(SHAM) ROCKING THE STREETS

Key Colony’s St. Patrick’s Day parade enjoys big turnout

East and West Ocean Drive in Key Colony Beach filled on both sides for the return of the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade on March 17. A procession that began with a Navy color guard, emergency response vehicles and all five Key Colony commissioners gave way to dozens of vehicles, bikes, golf carts and walkers as the city celebrated everyone’s favorite Irish holiday. Filling the shoes of longtime parade organizer Jack Crowley, Key Colony Beach Community Association parade chairman Larry Smoot delivered a memorable and successful iteration of the Middle Keys’ largest St. Paddy’s celebration.

No matter how many individuals appear in the pages of each edition of Keys Weekly, there are always so many more of our community members who deserve to be recognized. In an effort to shine a spotlight on more of the incredible individuals who live and work in these islands, Keys Weekly is proud to spotlight our Neighbor of the Week feature, dedicated to celebrating a community member with each issue. This week’s neighbor always has the hook-up for Taco Tuesdays as he crafts the Mexican flavors behind Takeria La Palapa. Before his foray into the food truck world, Raul Ornelas spent 15 years in the Marathon community with stints at Sparky’s Landing, Publix and Angler & Ale. But with his wife Maria Teresa and kids Martin (8) and Leonel (6) at home, Ornelas knew he needed a change.

“I would work in the morning until 3 p.m. at Publix, and then 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Sparky’s,” he told the Weekly. “My wife told me, ‘You’re always working for somebody else. When are you going to have time for us?’”

With encouragement and an opportunity from Paradise Flavors owner Cesar Sandoval, Ornelas opened La Palapa in 2021 and never looked back.