Key West Weekly 23-0629

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2.8M

AAA forecasts more than 2.8 million Floridians will take at least one trip of 50 miles or more, between Friday, June 30 and Tuesday, July 4. That’s 87,000 more holiday travelers than the previous record high, set last year. Nationally, travel figures are also expected to set new records.

mandy@keysweekly.com

BRITISH WARSHIP STOPS IN KEY WEST

HMS DAUNTLESS TO SPEND SUMMER IN CARIBBEAN

Astrange-looking military ship arrived at the U.S. Navy’s Mole Pier the morning of June 27 — and did not go unnoticed.

Brian Dombrowski, an email acquaintance who maintains a network of mounted cameras overlooking Key West Harbor, emailed me a video clip that had captured the ship’s arrival at 8 a.m.

“Just captured this bizarre ship coming into the Navy Mole with a spinning sphere on top of it. … Any idea or news on this vessel? I’m looking for info.”

His message was the first of several I received throughout the morning, all with a photo attached, and all asking where the ship was from, why it was here and what the hell was up with that spinning ball.

Picture a giant rock-climbing wall rising from the deck of a Navy destroyer with a spiky, spinning sphere at its summit. The sphere itself sort of reminded me of one of those cartoonishly aggressive, but biologically accurate, pictures of a coronavirus molecule.

And you can’t blame Key Westers for inquiring about unusual military activity. Missiles, after all, did line our beach during the Cuban Missile Crisis in the 1960s.

Brian’s email had gotten my attention, and I immediately sent the photo to Ron Demes, my friend and local military cheat sheet.

I knew Ron would know what was up. He replied to my text quickly, including a link to the ship’s home page.

The Royal Navy’s HMS Dauntless visited Key West around 2012, but it was out of commission for the past seven years, being refitted in England to correct power problems with that class of destroyers.

“On May 31, the Royal Navy’s most advanced destroyer deployed to the Caribbean to support British Overseas Territories during hurricane season and counter drug trafficking in the region,” according to a report from seawaves.com.

“The ship will be in the Caribbean to respond quickly to natural disasters during the region’s hurricane season from June to November, while visit-

ing island communities as a reassuring presence, working with local services and authorities to ensure the most rapid and effective aid is provided should nature strike.

“While in the Caribbean, she will also head for Exercise Unitas and mark the 200th anniversary of the Colombian Navy. Unitas (Latin for “united”) is the oldest and largest maritime exercise in the region dating back to 1959 as a South American and U.S. regional exercise designed to demonstrate a united stance against the spread of the Soviet Union’s influence and presence in Latin America,” seawaves. com states.

Oh, and that spinning sphere is a radar that “can track multiple incoming targets simultaneously, prioritize them, assign countermeasures and deploy them to their targets,” states the British website navyrecognition.com. “It can even track a threat the size of a cricket ball approaching at three times the speed of sound. “

For footage of the ship, visit BLC Streams on YouTube.

MANDY MILES

Royal Navy’s destroyer, HMS Dauntless, docks at the U.S. Navy’s Mole Pier in Key West on June 27. LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly

The Rotary Club of Key West again presents the island’s Independence Day fireworks, set off over the Atlantic Ocean. See page 11.

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AQUA D’KEYS

SPECIALIZES IN SCENTS

INSPIRED BY OUR ISLAND CHAIN

A SHOP THAT SMELLS AS GOOD AS IT LOOKS

Have you ever wanted to bottle a vacation, or an experience, and take it home with you? Unscrew its top, inhale gently and savor the memories that come flooding back?

That’s what the four men who launched Aqua d’Keys exactly one year ago have done with their line of unisex fragrances — eau de parfum, lotions, body wash, bath salts, and candles and diffusers — that are inspired by Florida Keys and embody the fresh, sunny, adventurous and romantic lifestyle of our island chain.

“We really wanted to elevate the typical ‘souvenir,’ by creating a fragrance that reflects this place that people love,” said co-founder Maurizio Nardi, a native of Italy who spent much of his professional life as a dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Co. “The sense of smell is the one that lasts the longest as we age. Our eyesight and hearing decline, but our olfactory memories remain strong throughout our lives.”

The practice of carrying memories through scent dates back centuries, Nardi said, adding that Cleopatra used to perfume the air in front of her with her signature scented oils to let people know she was arriving — or that she had been there.

The foursome initially intended to develop a single scent called “Zero” in honor of Mile Marker 0 “and to symbolize the start of our own journey here in the Keys.”

But that idea evolved into six signature scents, named for various regions of the Keys — West, Marquesas, Islamorada, Tortugas, Summerland and Largo.

And before you start thinking that they all smell like some coconut-infused suntan oil, think again.

“We use a lot of citrus-based scents and ingredients, along with florals, including jasmine, lemon verbena, lilies and other botanicals,”

Nardi said. “We collaborated with a perfume maker that customized and created the scents specifically for us. So these aren’t existing fragrances that we just slapped our label on. These are scents that allow people to take a piece of their Florida Keys experience with them when they leave.”

The eau de parfums are available in 3.4-ounce and 1.7-ounce bottles, although one of Aqua d’Keys’ bestsellers is the sample pack of all six scents in small, purse-size spray bottles.

“This way you don’t have to select a single fragrance for someone else, as that’s a very personal choice,” Nardi said, adding that the company’s three-wicked candles, wax melts and home scents are intentionally milder “so as not to drench a room in perfume, but rather elevate it with light, crisp scents.”

Nardi and his husband, Todd Bankhead, live on the water on Sugarloaf Key while their business partners, Dominik Zimmerli and Ron Hebert, live on Cudjoe Key.

“Even though our two shops are on Duval Street and inside The Shops at Mallory Square, we’re absolutely a local business with local owners who are a part of this community that we love,” Nardi said on a recent Monday morning inside the crisp and sparkling shop at 1075 Duval St. “We live here in the Keys. We love going out on the boat or kayak. Spending a day at the pool or beach. Having drinks on a porch overlooking the water. Going out to a gorgeous waterfront dinner. And walking through Old Town at night, and catching a hint of nightblooming jasmine wafting from someone’s yard. We wanted to recreate those experiences in the form of memories in a bottle that will always remind people of the Florida Keys. Each scent is designed to recall that special feeling, that calming sublime vibe, of memories made.”

And the shop itself is a memorable experience.

Drenched in a rich aqua color that’s more green that Tiffany & Co. blue, the colors of the shop — and everything in it — mirror the magic of our blue-green intersection of water that surrounds the Keys.

“Everything in here is meant to reflect the way we want to live in the Keys,” Nardi said.

And to help shoppers partake in the actual Keys experiences they’ll want to remember, Aqua d’Keys also offers deliciously thick beach towels, lightweight scarves, sarongs, hats and fishing shirts as well as canvas beach bags and carry-on duffel bags.

Custom gift boxes can be assembled to include one or more scents, along with the eau de parfum, candles, body washes and other items.

Visit aquadkeys.com for more information and online shopping. And stop by the shop at 1075 Duval St. on Sunday, July 2 for a champagne toast and 25% off to celebrate the company’s one-year anniversary.

In addition to its signature fragrances, Aqua d’Keys sells beach bags, fishing shirts, hats and beach towels. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly

Maurizio Nardi, Todd Bankhead, Dominik Zimmerli and Ron Hebert launched Aqua d’Keys perfume and scent shop in 2022. CONTRIBUTED

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA

EVENTS TO CELEBRATE THE FOURTH OF JULY IN THE ISLAND CHAIN

Local parades, beach parties, glittering fireworks and the creation of the world’s largest Key lime pie will highlight Independence Day celebrations throughout the Florida Keys. Highlights include:

KEY WEST

The Key Lime Festival features culinary and libation adventures Friday, June 30, through Tuesday, July 4, showcasing the tiny fruit that inspired Key lime pie, the Florida Keys’ signature dessert. The lip-smacking Key Lime Pie Eating Championship, the festival highlight, is set for 1:30 p.m. July 4 at the oceanfront Southernmost Beach Cafe at 1405 Duval St. Participants with their hands behind their backs must dive in face-first to devour an entire 9-inch Key lime pie faster than their rivals. The event is free for spectators and gates open at 11 a.m. Visit keylimefestival.com.

The Key West Mermaid Festival is filled with splish-splashing fun July 1-4 with interactive mermaid adventures in the island city. Events include a “sailing with the mermaids” sunset sail, a mermaid encounter at the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center and an Ocean Blue Party with dancing by the sea. On July 4, bring the kids to enjoy donuts with mermaid Ariel and Prince Eric from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on the beach at Lagerheads, 0 Simonton St. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., watch as mermaids perform for the cameras during a music video taping. A portion of festival proceeds will benefit Reef Relief’s efforts to protect the coral reef ecosystem. Visit keywestmermaidfestival.com.

Since 1976, the Rotary Club of Key West has presented the island’s annual Independence Day fireworks show. Staged from the Edward B. Knight Pier overlooking the Atlantic Ocean at 1800 White St., fireworks will begin at 9 p.m. Tuesday, July 4. Spectators can

view the spectacle from Smathers Beach, Higgs Beach, or from oceanside hotels and restaurants. Attendees can celebrate before the fireworks at a catered, ticketed “Patriotic Dinner Under the Fireworks” next to the pier at Indigenous Park, 1801 White St., starting at 7 p.m. Dinner proceeds will benefit the Rotary Club of Key West’s scholarship fund. Visit keywestrotary.com.

BIG PINE & THE LOWER KEYS

The public is invited to celebrate Monroe County’s bicentennial July 3 — 200 years to the day after the county’s 1823 establishment — with a family-friendly gathering from 5 to 10 p.m., hosted by the Lower Keys Rotary Club at Big Pine Community Park, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico at the end of Sands Road. Highlights will include the creation and serving of the world’s largest Key lime pie, live music by Brian Roberts and the Prime Movers and others, a bounce house and games for kids, food trucks, beverages for sale, and a fireworks display and patriotic laser light show from a barge in the Gulf beginning at 9 p.m. Free parking for the event will be available at the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce building, 31020 Overseas Highway, with a shuttle to the park beginning at 5 p.m. Admission is free but coolers, pets and personal fireworks are not allowed. Visit facebook.com/LowerKeysRotary.

MARATHON

In family-oriented Marathon, Sombrero Beach is the site of one of the Keys’ largest and longest fireworks displays, produced by the City of Marathon and the Rotary Club of Marathon. Spectators on land and hundreds of boaters traditionally line up for colorful views of the show. A full day of activities includes a patriotic parade starting at 11 a.m. from Marathon High School to the beach on Sombrero Beach Road, followed by food and

games. Fireworks will start at about 9 p.m., and US1 Radio 104.1 will play patriotic music along with the display. Boaters are encouraged to watch from the waters off Sombrero Beach. For more information, visit floridakeysmarathon.com.

ISLAMORADA

The Upper Keys Rotary Club hosts the Independence Day Celebration at Founders Park, MM 87 bayside, on July 4 from 6 to 10 p.m. There will be food trucks, games, music and special events including an apple pie baking contest with judging at 6:30 p.m. and the Patriotic People & Pets Parade and Costume Contest at 7:30 p.m. Fireworks will begin after sunset. On-site parking will be available for a suggested donation of $10 per vehicle. Proceeds benefit the Upper Keys Rotary Foundation. No coolers, glass containers or outside food are permitted, but attendees are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets. Visit islamoradachamber.com or call 305-664-4503.

KEY LARGO

The Key Largo Chamber of Commerce will host the annual “Celebrating Freedom” Fourth of July parade from 9:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. The parade will begin at MM 98.2 in front of Anthony’s Clothing Store and proceed to Laguna Avenue near Key Largo Community Park. At about 9:45 p.m., the annual bayfront Blackwater Sound fireworks celebration will be held at Rowell’s Waterfront Park, MM 104.5 bayside. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Parking is limited, and organizers recommend spectators bring lawn chairs. The fireworks also can be viewed at several businesses located on the Bay. For more details, visit web.keylargochamber.org/events or call 305-451-1414.

