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Helping Keys Residents since 2002. The Coldwell Banker Schmitt Charitable Foundation was created in April 2002, and is dedicated to helping Keys’ residents whose critical needs are not being met through other means. The funds are donated to the Foundation through the generous hearts of the Coldwell Banker Schmitt Real Estate agents, staff, associates, business partners, and the public. www.gooddeedsinthekeys.org

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That’s how long it took Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen to run two miles, shattering the 26-year-old world record set by Kenya’s Daniel Komen by a full four seconds . The feat occurred on June 9 in Paris.

By Alex Rickert, Jim McCarthy and Mandy Miles

With Father’s Day just around the corner, the Keys Weekly salutes some of the best dads we know. See page 26.

MONROE COUNTY CLERK’S INVESTIGATION REVEALS 623 MISSING VIALS OF FENTANYL & OTHER NARCOTICS

AUDIT: OVERSIGHT FAILURES & SLOPPY INVENTORY

ENABLED THEFT BY TRAUMA STAR FLIGHT NURSE

An audit of Monroe County Fire Rescue’s controlled substances procedures, released May 11 by the county’s Clerk of the Court, reveals glaring breakdowns in oversight that allegedly enabled a chief flight nurse with the county’s Trauma Star life-flight service to steal more than 200 vials of fentanyl, Dilaudid, ketamine and other narcotics.

Lynda Rusinowski, 56, had worked as chief flight nurse for Monroe County Fire Rescue (MCFR) until she was taken to rehab by another MCFR employee and eventually suspended and arrested in September 2022. Her felony charges are still making their way through the courts. According to her arrest warrant, Rusinowksi “admitted to stealing the drugs for her personal use,” while she was en route to rehab in West Palm Beach.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office initially reported Rusinowski’s arrest, adding that officials with MCFR received an anonymous tip in late July 2022 about Rusinowski altering controlled substance inventory logs in an effort to pilfer the drugs. As chief flight nurse, she was an employee of Monroe County Fire Rescue, not the Sheriff’s Office.

Monroe County Fire Rescue is in charge of the flight nurses, Trauma Star’s medical supplies, patient records and oversight of all three. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is in charge of the pilots and the three Trauma Star helicopters that annually transport 1,200 to 1,300 patients, often with lifethreatening conditions, to mainland hospitals, Sheriff Rick Ramsay told the Keys Weekly on June 12.

The audit report notes no wrongdoing on the part of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, but is highly

critical of Monroe County Fire Rescue and senior county administration.

In the two months following Rusinowski’s arrest, MCSO also arrested paramedics Harold Jaesson Perez, 34, and Damian Roberto Suarez, 44, for allegedly lying to detectives about knowledge of Rusinowski’s potential thefts and deleting text messages related to the investigation. Their cases are still ongoing as well, with separate hearings scheduled this month. Suarez and Perez continue to work for MCFR, Sheriff Ramsay said, but he added that they will never again work aboard a Trauma Star helicopter.

AUDIT FINDS 623 MISSING NARCOTICS VIALS AND CRITICAL DEFICIENCIES

In early August 2022, former MCFR Chief Steve Hudson formally asked the county’s Clerk of the Court to conduct an internal audit of the department’s emergency medical services’ system performance and controlled substance inventory records from June 2021 through July 2022. Hudson officially

retired in December 2022, although sources familiar with the audit told the Keys Weekly he wasn’t given a choice after requesting the audit.

The audit details a total of 623 vials of controlled substances missing from inventory logs during the audit period, including 242 vials of Dilaudid and 219 of fentanyl. (According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is a controlled substance, “a potent synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as an analgesic (pain relief) and anesthetic.”) Though it acknowledges that some discrepancies could be due to sloppiness in record-keeping, which are extensively criticized throughout the report, it estimates that 246 missing vials – including 91 of fentanyl and 84 of Dilaudid – were likely stolen via the intentional falsification of records.

The nearly 80-page audit report, submitted by interim internal audit director Pam Radloff and released on May 11, details massive discrepancies in controlled substance inventory

Total vials of narcotics missing from inventory logs as a result of possible drug diversion during the audit period.

MONROE COUNTY CLERK OF THE COURT/ Contributed

A study of Lynda Rusinowski’s working hours during calendar year 2021 revealed more than 2,000 overtime hours worked, raising her base pay of $71,386 to $180,967.

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records due to theft, stating that “controlled substances were being diverted by MCFR staff along with a widespread lack of management oversight.”

The report cites a lack of attention by MCFR Medical Director Dr. Sandra Schwemmer as a “primary reason that the chief flight nurse’s alleged drug diversion activities went undetected for so long.” Schwemmer was counseled three times by then-Chief Hudson about proper procedures and oversight, according to the audit report.

The same report criticizes the “sloppiness of MCFR’s inventory and patient care records” and finds that “County Administration (did) not have effective preventive or detection measures to ensure … that controlled substances are secure from drug diversion.”

The report describes “significant breach of controls,” as staff responsible for managing the narcotics inventory at the Trauma Star supply room were the same individuals managing inventory counts on each helicopter.

“When personnel are destroying drugs, there’s supposed to be a witness present to affirm that they’re properly destroyed,” Ramsay told the Keys Weekly. “But in this case, (Lynda Rusinowski) would say she destroyed the drugs, then get someone to sign off that they had witnessed it.”

The audit further cites a lack of oversight that failed to catch an “extraordinary” amount of wasted narcotics. Of 88,143 micrograms of fentanyl recorded as dispensed during the audit period, 43,734 (49.6%) were recorded as wasted. The report cites a 2013 National Institutes of Health study showing that, on average, 22.2% of drugs dispensed become waste.

The audit states that interviews with MCFR employees conducted by Sheriff’s Office investigators “clearly revealed” the absence of a support structure within county government that employees could use to safely report their suspicions.

“The interviews … revealed that the chief flight nurse had for months exhibited warning signs that she could be diverting drugs and possibly experiencing a substance abuse disorder,” the report stated. “Had County Administration … implement(ed) basic drug diversion preventive and detective measures, they likely would have been alerted years ago that they should

have kept a close eye on the activities of the chief flight nurse.”

One such example: in the calendar year 2021, Rusinowski’s base pay was $71,386. Working more than 2,100 hours of “overtime” and “premium overtime” throughout the year, with zero vacation or sick days, her gross pay for the year totaled $180,967 – 253.5% of her base pay.

“There were so many red flags and checks and balances that were overlooked,” Sheriff Ramsay said. “This was a complete failure and breakdown of oversight. Supervisors should have been looking at the amount of drugs being used by each flight nurse on duty. Almost all of the nurses had a basic mean average of drugs they used for patients, while the chief flight nurse was using 10 times that norm. There were so many procedural violations, and then there were orchestrated efforts to derail our investigation. But we’re the ones that put a stop to it.”

Ramsay reiterated, and the audit report verifies, that there was no wrongdoing found on the part of the sheriff’s office.

COUNTY RESPONDS TO AUDIT

“We always welcome audits,” County Administrator Roman Gastesi told the Keys Weekly on Tuesday, June 13. “In this case, the previous fire chief, Steve Hudson, requested it. The good thing about audits is you get somebody to take an independent look at the organization and the functions, in this case it was controlled substances.

“What we enjoyed about the audit was the corrective actions taken from the recommendations are something we’re already doing,” Gastesi said. “For example, with inventory control, we have an electronic system. That in and of itself will resolve the issue.

“In this case, it was just one person that was unfortunately ill. I’m glad to report she’s been rehabbed,” Gastesi said. “It got out of control. We still had enough controls to catch it. There’s always room for improvement with any operation. Anybody can always improve. I’m glad to say we improved our operation.”

Monroe County Fire Chief James Callahan said everything recommended in the clerk’s audit report was implemented before its May release.

“We’ve improved the whole process of drug delivery, monitoring and accountability. We went to a new system for accountability that’s much stronger and better so it can be counted and measured more timely. We’ve done a number of things to make the system safer and stronger.”

ONGOING LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

Rusinowski, who pleaded not guilty last September, has a pretrial hearing on June 29 in Marathon. She faces two counts of grand theft of a controlled substance, two counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and two counts of official misconduct.

Perez had a hearing scheduled this week, on Wednesday, June 14 in Marathon before Judge James Morgan. Suarez is set to be in court on Thursday, June 29 for a hearing in Marathon before Morgan. Both were charged with obstructing justice and destroying evidence, both third-degree felonies. Both pleaded not guilty.

Their charges stem from text messages they allegedly deleted from a group chat that described their concerns and suspicions about Rusinowski’s drug theft. Both reportedly lied to investigators at first, saying they had no idea about the charges against Rusinowski and knew nothing about drug theft or altered supply logs. A forensic dive into their phones was able to restore the deleted group chat and show their discussions and suspicions.

Suarez and Perez remain employed with Monroe County Fire Rescue. Callahan said the two are only responding to fires and wrecks and aren’t doing anything related to EMS, Trauma Star or patient care.

After retiring in May 2021, Callahan returned as fire chief in January 2023 following Hudson’s retirement last December. Callahan said Suarez and Perez were suspended with pay as he returned. He felt they should come back to work, albeit on a limited capacity with no involvement in administering drugs. Callahan said they’re awaiting the results in court before deciding what’s next for Perez and Suarez.

A table showing discrepancies in controlled substance logs for various drugs that likely involved falsification of records, according to the audit. MONROE COUNTY CLERK OF THE COURT/Contributed

ALEX RICKERT alex@keysweekly.com

THIRD LAWSUIT FILED IN 2022 PARASAIL DEATH

COMPANY HAS RESUMED OPERATIONS IN MARATHON UNDER NEW NAME

Attorneys last week filed another civil lawsuit against three defendants stemming from a parasailing accident off Marathon that killed one woman and injured two young boys in May of 2022.

Filed on June 6 on behalf of the families of the deceased Supraja Alaparthi, 33, her son Sriakshith Alaparthi, 10, and nephew Vishant Sadda, 9, the new suit levies 24 total counts of negligence, vicarious liability and negligent infliction of emotional distress against parasail captain Daniel Couch, 50, mate Tanner Helmers, 25, and Marathon’s Captain Pip’s Holdings, LLC, where the boat left from on the day of the accident.

A separate wrongful death and personal injury suit against Lighthouse Parasail, the company conducting the flight, was filed on June 28, 2022 and is still pending. Couch was arrested on Sept. 22, 2022, on one charge of manslaughter and five counts of violation of commercial parasailing statutes. That criminal case is also still pending.

On May 30, 2022, the Alaparthis and Sadda were taking a three-seater parasail flight conducted by Lighthouse Parasail when a strong gust of wind “pegged” the parasail, resulting in a loss of control by the towing vessel. With the parasail pegged, Couch intentionally cut the tether.

The three victims dropped to the surface of the water and were dragged by the freed parasail until it collided with the Old Seven Mile Bridge. While the younger Alaparthi and Sadda sustained injuries, Supraja was pronounced dead at the scene after being freed from her harness and brought to land by Marathon’s Capt. John Callion.

“We have talked to five other vessels throughout Marathon that came in early that day because of the horrific winds and weather that was coming in through the Middle Keys,” said attorney Michael Haggard when announcing the suit against Lighthouse. “In fact, the family had several conversations with both the captain and the first mate: ‘We can come back tomorrow.’ … The captain said, ‘No, we will be fine.’

“It was absolute negligence, a violation of statute in the state of Florida to put those three souls multiple hundreds of feet in the air on this day.”

