Key West Weekly 23-0223

“An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile — hoping it will eat him last.” — Winston Churchill

February 23, 2023

CREATIVE SPACES

LOCAL ARTISTS OPEN THEIR STUDIOS FOR TOURS | P. 4

CONCH BASEBALL COMES OUT SWINGING KEY WEST UPSETS ST. THOMAS IN EMOTIONAL OPENER | P. 22

WHAT WILL THE STATE LEGISLATURE DO? A LOOK AT THE UPCOMING SESSION | P. 8

Changing to Better Serve You

Baptist Health Convenient Care Clinic, located at 5701 Overseas Hwy., Suite 17, in Marathon, has become part of Baptist Health Primary Care.

The clinic — an essential component of the healthcare fabric of this community — will now focus on offering primary care services for new and existing Baptist Health Primary Care patients with scheduled appointments. Same-day and next-day appointments, as well as virtual visits, will be available by calling 305-434-1400 or by visiting BaptistHealth.net/MarathonPC.

Mariners Hospital and Fishermen’s Community Hospital remain the options for emergency care in the Keys. Online urgent care is accessible via the Baptist Health PineApp, available from your device’s app store or via the QR code below. In addition, the PineApp provides online primary care scheduling, access to health records and much more. Further, Baptist Health continues to provide cardiology, gastroenterology, general surgery and orthopedic care in the Keys at our other medical practices.

We look forward to continuing to support the Florida Keys with healthcare services.

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The 65th running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 19 saw drivers racing 212 laps around the track due to two cautions at the end of the race, which forced two overtimes. According to ESPN, it’s the longest recorded race with a dozen more laps beyond the scheduled distance of the race due to car wrecks. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the race in a car owned by JTG Daugherty Racing.

GO INSIDE ARTISTS’ CREATIVE SPACES

THE STUDIOS OF KEY WEST OFFERS ARTIST STUDIO TOURS ON MARCH 4

Painter Meggi Siegert and other artists and writers will welcome visitors to their creative spaces during the March 4 Art Studio Tours, presented by The Studios of Key West, where Siegert’s paintings will be on exhibit March 4-25. MARK HEDDEN/Keys Weekly

CRICKET DESMARAIS

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Have you ever wanted to get inside an artist’s mind? What makes them tick? What materials do they use? How does the magic begin and where do they take it?

Seven Key West artists invite you to experience creativity through their eyes on Saturday, March 4 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at five great spaces during The Studios of Key West’s annual Artist Studio Tours. The self-guided journey is a walkable loop to five studios and homes located near the Key West Cemetery, making it easy for a quick peek or a full immersion in their creative worlds.

The tours are a favorite for artists and collectors alike, providing opportunities to connect and discover some of the deeper layers of each artist’s work.

“It is gratifying to know we all are making a go of the crazy efforts of creating,” said oil painter Rebecca Bennet. “It takes a great deal of faith, confidence and humor to keep the ball rolling ahead, to think of possibilities, to allow play. To aspire and have goals.”

Bennet is an artist at the “Writers and Artist House” at 524 Grinnell St., the fourth stop on the tour and also the studio of writers Rosalind Brackenbury and Jessica Argyle. Two gumbo limbo trees stand sentinel in front of the old and cozy house used exclusively for professional working artists and writers, including the beloved Annie Dillard and Robert Stone.

continued on page 7

From left, Rebecca Bennet, Jessica Argyle and Rosalind Brackenbury will show off their shared creative space during the Artist Studio Tours on March 4. CRICKET DESMARAIS/ Keys Weekly

operated by Damien, Cathy, Tiffany & Nikki.

continued from page 4

Argyle writes historical fiction set in the Lower Keys (and also makes clothes and paints!) and Brackenbury is a former Key West poet laureate and author of nearly two dozen books, including the forthcoming “Bone Whisperer.” The three women have found a camaraderie that connects solitude and encouragement — stories are read, feedback is offered, paintings are painted, unseen then seen. Highs and lows are felt, but so is the energy “when someone is on a roll,” says Bennet, who paints atmospheric landscapes with oils.

Other times, it’s solitary.

“I love starting something in a space that is mine, where I close the door, shut out the world and connect to something where I’m not sure of its outcome,” says Bennet. “I like the uncertainty in that and finding a way to make something real.”

But let’s start at the beginning of the tour with the distinctive pink Victorian house at 718 Olivia St. There, you will meet painter Meggi Siegert in “Mama’s art room,” the home studio space where she and her then-young children once made art.

“It also happens to be the room where the most stories have been told,” she says. Siegert uses oil on linen to paint portraits and figures — splendid dichotomies of exquisite resilience. Hold their gaze steadily and they just might tell you a story, too.

Second stop is the “Turtle House” at 835 Johnson Lane with painter Susan Sugar. The sea and sky are always moving, and Sugar has mastered capturing that dance of light, motion and mood on paper with watercolor. The New York/Key West artist’s background in dance and architecture is apparent — her space, which Coastal Living magazine has deemed an “artist’s paradise,” makes you feel like you’ve been lifted to a cloud Sugar painted just for you.

Third stop is 9 Gerome Ave. — across from the old Coffee Mill— with painter Scott Gruppee. Primarily an oil painter, Gruppee’s workspace and gardens are tucked behind a secret lane, where his expressive figures take on a vibrant landscape of their own.

Fifth stop is 509 Margaret St. with artist Mimi Hein. Helm brings form and humor to the fore with an installation of found objects and manikins.

“I love getting feedback and am always touched if something I’ve done resonates with someone else,” says designer and installation artist Hein. “For me, it’s all about connection.”

Whatever the medium, each artist’s space offers freedom to focus and a world of creativity if they show up to engage it. Stop in to meet them, listen in for some art wisdom. Art and books will be available for sale, and you just might be touched by some creative angels of your own.

Tickets are available at tskw.org, at 305296-0458, or on March 3 at the Olivia Street stop number 1. Tickets are $30 for nonmembers, $25 for members.

COUNTY COMMISSION WEIGHS TRAUMA STAR HELOS, SUPPORT FOR FWC AND MOSQUITO CONTROL

ALEX RICKERT alex@keysweekly.com

Discussion of new Trauma Star choppers, support for FWC initiatives and law enforcement, and continuing support of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District occupied much of the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners’ Feb. 15 meeting before giving way to an extended discussion on the county’s ongoing resilience, sustainability and water quality projects.

Sheriff Rick Ramsay opened the meeting with an update on the Trauma Star Air Ambulance program, conducted in a partnership between the Sheriff’s Office, which supplies pilots and a program director, and Monroe County Fire Rescue (MCFR), which provides flight paramedics and nurses.

The program’s Sikorsky S-76C+ helicopters are 22 years old – the average life expectancy for the aircraft is 25 years – and see extensive use, with 1,386 flights in the last year alone.

With replacement parts increasingly hard to find for the discontinued model, Ramsay said MCSO, MCFR and administrative staff have begun to explore replacement options. He touted the Leonardo AW139 aircraft as the lone available model that satisfies Trauma Star’s mission parameters, noting that similar models are in use by Miami Air Rescue and Palm Beach County Trauma District.

“Our mission profile is so specific based on our geographic distance,” said Ramsay. “We need speed, we need range, and we need lift.”

The three replacement birds would carry a price tag of $52 million to purchase outright, with a slight reduction if the manufacturer nixed extraneous features unnecessary for Trauma Star’s mission. Their lifespan is similar to the program’s current helicopters.

County administrator Roman Gastesi recommended the commission move forward with the purchase, with recommendations from staff coming soon about how to finance the new aircraft. The commission voted unanimously to direct Ramsay to move forward with preliminary negotiations to purchase the aircraft.

With increased state scrutiny on special taxing districts and mosquito control programs around the state, the commission unanimously approved a resolution supporting the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District’s continued responsibility for mosquito control activities in Monroe County.

Commenting on a recent trend of dissolving special taxing districts in an effort to move mosquito control operations under the umbrella of local governments, FKMCD board chairman Phil Goodman told the commission that, “These legislatures are trying to paint all (special taxing districts) with the same ugly brush, and that’s not the case. … We certainly welcome any form of performance review.”

Of the 62 state-authorized mosquito control entities in Florida, 42 are controlled by county governments while 15, including FKMCD, are controlled by special taxing districts. Goodman and FKMCD executive director Andrea Leal touted Monroe County as one of six larger “technology centers” for mosquito control, responsible for most technological advances in containment of the pests over the last 50 years.

Goodman said the district’s proactive approach, instead of the reactive response he described in Miami-Dade during South Florida’s dengue fever outbreak in 2022, can be credited for the Keys’ ability to combat diseases like the Zika virus and dengue.

“(Mosquito control) involves a lot of science to be effective, and I don’t think we would voluntarily take on that amount of learning,” said commissioner David Rice. “I did watch a video of the committee hearing in Tallahassee, and some of the members just said, ‘Let’s do away with all the taxing districts in the state.’ That level of knowledge in that position is frightening.”

“This is an attempt to fix something that’s completely not broken,” said commissioner Holly Raschein. “We’re the gold-star model for the nation.”

In other news:

• Following a presentation by attorney Robert Spottswood Jr., the commission unanimously approved a resolution expressing support for FWC’s artificial reef program in the Florida Keys, designed to create additional man-made structures in an effort to provide habitat and protect marine resources. The commission also committed to exploring establishment of its own artificial reef program within the county government, funded by the state, private citizens or grant money.

• The commission approved a resolution in support of bringing more FWC officers to the Keys while allowing officers to use digital photography as evidence, particularly in wildlife conservation cases and resource violations.

A Florida Keys Mosquito Control helicopter flies an aerial larvicide mission. At its Feb. 15 meeting, the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution in support of the program via a special taxing district.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT STAKE AS STATE SESSION APPROACHES

LATEST SENATE BILL ADDS PROTECTIONS TO KEYS’ 1,300 UNITS

JIM McCARTHY

jim@keysweekly.com

The Florida Legislature’s 60day session kicks off in Tallahassee on Tuesday, March 7. Legislators will consider policy changes to the state’s affordable housing crisis. They will mull a variety of funding requests and a number of key proposals from Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Hundreds of bills filed by legislators in the House and Senate range from a single-use plastic bag pilot project to banning dogs from sticking their heads out the window of a moving vehicle. For several weeks, House and Senate committees gathered to hear bill proposals and vote to move them through the process.

LATEST SENATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BILL SAFEGUARDS 1,300 UNITS FOR THE KEYS

A housing bill with massive implications for Florida and the Keys is making its way through Senate committees. Sponsored by state Sen. Alexis Calatayud, a Republican representing parts of Miami-Dade County, legislation would change policies and provide hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for affordable housing.

Importantly to the Keys, language recently included in Senate Bill 102 safeguards the 1,300 affordable housing units then-Florida Gov. Rick Scott initiated in May 2018 following Hurricane Irma. Under the initiative, renters of the units would need to evacuate within a 48-hour window of an impending storm.

The units went through a legal battle, as the Third District Court of Appeal (Third DCA) ruled the “early evacuation” requirement violated Florida Statute 380.0552(9)(a)2, which requires comprehensive plans of cities within the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern (ACSC), established in 1974, to “maintain a hurricane evacuation clearance time for permanent residents of no more than 24 hours.”

A request for the Third DCA to re-hear the case was denied, and the state Supreme Court on Jan. 13

rejected an escalation of the appeal, seemingly leaving a legislative fix as the only viable option.

Of all the municipalities that lost units in the stunning Aug. 3, 2022 reversal – 300 units each for Marathon, Islamorada and unincorporated Monroe County, with another 100 split between Key Colony Beach and Layton – the fate of the legislation is most crucial for Marathon, as it is the only city that has already allocated its units. As its own, separate Area of Critical State Concern designation outlined in 1984, Key West’s units were protected.

Per language within Senate Bill 102, “The Department of Economic Opportunity’s Keys Workforce Housing Initiative, approved by the Administration Commission on June 13, 2018, is considered an exception to the evacuation time constraints of section 380.0552(9)(a)2., Florida Statutes. A comprehensive plan amendment approved by the Department of Economic Opportunity to implement the initiative is hereby valid and the respective local governments may adopt local ordinances or regulations to implement such plan amendment.”

The proposed bill went before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Feb. 22. The legislation would need the legislature’s approval before it goes to DeSantis for approval or veto.

Key West and Islamorada have accepted, but not allocated, their units, while Monroe County has yet to fully accept the units, given the years-long legal challenges from environmental attorney Richard Grosso on behalf of residents in Key West, Islamorada and Marathon. In a Feb. 9 interview with the Keys Weekly, Grosso said the 24-hour evacuation limit is “there for a really good reason; it’s there to protect the people of the Keys.”

“The idea that it’s only a good idea until we can’t develop any more, and that it’s no longer important, is just incredibly reckless and dangerous. It flies in the face of the reality of the real-world limits to development in the Keys. … This is continued

pursuit for development at all costs,” he said.