CHARTING A PATH

CHARTER COUNTY CONVERSATIONS HIGHLIGHT INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING NEED

Card Sound Bridge is slated for replacement, according to Monroe County officials. DAVID GROSS/Keys Weekly

JIM McCARTHY

jim@keysweekly.com

Discussions among Monroe County officials over a potential transition to a charter county continued at a June 21 board of county commissioners meeting in Key Largo. Officials are examining the move to a charter county, which needs voter approval, in hopes to implement a 1-cent sales surtax, which also needs approval by voters, to fund expensive road and bridge projects on the horizon.

Currently, Monroe County is unable to levy a penny sales surtax to fund road projects, bridge overhauls and other transportationrelated expenses. That’s because Monroe is a non-charter county, isn’t a member of a regional transportation authority (RTA) and isn’t under an agreement with an RTA. Instead, noncharter governments can seek approval from state legislators to levy such a tax.

Requests by county officials to the Florida Legislature to implement a penny transportation tax, however, haven’t gained movement with Tallahassees’s unwillingness to burden Florida residents with another tax. A push to extend the charter county and regional system surtax to 47 non-charter counties didn’t gain momentum that supporters hoped to see during the legislative session. Many local governments are facing increased project costs for roads, transportation and transit systems.

Those costs are magnified in coastal communities, including the Keys, where king tide floods and heavy rainfall are wreaking havoc on local roads and communities like Twin Lakes and Stillwright Point in Key Largo. County officials are also seeking funds to replace aging Card Sound and Seven Mile bridges.

County Attorney Bob Shillinger informed three county commissioners in attendance at the June 21 meeting that staff is moving forward on putting together a charter, or written documents that confer power, duties and privileges on the county. Meanwhile, County Administrator Roman Gastesi recently met with city managers throughout the Keys as the charter discussion rollout begins.

According to Shillinger, there was “general positivity” from city managers who wanted to learn more. Shillinger said the county is planning to visit commissions and councils up and down the Keys as early as September to present their intentions for a potential conversion to a charter county. Voters will have the ultimate say in whether Monroe should become a charter county. And then the question becomes whether county voters will support the penny surtax to fund transportation projects.

“If the voters would approve us being a charter county, the commission can’t just decide on their own to levy the transportation tax,” said County Commissioner Jim Scholl. “It has to go back out to the voters to approve. It’s an option that provides that availability to us. It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it, in my opinion.”

Key Largo resident John Millhiser expressed some concerns over the possible move to a charter county. While it could give the county the chance to levy a transportation surtax with voter approval, Millheiser said charter counties can also implement surtaxes on utilities like water and electricity. Mayor Pro Tem Holly Merrill Raschein said that’s not something the county is seeking to do, and Shillinger said the county isn’t contemplating such an action.

Millhiser believes that Monroe isn’t big enough to be a charter county. Five charter counties that adopted a transportation sales tax have a population averaging 1.8 million people.

“That’s 1.72 million people more than Monroe County,” he said.

Twenty of the 67 Florida counties operate under a charter, and Shillinger said three-quarters of the Florida population live within charter counties. Eighteen of the 20 charter counties have larger populations than Monroe County. The other two are Wakulla County, with 33,760 residents and Columbia County, with nearly 70,000 residents.

“It has historically been larger counties, but it’s not exclusively larger counties,” Shillinger said.

Charters in other counties allow county rules to preempt city rules, meaning the cities of Key West, Marathon, Key Colony Beach, Islamorada and Layton would lose their autonomy and be subject to the power of the county. But county officials have expressed they have no desire in interfering with other municipal operations. County Commissioner Michelle Lincoln reiterated that a move to potentially become a charter county isn’t a power grab by the county on local cities.

“We don’t want to preempt our municipalities. They are our partners. That is something I don’t have an appetite for creating our new charter,” she said.

Shillinger, who agreed with Lincoln, said language can be crafted as it relates to municipal preemption, requiring a supermajority of the referendum of county voters to approve any change to the provision that protects local municipalities.

“I’ve had conversations with the Polk County attorney; they have a 60% threshold for changes to their charter,” he said. “It’s never been challenged. We have 60% for state constitutional amendments, so I think 60% is clearly defensible.”

Crews work on Card Sound Bridge. CONTRIBUTED

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

DOLPHIN LINEMEN GET ‘DOWN-N-DIRTY’

Marathon players polish skills at camp

high school level and progress to the next level,” he said, adding that the mixture of high school and college coaches running the event would also benefit him in the coming season. “Being taught by both really opened my eyes to how the next level is coached and how to prepare myself.”

The camp aims to develop techniques critical to becoming a solid lineman, focusing on both the physical and psychological factors involved in the process. Ed Garcia’s brother Braulio, who will be a junior next season, took away a bit of the latter, explaining that he learned, “Even small people can still be ‘dogs’ and punish people who are bigger than them.”

NAIMA THOMAS

On June 20, nine Marathon football players made the trek to Webber International University just outside of Lake Wales to attend the Down and Dirty Lineman Camp. The skills camp is designed to take good offensive and defensive linemen and develop them into great ones. Marathon’s “mules,” as termed by the camp for the linemen’s ability to carry the load for a team, often put in the work and get little glory, but it is these linemen who can ultimately determine the success or failure of a team.

The players endured a grueling schedule over the three-day camp, with multiple daily practice sessions. The schedule did not discourage the young athletes, though. “It takes a lot of hard work to get good at something,” said upcoming junior Nolan O’Hare.

O’Hare, described as a “high-energy player” by coach Sean McDonald, is relatively new to football, joining the team in the spring after baseball and going “all-in” ever since.

Upcoming sophomore Eduardo Garcia decided a while ago that he was going to put forth whatever it took to make it to the collegiate level. Garcia is a studious athlete who pays attention to detail and is willing to put in the extra effort to improve. He used the camp to gauge his progress thus far.

“The biggest takeaway I had … was seeing the competition and seeing where I needed to be to be elite at the

Fellow junior Robert Petrick suffered a setback last fall, breaking his wrist early in the ’22 season. Undeterred, Petrick returned for spring ball and attended the camp. He felt his mantra – “No matter how hard it gets, never quit” – was reinforced by the staff, who he also said instilled the concept of “working together to get better.”

Throughout the camp, the athletes worked on drills to improve stances, starts, trapping, double teams, pass blocking, gap control, pursuit, tackling and many other skills. On the final day, the players engaged in a competition to determine the top athletes in the skills taught. Sophomore Steven Stotts was particularly adept at pass rushing, finishing at the top of his group’s challenge in that skill. Teammates Matthew Delgado, another rising sophomore, and the Garcia brothers turned heads in high-speed pass-blocking drills. The three-man team beat out many challenging groups with their teamwork and athleticism.

Marathon head coach Sean McDonald understands the value of well-coached, highly-trained linemen, having played that role himself.

“The linemen are the foundation for a team,” he said. “Marathon is a small school. We are always going to have a small core of good players, but if we build the skills and develop a couple more, we will win a lot more games. A team with good linemen will always be a contender.”

Football season officially begins July 31, when schools may schedule their first non-contact practices. Aug. 25 marks the start of competition.

Junior, Key West Cross Country

Key West’s Naima Thomas is the sort of athlete who makes coaching a joy. As a freshman, she proved to be an up-and-coming track star with natural speed, making her an exciting prospect for the Conchs in the sprinting events. She then took her speed and added some major miles last fall on coach Keara McGraw’s cross country team.

“Naima shows up with a great attitude, works hard, and is always striving to be better,” McGraw said of Thomas, who dropped several minutes from her 5k time and helped propel the Conchs to regionals in 2022.

When cross country season closed, she hit the track again, focusing on longer distances and helping her 4x800m relay team reach regionals too. With her usual determination and focus, Thomas has been putting in the miles this summer to prepare for fall’s cross country season. For her dedication to her sport and her team coupled with an unmatchable work ethic, Naima Thomas is the Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.

Naima Thomas midway through the FHSAA 2A Region 4 cross country championship race in 2022. RICK MACKENZIE/Contributed

Marathon linemen at the Down and Dirty Camp. Back, from left: Christopher Paul, Robert Petrick, Kenny Barry, Nolan O’Hare, Alejandro Gonzalez-Gamez. Front: Matthew Delgado, Braulio Garcia, Eduardo Garcia. TRACY McDONALD/Keys Weekly

“Naima has been a great asset to the Conchs cross country team. She’s got a great attitude and is a phenomenal cheerleader for her fellow teammates, always providing encouragement to everyone around her.”

— Keara McGraw, Conchs cross country coach.

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

THE 2023 KEYS WEEKLY ALL-KEYS SOFTBALL TEAM

Key West’s Lady Conchs put the gentlemen on notice the past two seasons, and the Southernmost City is now a double diamond dynasty. The Conchs finished their season 19-4, winning their district and regional championships and making their way to the final four teams in the state for the second consecutive year. Three from the Lady Conchs’ roster signed letters of intent to play collegiately next spring. Marathon finished with a winning 8-6 record, but lost in the first round of district playoff action. The Dolphins split with the Coral Shores Hurricanes, each winning one at their home field, while Coral Shores finished 6-7. The independent ’Canes do not participate in district postseason play.

From our staff at the Keys Weekly, congratulations to the 2023 All-Keys Softball Team.

MIESHA HERNANDEZ Senior, Key West 3B/Pitcher

On a team of standout players, Key West’s Miesha Hernandez found a way to shine even brighter. The St. Thomas University-bound Hernandez led her team in multiple categories, including RBIs with 27 and home runs with three this season. Hernandez scored 28 runs on 28 hits, which included seven doubles and three triples in addition to balls she sent over the fence. Her .385 batting average stands by itself as a solid stat, but her big bat boosted her slugging percentage to .684, leading wise opponents to pitch around her and giving her the team’s top spot in walks with 11 this season.

GARCIA Junior, Marathon Pitcher

Team captain and starting pitcher

Allison Garcia won six games on the mound for the Fins this season, chalking up 96 strikeouts in 63 innings pitched. Garcia batted .342 and drove in 17 runs, making her both an offensive and defensive threat.

ELENA EUBANK Sophomore, Marathon Infielder

Elena Eubank amassed a .421 batting average and on-base percentage of .511 while also chalking up 13 RBIs. The hard-hitting sophomore slammed five triples this season, making her one of the Dolphins’ top hitters. Defensively, Eubank makes big plays while holding down the infield for Marathon.

SAGE BROWN Junior,

Sage Brown moved to Marathon just in time for softball season and made an immediate impact. The junior stole eight bases this season, scored 23 runs, batted .361 and had an on-base percentage of .511.

Tiedemann’s fielding skills made her a reliable shortstop for the Hurricanes defensively. Offensively, she led the ’Canes in hitting, batting .350 on the season. The freshman phenom has three more years to develop further for Coral Shores.

ALLISON

Marathon Infielder

IVY TIEDEMANN

Freshman, Coral Shores Shortstop

MVP

Marathon photos by Barry Gaukel. Key West photos by Ella Hall. Coral Shores photos contributed.

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

MIRA JONES

Freshman, Coral Shores Left Fielder

Hurricane outfielder Mira Jones gave her team everything she had this season, improving both offensively and defensively as the season progressed. The hard-working freshman made huge strides, making her an asset to the ’Canes’ roster.

DHARMA MURRAY

Senior, Key West Catcher

Dharma Murray did a stellar job covering the plate this season with a nearperfect .984 fielding percentage. The USF-bound catcher batted .306 this season, racking up 22 hits including five doubles and 21 RBIs.

SCARLET NILES

Junior, Key West Center Fielder

Niles led the Lady Conchs in hits this season with 37, including five doubles and three triples. Her .457 batting average struck fear in opposing teams’ pitchers, and once she made it to base, that fear transferred to the rest of the defense – Niles stole 16 bases in her 2023 campaign.