Speaking with Good Morning America in a segment that aired on June 8, Supraja’s husband Srinivasrao Alaparthi said that “having fun is not worth the cost of life. There should be enough safety measures – otherwise you will end up in a miserable situation.”

Among other items, the various lawsuits allege that Couch and Helmers departed from Captain Pip’s Marina aboard the M/V Airborne without checking the weather, failed to provide appropriate safety instructions to their passengers, did not have appropriate weather monitoring equipment aboard the boat, chose to conduct a parasail flight in unsafe weather, and failed to execute alternate emergency procedures rather than cutting the tow line to detach the parasail.

The new suit alleges that Lighthouse Parasail and the other defendants acted in partnership with, or as agents for, Captain Pip’s, as parasailing was advertised on the resort’s website and signage. Speaking with the Weekly on June 9, attorney Pedro Echarte III confirmed that Lighthouse’s affiliation with Captain Pip’s, as researched by the Alaparthis through both companies’ websites, played a role in their decision to book with Lighthouse.

An archived copy from May 11, 2022 of Captain Pip’s website obtained through the nonprofit Internet Archive list parasailing as an activity offered at the resort, describing a “proud partnership” between Captain Pip’s Marina and Lighthouse Parasail and a direct link to book Lighthouse’s expeditions. By the next full archived copy, dated Aug. 14, 2022 – after the accident and announcement of the ensuing lawsuit – the mention of parasailing was removed.

Speaking with the Weekly on June 13, Captain Pip’s owner Ernie Crawford disputed the claims in the new suit, saying his company had “nothing to do with (Lighthouse Parasail).”

“We weren’t even leasing to them at the time; they just showed back up,” said Crawford. He told the Weekly that Lighthouse’s lease with Captain Pip’s had expired “who knows how long” before the day in question, and that he thought it had been around a year before.

“They were gone for two to three months,” he said. “I don’t know the exact time frame, but they hadn’t even paid rent, and they just happened to show back up. Let me make it really clear that I have zero to do with that business.”

Crawford confirmed that the boat had left from one of Pip’s docks on the day of the accident, but that no new lease had been signed with Lighthouse, and that he “couldn’t be positive” as to the exact day the M/V Airborne boat had reappeared before the incident.

“They weren’t there for very long,” he said. “They just showed back up.”

An examination of Florida’s Division of Corporations records as well as Lighthouse Parasail’s former website (flobxfun.com) revealed that owner Alex Winter has resumed operations in Marathon out of Porky’s Bayside Restaurant and Marina under the name of Parasail Middle Keys LLC.

A visit to the marina on June 9 found the M/V Airborne, presumably the same boat involved in the May 2022 incident, docked at the marina. The business’ updated website says the company prides itself on “a perfect safety record.”

The Keys Weekly contacted Winter by phone on June 14. He declined to comment on the relationship between Lighthouse and Captain Pip’s.

Parasail Middle Keys, formerly known as Lighthouse Parasail, now operates the M/V Airborne out of Porky’s Bayside Restaurant and Marina. ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly

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Adorable furry faces are waiting for families at the Florida Keys SPCA

Keys Weekly is thrilled each week to showcase some “furever” friends that are ready, waiting and available for their perfect adoption “match” at the Florida Keys SPCA’s Marathon campus – complete with their best qualities, preferences and turnoffs to ensure the best fit.

From cats and dogs to Guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, reptiles and birds, the perfect addition to your family is waiting for you at one of the SPCA’s two campuses, in Key West and Marathon. 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.

BRICK BUST YIELDS 167 POUNDS OF COCAINE

CAPRICE

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A 32-year-old mariner from Lithuania was arrested after a large amount of cocaine was found in his sailboat, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Matas Vezauskas was charged with trafficking cocaine. “I want to thank our Special Operations Unit Detectives and K9 Mako as well as our federal law enforcement partners for their hard work in getting these dangerous drugs off our streets,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay. MCSO assisted federal law enforcement officers during the search of a sailboat at Burdines Waterfront Marina in Marathon on June 12 which led to the seizure of 64 bricks (75.8 kilograms) of cocaine. Vezauskas was the sole occupant of the vessel that allegedly sailed from another country without checking in with the U.S. Border Protection and Customs upon arrival. Federal authorities turned the case over to the Sheriff’s Office for further investigation and Vezauskas was later arrested. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI and U.S. Border Patrol, as well as U.S. Customs and Border Protection, assisted in the case. MCSO/Contributed

See all the animals waiting for a home at fkspca.org. To contact the Marathon campus, call 305-743-4800 or visit the campus at 10550 Aviation Blvd.

100 DAYS UNDERWATER

NAVY VETERAN SURFACES HOLDING A WORLD RECORD & CRUCIAL RESEARCH

Three months ago, at the beginning of March, Joseph Dituri said a last goodbye to the sun and embarked on an ambitious journey of scientific discovery. On June 9, he resurfaced outside of MarineLab in Key Largo after completing a 100day stay at the Jules Verne Undersea Lodge sitting 30 feet underwater.

He broke the world record for the longest time spent living underwater without depressurization. For Dituri, a Navy veteran and a professor at the University of South Florida, his experience wasn’t merely about winning a title, but about the possibility of conducting crucial research into the potential of hyperbaric, or high pressure, medicine.

Met by a crowd of MarineLab staff, doctors, international reporters, and children and teenagers attending MarineLab’s summer camp, Dituri resurfaced at about 10:30 a.m. Elated from a sense of accomplishment and of thankfulness for the staff of Project Neptune 100, he greeted his onlookers and exchanged hugs with his medical team and operations staff. Driven by his passion for scientific discovery, he had successfully completed one of the most formidable scientific undertakings in recent Keys history.

Throughout his stay, Dituri submitted to dozens of different tests meant to measure the physiological impacts of a high pressure environment. As Dituri’s stay progressed, his medical team began to notice significant

changes in his health. His sleep quality had greatly improved, and more than 60% of his sleep cycle, on average, was spent in the rapid-eye movement (REM) stages. He’d exhibited a 30% to 50% reduction in inflammatory markers, a significant decrease in oxidative stress, and an increase in testosterone. He had even grown shorter.

“I used to scrape my head right on the top of the emergency escape hatch, and I can no longer do that,” Dituri said.

Among the most surprising of his discoveries was a drastic decrease in cholesterol levels. During his stay, Dituri’s levels dropped by 72 points. The risk of having a heart attack or stroke had diminished significantly.

“It was something that I would not have expected in any way, shape or form,” he said.

For the next four weeks, Dituri will continue to monitor his health and will potentially prolong his daily measurements if they do not stabilize within that period. He still is not aware of the full extent of the changes, but predicts an increase in stem cell proliferation and telomere length, which can help to reverse the effects of aging as a result of the high pressure environment.

As a professor with a focus on the use of hyperbaric medicine, he hopes his stay will help to solidify the various benefits and uses of the treatment. During and after his decades of naval service, Dituri had seen many of his fellow veterans suffer through traumatic brain injuries, and, in looking for a treatment for these injuries, had turned to the world of hyperbaric

medicine. In his stay at the Undersea Lodge, Dituri discovered that many of his predictions regarding the potential of hyperbaric medicine were confirmed.

“Hopefully we have solidified for the world the mechanism of action, hyperbaric medicine,” Dituri said. “The several (changes) that I have discovered already, plus an increase in stem cell proliferation, the extending telomere length, the decrease in inflammation, all of that (can help with a) traumatic brain injury.”

Despite the thrill of scientific discovery, Dituri’s experiences during the 100 days could be grueling. Although Dituri’s 28 years in the Navy had accustomed him to long periods of relative isolation, he’d begun to experience strong feelings of homesickness during the latter half of his mission.

“You can only get so much contact out of a video teleconference,” Dituri said. “It’s just not enough; we need physical contact.” Most of all, Dituri grew to miss the warmth and light of the sun. Yet he continued on, encouraged by both the significance of his mission and the unparalleled experience it offered him.

“One hundred days looking out my porthole was wonderful. My friend Fred the lobster, who was outside on the right — I talked about him all the time and all the kids have seen him — he actually got a family and grew up,” Dituri said. “It’s the first time underwater you see this type of stuff, you see a lobster molting for the first time, you go, ‘oh my goodness, I’m actually living in the wild.’”

He was also inspired by the chance to educate students at home and abroad. During his stay, MarineLab set up appointments for him to speak to nearly 5,000 students in 15 different countries. From Ireland to the United Arab Emirates, he spoke to diverse groups of students from his station nine meters underwater. According to Dituri, one of the program’s main goals was to “educate and inspire the next generation of kids.” He received visits from more than 30 students and teachers, who made daylong visits to the Undersea Lodge.

“MarineLab’s (educational experiences) have already had great impacts on our students. Meeting Dituri further adds another layer to that experience,” said Ginette Hughes, the chief executive officer of MarineLab.

Dituri plans to present his discoveries at the International Conference on Science, Engineering & Technology in Edinburgh this September. He plans to continue his research into hyperbaric medicine and his studies in marine science.

“I think that the experience has been very positive, I think that we’ve learned an awful lot from it, and we’ll be able to put that into the next mission, when somebody breaks my record. That’s a challenge to all of you kids out there,” Dituri said. As for now? “Tonight I plan on getting a great cheeseburger and watching the sunset.”

1. Joseph Dituri looks up to the sun as he surfaces from a 100-day stay at Jules’ Lodge in Key Largo on June 9. ANDY NEWMAN/Florida Keys News Bureau. 2. ExNavy veteran and University of South Florida professor Joseph Dituri embraces his team after successfully completing a 100-day stay beneath the depths at Jules’ Lodge. ZACK WOLTANSKI/Keys Weekly. 3. Dituri receives an aquanauts certificate. 4. Dituri emerges from the surface to mark the end of Project Neptune 100 on June 9. 5. During his underwater stay, Dituri held numerous video conferences with students attending MarineLab. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly

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COUNTY’S JULY 3 CELEBRATION FEATURES WORLD RECORD PIE

BIG PINE KEY EVENT IS LATEST IN ‘KEYS 200’ SERIES

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Florida Keys visitors and residents can commemorate the island chain’s bicentennial Monday, July 3, during a “Florida Keys 200” event showcasing the creation of the world’s largest Key lime pie and a laser light show and fireworks extravaganza.

The once-in-a-lifetime festivities will salute the 200th anniversary of the Florida Territorial Legislature’s founding of Monroe County, which encompasses the entire Florida Keys, on July 3, 1823.

“Keys 200” events have been staged around the island chain leading up to the anniversary date.

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Bicentennial activities are to culminate 200 years to the day after Monroe County’s establishment with the preparation and serving of the world’s largest Key lime pie — the Keys’ most iconic dessert — and a patriotic family-friendly gathering set for 5 to 10 p.m. at Big Pine Community Park, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico at the end of Sands Road.

“What better way to celebrate this fabulous milestone than at one of the largest community events in the Lower Keys?” said Julie Schilling, president of the Rotary Club of the Lower Keys, which is presenting the festivities with Monroe County.

“We’re very excited to celebrate with Monroe County on the actual date of the 200th anniversary,” Schilling added.

The gargantuan pie, to be created by Key West chefs Kermit Carpenter and Paul Menta, is expected to measure 13.14 feet in diameter and be prepared with a traditional graham-cracker crust and whipped cream topping. Ingredients will include juice from several thousand Key limes, more than 55 gallons of sweetened condensed milk and over 200 pounds of graham crackers.

The pie will be certified in a resolution by Monroe County commissioners.

The bicentennial event also will feature a photo booth; bounce house, slide and games for kids; and food trucks offering fare and beverages for purchase.

