios.
El propósito y la necesidad de este estudio es evaluar el reemplazo del puente Long Key para tratar las deficiencias del puente, evaluar las necesidades de capacidad y seguridad, evaluar la movilidad, mejorar la evacuación y la respuesta de emergencia, y evaluar las necesidades de bicicletas y peatones. Esta reunión es una oportunidad para que el público discuta los efectos sociales, económicos y ambientales de las posibles mejoras.
La revisión ambiental, la consulta y otras acciones requeridas por las leyes ambientales federales aplicables para este proyecto están siendo, o han sido, llevadas a cabo por el FDOT de conformidad con 23 U.S.C. § 327 y un Memorando de Entendimiento de fecha 26 de mayo de 2022, y ejecutado por la Administración Federal de Carreteras (FHWA) y FDOT. La Reunión Pública de Lanzamiento se llevará a cabo simultáneamente, en persona y virtualmente. Hay dos formas de participar durante la reunión: Participar en Persona: La reunión en persona se llevará
PARTICIPAR EN PERSONA: La reunión en persona se llevará a cabo en el Marathon Government Center – BOCC ubicado en 2798 Overseas Highway, 2nd piso, Marathon, FL 33050. Se seguirán las directrices de distanciamiento social del Centros para el Control de Enfermedades (CDC).
PARTICIPAR VIRTUALMENTE: Para participar virtualmente desde su computadora, tableta o teléfono inteligente, regístrese utilizando el siguiente enlace https:// attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5142809936165957470 o escanee el código QR proporcionado anteriormente. Recibirá un correo electrónico de confirmación con información sobre cómo unirse al seminario web. Si está utilizando un equipo móvil, la aplicación gratuita "GoToMeeting" se requerirá para participar virtualmente. Participantes también pueden llamar marcando +1 (562) 247-8321 e ingresar el código de acceso 691-965-490.
LUGAR DE REUNIÓN EN PERSONA: Se solicita la participación pública sin distinción de raza, color, origen nacional, edad, sexo, religión, discapacidad o estado familiar. Las personas que requieren adaptaciones bajo la Ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades o las personas que requieren servicios de traducción (sin cargo) deben comunicarse con Nicholas Danu, P.E. al (305) 470-5219; por escrito a FDOT, 1000 NW 111 Avenue, Miami, FL 33172; o por correo electrónico a Nicholas. Danu@dot.state.fl.us al menos siete (7) días antes de la Reunión Publica de Lanzamiento. Si desea obtener más información sobre este proyecto, comuníquese con la Especialista de Comunicación de Comunidad Veronica Paredes al 305-215-8673 o por correo electrónico a veronica.paredes@stantec.com. También puede visitar el sitio web del proyecto al www.fdotmiamidade.com/LongKeyBridge
THE DISTRICT V ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DAC V)
(From Mile Marker 90.940 to the Dade/Monroe County Line and any Mainland Portions of Monroe County) of the MONROE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL has an opening for a LODGING INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVE – shall be an owner or operating/general manager of motels, hotels, recreational vehicle parks or other tourist accommodations which are subject to bed tax in the tax collection district for which he/she is applying.
Any person wishing to participate on the District V Advisory Committee of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council within the district so noted above, may request an application from the TDC Administrative Office by emailing: Laurie@fla-keys. com, and submit the completed application via email to: Laurie@ fla-keys.com, or via U.S. Mail to the address shown below:
Department DAC Monroe County Tourist Development Council 1201 White Street, Suite 102 Key West, FL 33040 Deadline for receipt of applications at the above address is: Friday, March 3, 2023, at 5:00 P.M. A resume may be attached to the submitted application.
Publish:
February 2, 2023
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF INTENT TO SEEK LEGISLATION
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Notice is hereby given of intent to apply to the Florida Legislature in the 2023 regular or any special or extended legislative sessions for passage of an act relating to the City of Key West as an Area of Critical State Concern to create an exception from the building permit allocation system, as limited by F.A.C. Chapter 28-37, for certain residential developments to serve the employees and workforce of the Monroe County School District, and other “essential services personnel” as authorized by Florida Statute § 1001.43(12)
Publish:
February 2, 2023
The Weekly Newspapers
INVITATION TO BID Construction Services Request Wesley House Family Services is seeking bids for the renovation and construction of an office and services building in Key Largo, FL. Parties interested in submitting a bid may contact us at ConstructionServices@wesleyhouse.org for additional information.