NEVAEH ARNOLD

Junior, Key West Pitcher

Arnold boasts a 2.70 ERA, winning nine games for the Lady Conchs this season. She led the team in strikeouts with 55, and on the rare occasion that she was called to the plate, Arnold delivered there as well, earning one hit and a season batting average of .500.

ISABELLA FRANCO

Senior, Key West Second Base

Isabella Franco batted .475 this season, logging a whopping 29 hits for the Lady Conchs. Her .536 on base percentage was one of the team’s best and in the field, she earned a .958 fielding percentage including a double play this season.

MADELYN PERUSSE

Senior, Key West Right Fielder

Perusse was a skilled outfielder for the Conchs, but it would be her offensive play that made her a standout this season. With six doubles, a triple and a home run to her credit, the .403-hitting senior also stole 10 bases and is credited with 17 RBIs. Her extra base hits boosted her slugging percentage to .567.

CHLOE GILDAY

Junior, Key West Pitcher

Gilday was perfect on the mound this season for the Conchs, winning all six of her outings. Her 2.07 ERA was Key West’s best, and of the 229 batters brave enough to face her, 54 of them struck out.

TY MARIE CERVANTES

Senior, Key West Shortstop

With 26 hits including a home run to her name, it is not surprising that Cervantes was signed by Miami Dade College to play ball there next spring. Her .382 batting average included five doubles, and she stole five bases this season.

SPORTS & MORE

WEMBANYAMA ENTERTAINS CROWD AS

RALPH MORROW

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

ralphmoro1936 @gmail.com

Don’t say you never heard of Victor Wembanyama. I wrote about the 7’5” Frenchman several months ago, previewing his selection as the No. 1 choice in the June 22 NBA draft. I didn’t know at the time which team would take him, but it turned out to be San Antonio.

Marty Smith, an ESPN announcer, was stationed in San Antonio, dressed for the occasion, as he entertained the crowd.

Wembanyama was at the Barclays Center in New York, where he was interviewed by ESPN’s Monica McNutt and his responses entertained the crowd. Later, a private plane took him to San Antonio, where a large and welcoming crowd cheered his arrival.

“Wemby,” as he’s called, was a pleasant choice, a good-looking Frenchman who speaks perfect English and plays perfect basketball, as demonstrated by the many films of him in action. Many basketball minds believe he’ll have no trouble turning the Spurs from an also-ran into a quality team.

The Miami Heat, on the other hand, were the 18th team to select in the draft, having finished in eighth place in the East when the playoffs began and finishing runner-up to champion Denver when it ended. That meant the Heat and team president Pat Riley were choosing well down the line. Of course, Riley and Co. still made good use of their selection. They picked Jaime Jaquez, a junior from UCLA, whom several analysts said would be perfect for the Heat. We’ll see. Having already included their second-round pick in an earlier deal, the Heat had no further selections.

Brandon Miller was selected No. 2 by the Charlotte Hornets, while Scoot Henderson, a 6’8” forward and a freshman at Alabama, went to the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 3.

Henderson sparked conversation about the availability of Portland’s star Damian Lillard. If available, the Heat would be interested. However, the president of that team said strongly that Lillard was not available.

Next up to pick in the draft were the Houston Rockets and the Detroit Pistons, who took twins Amen and Au-

THE STUDIOS OF KEY WEST’S JED DODDS JOINS LEADERSHIP FLORIDA PROGRAM

SHELF HELP

sar Thompson in succession. They had been playing for the Overtime Elite. This will be the first time Amen and Ausar have played on different teams.

The Orlando Magic, picking sixth, took Anthony Black of Arkansas. After Indianapolis and Washington made their selections, Taylor Hendricks became University of Central Florida’s first selection for the first round. Hendricks was drafted in the No. 9 position by the Jazz.

If there was one pattern about this draft, it was that few college seniors were selected. Nearly all the drafted players showed their emotions by crying real tears. The mothers, wives or girlfriends of all the draft candidates did their best to out-dress — and outcleavage — each other.

Many of the players tried to get into the dressing competition. My vote would have gone to Scoot Henderson, whose suit was emblazoned with silver decorations.

There were also several trades made during the draft. Marcus Smart went from the Boston Celtics to Memphis. The deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Boston was finally completed, as was the one that sent Chris Paul to the Golden State Warriors.

Next up for the executives and some players is the free agent grab bag, which opens June 30. Players who are not satisfied with the contract offered them, announce they are free agents and can be claimed for an agreeable salary. Both sides can think about it until an early July date, when they can sign the official papers.

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

What: Lie With Me by Philippe Besson

Why: Does the title imply repose or deceit? Both? Molly Ringwald’s elegant translation offers a gift promised by this small package.

The regret of squandered love, the lingering nature of firsts, and the destructive impact of family. A taboo love story between two young men who share first love, but must cast it away to fulfill obligations. It’s the knowing that he’s still out there that haunts them both and pushes this story along; one comfortable in his own skin, the other determined to eviscerate all that he is.

Where: This is available as a print book and e-audiobook from the Monroe County Library system.

How: You can request books online by logging in to www. keyslibraries.org and get e-books and e-audiobooks 24/7 at www. estuff.keyslibraries.org. If you don’t have a card, you can visit your local branch or register online to get one. Questions? info@ keyslibraries.org

Recommended by: Amy Skerly, library assistant, Key West branch.

NINE - MONTH, MULTICITY PROGRAM EXPLORES CRITICAL ISSUES

Jed Dodds, The Studios of Key West’s executive director since 2012, has been selected for the prestigious Leadership Florida program as a member of its 41st Cornerstone Class.

Dodds will be among 55 Florida leaders aged 40 and over, including corporate CEOs, business owners, educators, elected officials and non-profit executives, participating in a nine-month, multicity educational program exploring critical issues facing the state of Florida.

“Our mission at Leadership Florida is to bring together committed leaders from all over the state to recharge their leadership skills and expand their network,” said Wendy Spencer, president and CEO of Leadership Florida. “Through this powerful community, our class participants are able to find the knowledge and inspiration to take on some of Florida’s biggest challenges.”

In his time at The Studios, Dodds has spearheaded the development of its downtown campus, anchored by the iconic flagship building at the corner of Eaton and Simonton streets. Busy with exhibitions, concerts, plays, classes, a bookstore and rooftop terrace, The Studios is at the center of the island’s cultural life. Just next door, the arts organization is currently completing a $2.5 million renovation of the PEAR House, which welcomes artists in residence from around the world to create new work in Key West.

— Contributed

Jed Dodds.

Victor Wembanyama, seen in 2022 playing for the Metropolitans 92 in France, was picked first in the NBA draft last week by the San Antonio Spurs. WIKIPEDIA/Contributed

COME WORSHIP WITH US

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“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

MARIA GONZALEZ WOMANKIND

VON PHISTER ST, KEY WEST

HUMOR

Summers can be brutal. Aside from sweltering temperatures, an acute sense of melancholy has replaced the end of the NBA and NHL seasons, the Vanderpump reunion finale came and went like a whoopee cushion in the wind … and now the Hollywood writers strike has proven that even Guy Ritchie movies are unwatchable without the help of a creative assist.

With so little going on, our Top 10 creative well has gone dry, leaving us little inspiration to draw from outside of regurgitated content.

Basically, we are admitting our apathy, but found this week’s Top 10 in our archives, which does have some situational relevance based on current events in Russia. So here are our…

COLD WAR (OR COLD WARINSPIRED) MOVIES…

10. “Charlie Wilson’s War” (2007) — “Why is Congress saying one thing and doing nothing?” / “Well, tradition mostly.”

9. “Bridge of Spies” (2015) — “We have to have the conversations our governments can’t.”

8. “Red Dawn” (1984) — “But when you’re fighting in your own backyard, when you’re fighting for your family, it all hurts a little less, and makes a little more sense. Because for them, this is just a place. But for us, this is our home.”

7. “Miracle” (2004) — “That look like hockey to you? To me it looks like two monkeys trying to hump a football.”

6. “Rambo: First Blood Part II” (1985) “Sir, do we get to win this time?”

5. “WarGames” (1983) — “Would you like to play a game?”

4. “Firefox” (1982) — “Don’t say anything. Your words would be useless, maybe even insulting. Just fly the damn plane.”

3. “Atomic Blond” (2017) — “I never worked for you. You worked for me. … Every false intel I gave you, a rip in the iron curtain. Every piece of intel you gave me, a bullet in my (f-ing) gun. I want my life back.”

2. “Hunt for Red October” (1990) — “Your sub captain’s going to make it to America, Mr. Ryan. And he’s going to die within sight of it.”

1. “Rocky IV” (1985) — “If I can change, and you can change, everybody can change.”

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Aside from threats of violence and hate mail directed at our Top 10s, we do occasionally receive constructive feedback and ideas. This Top 10 was originally published in February 2022 and readers have since offered some additional nominations for “Best Cold War-Inspired Movies:”

“First Man,” “Spies Like Us,” “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” “Good Night and Good Luck,” basically every 1980s Chuck Norris movie, “The Queen’s Gambit” and “Three Days of the Condor.”

MANDY MILES

drops stuff, breaks things and falls down more than any adult should. She’s married to a saintly — and handy — fisherman, and has been stringing words together in Key West since 1998.

MILES TO GO DON’T BE A JERK; IT’S TOO HOT

OK, Key West. We’ve got to stick together.

It’s summertime in the Southernmost City and we’ve already had several days’ worth of heat advisories and triple-digit “feels like” temperatures. All before the calendar flips to July.

Everyone who can afford to get out of town for the summer has already left for northern locales.

The rest of us diehards are here, sweating, toughing it out and trying not to touch the hot metal of our car with our hands, or the searing black leather seats with the back of our thighs.

Tempers tend to run short, which is understandable, but we’ve gotta stick together. We’ve got four months of this wicked heat ahead of us. So we have to stop pissing each other off by doing stupid stuff.

The snowbirds and swarms of tourists are gone, so we have a bit more space to maneuver around each other.

That is not to say, however, that we have a right to take up two parking spots with our obnoxiously oversized truck. Just because your ridiculous vehicle won’t fit in a single parking spot — and in fact can’t even maneuver up Olivia Street — doesn’t mean you can straddle two spots in an otherwise crowded shopping center parking lot.

It happened to me last Tuesday. I pulled out my phone and snapped a photo of the monstrous machine

and thought about posting it on Facebook. (Still might.) Public humiliation can be an effective tool against excessive idiocy. Consider the local Facebook page, started years ago by Key West bartenders to alert others in their field about unpaid tabs and nontippers. Often, the bartender at the next place recognizes the offending customer before they order their first drink.

And while we’re on the topic of annoying human behavior, may I just say, hang up the phone while waiting in line and especially while checking out at a cash register. The people behind you hate you and the clerk would throw your change in your face if she wouldn’t get fired for doing so.

(And as for the guy in the dollar store last week, I heard your conversation. It was NOT important. But it was clearly your primary focus, because the clerk had to snap twice at you to get your attention and tell you your total.)

Come on, Key West. No one’s perfect and we’ll all do things to bug the hell out of each other, especially in these prickly temperatures. But let’s try to have some consideration.

We’re in this together. And who knows? That obnoxiously oversized truck could be the only vehicle that can make it down a flooded street after a summer storm. (Then again, I’d sooner swim up Flagler Avenue than expect assistance from that repugnant giant.)

Happy summer, everyone. Hang in there. October will be here eventually.

Dr. Ryan Barnett Chiropractor

Dr. Laurence Oliviero Chiropractor

Dr. Randall Sheffield Physical Therapist

Family owned and operated by Damien, Cathy, Tiffany & Nikki.

LATITUDES WOULD LOVE YOUR VOTE FOR BEST WATERFRONT DINING

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT YEAR AFTER YEAR!