Fireworks will be accompanied by a patriotic laser light show, created by Key West Lasers, with a series of highpowered performance lasers generating a colorful mid-air presentation.

Additional activities will include live music by Keys band Brian Roberts and the Prime Movers, as well as former American Idol finalist and Lower Keys resident Kristen McNamara.

Parking near Big Pine Community Park is free. Shuttles will begin running at 5 p.m. from the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce building, located at 31020 Overseas Highway on Big Pine, to the park.

Whether you are a resident or a snowbird, it is important to have your assets properly titled in a way that will avoid those assets going through probate.

KATHLEEN HENDRICKSON

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

THE 2023 KEYS WEEKLY ALL-KEYS BOYS TRACK TEAM

For schools in geographically-isolated locations such as the Florida Keys, individual sports are where one might expect athletes to prosper, and the three Monroe County schools’ track and field teams did not disappoint this year. Keys gentlemen earned a total of six state medals this season, with representatives from each school bringing home some hardware. In addition to the state medal winners and qualifiers, many more athletes earned spots on the podium at regionals and districts. Key West earned the top spot in FHSAA 2A while Coral Shores took fourth place. Marathon’s boys were second overall in 1A competition. All three teams brought some fantastic positive attention and quite a bit of hometown pride home to their schools.

From all of us at the Keys Weekly, congratulations to the 2023 All-Keys Boys Track Team.

SUHAREVSKIS NIKS-DAVIS

Junior, Key West Pole Vault, Hurdles

Suharevskis Niks-Davis established himself as a competitive jumper and hurdler for the Conchs, earning points for his team in some of the most challenging events. It only made sense for him to take up perhaps the most terrifying event track and field has to offer: the pole vault. Niks-Davis started vaulting last year, clearing impressive heights almost immediately. This season, his hard work and attention to detail paid off when he placed second at the FHSAA 2A Track and Field Championships in Jacksonville. The state silver medalist claimed first place in Region 4 after district victories in pole vault and the 110m high hurdle. With one more year to hone his craft, Niks-Davis has a solid shot at Key West’s school record in pole vault as well as a state gold medal in 2024.

ETHAN MARGUET

Junior, Coral Shores

400m, 4x400m Relay

Marguet won two runner-up medals at districts this year in the 400m individual race and 4x400m relay, advancing to regionals in both events. He holds the school record in both events and has respectable times in the 100m and 800m as well, making next season one of great expectations for the junior.

XAVYER ARRINGTON Senior, Coral Shores Shot Put, Discus

Arrington’s strength earned him two medals at states this season – sixth place in discus and eighth in shot put. The senior strongman won gold medals at districts in both events, holds both school records and won first in the region in discus.

AMBROSE SANCHEZ

Junior, Coral Shores

Hurdles, Utility Runner

Ambrose Sanchez is a coach’s dream as a utility runner. The multitalented athlete holds the school record in the 400m intermediate hurdles and has competitive times in every event from the 200m to the 3200m.

JOSH CANTERBURY

Senior, Key West Pole Vault, Discus

Canterbury capped his high school track career with a sixthplace medal at the state championships in May by adding nearly a foot to his top pole vault height this season. At districts, he won secondplace medals in both pole vault and discus.

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

4x800m relay. He went on to win an eighth-place medal in the 3200m at the state championship meet by dropping more than 20 seconds from his personal record time. As if his track feats weren’t enough, Bursa was the first to break the tape in the Seven Mile Bridge Run mid-season.

KENDALL MONROE

KEVON MILLS

Senior, Key West

High Jump, Long Jump, 4x400m

Relay

Mills is truly an all-around fantastic athlete. His strongest event was the high jump, in which he claimed a sixth-place medal at states this season. At districts, he won the high jump and long jump, qualifying for regionals in both events and the 4x400m relay.

Dolton attracted the attention of college scouts with his blazing speed over the hurdles. He earned second place in the 110m high hurdles, third place in the 400m intermediate hurdles, fifth on the 4x400m relay team and sixth in discus at districts. Dolton holds three school records in hurdles at the 110m, 400m and 300m distances.

LUCAS MONTIEL

Senior, Key West

800m, 4x400m and 4x800m Relays

Montiel won the district championship in the 800m and ran legs of the Conchs’ secondplace 4x800m relay and third-place 4x400m relay teams, qualifying him for regionals in all three events. This season, he shaved nearly five seconds off his already-fast 800m time.

Sophomore,

Louis Jeune claimed secondplace medals in the long jump and triple jump events at districts, qualifying for regionals in both. He broke the school record in the triple jump early this season, and with two more years of eligibility to go, it is not unlikely he will become a state medalist in the coming seasons.

Sophomore, Key West High School

Bocce

Key West High School’s Kendall Monroe is a determined athlete who works hard to improve her bocce skills each time she steps onto the court. The rising sophomore is described by her coach, Tina Phillips, as “the light of the room” as “her infectious smile and laugh will brighten anyone’s day.”

VANCE BURSA

Sophomore, Marathon 800m, 1600m, 3200m

Bursa had a standout 2023 season, claiming third-place medals at districts in the 800m, 1600m and 3200m races. He qualified for regionals in all three events, plus the

Bocce is not the only sport Kendall excels in. In true Conch fashion, she most recently sharpened her baseball skills in a friendly game of tee ball with the Special Olympic Motor Activity Training Program (MATP) games, where she and her athlete buddy Sofia Korilova worked together to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles while forging a special friendship. For her hard work, refusal to give up and genuine sportsmanship, Kendall Monroe is the Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.

AARON DOLTON Senior, Marathon 110m and 400m Hurdles

FABBIANHO LOUIS JEUNE

Marathon Long Jump, Triple Jump

Kendall Monroe (right) and Sofia Korilova round the bases in a friendly game of tee ball during Key West High School’s Special Olympic MATP culminating event. CONTRIBUTED

Kendall Monroe (front) with buddies Sofia Korilova (right) and Darien Hidalgo (left).

Photos by Barry Gaukel, Rick Mackenzie and contributed images.

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

KEVIN FREEMAN & JUDD WISE LOOK BACK ON LENGTHY CAREERS

LONGTIME KEYS COACHES CHRONICLE EVOLUTION IN ATHLETICS

TRACY McDONALD www.keysweekly.com

Coaches in the Keys seem to be split between two camps. In one, they are here for a few years, coach a few sports, have a little fun, then move on to more affordable living on the mainland. The other group seems to have been here forever, coaching the kids of the athletes they coached at the beginning of their careers and becoming fixtures at the schools fortunate enough to have them. It is the second group of coaches who seem to have made an indelible mark on the students, athletes and communities in which they work, and their expertise is heavily relied upon by new hires and those learning how to survive in such a unique work environment.

With prep sports competition all but over for the summer, this week the spotlight will be on a pair of educators who have more than 65 years of combined coaching experience in the Keys. Kevin Freeman is a physical education teacher at Marathon High School and has coached plenty of different sports, many times taking the helm for three in one year. Judd Wise is a health and physical education teacher at Key West High School where he has done (and often still does) just about everything related to athletics.

Freeman is one of the longest tenured coaches still actively coaching in the Middle Keys. He started his career in 2002, taking roles in JV football and JV basketball that season. Over the course of his 20-plus years coaching, Freeman has filled coaching roles in football, basketball, volleyball, softball, tennis and golf.

He said the biggest change he has experienced is technology.

“We used to take a school bus to every single away game. We didn’t have school vans and didn’t do rentals then. Not everybody had a phone, so we would talk to each other on the bus trips,” he said. “Players and coaches had conversations, and we used to have more fun traveling, even though it was on a school bus.”

He noted the positives of technology as well, such as the ease in creating interactive practice plans and finding new drills. “You used to have to go to a coach’s clinic or buy a book, but that’s all easier now,” he explained.

When asked about the craziest printable thing that ever happened to him in his two decades of coaching, he cited his varsity basketball team’s district championship win over Westwood Christian School in 2010.

“After we won the game, the kids dumped the cooler of water over me in the gym,” he recalled. “The assistant coach from Westwood slipped and fell in the water and had to get stitches in his head. He was already unhappy about the loss, so that didn’t help.”

Longtime Conchs coach Wise is a Key West athletics fixture. Wise started coaching in 1981 and rattled off a resume including coach-

ing roles in volleyball, swimming, football, boys and girls soccer, girls wrestling, basketball, baseball and softball. But you might recognize him from his current role as Coach Wise, announcing home games and events for the Conchs in the press box and on the radio.

When transportation became an issue on an island so far from the mainland, Wise earned his CDL and has been driving a school bus for 30-plus years. He’s worked the concession stand – “cooked a lot of food, raised a lot of money” – and even did a stint on cable television highlighting Key West’s sports teams.

Clearly he knows the ins and outs of athletics, and when asked about the changes in coaching, he did not hesitate. Like Freeman, Wise found technology to be the biggest difference.

“Social media has changed it all. Kids didn’t have phones 24/7 in the ’80s and ’90s,” he said. “Before the phone was such a big part of their lives, sports were everything.”

He had a lot of praise for today’s coaches, saying, “You’re a special person to coach today. You’ve got a lot to deal with outside the sport itself and parents are more involved. Parents didn’t go to practice in the ’80s, but now they take very active roles and make it difficult for some coaches.”

In his 40-plus years in athletics, Wise recounted an event that occurred during his first year in the Keys as the craziest. “My very first year of coaching down here, I was doing baseball. There was a foul ball and the catcher and first baseman ran into each other. The first baseman’s gum got caught in his throat, and we all had to rush to get it out because he couldn’t breathe.”

He credited “Coach Welch,” his assistant, in saving the player’s life. “We didn’t know much about the Heimlich back then. Coach Welch just reached in and grabbed it out.” Astonishingly, the first baseman finished out the game after his near-death experience on the field.

After decades in the classroom, Wise is contemplating retirement in the near future, but don’t worry, he says.

“I’m not giving up coaching.”

Left: Kevin Freeman stands for a team picture in 2010. Pictured to his left is Nyron Ross. Right: Kevin Freeman and Sean Kirwan pose for a pregame photo during the 2023 basketball season at Marathon High School. CONTRIBUTED

Left: Coach Judd Wise, right, with Reese Thompson circa 1986, early in his coaching career. Right: Coach Wise, right, poses with Key West soccer star Axel Correa signing his scholarship in 2022.

Marathon business leaders and dignitaries gathered to celebrate the opening of Keys Vacation Supply Rentals on June 1. Owners David and Denise Bullard’s business is designed to serve tourists and locals alike, offering a plethora of equipment for rent and allowing visitors to “leave the big bags behind.” The store’s wide-ranging offerings span from bikes and beach gear, including chairs, coolers and fishing rods, to fishing and snorkel equipment, baby supplies, wheelchairs for mobility assistance and a great deal more. The company offers delivery for maximum convenience. Its main store location is at 11400 Overseas Highway, Suite 123 in Marathon. For more information, call 305465-1904 or visit keysvacationsupplyrentals.com. ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly

11202 3RD AVENUE, OCEAN, MARATHON at the corner 112th St

Remodeled 2 bd/ 2 ba CBS home. Carport, impact windows, room to park your boat trailer.

ELECTRIC DEEP DROP BASICS

CAPTAIN JOEL’S FISHIN’ HOLES

Most of the swordfish in the Middle Keys are caught in anywhere from 1,700 to 2,100 feet of water. In that depth, a 10-pound lead cylinder weight is most effective depending on the currents and location of the Gulf Stream, whereas grey tilefish in 600 feet of water might only need a 3- or 4-pound cylinder weight.