Publish:
February 2, 2023
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at 3:00 P.M., the Monroe County Purchasing Office will receive and open sealed responses for the following: New Beacon Pole and Relocate Existing Beacon Monroe County, Florida Pursuant to F.S. 50.0211(3) (a), all published competitive solicitation notices can be viewed at: www. floridapublicnotices.com, a searchable Statewide repository for all published legal notices. Requirements for submission and the selection criteria may be requested from DemandStar at www.demandstar.com OR www. monroecounty-fl.gov/bids. The Public Record is available upon request. Monroe County Purchasing Department receives bids electronically. Please do not mail or attempt to deliver in person any sealed bids. Mailed/ physically delivered bids/
By: Aneta Jodkowska,
Clerk
Publish:
DeputyJanuary 19 & 26, February 2 & 9, 2023
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED
2023-11
Notice is hereby given that CITRUS CAPITAL HOLDINGS, LLC
CITRUS CAPITAL HOLDINGS FBO
SEC PTY holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate Number:
2020/1509
Alt Key No: 1507261
Date of Issuance: June 1, 2020
RE: 00413050-000000
Description of Property:
BK 2 LT 21 PLANTATION BEACH
PB2-76 PLANTATION KEY OR50558 OR804-2469 OR1608-501L/E OR1619-917D/C OR1626-
2146/47 OR2954-0628
Name in which assessed:
LOOKOUT INVESTMENTS LLC
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder at the Old Courthouse Steps: 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL
Sale Date: February 28th, 2023
Sale Time: 10:00am
Dated this 9th day of December
2022
KEVIN MADOK CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk Publish:
January 19 & 26, February 2 & 9, 2023
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2023-12
Notice is hereby given that CITRUS CAPITAL HOLDINGS, LLC
CITRUS CAPITAL HOLDINGS FBO
SEC PTY holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and
Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate Number:
2020/1508
Alt Key No: 1507253
Date of Issuance: June 1, 2020
RE: 00413040-000000
Description of Property:
BK 2 LT 20 PLANTATION BEACH
PB2-76 PLANTATION KEY OR5421050 OR615-457D/C OR717-258 OR1608-501L/E OR1619-917D/C OR1626-2146/47 OR2954-0628
Name in which assessed:
LOOKOUT INVESTMENTS LLC
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder at the Old Courthouse Steps: 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL
Sale Date: February 28th, 2023
Sale Time: 10:00am
Dated this 9th day of December
2022
KEVIN MADOK CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, DeputyClerk
Publish:
January 19 & 26, February 2 & 9, 2023
The Weekly Newspapers
OF APPLICATION
2023-14
Notice is hereby given that CITRUS CAPITAL HOLDINGS, LLC
CITRUS CAPITAL HOLDINGS FBO
SEC PTY holder of the following
Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate Number: 2020/796
Alt Key No: 1259870
Date of Issuance: June 1, 2020
RE: 00198260-000000
Description of Property:
LT 15 SUMMERLAND BCH ADDN
#5 SUMMERLAND KEY PB3-82
OR475-397 OR759-1127/29
OR824-869/70 OR825-174/75
OR827-1344 OR830-1363/64
OR1026-1483R/S OR1356-546
OR2833-440D/C OR28621933/34 OR3004-1931D/C
Name in which assessed: MORRIS DONAL J ESTATE SR
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida. Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder at the Old Courthouse Steps: 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL
Sale Date: February 28th, 2023
Sale Time: 10:00am
Dated this 9th day of December 2022
KEVIN MADOK CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, DeputyClerk
Publish:
January 19 & 26, February 2 & 9, 2023
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED
2023-16
Notice is hereby given that CITRUS CAPITAL HOLDINGS, LLC CITRUS CAPITAL HOLDINGS FBO SEC PTY holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate Number: 2020/506 Alt Key No: 8933761 Date of Issuance: June 1, 2020 RE: 00119540-000100 Description of Property: 15 67 27 SUGARLOAF KEY PT LOT 5 N OF SR 4A OR180-447/48 OR493-453/454 OR1239-1551/57 OR1362-1891/93 OR1371-685/87 OR1395-74/76C OR1395-77/79C OR1402-1522/23 OR2835-228/30