WE’D BE HONORED TO BE VOTED BEST BED &

WE’D LOVE YOUR VOTE AGAIN THIS YEAR FOR BEST CHARTER FISHING CAPTAIN/GUIDE

WE WOULD BE HONORED TO RECEIVE YOUR VOTE FOR BEST NON-PROFIT

PLEASE

FOR US!

BEST NON-PROFIT & BEST SUMMER CAMP

BEST VOLUNTEER/ COMMUNITY ACTIVIST KIRBY MYERS

WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR VOTES FOR BEST REAL ESTATE OFFICE BEST REALTOR - WILL LANGLEY

LOUD, PROUD & COMING OUT

QUEER KEYS HOSTS 2ND ANNUAL EVENT AT KEY WEST THEATER

MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

“Love is love; community is everything.”

Such is the motto of Queer Keys, one of Key West’s newer nonprofit organizations that has made a colorful and impactful splash in its first two years.

Its mission is to “support, educate, empower and celebrate the queer community in the Florida Keys,” while its vision is to “see the Florida Keys become a safe, supportive and celebratory island chain for all people.”

Queer Keys hopes to grow into a wraparound LGBTQIA+ community center, providing programs and services for people throughout the Keys.

“Over the past year, we’ve run three LGBTQIA+ support groups, provided mini-grants to help local trans folks access healthcare, organized a community rally at Bayview Park and offered LGBTQIA inclusivity training to local service agencies, among other initiatives,” said co-founder Chris McNulty.

Queer Keys raised more than $26,000 at its second annual Coming Out Party and fundraiser on June 25 at Key West Theater, McNulty added.

The event featured drag performances, stand-up comedy by Gwen Filosa and local

music musicians, along with plenty of supportive and educational material, as well as a silent auction and more.

All money raised supports Queer Keys’ youth program, its trans trust fund (currently in development) and its general operating costs.

The theme for this year’s Coming Out Party was Summer of Love.

“With this past legislative session in Florida instilling hate and fear throughout the state, our intent was to counteract that ethos with a night focused on the love and beauty of our community,” states the group’s website. “Because of the drag ban that was signed into law by our governor, our event had to be 18 and over. We weren’t happy about it, but we raised a bunch of money for the kids in our youth program who couldn’t attend and we showed the governor how resilient the Key West community is.”

For more information visit queerkeys.org.

Queer Keys, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting, educating, empowering and celebrating the queer community of the Florida Keys, hosts its second Coming Out Party June 25 at Key West Theater.

LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly

ZONTA HONORS ROBERTA DePIERO

SERVICE ORGANIZATION RECOGNIZES COMMUNITY COMMITMENT

Zonta, a women’s service organization, recently honored Roberta DePiero, a 32-year resident of Key West, owner of Cocograms Enterprises and founder of Key West Playbills.

DePiero received the club’s 2023 Community Service Award (given to non-Zonta members who work to better the community) for her tireless efforts and countless hours in serving Monroe County residents and keeping Key West beautiful.

DePiero is an active organizer for nonprofit groups such as the American Cancer Society, Mote Marine Ocean Festival and the Anne McKee Artists Fund. She also is among the key photographers of a fundraising book, “Isolated Island: The Key West COVID-19 Spring of 2020.” The book raised $60,000 for Sister Season Fund, which was highly needed at that time.

DePiero is also dedicated to keeping Key West beautiful. She is a dedicated Plogger who has participated in almost every “Plogging The Keys” event, which take place each week in Key West at new locations, encouraging residents and visitors to pick up garbage. She has collected hundreds of pounds of trash and recycling, and dozens of gallons of cigarette butts.

A former member and past president of Zonta Club of Key West, she continues to serve the community in multiple other capacities. She continues to make great strides and a big impact in helping others while ensuring our community remains a beautiful place to live.

— Contributed

Covering All The Keys From Key Largo To Key West

Zonta president Allison Kerr presents Roberta DePiero with the club’s Community Service Award.

Members of the 2023 Zonta Club of Key West at their installation banquet at Opal Key Resort. CONTRIBUTED

Thank you my friends and neighbors, I am very honored and humbled by your Bubba Awards nomination for best doctor. Winning last year left me without words.

This is where Kathryn and I are raising our daughters, we would never raise them anywhere else.

VOTE FOR US!

BEST BLOODY MARY MARY

— Dr. Jack Norris

Don'tmention the R"word

Dr.Fred TroxelJr., DDS

Unlessyouaretalkingabout RESTORATIVEDENTISTRY whichiswhatILOVEand do.I'vespent45years practicingonBigPineKey developingmyskillsin complexrestorativeand estheticdentistryand developingaworldclass team.Iwouldlovetohelp YOUgetthesmileyoudesire andthehealthyfunction youdeserve.

WINNING THE BUBBA AWARD FOR BEST DESSERT WOULD BE BETTER THAN SEX

KEY WEST HONORS PATTI MCLAUCHLIN AT RETIREMENT PARTY

THAT’S A WRAP...

Retiring Key West city manager Patti McLauchlin has had a clock on her phone, counting down the days until her retirement next month after more than 30 years with the city of Key West.

The support, friendship and emotion poured out on McLauchlin’s behalf during her June 23 retirement party would have made anyone secondguess their decision to leave it all behind. But only for a moment.

McLauchlin, who moved up through the city ranks before becoming Key West’s first female city manager in 2021, has said she can’t wait to spend more time with her grandchildren, family and friends —¸without also having to manage an entire city.

That responsibility now falls to McLauchlin’s successor Al Childress, who started work in April to allow for sufficient overlap before McLauchlin’s last day on Friday, July 14.

On behalf of the Keys Weekly, we wish you all the best and we thank you for your support and accessibility in keeping the community informed via its local newspaper.

1. Key West Mayor Teri Johnston, County Commissioner Jim Scholl, Greg Veliz, City Manager Patti McLauchlin, City Manager Al Childress, City Commissioners Clayton Lopez, Sam Kaufman and Billy Wardlow. LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly

2. Fast friends and colleagues Dorian Patton and Patti McLauchlin at her June 23 retirement party at Waterfront Brewery.

3. Past and present Key West city managers, from left, Jim Scholl (now a county commissioner), Greg Veliz (now head of Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority), Patti McLauchlin (soonto-be-retired guest of honor) and current City Manager Al Childress.

4. Patti McLauchlin hands the reins of city manager to Al Childress.

5. Patti McLauchlin speaks to the crowd of more than 200 guests who braved the heat advisories and afternoon sun for her June 23 retirement party on the rooftop terrace at Waterfront Brewery.

6. City Commissioner Sam Kaufman and Mayor Teri Johnston sing McLauchlin’s praises at her retirement party on June 23. McLauchlin worked for the city of Key West for more than 30 years and became its first female city manager in 2021.

FILLING THE GAPS FOR MORE TRACKS

LOCALS WARNED FLAGLER OF PERILS

ASSOCIATED WITH DAM BETWEEN ISLANDS

The Bahia Honda railroad bridge is one of the iconic sights in the Florida Keys.

BRAD

is an author, speaker, Florida Keys historian and Honorary Conch.

Because of its truss design, and the way it was elevated over the water, it stands out like no other bridge in the Keys.

Key Viaduct represented on Florida East Coast Railway logos and that of the Monroe County Library System.

A viaduct offered a more stable design than those bridges built of wooden trestles like the ones created to cross the shorter expanses between islands in the Upper Keys. One of the things that using a viaduct or trestle bridge did was allow for the free passage of water below the tracks. Unfortunately, Mr. Flagler’s men did not fill every gap between the islands with viaducts or trestles.

islands. They knew what they were talking about.

bridges between Lower Matecumbe and Big Pine to eliminate it. Hundreds of World War I veterans were brought to the Keys from 1934-1935 and housed in three work camps. Camp 1 was established on Windley Key. Camps 5 and 3 were created on Lower Matecumbe Key. The three camps housed 700. The influx of workers essentially doubled the population of the Upper Keys.

The year 1935 was a seminal year in the Florida Keys. It was Sept. 2, 1935 when the Category 5 Labor Day Hurricane ravaged the island chain and drove the final nail into the coffin of the Key West Extension of Henry Flagler’s East Coast Railway. That horrible Monday was the last time the train steamed, rattled and rolled down the railroad tracks hammered into the Florida Keys.

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.

Two bridges of a similar truss design were incorporated into the OverSea Railroad, the Bahia Honda Bridge and the swing portion of the Moser Channel Bridge on the old Seven Mile Bridge that could be swung open to allow boats to pass.

However, it should be noted that the Long Key Viaduct deserves special mention.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a viaduct as “a long elevated roadway usually consisting of a series of short spans supported on arches, piers or columns.” A viaduct design was used to build 26 railroad bridges between Lower Matecumbe Key and Key West. Out of all the bridges connecting Miami to Key West, it is the likeness of the Long

Several gaps between the islands were closed using fill to create land to build the railroad tracks that delivered the train to Key West. In some places like Windley Key, the gaps were short enough that it was easier to fill them rather than to build a bridge to cross them. For instance, before Flagler’s men arrived, there were two islands in the Upper Keys called the Umbrella Keys. Once the railroad crew did their job, the narrow pass separating the Umbrella Keys was joined by fill to create a single island, recognized as Windley Key today.

Other railroad fill projects, like the one connecting Upper and Lower Matecumbe Keys, were of a grander design. The engineers created a land bridge between the two islands that measured 2.2 miles long. At the time, it is said that locals warned Flagler’s workers of the perils of essentially erecting a dam between the two

One of the results of the causeway was that it obstructed the natural flow of water between the Atlantic Ocean and Florida Bay. One of its effects was that it redefined the shallows between the two islands and those surrounding the small 11-acre Indian Key located one mile offshore. Indian Key, by the way, was once the most important island in the Florida Keys not named Key West. One of its predominant features was a relatively deep, naturally occurring harbor. Thanks to the damming effect of the causeway, silt began to build up around the island, and the natural harbor filled up and disappeared. The causeway did other things, too.

When State Road 4A, the first version of the Overseas Highway, officially opened to traffic in 1928, it offered an incomplete road between Key West and the mainland. It was possible to drive a car from Miami to Key West, but the trip required a four-hour ride aboard an automobile ferry that departed twice daily, at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. The road traveled through the Upper Keys and across the 2.2-mile causeway to Lower Matecumbe Key, where the road ended at the island’s west end. It picked up again 40 miles away at No Name Key.

The automobile ferry was not terribly convenient, and plans were made to build a series of concrete

The eye of the Category 5 hurricane, the strongest ever to strike North America to this day, passed over Lower Matecumbe and Long Key. The storm killed hundreds of people, ravaged families and essentially erased the communities of Matecumbe and Islamorada from Upper Matecumbe Key. More than 200 residents and 200 World War I veterans were killed in the storm. While the true number of lives lost will never be known, it is thought to be in the neighborhood of 500.

While Flagler’s 2.2-mile stretch of railroad fill between the Matecumbe Keys was not a magnet that attracted the storm, it contributed to the devastation. Because the free flow of water that had historically passed between the Matecumbe Keys had become obstructed, the tidal surge pushed by the approaching storm piled up and piled up. With nowhere else to go, 17 to 20 feet of storm surge washed over the islands.

When the storm broke through the causeway and the water started to move between the islands, the water brought by the storm surge began dissipating as if someone had pulled the plug out of a sink filled with water.

Today, the original 2.2-mile-long railroad fill is augmented with four bridges.

A train traveling across the Long Key Viaduct. MONROE COUNTY LIBRARY

TAKE ME HOME?

FIND A FRIEND AT THE FLORIDA KEYS SPCA

The Keys Weekly family loves animals as much as our friends at the Florida Keys SPCA do, and we’re honored each week to showcase some “furever” friends that are ready, waiting and available for adoption at the organization’s Key West campus.

