Key West Weekly 23-0817

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

AUGUST 31

• Throwback Thursday Kick-off Pool Party with Vera Cruz at Havana Cabana

SEPTEMBER 1

• Pineapple Pool Party & Bellyflop Contest with Islamorada Brewery at Southernmost Beach Resort

• Five Station Beer Pairing Dinner with FL Keys Brewing Co. at Southernmost Beach Cafe

• Live Music by Nick Norman and The Marshall Morlock Band hosted by The Keys Collection, New Belgium Brewing, Sierra Nevada & 3 Daughters Brewing at Sunset Green Event Lawn

SEPTEMBER 2

• Brewfest Signature Tasting Event at South Beach

SEPTEMBER 3

• Rehab Pool Party with Channel 3 and South Beach Brewing at The Marker

• Waterfront Brewery Pool Party at Ocean's Edge

• Beer Pairing Dinner with Matt's Stock Island Kitchen and Cayo Hueso Brewing at the Perry Hotel & Marina

SEPTEMBER 4

Bingo at the Green Parrot Bar

OPEN THE DOOR TO WHAT’S NEXT

Tucked back behind lush tropical foliage in the heart of Bahama Village, you'll find 713 Emma Street, Unit 3. This three bedroom, two and one half bathroom condo is where quintessential island living begins. This distinguished unit features Brazilian hardwood floors, central a/c and an ideal Old Town location. From the moment you set foot into the home you are greeted by an inviting open floor plan with abundant natural light. The spacious living area leads to a kitchen with granite wrap-around countertops and a breakfast bar. From the kitchen you will find a guest bedroom/den with a half bath. French doors lead to a private outdoor patio area that is shaded by a large neighboring mango tree. As you make your way up the stairs, you will find two bedrooms each with en-suite bathrooms and large walk-in closets. One of the bedrooms offers French doors that lead to a private balcony that overlooks the courtyard garden and allows you to hear the zen sounds of the waterfall from the shared pool below and get lost in blissful peace. The other primary bedroom offers a loft sleeping area with its own TV and lighting. This condo is in the most ideal location on the island. Walk to Santiago's Bodega for an evening of tapas or get on your bike and ride to Fort Zachary Taylor beach to work on your tan!

KEY WEST | $1,300,000 | Listing ID: 605560

5450 MacDonald Ave. No.5 Key West, FL 33040 Office: 305.453.6928

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The death toll from the wildfires on Maui rose to 106 on Aug. 16, per reports. Roughly a week ago, the wildfires ripped through the town of Lahaina. It’s the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii’s history.

MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

DAYCARE CLOSURE REVEALS BIGGER PROBLEM

KEY WEST’S NEXT GENERATION IS ‘IN TROUBLE’

Wesley House Family Services exists to “serve the children and families of the Florida Keys,” but one of the nonprofit’s board members has become increasingly concerned about whether future generations of young families will be able to live in the island chain.

“If we don’t have people who want to live in Key West for the next generation, we’re in trouble,” said Wesley House board member Kris Pabian. “Why everyone isn’t screaming from the rooftops, I don’t know. But everyone realizes this is an emergency.”

The sudden closure on Aug. 4 of Sunbeam Christian School, a long-time daycare and preschool run by Fifth Street Baptist Church, brought that emergency into stark relief for Pabian and others, as the parents of 50 children, aged 8 weeks to 4 years, desperately looked for other child care options with only a week’s notice of the closure.

Fifth Street Baptist Church

Pastor Josh Dryer closed Sunbeam after its teachers — who are of varying religious denominations — refused to sign a 22-page personnel manual in which they would commit to living a “Biblical lifestyle,” as defined by the conservative, born-again Christian denomination and tithe 10% of their income to the church. Employees of the school were also expected to sign a

statement about any other jobs they have. Second jobs are common in the Florida Keys, where the cost of living is among the highest in the country. “Any outside employment that contradicts the faith and values of the Fifth Street Baptist Church is forbidden,” the manual states.

Dryer has refused to return repeated phone calls and emails seeking comment, and no one has answered the door at the church office during repeated visits.

A BIGGER PROBLEM

“Daycare teachers can’t afford to live in the Keys, and as we lose them, we lose a vital part of this community,” Pabian said, adding that Wesley House and other organizations stepped up as best they could to help in the wake of Sunbeam closing. “Wesley House has taken in the majority of the Sunbeam kids. We went from 65 kids to our capacity of 90 at our Inez Martin Child Care facility. We also took on some of the Sunbeam teachers as well, so now we have nine teachers at Inez Martin, but what if two leave tomorrow? We’ll have to reduce the number of kids we serve.”

Sunbeam was also the only facility that accepted infants, a gap that continues today, Pabian added.

“Wesley House was founded by the Methodist Church, which is still very active in our organiza-

tion, but we don’t require any sort of religious commitment from our teachers or the families we serve as our mission,” she said, adding that Grace Lutheran Church also worked to accommodate some of the Sunbeam kids.

But Wesley House’s Inez Martin center can’t afford to lose any kids or teachers. The facility already operates at a financial loss due to the subsidies it offers families so they can afford child care while the parents work two and three jobs — another symptom of the Keys’ sky-high housing costs and critical housing shortage.

“We all need to bond together to address this issue,” said Pabian, who met with Key West city officials about the struggles of local families that are making them an endangered species in the Southernmost City.

EARLY LEARNING COALITION STEPS IN

The Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade and Monroe is another organization working to tackle the problem of child care and help working families. The statewide organization stepped in following the announcement of Sunbeam’s closure and helped families find other facilities, said Laurie Dunn, the coalition’s Monroe County manager.

“We only heard about the Sunbeam closure at the same time as the parents and teach-

Renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson on Aug. 9 speculated on Twitter that the fictional Barbie Land of the blockbuster movie would ‘fall somewhere in the Florida Keys’ based on geographic clues from the film. continued on the next page

continued from the previous page

ers,” said Evelio Torres, CEO of the local Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade and Monroe. “We have a number of issues in Monroe County and throughout Florida. The situation with Sunbeam reached a critical point in highlighting the difficulties of child care. Facilities need enrollment to remain financially viable, but to do that, they also need employees in a student-to-teacher ratio that meets state requirements.”

The struggle for child care comes down to the overall struggle of the Keys community — the workforce. When people can’t afford to live here, they don’t.

In addition to helping families find child care centers, the Early Learning Coalition administers a school readiness program that pays for child care for low-income families, but is unable to help most people in the Keys because the income restrictions are too strict, Torres said.

“A family of four can only earn $44,000 a year to qualify for school readiness funds,” he said. “That’s 150% of the federal poverty line. And in the Keys, very few families earn that little. They don’t earn enough to pay for child care, but they earn too much to qualify for assistance. We even hear from some families that they’re turning down raises at work so they don’t lose their child care subsidy. And if they lose that, their dollar-anhour raise isn’t going to be enough to cover day care.”

The coalition is in the process of trying to convince state legislators to raise that income threshold, but that will take time and an act of the state congress.

“School readiness programs are an economic investment. We need to look at how we’re taking care of our families and residents. When we put support for working families in place, we’re enabling families to stay and work here in the Keys,” said Chuck Mohr, a Keys businessman and board member for the early learning coalition.

Mohr has also suggested that the coalition meet with the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association to see if they’ll help lobby state lawmakers to change the income threshold. Thousands of working parents in Florida are employed at restaurants, bars and hotels. Helping them with child care would help the entire industry, and Mohr said, the FRLA is very interested in helping to find a solution to the child care crisis in Florida.

Meanwhile, Dryer closed the termination letter he sent to all Sunbeam teachers with, “We will be in prayer for you as you search for your next place of employment.”

LLOYD PRESTON BREWER’S MURDER TRIAL NOW

SET FOR NOV. 6.

DEFENSE LAWYERS ASK FOR GAG ORDER, CLAIM ACCUSED ISN’T BEING TREATED FAIRLY

GWEN FILOSA

gwen@keysweekly.com

The jury trial for a Key West man accused of murdering 21-yearold Garrett Hughes outside a local bar in the predawn hours following Super Bowl Sunday is now set for Nov. 6 at the Monroe County Courthouse.

But before the murder case – a rare violent crime in the Florida Keys – goes before a jury at the Freeman Justice Center on Fleming Street, the shooter’s defense team wants the judge to silence Monroe County prosecutors and the lawyer representing the victim’s family in a wrongful death civil lawsuit against defendant Lloyd Preston Brewer.

Brewer, 57, is charged with first-degree murder for fatally shooting Hughes, a standout athlete who became a volunteer coach for local kids and had a wide circle of friends in Key West. His father is Key West High School football coach John Hughes.

Monroe County State Attorney Dennis Ward and his Chief Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield have gone way too far with speaking to the press about Brewer, according to Jerome Ballarotto, Brewer’s attorney who has offices in Trenton, New Jersey and Key West.

After the killing, Mansfield told Keys Weekly: “I suspect the shooter was annoyed by what he saw, confronted the kid, then pulls a gun and shoots him in the stomach, which proved fatal,” and said Hughes was clearly unarmed and did nothing to provoke Brewer.

The statements have likely hurt Brewer’s chances for a fair trial in Key West, Ballarotto says.

“Both individuals should be immediately sanctioned by this court for their knowing, intentional and repeated attempts to taint the small jury pool in this island community, in direct violation of the defendant’s right to a fair trial,” Ballarotto wrote in a court filing.

“The excessive pretrial comment by the family’s attorneys and the state and the excessive amount of pretrial publicity in a small island community have already prejudiced the defendant,” Ballarotto added in his motion to silence public statements by prosecutors and attorney Stuart Grossman, who represents the Hughes family.

CONTRIBUTED

Garrett Hughes had been drinking at Conch Town Liquor and Lounge, 3340 N. Roosevelt Blvd, a building owned by Brewer’s family, on Super Bowl Sunday.

Brewer is seen on security footage from Feb. 13 approaching Hughes from behind as a shirtless Hughes was urinating on a building adjacent to Conch Town – a building Brewer does not own. Brewer appears to speak to Hughes, who then collapses to the ground from a single gunshot to his stomach, prosecutors said.

Brewer called 911 to report the shooting while standing over Hughes – saying the young man “came at him aggressively” – and was later arrested at the scene. Shortly after the call, Hughes was taken to Lower Keys Medical Center and pronounced dead.

Grossman, who filed a wrongful death civil suit against Brewer on behalf of the Hughes family, has been quoted in the press saying Garrett Hughes’ killing has devastated the entire community, and said Brewer is a “known, habitual drunkard.”

Brewer, who is also charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and violation of a concealed firearm permit, hasn’t left the county jail since his arrest after the killing. He remains locked up without bond.

Monroe County Judge Mark Wilson is scheduled to hear the defense’s motion for the gag order on Sept. 1.

In April, locals organized the Garrett Hughes Benefit Concert at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater to create a scholarship fund created to honor the 21-year-old. The event raised more than $50,000, organizers said.

Lloyd Preston Brewer faces first-degree murder charges for the fatal shooting of Garrett Hughes on Feb. 13 in the parking lot behind a Key West bar.

THE POLITICS OF PSYCHOLOGY BLACK EDUCATOR INITIATIVE EXPANDS

2 KEYS HIGH SCHOOLS OFFER AP COURSE

Florida education officials decided it’s possible to teach AP Psychology — in its entirety — without breaking a new Florida education law or “indoctrinating” high school students. And two Monroe County high schools — Key West and Coral Shores — are doing just that.

Locally, 100 or so students are enrolled in the Advanced Placement, college-level, elective class that stirred controversy in Florida and garnered national headlines this summer.

In June, Florida’s commissioner of education, Manny Diaz, asked the nonprofit College Board, which administers Advanced Placement classes and their corresponding AP tests, to review its AP Psych curriculum for any sections that could violate Florida’s law restricting discussion of gender and sexual orientation. (That’s the law known by its critics as Florida’s Don’t Say Gay law.)

But the College Board group pushed back against Diaz and Florida, writing in a June letter, “Please know that we will not modify our courses to accommodate restrictions on teaching essential, college-level topics. Doing so would break the fundamental promise of AP: colleges wouldn’t broadly accept that course for credit and that course wouldn’t prepare students for success in the discipline.”

For 30 years, the college-level AP class, for which high school students can earn college credit by scoring a 3 or higher on the AP test, has included a section about gender and sexual orientation.

The College Board also told Diaz and Florida that it would not recognize, or award credit for, any AP Psych class that eliminated the chapter on gender on sexual orientation, as Diaz initially suggested.

The section discusses social stereotypes associated with particular genders, Monroe County Schools Superintendent Theresa Axford told the Keys Weekly on Aug. 14.

“Think about how when we were growing up and always learned that boys were better at math and girls were better at organization and penmanship,” she said.

Ultimately, given the threat of withholding college credit for the AP class for Florida students, Diaz and the Florida Department of Education capitulated.

In an Aug. 4 letter to Florida’s school superintendents, Diaz wrote, “the department believes AP Psychology can be taught in its entirety in a manner that is age and developmentally appropriate, and the course remains listed in our course catalog. … I want to be clear, AP Psychology is and will remain in the course code directory making it available to Florida students.”