Name in which assessed: PACE WILLIAM HARDY All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder at the Old Courthouse Steps: 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL Sale Date: February 28th, 2023 Sale Time: 10:00am
Dated this 9th day of December 2022 KEVIN MADOK CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA By: Aneta Jodkowska,
&
Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate Number: 2020/164
Alt Key No: 1044211
Date of Issuance: June 1, 2020 RE: 00043580-000000
Description of Property: KW MONROE INVESTMENT CO SUB PB1-41 SW'LY 6' OF LOT 2 & ALL OF LOT 3 SQR 13 TR 20
G29-133/34 OR436-676 OR16481689D/C OR1712-2251/52P/ R OR1712-2253/55 OR19612316/18 OR1961-2319/2323AFFD OR2143-1725/27AFF OR21431728/29Q/C OR2157-1329/30C
Name in which assessed:
LEEKER LESLYE
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder at the Old Courthouse Steps: 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL
Sale Date: February 28th, 2023
Sale Time: 10:00am
Dated this 9th day of December
2022
KEVIN MADOK CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish:
January 19 & 26, February 2 & 9, 2023
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2023-18
Notice is hereby given that CITRUS CAPITAL HOLDINGS, LLC CITRUS CAPITAL HOLDINGS FBO
SEC PTY holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate Number: 2020/573
Alt Key No: 1165930
Date of Issuance: June 1, 2020
RE: 00131780-000000
Description of Property: BK A LT 45 LINCOLN GARDENS NO-1 STOCK ISLAND PB5-89 OR570-926 OR930-833 OR1119-
2192 OR2870-599/600 ALONG WITH MOBILE HOME:MAKE:
IN-HOUSE BRIG YEAR: 1982 TITLE
NR:20049350 VEHICLE ID NR: 3B6440805
Name in which assessed: PEREZ MARIO
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder at the Old Courthouse Steps: 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL
Sale Date: February 28th, 2023
Sale Time: 10:00am
Dated this 9th day of December 2022
KEVIN MADOK CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy
Clerk
Publish:
January 19 & 26, February 2 & 9, 2023
The Weekly Newspapers NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2023-19
Notice is hereby given that KEYS FUNDING LLC - 2020 holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance,
Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate Number:
2020/760
Alt Key No: 1242616
Date of Issuance: June 1, 2020
RE: 00188681-019800
Description of Property:
LT 196 VENTURE OUT CUDJOE
KEY PB6-56 OR624-579 OR1771-256 OR2442-526 Along with mobile home: Make:
IN-HOUSE PALM Year:1998 Title
nr:75851632 Vehicle ID Number:
PH06119360FL
Name in which assessed:
SMITH RALPH W AND REBECCA K GABBARD REV TR 9/17/01
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida. Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder at the Old Courthouse Steps: 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL
Sale Date: February 28th, 2023
Sale Time: 10:00am
Dated this 9th day of December
2022
KEVIN MADOK CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish:
January 19 & 26, February 2 & 9, 2023
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED
2023-20
Notice is hereby given that KEYS FUNDING LLC - 6120 holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate Number:
2020/786
Alt Key No: 1255548
Date of Issuance: June 1, 2020 RE: 00193660-000000
Description of Property:
BK 2 LT 50 SUMMERLAND KEY COVE ADDITION #6 PB 5-41 SUMMERLAND KEY OR237515/516 OR722-693 OR865-1790 OR2975-0486
Name in which assessed: CHANDONNET MARK CHANDONNET JENNIFER
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder at the Old Courthouse Steps: 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL
Sale Date: February 28th, 2023
Sale Time: 10:00am
Dated this 9th day of December
2022
KEVIN MADOK CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish:
January 19 & 26, February 2 & 9, 2023
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED
2023-21
Notice is hereby given that KEYS FUNDING LLC - 2020 holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as