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

Iwant to start out by stating that I’m not an electric deep drop master. I know several masters and have spent a lot of time offshore with some master deep droppers, but there’s an art to it and I still have a lot to learn. The novice deep dropper may think that all you have to do is buy the equipment, buy a few good numbers, bait your hook and send them down to the bottom, wait for the strike and push the up button on an electric reel. Sometimes it’s just that easy, but most of the time, it’s a lot tougher than that.

You can learn a lot about electric deep dropping by watching YouTube videos, but until you get out there and see what’s really involved, you really don’t get it.

Captain Kavon Mehrani out of Marathon is a deep drop “rig-ologist” and has taught me a lot over the years on how to set up deep drop rigs for different species of fish. Captain Kavon is very particular about his equipment and rigging. He knows what size hook to use for each species of fish. He knows what line weight, lead weight, light scheme and bait to use in any given situation. I‘ve caught swordfish, blackbelly rosefish, tilefish, several different species of grouper and snapper while deep dropping with Captain Kavon.

Another master deep dropper is Captain Kevin Rowley out of Big Pine Key. He also rigs a lot of his own setups and catches his own bait for deep dropping. I’ve spent time with Kevin deep dropping and have caught big swordfish and huge snowy grouper with him. He taught me that one of the most important things to remember when deep dropping is to keep your line as straight up and down as possible, which can be easier said than done with high offshore winds and rushing currents.

Attention to detail, and a good deal of patience, can land the swordfish of a lifetime while deep dropping. JOEL BRANDENBURG/Contributed

Captain Kevin showed me that half of the battle is having a good driver at the wheel to keep the angler’s line straight. Deep dropping is really a two-person job, with an angler and driver working in harmony.

Another master deep dropper in the Florida Keys is Nick Stanczyk out of Islamorada. Captain Nick is a swordfish specialist. He’s a young world-renowned captain with a reputation for consistently catching huge swordfish on light electric deep drop rigs by knowing how to play his drag.

All three of these deep drop masters make a lot of their own rigs. I’ve seen these captains fish for swordfish using squid, barracuda bellies, bonita bellies, houndfish, ribbonfish and several other unusual baits. They all strategically sew their own baits so the baits will stay together in deep water and heavy currents.

Another thing these guys are really good at is knowing where their weight and bait is in relation to the bottom. As you’re drifting, the bottom is always dramatically changing, so you’re always checking the bottom and making adjustments. There’s a lot of give and take to keep your bait straight up and down and off the bottom. Many times if your weight’s dragging on the bottom, you’ll get hung up in the rocks and reefs. On the other hand, if your bait is too high off the bottom, you won’t get a hit. The medium level is the sweet spot. Not too high, not too low. Keep your bait in the “strike zone” a foot or two off the bottom as much as possible.

Most master deep droppers include liquidactivated flashing lights on their rigs. Normally a total of two – one nearest to the weight and one above the top hook in the five- or six-hook rig. Once you’re deeper than 250 feet, the visibility all but disappears, and it’s almost pitch black. Swordfish, blackbelly rosefish, wreckfish, oilfish, golden tilefish, queen snapper and many other deep-dwelling species feed primarily on squid. Squid illuminates in the pitch-black deep and the blinking lights get the gamefish’s attention, emulating an illuminated squid. For many grouper species we like dropping live pinfish, bonitas and ballyhoo.

Deep dropping can be the most boring type of fishing in the world until you get a fish on. It’s hard to spend a full day deep dropping on a charter. Imagine six people sitting around the boat for hours, staring at the tip of the rod and waiting for the tip to twitch. It always amazes me that when a 300- or 400-pound swordfish hits your bait at 1,700 feet deep, the rod just twitches once or twice, half an inch or so.

Deep dropping can really test your patience. If you stick to your plan and keep deep dropping, your patience can pay off with the fish of a lifetime.

Two final things to be aware of when deep dropping: Most of the swordfish grounds are right on, or near, the Bahamian border. Needless to say, stay in U.S. waters. The other thing to be aware of is as you’re drifting and deep dropping, your boat becomes a “floater,” so always keep an eye around your boat for mahi (dolphin), wahoo, tripletail and other game fish that may come around your vessel.

To book a charter with Ana Banana, call or text Capt. Joel at 813-267-4401 or Capt. Jojo at 305-879-0564, or visit anabananafishing.com.

CAPT. JOEL BRANDENBURG

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RAD DADS

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO SOME OF THE MIDDLE KEYS’ GREATEST

They’re quick with a joke, always seem to be fixing something, and live for the chance to embarrass their children. But at the end of the day, plenty of dads have the unofficial job title of “superhero” for their kids and families. As is tradition, the Keys Weekly is proud to present some of the Middle Keys’ finest dads as we prepare to celebrate them this Sunday. From all of us to the dads out there in the Keys and beyond, happy Father’s Day.

What makes him a great dad? It would have to be how he helps the community and his family, and how kind and caring he is.

What’s his best “dad habit” or skill? Absolutely being an amazing grill boss. Getting into grilling as much as he did and seeing such success and dedication to it as a craft and hobby has made him noticeably happier. We’re glad he could get back into it, especially after not really being able to since we left Georgia.

Is there anything on his “honey-do list” that you’ve been waiting forever for? Fortunately, not really! He pretty much does things right away, so no complaints.

— Submitted by his family.

What makes him a great dad? Sean is an amazing dad because he is so patient and willing to work hard for our family. He is a great role model for our kids.

What’s his best “dad habit” or skill? His best dad skill is cooking, and not just grilling. Sean has no problem making meals for us all. He also takes care of the “boy jobs” like heavy lifting, dealing with strangers, and gross jobs I would rather not do.

Is there anything on his “honey-do list” that you’ve been waiting forever for? In June we will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. I gave up on honey-do lists years ago.

— Submitted by his wife Tracy.

What makes him a great dad? Jessie is a very loving, supportive and engaging dad! As a blended co-parenting family, we are all very grateful for him.

What’s his best “dad habit” or skill? Jessie’s best “dad habit” is being there and always spending time with the kids and doing things with them.

Is there anything on his “honey-do list” that you’ve been waiting forever for? “We’re going streaking!”

— Submitted by Megan Hughes.

What makes him a great dad? From the voice of his two daughters: “Papa is funny. Papa is strong. Papa loves his family.”

What’s his best “dad habit” or skill? Papa helps people and fixes things.

Is there anything on his “honey-do list” that you’ve been waiting forever for? No. He is a checklist kind of man, so as long as it makes the list, it gets done!

— Submitted by his family.

What makes him a great dad? Marco goes to any length to make sure the whole family is well taken care of. He is selfless, thoughtful and has a great sense of humor.

What’s his best “dad habit” or skill? His best skill is making our son laugh, even in the middle of a meltdown. That, in addition to being the best chef in town!

Is there anything on his “honey-do list” that you’ve been waiting forever for? He’s very diligent and is up to date on the honey-do list.

— Submitted by his wife Catalina.

JESSIE SCHUBERT

JOSH MANN

ALEX PALMA

SEAN McDONALD

MARCO AUSON

ALEX RICKERT alex@keysweekly.com

What makes him a great dad? When our daughter Ariana was born, my dad gave TJ some advice: Spend time with your kids; that’s the best gift a dad can ever give. TJ took it to heart and helped coach all their sports and loved every minute of it.

What’s his best “dad habit” or skill? If there’s a problem or need, he won’t give up until he finds a solution.

Is there anything on his “honey-do list” that you’ve been waiting forever for? Cleaning out his closet of clothes that don’t fit or he no longer wears.

— Submitted by his wife Anneke.

What makes him a great dad? He involves Elise in his hobbies and supports hers.

What’s his best “dad habit” or skill? He can, and will, fix everything.

Is there anything on his “honey-do list” that you’ve been waiting forever for? Building my 1970s Challenger.

— Submitted by his wife Kimmie.

What makes him a great dad? Sam is the absolute coolest dad! He’s got a heart of gold and loves Mia more than anything in the world. He’s always up for adventure and sharing new experiences. He’s got a seriously impressive work ethic and is always working hard to provide for his family. I love watching Mia learn from him just watching him in action.

What’s his best “dad habit” or skill? It’s spending quality time with Mia. It’s heartwarming to see how much he cherishes those 15 minutes of undivided attention with her while driving to school. His habit of teaching her affirmations and repeating them while driving not only creates a positive mindset for Mia but also strengthens their bond as father and daughter.

Is there anything on his “honey-do list” that you’ve been waiting forever for? Are you kidding? Sam doesn’t have a honey-do list. He has a “Honey! Call someone else to do it!” list. He’s too busy working!

— Submitted by his wife Kelly.

What makes him a great dad? One thing that makes Mac such a great dad is how involved he is. From doctor’s appointments to field trips to coaching the kids in sports, he makes an effort to be there for everything he can.

What’s his best “dad habit” or skill? His best dad skill is his super high energy. When I’m worn out at the end of the day, he’s still going like the Energizer Bunny cooking dinner, bathing kids and having family music jams (one of his other awesome dad skills!)

Is there anything on his “honey-do list” that you’ve been waiting forever for? A major perk of his high energy is that nothing stays on the honey-do list too long. There’s a honeydon’t list, though – that includes not asking me questions in the morning before coffee!

— Submitted by his wife Teri.

What makes him a great dad? One of my father’s life lessons was advising me that you have to work for what you want, nothing is given to you. He always puts everyone before himself and is always there to lend a helping hand to anyone who needs it.

What’s his best “dad habit” or skill? He’s an amazing fisherman.

Is there anything on his “honey-do list” that you’ve been waiting forever for? Take more time for himself.

— Submitted by his daughter Kristy.

What makes him a great dad? He’s a great dad because he is funny, but strict when he has to be, and he supports us in everything we do, especially dance and soccer.

What’s his best “dad habit” or skill? His best “dad habit” is his ability to make us laugh with a corny dad joke, even if we aren’t in the best of moods.

Is there anything on his “honey-do list” that you’ve been waiting forever for? An item on the “honey-do” list that we have been waiting for him to do for what seems like forever is putting the last of the Christmas decorations away!

— Submitted by his wife Jamie.

KENNY MATLOCK

DAN YEIDER

TJ PATTERSON

MAC CHILDRESS

SAM WILLIAMS

PATRICK STEVENS

MARK HEDDEN

... 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.

A NON - RECENT FLAMINGO SIGHTING

At the party, according to Henry A. Patterson, there had been lots of “dancing, eating, drinking, conversing.” There were just enough women there, he said, to form three cotillions, which meant 12 men and 12 women. But then the ladies started drifting out of the room, and they were left with an excess of men, who carried on, forming an all-male cotillion where, he said, “We enjoyed ourselves as well as when we had partners of the fair sex.”

Before they quit, he said, “some of our party got a little intoxicated, rude & boisterous & some dissatisfaction was created among the more orderly sets.”

Words were said, displeasures expressed.

“I avoided all difficulties of that nature; & studiously abstaining from the indulgence of any angry feeling; went to bed in good humour with myself & every one else.”

The next morning he went saltwater fishing with William Hackley for the first time and caught, “some fifty or sixty grouper; yellow tails, & grunts.”

This was in late February 1843.

A few days later he sailed on a borrowed boat up to “Boka Chica” with his friend Alexander to go hunting. They were hoping to shoot some ducks, raccoons, or maybe even Key deer.

“But after spending an hour tramping through the water, mud & bushes, getting miserably bitten by innumerable musquitoes (sic); & finding no signs of game save occasionally a deer track, we got under weigh at five o clock, & beat up home again in four hours; thoroughly drenched with salt water, tired, & hungry. The game had all been driven from the island by two men who had been there shortly before us with dogs,” he wrote.