The state’s decision came too late for some Florida school districts that opted not to offer the course this year.

“District officials in Orange, Seminole, Lake and Osceola counties had decided to drop the courses, citing previous guidance from the state they said was ambiguous,” states an Aug. 10 article in the Orlando Sentinel. “Orange, Osceola and Lake are sticking with their decision, while Seminole hasn’t revealed how it will proceed.”

In Monroe County, Axford’s patience was rewarded.

“When this all started (back in June), I sort of sat back and started watching everything,” she said. “I didn’t want to overreact and start changing schedules or eliminating classes. I think the media often seizes on these things and they get blown out of hand. But we had 100 kids registered for these classes and two great teachers who really wanted to teach it.”

In the end, all 100 students between Key West and Coral Shores high schools are enrolled in AP Psych.

In an abundance of caution, Axford also had parents of each enrolled student sign a letter to permit their student to take the class.

“In the letter, I wrote, ‘We believe the class is intellectually stimulating and age and developmentally appropriate,’” Axford said.

All parents signed and the class has been taught since the first day of school. It is not offered at Marathon High School because no one signed up for it.

AP classes are offered based on interest and enrollment at each high school, Axford said, adding that teachers who teach AP classes receive a $50 incentive bonus for every student who passes the AP test in that class.

“I certainly didn’t want to hurt students by eliminating a class, and hurt teachers by eliminating that potential bonus if they couldn’t teach AP Psych,” Axford said.

In addition to psychology, Monroe County schools offer AP classes in history, English, chemistry, physics, computer science, biology, calculus, drawing, environmental science, macroeconomics, Spanish, French, U.S. government and music theory.

11 NEW TEACHERS RECEIVE FELLOWSHIPS

Fifteen black teachers have been awarded fellowships as the Black Educator Initiative (BEI) moves into its second year, with 11 new teachers hired this school, according to John Padget, founder of the Golden Fleece Foundation (GFF), which funds the BEI fellowships and several other education initiatives.

“Fellowship awards were presented this week to teachers in their respective classrooms by Terry Huff, representing the Golden Fleece Foundation,” Padget said.

Huff is a graduate of North Carolina Central University (NCCU), the nation’s first public liberal arts institution for African Americans and an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) based in Durham, North Carolina.

The $30,000 fellowships are awarded to newly hired black teachers in Monroe County.

Huff said awardees from out-of-county receive $15,000 at the beginning of their first year. Then, coinciding with their continued employment, they receive $10,000 at the start of their second year, and a further $5,000 for their third year.

Research shows that having a black teacher has several positive effects on black students. One study found that black students who had one

black teacher by third grade were 7% more likely to graduate high school and 13% more likely to enroll in college. After having two black teachers, black students’ likelihood of enrolling in college increased by 32%.

“We expect this program to expand,” said Bryan Green, GFF board member. “Monroe County School District has around 1,500 black students, 16% of all students. Including the newly hired teachers, the district will now have 22 black teachers — just over 3%. The Black Educator Initiative has made good progress, but the goal is to have teachers that fully represent the demographics of the students.”

Black teachers are encouraged to apply for teaching jobs in Monroe County. See blackeducatatorinitiative.com for details.

The following newly hired teachers in Lower Keys schools have received fellowships through the BEI: Key West High School: Anita Linville, Lawrence Jones. Horace O’Bryant School: Riva Jackson, Andrea Jacobs, Patricia Mattis, Alma Hepburn, Tanesha James-Brown, Tara Brooks.

Gerald Adams Elementary: Erica Martin, Stephanie Robinson.

Sugarloaf School: Crystal Dunn.

Erica Martin, center, joins the teaching staff at Gerald Adams Elementary with principal Melissa Alsobrooks, left. She receives a $15,000 fellowship check from the Black Educators Initiative, represented by Terry Huff, right. Martin is one of 11 black educators hired this year to teach in Monroe County schools. CONTRIBUTED

HOT WATERS RAISE HURRICANE SEASON PREDICTION

Scientists at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center — a division of the National Weather Service — have increased their prediction for the ongoing 2023 Atlantic hurricane season from a near-normal level of activity to an above-normal level of activity. Forecasters believe that current ocean and atmospheric conditions, such as record-warm Atlantic sea surface temperatures, are likely to counterbalance the usually limiting atmospheric conditions associated with the ongoing El Niño event.

NOAA forecasters have increased the likelihood of an abovenormal Atlantic hurricane season to 60% (the outlook issued in May predicted a 30% chance). The likelihood of near-normal activity has decreased to 25%, down from the 40% chances outlined in May's outlook. This new update gives the Atlantic a 15% chance of seeing a below-normal season.

NOAA’s update to the 2023 outlook — which covers the entire six-month hurricane season that ends on Nov. 30 — calls for 14 to 21 named storms (winds of 39 mph or greater), of which six to 11 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or greater). Of those, two to five could become major hurricanes (winds of 111 mph or greater). NOAA provides these ranges with a 70% confidence. These updated ranges include storms that have already formed this season.

The Atlantic basin experienced an active start to the hurricane season with five storms that have reached at least tropical storm strength, including one hurricane already. An average hurricane season produces 14 named storms, of which seven become hurricanes, including three major hurricanes.

“The main climate factors expected to influence the 2023 Atlantic hurricane activity are the ongoing El Niño and the warm phase of the Atlantic Multi-Decadal Oscillation, including record-warm Atlantic sea surface temperatures,” said Matthew Rosencrans, lead hurricane season forecaster with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “Considering those factors, the updated outlook calls for more activity, so we urge everyone to prepare now for the continuing season.”

El Niño conditions are currently being observed and there is a greater than 95% chance that El Niño will continue through the northern hemisphere winter, according to the latest ENSO discussion from the Climate Prediction Center. El Niño usually results in atmospheric conditions that help to lessen tropical activity during the Atlantic hurricane season. So far, those limiting conditions have been slow to develop and climate scientists are forecasting that the associated impacts that tend to limit tropical cyclone activity may not be in place for much of the remaining hurricane season.

A below-normal wind shear forecast, slightly below-normal Atlantic trade winds and a near- or above-normal West African Monsoon were also key factors in shaping the updated forecast. More about hurricane season outlooks

NOAA’s hurricane outlooks are forecasts of overall season activity, not landfalls. A storm’s landfall is usually the result of mesoscale weather patterns and are typically predictable within roughly one week of a storm approaching a landmass.

“The National Weather Service is dedicated to providing timely and accurate forecasts to empower individuals, families and communities to take proactive measures this hurricane season,” said Ken Graham, director of NOAA’s National Weather Service. “New tools such as a new hurricane model, the Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System and the expansion of the National Hurricane Center’s Tropical Weather Outlook to seven days are examples of our commitment to enhancing our forecasting capabilities and services.”

In June, NOAA deployed a new model to help produce hurricane forecasts. The Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System was put into operation on June 27 and will run alongside existing models for the 2023 season before replacing them as NOAA’s premier hurricane forecasting model.

NOAA urges everyone in vulnerable areas to have a wellthought-out hurricane plan and stay informed through official channels as this season progresses.

— Contributed

KEYS WEEKLY WELCOMES GWEN FILOSA

LOCALLY OWNED NEWS OUTLET ADDS LOCALLY KNOWN JOURNALIST

Gwen Filosa is now digital editor at the Keys Weekly Newspapers, having joined the Keyswide team on Aug. 14.

Digital editor is a new position at the Weekly, created with Filosa in mind. She will manage the Weekly’s social media, host and produce the Weekly’s podcast and report on Keys news, culture and happenings across the island chain.

Filosa moved to Key West in June 2011 for a reporter job at the island’s daily newspaper. She later joined the staff of the McClatchy Companyowned Keynoter, then a subsidiary of the Miami Herald.

In 2016, the Miami Herald hired her to cover Key West and the Lower Keys.

In October 2022, Filosa left the Herald to work for Miami’s NPR member station, WLRN.

But in June 2023, she decided she wanted to work for a locally-owned and operated news organization. She reached out to the Weekly’s publishers, Britt Myers and Jason Koler, and they agreed it was a great match: the newspaper with the largest circulation in the Florida Keys and a veteran journalist dedicated to local news for more than 25 years.

“As our three Weekly publications have expanded across the Keys, we have witnessed an explosion of digital growth across our website, daily eblast and social media platforms,” said Myers. “The role of digital editor is vital to providing fresh, updated content to the local community throughout the week.

“Our mission at the Keys Weekly has always emphasized a ‘community first’ model,” said Myers. “When we search for local talent, it’s not only important they possess incredible talent in their field, but they also share a philosophy of community involvement and support. For us, Gwen checked every box and then some – and we are honored to have her join the Weekly family.

“And adding Gwen has been of interest to us for some time, as she embodies the local spirit of ‘One Human Family.’ She is not only a highly respected journalist here in the Keys, but Gwen has a proven track record.”

Filosa said she also wanted a change from working remotely for mainland news outlets.

“I’ve worked with some of the

best reporters and editors in Florida and I’m grateful,” Filosa said. “But I wanted to be in a newsroom again, working sideby-side with people who actually live in the Keys. I’ve always been a hometown reporter – from tiny New Hampshire towns to the city of New Orleans and, for 12 years now, in Key West.”

Gwen Filosa started as digital editor of the Keys Weekly on Aug. 14, 2023.

Filosa arrived in Key West from New Orleans, where she covered Orleans Parish criminal courts for the Times-Picayune. During a decade at the metro paper, Filosa also kept tabs on state and federal courts, Louisiana prisons and the death penalty system.

She was part of the TimesPicayune’s staff that was awarded both the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News, and the Public Service medal, for coverage of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. They worked nonstop to report on the region shattered by not only the hurricane, which made landfall at a Category 3, but the levee system failures that left 80% of the city under water.

Before she arrived in New Orleans, Filosa wrote for the Concord Monitor in New Hampshire. She was a regional reporter before taking the police and courts beat. In 2000, she was on the team that covered New Hampshire’s then first-in-the-nation presidential primary.

Filosa graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor’s degree in English literature and also studied at the Ernie Pyle School of Journalism.

In addition to journalism, Filosa has done standup at Comedy Key West since 2017, and has performed at the Key West Theater.

Filosa has become a grateful resident of Key West, where the Fighting Conchs rule – but remains a devout New Orleans Saints fan. Send her news tips, story ideas and hair compliments to gwen@ keysweekly.com

Compassionate Cancer Care in the Heart of the Florida Keys

Treating and beating cancer takes expertise and innovation. But it also requires courage and compassion. Our unparalleled team of Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute professionals at Baptist Health Fishermen’s Community Hospital in Marathon offers not only the most precise, personalized treatments that enhance and expand outpatient cancer care, but also an ear to listen and a hand to hold along your journey. The oncology suite offers chemotherapy, molecular therapies, targeted therapies, transfusions and hydration services. Welcome to Baptist Health Cancer Care.

To learn more, call 786-596-2000 .

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

THIS WEEK IN KEYS SPORTS

COLBIN HILL

Colbin Hill tears up the track in a 2023 preseason meet against Marathon. Hill is expected to lead the Conchs’ harriers this fall. ELLA HALL/Keys Weekly

Senior, Key West Cross Country

Colbin Hill in front during a lateseason track and field distance race last spring. RICK MACKENZIE/Contributed

July 31 marked the start of fall seasons for many athletes across Florida, but not for Conchs senior Colbin Hill. According to head boys coach Mark Coleman, Hill “has been leading the KWHS cross country team this summer and early season, as he has in previous years.” Hill has steadily improved his time the past few years, and it is not by accident – he puts in the work in the off-season and leads his team by example. “He is on time, motivated and eager to work hard to become a better runner,” Coleman explained.

For his excellent times in cross country and his relentless work ethic year-round, Key West’s Colbin Hill is the Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.

– Mark Coleman, Key West cross country coach

”Colbin embodies Conch pride: perseverance, respect, integrity, dedication and excellence."

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

PREVIEWING THE 2023 VOLLEYBALL SEASON

Prep squads hoping for big outings this fall

It’s time for bumps, sets and spikes again in the Florida Keys. Though the Coral Shores Hurricanes graduated quite a few seniors last season, head coach Sam Ovalle feels confident that his team can adjust and be very competitive. Last season, they took an early lead in the district championship game, but ultimately fell to Palmer Trinity School. This season, the team hopes to make it to the finals again and reclaim the top spot in the district, which they held two seasons ago.

Returning to the court for Coral Shores is multiyear all-county athlete Brooke Mandozzi. “We expect her to have another great season for us,” Ovalle said. He also named Grace Leffler, Crystal Gutierrez and Iona Holmquist as key returners, describing them as ”huge contributors” last year. He expects more of the same from them this season.

Joining the veterans for the Hurricanes are Sophia Jans, Ivy Tiedemann and Sabina Naranjo. Though newcomers to the varsity squad, all are stepping it up to make Coral Shores look to be a strong competitor this year.

Ovalle is rather new to the team, himself. “I took over a few weeks into the season, so we only had the chance to do so much,” he said. “Between the girls we have coming back and the extra time we have, I’m excited to add some more plays and do some different things because I think this group is well-rounded and very capable.”