Asked if he had a message for Marathon residents whose living situations hang in the balance with the fate of the 1,300 units, Grosso had a strong response.

“My message? What’s Marathon’s message to those people?” he said. “It’s not our responsibility that somebody was giving legal advice that it’s okay to build these units when they’re legally disputed. That wasn’t us.”

IS THIS THE YEAR FOR MOONEY’S RENTAL ASSISTANCE BILL?

Florida Keys State Rep. Jim Mooney is proposing a bill for the second straight year that would give landlords and tenants the option to enter into agreements for a fee in lieu of security deposit. Most landlords require first and last months’ rent plus a security deposit. For many renters, it’s a challenge to secure the thousands of dollars for move-in.

Per the proposal, tenants have the choice to stay with the fee throughout the course of the rental, if their landlord provides the fee in lieu of the security deposit option. The tenant can terminate the monthly fee any time and instead pay the full security deposit, according to legislation. By paying the monthly fee, tenants could have the opportunity to accumulate enough money to fully pay the security deposit.

“If the tenant decides after 6 months or a year, they’ve got a bonus and want to pay the $2,000 security deposit and last month’s rent, they’re clear to go and the fee is removed,” Mooney said. “This is an option to get in the front door initially.”

A tenant who pays a security deposit up front could get that money back under current security deposit rules, so long as there’s no damage to the apartment. That money is required to be secured in a certain kind of bank account.

Those who choose to pay the monthly fee, however, wouldn’t get that money back. Money collected by the landlords through the fee can be used at their discretion, such as for insurance.

House members on the Civil Justice Subcommittee approved the bill via a 13-4 vote on Feb. 9. Legislation was referred to the Judiciary Committee for consideration. Last year, Mooney’s bill passed through the House but didn’t garner approval from the Senate.

KEEPING AN EYE ON FUNDING REQUESTS FOR THE KEYS

Last year, the Florida Keys received a little more than $50 million for water quality projects, installation

of new water main and affordable housing, among other purposes. This session, Keys officials are hoping for that same level of funding — if not more.

Kate DeLoach is a lifelong Keys resident who works as a lobbyist with The Southern Group. Last year, she helped the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority secure $20 million to replace aging transmission lines. DeLoach said there will be a similar funding request this session.

“I’m telling people it’s our sewer system 2.0,” DeLoach told the Keys Weekly. “It’s a big project, and we’re chipping away at that by bringing in state dollars.”

DeLoach is also hoping to secure more money for an exterior hardening project at the Harry S. Truman Little White House in Key West. Last year, the museum received $250,000 for interior wall repair and stormstrengthening projects.

A total of $1.9 million secured through the state legislature supported 27 Keys affordable housing projects through local Habitat for Humanity organizations. DeLoach is hoping to have more success securing another round of appropriations for critical workforce housing.

DeSantis’ budget proposal includes $20 million for the Florida Keys Stewardship Act. But Keys officials are hoping funding, which supports critical nearshore water projects and acquisition of environmentally-sensitive land, is included in the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s budget every year. A bill filed by Mooney and state Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez would provide annual funding for the Stewardship Act.

If legislation passes this session, the Stewardship Act funds would come from 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.

“There’s something particularly special about the marine environments of the Florida Keys. That’s the pitch we usually make,” Lisa Tennyson, county legislative affairs director, told the Keys Weekly in February. “There’s a lot of competition for this special source of funding. We think we’re deserving of that.”

— Alex Rickert contributed to this article.

DONATED LETTERS OFFER GLIMPSE INTO CIVIL WAR-ERA KEY WEST

DAVID SLOAN GIVES DOCUMENTS TO MONROE COUNTY LIBRARY

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Researchers studying the history of the Florida Keys – and the Civil War – will get new insight into life on the island during that time, thanks to the donation by local author David Sloan of a collection of letters from a Union officer.

Sloan, author of numerous books about Keys history and culture, gave 47 letters dated from 1861 to 1865, with 172 total pages, to the Monroe County Public Library’s Florida Keys History Center. The letters are from John Peter Shindel Gobin, who was a captain with the 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment of the Union army. The regiment was stationed in Key West for two different periods during the Civil War.

“This is huge,” said Corey Malcom, lead historian at the Florida Keys History Center, thanking Sloan for his generosity and foresight. “This really will help change our understanding of Civil War history.”

Sloan acquired the letters after researching the history of his greatgreat-great-grandfather, David Livingston Sloan, who served in the 47th Pennsylvania. The Gobin letters had been in private hands since the Civil War.

Sloan said he donated them to the FKHC so they would be preserved, and so others could read them.

“This organization is the reason I am in Key West,” he said. In 1996, Sloan had moved to Key West and

was researching local lore in order to start a ghost tour. He wasn’t having much luck – until he met historian (now emeritus) Tom Hambright, who shared information from the archives.

“I feel I owe my life as it is to the Florida Keys History Center,” said Sloan, the author of “Ghosts of Key West” and owner of Ghost: Key West, which provides tours of the Civil War-era Fort East Martello museum.

Malcom and Sloan said the letters provide invaluable details about daily life on the island during the war, from coping with yellow fever – and boredom at Fort Zachary Taylor – to searching for romance.

“There’s a love story between the lines,” Sloan said. Gobin eventually married a woman he met in Key West. He returned to Pennsylvania after the war and served in the state senate and, from 1899 to 1903, as lieutenant governor of the state. He died in 1910.

Sloan said he hopes his donation will encourage others who may have documents to consider adding them to the FKHC collection.

Malcom said the FKHC will post the entirety of the letters online, so researchers everywhere can access them. He expects they will be of great interest not only to historians studying the Keys, but also to those looking for primary sources from the Civil War.

Wednesday Bible Study 7:30pm (on site)

Evangelist Rodrigue Aleandre Cell 305.296.3331

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‘‘Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord ’’

‒ I Corinthians 15:58 NKJV

David Sloan, left, and Corey Malcom look over Civil War-era letters, many of them from Key West, that Sloan donated to the Florida Keys History Center, led by Malcom. CONTRIBUTED

SHERIFF NAMES NEW HEAD OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS

ALLEN IS A 36-YEAR KEYS LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER

1,555 KEYS STUDENTS ARE LEARNING ENGLISH

SCHOOL BOARD HEARS ABOUT TEACHER RECRUITMENT

Two of the three Rs of education — reading, writing and “‘rithmetic,” — pose a bigger challenge to educators when the students don’t yet speak English.

The Monroe County school board on Feb. 14 heard an update about the school district’s current and ever-increasing population of foreignspeaking students, who are labeled “English Learners” in today’s educational parlance.

ers, but that number always increases at the end of the school year when many teachers decide to retire or move.

Anticipating the increase in departing teachers at the end of the school year, Russell is exploring several avenues for recruitment.

One option is to start accepting student teachers to work alongside certified teachers in classrooms as they complete their training, he said.

“They would be here for four months doing their student teaching requirements,” Russell said. “We’re hoping to develop relationships with them while they fall in love with Monroe County” so they’ll come back when they graduate.

TOM WALKER wwwkeysweekly.com

In 1987, a tall, gangly 19-yearold kid raised his right hand and took an oath to serve and protect the island on which he was raised. That oath came after Allen had worked as a kid bagging groceries at Fausto’s Food Palace

Thirty years later, Sgt. Robert Allen retired from the Key West Police Department, having worn nearly every hat in that agency, and left a three-decade law enforcement legacy that only six other individuals in the department can boast.

However, instead of taking advantage of well-earned days of retirement and enjoying his passion for boating, from the Florida Keys backcountry to the Bahamas, Allen was not ready to hang his worn-out leather gun belt on a hook in the back of his closet.

Allen joined the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 26, 2017, working as an inspector charged with ensuring the agency’s divisions were following rigorous standards and practices as dictated by the national Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) as well as the Florida Police Accreditation Coalition (FL-PAC).

Then on Feb. 13, Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay promoted Allen to the position of director of Internal Affairs and Professional Standards.

“I was happy to promote Director Allen to this position,” said Ramsay. “His background and experience in law enforcement make him a great fit and I know he will do well.”

During his tenure with KWPD, Allen worked initially as a patrol officer until a stint as a narcotics detective, during which he and his partner teetered on having their lives ended at the hands of a habitual felony offender, previously released on bond and accused of trafficking in narcotics.

On a chilly Key West November evening in 1989, Allen and Detective Sgt. Steve Hammers were on foot patrol at Thomas and Virginia streets in Bahama Village, at the time an area notorious for drug activity, when they encountered a suspicious individual sitting on the front porch of a vacant home where crack deals were a regular occurrence.

After initial contact, a struggle ensued wherein the suspect drew a weapon and shot Hammers twice in his lower abdomen. He then shot Allen in the groin and trained the gun on his face. Hammers, critically injured, was still able to return fire, saving the young narc’s life. But Allen was not out of the fight. Bleeding profusely from his femoral artery and immobile on the ground, Allen fired four more rounds at the attacker, who eventually succumbed to his wounds.

For the full story, see keysweekly.com

The countywide school district has more than 1,555 students — about one in five — who speak other languages at home, administrator Natalie Liz reported. Two-thirds of those students were born outside the United States, she said.

Monroe County students hail from 36 countries and speak dozens of languages, she said, adding that the district continues to implement various programs to ensure those students succeed.

The top “countries of origin” for Keys students who are learning English include: United States, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico and Uzbekistan, Liz reported.

In keeping with the influx of migrants coming into the Florida Keys, the number of Cuban students has increased by 66 in recent months, while the number of Haitian students has increased by 20 this year.

Currently, Stanley Switlik Elementary School in Marathon and Horace O”Bryant School in Key West have the most Spanish-speaking students, with 121 and 119, respectively, Liz noted.

“We’ve implemented new strategies to guide the initial placement of students in classes, based on their current English proficiency,” Liz said.

STAFF RECRUITMENT

The state of Florida is expected to need 6,000 teachers next year, reported Harry Russell, executive director of personnel support and instructional leadership for Monroe County Schools.

Monroe County currently has 62 job openings, including six for teach-

Russell also sees some potential in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ initiative to turn military veterans into teachers by providing a streamlined certification process.

Russell said Monroe County may be in a unique position to capitalize on that initiative, given the number of military personnel, military spouses and others in the Florida Keys.

He’s also working with Florida colleges and universities to get Monroe County School District on their lists of potential employers and is traveling the state to meet with near-future teachers on college campuses.

The most recent school board meeting in Key West also drew the now-typical appearances by conservative speakers from the public — with and without kids in the local school district. Three speakers urged a national search for the next superintendent.

Speaker Christine Miller of Big Pine Key again called for the Ten Commandments to be posted in all classrooms, urged a national search for the next superintendent and encouraged the school board to hire a superintendent who will “ban the LGBTQ and woke agendas in schools.”

Bethany Bartlett of Duck Key warned against children’s “loss of innocence” amid today’s “sexual revolution,” while speaking against critical race theory, which is not taught in any Monroe County schools.

For the record, Superintendent Theresa Axford has not announced her retirement. Although her contract ends July 31, 2024, Axford could seek a contract extension or could apply for the superintendent opening. She has made no decision about retirement, Axford told the Keys Weekly last month.

Robert Allen’s fiancee Tracie Pinder and Inspector General Lee Ann Holroyd pin bars on newly promoted MCSO Director Robert Allen. ADAM LINHARDT/Monroe County Sheriff’s Office

MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com

SOMEONE YOU SHOULD MEET...

MARJORIE PERRY IS HERE TO SERVE

When Marjorie Perry rises, she shines.

“The thought of, ‘What difference can I make today?’ motivates me every day,” she says. “My motto is, ‘I’m here to serve.’”

In August 2022, her passion for service was further illuminated when Perry became a college success coach with Take Stock in Children, a program that helps students who might not ordinarily have the means for higher education obtain a mentor and a four-year scholarship as early as in the sixth grade. Eligible middleschool students and their parents sign contracts. Students pledge to stay in school and out of trouble while maintaining a C average. They are paired with a mentor with whom they meet weekly. And the program handles the rest, raising money from the community to fund as many scholarships as there are eligible students in Monroe County using the Florida Prepaid College program that locks in tuition rates when the scholarships are purchased, even if the student won’t be attending college for another several years.

“I change the lives of students while teaching them self-advocating skill sets,” Perry says. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for me to follow my lifelong passion of helping those at risk of being left behind or forgotten.”

Prior to her work with TSIC, Perry worked with federal government information infrastructure protection for more than 25 years.

“I led the information systems management team in the U.S. Department of State for several years,” Perry says, adding that she worked regularly with then-Secretary of State Colin Powell and other top federal officials.

She is now paying it forward to a new generation of workforce-ready professionals.

“I hope to connect them to our community youth to design a win-win solution,” she says.

The Portsmouth, Virginia native arrived in the Florida Keys in 2015 to manage a former mentee’s cybersecurity contract at Truman Annex. Her intention was to stay six months, but

she bought a home in Big Pine Key a year later, and lives there now with her 3-year-old pit bull, Negan.

