Key West Weekly 23-0907

THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED

Key West celebrates the life & times of Jimmy Buffett | PGS. 4, 8, 15

KEYS COUPLE CHARGED IN JAN. 6 RIOTS

Marathon boaters await Oct. 31 federal hearing | P. 6

WE’RE IN THE PINK

Post-Idalia, flamingos flock to the Florida Keys | P. 22

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Listening to Jimmy Buffett’s hit songs known as “The Big 8” – “Margaritaville,” “Come Monday,” “Fins,” “Volcano,” “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Why Don’t We Get Drunk,” and “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” – end-to-end would take a total of 27 minutes, 5 seconds. 27:05

THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED IN KEY WEST

SINGER, SONGWRITER & SAILOR JIMMY BUFFETT DIES AT 76

and memorial tributes that included song lyrics and salt shakers in honor of his iconic song, “Margaritaville.”

Singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett performs on Duval Street in 2011. Buffett, 76, died Sept. 1, according to a statement posted on his website and social media pages. FLORIDA KEYS NEWS BUREAU/Contributed

town, he returned to Miami, but the island stayed with him.

“I loved it so much. After I did a few gigs back in Miami, I thought, ‘I’m going back to Key West.’ I had odd jobs and could play the Chart Room.”

And he did.

He began his musical career playing for tips and beer money — first in New Orleans during college, then in Key West bars like the Chart Room and Capt. Tony’s Saloon in the 1970s.

In 1974, “Come Monday,” peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard charts. Then came 1977, when “Margaritaville” — a light-hearted lament about island life and the healing power of tequila — reached No. 8 on the charts and made Buffett a star.

Members of

Jimmy Buffett, the legendary songwriter who tapped into his 1970s Key West experience to create his own genre of laid-back beach music and build a business empire with his “Margaritaville” brand, died Friday, Sept. 1 at age 76 from a rare form of skin cancer. Buffett died at his home in Sag Harbor, Long Island, “surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,” representatives posted on his website and social media pages.

“He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many,” the post said. Flags at Key West’s City Hall were lowered to half-staff on Sept. 2 as his songs played on a loudspeaker outside the building.

Residents Paul Menta and Jordan Upchurch quickly organized a secondline tribute procession — “It’s 5 o’clock in Key West” — that packed Duval Street on Sept. 3, as more than 3,000 fans — locals and visitors — paraded from Front Street to Truman Avenue, stopping in front of Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Cafe for a moment of silence. The bar and restaurant on Duval Street, as well as Shrimp Boat Sound, Buffett’s recording studio at the Historic Seaport, quickly collected flowers

Buffett’s music allowed generations of fans to live vicariously through his music, offering escapist tales of Caribbean sails and Key West characters, late nights and rum-soaked run-ins.

How did it all begin?

Born on Christmas Day 1946 in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Buffett grew up in Mobile, Alabama, His grandfather was a steamship captain whose seafaring tales of adventure riveted a young Buffett.

“The Gulf of Mexico was the doorway to a world of adventure where the characters he heard about in his grandfather’s stories were waiting to be discovered,” states jimmybuffett. com. “But it was a fateful trip to Key West with Jerry Jeff Walker in 1971 that would give Jimmy the inspiration to merge his musicality, wanderlust and storytelling.”

Buffett recalled that first trip to Key West in a 2018 interview with Keys Weekly, saying Walker and his girlfriend, Teresa “Murphy” Sadler, “took me to the Chart Room. Jerry Jeff was already a force of nature in Key West in those days. That was my first time, and they kind of left me there.”

After a few days of playing down-

He would go on to play sold-out arena tours every summer over a 50year career that produced more than 350 songs and spawned a tropical lifestyle brand of bars, restaurants, beers, hotels and merchandise.

“Margaritaville” was inducted into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress in April of this year.

While beachy anthems like “Margaritaville,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and “Fins” get much of the retail musical attention at concerts, Buffett’s songbook is filled with clever lyrics and memorable tales of lost loves, favorite haunts, family dynamics, far-flung adventures and familiar cities.

The city of Key West always welcomed its troubadour home.

“Everyone has their version of Key West,” Buffett told the Keys Weekly in 2018. “I still smell black beans and chicken cooking when I’m riding my bike around. It’s much more gentrified, but it still has that authenticity. I relish the past, but I don’t live in it.”

Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band thrilled Key West in February, when they played four shows on the island to launch what would be their final tour, “Second Wind.”

When the two shows at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater quickly sold out online, Buffett’s team added two more performances at the Key West Theater.