In the Middle Keys, head coach Kelley Cruz is working to prepare her team for a more challenging schedule. Though Marathon graduated six seniors last season, Cruz said she has plenty of players ready to shoulder the load, explaining, “We had a large senior class last year and will have a large senior class this year. So having all players who played last year come back has a large impact.”

A key piece for the Dolphins this season will be incoming junior Elena Eubank, Marathon’s top female athlete last year.

“Elena Eubank isn't young, but she continues to bring the fire. She challenges all the players on the court to become better players,” Cruz said.

Key West’s Lady Conchs should reap the benefits of a challenging schedule last season. They played over 20 matches, many against larger teams, and the experience the returning roster gained from facing the level of talent they played against in 2022 should give the Conchs an edge this season. It doesn’t hurt that they graduated only two seniors.

Returning for Key West are a slew of key players, many of whom have already seen extensive action in multiple seasons. Key West is jam-packed with seniors this year, including Elise Warwick, Victoria Pavlik, Annie Scepkova, Monica Jaroszewicz and Lyla Holland. Juniors Reese Haggard and Monica Bueno were key contributors last season and look to be even better in 2023. Another positive factor for Key West is the return of Bridgette Sweeney, who saw limited action last year due to an injury-plagued junior campaign. The seasoned senior adds height to the Lady Conchs’ blocking and has been a contributor since her freshman year.

Two Keys teams are set for some early action on Aug. 17 when Coral Shores heads down U.S. 1 to play a friendly preseason match against the Lady Fins of Marathon. Key West has a pair of preseason matches scheduled, both on the road. Marathon will play their first official match on Aug. 21 at Somerset Silver Palms. Coral Shores will then face Silver Palms at home on Aug. 23 in their opener. Key West’s first scheduled regular season match is Aug. 29 at

Mater Lakes.

Top: Lady Fins volleyball players practice at Marathon High School. TRACY MCDONALD/Keys Weekly Center: Key West junior Reese Haggard.

Bottom: Lady ’Canes go up on the attack in a 2022 match against Marathon. BARRY GAUKEL/Keys Weekly

ATHLETES ARE FEELING THE HEAT

All across South Florida, people are remarking that it is the hottest summer they can remember, and a quick glimpse at any phone’s weather app will concur. While most can escape the oppressive temperatures, avoiding the outdoors entirely is not so easy for many high school sports teams. To protect the young men and women who play prep sports, coaches, athletic directors and trainers have received advanced training in heat illness prevention and treatment as part of the Zachary Martin Act and the latest FHSAA guidelines.

Zachary Martin Polsenberg was a high school football lineman who collapsed after a long practice on June 29, 2017. The Lee County athlete passed away from complications of heat stroke 11 days later. Since then, his family and lawmakers have worked alongside medical professionals to create a comprehensive plan which carefully balances the need for added safety when temperatures soar with the desire student athletes have to participate in outdoor sports. Some of the measures include the availability of ice baths, frequent water and shade breaks and careful monitoring of the temperature using a wet bulb reading. Unlike regular thermometers, wet bulb temperature measurement takes into consideration the stress direct sunlight and humidity have on a person outdoors.

Coaches and athletes know they have limited time to prepare for upcoming seasons, but it’s so hot outside that

even if safety were not a factor, they would be miserable due to high temperatures and humidity. Fortunately for the student athletes of Monroe County, school staff understand this and work hard to ensure players are as safe and comfortable as possible – and some are even getting creative in finding ways to beat the heat.

At Marathon High School, athletic trainer Luis Leal monitors the wet bulb reading frequently, before and during practices. He and athletic director Lance Martin clear teams to practice outdoors and ensure they follow the state’s guidelines regarding how long a team can remain outdoors. Under 82 degrees, teams are free to practice normally, but when the wet bulb reading surpasses 82, there is a sliding scale of how long teams can practice outdoors and how often they must break for shade and water. Larger teams like football are making it work by using the hotter hours of the day for classroom learning of plays and watching film.

The golf and cross country teams are avoiding the afternoon heat altogether. “We usually run around the city, but it is way too hot to not be close to water,” said Jim Murphy, the Marathon boys cross country coach. He added, “(Girls) coach Darby (Sheehan) and myself get with coach Leal each day for guidance and to make sure we are in compliance with the FHSAA. We always have backup plans to cross-train inside if needed.”

Key West’s runners are taking a similar approach. Head girls coach Keara

Left: Marathon athletic trainer

Luis Leal monitors the safety level at practice using an electronic device capable of calculating the wet bulb temperature.

Right: Marathon athletic trainer

Luis Leal adds ice to Shamar Wright’s cooling tub after a recent mid-afternoon practice. Matthew Delgado is pictured in the adjacent tub. TRACY MCDONALD/Keys Weekly

McGraw said, “We are getting creative with this current (no end in sight) heat wave. I've adjusted workouts and offered more morning practices, lots of water breaks, pace adjusting, and trying to get access to the pool for some good old cross-training in the water. Ice pops and frozen water bottles have become a pretty regular thing these days, although I may need an ice pop sponsor soon at this rate!”

In the Upper Keys, Coral Shores athletic director Ed Holly is taking the safety of students seriously. “We are hypersensitive to the impact of heat on our student athletes,” he said. “We are working very closely with our athletic trainer to implement our heat action plan.”

Head golf coach Danielle Thomas said her golfers are feeling the heat, too.

“It's definitely hot out there; I tell the golfers to wear light color shirts and dry fit material so it's more breathable,” she said. Thomas also brings extra water to her team’s practices and encourages her athletes to bring hats and umbrellas when they are on the course. She is also using the shade of the driving range at Founders Park, scheduling sessions there only when the golfers can be completely shaded. And when it’s just too hot no matter what precautions are taken, she calls it a day.

“I did have to cancel practice once because there was just no breeze and I was concerned for them,” she said.

Coaches find creative ways to beat extreme South Florida temperatures

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

THE DOCTOR IS IN

DR. GREG KEIFER OFFERS PRIMARY CARE & MORE AT BIG PINE PRACTICE

Dr. Greg Keiger is doing things differently on Big Pine Key. Keifer and his partner, Tommy Iglesias, bought Big Pine Medical and Minor Emergency in January from Dr. David Grider and his wife, Gigi, who had been caring for Lower Keys families for 40 years.

“Dr. Grider and Gigi were ready to retire years ago, but they wanted to sell the practice to an independent, family doctor rather than a corporate medical group,” said Keifer, a Toledo, Ohio native who moved to the Keys about six years ago and launched Florida Keys Concierge Medicine, a membership-based, all-housecall practice that serves patients from Marathon to Key West.

And while he still runs his concierge practice, Keifer and Iglesias were proud to buy Big Pine Medical & Minor Emergency and continue offering skilled and concerned primary care to patients of all ages in the community they themselves call home.

In the past eight months, Keifer has become “that” family doctor, caring for multiple generations of families in a small town — guiding them through flu seasons, strep throats, sprained ankles and the occasional fishing hook stuck in an arm.

Keifer and Iglesias, a biomedical engineer who formerly worked at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C. and is now the practice manager in Big Pine, offer much more than traditional family medicine.

Keifer’s medical staff includes three nurse practitioners: Patricia Perry, who has been at the practice for 19 years, Jeremy Eades and Tabble Memoli, who will join the practice in October.

Big Pine Medical and Minor Emergency offers women’s health care, including PAP smears, pelvic exams and IUD placements for contraception. It also offers physicals and drug screens for Coast Guard-certified captains as well as transportation workers.

“We’re also thrilled to offer dermatology services, including skin checks, biopsies and we even do removal of basal and squamous cell cancers,” Keifer said. “Anything involving melanoma, we’ll certainly refer to a specialist.”

Dermatological care is crucial down here in the Keys, where the sun is relentless and thousands of people work outside and on the water — fishermen, captains, divemasters, construction workers, landscapers, pool cleaners and more.

“But unfortunately, there’s been a huge decline in dermatological services down here as local doctors retire,” Keifer said. “It’s actually been shocking to see the turnover in doctors and the departure of so many medical professionals just in the six years I’ve been in the Keys. I’m glad to be able to offer consistency in care to patients of all ages.”

Since January, the medical center on Big Pine also has added a new digital X-ray machine, medical marijuana licenses, a medical weight-loss program and cosmetic treatments, including Botox and other injectable fillers.

The office’s operations have been upgraded as well. Keifer and Iglesias immediately switched from cumbersome and outdated paper medical charts to electronic

Big Pine Medical and Minor Emergency, just south of the traffic light on Big Pine Key, has new owners and expanded services to include primary care for all ages, dermatology scans and biopsies, gynecological care.

medical records that patients can access online. Their new phone system allows patients to text staff members directly about appointment times and other questions. And new electronic intake forms enable patients to complete their new-patient paperwork online before an appointment, rather than sitting in the waiting room with a clipboard and 10 pages of signatures. Insurance cards and information can also be provided online ahead of time.

Big Pine Medical and Minor Emergency accepts most major insurance — Medicare, Tricare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna and their Medicaid approval is coming soon, along with approvals from other insurance companies. Uninsured patients are charged according to a sliding fee scale based on income.

“It’s funny, I’ve noticed a lot of doctors move to the Keys at the end of their career and work their way into retirement down here. But I’m proud to be here at the start of my medical career,” Keifer said. “We’re thrilled to live here and be part of this community.”

Big Pine Medical and Minor Emergency is located at 29980 Overseas Hwy., Big Pine.

The practice can be reached at 305-872-3321 and at bigpinemedical.com.

Dr. Greg Keifer, right, and his partner, Tommy Iglesias, who manages the medical practice, bought Big Pine Medical & Minor Emergency from Dr. David Grider in January. MANDY MILES/ Keys Weekly

ASTROPHYSICIST NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON THINKS SO

Far be it from us to let the Barbie bandwagon pass without comment, especially given the blockbuster’s recently revealed relevance to the Florida Keys.

That’s right. Our tiny island chain made national news recently — for something other than the hot water that’s killing our coral reef.

Amid harrowing agony in Hawaii, the political turmoil of a former president’s fourth indictment and the apparent, pork-flipping importance of the Iowa State Fair, the Florida Keys emerged, however briefly, as a pink-tinged distraction from disturbing headlines.

In case you missed it (or in case you have better things to do with your evenings than scroll through the internet’s political rabbit hole), Neil deGrasse Tyson, the noted astrophysicist and author, revealed Aug. 9 on social media that his astronomical expertise places Barbie Land “somewhere in the Florida Keys.”

Tyson wrote on Twitter (I refuse to use its new name, X, until Elon Musk challenges me to a cage fight), “In @BarbieTheMovie, the Moon’s orientation places Barbie World between 20 & 40 deg North Latitude on Earth. Palm trees further constrain latitude between 20 & 30 deg. The Sun & Moon rose & set over the ocean. If it’s in the US, Barbie World lands somewhere in the Florida Keys.”

Talk about cultural significance. We have arrived.

Key West Mayor Teri Johnston, when asked about Tyson’s pseudoscientific discovery, told the Miami Herald, “I think that’s terrific. It’s just such a wonderful time to have something quirky and positive and, you know, so energetic out in the world today. Well, we’ve got one of everything else. Why not Barbie?”

Alas, Twitter users, as they do, promptly twisted the pink patina of plastic positivity into their usual pall of political negativity and personal attacks on a scientist who was trying to have a bit of fun.

SCIENCE BEHIND THE STRESS

Imagine you are accustomed to eating 2,000 calories per day.

What would the world do without realists like @TheAaronBowley, who helpfully educated the astrophysicist with this keen insight: “Actually the extremely low gravity would put them on a completely different planet. also the fact that humans are not toy dolls, this does not exist on earth, they are an alien race.”

Other users pointed out that the movie landscape depicts mountains.

And then came the politics: Charles Carmichael @ChuckCarmike07 wrote, “How was Barbie able to create this paradise in Florida?! I thought that Ron DeSanctimonious had turned Florida into a fascist hellhole?! No way that a feminist utopia could exist anywhere except the liberal paradises of California or New York.”

Alex Cole @acnewsitics wrote, “DeSantis isn’t going to like this,” and Ashlee Highfill, M.Ed. @Dogmom1632 added, “Barbie’s world can’t be in Florida. Florida has traveled back to the 1800’s with these nonsense laws.”

But let’s end this nonsense on a positively pink note, as Jolene Olsteen @JoleneOlsteen did, writing, “Long live the Conch Republic!”

Thank you, Jolene — and thanks, Neil deGrasse Tyson, for once again putting us on the map, imaginary or not.

What if your diet was suddenly cut down to 300 calories per day? You could survive on 300 calories per day, but for how long? This is the issue facing bleached corals during the current marine heat wave.

What is coral bleaching?