“I’ve discovered that you’re never too old to have fun, that no one in the Keys rushes for anything or anybody, so adjust your time accordingly,” she said. “And life is way too short not to appreciate the beauty surrounding me every day that many folks take for granted.”

She is a Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce and Rotary member and a member of Road Diva, one of the oldest motorcycle clubs in the country, and participates in charity rides such as Samaritan Shoes.

“We would ride into town, sit folks down to personally wash their feet, then place new socks and shoes on those we served in that community,” she says. “It was one of the more humbling events in my life.”

If there’s time left after all that, Perry goes fishing, supports friends who perform or facilitate events throughout the Keys, and visits family in Virginia, Tennessee and Massachusetts.

She asks those who might have two to four hours a month to consider the Take Stock In Children program, as they are always in need of mentors who can change a student’s life over lunch with a friendly ear and an open mind.

What’s something you’d like to learn? I would love to get my pilot’s license.

Who is your hero? Wonder Woman. She’s the total package. But a real-life hero is Colin Powell, who would tell me when he saw I was having a bad day, ‘Get mad, then get over it. It’s not as bad as you may think. Things will look better in the morning.’

Words to live by? You never know how a smile will change a person’s day

Contact her at Marjorie.Perry@KeysSchools.com for details. Be sure to ask her about the difference engagement makes.

“The results of my actions are reflected in each life I’ve touched,” she says. “Every night, when the events of the day flash in my mind’s eye, I ask myself with a smile on my face, ‘Did I do that?’ My answer is, ‘Yes, you did.’”

Marjorie Perry and Negan. CRICKET DESMARAIS/Keys Weekly

GARRETT DANIEL HUGHES

NOV. 13, 2001- FEB. 13, 2023

Garrett Daniel Hughes, beloved son, brother, grandson, cousin and friend, went to be with the Lord on Feb. 13, 2023, at the age of 21. Garrett brought laughter, joy and happiness to everyone around him. He had a smile that could light up a room and a heart as big as the ocean. His passion for life, living every day to its fullest, was evident to all who knew him. He will be remembered for his fierce loyalty to his family and friends and the love he had for his home town.

He is survived by his parents, Lesley Touzalin and John and Tiffany Hughes; his brothers Zachary Morgan Hughes (Olivia), Carson Alexander Hughes, Luke Jaxon Hughes, Andrew Cain Freeman (Olivia) and Cade Joseph Freeman; grandparents Jack and Gwen Hughes, Norma and Steve Touzalin, and Bill and Mary Chase; uncles Christopher Hughes (Kay), Phillip Touzalin, Donnie Preston (Maria); aunts Renee’ (Erick) Sockol, and Neda (Michael) Jackson; cousins Wyatt Hughes, Cain Hughes, Callie Mellili, Ashlee Touzalin, Alyssa Touzalin, Devyn Sockol, Blaine Preston, Jada Preston, Preston Jackson, Zoey Jackson, and Zander Jackson; girlfriend Micah Hayden; and many loving relatives and friends.

Garrett was born Nov. 13, 2001, in Miami, Florida, but his family moved to Key West in 2002 and he spent his life growing up in a community he loved, playing sports and exploring the local waters. His youth was spent on ballfields where he played baseball, basketball, football and lacrosse. He developed a deep passion for the sea and spent as much time as he could fishing, diving or hanging out at the beach with family and friends. An energetic boy with a magnetic personality, he made deep friendships in his early days that would last throughout his lifetime.

SCHOLARSHIP SEASON BEGINS AT KEY WEST HIGH SCHOOL

CAN YOUR BUSINESS OR ORGANIZATION HELP LOCAL STUDENTS?

As he entered Key West High School, he focused his attention on football and lacrosse and was a standout athlete on both teams. His tenacity and fierce competitive spirit drove him to work hard on and off the field. He also became part of the Key West Fire Academy and upon graduation from high school in 2020, he considered it a possible career. His love of the water won out and he spent his days serving as a first mate and reveling in the daily catches and his ability to “never work a day in his life.”

He loved his Key West community and was so proud to grow up as a Conch, with all of the traditions and close family ties that make this island special. Giving back was important to him and he volunteered as a coach for Key West High School and Horace O’Bryant School football as well as the lacrosse youth leagues.

Though his time on this earth was short, he made an impact on all who met him and was a true friend to many. His family is grateful for the tremendous outpouring of love and support during this difficult time.

A funeral service took place on Feb. 18 at The Basilica Saint Mary Star of the Sea Church, with a celebration of Garrett’s life after the service at the Stock Island Yacht Club. Donations can be made to an account in the name of Garrett “Cheeto” Hughes at the Monroe County Teachers Federal Credit Union on Kennedy Drive. DeanLopez is handling the service arrangements.

Scholarship application season is underway at Key West High School for the Class of 2023 as they prepare for graduation in May. Last year, over 100 scholarships were offered to KWHS graduates by local organizations and private family foundations. These included awards based on academic merit, financial need, minority status and other criteria. Some scholarships require a specific study field such as nursing, engineering, law studies, firefighting and teaching. However, most scholarships apply to any college study program, and are awarded based on merit, need, essay writing, music, sports involvement, community service or for overcoming a hardship. KWHS graduates in 2022 were awarded almost $500,000 in local scholarships.

“We are very grateful for the many scholarships offered to our students as they embark on their college dreams,” said Larry Schmiegel, KWHS principal. “We would also welcome new awards, as our goal is for every student to have the chance to continue their education with some financial support and recognition.”

Students are looking to match their abilities and interests with a college degree or vocational training program that leads to gainful employment. With growing or emerging career fields such as cybersecurity, computer gaming, data analytics, pharmacology, chemical engineering, immigration law and climate studies, there’s a lot to choose

from. There’s a sizable investment to consider: The average cost of attendance at Florida universities and colleges in 2019 was $19,123 for Florida residents. This includes tuition, fees, books, supplies, room & board (on-campus) and other living expenses.

At KWHS, 28% of graduates will attend a university while 33% will attend a state college. Additionally, about 9% enlist in the armed forces or vocational academies where they receive specific job training and educational benefits.

“Our students are weighing out a lot of things as they prepare for life after high school,” said Lydia Estenoz, college and career counselor at KWHS. “We compile information to build a big picture that is essentially their future. The more difficult pieces usually include cost of attendance, financial aid, test scores, admission and for some students, immigration and residency status. All of these pieces go into building a pathway to their dream career.”

Scholarship winners are announced at the annual Class Night ceremony, which will be held this year on Wednesday, May 24.

If your business, organization, foundation or private family would like to set up a scholarship, or make a donation to an existing scholarship fund in honor of a person or cause, please contact Estenoz at Lydia. estenoz@keysschools.com or 305-293-1549 ext. 54307.

— Contributed

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KEY WEST MAKES

TRIPADVISOR’S TOP 10

DESTINATIONS

OUR ISLAND RANKS 7TH; NEW YORK CITY IS NO. 1

MALLORY SEAPORT BACK TO THE FUTURE

Dear Editor,

As the Key West cruise ship debate subsides into a normal, routine schedule of ship calls at Pier B, it is useful to revisit at least one early argument set forth by cruise ship opponents. Because Pier B is a private entity lawfully engaged in interstate and international commerce that benefits a significant portion of our economy, we can expect to see ships there indefinitely into the future.

Though that fact may rankle some, many others in Key West see it as a positive. Clearly, both sides in the issue can claim some measure of success -- an entirely uncommon phenomenon in our divided country.

The City of Key West, though enjoying over $1.5M per year in revenue from Pier B ships, can no longer claim to exercise supervision over operations at that facility. By falling for Safer Cleaner Ships’ (SCS) demand to reject last year’s compromise worked out between the city’s attorneys and Pier B owners, the city commission ensured that Pier B can no longer be considered an administrative part of the Port of Key West. That is the result of the misleading politics of SCS leaders. It is all the more regrettable because the mayor and some commissioners inexplicitly continue to bestow political power on SCS. Commissioners are so politically fearful of SCS that they reject the most benign and cordial invitations to attend traditional onboard plaque presentation ceremonies for the initial calls of new ships, even as they accept significant passenger fees from those same ships.

When the city breached the Outer Mole dockage agreement with the Navy, the Port of Key West was reduced to only one commercial pier – the historic Mallory Seaport.

Safer Cleaner Ships spokesmen promised voters that so-called “smaller, safer and cleaner” ships would flock to Key West, presumably docking at Mallory. We all know that was never true, and was one of their false flags. In a recent attempt to rally their dwindling base, leaders are publicly calling out Caribe Nautical as the architect of the continuing flow of ships to Pier B and the exclusion of smaller ships to Mallory. That accusation is designed to gull Key Westers and is completely ignorant of the facts.

Caribe Nautical has never been granted any authority to schedule or restrict ships into Key West. We are merely a clearinghouse for berth requests that can only be approved by Pier B or the city’s port director in the case of Mallory.

TripAdvisor has named Key West among the 10 most popular domestic visitor destinations in its 2023 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best awards.

Key West ranks seventh on the roster of the United States’ domestic destinations. It is one of three Florida cities listed among Tripadvisor’s top 25, with Miami Beach ranked fifth and St. Augustine 19th. New York City claimed the No. 1 spot.

“Key West offers a laid-back and warm embrace to its visitors — an atmosphere and a welcome that continue to draw people from around the U.S. and the world to share that experience,” said Stacey Mitchell, director of the Florida Keys tourism council.

TripAdvisor’s awards listing praised Key West for its refreshingly slow pace, history as a haven for U.S. presidents and literary legends Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams, exceptional diving and the kid-friendly Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center.

The awards are the highest honors bestowed by TripAdvisor, billed as the world’s largest travel guidance platform. Award winners are selected annually based on millions of reviews and opinions collected from travelers around the world.

More information is at tripadvisor.com/travelerschoice-destinations.

— Contributed

As a matter of fact, there have always been a small number of boutique ships that have called on Key West and wish to continue to do so. Inexplicably, SCS applied pressure on the commission to write and pass Resolution 22-073, effectively closing Mallory to all but the smallest possible of passenger vessels.

The resolution prohibits any ship from Mallory if there is a ship at Pier B unless the ship carries 500 or fewer persons. Trying to salvage credibility, SCS orchestrated that pointedly severe restriction after recognizing their fund-raising promise to control ships at Pier B had predictably dissipated.

Ironically, when the city diminished their own authority over the Port by passing the resolution, they canceled 22 scheduled port calls of the very same size ships that SCS professed they wanted to encourage in the nullified referenda of 2020. At that time, SCS professed to welcome any ship that carried 1,300 total persons or less. Those were indeed the “exclusive” ships that met their elitist gauge of desirably moneyed passengers.

I say, so be it. Let us return to those criteria and welcome to Mallory Seaport the smaller ships that carry fewer than 1,301 persons. As a ships’ agent, I assure you that change to City Resolution 22-073 would result in perhaps only about 20 ship calls per year at Mallory. That is a reasonable number even if there is a ship at Pier B.

Over the past two years, the City Commission has willfully presided over the demise of the historic Port of Key West. Therefore, I respectfully urge commissioners to reconsider their course and take back our historic port by amending the over-restrictive ship size criteria in Resolution 22073. Please restore the 200-year-old Mallory Seaport by allowing the very same ship sizes advocated by SCS in their overruled 2020 referendum. Also retract the self-defeating language that prohibits ships at Mallory if privately-owned Pier B has a ship alongside.

Who among our commissioners will step forward and champion such a courageous step back to the future?

Sincerely, John

E. Wells, Ships’ agent

... 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.

Red-shouldered hawks are the car alarms of the raptor world, always going off and making a racket for reasons unclear. At least, this is how it felt to me recently.

My wife and I just roadtripped up to north Florida for a friend’s epic birthday party. (Damn, Tracey Holst, you make 60 look good.) Afterward, my wife beelined back to Key West with a friend and I spent a couple days wandering around Florida backroads, working on a photo project.

I drove about 2,500 miles, by rough estimation, and I wasn’t really looking for birds. But every third or fourth time I got out of the truck, I’d hear a red-shouldered hawk screaming its fool head off, a loud kee-YA, kee-YA, kee-YA, that comes off as exactly the kind of sound you expect a hawk to make if you were making up the call from your imagination. (The most straight- from-central-casting raptor call is the red-tailed hawk, which is so much what you expect to hear from a bird of prey that it is often used to dub the call of the bald eagle, because the real-life bald eagle call sounds kind of wussy.)

Winter is apparently breeding season for red-shouldered hawks in Florida. This time of year they could be building nests or sitting on eggs. It’s still a little early for hatching. But whenever I heard a red-shoulder going off on this trip, I would look around for a predator like a crow, or another hawk, or an owl, and there was nothing to be seen.

There’s that line from “To Kill A Mockingbird” when Miss Maudie, the housekeeper, says it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird because “they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us.” Which maybe is what’s been going on with the red-shoulders, though I think maybe they weren’t singing their hearts out for us, but just for the hell of it. Maybe their singing, like opera or Tori Amos, is an acquired taste.