Jimmy Buffett surveys the damage of a fallen tree at Louie’s Backyard during a tropical storm in 1979. Photo by Lawson Little ©

GWEN FILOSA gwen@keysweekly.com

CASE CONTINUES FOR KEYS COUPLE CHARGED IN JAN. 6 INSURRECTION

Bryan Bishop and Tonya Bishop await Oct. 31 hearings

mandy@keysweekly.com

The court case continues for a Florida Keys couple facing federal charges for their alleged participation in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Bryan Roger Bishop, 51, and Tonya Jean Bishop, 47, who were arrested Aug. 7 at a Marathon marina, are due back in federal court on Oct. 31, when they likely will enter pleas.

The defendants, a married couple, were living on a boat anchored in Boot Key Harbor when they were arrested by FBI agents and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

Bryan Bishop faces felony charges, including physical violence and assaulting police with a deadly or dangerous weapon. Federal investigators say he sprayed a chemical irritant under the helmet of a police officer who was trying to quell the riot, according to the federal criminal complaint.

Tonya Bishop, who was Tonya Allison-Oberst until she married Bishop in July 2022, is not charged with violence, but is accused of disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building.

As of Aug. 16, more than 1,000 people had been charged with federal crimes related to the Jan. 6 riot. More than 600 have pleaded or been found guilty. About 600 defendants have been sentenced, with over half of them sentenced to anywhere from three days to 18 years in prison, according to The Associated Press.

Following their Aug. 7 arrest in Marathon, the Bishops spent the night in the Monroe County jail on Stock Island and appeared the next day before federal Judge Lurana Snow in Key West.

Both were released on recognizance bonds, meaning they didn’t have to put up any money as long as they agreed to appear at all court proceedings, surrender their passports and refrain from possessing firearms or other dangerous weapons.

Bryan Bishop also must submit to

location monitoring, but Tonya Bishop does not, according to court documents.

Like all Jan. 6 proceedings, the Bishops’ cases have been transferred to the federal district of Washington, D.C., but many defendants attend via video conference.

The Bishops and other defendants have been ordered to stay out of Washington for anything other than court business, according to documents outlining the conditions of the defendants’ release while they await trial.

Both are being represented by federal public defender Lionel Andre, court records state.

In the detailed arrest complaint, federal investigators trace the alleged

paths of Bryan Bishop and Tonya Bishop in and through the Capitol building, although the two did not appear to enter the building together, and were not seen together on the building’s video surveillance.

It is unknown whether the two knew each other before Jan. 6, 2021 and whether they traveled to Washington, D.C. together.

In a recorded jail phone call on Jan. 4, 2021, two days before the riot, Tonya Bishop (still Tonya AllisonOberst at the time), allegedly told her son, who was an inmate at the time, “On the 6th, Trump has called The Patriots together, a bunch of us are headed over there,” the criminal complaint states.

No further mention is made of “The Patriots” in the document.

The Keys Weekly reviewed court records from Clallam County, Washington, where Tonya Allison-Oberst was married to Tim Lee Oberst, who filed for divorce on Feb. 2, 2021, less than a month after the Jan. 6 insurrection, according to Clallam County records. The divorce was finalized a few months later in May 2021, according to Washington court records.

Monroe County court records show that Tonya Allison-Oberst married Bryan Roger Bishop in July 2022 in the Florida Keys. A week or so later, on Aug. 1, 2022, she applied for a U.S. passport in the name of Tonya Bishop, according to the federal criminal complaint.

When released from the Monroe County Detention Center in Key West the afternoon of Aug. 8, Tonya Bishop told the Keys Weekly outside the jail, “I hope you’re using the word ‘allegedly,’ because we’re innocent until proven guilty. Due process has not been served. We’re just regular people who want to live our lives quietly.”

Bryan Bishop, who told the federal judge in Key West that he receives a pension from the Navy, described their arrest by federal agents as “dramatic.”

Neither would comment when asked why they were in the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Bryan Bishop leaves the jail in Key West, released on bond on Aug. 8. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly

Tonya Bishop leaves the jail in Key West on Aug. 8, telling the Keys Weekly, ‘We are innocent until proven guilty. Due process has not been served.’

SECOND TRIAL LOOMS IN STOCK ISLAND MURDER CASE

Defense claims brothers acted in self-defense in 2020 shooting

On Aug. 24, after a trial, Mayque Gomez Marin, 34, was found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter and guilty as charged of attempted murder. He’s scheduled for sentencing Oct. 10 before Monroe County Judge Mark Wilson.

What Monroe County prosecutors called murder, the brothers said was instead self-defense during a “volatile confrontation” with the two fishermen, according to court filings.