Just like humans, corals become uncomfortable and stressed when they are outside of their temperature zone. Unlike humans, corals cannot put on shorts and a tank top, or turn on the air conditioning. Corals in the Florida Keys are comfortable when water temperatures are 73 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the temperature exceeds 88 degrees, corals may start to spit out the microscopic algae, called zooxanthellae, which lives inside each coral polyp and supplies more than 85% of their food. In addition to supplying most of the coral’s nutrition, the zooxanthellae provide the coral’s color. This is why coral bleaching turns the coral polyps transparent and you can see the white mineral skeleton underneath. Corals use their tentacles to capture food, but this is a small percentage of their diet. When high temperatures occur over the short-term, coral paling and bleaching do not usually kill the corals because they can still find food, just not enough to survive more than a couple of weeks of above-average water temperatures. When the water temperature cools, the zooxanthellae regrow inside the corals. Unfortunately, if the food deficit lasts too long, these corals may die from starvation in addition to the stress of very hot water.

According to NOAA, the current sea temperatures in many locations in the Florida Keys are the warmest midsummer water temperatures ever recorded. The current marine heat

wave is concerning because it started early and NOAA forecasts a 70% to 80% probability that above-average ocean temperatures could persist until October.

is the University of Florida, IFAS Monroe County Extension Florida Sea Grant Agent.  Shelly is a marine biologist and provides sciencebased education about coastal environments.

Long-term higherthan-average ocean temperatures are the result of humans burning fossil fuels that add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. We have recently entered an El Nino weather pattern, which is a weakening of the trade winds around the equator. In addition to high temperatures, we have not had very many windy days, rain, or cloud cover. Windy days, ocean currents, waves and tides help to mix the ocean water and can bring cooler water from the seafloor and offshore. As a result of the current marine heat wave, the coral restoration agencies and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have been moving the nursery corals to land-based facilities or out to deeper cooler water.

What can I do? Report coral bleaching and healthy corals. Your photographs are an important tool.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection Southeast Florida Action Network has a citizen reporting tool at SEAFAN.net. You can submit up to 10 photographs and there is a map to set a pin with the location of your observations. Data showing where corals look healthy is just as important as knowing where they are bleached or paling. Your data will be available to scientists and there is a public BleachWatch dashboard where you can see your anonymous report.

Elkhorn coral beginning to pale and bleach off Key Largo.

Photo credit: Katy Cummings, FWRI

SHELLY KRUEGER

The Florida Keys have a tremendous history. It’s one of the reasons people – like Cori Convertito, curator at the Key West Art & Historical Society; Corey Malcolm, Monroe County’s lead historian; and David Sloan, who gives a lot of his time and expertise while infusing the island chain with tremendous Key lime pie, paranormal (ghosts, portals, and Robert the Doll), and Key West Firehouse Museum history and so much more – spend so much time working to tell these islands’ stories.

The entire Florida Keys story will likely never be told – at least not that any of us will hear or read. New sources routinely come to light, and when they do, they often put a new spin on some piece of history – and the more life given to history, the more it grows.

It is more likely that the transaction, if it occurred at all (because that is, too, in question), was between Scott and Curtis Eugene’s father, Charles Curtis Chillingworth. It is easy to see that the elder C.C. Chillingworth’s name might be mistyped as C. E. because, on a typewriter’s keyboard, the “e” and the “c” are within striking distance of each other.

The bigger problem is there does not seem to be a single reference connecting Chillingworth, Scott, or Key Largo in property records or newspaper stories – and W.A. Scott is talked about fairly frequently in the local newspapers. While a connection may exist, a document has yet to be publicly revealed. However, this is not to say that the West Palm Beach lawyer cannot be connected to the Northern Keys, because he totally can.

THE DUSTY BOOKSHELVES OF HISTORY

Discovering New Bits Of Information Alters Original Thoughts

Those of us sharing the local history are just scavengers pushing our fingers at old documents and hoping that something appears that causes us to jump back in our chairs. It is not uncommon for new information to be gleaned from the dusty pages of history. While I cannot speak for others who ply their historical trade along this island chain, it is the uncovering of a truth, the learning that excites and keeps me engaged.

That being said, the history hole can get deep and consume more time and effort than it might seem worth. This would be tedious work if I did not love digging down into it as much as I do. However, the discovered information sometimes adds context or alters a previously documented piece of history. For instance, last year, I did a little sleuthing around North Key Largo and came across information refuting what I thought was a long-standing history.

Because I accepted the generally told story about the early history of the exclusive Anglers Club, I parroted it in my book “Key Largo” (Arcadia Publishing, 2012). What I found is not mind-blowing history but an important distinction.

As an entry in a book attempting to encapsulate a great deal of history into as few words as possible, the new information might amount to rewriting a couple of sentences. However, for someone who spends an inordinate amount of time digging into nooks and crannies (and always looking for my next column idea), I totally dig this kind of minutia.

As the Anglers Club story has always been told, somewhere around the turn of the 20th century, the North Key Largo property was owned by an attorney named C.E. Chillingsworth. Allegedly, he sold the 40-acre property to William Scott from North Dakota in 1912.

First, the Chillingsworth connection is suspect. Second, it was never about 40 acres. Truthfully, the Chillingworth (as the name is properly spelled) confusion could simply result from a typographical error.

C. E. Chillingworth, Curtis Eugene Chillingworth, was born in West Palm Beach, Florida 1896. In 1912, he would have been a 16-year-old boy, and probably not buying and selling property (or practicing law).

Charles Curtis Chillingworth was born in New York and later moved to Florida with his father. By the turn of the 20th century, C.C. Chillingworth was a prominent West Palm Beach citizen and one of its first two attorneys. The other was his partner, G.G. Currie. Chillingworth and Currie became law partners in 1897. By 1918, he was a judge, and in 1921, he was West Palm Beach’s official attorney.

How is Chillingworth connected to the Florida Keys? The Florida Star reported in its Oct. 17, 1902, edition: “C.C. Chillingsworth, of West Palm Beach, will soon commence improving his property on Elliott’s Key on quite an extensive scale. He will engage in growing pineapples. The Florida Keys have within the last few years become quite popular as a pineapple growing section.”

BRAD BERTELLI

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

Whoever sold the property to William Scott and whoever he sold it to, identifying it as a 40-acre parcel is troubling, too. The earliest transactions I have found involving the original property, identified as Government Lot 1, indicate that it was not until Feb. 8, 1932, that a 40-acre property transaction occurred. On that date, the Roney Investment Company bought the 40-acre section of Government Lot 1 to establish the North Key Largo base of the Florida Year Round Club – the precursor to the Anglers Club. In the days that followed that transaction, a flurry of property deals were made and the parcel was bought and sold several times.

What is clear is that the early transactions for the property create a tricky trail to navigate – also, the original transaction made circa 1912 still has a broader story to tell. It also appeared to be at least a 75-acre property. As Johnny Carson used to say back when he was hosting “The Tonight Show,” and that little sparkle would glint in his eyes, “Wild, wild stuff.”

The Florida Year Round Club at North Key Largo circa 1932. It would become the Anglers Club. JERRY WILKINSON COLLECTION/Contributed

SHELF HELP

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

What: “Witch King” by Martha Wells

Why: Best known for her Murderbot novella series, Martha Wells is a master worldbuilder. Detailed, nuanced but never boring, she has created a new series involving a world with demons, witches, immortals and mortals. We are introduced to the main character, Kai, who is as confused as we are why he is not in his body any more. We follow along as he acquires a new body, a new companion, and searches for his friends all while trying to figure out who killed him. Through a series of flashbacks, we are given his history and the history of the lands surrounding him. There are plots and mysteries aplenty and while concluding the main story, the novel is set up for a sequel. The book is well paced and Kai’s character is well developed but I look forward to more in-depth development of the supporting characters in the future.

Where: This is available as a print book, e-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: Sue Stamper, library assistant, Key West branch.

SAVE THE DATE

Sunday, Aug. 20

• Key West Elks Lodge hosts its 2nd annual golf tournament starting at 7:30 a.m. Call the Key West Golf Course to pre-register at 305-294-5232. Cost is $125 per player with teams of four. Volunteers and prize donations are needed. Call Fredy Varela at 305-745-4718 to help.

Thursday, Aug. 24

• Foster parent training classes begin in Key Largo. Wesley House Family Services is seeking Upper Keys families to provide a loving home to children and teens in the foster care system. Classes take place over eight weeks from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Wesley House

• Key Largo office, 99451 Overseas Hwy., Ste. 200. Registration is required. Contact Megan Burgess at 305-809-5020 or Megan.Burgess@WesleyHouse. org. Registration is required.

Saturday, Aug. 26

• The Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden on College Road will host a workshop on plant health at the garden’s Toppino Nature Chapel, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 27

• Key West observes the International Day of Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition with prayers, poems and a brief history presentation. 6 p.m. at the Key West African Cemetery at Higgs Beach.

Aug. 31- Sept. 4

• Key West BrewFest has grown to be the largest event put on by Key West Sunrise Rotary. The multiday festival includes beer pairing dinners, pool parties and other activities around town, culminating with the signature tasting event at Southernmost Beach Cafe. Visit keywestbrewfest.com.

Sept. 6-10

• Key West’s Womenfest (5day celebration) attracts thousands of lesbians, transwomen, and allies to what is arguably the premier LGBTQ+ vacation destination in the country. Womenfest has a simple goal: to celebrate ALL women. Visit gaykeywestfl.com.

COME WORSHIP WITH US

‘‘The churches of Christ greet you.’’ Romans 16:16 NKJV

ENGLISH SERVICE

Sunday Bible Study 10am

Service 11am & Service 6pm

Wednesday Bible Study 7:30pm

Evangelist Rodrigue Aleandre Cell 305.296.3331

KREYOL SEVIS

Dimanch Klas Biblik 7:30pm

Adorasyon 8:30pm

Madi Klas Biblik 7:30pm

Minis Rodrigue Aleandre Cell 305.296.3331

SERVICIO ESPAÑOL

Domingo Estudio Biblico a las 4:30pm

Servicio de Adoración a las 5pm Jueves Estudio Biblico a las 7pm Ministro Pedro Ruiz Celda 347.430.2263

1700 VON PHISTER ST, KEY WEST

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.’’

‒ Proverbs 18:10 NKJV

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.

Of the many arguments I’ve gotten into online, one that has stuck with me the longest was about prothonotary warblers and the origin of their name.

I mean, “prothonotary” is a pretty obscure 25-cent word and for the longest time I didn’t think about what it meant. I was mostly happy once I learned to pronounce it the way everyone else did: pro-THON-uh-tary. There are a lot of opaque, hard-to-parse descriptives in bird names – pied, semipalmated, pomarine, greylag, whooper, etc. – and sometimes it takes you a while to track down their origins and meanings.

For instance, I just thought to look up pomarine for the first time in a quarter century of being a birder. I know the word from pomarine jaeger, a very aggressive pelagic bird occasionally seen off our shores. It turns out it refers to a roof-like covering over their nostrils. (Next time I see a lifeguard with one of those plastic nose-protector things, I’m going to refer to them as a pomarine lifeguard.)

A prothonotary is a kind of functionary, a clerk of the court, a boss of the notaries, the person who manages the scribes. Its meaning shifts, like “adult” or “literally,” though maybe to a lesser degree, but prothonotaries were essentially upper-level bureaucrats in whatever organizational entity they were with. The legend is that the warbler was named after them because of the saffron colored robes the prothonotaries wore, the way northern cardinals were named after the scarlet red robes worn by Roman Catholic cardinals.

The argument I got into about their name was with a guy named Rick Wright, who I met years ago on a trip to Guyana, and who was one of the more scholarly birders I have ever met. He’d posted something on Facebook about how everyone treated the saffron robes thing as gospel, but he could find absolutely no historical records of any prothonotaries actually wearing saffron colored robes, so people should stop saying that was the case. Or something loosely to that effect. It’s been a couple years.

My thought was there was so much human history, so many small trends and interactions and cultural and subcultural eddies that went unrecorded in any kind of way, that saying something wasn’t true because there was no official record of it didn’t mean it was untrue, and that the story of them wearing saffron colored robes that has endured for a couple centuries should be enough to prove that they wore saffron colored robes, or at least allow for the possibility. Wright thought otherwise.

YELLOW BIRDS, YELLOW ROBES

Saying it was an argument is probably an overstatement. A small disagreement might be a better description. Wright may not even have noticed at the time, or ever. But I remember walking the dog afterward (I think it was the Fourth of July, I forget what year) and grumbling to myself about academics and gatekeepers and revisionists for a good 20 minutes before I forgot about it. But I have thought about it, on average, twice a year since, though usually more often in the fall than the spring.

Prothonotary warblers are for the most part southeastern birds, though their range stretches as high as Michigan and Wisconsin. They are denizens of wooded bottomlands and forested swamps. We see them here in migration, most often early on on their way south. At least I think it’s more often. It might just be that they make such a stronger impression in the fall.

They are one of the earlier migrants in the parade of warblers that come through in August and September. And after seeing almost nothing besides northern mockingbirds, gray kingbirds and common grackles for several months, catching sight of one of them on the side of a trail always stops me in my tracks and fills me with a little joy and a little relief.

There are flashier birds in the world, and flashier warblers, but there is something about prothonotaries. I’d say a seriousness or a gravitas, but that’s too anthropomorphic. I don’t want to say they’re a more beautiful yellow than, say, corn, marigold, Big Bird, or school buses, but it seems to be deeper, more complex, more evocative, more reminiscent of the yellows in Van Gogh’s sunflowers or Monet’s irises than that of a smiley face.