From cats and dogs to Guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, reptiles and birds, the perfect addition to your family is waiting for you. The SPCA’s knowledgeable staff will help with advice and care tips while working to ensure a good fit between each pet and its people.

The SPCA’s Golden Paw program also provides special assistance with vet bills and medications for special-needs and older animals that require a little extra TLC.

Check these pages each week for just a few of the animals waiting for a home and see them all at fkspca.org.

WANT TO BE KING OR QUEEN OF FANTASY FEST?

APPLICATIONS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SPCA

The Florida Keys SPCA is now officially taking applications for the Royal King & Queen Campaign of Fantasy Fest.

Camper is an 11-month-old male domestic shorthair. He has it all and wants to share it. He’s good with other cats, dogs and children.

Fishy is a 2-year-old male medium mixed breed. He loves to snuggle nearly as much as he loves to play.

After 34 years of the royal candidates raising money for AH Monroe, that organization has passed the torch, so the six-week fundraising campaign will now benefit the Florida Keys SPCA, which stands ready to continue making a huge difference in the lives of homeless animals and our community’s pets.

The King & Queen campaign this year will be known as a “Fun & Furious” event.

Anyone interested in raising money and being the next Fantasy Fest King or Queen — and the first for the Florida Keys SPCA — can get a candidate application at the SPCA’s Key West campus, 5711 College Road. You can also download it at fkspca.org or email Tiffany@ fkspca.org for an application.

Stay tuned for announcements about preliminary meetings with other potential candidates and learn about what the Florida Keys SPCA is planning for the inaugural kickoff event.

Email tiffany@fkspca.org with any questions.

— Contributed

Garland is a 2-year-old male domestic shorthair. He gets along well with other kitties and would adjust easily to new surroundings.

Regular-sized Rudy is a white male rat. He may be regular-sized, but his heart is as big as the whole outdoors.

Tigger is a 2½-year-old male domestic shorthair. The wonderful thing about Tiggers, is that Tiggers are wonderful things.

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.

TRYING TO LAND A HAIL MARY AT AVE MARIA

We had to be in Miami for a thing, and then we noticed that The Beths, the kickass quartet from Auckland, New Zealand, were playing in Orlando, which was only another three-and-a-half hours or so of driving. So we decided to go see them. Once you make it to the mainland, nothing seems very far. Also, there was the chance of seeing a mega-rarity on the way back, a once-in-a-generation bird, and something I hadn’t had for close to a year: a lifer.

The Beths played such a great set that my wife’s migraine receded as soon as they dug into their first song. They played such a great set that I bought one of their albums on vinyl, even though I currently have no way to play it. (If you’ve been wasting your life and haven’t listened to The Beths, start with “Future Me Hates Me” – both the album and the song.) Also, I’ve been convinced for a while that at least a couple members of the band are secret birdwatchers.

The next morning, bellies full of Waffle House, ears still ringing, choruses still echoing in our brains, we headed south again, though, perhaps, not in the most direct route.

Unless there is some sort of dire need for expedience, I avoid interstates in Florida the same way I avoid pineapple on pizza. I prefer to take what William Least Heat Moon called the blue highways. It might take an hour or two longer, but you feel much less shabby at the end. Also, you have a much better chance of seeing interesting mainland birds, such as swallowtailed kites, wood storks, sandhill cranes and crested caracaras.

Usually, coming from Orlando, we take U.S. 27, and go from the city’s urban and suburban sprawl to the orange groves of the Lake Wales Ridge, to the cattle lands around Lake Okeechobee, to the sugarcane fields south of Clewiston, to the Miccosukee Casino and Tamiami Trail. From there it’s Krome Avenue to Homestead to U.S. 1 to home.

But as U.S. 27 started drifting eastward along Lake Okeechobee, we kept going due south, passing through La Belle, which seemed like an artsy little town, and Imokolee, which is all about the agriculture, before heading to the place where the rare bird was said to be: Ave Maria.

The rare bird was a large-billed tern, a South American species known for its love of fish and for, well, its large bill. Until recently, the species had only been recorded in North America three times – twice in the 1950s in the Midwest and once in the late ’80s in the Meadowlands of New Jersey. But then on June 1, two separate large-billed terns were spotted in Florida. One was at the T. M. Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area — in the general zone of Vero Beach and Yeehaw Junction. The other was at Ave Maria.

The tern at the waterfowl management area might have seemed less out of the way if it didn’t require a 6-mile walk in each direction.

Ave Maria is a bit unique. It was founded and built from scratch in 2007 by Tom Monaghan, famous for also founding Domino’s Pizza and owning, for a time, the Detroit Tigers. It was a planned community for conservative Roman Catholics, surrounding Ave Maria University, a private Catholic university. Monaghan initially said the town would ban the sale of birth control and cable channels that showed pornography, though he backed off those plans when, as it turns out, it was illegal to do so.

In an interview with CNN at the time, Monaghan stated that in 10 years there would be 11,000 homes and 25,000 residents in the town, with 5,000 students at the university.

When I first visited there around 2009, the entire downtown, which surrounds a modern cathedral called the Ave Maria Oratory, had been built, but not many people had moved in yet, so the storefronts were filled with cardboard cutouts of people.

Growth hasn’t come the way Monaghan expected. A press release from April of this year announced that they passed the mile mark of selling their 4,000th home. The 2020 census lists 6,242 residents. In 2021 the university had a total of 1,245 students. It’s hard to find any mention of Catholicism on Ave Maria’s current website.

But there is a town there, with lots of sidewalks, golf carts and rows of near-identical houses.

I was a little worried as we pulled onto Pope John Paul II Boulevard. The bird had been reported in about 50 different micro-locations in the area, spread out over a couple miles –mostly out near the access road, but also near the fire station, on one of the golf courses, and in the surrounding farm fields. There were multiple constellations of red flags on the eBird map. Also, the thing I may not have stressed to my wife before we took the extended version of the extended route home, was that it hadn’t been reported in three or four days.

I took a left at the first intersection, which had curb cuts and whatnot, but which was really a rutted dirt road that led down to a couple acres of scarified land – bright, glaring dirt –and some huge puddles, no doubt enhanced by the bands of rain we’d driven through. I wasn’t expecting any wildlife, but there were about 75 black-bellied whistling-ducks.

It was going to be hot out there, so I sat in the AC and pulled out my phone to orient myself to the dots on the map versus the real world. Then I looked out the windshield and noticed a shape – a tern – sitting on an island of mud at the edge of one of the huge puddles.

It can’t be that easy, I thought, and I grabbed my binoculars. Even through the distortion of the windshield, it was clear the bird had long, dark primaries, gray secondaries, a cap that looked similar in shape to a medieval monk’s threadbare headgear, and a mostly yellow bill that was very large as tern bills go. Boom. The large-billed tern.

Some days the world conspires to make your life a little easier. It’s a good idea to accept those seeming miracles when they happen.

A large-billed tern seen recently near Ave Maria, Florida. MARK HEDDEN/Keys Weekly

THE ANGLER’S OUTLOOK

Targeting yellowtail when the offshore bite gets tough

EXPLORING THE ENVIRONMENT

is the owner and operator of Top Notch Sportfishing in Marathon. His passions include scuba diving and enjoying the natural beauty of the Florida Keys.

The offshore mahi bite has slowly but surely been getting better over the past couple of weeks. We have been seeing a lot of small, undersized fish inshore in depths of 600 feet, and having better luck with bigger, quality fish further offshore in water 1,000 feet or deeper.

My typical spread when I am trolling for mahi is a rigged ballyhoo in each outrigger and two threeinch artificial baits on the flatlines. So far this season, I have found that the majority of fish have been eating the smaller bait that mimic the flying fish we commonly find in the stomachs of our catch at the filet table.

Fishing on the reef has not been easy lately. A combination of irregular water sediment levels and uncommon currents from a variety of directions switching daily has made fishing difficult, but not impossible. The past couple of weeks have made anglers sharpen their skills and employ lighter-tackle tactics. Yellowtail snapper and black grouper have been our target species as we patiently wait for the mangrove snapper spawn to begin in mid-July.

When it comes to catching yellowtail snapper, the first order of business is to set up your chum slick. Positioned on the reef in 40 to 90 feet of water, place your boat up current from the area you would like to fish. Start by placing your frozen block of chum in your large mesh chum hoop. I suggest starting off with at least two seven-pound blocks of chum in the water, or you can use a 25-pound block, which will last you much longer and is more cost effective. Many fishermen also add oats to their chum slicks to help raise the fish off the reef, leading to a lower chance of getting caught on the bottom.

MARINELAB WELCOMES 25 TAKE STOCK STUDENTS

Although the offshore bite and reef fishing have both been challenging, there are still plenty of great dinners to be had, including this black grouper. BILL GILIBERTI/Keys Weekly

When targeting yellowtail snapper, I prefer to use a seven-foot light action rod paired with a 4500 series reel that is spooled with 12-pound monofilament. Attached to your main line, I start off with a 20-foot section of 12-pound fluorocarbon leader and double the line through the eye of the hook. Weighted jigs such as yellowtail candy can be used and are effective, but I prefer to use a plain size 6 hook with a small piece of bait, so it drifts back with the chum. Peeled shrimp is the preferred bait to catch these snapper. According to FWC regulations, yellowtail snapper must be a minimum of 12 inches total length, measured from the front of the mouth to the tip of the tail. I prefer to release any fish smaller than 14 inches since there is not much of a filet on a smaller yellowtail snapper. The limit on this abundant fish is 10 per person.

Yellowtail snapper is delicious when fried, broiled, baked, grilled, or sauteed and can be found in most local restaurants as fresh catch year-round. My personal favorite way to munch these fish is fried in a coconut batter dipped in a sweet Thai chili sauce.

Get out there and get tight!

Take Stock In Children (TSIC) recently returned to the MarineLab campus for the second year to host its annual kickoff for Monroe County students entering ninth grade.

Over the three-day visit, 25 TSIC mentees in the Keys were immersed in MarineLab’s core curriculum of seagrass, mangrove and coral reef ecology. Prior to their snorkeling field trips, students learned about the interconnectedness of the marine environment, abiotic and biotic factors affecting the organisms in each community and how to identify marine creatures from algae through invertebrates to fish.

In addition, students learned about marine debris and its impact and possible solutions, including participating in a cleanup. During labs, the mentees explored the diversity and abundance found in nearshore waters, and identified the zooplankton which make up part of the base of the food chain. MarineLab’s curriculum supports the Next Generation Science Standards and Ocean Literacy Principles.

“Overall, the kids said they loved the water and snorkeling. Some kids enjoyed the labs,” said Autumn Hager, TSIC’s student services supervisor. “Personally I love the reef — it truly is spectacular, and the instructors did a fantastic job pointing out lots of wonderful sea life.”The MarineLab Environmental Education Center, located at MM 103.2 on the oceanside in Key Largo, is the education program of Marine Resources Development Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 1970 by Ian Koblick. MarineLab uses education and adventure in the Florida Keys to foster environmental awareness and stewardship on a local, regional and global scale. In 2022 over 5,000 students and teachers in 164 separate programs attended MarineLab programs.

Since 2019, MarineLab has had groups from 29 states, including 75 schools from Florida, and teachers from the British Virgin Islands, Cayman, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Barbuda, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vietnam and Dominica.

Take Stock in Children students entering ninth grade recently visited MarineLab in Key Largo. MARINELAB/Contributed

Take Stock students head out on the water with MarineLab instructors.

Students with Take Stock in Children conduct lab work.

CAPT. BILL GILIBERTI

DON’T LET FIREWORKS LEAD TO A POWER OUTAGE

KEYS ENERGY SERVICES OFFERS FOURTH OF JULY SAFETY TIPS

Annual Independence Day festivities are a popular time for fireworks. KEYS reminds its customers that power lines and utility poles can be dangerous when setting up firework displays, potentially disrupting the lives of thousands.