But Wilson rejected motions to dismiss the case from the brothers’ separate defense teams that raised Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which grants immunity to people who match the threat of imminent death with deadly force.

The shootings were a “targeted hit” prompted by the overdue return of a Mercedes-Benz vehicle, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said in 2020.

FACTS FROM THE TAX COLLECTOR

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Two weeks after a jury convicted his younger brother in the 2020 fatal shooting of a local fisherman on Stock Island –and the near death of a second man – Jose Espinosa Gomez awaits his turn in court.

Espinosa Gomez, 37, is fighting the same charges as his brother: seconddegree murder and attempted murder. His case was on the docket Sept. 5 for a trial status hearing. His next scheduled court date is Oct. 3.

Both brothers admit they were involved in the brawl on June 15, 2020, at an area locally known as “La Curva,” that ended with Jose Manuel Clemente, 45, of Stock Island, face down and dead, and Iliecer Noa bleeding from a gunshot to his abdomen.

Noa, now 47, survived the shooting, after being airlifted in critical condition to a Miami-area hospital. But doctors amputated his legs below his knees and one arm above his elbow.

Attorneys for the victims’ families, who landed a $6 million settlement from the marina’s property owners, the Bernstein Trust, and their tenant, the Fishbusterz fish house, in 2022, had a different story.

The Haggard Law Firm, based in Coral Gables, said the killers were looking for another fisherman, and after Noa told them he didn’t know where the person was, an argument broke out. Gunshots followed and Clemente was killed.

The four men were acquaintances, according to Espinosa Gomez’s attorneys. The Gomez brothers went to 5515 5th Ave. on June 15, 2020, to ask about the return of a rented vehicle,

“Jose Luis Espinosa Gomez, was aware of the alleged victims’ involvement in the drug trade and penchant for violence and armed with handguns and a knife,” Espinosa Gomez’s public defenders wrote in their motion to dismiss.

The meetup became violent “after a volatile confrontation due to alleged victims’ threats of violence and refusal to return items lent to the alleged victims,” according to the motion.

Espinosa Gomez and Noa struggled over a gun, the lawyers said, ending with Clemente and Noa being shot.

Gomez Marin’s attorney, Naplesbased Mark Youngblood, said his client’s brother expected to be met with threats of violence at “La Curva.”

“Mr. Espinosa Gomez knew that the character they would be confronting had a history of violence and a tendency to use deadly weapons,” Youngblood wrote in Gomez Martin’s motion to dismiss. “And that is exactly what happened.”

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Jose Manuel Clemente was killed June 15, 2020, at age 45.

“Jose Luis Espinosa Gomez, was aware of the alleged victims’ involvement in the drug trade and penchant for violence and armed with handguns and a knife.”

— Espinosa Gomez’s public defenders

AN ISLAND SAYS GOODBYE

KEY WEST PAYS TRIBUTE TO ITS TROUBADOUR

David Sloan, Key West author and businessman, wrote the following tribute to Jimmy Buffett using dozens of his lyrics and song titles:

‘LAST CALL’

Stars fell on Alabama tonight with news from the coconut telegraph that James William “Jimmy” Buffett has taken his last trip around the sun. Despite rumors that Buffett has been wasting away in Margaritaville for many years, reports indicate that he died after suffering a Tampico trauma while surfing in a hurricane.

Authorities do not believe foul play was involved, but they are still investigating a Cuban crime of passion.

Known for his kindness, humor, velvety voice and pencil-thin mustache, the loss of Buffett is a permanent reminder of a temporary feeling.

As the son of a son of a sailor, Jimmy traveled the world, bringing smiles to faces and changes in attitudes with every latitude he crossed. He went to Paris, the coast of Marseille, and said “hello, Texas” with the cowboy in the jungle.

The wino and I know about his Jamaica mistaica, but that didn’t stop Jimmy. He explored a volcano in Mexico one day and was off to see the lizard on a slow boat to China the next. When asked why he embarked on these chilllicensing missions, Jimmy replied, “It’s my job.” Oh, the stories we could tell.

Jimmy’s ashes are to be scattered in the Bama breeze, followed by a party at the end of the world. Boat drinks will be served at 5 o’clock somewhere, so why don’t we get drunk as we raise our tin cup chalice for a final toast?

Lord knows we have a lot to drink about. Light snacks will be served, including fruitcakes, grapefruit, Juicy Fruit, the last mango in Paris, and cheeseburgers in paradise. Elvis imitators will provide entertainment, and musicians can bring their instruments and play for gumbo. I wish lunch could last forever, but life is just a tire swing.