It’s possible I’m bringing my own emotional baggage to this. But damn, was I glad to see three or four of them while I was walking along one of the trails at the Key West Botanical Garden with my friend Ellen Westbrook the other day. They flitted along the path ahead of us, looking like glowing embers in the shadows, eating bugs and berries, bulking up for the rest of their trip.

Rick Wright actually wrote a pretty great essay on his blog about his issues with the whole yellow robe thing, doing as deep a dive as he felt it was possible to go. In it he points out that the yellow robes are variously attributed to Roman Catholic Church lawyers, to the chief secretary of the Chancery at Rome, to notaries in the Byzantine courts, and to papal clerks. It was the lack of consistency that got him. And the lack of a primary source for the story. And the fact that he couldn’t find any reference to any of the actual lawyers, clerks or notaries actually wearing yellow robes in any references he read about them.

According to Wright, the first known reference to the name prothonotary was in an account from 1785 and attributed to the Frenchspeaking inhabitants of Louisiana, who referred to the species as “le Protonotaire.” In reference to the why of the name, the account noted, “The reason has not reached us.”

There was, during the era, a position in the local government known as le Protonotaire, but there does not seem to be any known record of what they wore.

Wright concluded that the origin of the name will probably never really be known, and he’s probably right. But I’m sticking to the yellow robes story. I’ll just be adding the phrase “possibly apocryphal” to it.

A migrating prothonotary warbler seen recently at the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden. MARK HEDDEN/Keys Weekly

KEY WEST PAUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SLAVE TRADE & ITS ABOLITION BUILDING SYNERGY

ROTARIANS ACROSS KEYS SET TO GATHER IN MARATHON

Life in the Keys presents unique opportunities and challenges. The eight Rotary clubs spread from Key Largo to Key West share a tourist economy along with the perils of U.S. 1 and high insurance rates.

There are nearly 445 active Rotarians in the Keys and about an equal number of people who passed through Rotary on their way to other phases in life. Members of the various Rotary clubs will gather at Marathon City Hall on Saturday, Aug. 26 to discuss Rotary in the Keys.

“Rotary is divided into districts and the membership of our clubs in the Keys makes up about 22% of the district, which include clubs from southeast Florida and Grand Bahama Island” said event organizer Frank Derfler, of the Upper Keys Rotary Club. “Per-capita, Rotary is very strong in the Keys. Our clubs share unique challenges of transportation, economics and environment. This meeting is an opportunity to build synergy among the Rotarians in the Keys.”

Sam Williams, Marathon Rotary Club president, said the gathering brings opportunities for networking among Rotarians and the chance to learn how other clubs operate.

“The goal is bringing Keys people closer so we are all familiar with each other,” he said. “I think this will get us reaching out more often to other Keys clubs and inviting others to events we have.”

The agenda includes a visit from Rotary 6990 District Governor Barbara Gobbi and District Membership Chair Joe Roth. The group will look at the image of Rotary in the Keys, cooperation after weather events and opportunities for community service.

Yvette Talbot, Key West Rotary Club president, said she’s excited for the opportunity to meet other Rotarians from various sections of the Keys.

“All Keys clubs share common problems because of our geographic location,” she said. “I think it’s important our district governor will be there and will hear our concerns and suggestions. I think it will benefit everyone. I’m excited about it.”

Interested Rotarians should go to www.keysrotary. club to register for the meeting. Rotary Clubs in the Keys give back in many ways, through projects and fundraisers for students and groups on the island chain. The Key Largo Rotary Club’s annual Take Stock in Children Backcountry Challenge is set for Sept. 22-24, while the Key Largo Sunset Rotary Club is gearing up to put on the annual Lighted Boat Parade on Dec. 9. The Upper Keys Rotary Club will hold its Gigantic Nautical Market from Feb. 24-25, 2023 at Founders Park. Further south, the Marathon Rotary Club opened the Children’s Rotary Park with a new playground last year. The Lower Keys Rotary Club organizes 4th of July festivities in Big Pine Key. The Key West Rotary Club annually produces a 4th of July celebration and golf tournament, while the Key West Sunset Rotary Club holds a wine tasting in November to benefit the local SPCA.

— Keys Weekly staff report

ISLAND CITY TO OBSERVE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

Key West will join a global remembrance event to commemorate the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition.

The Key West ceremony takes place Sunday, Aug. 27 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Key West African Cemetery at Higgs Beach.

Key West’s geographic location made it the nation’s closest point to the human trafficking routes known as the Middle Passage (or so-called transatlantic “slave trade”) to the Americas and the Caribbean. Its position along the critical shipping lanes of the Florida Straits also accounted for the city having multiple direct connections to this horrific chapter of history.

For example, after further importation of African captives into the U.S. was outlawed in 1808, Key West would serve as a vital stopover for ships engaged in the “domestic slave trade” routes from the Upper to the Lower South.

Remarkably, in spite of being amid this highly profitable but perverted commerce, Key West’s role would prove most often to be that of a haven and refuge for Africans rescued from slave trafficking, rather than a port of entry for captives to be sold on auction blocks into life sentences of hard labor in the service of human greed.

Such was the case of the survivors of the 1827 wreck of the illegal Spanish slaver Guerrero off Key Largo, who were rescued by salvors and brought to Key West. Even more notably in 1860, on the eve of the Civil War, 1,432 Africans aboard three American-owned slave ships bound for Cuba were captured by the U.S. Navy and brought to Key West, where their detention for 12 weeks garnered national headlines and heightened the increasingly acrimonious debate in Congress about slavery.

During that detention, Key West’s citizens and government of-

ficials distinguished themselves by their generosity, providing food, clothing, blankets, and hastily built housing for the refugees.

In spite of the community’s best efforts, 295 of the Africans, mostly children, succumbed to the illnesses and horrors they had endured during the ocean crossing, and were buried at the site of the African Cemetery, where the International Day observance will be held.

Key West’s connections also include the discovery of the 1700 wreck of the English slave ship Henrietta Marie, the dramatic “domestic slave trade” saga of Mr. Sandy Cornish, and nationally known exhibits and digital archives at the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, among others.

The International Day of Remembrance commemorates the start of the 1791 Haitian Revolution, which was fought and won primarily by captured and enslaved African laborers and their allies.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural organization (UNESCO) declared the International Day in 1998. It was first celebrated in Haiti before spreading to global recognition.

“This International Day is intended to inscribe the tragedy of the slave trade in the memory of all peoples. It should offer an opportunity for collective consideration of the historic causes, the methods and the consequences of this tragedy, and for an analysis of the interactions to which it has given rise among Africa, Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean,” states the UNESCO website.

The Key West Remembrance will include prayers, history, performances and an open-mic “Village Talk.” Admission is free and open to the public. For information, call 305-766-4922.

— Contributed

Healthy Life

By Dr. Christina Sawyer

Heat Wave:

Stay cool and healthy during Florida’s summer months.

The Key’s summer months can be unforgiving, marked by relentless temperatures During this time, it's crucial to be vigilant about preventing heat exhaustion and heatstroke, conditions that arise when the body struggles to regulate its core temperature. Some common symptoms include excessive sweating, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, headaches, confusion and irrational thoughts

Vulnerable groups such as young children, the elderly, and those with chronic medical conditions are even more at risk as temperatures rise

Adopting a few basic measures to stay cool can keep you healthy and out of harms way:

Stay Hydrated: This assists in regulating body temperature Drink plenty of decaffeinated fluids, especially when engaging in physical activiti es Time Management: Opt for outdoor activities during early mornings or late evenings when the temperature is more favorable.

Gradual Exposure: If you typically spend most of your time indoors in air-conditioned spaces, acclimate yourself gradually to outdoor environments

Appropriate Attire: Shield yourself from the sun by wearing loose-fitting clothing that covers your body A wide-brimmed hat can also provide shade

Healthy Weight: Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial, as obese individuals are at a higher risk of heat-related illnesses

Dr Christina Kemp Sawyer is a board certified, licensed Primary Care Physician A Key West native, Dr Sawyer earned her undergraduate degree in 2011 at the University of Florida and her medical degree in 2015 at Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E Schmidt College of Medicine She completed her residency training at Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E Schmidt College of Medicine in Boca Raton, Florida in 2019

WORLD FAMOUS LOBSTER PIZZA

The Tour de Keys is a signature fundraiser for MARC. MARC provides wraparound life services for adults throughout Monroe County with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

A ‘BUCKET LIST’ CENTURY RIDE AS YOU PEDAL ACROSS 42 BRIDGES ALONG SCENIC US 1 IN THE FLORIDA KEYS. Scan to register, for sponsor opportunities or more information. tourdekeys.com

The Coral Reef called for help... Mote answered — and so did you.

In response to the recent, record-breaking heat wave along the Florida Keys coral reef, Mote Marine Laboratory conducted an unprecedented evacuation of thousands of stressed and dying corals from our four offshore coral nurseries. This effort, and Mote’s ongoing dedication to science-based recovery and restoration, would not be possible without the continued, strong support of the Florida Keys community.

We wish to thank those in the local community who answered our calls for help without any hesitation, in many cases in the middle of the night, and aided in this historic event.

The fight is not over — Mote will continue to develop resilient-based solutions to combat stressors such as high water temperatures, ocean acidification and disease, to ensure healthy reefs for decades to come. Please consider joining us in this effort to save our coral reefs and continue our broader mission of innovative research for positively impacting the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of our shared coral reef by making a direct donation to Mote at: MOTE.ORG/SAVECORAL

PAWS IN PARADISE

HURRICANE PET PREPAREDNESS

JANICE GARY

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

e’ve all procrastinated as long as we can, but now it’s August, and hurricane season is about to enter its most active phase. That means getting serious about preparations that will keep you and your loved ones safe – including the furry, scaly, ferrety, fluffy and flying beasties that rely on you to take care of them. In the hitand miss-world of hurricanes, you have to hope for the best and plan for the worst. But leaving your pets behind should never be an option.

As Tiffany Dunsmore of the Florida Keys SPCA says, “If it’s not safe for you, it’s not safe for your pets.”

STOCK UP ON BASIC NEEDS

Whether you plan on staying in place or evacuating with your pets, you will need to stock up on supplies. Do it NOW. Don’t wait until the shelves are empty, especially if your pet is on a special diet or reliant on medications. Most stores have limited quantities of specialty foods and vets often need time to order prescriptions. Emergency preparedness experts advise having enough food, water and medications on hand for at least two weeks.

The FKSPCA has an excellent hurricane preparedness guide and list of supplies for pet owners at fkspca.org/humane-education-events/ hurricane-preparedness/.

KEEP THEM CALM AND SAFE

Pets can get frightened and disoriented in the chaos of a storm. If yours is spooked easily or anxious in general, consider CBD supplements or ask your vet for drugs that can help with anxiety. If and when you hit the road, be sure to take familiar items such as bedding, treats and toys to reduce stress.

We’ve all seen photos of dogs running loose in the streets after a bad hurricane. An animal’s nervous system is hyper-sensitive to changes in their surroundings, and this increases their drive to find safety during danger. The hectic activities of preparing for (and cleaning up after) a storm can provide an opening for them to get out and take off, so be mindful of where your pet is during these times.

WAttach a pet ID tag with your contact information on your pet’s collar. Pet Supermarket on North Roosevelt Boulevard has a tag machine that produces personalized tags on the spot. And remember, if your pet is microchipped, make sure the chip company has your current contact information.

FIND A PET-FRIENDLY EVACUATION DESTINATION

If an evacuation is called for, do you know where you could stay that will accept your pet? Don’t assume friends or family will take them. Ask. If you plan on staying at a hotel, make sure they are pet-friendly. Online sites such as bringfido.com provide listings of pet-friendly accommodations by state and county.

PREPARE FOR COUNTY SHELTERS

All four of Monroe County’s general population shelters take pets: Key West High School, Sugarloaf School, Coral Shores High School (Tavernier), and MarathonHigh School. They accept mammals (dogs, cats, ferrets), pocket pets (hamsters, gerbils, mice, rats, guinea pigs and rabbits under 10 pounds) as well as reptiles (snakes, turtles, lizards, etc.) and birds.

The county’s Emergency Management hurricane pet shelter website page offers comprehensive information about sheltering with a pet at a county shelter. Be sure to visit the site and read the shelter checklist.

All owners have to read this checklist before signing the shelter agreement, which must be completed and signed before access is granted. You can find all the forms and information at monroecounty-fl.gov/938/Pets-at-Shelters.

Know that you cannot drop off an animal and leave. Pets must be accompanied by owners who are responsible for the care and control of their animals at all times.

They need to be brought into the shelter in a secure cage or carrier that will serve as their lodging during the stay. You’ll also have to supply their bedding materials, bowls, food and water bottles and leashes as well as proof of current vaccinations.

I was impressed with the details provided in the shelter guidelines. For example, bird owners are requested to bring not only the usual supplies such as cages and paper to line it, but leg bands, a picture of the bird and an optional water mister to mist the bird’s feathers periodically.