LOT 1 SEC 11 OR204-30/32 OR204-33/34 OR205-586/87 OR367-922/23 OR442-609/11 OR769-1920 OR832-2039 PROB #84-37-CP-23 OR929-2469AFF OR958-989/90 OR971-2270/71 OR1159-1838/40 OR11591841/43 RE101380 COMBINED FOR ASSMT PURPOSES 6-16-93
OR1422-2194/98
Name in which assessed: TROPICAL ISLE RESORT INC C/O JAMES J DONOVAN, CPA All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder at the Old Courthouse Steps: 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL
Sale Date: February 28th, 2023
Sale Time: 10:00am
Dated this 9th day of December 2022
KEVIN MADOK CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish:
January 19 & 26, February 2 & 9, 2023
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2023-22
Notice is hereby given that TLOA OF FLORIDA LLC CAPITOL ONE BANK, C/O TLOA HOLDINGS, LLC holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate Number: 2020/1272
Alt Key No: 1437913
Date of Issuance: June 1, 2020
RE: 00356230-000000
Description of Property: BK 1 LT 79 AMENDED PLAT OF FLAMINGO ISLAND ESTATES BOOT KEY PB5-121 OR545-329 OR759-552 OR762-569C OR1091163 OR1443-123 OR1443-124 OR1443-123 OR1443-124 OR1813-1807R/S OR2782-117/21 OR2790-1043/46
Name in which assessed: BLANTON SPENCER C All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida. Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder at the Old Courthouse Steps: 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL
Sale Date: February 28th, 2023
Sale Time: 10:00am
Dated this 9th day of December 2022
KEVIN MADOK CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish: January 19 & 26, February 2 & 9, 2023
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2023-23
Notice is hereby given that TLOA OF FLORIDA LLC CAPITOL ONE BANK, C/O TLOA HOLDINGS, LLC holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate Number: 2020/313
Alt Key No: 9087870
Date of Issuance: June 1, 2020 RE: 00084961-011600
CLUB AT BLACKWATER SOUND, KEY LARGO, A COMMERCIAL CONDOMINIUM OR22451373/1489DEC OR2264524/627AMD OR2777-1256/58
Name in which assessed:
TIDE RENOVATIONS AND CONSULTING INC
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder at the Old Courthouse Steps:
500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL Sale Date: February 28th, 2023
Sale Time: 10:00am
Dated this 9th day of December
2022
KEVIN MADOK CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy
Clerk Publish: January 19 & 26, February 2 & 9, 2023
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION
FOR TAX DEED 2023-24
Notice is hereby given that ATCF II FLORIDA-A LLC holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate Number: 2020/221
Alt Key No: 8678771
Date of Issuance: June 1, 2020
RE: 00063560-013500
Description of Property: UNIT C-331 1800 ATLANTIC CONDOMINIUMS OR1086213 OR1150-1786 OR11592058/59CT OR1189-1572 OR1243-2344/45 OR13772219/20TR OR1404-1614/15 OR1423-721RS OR1463-1175/76 OR2455-1320/22(ORD)L/E
Name in which assessed: WIMMER SARAH D
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder at the Old Courthouse Steps:
500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL
Sale Date: February 28th, 2023
Sale Time: 10:00am
Dated this 9th day of December 2022
KEVIN MADOK CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy
Clerk Publish: January 19 & 26, February 2 & 9, 2023
The Weekly Newspapers
2023-25
Notice is hereby given that JANEL HARPER holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate Number: 2020/475
Alt Key No: 8968367
Date of Issuance: June 1, 2020 RE: 00111720-000203
Description of Property: 27 66 29 BIG PINE KEY PT LOT 1 OR785-4/5 OR818-1413 OR818-2090 OR845-955/957 OR1042-1104/05 OR1078-286/87 OR1189-1087/89
Name in which assessed:
IMPACT INVESTMENTS INC
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder at the Old Courthouse Steps: 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL
Sale Date: February 28th, 2023
Sale Time: 10:00am
Dated this 9th day of December 2022
KEVIN MADOK CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk Publish: January 19 & 26, February 2 & 9, 2023
The Weekly Newspapers
ALL YEARS!