Jimmy Buffett is survived by his wife, Jane; daughters, Savannah and Sarah; son, Cameron; and sisters, Laurie and Lucy. He also leaves us Frank & Lola, Spider-John, Captain America, Bob Roberts, Delaney, Desdemona and Sweet Caroline. Savannah, fare you well.

We all thought Jimmy would be the last man standing, but now it is time to go home, back to the island, to the beach house on the moon. And we can pray for that Blue Heaven rendezvous with Jimmy, but God don’t own a car. There will be no plane on Sunday, but come Monday, It will be alright. It’s been a lovely cruise, Jimmy, and as we stand here living and dying in ¾ time, if the phone doesn’t ring ... well, we’ll know that it’s you.

To enable more Key West locals to get tickets, people had to line up in person outside the box office on Eaton Street. And they did, turning the blocks-long wait into a party, sharing drinks, laughs and stories.

On stage on Feb. 4 at the Key West Theater, Buffett and his band played the songs from his first Key West-inspired record, “A White Sport Coat And A Pink Crustacean,” from 1973. The singer namechecked Key West legends, starting with Coffee Butler, who had let Buffett open for him at local bars, and he dedicated the show to his friend Tom Corcoran, the Florida writer who died in January.

LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly

Strumming the opening chords to “A Pirate Looks at 40,” released in 1974, Buffett said, mid-verse, “It’s so cool singing this song in Key West.”

The island and its people loved every song Buffett sang in or about Key West, and the songs they know by heart will never be forgotten.

BUFFETT FROM PAGE 4

Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band launch their ‘Second Wind’ tour in Key West in February 2023.

1. Key West pays tribute to the man whose music launched the Margaritaville mentality. LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly. 2. An empty chair on stage at Margaritaville in Key West honors Jimmy Buffett, who created the song that inspired the bar, the lifestyle and the business empire. 3. More than 2,500 people fill Key West’s Duval Street in front of Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville on Sept. 3 to pay tribute to the late singer/songwriter. 4. Notes, flowers and ‘lost shakers of salt’ are left in tribute outside Jimmy Buffett’s recording studio, Shrimp Boat Sound, at Key West’s Historic Seaport the day after the singer’s death.

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By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

NOLAN O’HARA

THE SCOREBOARD

THIS WEEK IN KEYS SPORTS

Junior, Marathon Football

When Nolan O’Hara stepped onto the gridiron last spring, it marked his first ever football experience. One would never believe that the Marathon junior, a staple for Fins baseball, was a complete newcomer to the sport of football.

O’Hara’s natural instincts have helped him thrive in the sport. He leads the team with two sacks in two games and averages three tackles per game so far this season. His athleticism has helped put him at the top of the stats chart thus far, but what truly sets him apart from the typical athlete is his maturity.

“Nolan is super mature for his age. He has worked for years as a first mate on charter boats, he is great in school, he is responsible and so respectful of coaches and teammates,” said Marathon coach Sean McDonald. “He leads by example and is a gentleman until the game begins – then he turns it on.”

For his on-field play, sportsmanship and dedication to making himself and his team better, Mara-

“Nolan has a great motor. He plays with complete intensity. He goes his hardest at all times.”

– Sean McDonald, Marathon football coach

BARRY GAUKEL/Keys Weekly

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

IN SEARCH OF A

Football free agency poses challenge for isolated Monroe County

Packed and stacked.

That was the theme of the opposition faced by Keys football teams on Sept. 1, when all three squads again lost to mainland private and charter schools. Open transferring and the ability to go from school to school has made for some seriously stacked teams in South Florida, and it seems as if Key West, Marathon and Coral Shores have a season full of all-star opposition on their schedules.

Unlike mainland schools, it is nearly impossible for Keys teams to lure student athletes to their rosters due to the unique geography of living on a string of islands. To make matters worse, it is never clear which teams will have the hot roster or which ones will give smaller public schools more even matchups from season to season.

Key West had an obvious hurdle with IMG Academy White, a school that professes to have “a proven reputation for player development, college recruitment and preparation to compete at the next level.” The Conchs looked across the line of scrimmage at a team full of multi-star recruits – last year, more than 60% of the school’s athletes committed to play at the Division I level and by the looks of this year’s roster, Key West’s second loss of the season came from a team that looks to do the same again.

More than 70 athletes traveled for IMG, making it easy for them to maintain a high level of play throughout

The Key West Conchs take on IMG Academy in their home opener on Sept. 1. The Ascenders outpaced the Conchs, 41-21.

Photos by GRACE ANDREW/Keys Weekly.