“On our return we saw a flock of flamingoes, some twenty or thirty in number; & endeavoured to get within shot of them as they stood in the water; but they took to flight too soon for us. The most awkward birds I ever before saw, are perfect specimens of grace & elegance compared with the appearance of these as they flew past us, their long necks stuck straight out before, & their equally long legs trailing behind. But their red & black plumage is said to excel in beauty all the feathered tribe,” wrote Patterson.

“Henry A. Patterson was a New Yorker who worked for a hardware company. And a fella in Key West had gotten into arrears on his accounts for the hardware business,” said Corey Malcom, lead historian at the Florida Keys History Center inside the Key West library. “And so Patterson was sent down here to make things right. And he spent three, four months here, and kept a diary, a detailed account of his whole time.”

“He was the nephew of Alexander Patterson, who was one of the big guys in early 19th century Key West. So he came down, stayed with his uncles and the family here, hung out with them, made things right as far as the debt went. He just had all sorts of crazy Keys adventures, and he wrote about it,” Malcom said.

We know about Patterson’s activities largely due to a cross-generational tag team of Key West historians. Betty Bruce, the original historian at the library, acquired microfilm of the journals in the 1960s from the New York Historical Society. But the film was seriously underexposed, and the pages of the journal were torn in half down the middle. With the technology of the time, the journal was mostly unreadable and sat in a drawer for decades.

Malcom found the microfilm in the drawer, scanned it, used Photoshop to both lighten the handwritten pages and reassemble them, and has been working in recent months to transcribe them. (The Florida Keys History Center will be posting the full set of Keys entries this summer.)

It was the flamingo part that got my attention when a library source told me about the journals. The image of a flock of 20 to 30 American flamingos in the waters between Key West and Boca Chica is, to me, beyond cool. But it also has scientific and environmental value beyond the historical significance.

Until several years ago, the state of Florida did not consider the American flamingo as a native Florida species, despite them being spotted here with some frequency. There was a belief that any flamingo seen in the wild in Florida had either escaped a zoo, Gulfstream race track in Miami, or an aviary. It took a team of biologists from organizations such as Zoo Miami, Florida Audubon and Big Cypress National Preserve to convince them otherwise, which they did by finding historical accounts, such as Patterson’s, as well as finding specimens of birds and eggs collected in Florida in a number of natural history museums.

“We don’t have a lot of records from before, like, 1860. The records are very rare, so this is a really cool observation,” said Steven Whitfield, conservation and research specialist at Zoo Miami, who was one of the co-authors of a paper that convinced the state to consider the American flamingo a native Florida species.

“I loved this record because it’s from a time period where we don’t have many reports. And always with these flamingo records, I’m worried if they’re actually seeing roseate spoonbills, but the way this guy describes the flamingos, it’s absolutely clear it’s flamingos and not spoonbills,” Whitfield said.

“It’s important that he says that he tried to shoot at them. Because it’s kind of unthinkable to shoot a flamingo these days, but the reason they’re not here any more is because people ate them all, and shot them for their feathers. So that’s a really important part of this as well,” Whitfield said.

“These old records give us a really good baseline for what we’d like to manage today. Knowing where flamingos were, how many they were, is really important for establishing recovery targets,” said Whitfield.

An American flamingo in flight in the Florida Keys. MARK HEDDEN/Keys Weekly

JANICE GARY

is a writer, dog mama and author of the awardwinning memoir, “Short Leash.” Her lifelong love of the Keys led her to living local on the rock with her husband and their dog, Ozzy, the Canine Tornado. janicegary.com

PAWS IN PARADISE

MEET VINCENT, THE DANISHSWEDISH ISLAND DOG

As soon as I pulled into the driveway, the barking started. It was high-pitched, incessant and coming from a bouncing ball of canine energy that looked a lot like Vincent, the dog in the magnificent sunsetdrenched photos taken by his owner, Cudjoe Key photographer Lynne Bentley-Kemp.

In those photos, Vincent is a dog-god, gazing over the cloud-reflected waters as if he owns the place. But the dog in Lynne’s yard seemed a typical terrier — white body, reddish-brown spots, assertive personality. And that bark.

“Jack Russell?” I asked, as I dug out a treat for my new friend.

“No,” Lynne said. “Danish-Swedish farmdog.”

I looked closer. This dog was different. Bigger than a typical Jack with a squarer, more sturdy body. But still, in all my years of obsessively watching televised dog competitions, I’d never heard of anything like a Danish-Swedish farmdog.

Lynne was not surprised. Originally from Denmark and Sweden, the breed is relatively rare in this country. They were bred to be allaround farm dogs that could provide multidog services in one compact canine body.

“They can herd, they can hunt, they can protect,” Lynne said. “Their job was to do whatever was needed on the farm.”

But Lynne lived on a canal, not a farm. She needed a dog that could swim, could pull himself up on canal ramps. A dog that could trek through the backcountry and ride a stand-up paddleboard. In other words, an island dog.

Vincent’s breeder made notes of Lynne’s wish list, then told her she would pick the dog for her. After closely observing the pups in the litter, she zeroed in on a suitable candidate, and because Lynne had said she wanted a dog who could paddleboard with her, created a special puppy-size swinging board for him in the pen. “He loved it,” Lynne said. “Even slept in it.”

At seven weeks, her little farm boy arrived in the Keys, with a name, Vincent (after Van Gogh), and much to learn.

The first thing Lynne did was teach him to swim. She started him off in the canal outside her home and he took to it right away. “Now he’ll swim in anything,” she said. “Oceans. Pools. Even puddles.”

Around that time, Vincent met a real paddleboard. All the board work in his puppy pen had paid off. “He loved it,” Lynne says. “Was very enthusiastic.”

But it’s not all fun and games for this surfer boy. Vincent keeps iguanas off the “farm,” not only chasing them, but climbing after them. Yes. These dogs can climb trees. I’ve seen the pictures and it’s startling.

Roosters are also on his pest removal list. Vincent considers them “iguanas with feathers,” chasing and climbing to keep them from his yard. And rats? After a palm came down near the Kemps’ house, Lynne found five palm rats under her bed.

But perhaps the most extraordinary thing about this dog’s full-tilt island life is Vincent’s and Lynne’s shared love of Keys sunsets. Every evening, as sunset approaches, Vincent begins herding her out the door at just the right time to catch the descent, be it summer, winter, standard or non-standard time.

I’ve heard it said that some of the most beautiful sunsets in the Keys happen around the waters off Cudjoe Key and after viewing Lynne’s pictures, I must agree. Or maybe it’s something more, this shared awe between dog and person, standing there before the immense beauty of sunset in this special place.

While all the sunset pictures are breathtaking, the ones featuring Vincent — tramping through the flats, gazing across the water, or simply being a dog in nature — elevate these photographs to art. They remind me of classic 18th-century portraits of animals, especially the ones of dogs in action, capturing the intimate relationship between them and the natural world.

These amazing photographs are not a matter of coincidence or pure luck, although some of that may be in play. Bentley-Kemp is a photographer and master artist behind the camera. She has even taught Vincent how to pose. But only briefly. “I have to be quick,” she says. “He won’t stand there long.”

Vincent truly is a sort of dog-god out there on the flats, enjoying water and wilderness in a way only a dog can. He even has his own sunset stick collection. Each evening, when it’s time to go, he leaves his “stick o’ the day” in a special pile he keeps on the shore. When they return, he knows just where to find his “toys.”

Although the breed is not yet officially recognized at the American Kennel Club, they can compete in the “Miscellaneous” category at competitions, which Vincent did last summer at the AKC Nationals in Orlando. Although he was nervous at first, Lynne said he adjusted well to the demands of show life, taking both elevators and directions in the show ring in stride. Pretty good for a guy that’s basically still a puppy at 2 ½ years and a country boy at heart.

With only 300 Danish-Swedish farmdogs in the U.S., it’s with noting four of them live in the Keys. Statistically, that’s a high concentration, but it makes sense. The Keys are a wild and special part of the world. It takes a special kind of being — dog and human — to live here. Adaptability is key, and these dogs have it in spades.

I asked Lynne what she likes best about Vincent. “Well, he’s handsome,” she says, laughing. “And he gets me.”

And what annoys her the most? She didn’t hesitate. “That bark. You should hear him when he sits in the trees and screams at the iguanas.”

Maybe that’s not what a typical DanishSwedish farmdog does. But Vincent is, after all, not a farm dog.

He’s an island dog — and loves every minute of it.

Vincent the dog. LYNNE BENTLEY-KEMP/ Contributed

SOMBRERO BEACH ART VISUALIZES REALITY OF SEA LEVEL RISE

COMPLAINTS AND MORE FROM ACROSS THE POND

THOSE BRITS HAVE A WAY WITH THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE…

The city of Marathon’s Sombrero Beach has a new art installation that comes with an important message about sea level rise and climate change. The rolling waves, sculpted out of granite by local artist Craig Gray, are inscribed with projected sea levels in the year 2090 for that very spot of the Middle Keys’ most popular beach.

Gray has created more than 100 public art pieces in 26 states; some big, some small. As a Monroe County resident of more than a decade, Gray said he particularly appreciates the see-hear-touch nature of the piece.

“The art depicts the flow of water, but if you listen closely you can also hear the small waves crashing on the beach and you can touch this installation, so there’s the tactile element too,” Gray said. “This piece not only depicts the threat of hurricane storms but also the reality of the daily action of waves on our shores.”

The purpose of this public art is to educate the community and visitors regarding flooding and sea level rise that is outside the standard scope of dry charts and blackand-white graphs.

“This is a magnificent way to combine art with science with a beautiful sculpture that also emphasizes the realities of sea level rise,” said Marathon Mayor Luis Gonzalez.

Vice Mayor Robyn Still recognized the group effort. “This project is an amazing effort on the part of the Florida Keys Council of the

Arts to depict — through art — the importance of climate change to the Keys,” she said.

The city will install signs to explain the three demarcations of projected sea level rise for 2090, as forecast by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The three scenarios describe the projected intermediate high sea level, the high level and the extreme high level.

• The concrete base of the sculpture represents the projected intermediate high sea level in 67 years at 4.35 feet above current sea level.

• The top of the smaller wave depicts the projected high level in 67 years at 6.32 feet above current sea level.

• The top of the larger wave depicts the projected extreme high in 67 years at 7.8 feet above current sea level.

The city’s “Beautiful Benchmarks” project was funded with a grant from the Florida Keys Council of the Arts. The installation was handled by the artist and city staff including Jared Weaver and Blaine Connell of the utilities department and Yuniel “Junior” Diaz from parks and recreation. The grant was authored by the city’s planning director Brian Shea and grants coordinator Maria Covelli.

BONUS: The art installation has already been added to Google maps and nominated as a Pokéstop, making it easier for visitors to find.

— Contributed

’ve always been partial to good British humor (humour?). I’m especially fond of the Monty Python stuff, particularly Monty Python and the Holy Grail (“Is that an African or a European swallow?”) Even when people aren’t trying to be funny in Great Britain, they are oftentimes very amusing. My late friend Wayne “Mac” McCormick from the U.K. would frequently send me emails with actual complaints from proper Brits, many of which I’ll repeat here..

Tenants in housing often have issues and complaints for their landlords. What makes the British complaints different from the American complaints is how they’re worded. For example, in America, if the toilet doesn’t work, we call the landlord and say, “The (expletive) toilet doesn’t work!” Across the pond, one might handle the same complaint in a much different fashion: “Sometime before I shuffle off this mortal coil, if it’s not too much trouble, I’d fancy a crap in my own working loo.” Without further ado, here are some actual U.K. tenant complaints. Please imagine these spoken in a fine British accent.