Cars - Vans - TrucksRunning or Not. $CASH$ 305-332-0483
BOAT SLIP FOR RENT
Place your BOAT SLIP FOR RENT ad here for $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today!
Paver Dave Now Hiring Bobcat operators in the Lower Keys. Drivers license and transportation required. Please call 305-741-7688
CARETAKER OR COUPLE
WANTED For small Abaco Bahamas beach resort. 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 10pm-8am with weekly stipend Drug and background screen required. Apply at www.westcare.com
The Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club is seeking a CustomerService Oriented Server for the pool deck, beach and/ or bar lounge. Open year round, 10am-7pm daily. Small friendly staff. Above average hourly wage plus tips. Apply in person at 425 E. Ocean Dr. Key Colony Beach or call 404-2193359 and ask for Dave.
The Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club is seeking a Part-Time Line Cook. Open year round, 10am-7pm daily. Small friendly staff. Hourly pay commensurate with experience. Apply in person at 425 E. Ocean Dr. Key Colony Beach or call 404219-3359 and ask for Dave.
Boat rental company in Marathon needs an Outboard Mechanic. Some general marina work, and boat experience a plus. Call 305-481-7006
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
City of Marathon Current Job Openings: WW Operator/Controls Trainee, Paralegal, Utilities Maintenance, and Right of Way Technician. Full Benefits. EOE Please see City website for details www.ci.marathon.fl.us
The Housing Authority of the City of Key West now hiring the following positions: Maintenance Mechanic (Maintenance Worker), Med Tech, Resident Activities Coordinator, Grounds Caretaker. 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.org - EOE & Drug Free Work Place. This opportunity is covered under Section 3 of the HUD Act of 1968.
EMPLOYMENT HOUSING FOR RENT
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
NOW HIRING: Sweet Savannah's is now hiring for multiple positions: Cashier - must be 16 yrs or older, Full-time Baker & Part-time Baker's Assistant. Stop by for an application at 8919 Overseas Highway, Marathon or email: info@ sweetsavannahs.com
Place your EMPLOYMENT ad here for $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today!
HOBBIES/COLLECT.
PRIVATE COLLECTOR WANTS Rolex, Dive Watches and Pilot Watches. Old Model Military Clocks & Watches. Call 305-743-4578
BASEBALL AND SPORTS MEMORABILIA WANTED. Private collector buying sports cards, old programs, pennants, autographs, photographs, ticket stubs, bobbin’ head dolls, etc. Call Alan 503-481-0719
MUST SPEAK ENGLISH BIG PINE & BIG COPPITT KEY IMMEDIATE OPENING
CALL: 7862340786 OR 7864888806
WHALE HARBOR GROUP RESTAURANTS
is preparing for another busy season and we are interviewing for all positions. Great income potential, fun work environment, and lots of room for growth.
WE ARE INTERVIEWING FOR cooks, dishwashers, servers, bussers, bartenders, hosts, shift supervisors, maintenance people, admin assistant and more.
Available for 1 person. 2 1/2 rooms + 8' X 22' screened porch. All utilities incl. wifi, satellite TV, washer/dryer. 2nd house from ocean. Offstreet parking. Private & quiet. MM 96 Key Largo. $1,850/ month F/L/S 305-853-3779
HOUSING FOR RENT LONG TERM Key Largo - 2BR/2BA Spacious Doublewide, 1400 sq ft modular on canal w/40’ dock, direct ocean access. Very nice community $3200/ month 786-258-3127
LUXURY CONDO FOR RENT IN MARATHON. 2 BR, 2 Bath, Den. 1650 sq ft plus 350 sq ft open balcony. Beautiful water view. Full gym, pool, tennis, fishing. Adults only. No pets. $4250 per month plus utilities F/L/S [first, last, and security deposit]. 800-324-6982.