The Marathon Dolphins battle Somerset Silver Palms in their home opener on Sept. 1. Marathon suffered a 52-6 setback in the contest.

Photos by BARRY GAUKEL/Keys Weekly. See more game photos at keysweekly.com.

the night. In contrast, “Depth became an issue for us, that’s for sure,” said Conchs coach Johnny Hughes. Even so, his team was able to score a trio of TDs Friday night, including a 60-plus yard run by Jeff DeJean. Walston Moren added six more points on the ground on a short rocket pistol play. QB Adrian Mira faced a lot of pressure throughout the night, making for a rough passing game, but was able to get off a quick 1-yard TD pass to tight end Noah Mercer.

Hughes was optimistic about his team, notably Mira’s ability to run the option and the Conchs’ execution of several big plays which opened up for them over the course of the game.

“Unfortunately, we gave up some big plays, too. We can’t afford to do that against teams like them,” he said, noting that two turnovers cost the Conchs dearly. “We claw for every yard and down and can’t let up big plays.”

Another high cost for Key West was losing junior Jaden Fox with a shoulder injury. While it does not look as if Fox will be out for a lengthy period, he is unlikely to see action this week against yet another dominant force in South Florida football: Oxbridge Academy, which will travel to Key West on Sept. 8. Leo Baptiste and RJ Estevez are expected to fill in for Fox, who plays both ways, for the time being.

Marathon lost an important piece of their lineup Friday night as well, as sophomore Eddie Garcia had to leave the game with a whiplash-like injury. Like Fox, Garcia will be out for at least this coming week, which spells bad news for a team with already the smallest roster in Monroe County.

A small roster was not a common denominator in the Fins’ opponent last Friday – Somerset Academy Silver Palms boasts a 59-man roster. While some teams tend to fib on their heights and weights, the left tackle for the Stallions, William Massa, was all of the 6’4” and 300 pounds listed on the team’s stat sheet, dwarfing junior Nolan O’Hara, one of Marathon’s larger players.

O’Hara, who was directly across the line from his enormous competitor, “did not give up and worked all night to get past (Massa),” coach Sean McDonald said of his defensive end. “He could very easily have gone into self-preservation mode, but Nolan is a competitor and showed so much heart Friday night.”

“It was like David versus Goliath.” he added.

Marathon did manage one phenomenal touchdown in the lopsided 52-6 contest. Carlos Lezcano connected with Fabbianho Louis Jeune, who turned on his speed and took the ball in for a 65-yard touchdown. One of McDonald’s two seniors, Yaniel Garcia, pulled in an incredible interception in the first half of the game, adding another positive note to the team’s second loss this season.

“The team is young and green, but they do not give up. This is a process and we know it,” said McDonald. “The guys did a fantastic job of staying positive, never blaming, and working together. They will be good, but it is going to take a lot of work. This group is up for the challenge.”

Marathon’s next challenge comes at the hands of the NSU University School. Marathon will play the undefeated Sharks in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, Sept. 7.

Coral Shores coach Ed Holly is still feeling optimistic about his team’s season, describing the ’Canes as “young but eager to learn.” A relatively short trip to Palmer Trinity was extended for Coral Shores due to a heat delay and then a weather delay, putting the completion of the game in jeopardy because the Falcons’ stadium does not have lighting. The teams managed to get in all four quarters, and while Holly says his team is improving weekly, the ’Canes still need to work on “putting it all together” and doing so consistently, something that only comes from experience.

Coral Shores was down 14-0 at halftime and came out swinging in the second half. Hurricane fans who endured the heat and foul weather were rewarded with an exciting 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from Dantay Diorio. The ’Canes’ other score came from a Yemcel Moreno run in the final moments of the game.

Holly praised Diorio’s relentless play at cornerback and took a great deal of pride in the defensive play of both RJ Dube and Jamoris Davis, saying Dube “played his best game on defense so far.”

Coral Shores will have the home field advantage this week when they play Palm Glades Prep, a team which has yet to score a touchdown this season and whose roster included multiple middle school athletes. With his team earning valuable experience each quarter, Holly’s Hurricanes should give fans some exciting action on Saturday, Sept. 9.

KEY WEST BESTS MARATHON

3-0

Prep Volleyball Just Five Weeks from District Playoffs

It was a light week in prep volleyball after stormy conditions on Aug. 29 forced a postponement of one of just two matches scheduled for Keys play. Key West will play Mater Lakes on Oct. 12 in a makeup match and Coral Shores was off for the week. The Conchs did see some action, though, as did Marathon when the teams met in Key West on Aug. 31.