The guide mentions that snakes are allowed to be transported in a pillowcase. I couldn’t get that image out of my head. Can you imagine a cat in line behind the snake pillowcase? Of course, once in the shelter, they must be moved to more secure housing. (Hopefully nowhere near the “pocket pets” section.)

Some people think they can drop off their dog or cat at the FKSPCA on the way out of town, but that is NOT an option. In fact, all pets in the shelter are evacuated before a hurricane makes landfall.

A network of volunteer emergency foster homes keep shelter animals safe during storms. The fosters provide care and a safe place to stay, along with the understanding that they will take the animal with them if they have to evacuate.

The FKSPCA provides food, medication, bedding, toys and treats for the animals being fostered during storms.

They are currently looking for volunteers to help in this effort. If you want to help Keys pets during an emergency, contact Foster@fkspca. org for details.

As we all know, it’s too late to do all that needs to be done when a storm is barreling down the Straits, especially when pets are part of the plan. So do it now. Not only do they need us, but we need them. During the toughest of times, the best comfort often comes in small, furry packages.

This pooch is ready to weather a storm — or evacuate with you. AMERICAN RED CROSS/Contributed

GOT LOBSTER?

LOBSTERFEST CELEBRATES START OF THE SEASON

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.

Sonny is a 3-year-old male domestic shorthair. He would love to be adopted together with his best friend, Jason.

Ed is a 2-year-old male domestic shorthair. There are no pretenses with Ed; he knows what he likes and how he likes it.

Dunlop is a small female rabbit. A lady never reveals her age, and you’ll be so taken with her beauty, you’ll forget to ask.

It’s officially lobster season in the Florida Keys, and Key West celebrated the spiny crustacean in style during Lobsterfest 2023 Aug. 8-13.

The event included pool parties, pub crawls, brunches and boils, but the main event took place Aug. 12 in the first five blocks of Duval Street.

The annual Lobsterfest street fair and concert packed the street

from noon to 11 p.m., featuring restaurant booths of buttery lobster, prepared in various ways, plus plenty of cold drinks. Live music by the likes of Just George, Fried Newt, The Killer Dudes and the Durtbags filled the stage at the corner of Duval and Greene streets.

Lobster season runs from Aug. 6 to March 31 in the Florida Keys.

— Mandy Miles

Bella is a 3-year-old female French bulldog/Boston terrier mix. This sweet girl loves to play, gets along with other dogs and is even cuter in person.

is

Jason

a 3-year-old male domestic shorthair. He would love to be adopted together with his best friend, Sonny.

Key West’s annual Lobsterfest took place Aug. 8-13, with the popular street fair and concert packing five blocks of Duval Street with food, drinks and live music on Aug. 12. LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly

KAREN NEWFIELD

First and foremost a reader, she has reviewed hundreds of books on her blog www. readingandeating. com. And, more recently, this new Keys resident has also begun writing.

Incredible history, a cozy mystery and hilarious family drama! Check out these talented local authors who contribute to the literary haven we call Key West.

HERE, KITTY

By Hays Blinckmann

Kitty

Kittrick

lives in the quaint town of Hillsdale, Massachusetts. It’s the kind of community where everyone knows your name and what you did in third grade. Kitty walks into the local country club intent on playing tennis. This blueeyed blonde appears tall and strong, but has never picked up a racket. Kitty is filled with a remarkable confidence at 16 that the instructor Peter has never before encountered. To everyone’s surprise (except Kitty), she is spectacular and Peter, with his retired high school coach, begins training her for an upcoming tournament. Peter’s best friend Dave manages the pro shop and will quickly describe his autism spectrum along with his list of likes and dislikes. Kitty’s older sister Nina has dedicated her life to nursing and to Kitty – and now, a long-buried secret threatens to destroy their little family. As Dave’s parents announce they are retiring to Boca, the race is on to win the tournament, save the club and cheer Kitty on. This quirky cast of characters will steal your heart and have you laughing out loud from the very first page.

THE WOMAN AT THE LIGHT

By Joanna Brady

On Wrecker’s Cay, a small island off the coast of Key West, Emily and Martin Lowry happily live with their three young children. Martin is the lighthouse keeper, often known as a “wickie,” because his job is trimming wicks. They live a quiet, solitary life. Their lighthouse is of vital importance, as a great number of ships have crashed on the shallow reefs where lives are lost and treasures often found. One afternoon, Martin disappears and Emily continues to care for the lighthouse and her family, optimistically waiting for his return. She is initially apprehensive when the children discover Andrew, a runaway slave who washed up on the shore. Emily slowly falls in love with his charm, strength and resilience. Now she must keep another secret in order to protect her children, the lighthouse, and this forbidden romance. Author Joanna Brady expertly takes us on this historical journey beginning in 1829, when Key West was a collection of fishing shacks, Ellen Mallory ran a boarding house and this island was known as the wrecking capital of the world.

A DISH TO DIE FOR By

Lucy Burdette

It’s a lovely, quiet afternoon as Hayley Snow enjoys a beach outing with her friend and their dogs near her home in Key West. When Ziggy gets over-excited, Hayley is shocked to discover the little scoundrel is digging furiously at what looks like a shallow grave. A strange man suddenly appears – supposedly “birdwatching” –and identifies the body as a well-known instigator who often makes front page news. After Hayley frantically calls 911, she also alerts her husband Nathan, who just happens to be a top detective in town. With an appetite for mysteries, Hayley, a local food critic, cannot resist searching for clues and sticking her nose in all the wrong places. Together with her eccentric 80-year-old friend Miss Gloria, her mother who runs a catering business, badge-yielding husband (to whom she swore she’d stay out of trouble) and a historic Key West cookbook, Hayley whips up a scheme to solve this delicious charade. A blend of lively characters, tropical paradise and some terrific recipes – this is a must-read cozy series.

#WORTHWATCHING: If you haven’t seen “Hemingway & Gellhorn” (2012) it’s a must-watch on Max and Prime Video. This fast-paced drama highlights one of America’s most famous literary couples who met in Key West at Sloppy Joe’s in 1936.

LAHAINA STRONG LOOE KEY

LUAU FUNDRAISER

TO

BENEFIT MAUI WILDFIRE VICTIMS

Looe Key Reef Resort, located at MM 27, is hosting a fundraising event, “Luau at Looe,” on Saturday, Aug. 26 to directly benefit residents who lost their homes to devastating wildfires in Lahaina, Maui. All proceeds will go directly to residents affected by these fires.

Many residents in the Lahaina area have recently lost their homes due to the fires that began on Aug. 8. The death toll is at least 106, making this the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii since the islands became a state. The Lahaina fire was the most devastating and destructive of the three wildfires that flamed up, with an exact cause still under investigation – but prompting plenty of accusations.

Sugarloaf School teacher and Keys Weekly contributor Jen Alexander is a Maui transplant herself –and fittingly, is one of those spearheading this event.

“I lived and taught on Maui for 15 years. It is my second home and these people are my ohana (family),” said Alexander. “I know so many that not only lost their homes but the school they were teaching at. Looking at the pictures of the charred school I once taught at brings tears to my eyes every time. What are those students going to do? What about the teachers that lost both their jobs and their homes? Where are they going to go? I’ve been seeing my friends on CNN and all over Facebook. It just breaks my heart, and I have to do something for them.”

Feeling hopeless from 4,600 miles away, Jen got together with the staff and owner of Looe Key Reef Resort, Adam Veitenheimer, and is inviting the Florida Keys community to directly support these residents.

“Jen used to live there and knows a ton of people. I know that by raising money this way, the funds will go directly to those people affected instead of to a

KEYBOARD: THE MUSICAL CHAMELEON

RAY WEST

... a professional musician, singer, actor and executive director of the Key West Music Awards, is known to sacrifice his comfort for that of his cat.

general fund,” said Veitenheimer. “When she asked if I could help, I didn’t hesitate.”

The Luau at Looe family event will be held Saturday, Aug. 26 at 4 p.m. A traditional Hawaiian plate lunch will be featured including kalua pork, macaroni salad and rice, which is a favorite of Maui locals. A silent auction, costume contest and raffle will complete the luau. Families are encouraged to dress in traditional Hawaiian attire for a costume contest.

Looe Key head chef Markus Dijon said he’s excited to put his newly-purchased grill and smoker to good use.\

“We’ve been wanting to break out the new smoker for a while now, so this luau is coming at the perfect time,” he said. “It’s sad that these are the circumstances, but we are happy we can help. We will be featuring barbecue pork, spare ribs and brisket in the future, but we are glad we can help out for this cause.”

Individuals or businesses who would like to contribute to the luau with a silent auction item or financial contribution, play music or dance may contact Jen directly at fivetenjen@yahoo.com or Venmo @fivetenjen. Proceeds will directly benefit those who lost homes in Lahaina.

For more information, visit www.looekeyreefresort.com or contact 305-872-2215.

— Contributed

Rock ’n’ roll comes in many configurations. It starts with the power trio. From Rush to ZZ Top, the trio is the keystone in the stone arch that is rock ’n’ roll. When we throw in a charismatic Mick Jagger or sultry Amy Winehouse, we get another familiar configuration. But it’s when we add keyboard players and the soundscapes they create that rock ’n’ roll pushes its own boundaries.

The keyboards’ role may be the least defined of all basic rock components. It can be the lead instrument in a song, or can linger in the background, offering long chords to support a guitar onslaught. With its wide range and virtually unlimited sounds, it can cover a lot of musical and emotional ground on its own with the proper operation.

Vince Bergamo is one of the best operators in town. I asked him how he finds his place in a song, in and among the bass, drums and guitars.

“It changes from song to song,” he said. “Some songs are predominantly keyboards while some have no keyboards in the original version. It comes down to helping the leader express their particular vibe. Sometimes I’ll play piano, or maybe organ, sometimes a synth sound or strings may be right.”

There are other tools Bergamo uses when performing with any of the half-dozen or so combinations he plays with between Key West and New Jersey. “There is a lot of listening. The guitar player’s sound will have an effect on which sounds I will use, as I want to enhance what is already going on. If they strike the guitar aggressively or lightly, I will match that feel. Also the types of chord voicings they use, bluesy or country tones for instance. I’m always wanting to stay in sync with the feel of the players I’m working with.”

“Different groups have different feels. Some play right on the beat, a solid pop-rock feel. Some bands play a little behind the beat, bluesy, funky and soulful, while still others play in front of the beat, tight and aggressive,” he added.

The keyboard player’s left hand is often playing a bassline while the right hand plays the chords and melody. Though perfect in a solo situation, once a bass player enters the picture, two basslines are not necessarily better than one.

In some songs, the keyboard bass part dominates and the bass player supports that. In other songs, one look from the bass player will let the keyboardist know, “There can be only one.”

“I also am a fan of going with the hot hand,” Bergamo said. “If the drummer that night is on fire, laying down funky grooves and rockin’ out when it’s time, I may follow his lead as far as some dynamics and intensity.”

Anyone who has played with Bergamo knows he knows how to blend in and enhance any musical situation.

Images captured by U.S. Civil Air Patrol members show burnt cars and leveled buildings in Lahaina. U.S. CIVIL AIR PATROL/Contributed

Vince Bergamo talks about the ever-changing role of keyboards in a band. CONTRIBUTED

MESSAGE SHERIFF FROM THE

It’s a busy time of the year for the Sheri ’s O ce as our annual back-to-school patrolling e orts are in full swing!

You’ve probably heard me remind motorists to watch out for children near bus stops and schools, but this year I want to add a new reminder to parents and teachers alike about the continued online threats our children face.

The Sheri ’s O ce is stepping up e orts to educate you on what online threats are out there and how fast they can evolve and change. You can find those resources on our social media pages.

Please follow these tips:

• Educate yourself about the websites, software, games, and apps that your children use.

• Keep close tabs on their social media, gaming profiles, and posts.

• Explain that once things are posted online they can be shared with anyone and never disappear.

• Use privacy settings that restrict public access to their online profiles. Use strong passwords.

• Tell your children to never communicate with anyone they don’t know.

• Ensure they are using appropriate screen names.

• Explain that making any kind of threat online — even if they think it's a joke — is a serious crime.

And be sure to report any inappropriate contact involving an adult to law enforcement immediately! Thank you,

Monroe County Sheriff, Rick Ramsay

DOWN & DIRTY IN KEY WEST

DIRTY HEADS PACKS AMPHITHEATER

SUBLIME WITH ROME PLAYS SOUTHERNMOST CITY

FAMILIAR SONGS, SOME DIFFERENT PLAYERS

“Does Sublime with Rome still play Sublime songs?”

The band answered the ubiquitous question with a resounding “Yes” during its Aug. 9 performance at Key West’s Coffee Butler Amphitheater.

Key West rocked on Aug. 9, when Dirty Heads, Sublime with Rome and Little Strangers played the Coffee Butler Amphitheater.

Since 2001, Dirty Heads have mixed hip-hop, reggae and rock to create a sound that embodies their Southern California roots and resonates with worldwide audiences.

Dirty Heads is currently outstreaming some of the biggest alternative acts in the U.S., with over 1.29 million digital track sales and 2.7 billion on-demand streams since 2018.