RV FOR SALE
RV FOR SALE - 2017
Thor Citation RV, 24ft Mercedes V6 Diesel, 2 slides, Cummings Diesel Generator, Low Mileage, Many Upgrades, Call Richard 305-363-8021
Complete our Easy App if interested in a great new job: www.whaleharborrestaurant.com/jobs
D’Asign Source is seeking the following professionals. Overtime and benefits are available. For full details & additional openings, please visit DAsignSource.com/careers
To assist the president of our Coastal Source R&D Lab in Marathon. Must be well organized with a strong work ethic. Help ensure all communications, projects and operations are run in compliance with the company’s best-in-class requirements. Research and gather critical data; copywriting and wordsmithing; possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Junior Interior Designer 1+ year experience with basic interior architecture detailing. Strong knowledge of CAD/REVIT and experience in sales environment a plus.
Interior Designer
SEEKS THE FOLLOWING:
RESORT MANAGER
Full-time position for licensed FL CAM with min. 3yrs experience. Knowledge of QBs, ability to produce reports, accounting skills, MS word/excel required. Must be familiar with F.S. 718 & 721. Familiar with Rhea program a plus but will train. FL RE Broker license a plus. Perfect candidate will have strong people/hospitality skills and be familiar with timeshares. Proficiency in English a must. Competitive salary with onsite housing available.
Full-time and experienced with knowledge and competency in plumbing, electrical, HVAC repair, appliances, carpentry, drywall and other general maintenance which may require repairs/replacement. Must be efficient with hand tools, power tools, small machinery as well as lifts. Knowledge of technical WIFI/TV cable a plus. Must be able to take direction as well as work independently with minimal supervision as well as manage others. Must be familiar with all safety protocol required by the state of Florida, Monroe County and OSHA. Proficiency in the English language required. Competitive salary.
ASSISTANT MANAGER
Full-time position must be proficient in bookkeeping/ accounting skills and organized, efficiency in MS work/excel with strong computer/software skills. Must be able to take direction. Knowledge of Rhea software or other similar owner data program a plus. Will be personable, friendly and have hospitality skills. Proficiency in the English language required. Competitive salary. Resumes should be sent to employment@marathonkeybeachclub.com
DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER is a fun, environmentally friendly non-profit 501(c)(3) Corporation specializing in education, research and rescue of marine mammals. We are looking to hire a full-time VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION, responsible for the company’s financial, accounting and administrative functions. Essential duties and responsibilities include the following:
• Policy development and implementation
• Liaison with Insurance agents, bankers, audit firm, 401(k) administrator, attorneys and financial management systems
• Internal and external financial reporting
• Member of Executive Steering Committee
• Management of Human Resources, Information Technology, Retail Gift Shop and Guest Services
• Facilitation and coordination of payment reimbursements for all Grants
• Oversight of all Insurance policies
• Fixed Asset Management
• Budget Administration
• Cash Management
• Recruitment and training of accounting staff and direct report department heads
The successful applicant will possess a bachelor’s degree in business or accounting and have 8-10 years of progressively responsible experience in not-for-profit finance/accounting roles. The applicant must have excellent oral, written, analytical, interpersonal, management and organizational skills coupled with the ability to meet organizational goals, handle competing priorities, take initiative, and think creatively and strategically. CPA preferred. Must live in the area.
DRC seeks to provide for the well-being of its employees by offering a competitive total compensation package. DRC currently offers a 401k retirement plan, medical benefits with the option of adding an HSA account, paid holidays, vacation, sick and an employee assistance program. DRC also provides life and disability insurance at no cost to the employee.
To apply please send your resume to Human Resources, Attention Jeanne Welever, 58901 Overseas Hwy, Grassy Key, FL 33050, fax to 305-289-8902 or email drc-hr@dolphins.org.
PROGRAM COORDINATOR / DIRECT CARE F/T TAVERNIER OFFICE
Full-time position. Responsible for development, implementation, and goal setting for clients. Interaction with co-workers and supervision, and any miscellaneous training and/or counseling that is needed to acquire and maintain employment. Associates degree or 2 years of experience working with DD individuals.
MIN REQUIREMENTS: Computer skills: moderate to advanced. FL Driver’s license w/clean driving record, pre-employment training online and in person. Level II background screening and references. EOE. Apply at 1401 Seminary St., Key West, or online at www.marchouse.org. For more information, please contact hr@marchouse.org, phone 305-294-9526*32, fax 305-292-0078.