Key West won, beating the Fins 25-11, 25-12 and 25-7. Though the schools are in different classifications, friendly, local games are always a nice change from a long bus ride to the mainland. Marathon’s schedule will be light again this week, with just one match scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 7 at home against Palmer Trinity. Key West and Coral Shores will see more play at tournaments on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 8 and 9. Key West will travel to Jensen Beach and Coral Shores will head to Wesley Chapel outside of Tampa. All three teams will be working hard to prepare for their district brackets which begin Oct. 12.

Key West’s Elise Warwick (20) prepares to hit. BERT BUDDE/Keys Weekly

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

CROSS COUNTRY SPLITS THE DISTANCE

Keys runners meet on Big Pine for 5K

Monroe County’s cross country teams met up last week for a 5K on Big Pine Key. The Sept. 1 race was technically a Key West event, but the Conch coaches understand the challenges of long distance travel and the toll it takes over the span of a season. The location shaved off some travel time for many of the runners – particularly Marathon’s Bursa brothers, who felt right at home on a course which led them within shouting distance of home.

Junior Vance Bursa led the pack for the duration of the race with Key West’s Colbin Hill giving him a push at his heels until Bursa pulled away for the win. Bursa, who enjoys the chase, must have found a lively Key deer to pace him to his 17:46.16 first-place finish. Hill finished in second place, taking the top spot for the Conch boys. The Fins would fill the rest of the top seven spots, with brothers Jakub and Tony Bursa in third and fourth, respectively, senior Mason Buxton in fifth, and another brotherly duo taking sixth and seventh in Caleb and Dillon Shelar.

The boys and girls ran the race together, giving the top girls a chance to pace with some more speed than usual. The challenge resulted in personal bests for Conchs Caylaa Makimaa and Naima Thomas, who took the top two spots. Key West girls coach Keara McGraw was delighted with her entire team’s performance, saying Makimaa, Thomas and the rest of the Lady Conchs are “trending in the right direction for the season.”

Also trending in a good direction were Marathon’s Mikkel Ross, who came in third, followed by Key West’s Laira Anaya and Coral Shores’ Kai Guth. The Lady Fins had their own set of siblings in the top 10, with freshman Sara Robinson edging out sixth grader Shaina by just over 10 seconds.

McGraw added a second course for runners who wanted to compete at a shorter distance. Ten-year-old

Cadence Allen took the win for Big Pine Academy, while Coral Shores’ Zeffie Crockett and Jenna Mandozzi rounded out second and third place. The county meetup offered runners some friendly local competition, but this week the teams will return to long distance van rides to face opposition from a wider area. Coral Shores and Key West’s boys will participate in the FNU Invitational at Larry and Penny Thompson Park in Miami on Sept. 8 while Marathon headed to Miami Country Day on Sept. 6 (results not available at press time).

BOYS

1. Top girls finisher Caylaa Makimaa (26) and Naima Thomas (44) congratulate top short-course finisher Cadence Allen. 2. Key West’s Jerven Louis (25) leads a group of runners mid-course. 3. Key West harriers led by Prometheus Delacerda (10) work their way through the course on Big Pine Key. 4. Cadence Allen, left, Reagan Evans, Isabella Gotuzzo and Saige Ensign pace one another. 5. Runners make their final pre-race plans on Sept. 1 before the start of a 5K on Big Pine Key. Photos by KEARA MCGRAW/Contributed

MILES TO GO

THANKS FOR THE MUSICAL MEMORIES, JIMMY

Iknew he was born on Christmas Day 1946. I knew his wife’s name, his kids’ names and the background stories to many songs.

I’d read his books and short stories. I’d memorized his lyrics and pored over the liner notes in his “Boats, Beaches, Bars & Ballads,” CD boxed set (remember those?). I’d seen a dozen or so big concerts and sat 4 feet from him at a few intimate and impromptu performances at Margaritaville in Key West. Those “secret” shows were among my top 10 best nights in Key West.

Every few years, a whispered buzz would pass among locals via Key West’s “coconut telegraph” of island news and gossip. “Buffett’s in town. He’s playing tonight at Margaritaville. I’m not supposed to know or tell anyone.”

The worst-kept secret inevitably packed the Duval Street bar. A delighted roar would erupt when a barefoot Buffett appeared on the small stage, smiling conspiratorially at longtime sound man (and helluva good guy) JL Jamison while sliding a guitar strap over his shoulder.

I even interviewed the singer, songwriter, author and beach-themed business mogul in 1998, in his old office above Margaritaville on Duval Street.

I was a starstruck 22-year-old reporter who had lived in Key West for all of three months. Mel Fisher and Capt. Tony were still alive, though we’d lose Mel later that year.