1. My bush is really overgrown round the front and my back passage has fungus growing in it.

2. He’s got this huge tool that vibrates the whole house and I just can’t take it any more.

3. It’s the dogs’ mess that I find hard to swallow.

4. I want some repairs done to my cooker as it has backfired and burnt my knob off.

5. Their 18-year-old son is continually banging his balls against my fence.

6. I wish to report that tiles are missing from the outside toilet roof. I think it was bad wind the other night that blew them off.

7. My lavatory seat is cracked, where do I stand?

8. I am writing on behalf of my sink, which is coming away from the wall.

I9. Will you please send someone to mend the garden path? My wife tripped and fell on it yesterday, and now she is pregnant.

10. I request permission to remove my drawers in the kitchen.

11. 50% of the walls are damp, 50% have crumbling plaster and 50% are plain filthy.

12. The toilet is blocked and we cannot bathe the children until it is cleared.

13. Our lavatory seat is broken in half and is now in three pieces.

14. This is to let you know that our lavatory seat is broke and we can’t get BBC 2.

It’s not just tenant-landlord complaints that Mac sent me. Here are some actual newspaper story excerpts that found their way to the U.K. press:

- Commenting on a complaint from a Mr. Arthur Purdey about a large gas bill, a spokesman for North West Gas said, “We agree it was rather high for the time of year. It’s possible Mr. Purdey has been charged for the gas used up during the explosion that destroyed his house.” (The Daily Telegraph)

- Irish police are being handicapped in a search for a stolen van, because they cannot issue a description. It’s a Special Branch vehicle and they don’t want the public to know what it looks like. (The Guardian)

- At the height of the gale, the harbourmaster radioed a coastguardsman and asked him to estimate the wind speed. He replied he was sorry, but he didn’t have a gauge. However, if it was any help, the wind had just blown his Land Rover off the cliff. (Aberdeen Evening Express)

- Mrs. Irene Graham of Thorpe Avenue, Boscombe, delighted the audience with her reminiscence of the German prisoner of war who was sent each week to do her garden. He was repatriated at the end of 1945, she recalled. “He’d always seemed a nice friendly chap, but when the crocuses came up in the middle of our lawn in February 1946, they spelt out ‘Heil Hitler.’” (Bournemouth Evening Echo)

Find John’s music anywhere you download or stream your music. www.johnbartus.com johnbartus.hearnow.com

Artist Craig Gray, left, meets Vice Mayor Robyn Still and Mayor Luis Gonzalez at the final installation of the piece at Marathon’s Sombrero Beach. CITY OF MARATHON/Contributed

John Bartus is a singer-songwriter and the former mayor of Marathon.

JOHN BARTUS

BRIDGING THE GAPS

FLAGLER’S SOUTHERNMOST ARRIVAL BY RAIL DIDN’T MARK THE END OF CONSTRUCTION

BRAD BERTELLI

is 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.

The right-of-way for the Key West Extension of Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway approached the Florida Keys along what is now called the 18-Mile Stretch. It crossed Jewfish Creek and steamed, rocked and rolled down a set of railroad tracks that generally followed what is now the southbound lane of the Overseas Highway and ran to the southernmost terminus at Trumbo Point in Key West.

There were two notable exceptions. After the train traveled past the depots at Rock Harbor, Tavernier, Islamorada, Matecumbe, Long Key and Marathon, the railroad tracks jogged a little to the right of the modern highway. After steaming out of the Marathon Depot, the train rumbled across a series of bridges that crossed Pigeon Key and arrived on Little Duck Key.

The Seven Mile Bridge, both the old and the new, marks, among other things, the transition between the Middle and Lower Keys. In the Lower Keys, the railroad veered away from the modern path of the Overseas Highway in spectacular fashion when it jogged a little to the left at Bahia Honda.

Flagler’s Over-Sea Railroad ran through what is today the entrance to Bahia Honda State Park, followed the park road and passed one of the true treasures of the Florida Keys, a naturally

occurring sand beach. In 1992, “Dr. Beach,” Stephen Leatherman declared the mile-long Sandspur Beach the Best Beach in America. The train also roared through the iconic Bahia Honda Bridge before rumbling across the island identified on railroad construction charts as West Summerland Key #1. From the Summerland Keys, the train chugged across Stock Island, entered Key West and rolled into the southernmost terminus at Trumbo Point.

The celebrated arrival of Henry Flagler and his Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway was Jan. 22, 1912. Though Mr. Flagler’s railcar arrived at the southernmost terminus that day, it did not mark the day construction of the railroad was finished.

Because of his failing health, the job of bringing the train to Key West was rushed. Shortcuts were taken to hasten the project and ensure that Flagler saw his dream come to fruition. The railroad engineers were successful, and when Mr. Flagler’s railcar arrived in Key West, it did mark the beginning of daily railroad service operating between railroad depots at Miami and Key West. One of the lesser-reported stories about the railroad is that it was not officially completed until 1916.

Henry Flagler died on May 20, 1912. He never rode down to Key West aboard his private railcar on the completed Over-Sea Railroad project. When Mr. Flagler first made the trip to Key West, the train crossed a series of temporary bridges, including those connecting Lower Matecumbe Key to Long Key. The Channel 2 and Channel 5 bridges were wood trestle bridges during Flagler’s trek. In 1913, the wooden bridges were replaced with concrete viaducts. The Channel 5 Bridge was also fitted with a Bascule drawbridge to enable boats to navigate the channel.

The Long Key Viaduct, the bridge connecting Long Key to Conch Key, was not quite finished in 1912 and still had 1,512 feet of temporary wooden trestles. After Flagler had arrived in Key West, the wooden trestles were replaced with 35 concrete arches. The completed 1.72- mile Long Key Viaduct was the second-longest bridge connecting the mainland to its southernmost terminus at Key West.

In the Lower Keys, the wooden trestle bridges at Little Duck Key, Missouri Key and Ohio Key were replaced by spandrel arch bridges in 1914. The permanent bridge connecting Ohio Key to Bahia Honda was completed in September 1914. The temporary wooden trestle bridge connecting Torch Key to Ramrod Key was replaced with a concrete viaduct bridge in 1915. The wooden trestle bridge crossing Kemp Channel between Summerland Key and Cudjoe Key, too, was replaced with a permanent concrete bridge in March 1915.

The Niles Channel Viaduct was the last of the permanent railroad bridges to be completed. At about a half-mile long, it was the longest of the bridges in the Lower Keys. The bridge was first built with wooden trestles, but by the time Mr. Flagler’s train rocked and rolled across it, the wooden trestles had been replaced with concrete spandrel arches. Work to convert the spandrel arch bridge to a concrete viaduct bridge was completed in November 1915.

The last work conducted on the Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway was completing three miles of causeways between Conch Key and Grassy Key. The project required 2.1 million cubic yards of fill. Two short bridges were also incorporated into the span. The two bridges crossed by Flagler were built of wooden trestles but were replaced with arched concrete bridges in 1913.

Work on the causeways, however, continued, and they were built higher and higher until they reached an elevation of six feet over the pass. The work was not finished until 1916. Its completion marked the final construction project of the Key West Extension of Henry Flagler’s Over-Sea Railroad.

Railroad motorcar on Long Key Viaduct in 1926. C.L. MATLACK/Florida Keys History Center

Covering

Florida Keys Arts Council seeks grant applicants

The Florida Keys Council of the Arts is seeking Monroe County artists of all genres, including visual, music, dance, literary and more, to apply for three grant opportunities. The deadline is Friday, June 30 at 5 p.m. to apply for Art Builds Community Grants, Artists in Schools Grants and Special Project Grants. Information to apply for three grant opportunities is at keysarts.com/grants_more/grants. html. Please call the Florida Keys Council of the Arts for suggestions and assistance at 305-295-4369 or by email to director@keysarts.com.

Sunbelt Rentals holds school supply drive

Marathon’s Sunbelt Rentals is proud to announce its “Tools for School” school supply drive. Through July 14, the company’s Marathon location at 7603 Overseas Highway will be accepting donations of elementary school supplies for Stanley Switlik Elementary School. The company has created an Amazon wish list of supplies that can be easily shipped directly to the store’s location. Scan the attached QR code to access the wish list.

Be a part of Marathon’s Fourth of July parade

Grab your bicycle, golf cart, car or truck and some decorations to join the Marathon Rotary Club in its Fourth of July parade. The parade starts at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 4, with muster at Marathon High School at 10 a.m. Bicycles are free to enter, golf carts are $10 and vehicles are $20. Donated funds go to the Marathon Rotary Club and are tax deductible. There will be prizes for the best decorations, including $100 to the best decorated bike. RSVP is required by Saturday, July 1. Call or text Kelly at 731-616-0771 or Leigha at 305-9000749.

Homestead man arrested for multiple lobster violations

A 49-year-old Homestead man was arrested on June 10 for multiple lobster violations, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Wisberto Piferrer Canciano was charged with possession of out-of-season lobster, possession of over-the-limit lobsters, possession of undersized lobster, possession of speared lobster, and having no measuring device. The man was stopped by Middle Keys Marine Deputy Willie Guerra on the south end of the Channel Two Bridge

at about 11:20 a.m. He was allegedly found to be in possession of 13 speared lobsters, six of which were undersized. He was taken to jail.

Man arrested on multiple gun-related charges

An 18-year-old Stock Island man was arrested on June 12 for allegedly firing a gun during a party in Marathon. There were no reported injuries. Eric Cassanova Townes was charged with shooting into an occupied residence, improper display of a firearm, illegal possession of a firearm, and violation of probation. The Sheriff’s Office was called to the Trailerama mobile home park at about 10:45 p.m. Sunday regarding a shooting. There was a gathering of 30 to 40 mostly young people at a residence. Witnesses said a man, later identified as Townes, allegedly discharged a handgun during an altercation outside, striking the residence at least once. Authorities surrounded the area and Townes was found hiding at a nearby gas station. Townes has a criminal history that includes previous firearms-related violations, according to MCSO.

Come take a class at the Marathon library

The Marathon library has a wide variety of class offerings, ranging from photography to book clubs, robots, virtual reality and more. Scan the QR code here to see the schedule and get involved.

Marathon youth soccer registration is now open

Registration is open for the Marathon Youth Club’s 2023 fall season of youth soccer. Children ages 5 to 12 may register to play. The registration fee is $75 per child, with a $20 discount when registering additional siblings, plus a $3 transaction service fee. Registration is open through Friday, June 30, with a $15 late fee assessed after June 18. Children ages 7 and up must attend an evaluation at the Marathon Community Park soccer fields on Friday, July 7 or Monday, July 17. The season will run from the week of Aug. 14 through Oct. 20 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Register at MYC’s online registration link: https://leagues.bluesombrero. com/marathonyouthclub. For more information, follow “Marathon Youth Sports” on Facebook or email MarathonYouthClub305@gmail.com.

LEGAL NOTICES

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE

Wheatons Towing gives notice that on 06/30/2023 at 10:00 am, the following vehicle(s) may be sold by public sale at 101500 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo, FL 33037 to satisfy the lien for the amount owed on each vehicle for any recovery, towing, or storage services charges and administrative fees allowed pursuant to Florida statute 713.78. Wheatons Towing reserves the right to accept or reject any and/or all bids.