Is offering two part time positions
Position is responsible for providing clerical support and undertaking the day to day office operations. Must have working knowledge of MS Outlook, MS Publisher, MS Word and Excel. Friendly work environment.
Location: 550 122nd Street, Marathon
Work Schedule: Weekdays 9am-3:30pm; 30 hrs per week
to schedule an interview
Shell World Key Largo, seeking engaging, dependable, experienced person(s) to work with the team at Mile Marker 97.5, Full-time and part-time opportunities available, some weekend and evening hours. Opportunities for advancement, great benefits, competitive salary and flexible hours. Please stop by and fill out application or Fax resume to 305-852-9639.
Keys Energy Services, in Key West, Florida, is accepting applications for the following position in its Generation Department:
Starting pay rate for this position, depending on qualifications and experience: $137,323$141,168/annually.
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, Florida, is accepting applications for the following position in its Executive Department:
Starting pay rate for this position, depending on qualifications and experience: $103,172/annually$106,061/annually.
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, Florida, is accepting applications for the following position in its Transmission & Distribution Department:
Starting pay rate for this position, depending on quali cations and experience: $38.43/hr. - $43.04/hr. For more information, including job duties and required quali cations, 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 lled.
Keys Energy Services, in Key West, Florida, is accepting applications for the following position in its Transmission & Distribution Department:
Starting pay rate for this position, depending on quali cations and experience: $30.64/hr. - $34.32/hr. For more information, including job duties and required quali cations, 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 lled.
Live in paradise and see dolphins play every day!
LOCATION: MIDDLE KEYS
MUST HAVE an active Journeyman Electrician License. Duties: Install, inspect, test, repair, and maintain all new and existing generators, motors, transformers, motor controllers, and associated equipment throughout our system, with base location in the middle keys. Minimum qualifications: Journeyman’s License, emphasis on electronics, industrial electrical, pneumatics, controls, building automation, fire alarm and HVAC systems, load calculations, conduit requirements, thorough knowledge of NEC requirements. Must be able to operate and use computers with various so ware applications, including Microso O ce Suite. Must have a valid Florida driver’s license. Must be able to communicate and comprehend the English language. $57,551.33 - $91,161.94. DOQ.
Apply online at www. aa.com/employment
EEO, VPE, ADA, DFW
LOCATION: CUDJOE KEY & DUCK KEY
The Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority’s WASTEWATER DIVISION IS GROWING, and we need (3) WWTP Operators with a Florida “C” license or higher. You will perform skilled/ technical work involving the operation and maintenance of a wastewater treatment plant. This requires technical knowledge and independent judgment to make treatment process adjustments and perform maintenance on plant equipment, machinery, and related control apparatus in accordance with established standards and procedures. Benefit package is extremely competitive! Salary Range: $54,645.98 - $98,454.90.
Apply online at www. aa.com/employment
EEO, VPE, ADA, DFW
Tired of your boring job? Looking for an exciting new challenge?
If so, we are offering an opportunity to join our team in a very fast paced, exciting and dynamic role that is structured with details varying on each project.
Dynasty Marine Associates, Inc.
www dynastymarine net
Located in the Florida Keys, is a highly-respected supplier of Caribbean marine life to public aquariums and zoos throughout the world
Duties to include invoice and inventory entry, booking airline shipments, creating and filing paperwork for international shipments, scheduling inspections needed for international shipments, customer communication and tracking, creating and maintaining customer accounts and some customer service. Must be proficient in Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel. This position requires high attention to detail and the ability to multitask. Compensation will be dependent on experience with performance-based incentive program.
Benefits package including vacation, sick days, holidays and 401K PSP retirement plan. Please send cover letter and resume to sales@dynastymarine.net for consideration. No phone calls please.
The
sales commission.
Send resume to resumes@rainbowreef.com
Oceanside Safari Restaurant & Lounge in Islamorada is getting ready for a GRAND OPENING and we're looking to hire for all restaurant positions!
Open interviews Monday – Friday from 11am to 4pm at Oceanside Safari. Located at MM 73.5 right on the ocean at Caloosa Cove Marina, 73814 Overseas Highway, Islamorada.
HIRING: FOH: HOSTS, SERVERS, BARTENDERS, BUSSERS, RUNNERS.