But it had never occurred to me that Jimmy Buffett would die, and I’d be writing, not about the latest flock of Parrot Heads descending on Key West each November, but about the end of an era, and the loss of a man whose words, music and lifestyle played at least some role in our collective love affair with Key West.

But now he’s gone, and as he used to sing, “We’re sending the old man home.”

It’s been an interesting dynamic to witness since my phone started dinging incessantly with the news of his death around 5 a.m. Saturday.

Jimmy Buffett was gone, and Key West was left to figure out who it is without him.

Insane as it sounds, as locals on this island, does it not feel as if we’ve had some sort of “claim” to the music man? After all, we live here. Certainly, we knew him better. He liked us better. He sang about our little island. He put us on the map in many ways, so Jimmy

MANDY MILES

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

Buffett was somehow ours.

He may have disagreed. And I’m sure his longtime neighbors in Sag Harbor, Long Island feel much the same — that Jimmy Buffett is somehow “theirs.”

It’s not an intentional or remotely rational claim, but it’s true. As Key West locals, we get it. We get him.

We knew Jimmy Buffett better than those who just swill margaritas, wear a ridiculous hat to a summertime show in Cincinnati and crack themselves up every time they say, “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere.”

Some of us came to Key West because of what we heard in his songs, and we stayed because of the version of the island we found when we arrived.

Like the rhythmic silence that follows the last song on an old record, when music has filled a space for so long, the silence suddenly becomes an intrusion.

Thankfully, we’ll always be able to fill that silence with the soundtrack that always leads back to the Southernmost City.

Thanks, Jimmy. Fair winds and following seas, my friend.

I had a front-row seat for an impromptu Jimmy Buffett show at Key West’s Margaritaville in 2015. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly

Womenfest, taking place Sept. 6-10, provides affirming spaces for women to promote visibility, celebrate their identities and form meaningful connections with one another.

WOMENFEST/Contributed

KEY WEST WELCOMES WOMENFEST REVELERS

ANNUAL GATHERING INCLUDES POOL PARTIES, BOAT TRIPS, COMEDY SHOWS & MORE

One of North America’s largest gatherings of LGBTQ women is taking place through Sept. 10 in Key West, featuring festivities that only the welcoming island city can offer. Womenfest 2023 will feature an exhilarating lineup of activities and parties designed to cater to virtually every girl’s desires.

With a history dating back more than 20 years, the festival is presented by the Key West Business Guild and sponsored by Olivia Travel. It is well known for fostering camaraderie among like-minded women, while also showcasing the attributes that make Key West an internationally acclaimed lesbian and gay vacation destination.

“Key West Womenfest and Olivia Travel share a common mission of empowering LGBTQ women by providing them with affirming spaces to promote visibility, celebrate their identities, and form meaningful connections with one another,” said festival organizer Fritzie Estimond of the Key West Business Guild.

“It’s important more than ever to support women’s spaces and events, and keep them relevant,” Estimond said. “Womenfest has grown to be a standard for celebrating all women ages 21 and over.”

Festivities began Sept. 6, with awelcome party hosted by Alexander’s Guesthouse, 1118 Fleming St., featuring an open bar, small bites and live music from Keys entertainer Marjory Lee.

DONATE BOOKS TO BIG PINE LIBRARY

Thursday’s fun will start with the Ultimate Beach Bash and Cornhole Tournament, set for noon at Lagerheads on Simonton Beach, 0 Simonton St.

The day’s other attractions include the “Women, Words & Art Poetry Reading and Art Exhibition” at the Little Room Jazz Club, 821 Duval St.; a sunset sail aboard the luxury vessel Argo Navis, featuring drinks, appetizers and live music by the Jessica Wachs Duo; and the 2023 debut of “The Girly Burly Burlesque Show” at the Key West Theater, 512 Eaton St.

Among Friday’s highlights are a clothing-optional sandbar and snorkel trip on the Blu Q catamaran; an altrock concert featuring Marjory Lee and the Misspellings at the Smokin’ Tuna Saloon, 4 Charles St.; and the fancifully named “50 Shades of Pink” dance party at Mangoes, 700 Duval St., with DJ Blondie spinning tunes.

Festival attendees can explore Key West and learn about the island’s influential women Saturday morning on a Key Lime Bike Tour. The day also features multiple parties and the festival’s performance highlight: an all-welcome concert starring Sarah Potenza and Tonya Boyd-Cannon, who have both competed on television’s “The Voice” and released critically acclaimed musical offerings. The show is scheduled for 8 p.m. at the Key West Theater.