The group formed when punk rocker Dustin Bushnell (aka Duddy B) asked his friend, rapper Jared Watson (aka Dirty J), to collaborate on a project that would focus on positive vibes and infectious

grooves. Watson added singing to his skills, and later with percussionist Jon Olazabal, drummer Matt Ochoa, and bassist Dave Foral, Dirty Heads began building an immense audience.

In 2010, Dirty Heads released a deluxe version of their 2008 album, “Any Port in a Storm,” featuring the track “Lay Me Down” with special guest Rome Ramirez of Sublime with Rome. The song reached number 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Songs in May 2010.

Dirty Heads reunited with Sublime with Rome for the Key West show on Aug. 9.

Visit keysweekly.com to hear our podcast interview with the band. — Keys Weekly

“Sublime with Rome is a collaboration among Eric Wilson, formerly of the American ska punk band Sublime, and singer and guitarist Rome Ramirez,” states the band’s Wikipedia page. “The group’s name is not only a reference to the singer’s first name, but to the fact that they chiefly perform songs by the original Sublime, which was fronted by Bradley Nowell until his death in 1996.”

They changed their name to “Sublime with Rome” in January 2010 following a legal challenge from Newell’s estate, opposing the group’s use of the trademarked band name in a venture that did not include Newell, Wikipedia states.

The Aug. 9 show in Key West also featured Dirty Heads and Little Strangers.

— Keys Weekly staff report

3.

4. Gabrial McNair, who formerly played with the band No Doubt, has contributed trombone, keyboards and backing vocals to Sublime with Rome since 2017.

1. The colorful Eric Wilson plays bass and provides backing vocals. LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly

2. Jason Vick on drums with Sublime with Rome in Key West.

Rome Ramirez fronts Sublime with Rome during the band’s Aug. 9 show in Key West.

Dirty Heads, a reggae rock band from Huntington Beach, California, plays the Key West Amphitheater on Aug. 9. LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly

TIFFANY DUONG

tiffany@keysweekly.com

CORAL EXPERTS TAKE ACTION TO CREATE HOPE DESPITE THE HEAT

In the face of unprecedented and smothering heat, Florida Keys coral scientists and restoration practitioners are showing up with the resiliency and resolve that they hope our local reefs can embody.

THE SITUATION HAS ‘ABATED’

The beginning of July brought a record-smashing marine heat wave to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS). One weather buoy in nearby Manatee Bay even registered a jacuzzi-like 101.19 degrees Fahrenheit. The high temperatures have resulted in mass coral bleachings, sponge and fish deaths and fear for the future of our marine ecosystem.

Additional reef monitoring, however, revealed that the “bleaching is site-specific and patchy,” reported a Mission: Iconic Reefs (MIR) factsheet emailed to the Keys Weekly. It also noted that “as of August 9, 2023, the rapid mortality previously observed primarily in inshore and shallower reefs seems to have abated” but that “the situation is still alarming.”

Reef Renewal USA’s founder Ken Nedimyer added, “From Channel 2 down, it’s bad. The better reefs are offshore and in the Upper Keys – from Davis Reef, up. Conch Reef, Pickles and Elbow are still in good shape.” He said these more intact reefs tend to be less exposed to Florida Bay and its salty, inshore waters.

In coral nurseries, the situation is also varied. Coral Restoration Foundation reported the loss of its entire Looe Key nursery, while Nedimyer discussed how both Reef Renewal and CRF’s Tavernier nurseries don’t yet have bleaching. “This is fortunate. Between these two, there’s more genetic diversity than in all the rest combined,” he said. “We have almost every genotype of elkhorn coral in the Keys in those two nurseries.”

THE RESCUE PLAN

For the corals in the various in situ coral nurseries in our waters, there’s a two-part rescue effort underway, said CRF’s Jessica Levy: genetic preservation and stock protection.

For the former, NOAA coordinated a rescue effort with all restoration practitioners in the Keys to ensure the preservation of genetic material of acropora corals. These are the reef-building staghorn and elkhorn corals that formed our reefs and used to dominate them. In this effort, CRF relocated nearly 400 genotypes to two facilities out of the Keys “in case of total catastrophic loss,” Levy said.

RESCUE & RELIEF

Phase two focused on stock preservation “because we aren’t sure how long this will last,” she added. As many corals as possible were moved into temperature-controlled land-based facilities like Keys Marine Lab, Florida Seabase and Florida Aquarium (FLAQ) or to new, deeper water in situ nurseries. So far, CRF has relocated 4,000 corals from low- or at-risk genotypes into tanks.

Reef Renewal rescued some corals into tanks at FLAQ and Marathon’s Dynasty Marine and has built new, deeper, cooler nurseries. Nedimyer said, “(FKNMS Superintendent) Sarah Fangman moved mountains to make things happen. … (Permitting a new coral nursery) is usually a twoto three-month process, and we literally got it overnight. … Unprecedented. The Army Corps of Engineers stepped up, and so did the sanctuary.”

The new nursery holds about 2,000 corals, a subset representing as many different species and genotypes as possible, Nedimyer said. These include endangered brain, star and pillar corals. Reef Renewal set up three new deepwater nurseries as close as possible to their existing regional in situ nurseries.

Nedimyer estimated the rescue effort took roughly 20 divers doing three dives a day, for six days straight. “That’s a lot of tanks and a lot of dives,” he said, grateful. Tavernier’s Conch Republic donated tanks and nitrox air fills. Local divers from the Mission: Iconic Reefs, Buoy and NOAA dive teams helped in the herculean effort. A dive business from Fort Lauderdale even brought five technical divers down to help install the new deepwater nurseries, and seven Georgia Aquarium helpers joined.

LESSONS LEARNED

As the bubbles settled, the Coral Restoration Consortium (CRC) brought together coral experts around the world on a webinar about how to cope with the 2023 coral bleaching event.

Their tips began with the practical, like monitoring coralreefwatch.noaa.gov to know if your reef is at risk for bleaching. The bleaching outlook is updated weekly and based on NOAA’s climate forecasting system. This can help prevent getting caught off-guard, CRC’s Tali Vardi said.

Levy suggested preparing to reduce catastrophic coral loss by having an abundance of coral stock with lots of genetic diversity, checking temperature loggers more frequently and spreading stock across multiple sites.

Other techniques like shading, fogging, cold water injections and cloud brightening were discussed.

In the end, practitioners focused on opportunity and hope. Austin Bowden-Kerby, a coral scientist working in Fiji, suggested, “Use the bleaching event as a selection event to get what we need for moving things forward” with more resilient corals. “This is an opportunity as well as a test.”

Nedimyer agreed, describing how Reef Renewal will be monitoring its subset of genotypes for heat tolerance. He said, “We really want to see which of our corals can handle the heat, then use that to develop the next generation of our restoration program. … There will be some that don’t bleach at all in hot water. We’re looking for them.”

“There’s still a lot of coral diversity on the reef,” Vardi said, “and it’s our job to save that. It’s not easy when it seems like the world is on fire, but the caring and coordination of this community gives me hope.”

Denise Nedimyer transports elkhorn corals on a new rope nursery. KEN NEDIMYER/Reef Renewal USA

Elkhorn coral colonies recently transported from the Florida Keys now living in the climate-controlled spawning laboratory at the Florida Aquarium. THE FLORIDA AQUARIUM/Contributed

A scientist pipettes the coral gametes released during the spawning of their rescued corals. THE FLORIDA AQUARIUM/Contributed

HELP KEEP KEY WEST CLEAN

JOIN A 1- HOUR CLEANUP FRIDAY MORNINGS

The Ploggers met at 817 Duval St. in front of this week’s host, Nailtini, on Aug. 11. An impressive number of volunteers — 33 — showed up for the Friday morning cleanup. They collected 133 pounds of trash, 15 pounds of recycling, and 3.5 gallons of cigarette butts. Thank you to host Nailtini and Kenna Construction, which had five people at the cleanup and has committed to doing one cleanup a month with the Ploggers. CONTRIBUTED

“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they have the heart.” — Elizabeth Andrew

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 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

The Friday cleanups for August take place from 8 to 9 a.m. at the following locations:

Aug. 18: Venetian & Flagler Avenue — meet in the parking lot of Peace Covenant Church.

Aug. 25: U.S. 1 at the Triangle — meet next to KW Marriott Beachside on the bike path. Parking available in Beachside parking garage

CAPTAIN JOEL’S FISHIN’ HOLES

MACKEREL MATTERS IN THE FLORIDA KEYS

Here in the Florida Keys, we have four types of mackerel. In this article, I'm going to name and describe each of the four and give you the best techniques, places and times to catch them.

Spanish mackerel are the smallest, and probably the most plentiful. Spanish mackerel can be easily identified by their bright yellow polka dots. We like to target Spanish mackerel in the spring and fall. They come in close when the weather is mild, and they don't like it too hot or too cold. We typically target Spanish mackerel at the reef lines in the Atlantic, and 8 or 10 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico. The best technique to catch Spanish mackerel is with a block of chum and a chum ring using live pilchards pectoral hooked with a long-shank J hook or artificial bait, such as silver spoons and red and white feather jigs. Many times we’ll tip the jigs with live shrimp – hook them up from the chin through the top of the head, missing the brain, make the hook flush with the shrimp’s horn, and jig it through the mid column of the water. Many people feel that Spanish mackerel is a fishy-tasting oily fish, best smoked, grilled or baked. Spanish mackerel season is open yearround; you can keep up to 15 per angler per day, and they must measure 12 inches from the tip of the top lip to the fork of the tail down the lateral line of the fish.

Cero mackerel is the second-smallest of the Florida Keys mackerel, and probably the second most plentiful. They are easily identifiable by their yellow dashes and thick yellow lateral line. cero mackerel season is open year-round. There is no size limit for cero mackerel, but there is a 100-pound bag limit per person per day. We like to target cero mackerel during the same times and places as the Spanish mackerel. Both Spanish mackerel and cero mackerel are best targeted in the middle of the day, as we typically don't catch them early in the morning or late in the afternoon. We use the same techniques to catch cero mackerel as we do Spanish mackerel. However, since cero mackerel are usually a bit larger than Spanish mackerel, we do best targeting them with large pilchards hooked in the nose plate with a long-shank J hook. Since mackerel are such toothy critters, if the water is murky, we like to use a 6- or 8-inch piece of 25-pound test wire leader to the hook. If the water is clear, the mackerel are smart enough to see the wire leader and we have to use a 20- or 40-pound mono fluorocarbon leader. When using mono rather than wire, we lose more fish, but we get more hits. Cero mackerel taste very similar to wahoo, which many people say is their favorite table fare. Less fishy tasting and less oily than a Spanish mackerel, cero mackerel can only be caught in the Florida Keys waters and south. For example, I've never caught one north of Fort Myers on the west coast of Florida or north of Palm Beach on the east coast of Florida.

King mackerel, also called kingfish, is the second-largest of the Florida Keys mackerel and very plentiful during spring and fall. A king mackerel is a solid silver fish prevalent all up and down the eastern seaboard in the Atlantic Ocean and in every region of the Gulf of Mexico. It is one of, if not the mostcelebrated saltwater game fish, as there are numerous kingfish tournaments nationwide. The main attraction of king mackerel

is their speed and power. A common nickname for the kingfish is “smoker king.” Some people think the nickname comes from the best way to cook a kingfish, which is to smoke it, but the true reason it got the nickname “smoker king” is thar it initially hits with so much velocity that it can smoke your reel and make a long hard run. It's not uncommon for a king fish to launch 10 or 20 feet in the air on its initial strike. That's typically the only jump that you will get out of a kingfish during the battle. The rest of the fight is hard zigzagging runs. We target kingfish in many different ways. We like to troll for them, bump troll, drift or even anchor and chum with live bait and artificial baits. Kingfish is also considered a fishy-tasting oily fish, much like the Spanish mackerel. King mackerel season is also open yearround, and fish must measure 24 inches from the tip of their nose to the fork of their tail down the lateral line of the fish. The bag limit is 3 per person per day. King mackerel is also heavily harvested by commercial fisherman throughout the eastern seaboard and Gulf of Mexico.

CAPT. JOEL BRANDENBURG

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

Wahoo is the largest of the mackerel family, and the rarest. Wahoo is considered by most anglers as a trophy fish because they're so hard to target and catch, along with their unique beauty and unreal fight. Wahoo have beautiful tiger-striped colors with hues of blue, black and purple. Wahoo are some of the fastest fish in the ocean, clocked at up to 60 miles per hour. Many times we'll high-speed troll at 14 mph with an in-line weight rigged with a cable and troll a black and purple plastic Tormenter lure on 250-pound test mono leader. When you’re trolling that fast, you’ll feel like nothing could hit a bait going that speed, but feeding at 14 mph is nothing for a wahoo. We also troll at 6 or 8 mph with pink and purple Nomad lures. We also target wahoo on wrecks and ledges using live baby bonita, free lined or under a balloon. If we find a floater offshore, we also like to vertical jig for wahoo. The fall and winter months are the best time of year to target wahoo, especially during the full moon on a no-wind blue bird day. Like the other mackerel, wahoo season is open year-round. Wahoo has no size limit, but has a bag limit of 2 per day per angler. Wahoo is my favorite fish to fight and to eat.