BOH: LINE COOKS, PREP COOKS, DISHWASHERS.
Great pay, benefits and perks. We offer a stable 40 hrs-per-week to our hourly employees, and more hours if you want! Part-time positions available if you are looking for a second job, or after-school job.
We also offer a $1,000 Sign-On Bonus to all new hires, and a $500 Referral Bonus for employees who help us build up our team!
No Inglés. No Problema. Lo importante es que trabajes bien. Pa gen angle. Pa gen pwoblèm. Tout sa ki enpòtan se ke ou travay byen.
We are re-opening as a brand new full-service restaurant & bar, with a full kitchen with all brand new equipment, a beautiful bar, indoor and outdoor seating, and a beachfront lounge on our own private beach. We’re currently in the final stages of renovation of the building and property, and we’re planning on opening the end of February. We need to start assembling and training our team now! Come join us!
**We are an Equal Opportunity Employer** Oceanside Safari Restaurant & Lounge, 786-626-6124 73814 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL 33036
THE GUIDANCE/CARE CENTER, Inc. IS HIRING!
GCC offers excellent benefits for full-time employment, but we realize some would prefer part-time to enjoy the Florida Keys lifestyle more. All positions can be considered for full or part-time unless notated. Apply at westcare.com and enter your availability.
KEY LARGO
Behavioral Health Counselor (Children)
KEY WEST
Behavioral Health Therapist (Child, Adult) Care Coordinator
Behavioral Health Counselor (Children)
Crisis Counselor
Case Managers (Adult, Forensic, Children)
*Advocate (PT only)
MARATHON
Admissions Utilization Specialist Care Coordinator
Behavioral Health Therapist (Child, Adult)
RNs and LPNs - 3 shifts (also Per Diem)
Maintenance Specialist
*Behavioral Health Technicians
3 shifts (also Per Diem)
*Support Worker
*Night Monitor-Free private room included.
*No experience required for these positions. Will train. A caring heart & helpful hands required.
ACROSS
1. “Without further ____,” pl.
5. Sweet 16 gift
8. Steps to the river, in India
12. *Michael BublÈ’s “____ the Last Dance for Me”
13. Bigger than big
14. Nonkosher
15. Big-ticket one
16. October birthstone
17. *#5 Down’s target
18. *Reason to celebrate
Lupercalia, Valentine’s Day predecessor
20. Make over
21. Omit
22. Hexagonal fastener
23. December birthstone, pl.
26. Most gem¸tlich
30. Ed.’s request
31. Two dots above a letter
34. Brussels org.
35. Church recesses
37. ____ or chicken?
38. Encourage (2 words)
39. What hoarders do
40. He crossed the Rubicon
42. Jet follower
43. English county courts, in the olden days
45. Gentlemen’s gentlemen
47. Chop off
48. Paparazzo’s quest
50. Port in Yemen
52. *Heart-shaped box content
56. Range
57. Top notch
58. Baron Munchhausen, e.g.
59. Journalists and reporters
60. Speed unit
61. All is well that does this well
62. Bald eagle’s nest
63. Ever, to a poet
64. Tinkerbell’s powder
DOWN
1. “Clueless” catch phrase
2. *Get-together
3. End of a break-up phrase
4. Explosive of Czechoslovakian origin
5. *Winged one
6. September stone
7. Bank on
8. *____ card
9. Not tails
10. ‘70s hairdo
11. Sylvester, to Tweety
13. Wholism, alt. sp.
14. Monotonous hum
19. Intestinal obstruction
22. “Wayne’s World” catchphrase
23. Japanese port
24. Necklace clasp location, pl.
25. Affirmatives
26. *Kisses’ partners
27. National emblem
28. Type of weasel
29. BBQ tool
32. Pasturelands
33. Accompanies wisdom?
36. *a.k.a. St. Valentine’s
Malady
38. *Muse of love poetry
40. Large edible mushroom
41. Long-legged shore bird
44. Regions
46. Bummed about
48. Bell’s invention
49. Laurels
50. Homesteader’s measure 51. Active one
52. Soap block 53. Hokkaido language 54. Small amounts 55. Formerly, formerly
*Romantic destination