Often, it feels if you try to generalize about birdlife in Florida, the Keys end up requiring an asterisk. (Actually, most times, if you try to generalize about anything in Florida, the Keys end up requiring an asterisk.) But the red-shouldered hawk mostly evades that asterisk, as they are pretty common in the Keys. South Florida actually has its own subspecies of red-shouldered hawks, Buteo lineatus extimus, which is paler and smaller than other red-shoulders.

& A LOT OF REDSHOULDERED HAWKS

I see them pretty regularly in Big Pine, Big Torch and the backcountry islands. The Florida population doesn’t migrate, which makes them the one hawk that you can reliably find in the Keys year-round.

The one place they are rare? Key West.

I’m not sure why they eschew Key West proper. Red-shoulders are known to breed in suburban and urbanized areas, sometimes nesting as close as 6 feet from a building and 3 feet from a highway.

In one species account I read from 1930, the author described all the various ways he went about trying to disturb red-shoulders from their nests.

“After the bird has deposited her full set (of eggs) she is always found on the nest, and rarely slips off until the tree is smartly rapped, or loud shouts are given, or sticks thrown up at the nest.

“She is often a close sitter and even this does not seem to bother her. I have thrown sticks and had them strike the nest only to have her flit up, and again settle upon the eggs. Often after rapping you are forced to ascend, and then sometimes she leaves the nest softly as an owl, but more often emits wild piercing screams. I once went up to a nest on a windy day and touched the bird’s tail once and still she remained. The second time she dashed off like a bullet,” wrote Donald J. Nicholson in the Wilson Bulletin, one of the premier ornithological journals of the era (and today).

“One day I visited five nests, and the first bird carried away my cap in her talons and struck me such a severe blow that it gave me a bad headache, and left a scratch on my forehead. At two more nests I was attacked and struck upon the head. Many other times this has happened.

“This bird coming swiftly as an arrow directly for your head, screaming wildly, gives a timid soul the shivers, and unless you wildly wave your arms and shout. most likely she will give you a stiff blow that will put fear into you, and respect for their bravery,” Nicholson continued.

Ornithological methods have changed since then, and just to be clear, harassing a bird like that is absolutely wrong in modern times, and was pretty wrong then. Also illegal. But it does go to show that red-shoulders are no shrinking violets, and not shy of humanity. Which makes you think they could thrive in Key West, especially with the seemingly neverending supply of doves, pigeons, free-roaming poultry, and young iguanas. But no. They decline to breed here.

Which is not to say I’ve never seen a redshoulder in Key West. I saw one from a boat in Key West Harbor once, circling slowly in the breeze, the translucent panels at the outer edges of the bird’s wing glowing when it was backlit.

And once, in what was perhaps my favorite sighting of a red-shouldered hawk ever, I saw one perched in the top of the giant kapok tree in front of the Harvey Government Center at the corner of Truman Avenue and White Street. I was pumping gas at the Dion’s when I saw it. I grabbed my binoculars at first, then caught a few frames with my camera. Despite all the rumbling trucks and honking scooters and incoming airliners, it stayed for quite a while, slowly surveying the world below, giving no clue about what it found to be unsuitable about this last little bit of old Florida.

2,500 MILES

A juvenile red-shouldered hawk in Key West. MARK HEDDEN/Keys

MARK HEDDEN

RALPH MORROW

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

SPORTS & MORE

QUARTERBACKS ON THE MOVE

Pro football players, quarterbacks in particular, are on the move, some by choice, others not so much.

in waiting. Otherwise, why take the offensive coordinator job in Washington?

The new head coaches are the Carolina Panthers’ Frank Reich, the Denver Broncos’ Sean Payton, and the Houston Texans’ DeMeco Ryans, the only black head coach to land one of the five openings.

KEY WEST COMMUNITY HONORS GARRETT HUGHES

Conch Baseball game opens with moment of silence for young victim

ralphmoro1936 @gmail.com

Some may have already joined new teams. We have been waiting to hear about the moves even as the general managers try to fill out their rosters before the draft of college players. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers could be leaving the Green Bay Packers. Or he could be staying for a nice increase in salary. Or he could be retiring.

Likewise for Lamar Jackson, who missed the last six games of the Baltimore Ravens’ season due to illness. But Jackson isn’t retiring. The Ravens will probably put a franchise tag on Jackson, so he won’t be moving. Quarterback Derek Carr has already been cut by the Las Vegas Raiders and as a free agent can take his pick of the teams that want him.

Justin Fields didn’t exactly light the Chicago Bears on fire, so there’s a chance the Bears will drop him from their roster and add a free agent. Because Fields did not produce, the Bears have the top draft pick, which they could use themselves or could trade to another team, perhaps the Indianapolis Colts, who are desperate for a high draft pick.

The New York Giants are hoping to retain quarterback Daniel Jones, although Jones has changed agents, which could complicate things.

Miami, for a change, isn’t looking to move quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. They’re not even looking to move up the draft ladder as they don’t have a pick in the first round.

There are apparently four college quarterbacks listed at the top of the draft rung. They are, probably in order, Alabama’s Bryce Young, who won the Heisman a year ago; Ohio State’s CJ Stroud; Florida’s Anthony Richardson and Kentucky’s Will Levis.

There are several new pro coaches, which are new names to me. One offensive coordinator, who is known, however, is Eric Bieniemy, moving from the champion Kansas City Chiefs to the Washington Commanders. He’ll also be the assistant head coach and maybe head coach

With the Super Bowl in the books (Kansas City won, in case you missed it), next on the NFL schedule is the scouting combine Feb. 28 to March 6 in Indianapolis.

(President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden clearly didn’t miss the Super Bowl. “I’d be sleeping alone if I weren’t a fan of the Eagles,” the president said. It seems his wife is a major Eagles fan who attended the Super Bowl. The president stayed home in Washington and watched as most of us did – on television.)

The combine is a prelude to the college players draft, which will be held April 27-29 in Kansas City, Missouri. If you Miami Dolphin fans have been trying to forget it, Miami will forfeit its first round pick (which would have been No. 21) this year and their third-round pick next year following an investigation into whether the team (that’s owner Stephen M. Ross) violated league policies.

As noted above, Chicago has the top draft choice for playing so poorly, while Houston, likewise, has the second choice. Whoever claims Chicago’s top choice and Houston’s will pick quarterbacks, probably Young and Stroud. After that, the picks for a while will be non-quarterbacks.

That’s enough football.

The National Basketball Association held its All-Star festivities last weekend. The Slam Dunk winner was Mac McClung, who is playing in the minor leagues. Team Giannis won the All-Star game, 184-175, over Team Lebron. Leading scorer was Jayson Tatum with a record 55 points. He was named the MVP.

In golf, Jon Rahm won the Genesis Invitational at 17 under. Tiger Woods, who hadn’t played in some time, made the cut and finished tied for 45th place at 1 under. Afterward, Woods said he would only be playing in major tournaments and a few others the rest of his career.

In NASCAR, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. took advantage of coming out of an accident as the leader and won the Daytona 500 in the second overtime.

The Key West High School baseball team, led by coach Ralph Henriquez, and several hundred community members pause before the Feb. 17 game at Rex Weech Field to pay tribute to Garrett Hughes, a KWHS graduate and former athlete who died in a tragic shooting earlier this month. ELLA HALL/Keys Weekly

An “LLGH” banner at Rex Weech Field baseball complex honors the lost life of Garrett Hughes, declaring, ‘Long Live Garrett Hughes.’ ELLA HALL/Keys Weekly

THE SCOREBOARD

MIKKEL ROSS

THIS WEEK IN KEYS SPORTS

“Mikkel is a workhorse. She is constantly trying to get better, perfect her form and lift heavier than anyone else. Her competitive spirit drives her.”

— Marathon weightlifting coach Jessie Schubert

An athlete like Mikkel Ross does not come around very often, and fortunately for Marathon, Ross spreads her talent to multiple sports. Her work ethic and drive are infectious. Ross is a positive influence on those around her, and she is as humble as she is talented. Her fifth-place medal in the Olympic competition at the state weightlifting championships last weekend was a feat no other Keys lifter managed this season, but Ross has already raised the bar for herself next season.

“Mikkel hates to lose, she takes it personally, and she’s already looking ahead to how she can improve and build on her accomplishments next year,” said Schubert.

For her unyielding drive, stellar accomplishments and the influential leadership she uses to make her team better, Mikkel Ross is this week’s Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.

Junior, Marathon Weightlifting

Marathon junior Mikkel Ross. CONTRIBUTED

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

PLAY BALL!

Marathon wins big in opener; Key West, Coral Shores stand tall against tough preseason opponents

Key West delivered an upset win to a packed crowd on Feb. 17, beating 6A St. Thomas Aquinas 1-0. The 4A Conchs held the Raiders to just 2 hits over 6 ½ innings, keeping their composure until the moment was right to make their attack.

That moment came in the bottom of the 6th inning, when Wyatt Kuhn made it to first on a bunt. With 1 out and hopes of winning dwindling, Anden Rady hit a sacrifice fly, enabling Kuhn to score the lone run of the game. Southpaw Jacob Burnham went 5 innings, giving way to closer Andris Barroso on the mound.

The following night, Key West got an early lead, scoring 3 runs in the 1st inning and 3 more in the second of their preseason game against Taravella. The Conchs added a run in the 5th inning to make it 7, enough to hold their lead and win the game. The 7A Trojans out of Coral Springs didn’t go down without a fight, scoring 5 runs in the 6th inning, but it was too little too late to beat the Conchs at home. Jack Haggard had a double and a triple while Michael Greenberg doubled and Anthony Lariz singled. The Conchs open their regular season schedule against Westminster on Feb. 24.

Coral Shores faced the same opponents as Key West, battling to a 2-2 tie against Taravella on Feb. 17. Andrew Putetti had 1 hit and a walk in 3 atbats, scoring 1 run, and Dylan Bloom

had a hit and an RBI. Campbell Lavoie and Tate Brumbalow shared pitching duties, giving up just 4 hits in 7 innings.

Against St. Thomas the following night, Coral Shores was up 6-1 until a 4th-inning rally from the Raiders was enough to steal the game. The ’Canes scored 4 in the 7th, but it would be shy of what they needed to defeat St. Thomas. The final score was a 9-7 loss for the Hurricanes. Lavoie, Bloom, Hugh Connolly, Ezekiel Myers, Donovan Thiery and Riley O’Berry each had a hit in the preseason match. The ’Canes opened their regular season on Feb. 21 against ABF Homestead.

Marathon waited until it counted to play its first game, facing the Panthers of Everglades Prep on opening day at home. The Fins earned a decisive 12-0 win by slugging 9 runs in the 3rd inning in the mercy-rule victory. Dylan Ziels had 2 hits, a double and a triple, to lead Marathon in batting. Micah Sauders had a pair of singles in 2 at-bats. Dylan Globe, Tommy Norris, Bryan Broche, Gabe Leal, Gavin Leal and Mason Thornton had one hit apiece.

On the mound, Ryan Yablon went 3 innings, striking out nine and giving up just one hit with no runs. Dylan Ziels and Bryan Broche each went one inning to close out the game. Marathon faces Ransom Everglades on Friday, Feb. 24 in a rematch of last year’s SFBC championship game.

Key West Conchs celebrate their win over St. Thomas Aquinas on Feb. 17 in Key West. ELLA HALL/Keys Weekly. See more game photos at keysweekly.com

Marathon’s Bryan Broche, left, with a close play at second. BARRY GAUKEL/ Keys Weekly

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

LACROSSE FACES OFF

Season is underway at Coral Shores and Key West

The start of the spring sports season in Florida gives way to lacrosse, one of the newer sports in the Keys. Both Key West and Coral Shores have boys and girls teams, all of which have seen action commence. In girls lacrosse, Key West started off its season with a W, beating Gulliver on the road on Feb. 16. The Lady Conchs outscored the Raiders 15-3. In Upper Keys action, the Lady ’Canes split a pair of games, traveling to Gulliver on Feb. 14 for a 7-4 win before falling to Westminster at home in a close 6-5 loss on Feb. 16.

ELLA HALL/Keys Weekly. See more game photos at keysweekly.com

Key West’s boys started their season off on the wrong side of the win column. They played Gulliver on Feb. 14th, taking on the Raiders at home for a 14-6 loss. On Feb. 16, they traveled to Palmetto, losing 16-5, and on Feb. 18, Barron Collier made the long trip to the Keys to take on the Conchs in The Backyard. Key West lost the game 13-1. The Conchs could end their slide and even up their record next week with three games scheduled.

Coral Shores played three games in a five-day span with mixed results. On Feb. 13, the ’Canes lost at home to Gulliver, 15-6. Two days later, they made the long trip to North Broward Prep, where a 19-11 barn-burner made the drive well worth it. Two nights later they took on Coral Reef at home for an 11-8 loss.

The Key West Conchs boys lacrosse team opened its season with a showdown against the Gulliver Prep Raiders on Feb. 14.