KEYS recommends these safety tips to avoid a potentially tragic accident:

• Carefully set up and use fireworks only in areas clear of overhead power lines.

• Do not string fireworks on utility poles.

• If using a ladder or pole to set up fireworks, keep a 10-foot clearance from power lines.

• Power lines are energized and can cause serious electrical shock, burn or electrocution.

• If an object becomes entangled in an overhead power line, do not try to free it. Instead call KEYS at 305295-1010 to report the problem.

“Our job is to keep the lights on and we’ll do a better job of that if we can keep fireworks from contacting our lines,” said Lynne Tejeda, KEYS’ general manager & CEO. “We ask that our customers show good judgment while celebrating Independence Day with fireworks,” she added.

— Contributed

HELP KEEP KEY WEST CLEAN

JOIN A 1- HOUR CLEANUP FRIDAY MORNINGS

One hour a week makes a huge difference, and volunteers are welcome every Friday and some Saturday mornings, from 8 to 9 a.m., when the Key West Ploggers clean up a designated area of the island.

Gloves, pickers, buckets, vests, hand sanitizer and a parking pass are provided to all volunteers.

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

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

Please pick up around your home or apartment complex. Every piece of trash picked up

CONTRIBUTED

is one less that may end up in the ocean that surrounds and sustains our island community. It is not just the large items you can see easily when you are walking, but the smaller items such as bottle caps and cigarette butts that are collected by the volunteers that make the biggest difference.

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

— Contributed

Join a Friday morning cleanup from 8 to 9 a.m.

Friday, June 30: Nelson English Park at the end of Catherine Street

Wednesday, July 12: For I Love Stock Island Festival: Corner of College Road and US 1

Friday, July 14: South Roosevelt between Riviera Canal and Dead Man’s Curve. Meet along the sea wall on South Roosevelt at the end of the airport runway.

Friday, July 21: Southard and Whitehead streets hosted by Courthouse Deli & Whit’s Custard

Eighteen volunteers met at the First State Bank on North Roosevelt Boulevard for the June 23 cleanup. In one hour, they collected 77 pounds of trash, 9.5 pounds of recycling and 2 gallons of cigarette butts. Special thanks to First State Bank for hosting the event and providing volunteers with refreshments after the cleanup.

Thursday, June 29

• The College of the Florida Keys invites prospective students, family members and the community to learn about CFK Academy at an information event and dual enrollment showcase. 5:30 p.m. at the new CFK Academy building on the Key West campus.

The event will highlight the benefits of dual enrollment, a program that allows students to earn high school and college credits simultaneously. The event will include tours of the new CFK Academy and beyond onto the main college campus. RSVP at CFK.edu/ CFKAcademy.

June 30-July 4

• Key West’s Key Lime Festival will celebrate the world’s most sensational citrus with a bountiful array of festivities across the very island where Key lime pie was conceived.

July 1-4

• The Key West Mermaid Festival features interactive mermaid adventures in the island city. Events include a “sailing with the mermaids” sunset sail, a mermaid encounter at the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center and an Ocean Blue Party with dancing by the sea. On July 4, bring the kids to enjoy donuts with mermaid Ariel and Prince Eric from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on the beach at Lagerheads, 0 Simonton St. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., watch mermaids perform for the cameras during a music video taping. A portion of festival proceeds will benefit Reef Relief’s efforts to protect the coral reef ecosystem. Visit keywestmermaidfestival.com.

Tuesday, July 4

• Since 1976, the Rotary Club of Key West has presented the island’s annual Independence Day fireworks show. Staged from the Edward B. Knight Pier overlooking the Atlantic Ocean at 1800

White St., fireworks will begin at 9 p.m. Onlookers can view the spectacle from Smathers Beach, Higgs Beach or from oceanside hotels and restaurants. Attendees can celebrate before the fireworks at a catered, ticketed “Patriotic Dinner Under the Fireworks” next to the pier at Indigenous Park, 1801 White St., starting at 7 p.m. Dinner proceeds will benefit the Rotary Club of Key West’s scholarship fund. Visit keywestrotary.com.

Saturday, July 8

• Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival at Looe Key. Local dive and snorkel boats head to Looe Key reef from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., as the radio experts at US 1 Radio 104.1 broadcast tunes underwater. Visit lowerkeyschamber.com/ chamber-events/ for details about boat reservations.

July 12-16

• The I Love Stock Island festival celebrates Key West’s hard-working neighbor to the north. Enjoy culinary events, island cleanups, art strolls and more. See the July 6 Key West Weekly for a complete event guide and schedule.

Saturday, July 15

• Mel Fisher Day tribute to the late, legendary Key West treasure hunter starts at 4 p.m. at Schooner Wharf Bar, 202 William St., Key West. Visit melfisherdays.com for a full schedule of events.

July 18-23

• An array of literary events awaits readers and writers during Hemingway Days 2023. The festival celebrates the talent and Key West lifestyle of author Ernest Hemingway, who lived on the island for most of the 1930s. Visit hemingwaydays.net for a full schedule of events.

FISHING TOURNAMENT RAISES $22K FOR AUTISM SOCIETY

JIMMY JOHNSON’S 43.5- POUND DOLPHIN WINS FIRST PLACE

The Autism Society of the Keys (ASK) hosts its charity fishing tournament with the Police Benevolent Association. From left, ASK volunteers Hope Haley and Owen Trepanier, ASK executive director Jill Campbell and tournament directors Mike Pettee, Emily Pettee and Frank Betz.

The Autism Society of the Keys hosted its third annual Monster Charity PBA Dolphin Tournament the weekend of June 24 at Oceans Edge Resort & Marina on Stock Island. Capt. Jimmy Johnson caught the winning dolphin on Double J with a 43.5-pound fish.

The tournament raised $22,000 for autism initiatives, along with a small donation to the Cub Scouts and the Police Benevolent Association’s Love Fund.

— Contributed

TOURNAMENT WINNERS

1st Place: Jimmy Johnson aboard Double J

2nd Place: Scott Duling aboard Ocean Daze

3rd Place: Alex aboard Mama Money (last name not provided)

4th Place: Paul Weisenfeld aboard Stella Blue

PBA Winner: Jack Gruba aboard Leviathan

Female Winner: Tori Hicks aboard You & Tequila

Junior Winner: Joshua aboard Natural II (last name not provided)

Justin Hamilton and Capt. Jimmy Johnson of the Double J celebrate the dolphin that won them the $5,000 first-place prize in the Autism Society of the Keys’ charity fishing tournament. CONTRIBUTED

Craig and Caitlyn Campbell volunteer at the Autism Society of the Keys’ recent charity dolphin tournament out of Oceans Edge Resort & Marina.

ROTARIAN BECOMES ‘KENTUCKY COLONEL’

Keith Douglass, past president of the Rotary Club of Marathon and past Rotary assistant governor, became the 11th Kentucky Colonel in Monroe and Miami-Dade counties. Rotary International and the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels have much in common. The “toast” to new colonels reflects what the order, started in 1813 by a colonel in the Kentucky Regiment, stands for. Worldwide, it has thousands of members, who must have distinguished themselves in local, state, national and foreign activities. Membership is granted by the governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Andy Beshear. Presenting the award are, from left, Colonel Jeffrey Berger; Colonel Roberto Munoz, scout executive/CEO of the South Florida Council, Boy Scouts of America; Colonel Keith Douglass, commander of the South Florida Chapter of the Kentucky Colonels and president of the South Florida Council Boy Scouts of America; and Colonel Roy Gonas, past district governor of Rotary District 6990. CONTRIBUTED

SHERIFF WARNS OF HOLIDAY TRAFFIC

URGES PATIENCE & CAUTION ON LAND AND WATER

TRIBUTE TO TREASURE HUNTER MEL FISHER SET FOR JULY 15

SCHOONER WHARF BAR TO HOST FESTIVITIES

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office expects Fourth of July traffic to be heavy throughout the Florida Keys — on and off the water — starting this week.

• Deputies will be on the roads watching for impaired and unsafe drivers. Don’t pass in no-passing zones or in center turn lanes, as you are likely to get a ticket. If you plan to drive anywhere in or out of the county, plan extra time. Expect delays from the 18-Mile Stretch to Key West.

• Designate a sober driver — for your car or your boat.

• The Sheriff’s Office will have extra deputies on the water as well in an effort to keep mariners safe. Be patient and courteous at sandbars, other gathering areas, and especially at marinas and boat ramps as they are expected to be busy.

• Please leave the fireworks to the professionals.

• Discard trash properly. It isn’t fair to leave it on the ground or in the water for someone else to clean up and you could be charged with littering.

• Have a safe and fun Fourth of July!

UPPER KEYS TRAFFIC NOTE

There will be a parade in Key Largo on July 4 that is expected to cause traffic congestion. Northbound traffic will be temporarily closed at MM 99 from 9:30 to 9:45 a.m. All traffic will then be diverted into southbound lanes starting at 9:45 a.m. The parade starts at 10 a.m. and will last about two hours. The highway is expected to return to normal by 1 p.m. Motorists should avoid the area during those times if possible.

— Contributed

Mel Fisher Day in Key West is an annual tribute to the rumand-Coke drinking, gold-chain-adorned Keys character remembered as “the world’s greatest treasure hunter” whose discovery of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha shipwreck and whose life and motto, “Today’s the Day,” inspired people worldwide to follow their dreams. This year’s celebration is set for Saturday, July 15 at the Schooner Wharf Bar, 202 William St., at the Key West Historic Seaport.

A favorite Mel Fisher’s Crew annual reunion event, festivities will begin at 4 p.m. and include live music, Mel Fisher trivia games, a 50/50 raffle, the ever-popular “X Marks the Spot Cupcake” game of chance — one lucky winner will score a piece of authentic treasure — a huge online silent auction, a live on-stage auction for a piece from the “Taffi’s Treasures” jewelry line, and presentation of the annual Mel Fisher Lifetime Achievement Award.

Author Wendy Tucker will be on hand to sign copies of her recently published book, “Today’s the Day – The Mel Fisher Story.”

The online auction component, which opened for bids on June 15, offers savvy treasure hunters the opportunity to compete for more than $25,000 in tangible booty and adventurous experiences.

The net proceeds of the 2023 Mel Fisher Day event will benefit Wesley House Family Services, a nonprofit organization whose programs provide crucial support to child welfare and family preservation throughout the Florida Keys; and the Michael J. Abt Have a Heart Foundation, whose mission is to ensure that all schools are equipped with automatic external defibrillators and that school staff and students are trained in their use in the event of a cardiac emergency. More information and an online auction link are at melfisherdays.com.

Famed Key West treasure hunter — and finder — Mel Fisher died in 1998, but his legend lives on at the annual Mel Fisher Day tribute in Key West, set for July 15. CONTRIBUTED

HEMINGWAY DAYS HONOR KEY WEST’S LITERARY HERITAGE

EVENTS TAKE PLACE JULY 18-23

BOOMING BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

An array of literary events awaits readers and writers during Hemingway Days 2023, set for Tuesday through Sunday, July 18-23. The festival celebrates the talent and Key West lifestyle of author Ernest Hemingway, who lived on the island for most of the 1930s.

Events include prose and poetry readings, a walking tour, a Hemingway museum exhibit and presentations that illustrate the island city’s impact on the legendary writer’s life and work. All are presented by the Key West Art & Historical Society, whose Custom House Museum contains one of the United States’ most comprehensive collections of Hemingway artifacts and memorabilia.

The festival’s opening evening Tuesday, July 18, features a lecture by Rebecca Johnston, president of the Florida Hemingway Society. Focusing on Hemingway’s connection to a 1935 hurricane that influenced his Key West novel “To Have and Have Not,” the presentation is set for 6 p.m. at the island’s Tropic Cinema, 416 Eaton St.

For those who arrive in Key West before Hemingway Days, the film version of “To Have and Have Not” will be screened Monday, July 17, at the cinema.