1GYEC63T84R286617 2004 CADI

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE

Wheatons Towing gives notice that on 07/07/2023 at 10:00 am, the following vehicle(s) may be sold by public sale at 101500 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo, FL 33037 to satisfy the lien for the amount owed on each vehicle for any recovery, towing, or storage services charges and administrative fees allowed pursuant to Florida statute 713.78. Wheatons Towing reserves the right to accept or reject any and/or all bids.

1FAHP2EW0BG154358 2011

FORD

1FTVF14585NA05196 2005

FORD

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE

Pursuant F.S. 328.17, United American Lien & Recovery as agent w/ power of attorney will sell the following vessel(s) to the highest bidder. Inspect 1 week prior @ marina; cash or cashier check; all auctions are held w/ reserve; any persons

LEGAL NOTICES

interested ph 954-563-1999.

Sale Date: July 21, 2023 @ 10:00 am

Location: 3411 NW 9th Ave.

#707, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33309

V12973 1972 Gulfstar

FL4518FG

Hull ID#: 532902 inboard

diesel fiberglass 36ft R/O

Leontyne Pyne Davydov Rud

Arnshek

Lienor: Pilot House Marina, 3 Seagate Blvd., Key Largo, FL 33037

Licensed Auctioneers FLAB422 FLAU765 & 1911

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NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Kirk of The Keys, Marathon, FL will receive and open sealed responses for the following:

SINGLE FAMILY HOME

Details at www.kirkofthekeys/ bid

Deadline is July 22, 2023.

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NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, at 3:00 P.M., the Monroe County Purchasing Office will receive and open sealed responses for the following:

Pine Channel Nature Park Landscaping Enhancements Monroe County, Florida Pursuant to F.S. 50.0211(3) (a), all published competitive solicitation notices can be viewed at: www.

LEGAL NOTICES

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 July 12, 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:

Pine Channel Nature Park Landscaping Enhancements 07-12-2023

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: omb-purchasing@ monroecounty-fl.gov so accommodations for delivery

PUBLIC NOTICE EVALUATION COMMITTEE MEETING

CITY OF KEY COLONY BEACH CITY HALL PROJECT

LOCATION: Key Colony Inn Banquet Room

700 W. Ocean Drive, Key Colony Beach, FL 33051

NOTICE IS GIVEN that on June 28, 2023, at 9:30 AM EST there will be a meeting of an Evaluation Committee for the City of Key Colony Beach, Florida regarding ITB -20230010-2023/DJT “CITY OF KEY COLONY BEACH CITY HALL PROJECT”

The purpose of this public meeting is for the Committee to evaluate and rank all responsive bids received for this project. The public is welcome to attend. Discussion will be limited to members of the Evaluation Committee and staff.

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LEGAL NOTICES

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 July 12, 2023. You may call in by phone or internet using the following: Join Zoom Meeting https://mcbocc.zoom. us/j/4509326156

Meeting ID: 4509326156

One tap mobile:

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SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO CASE NUMBER: 37-2022-00027673-CU-BC-CTL SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): ROBERT MICK, AN INDIVIDUAL YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF: (LO ESTA DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): VAN DYKE & ASSOCIATES, A PROFESSIONAL LAW CORPORATION NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below. You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo. ca.gov/se!fhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. You may want to

LEGAL NOTICES

call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia. org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www. courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court's lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 dfas, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su version. Lea la inforrnacion a continuacion. Tiene 30 DIAS DE CALENDARIO despues de que le entreguen esta citacion y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefonica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y mas inforrnacion en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte. ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede mas cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentacion, pida al secretario de la corte que le de un formulario de exencion de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podra quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin mas advertencia. Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remision a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www.lawhelpcalifomia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www. sucorte.ca.gov) o poniendose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Par ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperacion de $10,000 o mas de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesion

LEGAL NOTICES

de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

The name and address of the court is: (El nombre y direccion de la corte es): 330 W. Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101

The name, address and telephone number of the plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney is: (El nombre, la direccion y el numero de telefono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es):

Richard S. Van Dyke, Esq., Van Dyke & Associates, APLC, 451 A Street, Suite 600, San Diego, CA 92101, (619) 344-0977

Dated July 15, 2022

By: Gabriel Lopez, Deputy Clerk

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IN THE CIRCUIT COURT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISION

CASE NUMBER: 23-CP000030-M

DIVISION: MARATHON

IN RE: THE ESTATE OF CARL M. BENDIK, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of CARL M. BENDIK, deceased, whose date of death was March 13, 2023, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court WITHIN

THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS

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

All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS

AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.

ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA

MEETING NOTICE

MONROE COUNTY LAND AUTHORITY

Notice is hereby given that the Governing Board of the Monroe County Land Authority will hold a public hearing on the Amendment of the adopted budget for scal year 2023 on June 21, 2023 at 9:25 a.m. at the Nelson Government Center on Key Largo. A copy of the proposed amended budget is available online at www.monroecounty- .gov or by contacting the Land Authority office at 305-295-5180.

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

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

The date of first publication of this notice is: June 15, 2023.

Persons Giving Notice:

AMY B. DUMAS

201 Kensington Trace Canton, Georgia 30115

Attorney for Persons Giving Notice:

Christopher B. Waldera, P.A.

Christopher B. Waldera Florida Bar No: 980810 Attorney for Personal

Representative

5800 Overseas Highway, Suite 7 Marathon, Florida 33050

Telephone: (305) 289-2223

Facsimile: (305) 289-2249 email: chris@cbwpa.com

Publish:

June 15 & 22, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION

CASE NO.: 23-CP-78-K IN RE: THE ESTATE OF EDMUND JOHN BENNETT, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of EDMUND JOHN BENNETT, deceased, whose date of death was July 31, 2022, Case: 23-CP-78-K, is pending in the Circuit Court, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040. 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, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, on whom a copy of this notice is served must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE 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, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.

ALL CLAIMS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.

The date of first publication of this Notice is: June 15, 2023.

Personal Representative: GRETA-MARIE ELIE-BENNETT

c/o Samuel J. Kaufman

Law Offices of Samuel J. Kaufman, P.A. 3130 Northside Drive

Key West, Florida 33040

Attorney for Personal Representative:

Samuel J. Kaufman, Esq. Florida Bar No. 0144304

Law Offices of Samuel J. Kaufman, P.A. 3130 Northside Drive

Key West, Florida 33040

Email designation for service: Service.Probate@ samkaufmanlaw.com

LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES

Telephone: (305) 292-3926

Fax: (305) 295-7947

Publish: June 15 & 22, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION

FILE NO.: 23-CP-90-K IN RE: ESTATE OF LORA JEAN ALBRITTON

Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of Lora Jean Albritton, deceased, whose date of death was December 15, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, Florida 33040. The 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: June 15, 2023.

Personal Representative:

Karen Martin Gibson

2215 Fogarty Avenue

Key West, Florida 33040

Attorney for Personal Representative: Gregory D. Davila, Esq. Florida Bar Number: 0886998

Law Office of Gregory D. Davila, P.A.

1111 12th Street, Suite 411 Key West, Florida 33040 Telephone: (305) 293-8554

Fax: (305) 294-9913

E-mail: gdavila@ keywestlawoffice.com

Secondary E-Mail: e-filing@ keywestlawoffice.com

Publish:

June 15 & 22, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISION

FILE NO.: 23-CP-134-K

IN RE: ESTATE OF LINDA E. BEST Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of LINDA E. BEST,

deceased, whose date of death was April 30, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for MONROE County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040. 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: June 15, 2023.

Personal Representative:

BRUCE ANTHONY

NOWAKOWSKI

20110 Mulberry Knoll

Lewes, Delaware 19958

Attorney for Personal Representative:

JOHN FERRARI, JR.

Attorney

Florida Bar No. 111132

Ferrari, Butler & Moneymaker, PLLC

2520 Tamiami Trail North, Suite 11 Nokomis, FL 34275

Telephone: (941) 960-1676

Fax: (941) 296-8656

E-mail: johnf@elderlegalfl.com

Secondary E-mail: pollyb@ elderlegalfl.com

Publish:

June 15 & 22, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

I N THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA UPPER KEYS PROBATE DIVISION

CASE NO.: 23-CP-000053-P IN RE: ESTATE OF JOHN W. EAGLE, JR., Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of JOHN W. EAGLE, JR., deceased, whose date of death was October 26, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88770 Overseas Highway, Suite 2, Plantation Key, FL 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.

E ective June 27th, 2023, HCA Healthcare’s Miami International Cardiology OFFICE PRACTICE, located at 100460 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037 will be closing.

E ective June 27th, 2023, Dr. Bruce Boros will no longer be a liated with HCA Miami International Cardiology-Key Largo, located at 100460 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037.

Our Mercy cardiology practice is open for your patient care needs. The practice is located at 3683 South Miami Avenue, Suite 500, Miami, FL 33133. Please call the Mercy o ce at (305) 285-5666 to schedule an appointment. You may also contact your insurance carrier or primary care physician for a list of behavioral health providers in the area.

Your o ce medical records will be maintained at 3801 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33137. To obtain your o ce medical records, please feel free to call 305-571-0620.

Publish:

May 25, June 1, 8 & 15, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

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: June 15, 2023.

Personal Representative: KAREN EAGLE

15 Cindy Place Key Largo, FL 33037

Attorney for Personal Representative: VICTORIA MIRANDA, ESQ.

Florida Bar No. 1015363

HERSHOFF, LUPINO & YAGEL, LLP

88539 Overseas Highway Tavernier, FL 33070

E-Mail: VMiranda@HLYlaw. com

Publish:

June 15 & 22, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

LEGAL NOTICES

IN

THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISION

FILE NO.: 23-CP-000129-K IN RE: ESTATE OF MARK B. POTTLE Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of Mark B. Pottle, deceased, whose date of death was March 26, 2023, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040. 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: June 15, 2023.

Personal Representative: Patricia G. Pottle 3827 McFarlane Drive Tallahassee, Florida 32303 Attorney for Personal Representative: Robert A. Pierce Attorney Florida Bar No. 0175399

AUSLEY & MCMULLEN P.A. 123 S. Calhoun Street Tallahassee, FL 32301 Telephone: (850) 224-9115 Fax: (850) 222-7560

E-mail: bpierce@ausley.com

Secondary E-mail: spelham@ ausley.com

Publish:

June 15 & 22, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 23-CP-29-M DIVISION: MARATHON IN RE: ESTATE OF CAROLE DIANNE RHODES A/K/A C. DIANNE RHODES Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of CAROLE DIANNE RHODES A/K/A C. DIANNE RHODES, deceased, whose date of death was April 20, 2023, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050. The names and addresses of the personal representatives and the personal representatives’ 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: June 8, 2023.

Personal Representatives:

Lori LeAnn Ferguson-Harvey 147 NW 466 P Road Clinton, Missouri 64735

Jon Robert Ferguson 31734 133rd Trail Road Nelson, Missouri 65347

Attorney for Personal Representatives: Robert K. Miller, Esq.

Attorney

Florida Bar Number: 359173 Cunningham Miller Rhyne PA 10075 Overseas Hwy PO Box 500938

Marathon, FL 33050

Telephone: (305) 743-9428

Fax: (305) 743-8800 E-Mail: service@floridakeyslaw. com

Secondary E-Mail: rmiller@ floridakeyslaw.com

Publish: June 8 & 15, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISION

FILE NO.: 2023-CP-65-P

IN RE: ESTATE OF MICHAEL LANSING GAYLORD

Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of MICHAEL LANSING GAYLORD, deceased, whose date of death was December 3, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88820 Overseas Highway, Plantation Key, FL 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 SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.

NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIOD 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: June 8, 2023.