As we enter into fall, we anticipate an awesome mackerel season. Come down to the Florida Keys and experience one of the most exciting species of fish in the world.

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

One of the prized members of the mackerel family, wahoo are a lightning-fast fish known as one of the Keys’ best eats. JOEL BRANDENBURG/Contributed

INVITATION TO BID

LEGO Construction Company and Department of Management Services –Florida Highway Patrol cordially invite interested subcontractors to complete and submit sealed bids by September 8th, 2023 no later than 3 p.m. for the followingproject/bid packages:

ADA Restroom Renovation – Marathon FHP – Phase 2 (02219020)

SELECT TRADE BID PACKAGES (see below)

This invitation to bid (ITB) includes the following trades. All contractors certified as SBE, MBE & M/WBE are encouraged to participate in any of these trades:

• Demolition

• Fencing

• Sitework

• Concrete & Masonry

• Metals

• Acoustical Ceilings

• Door, Frames, Hardware

• Windows

• Flooring and Wall Tile

• Drywall

• Painting

• Toilet Accessories

• Toilet Partitions

• Signage

• Plumbing

• Mechanical

• Electrical

• Final Cleaning

The bid manual, bid requirements, bid forms, specifications, drawings, and other construction documents will be available by reaching out to Ruturaj Sonawane at rs@legocc.com or at 305-381-8421 Ext 105. There will be a Non-Mandatory Prebid conference and site visit on August 25th, 2023 at 12 p.m.

All bids must be received no later than September 8th, 2023 @ 3 p.m. at LEGO Construction Co office located at 1011 Sunnybrook Road Suite 905, Miami Florida 33136. Bids must be delivered in a sealed envelope clearly marked “Sealed Bid for ADA Restroom Renovation – Marathon FHP – Phase 2” along with the name of your firm and the trades covered in your bid. Subcontractors interested in working with LEGO must obtain prequalification with LEGO prior to bidding. All questions regarding prequalification & the bid process should be directed to Ruturaj Sonawane at rs@legocc.com.

August 17, 24 & 31, 2023. The Weekly Newspapers

Key Lime Medical Associates

John W. Norris III M.D. PA 508 Southard Street, Suite 103 Key West, Florida 33040

Key Lime Medical Associates is transferring care of its patients and location to Keys Medical Group (KMG) effective September 1, 2023.

Patients’ medical records will remain at Key Lime Medical Associates, 508 Southard Street, Suite 103, Key West, Florida 33040 under the custodianship of Keys Medical Group providers and staff.

Patients wishing to pick up their records may do so after a signed medical records release is received after September 1, 2023.

Publish: August 10, 17, 24 & 31, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of WANDERLUST ASSETS located at 9 Sombrero Blvd. 211, Marathon, FL 33050 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

DATED at Marathon, Monroe County, Florida this 10th day of August, 2023.

By: WOD Freak, LLC

Hannah E. Richards, Manager

Publish:

August 17, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of SWEETIE PIE BAKERY located at 210 Apache Street, Tavernier, FL 33070 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

By: Karen Buono

Publish:

August 17, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE

Notice is hereby given that the undersigned intends to sell the personal property described below to enforce a lien imposed on said property under the Florida Self Storage Facilities Act Statutes (Section 83.801 –83.809). The undersigned will sell online by competitive bidding on August 31, 2023, at 10:00am.

The following: #104 Cameron Willett misc. home goods #405 Jessice Williamson misc. personal items, home goods #450 Brian Stevens misc. home goods #128 Kylie Safford misc. home goods #256 Kylie Safford misc. home goods #235 Mark Bewer misc. home goods #329 Melissa Bellovich misc. home goods #461 Lisa Kicker misc. home goods #420 Thomas Morgan misc. home goods #249 Julie Allen misc. home goods will be auctioned online by Storage Treasures via website at storagetreasures.com. All purchased items sold as is. Items are located at Big Pine Storage at 30677 Overseas Highway, Big Pine Key, Florida 33043 and must be collected within 72 hours of auction.

Publish:

August 17 & 24, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 9:00 A.M., the Monroe County Purchasing Office will open sealed responses for the following:

2nd Round Events Funding, DACS II, III, IV and V, Monroe County Tourist Development Council 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.

The Monroe County Purchasing Department hereby directs that bids be submitted via email to:

LEGAL NOTICES

OMB-BIDS@monroecounty-fl. gov, no later than 5:00 P.M., on Wednesday, October 11, 2023.

Your subject line must read as follows:

2nd Round Events Funding, DACS II, III, IV, and V, Monroe Co. TDC 10-12-2023 Files that do not contain this subject line WILL BE REJECTED. Please note that the maximum file size that will be accepted by email is 25MB. Please plan accordingly to ensure that your bid is not rejected due to the file size. Should your bid documents exceed 25MB, in advance of the bid opening, please email: ombpurchasing@monroecounty-fl. gov so accommodations for delivery of your bid can be made prior to the bid opening. Please be advised that it is the bidder’s sole responsibility to ensure delivery of their bid and waiting until the bid opening to address or confirm your bid submission delivery will result in your bid being rejected. The bid opening for this solicitation will be held virtually, via the internet, at 9:00 A.M., on October 12, 2023. You may call in by phone or internet using the following: Join Zoom Meeting https://mcbocc.zoom. us/j/4509326156 Meeting ID: 4509326156

One tap mobile: +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:

August 17, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA DIVISION: PROBATE FILE NO.: 2023-CP-125-K IN RE: ESTATE OF STUART A. MEAD Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Stuart A. Mead, deceased, whose date of death was December 3, 2021, 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 WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.

ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.

The date of first publication of this notice is August 17, 2023. The date of the second publication of this notice is August 24, 2023.

Personal Representative: Erin Maltbie 49 Flanagan Drive Framingham, MA 01701 Attorney for Personal

Representative: Anthony J. Barrows Attorney for Andrew C. Von S.

Smith Florida Bar Number: 662569

WRIGHT BARROWS PLLC 9711 Overseas Highway Marathon, FL 33050

Telephone: (305) 743-8118

Fax: (305) 489-0307

E-mail: Tony@keysclosings.com

Publish:

August 17 & 24, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISION

FILE NO.: 23-CP-202-K

DIVISION: LOWER KEYS

IN RE: ESTATE OF ALLEN NOEL MURPHY Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of Allen Noel Murphy, deceased, whose date of death was July 3, 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: August 17, 2023.

Personal Representative: Allen P. Murphy 117 Sun Lane 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:

August 17 & 24, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION

FILE NO.: 23-CP-000190-K IN RE: ESTATE OF ELIZABETH H. DAVIS Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of ELIZABETH H. DAVIS, deceased, whose date of death was April 6, 2023, is pending in the Circuit Court for MONROE County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

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

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

All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.

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

The date of first publication of this notice is: August 10, 2023.

Personal Representative:

CABELL S. DAVIS III 230 Surf Drive Mashpee, Massachusetts 02649 Attorney for Personal Representative: JOHN FERRARI, JR. Attorney

Florida Bar No. 111132 Ferrari, Butler & Moneymaker, PLLC 2520 Tamiami Trail North, Suite 11 Nokomis, Florida 34275

Telephone: (941) 960-1676

Fax: (941) 296-8656

E-mail: johnf@elderlegalfl.com

Secondary E-mail: pollyb@ elderlegalfl.com

Publish:

August 10 & 17, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

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

FILE NO.: 2023-CP-92-P IN RE: ESTATE OF JAN WEITZ MULVIHILL Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of JAN WEITZ MULVIHILL, deceased, whose date of death was June 27, 2023, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88820 Overseas Highway, Plantation Key, FL 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

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

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

ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.

NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIOD SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.

The date of first publication of this notice

is accepting applications for the following full-time position in Key West

TERRITORY SERVICE AND SALES REPRESENTATIVE

This opportunity o ers you the ability to partner with our current customers in the Hospitality and Food Service industries. You will serve as the face of Ecolab, servicing Laundries and Dish machines, dispensing equipment, and systems for our customers. You will also provide recommendations on advanced cleaning and sanitation programs. Full training provided at our Headquarters.

Comprehensive bene ts package including medical, dental, vision, matching 401K, company paid pension, opportunities for stock purchase, tuition reimbursement, and more. Decal company vehicle provided.

$3000-$4000 Sign on Bonus available for this role!

For more information, including job duties and required qualifications, and to apply for the job, please call 786-512-2238.

EXPERIENCED

ELECTRICIANS AND HELPERS NEEDED

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

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.

TRANSFER STATION OPERATOR

MONROE COUNTY SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT is looking for a responsible applicant for the Long Key Transfer Station, MM 68. The primary function of this position is to weigh vehicles in and out of transfer station and maintain transfer station property.

Qualifications: High School Diploma or GED, working knowledge of computers and other office equipment, and a Florida Driver’s License Class B CDL within 6 months of hire. This position is designated as a safety sensitive position. An employee in this position is subject to the mandatory Department of Transportation drug testing program which involves random drug testing. Starting salary: $40,188.94 plus benefits

Application available at: www.monroecounty-fl.gov via the position link on our employment page. For more information, contact Human Resources at: Careers@monroecounty-fl.gov or call 305-292-4554. Veteran’s Preference Available; E.O.E.

NOW HIRING FT FRONT OFFICE ASSISTANT MARATHON, FL

Duties to include invoice and inventory entry, booking airline shipments, creating and filing paperwork for international shipments, scheduling inspections needed for international shipments, customer communication and tracking, creating and maintaining customer accounts and some customer service. Must be proficient in Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel. This position requires high attention to detail and the ability to multitask. Compensation will be dependent on experience.

Benefits package including vacation, sick days, holidays and 401K PSP retirement plan. Please send cover letter and resume to sales@dynastymarine.net for consideration. No phone calls please. dynastymarine.net

NOW HIRING IN ISLAMORADA

MARINA CASHIER

Must have customer service experience working in a retail environment and using a point of sale system. Additional duties include restocking, completing purchase orders, daily ordering of basic items in the store, and maintaining a clean appearance in the store. This is an hourly position and compensation is based on experience. Work hours are flexible and we try to maintain a set weekly schedule.

Please respond by email (Ma at islamarinama @gmail.com) with any relevant previous experience and at least two references.

NOW HIRING IN ISLAMORADA

BOAT RENTAL STAFF

FLEXIBLE HOURS & COMPETITIVE WAGES

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

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

NOW HIRING DIVE INSTRUCTOR

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

11710 OVERSEAS HWY, MARATHON

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.

WE ARE NOW HIRING IN KEY WEST!

SENIOR IT USER SUPPORT ANALYST

WITH MONROE COUNTY BENEFITS PACKAGE,

INCLUDING FLORIDA STATE RETIREMENT PLAN (FRS).

Sixteenth Judicial Circuit Court is seeking a full-time IT User Support Analyst in KEY WEST.

The essential function of the position within the organization is to provide technology support to the judges and staff of the Circuit Court. The position is responsible for providing training to system users and/or providing analysis and support to the Court network infrastructure, email systems, manage and deploy Windows based workstations, assist with maintaining computer inventory, performing data and system backups, providing cybersecurity maintenance and support, maintaining the Court web site, provisioning of accounts, and preparing required documentation and reports.

Salary range is $62,000 – $67,000 annually, plus Monroe County benefit package. See complete job description at www.Keyscourts.net.

Interested applicants should submit a resume, cover letter and State of Florida Application to Personnel@ Keyscourts.net or Personnel, 302 Fleming Street, Key West, Florida 33040. State of Florida applications can be found at www.Keyscourts.net. The successful applicant will be required to pass a complete background check. Applications are being accepted until position is filled. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, age, disability or sexual orientation. EOE. If you need an accommodation to participate in the application/ selection process, please notify us in at advance at 305-292-3423; to make call through the Florida Relay Center, you can dial 7-1-1.

WE ARE NOW HIRING IN KEY WEST!

PROBATION OFFICER

WITH MONROE COUNTY BENEFITS PACKAGE, INCLUDING FLORIDA STATE RETIREMENT PLAN (FRS).

Sixteenth Judicial Circuit Court is seeking applicants for a full-time Probation Officer in KEY WEST.

This is responsible and professional work that ensures the effective supervision of defendants placed on misdemeanor probation and diversion supervision.

Salary is $40,000 annually, plus Monroe County benefit package, which includes State of Florida Retirement System Plan. See complete job description at www.Keyscourts.net.

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

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

GCC offers excellent benefits for full-time employment, but we realize some would prefer part-time to enjoy the Florida Keys lifestyle more. All positions can be considered for full or part-time unless notated. Apply at westcare.com and enter your availability.

KEY LARGO Advocate

Behavioral Health Therapist (Child)

KEY WEST

Peer Support Specialist Prevention Specialist Advocate

Behavioral Health Therapist (Child, Adult)

Behavioral Health Counselor (Children) Case Managers (Adult)

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 Psychiatric ARNP (PT only)

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

Volunteer Resources

Administrative Assistant (Full-Time, Permanent)

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

Human Resources Assistant (Part-Time, Permanent)

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

Accounting Director (Full-Time, Permanent)

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

Full job descriptions available at www.dolphins.org/career_opportunities

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