Fans of fine writing can attend the announcement and reading of the winning entry in the Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition Wednesday, July 19, paired with the Key West Poetry Guild’s reading of “Papa’s Poems” and guild members’ work. Awarding

$2,500 annually to emerging writers of short fiction, the competition is directed by Lorian Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway’s granddaughter and author of books including “Walk on Water.” The event is scheduled for 5 p.m. at The Gardens Hotel, 526 Angela St.

The Key West Art & Historical Society’s historian and curator, Cori Convertito will discuss Hemingway’s Key West years Thursday, July 20, during a 5 p.m. “Happy Hour With the Historian” gathering. Exploring elements such as the author’s introduction to Key West and his love of Keys angling, the event includes a complimentary libation and takes place at Comedy Key West, 218 Whitehead St., #5.

At 9 a.m. Sunday, July 23, Convertito will lead a walking tour of iconic Key West structures and sites where Hemingway lived, worked and played. The 90-minute tour will depart from the Custom House Museum, 281 Front St.

All day Sunday, the festival spotlights aspects of the museum’s Hemingway collection,

free admission for those

mention Hemingway Days upon entering. As well as items from

late author’s life,

view a full-size bronze depicting him in his prime and 59 original drawings by famed marine wildlife artist Guy Harvey that illustrate Hemingway’s novel, “The Old Man and the Sea.”

For literary event information and ticketing, visit kwahs.org. For Hemingway Days general information, visit hemingwaydays.net.

— Contributed

Fireworks explode over a portion of Florida Bay for the enjoyment of attendees at a Florida Keys bicentennial celebration on June 17 at Rowell’s Waterfront Park in Key Largo. The gathering was among a series of Keys events being staged to mark the 200th anniversary of the Florida Territorial Legislature’s July 3, 1823 founding of Monroe County, containing the entire island chain. ROB MODYS/Florida Keys News Bureau

with

who

the

visitors can

Left: Ernest Hemingway look-alikes and others walk with manmade bulls on wheels during the ‘Running of the Bulls’ at the 2022 Hemingway Days festival in Key West. Right: Gerrit Marshall, standing, endeavors to convince the judges he should win the 2022 Hemingway Look-Alike Contest at Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Key West. Marshall was chosen one of the top five out of 125 entrants, but did not take the title. ANDY NEWMAN/Florida Keys News Bureau

STUDIO SPOTLIGHT

ART AND SCIENCE CONVERGE FOR ARTIST JACK KELLY

Jack Kelly grew up in a small town in the countryside just outside of London, England. The English countryside is a beautiful place, but it is a far different environment than our tropical waters.

Kelly was determined, crossed a major ocean and found his way to the Florida Keys because of his love for tropical marine life –which he shares through his work as a marine biologist and through his artwork. He started drawing at a young age, and after he sold his first piece, he has been painting nonstop.

Kelly is primarily an animal or nature artist. He also specializes in producing scientific illustrations of animals for use in museums, magazines and scientific journals. His passion is wildlife, whether it be sea turtles, crocodiles, sharks or sportfish. While he paints other wildlife, such as gorillas, his most prominent theme is ocean and marine life. Marine life has been an obsession since he was a child in England. His parents would take him to aquariums as a child. This love would lead him to become an avid SCUBA diver in his teens.

Kelly cemented his love by obtaining a degree in marine biology from the University of Plymouth. Besides using his degree to create stunning works of art, he uses it for what as it was intended, as a marine biologist. He works as an animal care specialist at Theater of the Sea. Being a specialist, he works with rescued marine animals such as sea turtles, sharks and crocodiles. Kelly has been living in the Florida Keys for about six years.

“My dad worked as an art teacher in England while I was growing up, so he definitely fueled my interest in creating art, as well as educating me on the use of different techniques and mediums as well as the history of art. Although now retired, he still paints and creates some amazing pieces,” he said. “I have many of his paintings hanging up at my home here in the Keys.”

One of the artists whom he admires is Tiki and Polynesian-style artist Jeff Granito. Another is Western landscape artist Mark Magiorri. Finally, he admires marine life artist Joyful Enriquez’s subjects and style of painting.

Kelly works mostly in acrylic paint on canvas, but for some of his scientific illustrations he uses some digital. When asked which of his paintings is his favorite, “Probably one of my most recent pieces, featuring a green sea turtle swimming in the shallows of the Keys, hovering over a Queen Conch shell. This large piece was commissioned by a client

as a gift for their mum, who was battling breast cancer at the time,” he said. “He asked if I could incorporate the breast cancer awareness ribbon into the painting somehow, so I subtly included it in the pink portion of the conch shell. The overall composition, color scheme, and message behind this piece makes it one of my favorites. “

Kelly prepares for a painting by googling a lot of photos, browsing nature’s photos and going through his own animal photos. If a photo online particularly inspires him, he asks the owner for permission to use the photo as a reference for a painting. Kelly’s paintings are made by someone who loves animals for people who love animals.

“I hope to keep working on commissions. I’m always happy to work with clients to produce their ideal painting and I find it the most fulfilling aspect of being an artist. I also aim to keep creating scientific illustrations for museums, magazines and scientific journals,” he said.

You can find some of Jack Kelly’s artwork at jackkellyart.com. He is also very active on Instagram (@ jackkellyart). He loves working on commissions so for anyone who’s interested, drop him a message via email (jakkelly@gmail.com) or through Instagram.

1, 3 & 4. Jack Kelly’s paintings usually feature marine life. JACK KELLY/Contributed. 2. Jack Kelly works as an animal care specialist at Theater of the Sea. 5. Jack Kelly works mostly in acrylic paint on canvas, but for some of his scientific illustrations he uses some digital.

WILLIAM DEPAULA 2 3 4 5

3 Geiger Road | Key West | MLS # 603784

Blvd. 311 | Key West | MLS # 604361

LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES

FICTITIOUS NAME

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of SPAS located at 9589 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida 33050 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

By: The Pool Pros Services and Repairs, LLC

Publish:

June 29, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

FICTITIOUS NAME

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of EPIC

TITLE GROUP located at 101415 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

By: Prestige Title Services LLC

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June 29, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE

U-HAUL COMPANY OF MIAMI

Notice is here by given that on July 17th, 2023, Leonard Richford Jr. Storage Auctioneer, Executive Administrator for U-Haul Company of Miami, Will be offering for sale under the Judicial Lien Process, By Public Auction, the following

storage units. The Terms of the sale will be cash only. U-Haul Company does reserve the right to refuse any bids. The sales will Begin at 8:00 a.m. and continue day by day until all units are sold. The names of whose units will be sold are as follows:

103530 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037

Alex Murgas Unit 1580

$710.60

James Fleischmann Unit 1001

$561.35

James Fleischmann Unit 1619 $1,275.69

Curtis Williams Unit 1536

$966.00

Brian Long

NOTICE OF HEARING TO REIMPOSE AND PROVIDE FOR COLLECTION OF DUCK KEY SECURITY SERVICES SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS

Notice is hereby given that the County Commission, Monroe County, Florida will conduct a public hearing to consider re-imposing security services assessments for the Fiscal Year beginning October 1, 2023, against certain improved and unimproved properties located within Duck Key, to fund the cost of security services provided to such properties and to authorize collection of such assessments on the tax bill.

The public hearing will be held at 9:00 a.m., on July 19, 2023, at the Marathon Government Center, 2798 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida 33050. The public can also attend the Public Hearing via Communication Media Technology (“CMT”)/Zoom at the following virtual address: http://monroecountyfl.iqm2.com/ citizens/default.aspx, for the purpose of contributing/receiving public comment on the proposed assessments.

All affected property owners have a right to appear at the hearing and to file written objections with the County Commission within 20 calendar days of the publication date of this notice. Pursuant to section 286.0105, Florida Statutes, notice is given that if a person decides to appeal any decision made by the County Commission with respect to any matter considered at this hearing, such person will need a record of the proceedings and may need to ensure that a verbatim record is made, including the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be made. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, persons needing a special accommodation or an interpreter to participate in this proceeding should contact the County Administrator’s Office, between 8:00 A.M. and 5:30 p.m., at 305-292-4441, at least 48 hours prior to the date of the hearing. If hearing impaired, dial “711” for assistance.

The annual Duck Key security assessment is based on the number of improved or unimproved lots contained within the Duck Key Security District. The total annual assessment revenue to be collected within Duck Key for the upcoming fiscal year is estimated to be $124,656.00 The annual assessment rates for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2023 (remain the same as the current year) at $292.00 per improved lot and $28.00 per unimproved lot.

Copies of the legal documentation for the assessment program will be made available upon request, by contacting the County Attorney’s office at 305-292-3470, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

If you have any questions, please contact the County at 305-292-3470, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

The assessments will be collected on the ad valorem tax bill to be mailed in November, 2023, as authorized by section 197.3632, Florida Statutes. Failure to pay the assessments will cause a tax certificate to be issued against the property which may result in a loss of title.

The proposed Final Assessment Resolution may be inspected by the public at the Monroe County website by viewing the agenda packet for the July 19, 2023, Monroe County Commission meeting, which will be posted as of July 11, 2023, may be viewed on the County website at: http://monroecountyfl.iqm2.com/citizens/default.aspx.

The public can participate in the July 19, 2023 meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, FL by attending in person, or via Zoom. The Zoom link can be found in the agenda at: http://monroecountyfl.iqm2.com/citizens.default.aspx.

Dated at Key West, Florida, this 21st day of June, 2023.

Kevin Madok, Clerk of the Circuit Court and ex officio Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida

Unit 1504-51

$995.45

Dennis Nicholson

Unit 1185

$978.40

Publish:

June 29 & July 6, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE

The Monroe County Tourist Development Council will hold their regularly-scheduled meeting on Thursday, July 20, 2023, at 10:00 A.M., at the Baker's Cay Resort, 97000 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, Florida 33037.

The Visit Florida Keys Corporation will also convene during this meeting. All Tourist Development Council Meetings are open to the public, and one or more County Commissioners may be in attendance. ADA ASSISTANCE: If you are a person with a disability who needs special accommodations in order to participate in this proceeding, please contact the Monroe County Administrator’s Office, by phoning (305) 292-4441, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., no later than five (5) calendar days prior to the scheduled meeting. If you are hearing or voice impaired, call “711”.

Publish:

June 29, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

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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June 15, 22 & 29, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, at 3:00 P.M., the Monroe County Purchasing Office will receive and open sealed responses for the following:

City of Marathon Vulnerability Assessment to be Conducted by Monroe County Monroe County, Florida Pursuant to F.S. 50.0211(3) (a), all published competitive solicitation notices can be viewed at: www. floridapublicnotices.com, a searchable Statewide repository for all published legal notices. Requirements for submission and the selection criteria may be requested from DemandStar at www.demandstar.com OR www.monroecounty-fl.gov/ bids. The Public Record is available upon request. Monroe County Purchasing Department receives bids electronically. Please do not mail or attempt to deliver in person any sealed bids. Mailed/physically delivered bids/proposals/responses WILL NOT be accepted.

LEGAL NOTICES

EMAIL from your bid and required documents. Your subject line on both emails must read as follows:

City of Marathon Vulnerability Assessment to be Conducted by Monroe Co. 08-01-2023

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 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 August 1, 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: +16465189805,, 4509326156# US (New York) +16699006833,, 4509326156# US (San Jose)

Dial by your location: +1 646 518 9805 (New York) +1 669 900 6833 (San Jose)

Publish: June 29, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

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

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.

Publish: June 29, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

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 August 1, 2023. Please submit your confidential financial information in a SEPARATE

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 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

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 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

Publish:

June 8, 15, 22 & 29, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISION

FILE NUMBER: 23-CP-79-P

IN

RE: ESTATE OF GREGORY DOWELL, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of GREGORY DOWELL, deceased, whose date of death was 13 June 2023, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88820 Overseas Highway, Plantation Key, Florida 33070. The names and addresses of the Personal Representative and the Personal Representative’s attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.