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Spectacular waterfront land directly adjacent to Geiger Key Marina. Almost three quarters of an acre with a single family house that can be rebuilt in place. Truly spectacular location and views with great boating access.

$1,990,000

DAWN THORNBURGH BROKER ASSOCIATE

O ce: 305.294.8433

Cell: 305.304.1067

info@kwreal.com

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

COME FOR THE FOOD. STAY FOR THE VIEW.

WORLD FAMOUS LOBSTER PIZZA

TOP RATED GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA AND VEGETARIAN MENU

WE LOVE KIDS & DOGS

FRESH AUTHENTIC ITALIAN CUISINE

AVOID THE LONG DRIVE TO MIAMI AND HAVE ALL YOUR CHILDREN’S NEEDS MET RIGHT HERE IN THE FLORIDA KEYS.

Dr. Christina Smith DDS is now accepting new patients and is thrilled to be part of the 7-time Bubba Award-winning Doc Guzman’s o ce.

STANDOUT CITIZENS

ENGLISH FAMILY LEFT ITS MARK IN KEY WEST

The future Key West resident James D. English was born in 1816 and lived in St. Augustine, Florida. He grew up in the era of slavery as a free and educated Black man. English stayed in St. Augustine for more than three decades, found success as a popular barber, married, and had a child who was born on April 15, 1847. They named him Nelson Francis De Sales English.

And then, English did what many of us have either done or dreamed of doing; he packed up his life and his family and moved to the Florida Keys. When they arrived circa 1850, they appeared to have acclimated into their new community quite well, as their patriarch became one of the island’s prominent citizens. English served as a county commissioner from 1868-1877, and in the late 1870s, he became a member of the Monroe County school board. He was the first black man to serve in either position.

When the family arrived in Key West, Nelson was a boy of 3 or 4 years old, or maybe a little older. Nelson grew up in Key West and attended Catholic and public schools. Math appeared to be a favorite subject as he was diligent with numbers and became known around the island as an excellent bookkeeper and accountant. However, his impact on Florida Keys history would not be limited to his ability to keep a clean ledger.

FLORIDA KEYS HISTORY WITH BRAD BERTELLI

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

In 1882, his father, James D. English, passed away and was buried in the Key West Cemetery. That same year, Nelson English was appointed the postmaster of the Key West Post Office. Only 33 years old, he became Key West’s youngest and first black postmaster. Well, most accounts suggest he was 33 when he became postmaster, but the math does not quite fit. Based on his birth date, April 15, 1847, he would have been 34 or 35.

When his term ended in 1886, Postmaster Jefferson B. Browne became his successor, and Browne appointed English his assistant postmaster. Before he retired, English served the community at the post office for over two decades.

In addition to working as an accountant and at the post office, he worked at the Custom House. English was also a talented musician who, along with his friend Frank Welters, formed the Welters Cornet Band in the early 1900s. In its heyday, the 1920s-1930s, the band had more than 30 players and singers when they marched in parades and led funeral processions down the streets of Key West.

Nelson married Julia E. Post, born in Key West on Christmas Day in 1855. She grew up to be a teacher at the Douglass School, a school for the island’s black children that opened its doors in 1870 in the Bahama Village section of Key West. The two married in 1873 and would have five successful children named Irene, Grace, George, James and Leo.

James Nelson English was born in 1880 and earned a doctorate in mathematics from the University of Chicago before coming home to Key West, where he was the principal of the Douglass School

Nelson English. MONROE COUNTY LIBRARY COLLECTION/Contributed

from 1914-1922. In 1922, he moved to New York and taught in the New York public school system for 25 years. Their youngest child, Leo Victor English, was born in 1887 and became a medical doctor who served the Toledo, Ohio, community for nearly 50 years.

Nelson and Julia both died in their 60s, Nelson in 1914 and Julia four years later in 1918.

Both were buried in the Key West Cemetery. Over time, the burial site of Nelson English became another of the unmarked graves in the cemetery where the Historic Florida Keys Foundation runs its Key West Cemetery Tours. In 2016, funds raised from the tours were used to commission two gravestones to mark two previously unmarked graves.

One gravestone was created to honor Ellen Welters Sanchez, the daughter of Frank Welters – Nelson English’s founding partner in the Welters Cornet Band. The marker now commemorates her work as a teacher, musician and composer who wrote the song “The Beautiful Isle of Key West,” among others.

The other gravestone was created to mark the final resting place of Nelson Frances De Sales English, born on April 15, 1847, and who passed away at the age of 66 on Oct. 5, 1914.

In honor of his service to the Key West community, a park created at the corner of Thomas Street and Catherine Street was dedicated as the Nelson English Park on Feb. 16, 1934. During the ceremony, the Welters Cornet Band provided the music.

A bust of Nelson English is one of 39 historic Key West figures found in the Key West Historic Memorial Sculpture Garden at Mallory Square.

NEW KEY WEST RUM HONORS ISLAND’S HAUNTED DOLL

A PORTION OF PROCEEDS BENEFIT KEY WEST ART & HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Ghost Key West. Each bottle is distilled in Key West, at the Key West First Legal Rum Distillery under the watchful eye of local chef and distiller Paul Menta. Made with all natural ingredients and pure Florida cane sugar, the rum is finished with the same spices used traditionally in Key West’s voodoo rituals. The red glow comes from all-natural cinnamon that creates the appearance of flames in the sunlight. In the dark, voodoo spices blend with the rum to create a smooth finish that warms the tongue and soothes even the darkest of souls. Each small batch is chef-distilled and hand-labeled.

The rum is best served chilled, and you should always make sure Robert the Doll gets the first sip.

Is the rum haunted?

Feb. 24 & 25

• Five private Key West gardens will be on display for tours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days. The exclusive tours give attendees a rare chance to discover examples of distinctive landscaping and plant-filled outdoor living areas central to the island’seasygoing, nature-oriented lifestyle. For information and tickets, visit Keywestgardenclub.com, call 305-294-3210 or email Conner Boyd at cboyd@groupstar.com

Sunday, Feb. 26

• Impromptu Concerts presents the Aizuri String Quartet, 4 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church on Duval Street, Key West.

Monday. Feb. 27

• The 2023 Waterfront Playhouse Aqua Idol returns after a three-year COVID hiatus. The competition takes place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. for eight consecutive Monday nights at Aqua Nightclub, Feb. 20 & 27, March 6, 13, 20 & 27 and April 3 & 10.

Friday, March 3

• The Department of Health in Monroe County offers a free “Health To You” community event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bernstein Park, Stock Island. All attendees will receive a $10 food gift card while supplies last. Doctors, nurses and staff members will offer free health screenings, vaccines, blood pressure checks, free bike helmets, free condoms, nicotine patches and Narcan. No health insurance or appointment required.

Saturday, March 4

Robert the Doll had a busy year – between museum visitors, ghost tour guests, his documentary on Discovery+, and more than 5 million views on Sam & Colby’s YouTube channel. Even Joe Rogan is talking about Key West’s haunted doll.

But Robert has a new spirit keeping him company — Robert the Doll’s Voodoo Spiced Red Rum.

The rum is a collaborative effort between Key West Art & Historical Society, Key West’s First Legal Rum Distillery, and

A bottle did move across the table of the distillery on its own when the first bottle was being filled. A miniature Robert Doll took a dive into a rum rinse barrel when bottling was complete, and alarms sounded at the distillery the night the first batch was bottled. Someone entered the property after hours, but ran off when they saw Robert the Doll. We’re pretty sure this means Robert approves.

No permission is required to drink Robert the Doll’s Voodoo Spiced Red, and every purchase benefits Key West Art & Historical Society. Bottles are now available for human possession at Key West First Legal Rum Distillery in Key West and online.

More information is at ghostkeywest.com/rum.

— Contributed

• The Friends of the Key West Library will hold an outdoor book sale in the library’s Palm Garden, 700 Fleming St. from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. In case of heavy wind or rain, the sale will be postponed. Please check the Key West library’s Facebook page for details.

• 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.

• Key West Preschool Co-op presents its 33rd annual Spring Fair, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the preschool, 2610 Flagler Ave. The event features bounce houses, inflatable obstacle courses, a dunk tank, live entertainment, belly dancers, silent auction and a vendor village. (To nominate a notable Key West person for the dunk tank, email KWPCspringfairchair@gmail.com.)

Wednesday, March 8

• Author R. Kevin Mallison discusses his nonfiction book, “Alarm in the Firehouse: A Memoir of America’s First Openly Gay Professional Firefighter,” at 6 p.m, at the Key West Library, 700 Fleming St. Admission is free. Seating is limited.

Sunday, March 12

• Anne McKee Artists Fund Fine Art Auction at The Studios of Key West features fine artwork, gourmet hors d’oeuvres and champagne. Doors open at 6:15 and the auction begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30 per person and $60 for VIP seating and can be purchased at mckeefund.org.

Robert the Doll’s Voodoo Spiced Red Rum benefits Key West Art & Historical Society. CONTRIBUTED

BLOCKS AND BLOCKS OF ORIGINAL ART

OLD ISLAND DAYS ART FESTIVAL RETURNS TO WHITEHEAD STREET FEB. 25 & 26

SHELF HELP

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

What: “Fairy Tale” by Stephen King

Old Island Days Art Festival returns to Whitehead Street Feb. 25 & 26.

CONTRIBUTED

The Key West Art Center presents the 58th annual Old Island Days Art Festival, back in its longtime home at Whitehead and Caroline streets on Feb. 25 and 26. This year’s show brings back several favorite artists and introduces many new talents. Nearly 100 fine art and craft artists will line Whitehead from Greene Street and up into Truman Annex on Caroline Street from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

Artists and crafters scheduled to attend will show watercolors, oil/acrylic, mixed media, photography and more. In addition, attendees will find jewelry, clothing, sculpture, glass art and woodwork along with plenty of fun funky tropical arts and crafts. This group – some familiar local artists and others from as far as the west coast – has something for every taste and budget.

The Old Island Days Art Festival is sponsored by the Key West Art Center, located at 301 Front St. The non-profit Community Art Center is Key West’s oldest gallery and features original works of art by over 50 local artists.

More information is at 305-294-1241 or via email to KWArtShow@gmail.com. —

Why: When Charlie Reed comes to the aid of the reclusive old man who lives in the “Psycho House” at the top of Sycamore Hill, he thinks he’s just helping a neighbor out. In time, Charlie befriends the old man, Mr. Bowditch, and his aging German shepherd, Radar. In true King style, the author builds a believable world in this small Illinois town, and populates it with the sort of folks you might meet in any small midwestern town. Just as you’re getting used to this world, and wondering at the mysterious background of Charlie’s new friend, a whole new world is opened up to be explored. Like many of King’s supernatural tales, Charlie’s world touches on another and when love compels him to, he finds himself on a quest to save an aging friend.

Where: This is available in print, large print, audiobook on CD, eBook and e-audiobook from the Monroe County Library system.

How: You can request books online by logging in to www. keyslibraries.org and get ebooks and e-audiobooks 24/7 at www. estuff.keyslibraries.org. 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: James Todd, library assistant, Marathon library

TURNING THOUGHTS INTO ACTION

ARIES

CHRIS McNULTY

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

We have officially entered the mystic waters of Pisces season, the time of year when we can finally feel the days elongating and our emotions just might be running extra high. Stay hopeful and keep a tissue or screaming pillow nearby. Happy birthday to all of our Piscean fish-people out there! This week, Mercury, the planet of communication and trickery, is playing a game of leapfrog with Uranus and Mars. Early in the week, Mercury formed a 90-degree square to Uranus, bringing about some surprising news that we will be forced to face. By the time you are reading this, Mercury will be moving from Uranus to a 120-degree trine with Mars, allowing us to use the news we received to bolster our courage and direct our actions. A note of caution: be vigilant with your words and use them to encourage rather than to pierce.

Here are your horoscopes for the Mercury-Mars trine. Read for your rising and sun signs.

PISCES

Feb. 19 - March 20

Happy birthday sweet Pisces! Your values are front and center right now, and you have a great opportunity for healing yourself and others by getting clear on what you truly consider important. Your secret thoughts, the ones that flow through your mind in your solitude, are especially able to support action with your home and family - however you define them. Grab your tools and start building because your hidden plans are ripe to be seen!

March 21 - April 19

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood for our fiery Rams, and it is a perfect time for you to get to work in your local community. Collective planning with a group of like-minded people will support your willpower with your neighbors. Is there a neighborhood cleanup that needs done? A local art project? A community fundraiser? Start talking to the people in your corner and use your famous grit to do some good.

TAURUS

April 20 - May 20

Discussions at work can lead to some serious financial action under this sky. Talk about your much-deserved promotion. Plan out some new revenue-generating ideas. Think about how your work supports your financial wellbeing and do something about it. Now is the time to put your musings into action so you can afford the life you need to flourish.