Personal Representative: PAUL ASHLEY GAYLORD CMR 460 Box 441 APO, AE 09752

Attorney for Personal Representatives:

URBAN J. W. PATTERSON, ESQ.

Email: ujwplaw@gmail.com

Secondary Email: ujwplawfirm@ yahoo.com

Florida Bar No. 382035

Urban J. W. Patterson, P.A. P.O. Box 783 Islamorada, Florida 33036

Telephone: 305-664-5065

Publish:

June 8 & 15, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION

FILE NO.: 2023-CP-60-P

IN RE: ESTATE OF CHRISTOPHER CHARLES UHLAND Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of CHRISTOPHER CHARLES UHLAND, deceased, whose date of death was January 25, 2023, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88820 Overseas Highway, Plantation Key, FL 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 SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIOD 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: June 8, 2023.

Personal Representative: SUSAN L. MILLER 138 Mockingbird Rd. Tavernier, FL 33070

Attorney for Personal Representatives: URBAN J. W. PATTERSON, ESQ.

Email: ujwplaw@gmail.com

Secondary Email: ujwplawfirm@ yahoo.com Florida Bar No. 382035 Urban J. W. Patterson, P.A. P.O. Box 783 Islamorada, Florida 33036 Telephone: 305-664-5065 Publish:

June 8 & 15, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

Having Fun in the Middle Keys

AUTOS WANTED

AUTOS ALL YEARS!

Junk or Used Cars, Vans, Trucks. Runs or Not.

$CASH 305-332-0483

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.

305-928-9057

EMPLOYMENT

HEALTH INSURANCE NAVIGATOREnrollment Assistance, Outreach, Education and Community Events. Paid Training and equipment. Bi-lingual a plus. Call 305-767-3883

MEDICAL ASSISTANT. Doctor's office, KL. PT flex hrs, perfect for student or retiree. Salary commensurate with experience, but willing to train. Send resume to drsusanamay@ gmail.com or fax to 305-852-8672.

TRUCK DRIVERS CDL CLASS A

We are hiring CDL CLASS A Drivers, Monday-Friday with overtime available. Hazmat not needed.

Apply at Charley Toppino & Sons, Inc.

129 Toppino Industrial Dr., Key West (ask for Cheryl) 305-296-5606 ext 126.

City of Marathon Current Job Openings: Right of Way Technician. Full Benefits. EOE Please see City website for details www. ci.marathon.fl.us

Groundskeeper/ Maintenance person, KCB, Sea Isle Condominium, 20 - 40 hrs. per week, $24 per hr., apply by e-mail to HardingThomasL@ aol.com, text or call 734-476-0531.

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.

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: $40.35/hr. - $45.19/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 Executive Department:

TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION

T&D ELECTRICAL ENGINEER

Starting pay rate for this position, depending on qualifications and experience: $108,332/annually$111,365/annually

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

KEYS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. KEYS promotes a Drug-Free Workplace.

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

SUDOKU SOLUTION

DUI EVALUATOR/ INSTRUCTOR

The Advocate DUI Program is hiring for part time positions. DUI instructors and evaluators - 2 days a week, Bachelors or Masters degree in substance abuse eld required. Bilingual preferred, not required. Of ce located in Marathon. Contact Marcia at 305-704-0117.

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

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

Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder now hiring Guest Service Representativeresponsibilities include assisting guests at our Key Largo and Islamorada locations, making reservations and/or answering questions over phone and in-person, taking and processing photos, and checking-in and out guests visiting our facility. To apply, please send your resume to andreaw@dpmmr.org.

MAINTENANCE

POSITION w/ busy Non-profit.

FT with benefits. Longterm position w/room for growth. Valid DL required. Must have maintenance or related experience, computer skills and relate well with people. Very physical position, heavy lifting, heat, etc. Drug-free workplace. EOE Please send resume and cover letter to sholt@fkoc. org NO phone calls.

The Housing Authority of the City of Key West now hiring the following positions: Cook, Maintenance Administrative Assistant (bilingual preferred) Maintenance Mechanic (Maintenance Worker), Med Tech (caregiver), and Grounds Caretaker. To apply, please contact Human Resources at: martinezm@kwha.org or 305-296-5621

Applications are available at the Administrative Office located at 1400 Kennedy Dr., Key West, FL 33040 or online at www. kwha.org - EOE & Drug Free Work Place. This opportunity is covered under Section 3 of the HUD Act of 1968.

MAINTENANCE POSITION WITH BUSY NONPROFIT

FT with benefits. Long-term position w/room for growth. Valid DL required. Must have maintenance or related experience, computer skills and relate well with people. Very physical position, heavy lifting, heat, etc.

Drug-free workplace, EOE. Please send resume and cover letter to sholt@fkoc.org. No phone calls.

MARATHON GARBAGE SERVICE

We are now hiring for the following positions:

Diesel Mechanic Truck Helpers

CDL Drivers

Applicants must apply in person to be considered.

4290 Overseas Hwy, Marathon

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 five lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today!

COLLECTIBLES

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

HOUSING FOR RENT

2 Bedroom 1 Bath in Marathon. Tile, carpet, appliances, gated property. No pets. $2400/ mo. 305-610-8002

LOT FOR SALE

Oceanside-Lot with building permit in Tavernier $399K OBO 305-933-9594

Owner-Agent [3% to selling office]

RV LOT FOR RENT

RV Site for rent in Marathon. Up to 35', private gated property. $1,500/mo + utilities. Dockage wavailable - inquire for price. 305-610-8002 up to five lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today!

SERVICES OFFERED

Registered Nurse available to help with your home health care needs. In-home care assistance is also available. Local references. 305-5870892. Please call and leave message or text.

YARD SALES

Moving Sale: Saturday, June 17 - 8am to 3pm. 900 84th Street Ocean, Marathon. No early birds please! Books and household goods. No furniture or fishing equipment. Please call 305-731-0771 with any questions.

NOW HIRING IN ISLAMORADA

BOAT RENTAL STAFF

FLEXIBLE HOURS & COMPETITIVE WAGES

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.

Email Ma at eliteboatrentalsma @gmail.com. Please include contact information and any relevant experience.

NOW HIRING FT FRONT OFFICE ASSISTANT MARATHON, FL

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.

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. dynastymarine.net

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. Walk around the grounds and see dolphins every day.

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

Sweet Savannah’s IS HIRING BAKERS

IS HIRING!

This position is available at our Adult Day program. This position provides direct care service and support to our clients in the day program. This position requires the minimum of high school completion or GED. English language, speaking and writing, proficiency is a must.

FL Driver’s license w/clean driving record, pre-employment training online and in person. Ability to pass a Level II background screening and references. EOE. Apply at the MARC office, 1401 Seminary Street, Key West – or online at www.marchouse.org. For more information, please contact hr@marchouse.org, phone: 305-294-9526 *32

IS HIRING!

PLANT STORE MANAGER TRAINEE

MARC is looking for a 40-hr/wk. Manager Trainee Good social/business skills, above average computer skills required (knowledge of POS a plus). Knowledge of tropical plants helpful. Requires a lot of manual labor and must be able to lift at least 50 pounds. FL driver’s license w/good driving record, references and background screening required. EOE Apply at the MARC office, 1401 Seminary Street, Key West – or online at www.marchouse.org. For more information, please contact hr@marchouse.org, phone: 305-294-9526 *32

IS HIRING!

DIRECT CARE STAFF  GROUP HOMES 24/7 FT/PT

MARC is looking for Direct Care Staff – Group Homes 24/7 (FT/PT). Position requires a minimum of high school completion and 1 yr. exp. or 1 yr. college. English language, speaking and writing, proficiency is a must. FL driver’s license w/good driving record, references and background screening required. EOE

Apply at the MARC office, 1401 Seminary Street, Key West – or online at www.marchouse.org. For more information, please contact hr@marchouse.org, phone: 305-294-9526 *32

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

11710 OVERSEAS HWY, MARATHON

•

• Hosts

• Waitstaff

• Bartenders

• Bar Backs

• Bussers

• Line Cooks

• Dishwashers

Apply in person at Sunset Grille & Raw Bar, 7 Knight’s Key Blvd, Marathon

Must

OPENINGS AVAILABLE

TAVERNIER MARINERS HOSPITAL

- Environmental Tech, $5,000 Sign-on Bonus*

- Line Cook

- Medical Technologist, $15,000 Sign-on Bonus*

- Multi-Modality Imag Tech, $9,000 Sign-on Bonus*

- Patient Experience Advocate

- Pool Physical Therapist

- Registered Nurse, up to $25,000 Sign-on Bonus*

- Registered Respiratory Therapist, up to $15,000 Sign-on Bonus*

MARATHON FISHERMEN’S

COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

- Cook, $5,000 Sign-on Bonus*

- Emergency Dept Team Coordinator

- Environmental Tech, $5,000 Sign-on Bonus*

- Lead Med Technologist, $15,000 Sign-on Bonus*

- Medical Technologist, $15,000 Sign-on Bonus*

- Multi-Modality Imag Tech, $9,000 Sign-on Bonus*

- Nurse Manager, Emergency Dept, $20,000 Sign-on Bonus*

- Nurse Practitioner

- Patient Experience Advocate

- Pool Physical Therapist

- Registered Nurse, up to $25,000 Sign-on Bonus*

- Sanitation Technician

- Security Of cer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

* Sign-on bonuses are available only for select full-time positions based on candidate experience.

APPLY AND LEARN MORE careers.baptisthealth.net or call 786-243-8507

DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER IS HIRING

Visual Communications (Full-Time/Part-Time, Seasonal)

Volunteer Resources

Administrative Assistant (Full-Time, Permanent)

Media & Marketing Staff Member (Full-Time, Permanent)

Human Resources Assistant (Part-Time, Permanent)

Guest Services Staff (Full-Time/Part-Time, Temporary/Permanent)

Accounting Director (Full-Time, Permanent)

Trainer (Full-Time/Permanent)

Benefits include medical, life & disability insurance, 401(k) plan, paid vacation, sick time & holidays

Full job descriptions available at www dolphins org/career opportunities

Email cover letter, DRC application & resume to drc-hr@dolphins org EOE

DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER

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

Lower Keys • Custoomeer Serrvicce Reppresseentaative • Assiissttaant B Branch O Operratiioons Manager r Upper Keys • Leead T Tellller r

Oceanside Safari Restaurant & Lounge in Islamorada is NOW OPEN and serving lunch and dinner 7 days a week. Key West • Telleer • Custtoomeer Serrvice R Reppressenntatiive • Addmmiinnissttratiivve A Assissttant Benefits Competitive Salary & Hourly Pay Rates • 401K with Employer Match Health, Dental, Vision, Life, Long-Term Disability Plans Available Paid Time Off Plus Federal Bank Holidays • Tuition Reimbursement Paid Time Off for Volunteering • Cash Profit Sharing

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.

NOW HIRING FOH: HOSTS, SERVERS & BARTENDERS

Great pay, bene ts and perks. We o er 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 have re-opened 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. COME JOIN US!

**We are an Equal Opportunity Employer**

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)

Behavioral Health Counselor (Children)

Crisis Counselor

Case Managers (Adult, Forensic, Children)

*Advocate (PT only)

Substance Abuse Counselor

Peer Support Specialist

MARATHON

Prevention Specialist (or KW)

Care Coordinator

Behavioral Health Therapist (Child, Adult)

RNs - 3 shifts (also Per Diem)

Maintenance Specialist

*Behavioral Health Technicians 3 shifts (also Per Diem)

*Support Worker – Assisted Living *No experience required for these positions. Will train. A caring heart & helpful hands required.