All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate, 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 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 29, 2023.

Personal Representative:

Julia Ogilvie

1180 N. Columbus St. Lancaster, OH 43130

Attorney for Personal Representative:

Tom Woods, Esq. Florida Bar No.: 0525197

116 Porto Salvo Drive Islamorada, Florida 33036

Phone: 305.664.2200 Fax 2205

Primary Email: tom@ tomwoodslaw.com

Secondary Email: eserve@ tomwoodslaw.com

Publish:

June 29 & July 6, 2023

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

FILE NO.: 23-CP-000071-P IN RE: ESTATE OF STEVEN LARSEN

Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of STEVEN LARSEN, deceased, whose date of death was April 21, 2023, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88770 Overseas Highway, Plantation Key, Florida 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required

LEGAL NOTICES

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 29, 2023.

Personal Representative: TOMAS LARSEN 71 Auburn Street Medford, MA 02155

Attorney for Personal

Representatives:

STEVEN H. LINDE, ESQUIRE Florida Bar Number: 72089 LINDE LEGAL, PLLC 2332 Galiano Street, 2nd Floor Coral Gables, Florida 33134

Telephone: 305-722-5533

Primary E-Email: steven@ lindelegal.com

Primary E-Email: info@ lindelegal.com

Publish:

June 29 & July 6, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 44-2023-CP000115A-001KW IN RE: ESTATE OF CLEVELAND MCKINLEY MATHIS, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of CLEVELAND MCKINLEY MATHIS, deceased, File Number: 44-2023-CP-

NOTICE OF INTENTION TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF COUNTY RESOLUTION

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN that on July 19, 2023, Marathon Government Center, 2798 Overseas Highway, MM50, Marathon, Florida, 33050, Monroe County, Florida, at 9:00 a.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter can be heard, the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida, intends to consider the adoption of the following County resolution:

A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, CONTINUING THE ASSESSMENTS OF WASTEWATER SERVICE TO PROPERTIES IN THE BIG COPPITT, DUCK KEY, STOCK ISLAND, CUDJOE REGIONAL CENTRALIZED INNER AND OUTER ISLAND SERVICE AREAS, EAST/WEST LONG KEY, NO NAME KEY, MIDDLE/BIG TORCH KEY, AND EXPANDED PARCELS WITHIN THE CUDJOE REGIONAL SERVICE AREA FOR THE 2023 TAX YEAR; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

The July 19, 2023 meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, FL will be in a hybrid format. The public will be able to participate live or via Communication Media Technology (“CMT”) using a Zoom Webinar platform at https://mcbocc.zoom.us/j/82032493400. The public is encouraged to watch the meeting on Monroe County’s MCTV on Comcast Channel 76 or AT&T UVerse Channel 99. Also, if a citizen has a Roku device, they can search for and add “MCTV” to their personal lineup. Monroe County’s “MCTV” is also provided via the Monroe County mobile apps for iOS and Android and through our streaming web portal: https://mcboxx.zoomus/j/82032493400. Citizens can listen to audio only from their phone by dialing 646-518-9805 or 669-900-6833 and, when prompted, enter the Webinar ID# 820 3249 3400.

Pursuant to Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes, notice is given that if a person decides to appeal any decision made by the Board with respect to any matter considered at such hearings or meetings, he will need a record of the proceedings, and that, for such purpose, he may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.

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

Dated at Key West, Florida, this 21st day of June, 2023.

Kevin Madok, Clerk of the Circuit Court and ex officio Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida

000115A-001KW, whose date of death was November 21, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is Clerk of the Circuit Court, Probate Division, 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 required to be 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. 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 29, 2023.

Personal Representative: KARREN CORNELIUS

1920 Griffins Green Drive Bartow, FL 33830 Attorney for Personal Representative: ALLAN L. CASEY, ESQUIRE Florida Bar No. 150809 Law Offices of Allan L. Casey 395 Avenue C, N.W. Post Office Box 7146 Winter Haven, FL 33883-7146 Telephone (863) 294-4468 Publish: June 29 & July 6, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION

FILE NUMBER: 23-CP-56-P IN RE: ESTATE OF DONALD BRUCE IRWIN, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of Donald Bruce Irwin, deceased, whose date of death was April 14, 2023, 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

THE DATE OF

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 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 29, 2023.

Personal Representative:

China Alexis Irwin Galissard de Marignac 5017 Little Turtle Drive Birmingham, AL 35242

Attorney for Personal

Representative: BAKER, DONELSON, BEARMAN, CALDWELL & BERKOWITZ, PC 100 S.E. Third Avenue, Suite 1620 Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33394 Tel: (954) 768-1600 Fax: (954) 333-7636

Counsel for Petitioner:

Duane Pinnock, Esq. Florida Bar No. 0568139

Josh A. Kravec, Esq. Florida Bar No. 1025518 dpinnock@bakerdonelson. com jkravec@bakerdonelson.com breid@bakerdonelson.com

Publish:

June 29 & July 6, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 23-CP-159-K

DIVSION: LOWER KEYS IN RE: ESTATE OF GENEVIEVE C. ISAKSEN Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of Genevieve C. Isaksen, deceased, whose date of death was June 4, 2023, 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 22, 2023.

Personal Representative:

John F. Isaksen

32 Spoonbill Way Key West, Florida 33040 Attorney for Personal

Representative:

Richard E. Warner

Attorney Florida Bar Number: 283134 RICHARD E. WARNER, P.A. 12221 Overseas Highway MARATHON, FL 33050

Telephone: (305) 743-6022

Fax: (305) 743-6216

E-mail: richard@rewarnerlaw. com

Secondary E-Mail: pamela2@ rewarnerlaw.com

Publish:

June 22 & 29, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 2023-CP-000151-K IN RE: ESTATE OF WAYNE GEORGE BELL a/k/a WAYNE G. BELL a/k/a WAYNE BELL, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of WAYNE GEORGE BELL a/k/a WAYNE G. BELL a/k/a WAYNE BELL (the “Decedent”), whose date of death was October 17, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is Clerk of Circuit Court, Monroe County Courthouse, Probate Division, 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 the Decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF THREE (3) MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.

All other creditors of the Decedent and other persons having claims or demands against the Decedent's estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN THREE (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, FLORIDA STATUTES, 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 22, 2023.

Personal Representative:

ROBERT WAYNE BELL

49729 Nautical Drive Chesterfield, MI 48047

Attorneys for Personal Representative:

BULLOCH TAYLOR PLLC

T. Robert Bulloch, Esq. Florida Bar No. 633127

Email: trb@bullochtaylor.com

Courtney C. Pugh, Esq. Florida Bar No. 125106

Email: ccp@bullochtaylor.com

1185 Immokalee Road, Suite 300

Naples, Florida 34110

Telephone: 239-383-7130

Fax: 239-776-3496

Publish:

June 22 & 29, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

AUTOS WANTED

AUTOS ALL YEARS!

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

$CASH 305-332-0483

EMPLOYMENT

HEALTH INSURANCE

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

Coast to Coast Pizza Company in Marathon is looking for Front of the house cashier, part time, and Back of the house kitchen staff, part and/or full time. Will train, but should be self-motivated, quick learner, and team player. Salary commensurate with experience and includes tips and 401k. Please call Nicole at 305-4330515, or email nicole@ themoongroupfl.com.

SS Wreck and Galley Grill on Grassy Key is looking for Line cooks, full or part time, and Servers/Hosts. Will train, but should be self-motivated, quick learner, and team player. Salary commensurate with experience and includes 401k. Please call Nicole at 305-4330515, or email nicole@ themoongroupfl.com.

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, $25 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 CustomerService Oriented Server for the pool deck, beach and/ or bar lounge. Open year round, 10am-7pm daily. Small friendly staff. Above average hourly wage plus tips. Apply in person at 425 E. Ocean Dr. Key Colony Beach or call 404-2193359 and ask for Dave.

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

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

305.743.0844

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. 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.

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.

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

HOBBIES/COLLECT.

PRIVATE COLLECTOR

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

LOT FOR SALE

Oceanside-Lot with building permit in Tavernier $399K OBO 305-933-9594 OwnerAgent [3% to selling office]

SERVICES OFFERED

Registered Nurse available to help with your home health care needs. Inhome care assistance is also available. Local references. 305-587-0892. Please call and leave message or text.

YARD SALES

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

We

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

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

BOAT RENTAL STAFF

EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCED

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.

ELECTRICIANS AND HELPERS NEEDED

Experience is required. Must have a valid driver’s license. We offer 401K, medical insurance,

Oceanside Safari Restaurant & Lounge in Islamorada is NOW OPEN and serving lunch and dinner 7 days a week.

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**

Oceanside Safari Restaurant & Lounge, 786-626-6124 73814 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL 33036

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.

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.

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 WEST

Behavioral Health Therapist (Child, Adult)

Behavioral Health Counselor (Children)

Case Managers (Adult, Forensic)

Substance Abuse Counselor

Peer Support Specialist

Prevention Specialist

MARATHON

Driver (CDL required)

Care Coordinator

Behavioral Health Therapist (Child, Adult)

RNs/LPNs - 3 shifts (also Per Diem)

Maintenance Specialist

*Behavioral Health Technicians

3 shifts (also Per Diem)

Peer Support Specialist

*Support Worker – Assisted Living

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

Background and drug screen req. COMPETITIVE PAY! EXCEPTIONAL BENEFITS!!! Check out all available positions at: www.westcare.com (search by zip code) EEOC/DFWP

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.

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.

THEME: BIOLOGY 101

ACROSS

1. *Lactuca sativa dish

6. Banned insecticide

9. Doorframe part

13. *Group of #3 Down

14. Top seed number

15. *Blood ____, diabetic’s concern

16. *Food poisoning-causing bacterium

17. Galley tool

18. Sushi restaurant staple

19. *Giant sequoia, e.g.

21. *Measure of energy

23. Auction call

24. Animal coat

25. Tolstoy’s first name, in Russian

28. *Plural of cecum

30. *Fastest growing woody plant

35. Footnote acronym

37. Mosquito net, e.g.

39. Attention-seeking

40. Skier’s aid

41. Certain saxes

43. Sheltered, nautically speaking

44. Wive’s mother, e.g.

46. “____ we forget”

47. Christian of haute-couture

48. Based on two

50. Colorado’s neighbor

52. European Nuclear Society

53. Beauty salon sound

55. Official language of Laos

57. *Dissolving agent

61. *C6H12O6

65. *Relating to trunk, neck and head

66. Lamb’s momma 68. With clear mind 69. Itty-bitty 70. The Weather Girls’ “It’s Raining ____” 71. Fill with spirits 72. Ceases 73. Get the picture 74. Ascended

DOWN

1. Design detail

2. Big name in gasoline stations

3. *Genus Panthera member

4. Improvise

5. Godlike

6. Point of entry

7. *Genetic information carrier, acr.

8. 9 a.m. prayer

9. Saturn’s daughter, Roman goddess

10. *Petri dish gel

11. The Wise Men

12. French appetizer

15. Scheherazade’s listener

20. Swelling of human organs

22. Priestly garb

24. Book cover prototype

25. *Fatty acids

26. Piano key material

27. Pancho of Mexican Revolution fame

29. *Basic unit of life

31. Fermented honey libation

32. Misrepresent

33. Theater, to Socrates

34. Deed hearings

36. “Wanted!” option

38. *Parasite’s ride

42. Stable room

45. Sagely

49. Major news network, acr.

51. Cargo carrier

54. Agenda entries

56. Round openings

57. Fill to satisfaction

58. Ox, pl.

59. What Pinocchio did

60. Popular walking shoe brand

61. *Basic unit of heredity

62. South American tubers

63. Web location

64. Paradise garden

67. Like Willie Winkie