GEMINI

May 21 - June 21

Thinking about your personal philosophy is well and good, Gemini, and you are prone to live in your head. However, those high-minded thought adventures that you engage in bear no fruit unless you bring them into your body and do something about them. How do you live out your belief system on a daily basis? Now is the time to be an active vessel of your wisdom and teach us your ways.

CANCER

June 22 - July 22

We are a social species, and we are always invested in other people. Sometimes we cannot see these invisible transactions that occur, but now is a time when you can think about these connections clearly. As you consider what binds you to others, let that guide your action in your solitude because the network exists even

when you’re alone. How can you be a better asset to others by engaging your solitary work?

LEO

July 23 - Aug. 22

You’ve been on a yearlong journey letting go of the past and stepping into your life’s work. Perhaps you’ve said goodbye to family so you can focus your energy on a job that you’re passionate about. Perhaps you’re processing the loss of a home so you can be a leader in your community. Right now you can see this transition very clearly – don’t stop now! Thinking about partnership will help you engage your support network.

VIRGO

Aug. 23 - Sept. 22

Your mind is focused on routine, Virgo. Your daily tasks for selfmaintenance and self-development are probably popping up in your conversations and meditations. What do you do first thing in the morning to start your day? How is your physical wellness built into your habitual patterns? Getting clear on these patterns will give you energy at work and in public.

LIBRA

Sept. 23 - Oct. 23

You’re having a Peter Pan moment when happy thoughts will let you fly to lands beyond. Keep your mind on things that bring you joy, whether they be people you love or paper packages tied up with string. Positive thinking is not always the best way forward, but right now it will literally drive you to an adventure that will expand your horizons and challenge your beliefs.

SCORPIO

Oct. 24 - Nov. 21

How are you a participant in the ties that bind? You may have been actively, or even aggressively, trying to hold everyone in your life together. The thing

is, you are very capable of being the energetic catalyst for deep connections right now. Thinking about your childhood and your family will allow you to put your current social investments into operation. Consider what worked and what didn’t in your family of origin and use that knowledge now.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 22 - Dec. 21

However you are a creator, now is a time to make that identity a bigger, more joyful part of your life. Whether you are a parent, an artist, a designer, a conversationalist, a gardener – dive into what makes you a maker and relish in the joy it brings. You will find that your creative gifts are beneficial to people who interact with them in ways you couldn’t conceive.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22 - Jan. 19

Practical success is your bag, baby! Material progress is a hallmark of Capricorn, and right now you have particularly good timing to think clearly about your financial planning and to put that strategy into habitual action. What do you need for material well-being and what will it take to achieve it? Hope is not a strategy, so get clear on your needs and make a schedule. It will be fruitful.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 20 - Feb. 18

“Who are you?” said the Caterpillar. This question caught Alice off guard in Wonderland, but under this sky you have the capacity to think really clearly about the answer to this question. Get objectively clear on your self-conception because it will lead to actions that bring you joy. Alice told the Caterpillar she had changed many times since she woke up that morning, but you have the opportunity to clearly state your answer then create something beautiful.

TAKE ME HOME?

FIND A FRIEND AT THE FLORIDA KEYS SPCA

The Keys Weekly family loves animals as much as our friends at the Florida Keys SPCA do, and we’re 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.

HELP KEEP KEY WEST CLEAN

JOIN A 1- HOUR CLEANUP EVERY FRIDAY MORNING

Ed is a 1½-year-old male domestic shorthair. He’s an independent kitty who likes the occasional head scratch and would do well with a kitty friend at home.

Millie is a 6½-year-old female medium mixed breed. She’s as sweet as they come with people, but needs to be the only animal in the home. She is strong and full of energy and will need a family that can give her lots of exercise.

toys.

Bixby is an adult male rabbit. He’s a little shy – he’s not one to make the first move – but with a bit of time and patience. he could make someone a great housemate and friend.

Maya is a 3-year-old female domestic shorthair. She can be shy, and wary of other cats, but once she is comfortable with you, she is all love.

On Feb. 18, the Ploggers participated in a fentanyl awareness event at Smathers Beach. Stacey Croston asked that her family participate in a cleanup in remembrance of what would have been her daughter Mona’s 21st birthday. Croston would like this to become an annual event and would like to thank the Guidance Care Center, Monroe County Coalition and the Ploggers for their support in raising awareness of the dangers of fentanyl.

One hour a week makes a huge difference, and volunteers are welcome every Friday morning, from 8 to 9 a.m., when the Key West Ploggers clean up a designated area of the island. Gloves, pickers, buckets, vests, hand sanitizer and a parking pass are provided to all volunteers.

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

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

Please pick up around your home or apartment complex. Every piece of trash picked up is one less that may end up in the ocean that surrounds and sustains our island community. It is not just the large items you can see easily when you are walking, but the smaller items

The Ploggers met at the VFW on North Roosevelt Boulevard for the Friday morning cleanup on Feb. 17, when 31 volunteers collected 123 pounds of trash, 15 pounds of recycling and nearly 4 gallons of cigarette butts in one hour. Thank you to the Southernmost VFW Post 3911 for hosting and providing coffee and donuts for all the volunteers.

such as bottle caps and cigarette butts that are collected by the volunteers that make the biggest difference.

It takes committed community involvement to Keep Key West Beautiful and we are making progress with every cleanup event and every spot that’s adopted. Call Dorian Patton at 305-809-3782 to find out how your business, nonprofit or club can help. —

Join an upcoming Friday morning cleanup from 8 to 9 a.m. See next week’s Keys Weekly for the March schedule. Feb. 24: Eaton & Whitehead streets (Meet in the parking lot of First Horizon Bank.)

Gelato is a 2-year-old male domestic shorthair. He loves exchanging treats for cuddles, and showing off his inner athlete, playing and jumping on his

THE LOST ART OF HAVING TOUGH CONVERSATIONS

DEFENDING DECENCY

made the natural career transition from dolphin trainer to newspaper editor after six years at Dolphin Research Center. His passions include running, watersports, and civil disagreements with sharks while spearfishing.

Afew months ago, tabloid headlines, for once, spread a positive message about the good of humanity when Brittany Aldean, wife of famed country singer Jason Aldean, posted a makeup tutorial on Instagram.

Her caption?

“I’d really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase. I love this girly life.”

Many who viewed the post found it an insensitive message trivializing the experience of transgender people. One of these was country singer Maren Morris.

In a feel-good story, Morris sent Aldean a calm, thought-out message revealing how the latter’s intentional jab was one puzzle piece in a larger damaging impact. Though the two ultimately saw the issue differently, they agreed to keep an open dialogue moving forward about how to best support, or at least avoid hurting, those in the LGBTQ+ community.

JUST KIDDING.

None of that happened.

Instead of a productive comment, Morris publicly opined that it was “so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human” (Side note: I’m horrified that nonsensical overuse of the word “like” weaseled its way into a written form.) and told Aldean to “sell her clip-ins and zip it.”

Morris’ comment naturally brought everyone out of the dark corners of the online woodwork to join the mass of 30-plus-year-old grown-ass adults who enjoy acting like 12-year-olds on the internet. Jason Aldean joined the fray, as did Candace Owens and Cassadee Pope, among others. There was even name-calling in this raging online food fight – “Insurrection Barbie,” an admittedly creative burn.

The point of this column is not to discuss the issues at the center of their debate, as that could take months. I’m writing about a method, not a message.

Personally, I believe Aldean’s comment was insensitive and potentially damaging. But whether you agree with her statement or not, the opportunity for education and resolution was instantly lost when Morris hurled her furious response from the Twitter clouds.

Instead of serving up support for the community Morris defended, headlines shifted from “Let’s examine how we speak about transgender individuals” to “check out these feuding celebrities.” I’ll bet that some who would otherwise condemn Aldean’s comment consider her a victim in the situation, simply because there are very few Instagram captions that make someone a “scumbag human” all on their own.

For the record, I’d argue the feud did more for the tabloid industry than the individuals Morris was trying to defend. Some who I’ve talked to say that for them, the response did more harm than good for that community.

Anyway…

On a ski trip over Christmas break, a good buddy and I spent a long car ride wondering where this world lost its ability to productively disagree with someone, especially if we believe they’re ignorant, insensitive or misinformed.

Naturally, this dot com brawl came up. I told my friend that I was no fan of Aldean’s comment, but the phrasing of Morris’ unprompted retort wasn’t much better.

My friend and I both hail from Rhode Island, so call us homers all you want, but we realized we didn’t have to look any further than former New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman for two phenomenal examples of productive resolutions in very similar circumstances.

In early March 2021, Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard made headlines for using an anti-Semitic slur during a video gaming live stream. Edelman, a proud Jewish athlete, penned an open letter to Leonard on his Instagram.

Among the highlights, many of which are so applicable to the AldeanMorris feud: “I get the sense that you didn’t use that word out of hate, more out of ignorance. Most likely, you weren’t even trying to hurt anyone or even profile Jews in your comment. That’s what makes it so destructive. … Casual ignorance is harder to combat and has greater reach, especially when you command great influence. Hate is like a virus. Even accidentally, it can rapidly spread.”

Edelman then openly invited Leonard to a Shabbat dinner with some friends in Miami.

It wasn’t the first time he’d extended a similar invitation.

Just a year earlier, Edelman responded to former Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson’s anti-Semitic social media posts, one of which included a quote falsely attributed to Adolf Hitler. Saying that he “(saw) an opportunity to have a conversation,” Edelman openly offered to go with Jackson to the U.S. Holocaust Museum. Further, recognizing that Jackson’s posts were in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, Edelman offered to add a tour of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Though the tours themselves didn’t happen, Edelman confirmed that he and Jackson spoke directly after his invitation, that “it was a healthy conversation,” and that the two had stayed in touch ever since.

In both instances, Edelman still used his celebrity platform to hold Meyers and Jackson publicly accountable and denounce their part in spreading

ignorance and hate. But unlike Morris, Edelman chose to reach out with an opportunity for education when he easily could have ignored the players or cursed them out – particularly when, unlike Morris, he was a member of the targeted group in both cases.

Edelman chose to build a bridge. Following the same metaphor, that means Morris saw a bridge on fire, went home unprompted, got a can of gasoline, came back and lit that sucker up. Her actions amplified the divide and hatred that started with a simple Instagram caption and only grew with each subsequent reply –on BOTH sides.

Morris and Aldean had an opportunity to stomp out an environment where embers of hatred and violence start the raging bonfire for those who take these viewpoints to extremes. I’m not naive enough to believe that any pair of people will come to complete agreement as long as they approach a discussion with civility. But I’d like to think they’d come out of there with an understanding of at least how not to harm a marginalized group.

Edelman’s actions are an art that’s all too rare in recent years. He chose to understand his position of influence and condemn ignorancebased hatred while simultaneously inviting hard conversations and offering education. Unsurprisingly, the outcome was 1,000% better.

Imagine that.

Have thoughts? Let’s talk! Alex@ keysweekly.com

ALEX RICKERT

Former Patriots receiver Julian Edelman. WIKIPEDIA/Contributed

JAZZ IN THE LOUNGE

THURSDAYS 6-9PM

Experience an inviting, upscale wine bar and store nuzzled in the energy of Duval Street.

Wine-O’s extensive collection of wines includes your favorites, cult-classics and hard-to-find gems from top wineries around the country.

TRUMAN LITTLE WHITE HOUSE EMBODIES PRESIDENTS’ WEEKEND

PRESIDENTIAL DESCENDANTS, A PICNIC & PLAY MARK THE HOLIDAY

Presidents’ Weekend meant more than a Monday holiday for Key West’s Harry S. Truman Little White House.

The presidential museum — and local residence of President Truman during 11 working vacations in Key West from 1945 to 1953 — hosted a series of special events on all three days.

Truman’s grandson, actor Clifton Truman Daniel, twice performed the one-man show “Give ‘Em Hell, Harry!” on the museum lawn to sold-out crowds.

The show, written by Samuel Gallu, premiered in 1975, but made its Key West debut only last year.

The museum also hosted a panel discussion by several presidential descendants, who discussed the importance of bipartisanship. The annual descendants’ event is the largest Presidents’ Day Weekend gathering of presidential descendants in the country. The holiday weekend also included a family-friendly picnic on the museum grounds.

— Mandy Miles

1. Actor Clifton Truman Daniel, portraying his grandfather, President Harry S. Truman, in a Feb. 19 performance of ‘Give ‘Em Hell, Harry!’ holds a copy of the infamously incorrect headline that ran Nov. 3, 1948 in the Chicago Daily Tribune erroneously proclaiming that Gov. Thomas Dewey had defeated Truman in the 1948 presidential race. CAROL TEDESCO/The Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation

2. Presidential descendants from left, Susan Ford Bales, Massee McKinley, Mary Jean Eisenhower and Patricia Taft react to a comment from fellow presidential descendant Clifton Truman Daniel during a moderated discussion on the topic of “Working Across the Aisle: American Bipartisanship,” at the Harry S. Truman Little White House in Key West. CAROL TEDESCO/The Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation

3. The lawn of the Truman Little White House in Key West is packed on Feb. 19 for the one-man show ‘Give ‘Em Hell, Harry.’ MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly

4. Clifton Truman Daniel portrays his grandfather, President Harry S. Truman. MANDY MILES/ Keys Weekly

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

STUDIO SPOTLIGHT

Artist Carmen Sotolongo Kelley paints the journey to freedom

Art has a way of reflecting the environment in which it was conceived. French artist Jacques-Louis David painted the political turmoil of France.

Chinese concept artist Ai Weiwei calls attention to human rights violations. English graffiti artist Banksy creates art that explores political and social commentary.

In the Florida Keys, we often feel removed from the aforementioned things. We paint palm trees and sea turtles, not the political turmoil of France. We do have our own issues, though — issues that no amount of fish paintings can cover up.

The Keys face an ongoing migrant issue. There have been thousands of migrants arriving in the Keys from Cuba and Haiti in the last year alone. With so many migrants fleeing their home and arriving here, it is easy to forget that they are people. One artist who wants to visually educate the viewer and depict the desperation these refugees feel to put everything at risk is Carmen Sotolongo Kelley.

A local artist who has earned degrees in social science, art and marine biology, she taught in all three subjects for over 33 years. She is retired from teaching and is running Key Largo Art Gallery. When meeting Kelley, the first thing that you notice is her energy, knowledge and deep passion for art.

I had the chance to speak with her and learn about her collection, “Balseros — Searching for Peace.”

The balseros paintings showcase migrants and their freedom rafts. “I hope it makes people pause and understand how hopeless the rafters’ lives must be leaving their homes, family, friends, pets and their entire life behind. Imagine if you had to do that,” she said.

In the Keys, artists tend to paint paradise. Here, Kelley paints the hard and complicated parts of life. She wants us to see the migrants as people. That’s because of our location. Just 90 miles south of Key West, in the Caribbean and in the central and south American countries, the oppressed population is starving with no hope that their plight will change.

“I want the viewer to be disturbed and realize how fragile the rafters’ lives must be,” Kelley said.

Art reflects culture and society. The balseros series showcases how people risk their lives and how the government has gone years without any immigration reform. Kelley said the U.S. has forgotten how to compromise.

“It seems all parties believe in ‘my way or no way,’ hence we have gone years without any immigration reform. The thousands of ‘illegals’ in our country today are not even allowed to hold jobs and earn an income, and many of them are highly educated. Our society could be so much more productive,” she said. “The majority of these folks are not looking for handouts; they want to work and be productive; they survive as under-the-table, low paid cash labor. If they try to become legal, they are deported. People risk their lives fleeing their home countries that show little signs of improvement, which have them starving and seeing fleeing as their only hope.”

“I consider myself very fortunate,” Kelley said. “Briefly, both my parents earned doctor’s degrees; my father a pediatrician and mother a Ph.D. from what once was considered one of the best universities in the world in the University of Havana. They escaped Cuba in 1961, shortly after the Bay of Pigs Invasion. As a 6- and 7-year-old, a few of my memories are very vivid. I remember hiding under my

father’s aviary stand from soldiers who entered my home to force him to assist the wounded from the failed invasion. I remember a soldier grabbing my baby doll and ripping her head off as we were in line to board a ferry leaving for Venezuela in October of 1961. I remember saying goodbye to my dog, Lucero, and the apple someone gave me on the voyage — the only food I had in three days. I remember waving to President Kennedy from his motorcade from my hotel balcony window near the U.S. Embassy in Caracas.

“As the exodus from Cuba begins its fourth generation, I only hope the people depicted in my art are given the same opportunities my parents’ generation received when they arrived in the United States,” she continued.

People can view and purchase the balseros paintings at the Cuban Museum, San Carlos, in Key West. The display will be placed upstairs where they have the balsero presentational artifacts. To see more of Carmen Kelley’s art, visit her gallery — the Key Largo Art Gallery — at MM 103.2, bayside.

WILLIAM DePAULA

Key Largo artist Carmen Kelley’s Balseros paintings depict the journey to freedom for many migrants leaving Cuba to the U.S. CONTRIBUTED

Carmen Sotolongo Kelley

LEGAL NOTICES

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE

U-HAUL COMPANY OF MIAMI

Notice is hereby given that on March 6th, 2023, Leonard Richford

Jr. Storage Auctioneer, Executive Administrator for U-Haul Company of Miami, Will be offering for sale under the Judicial Lien Process, By Public Auction, the following storage units. The Terms of the sale will be cash only. U-Haul Company does reserve the right to refuse any bids. The sales will Begin at 8:00 a.m. and continue day by day until all units are sold. The names of whose units will be sold are as follows:

103530 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037

Michael Harrington

Unit 1223

$476.74

Todd Nichols

Unit 1449

$600.15

Elizabeth Nowarah

Unit 1028

$529.20

Geno Gotti

Unit 1632

$852.25

Lois Morgan

Unit 1219

$529.20

Brian Long

Unit 1504-51

$1,300.60

Michael Heit

Unit 1403

$1,556.30

Publish:

February 16 & 23, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

MEETING NOTICE

QUARTERLY MEETING NOTICE:

LOCAL COORDINATING BOARD FOR THE TRANSPORTATION

DISADVANTAGED

The Monroe County Local Coordinating Board (LCB) will be holding its regularly scheduled quarterly meeting on Friday, March 3, 2022 from 10:00 am – 11:00 am at the Marathon Government Center, BOCC Room, 2798 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050.

The primary purpose of the Coordinating Board is to provide information and advice to the Community Transportation Coordinator on the coordination of services provided to the transportation disadvantaged population of Monroe County, pursuant to Chapter 427.0157, Florida Statutes. Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), any person requiring special accommodations at this meeting due to a disability or physical impairment, and any related questions or inquiries concerning this meeting should be directed to Tiffany Albury at the Health Council of South Florida, Inc. at (305)592-1452 ext. 121 at least 72 hours prior to the date of the meeting.

Publish:

February 16 & 23 and March 2, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE

LOCAL COORDINATING BOARD FOR THE TRANSPORTATION

DISADVANTAGED

The Monroe County Local Coordinating Board (LCB) will be hosting a public hearing on Friday, March 3, 2022 from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm at the Marathon Government Center, BOCC Room, 2798 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050.

This public hearing is open to community members who would like to present or discuss any comments related to the transportation disadvantaged. We welcome you to attend! Persons should contact the HCSF staff 48 hours in advance if they are interested in commenting.

The primary purpose of the Coordinating Board is to provide information and advice to the Community Transportation Coordinator on the coordination of services provided to the transportation disadvantaged population of Monroe County, pursuant to Chapter 427.0157, Florida Statutes. Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), any person requiring special accommodations

LEGAL NOTICES

at this meeting due to a disability or physical impairment. Any related questions or inquiries concerning this meeting should be directed to Tiffany Albury at the Health Council of South Florida, Inc. at (305) 592-1452 ext. 121 at least 72 hours prior to the date of the meeting.

Publish:

February 16 & 23 and March 2, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

Public Meeting Announcement

– Monroe County Human Services Advisory Board (HSAB)/ Monroe County Board of County

Commissioners

The Human Services Advisory Board (HSAB) will meet Monday, March 13, 2023, at 10:00 AM at the Marathon Government Center, BOCC Meeting Room on the 2nd floor, 2798 Overseas Highway. The Board will discuss County Fiscal Year 2024 funding and will elect officers.

The meeting will be a hybrid format with the HSAB meeting live at the Marathon Government Center. The public will be able to participate in-person or via Communication Media Technology (“CMT”) using a Zoom Webinar platform.

The HSAB meeting will begin at 10:00 AM, on March 13, 2023. The webinar will begin at 09:30 AM, a ½ hour before the meeting, to allow time for people to join and test connections. The access points to view the meeting or for members of the public to provide public comment will be: Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://mcbocc.zoom. us/j/83474053354

Or iPhone one-tap : US: +16465189805,, 83474053354# or +16699006833,, 83474053354#

Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current

LEGAL NOTICES

location):

US: +1 646 518 9805  or +1 669

900 6833

Webinar ID: 834 7405 3354

International numbers available: https://mcbocc.zoom.us/u/ kcKK1RvEUo

For a copy of the agenda or other information, contact Oksana Christow, Grants Coordinator, in writing at 1100 Simonton St., Room 2-213, Key West, FL 33040; by phone at 305-2924474; or by email at ChristowOksana@monroecounty-fl.gov.

If members of the public wish to submit written documentation, the documentation must be submitted to Oksana Christow prior to the meeting and no later than March 6th, 2023, by 5:00 P.M. The public is advised that some or all the members of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners may attend the meeting and discuss items that may come before the Commission.

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

Publish: February 23, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at 3:00 P.M., the Monroe County Purchasing Office will receive and open sealed responses for the following:

Mooring Field Design and Permitting Services in Monroe County Monroe County, Florida Pursuant to F.S. 50.0211(3)(a), all published competitive solicitation

LEGAL NOTICES

notices can be viewed at: www. floridapublicnotices.com, a searchable Statewide repository for all published legal notices. Requirements for submission and the selection criteria may be requested from DemandStar at www.demandstar.com OR www. monroecounty-fl.gov/bids. The Public Record is available upon request. Monroe County Purchasing Department receives bids electronically. Please do not mail or attempt to deliver in person any sealed bids. Mailed/physically delivered bids/proposals/ responses WILL NOT be accepted.

The Monroe County Purchasing Department hereby directs that bids be submitted via email to: OMB-BIDS@monroecounty-fl. gov, no later than 3:00P.M., on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. Please submit your confidential financial information in a SEPARATE EMAIL from your bid and required documents. Your subject line on both emails must read as follows: Mooring Field Design and Permitting Services in Monroe County 3-28-2023 Files that do not contain this subject line WILL BE REJECTED. Please note that the maximum file size that will be accepted by email is 25MB. Please plan accordingly to ensure that your bid is not rejected due to the file size. Should your bid documents exceed 25MB, in advance of the bid opening, please email: ombpurchasing@monroecounty-fl.gov so accommodations for delivery of your bid can be made prior to the bid opening. Please be advised that it is the bidder’s sole responsibility to ensure delivery of their bid and waiting until the bid opening to address or confirm your bid submission delivery will result in your bid being rejected. The bid opening for this solicitation will be held virtually, via the internet, at 3:00 P.M., on March 28, 2023. You may call in by phone or internet using the following:

LEGAL NOTICES

Join Zoom Meeting https://mcbocc.zoom. us/j/4509326156

Meeting ID: 4509326156

One tap mobile:

+16465189805,, 4509326156# US (New York)

+16699006833,, 4509326156# US (San Jose)

Dial by your location:

+1 646 518 9805 (New York)

+1 669 900 6833 (San Jose)

Publish:

February 23, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

STATE OF WISCONSIN CIRCUIT COURT POLK COUNTY SUMMONS (PUBLICATION)

CASE NO. 23CV14

CASE CODE: 30303

LISA MILLER and DAVID J. WING 23225 188th Street, N.W. Big Lake, MN 55309 Plaintiff, v. WEINEGER ENTERPRISES TRUST 132 North Indies Drive Marathon, FL 33050 Defendants.

THE STATE OF WISCONSIN, to each person named above as a Defendant: You are hereby notified that the plaintiff named above has filed a lawsuit or other legal action against you.

Within 45 days after February 16, 2023, you must respond with a written demand for a copy of the complaint. The demand must be sent or delivered to the court, whose address is: Clerk of Court Polk County Courthouse 1005 W. Main Street, Suite 300 Balsam Lake, WI 54810 and to Plaintiffs’ attorney, whose address is: Barry C. Lundeen Mudge, Porter, Lundeen & Seguin, SC 110 Second Street Hudson, WI 54016 You may have an attorney represent you.

If you do not demand a copy of the complaint within 45 days, the court may grant judgment against you for the award of money or other legal action requested in the complaint, and you may lose your right to object to anything that is or may be incorrect in the complaint. A judgment may be enforced as provided by law. A judgment awarding money may become a lien against any real estate you own now or in the future, and may also be enforced by garnishment or seizure of property.

Dated this 10th day of February, 2023.

MUDGE, PORTER, LUNDEEN & SEGUIN, S.C.

Attorneys for Plaintiffs

By: Barry C. Lundeen State Bar No. 1011860 Barry.lundeen@mpl-s.com 110 Second Street P.O. Box 469 Hudson, WI 54016 (715) 386-3200

Publish:

February 16 & 23 and March 2, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISION

FILE NO.: 23-CP-09-P

DIVISION: UPPER KEYS IN RE: ESTATE OF GEORGE M. FRERICHS Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of George M. Frerichs, deceased, whose date of death was December 7, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for MONROE County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88870 Overseas Highway, Tavernier, Florida 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and

other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is: February 16, 2023.

Personal Representative:

Carl Frerichs 9229 Babbit Way Charlotte, North Carolina 28216

Attorney for Personal Representative:

Richard E. Warner

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

E-mail: richard@rewarnerlaw.com

Secondary E-Mail: pamela2@ rewarnerlaw.com

Publish: February 16 & 23, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers IN THE COUNTY COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA DIVISION: PROBATE

Full time position, starting March 1. Responsible for program development, coordinating presentations, media relations and traveling exhibits. Must have excellent writing and public speaking skills. Knowledge of graphic design programs helpful. $45K annual salary. Keys History & Discovery Center 82100 Overseas Hwy. Located on the property of the Islander Resort. For more information, email vivian@keysdiscovery.com

CROSSWORD

LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES

STATE OF FLORIDA

FILE NO.: 44-2022-CP-000366A001-KW

IN RE: THE ESTATE OF JUDITH LYNNE SMITH, a/k/a JUDITH L. SMITH

Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of JUDITH LYNNE SMITH a/k/a

JUDITH L. SMITH, deceased, whose date of death was April 18, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 302 Fleming Street, Key West, FL 33040. The names and addresses of the personal representative and her attorney are set forth below.

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

NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.

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

ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN

THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION

733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOT WITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.

The date of first publication of this notice is February 16, 2023.

Signed on this 8th day of February, 2023.

Personal Representative:

KAREN L. SMITH

256 Horseneck Road

Westport, MA 02790

Attorney for Personal

Representative:

DARAH L. SCHOFIELD

Marshall Law Offices, Ltd Florida Bar No. 109259

300 Centerville Road, Suite 204W Warwick, RI 02886 Telephone: 401-732-8070 / Fax”

401-732-8073

Primary Email: Darah@jmarshalllaw.com

Secondary Email: Kristin@ jmarshall-law.com

Publish:

February 16 & 23, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 23-DR-98-K

DIVISION: FAMILY IN RE: THE MARRIAGE OF:

PETAGAY MEGAN STRONG, Petitioner, and, TRAVIANCE MARQUIS STRONG, Respondent.

NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE (NO CHILD OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT)

TO: TRAVIANCE MARQUIS STRONG

LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: 2729 FLINTLOCK PLACE, EAUSTELL, GA

30106

YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for dissolution of marriage has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on PETAGAY MEGAN

STRONG, whose address is 3930

S. ROOSEVELT BLVD., APT 414W, KEY WEST, FL 33040 on or before March 27, 2023, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition. The action is asking the court to decide how the following real or personal property should be divided: NONE

Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. You may review these documents upon request.

You must keep the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office notified of your current address. (You may file Designation of Current Mailing and E-Mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915.) Future papers in this lawsuit will be mailed or e-mailed to the address(es) on record at the clerk’s office.

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

Dated: February 15, 2023

Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida

By: Marissa Lockwood Deputy

Clerk

Publish:

February 23, March 2, 9 & 16, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

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

AUTOS FOR SALE

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

2003 Mustang GT Convertible, Manual 5 Speed, Metallic Grey, 40,000 miles, Great Condition, $16,500. Located in Marathon. Call 305-481-3067

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!

BOAT SLIP FOR RENT

Boat Dockage for rent in Marathon. Private bay bottom, up to 40' boat, self containing, offshore water, car & dingy parking provided. $20/foot. 305-928-9057

BOATS FOR SALE

THREE (3) BOATS FOR FREE in Marathon: Regal 35', and two Bayliners 25'. FOR SALE: Pontoon 25' for $500.00 305-610-8002

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

TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION (T&D) PROJECT ENGINEER

Starting pay rate for this position, depending on qualifications and experience: $103,172/annually$106,061/annually.

D’Asign Source is seeking the following professionals. Overtime and benefits are available. For full details & additional openings, please visit DAsignSource.com/careers

Architects

We have openings for Intern Architects, Emerging Professionals, and Production Architects. Experience in High End Residential design is a plus.

Interior Designer Apply knowledge & creative skills to projects at our high-end design center. Must possess an interior design background and history of achievement in quality projects.

Junior Interior Designer

1+ year experience with basic interior architecture detailing. Strong knowledge of AutoCAD, Revit, and 20/20 a plus.

Jr. Interior Designer

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.

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:

SUBSTATION ELECTRICIAN

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:

SCADA/RELAY TECHNICIAN

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.

LOT FOR RENT

Commercial lot for storage of construction eqpt., lawn eqpt., etc. available for long term lease in Marathon. Approx 100’ x 100’, fenced with lockable gate. $2,000/ mo. First, last and $1,000 security. Email: sagonje@gmail.com

EMPLOYMENT

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

City of Marathon

Current Job Openings: WW Operator/Controls Trainee, Utilities Maintenance, and Right of Way Technician. Full Benefits. EOE Please see City website for details www.ci.marathon.fl.us

EXPERIENCED ELECTRICIANS AND HELPERS NEEDED

Experience is required. Must have a valid driver’s license. We offer 401K, medical insurance, paid holidays and paid vacation. Positions available in Key West and Marathon. 305-292-3369

NOW HIRING

DIVE INSTRUCTOR TOUCH TANK ATTENDANT GUEST SERVICES MARKETING COORDINATOR

PART-TIME LAWN MAINTENANCE

Please contact April at 305.407.3262 or april@floridakeysaquariumencounters.com for more information.

11710 OVERSEAS HWY, MARATHON Apply

EMPLOYMENT

WANTED - Handyman & Fishing companion - Marathon area. 305-481-7544

Come Join Our Family and Have Fun At Work!

Hiring: Host, Hostess & Servers - Full &/or parttime. AM & PM Shifts. Apply in person at Castaway Restaurant, end of 15th Street, Oceanside, Marathon or email: lobstercrawl@ gmail.com

Immediate openings for experienced plumbers and helpers (with or without experience - we will train the right person). Must have a valid driver's license & clean driving record. Please apply in person at 10700 5th Avenue Gulf, Marathon or email resume to: eerpinc@gmail.com

The Housing Authority of the City of Key West now hiring the following positions: HCV Specialist, Maintenance Mechanic (Maintenance Worker), Med Tech, Resident Activities Coordinator, Grounds Caretaker. To apply, please contact Human Resources at:

EMPLOYMENT

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.

The Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club is seeking a Customer-Service Oriented Server for the pool deck, beach and/ or bar lounge. Open year round, 10am-7pm daily. Small friendly staff. Above average hourly wage plus tips. Apply in person at 425 E. Ocean Dr. Key Colony Beach or call 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 404-2193359 and ask for Dave.

HOBBIES/COLLECT. EMPLOYMENT

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.

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

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

PRIVATE COLLECTOR WANTS Rolex, Dive Watches and Pilot Watches. Old Model Military Clocks & Watches. Call 305-743-4578

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

HOUSING FOR RENT

2 Bedroom 1 Bath in Marathon. Tile, carpet, appliances, gated property. No pets. $2500/mo. + water & sewer. Electric included. Available March. 305-610-8002

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

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

RV FOR SALE

DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER IS HIRING

Dolphin Research Center has Full-Time/Part-Time, Permanent/Temporary Gift Shop positions that involve direct contact with our visitors & is another opportunity to ensure they leave DRC with a happy & positive experience. Some of the duties involve; being familiar with all merchandise in the selling area, suggest specific merchandise & offer product advise. Job description available at www.dolphins.org. E-mail your resume and a DRC application to drc-hr@dolphins.org. EOE

58901 O/S Hwy - Grassy Key, FL Teaching... Learning... Caring

NOW HIRING IN ISLAMORADA

PART TIME MORNING DOCKHANDS

BOAT RENTAL STAFF

FLEXIBLE HOURS & COMPETITIVE WAGES

DOCKHAND DUTIES include customer service, helping customers with bait and ice and helping cashiers with restocking.

BOAT RENTAL APPLICANTS need to have experience driving boats and a working knowledge of the Islamorada area by water. Duties include taking reservations, giving captains lessons and routine boat maintenance.

Applicants can email Ma at eliteboatrentalsma @gmail.com. Please include contact information and any relevant experience.

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

RV SITE FOR RENT

RV Site for rent in Marathon. Up to 35', private gated property. $1.500/mo + utilities. Dockage availableinquire for price. 305-928-9057

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

YARD SALES

Place your YARD SALE ad here for $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today and get your stuff sold!

ONCE IN A LIFETIME

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.

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

OFFICE ASSISTANT FULLTIME

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.

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

Key West Engineering Technician

Middle Keys Journeyman Electrician

Middle Keys Distribution Systems Operator D

Middle Keys Wastewater Maintenance Mechanic C

Middle Keys Wastewater Pump Technician

Duck Key Wastewater Treatment Operator

Upper Keys Temporary Distribution Systems Operator D

Benefit package and salary is extremely competitive!  See Job description, salary and on-line application at www. aa.com/employment EEO, VPE, ADA, DFWP

THE FLORIDA KEYS AQUEDUCT AUTHORITY IS LOOKING TO FILL POSITIONS THROUGHOUT THE KEYS

DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER

IS HIRING!

16th Judicial Circuit is hiring

MALE LABORATORY TECHNICIAN

(GENDER SPECIFIC DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE JOB)

The 16th Judicial Circuit is seeking applicants for a Full-time Male Laboratory Technician in KEY WEST.

The primary functions of this position include the observation and collection of urine samples, data input, analyzer maintenance, and analysis of client samples.

Salary is $35,000 annually, plus Monroe County benefit package. See complete job description at www.Keyscourts.net.

Interested applicants should submit a resume, cover letter and State of Florida Application to Personnel@Keyscourts.net or Personnel, 302 Fleming Street, Key West, Florida 33040. State of Florida applications can be found at www.Keyscourts.net.

The successful applicant will be required to pass a complete background check. Applications are being accepted until position is filled. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, age, disability or sexual orientation. EOE. If you need an accommodation to participate in the application/selection process, please notify us in at advance at 305-292-3423; to make call through the Florida Relay Center, you can dial 7-1-1.

THEME: U.S. PRESIDENTS

ACROSS

1. Biased perspective

6. Male sibs

10. Monday Night Football audience

14. Tapiridae representative

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) Crisis Counselor

KEY WEST

Behavioral Health Therapist (Child, Adult) Care Coordinator

Behavioral Health Counselor (Children) Crisis Counselor

Case Managers (Adult, Forensic, Children)

*Advocate (PT only)

MARATHON

Prevention Specialist (or KW) 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 – Assisted Living (PT only)

*No experience required for these positions. Will train. A caring heart & helpful hands required.

15. Rock opera version of “La BohËme”

16. Object of worship

17. Opposite of alpha

18. ____ Spumante

19. Novice

20. *Unanimously elected President

22. Gusto

23. Eggy drink

24. Jig music, pl.

26. Stashed in a hold

30. Penniless

32. Wood turning device

33. Toll payment, e.g.

34. Not slouching

38. Like nay-sayers

39. Of many years

40. Malaria symptom

41. Instagram post

43. River, in Spanish

44. Bell-bottoms bottom

45. Dodge

47. Unexpected

48. The Cat in the Hat’s headgear (2 words)

51. Campbell’s container

52. International Civil Aviation Organization

53. *President Hayes’ first name

60. “Through” in a text?

61. Pelvic bones

62. Plural of #54 Down

63. Andrew Sean Greer’s 2018 Pulitzer Prize winner

64. Reverse action

65. Mother-of-pearl

66. *Lake off Ohio, the state known as “the Mother of Presidents”

67. Baseball’s “The Say Hey Kid”

68. Navigate

DOWN

1. *Present tense of #26 Across

2. Tibetan priest

3. “Singes” in “La PlanËte des singes”

4. Nearly

5. Apprentice

6. Name on apple cider vinegar bottle

7. R in R&R

8. Cognizant of

9. “Sophie’s Choice” protagonist

10. *F in JFK

11. Bye, to Emmanuel Macron

12. Relating to Scandinavia

13. Casino bandits

21. Sign of assent

25. *Civil Rights Act of 1957 signer

26. Dueler’s blow

27. Hyperbolic tangent

28. Football great Graham

29. *Executive Mansion, colloquially (2 words)

30. Misrepresent

31. Make over

33. *One of four presidents to have never been elected

35. “Goodness gracious!”

36. “Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me” band, The ____

37. High school student, usually

42. Spermatozoa counterparts

44. Not marathons, pl. (2 words)

46. Central court in domus

47. Certain frat house letters 48. Ownership document

Autumn color 50. Zoroaster follower

Pandemonium

Elbow-wrist connection

a slob

certain Stanley

choice

No visit to Key West is complete without a trip to Matt’s Stock Island, a local and tourist favorite. Enjoy an unforgettable culinary experience with unobstructed views of our state-of-the-art marina, outdoor fire pits, and your favorite cocktails

FRESH

Breakfast: 8am – 11:30am

Sunday Brunch: 8am – 1pm Dinner: 5:30pm – 9pm

LIVE FROM THE LAWN

free concerts, featuring:

February 25th | 8pm

Tony Baltimore & The Wilde Awake

March 4th | 7pm

Nick Norman with Special Guest, Chris Weaver

March 17th | 6pm

Mike Stack & DLew with DJ Chaka, Jason Lamson, & Kaira Jayde