Womenfest participants can end their weekend the “Key West way” with two island city traditions slated for Sunday. The adults-only Mangoes Sunday Drag Brunch starts at noon, combining stellar entertainment and delicious brunch options. And the original Sunday Tea Dance is at La Te Da, 1125 Duval St., with DJ Rude Girl.

For information, tickets and complete schedule, visit gaykeywestfl.com/ womenfest/.

The Big Pine branch of the library is seeking donations of gently used hardcover and paperback books for its Friends of the Library book sales. Bring donations to the library on Big Pine Key in the Winn Dixie shopping center any day except Sunday. The books will be offered for sale Monday through Saturday at the library. All proceeds go back to the library for its programs and events. Call 305-731-6323 for more information. CONTRIBUTED

BOTANICAL GARDEN COMBINES ART, NATURE & KIDS

Art in the Garden happens Sept. 9

The Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden, 5210 College Road, invites kids of all ages to deepen their relationship with nature through art on Saturday, Sept. 9 from 10 a.m. to noon.. Participants will create their own bird feeders that support plants and animals while learning about the unique ecosystems of the Florida Keys.

For more information contact Alicia at education@keywest.garden or 305-296-1504. Registration is available at keywest.garden/events/childrensart-in-the-garden/.

What you need to know:

• Workshops are $10 per child/project

• Pay by credit card, cash or check when you check in on the day of the workshop.

• The garden provides materials.

• Registration is required.

Kids will make their very own bird feeder during an Art in the Garden workshop on Sept. 9 at the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden. CONTRIBUTED

— Contributed

BECOMING A WAVE FINDER ON YOUR VOYAGE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND BEYOND

SEPTEMBER

AGENDA

• GUARDIANSHIP AND THE ALTERNATIVES

• DECISION MAKING OPTIONS

• SPECIAL NEEDS TRUST

• KNOW YOUR LOCAL RESOURCES

•

• BEYOND THE IEP: WHAT IS THE INDIVIDUALIZED HEALTHCARE PLAN (IHP)?

• 1:1 IEP CONSULTATIONS AND MORE Brought

REGISTER NOW LIMITED TO 70 PEOPLE BIT.LY/ESEMONROE

ESCAPE TO FLAVOR

OF THE

GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR KEYS NONPROFITS

Apply for Community Foundation funds by Oct. 13

The Community Foundation of the Florida Keys is accepting applications from nonprofit organizations for its “Up and Over, for the Keys” grants program. The foundation will award $5,000 to $20,000 each to nonprofits for mission-building, general operating and/or program support through a competitive grants process.

The deadline to apply is Oct. 13 and the application form is available at cffk.org/grants.

A diverse group of residents from all parts of Monroe County will be

reviewing and scoring the funding requests. They are seeking grantees who can demonstrate that the grant, if awarded, will have a positive effect on residents of the Florida Keys and provide an unduplicated service aligned with the organization’s mission focus and area of expertise. The opportunity is intended to get the nonprofit “up and over” a current hurdle with a plan for funding going forward once the grant period ends.

“We have listened to the nonprofits who tell us they struggle with rising costs and need help with operating support for their primary work rather than creating new programs,” said Jennifer McComb, president and CEO of the foundation. “We are joining other community foundations who are transitioning to become trust-based philanthropy partners with nonprofits.”

The foundation will present grant checks to nonprofits in November. Grant guidelines and the application are available at cffk.org/grants. For assistance, contact Kevin Bowes at kevin@cffk.org or 305-809-4992.

— Contributed

MEMBERSHIP HAS ITS PRIVILEGES

A Monroe County library card opens more than books

September is Library Card

Signup Month, when the Monroe County Public Library joins the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries nationwide to remind everyone about the resources available with a library card.

From borrowing books, e-books, audiobooks and DVDs to getting homework help, learning new skills, streaming films or attending a book club or story time, a library card helps everyone do more of what they enjoy. All without stretching their budget.

Interested in trying a new hobby? The library can help. Thinking about starting or growing a small business? Monroe County Public Library offers LinkedIn Learning, with more than 20,000 courses that can help entrepreneurs and small business owners. There are also courses in technology and creative fields that can help people advance in their professional and personal lives. And the library offers Law Depot, where you can get business agreements and other forms. Each branch offers free wifi and loans laptops for in-library use. The library also offers printing and copying for 10 cents a page.

The library has a lending machine and pickup locker that are available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily at Bern-

stein Park on Stock Island, as well as a lending machine that is available 24/7 at the Murray Nelson Government Center in Key Largo.

“The Monroe County Public Library is here to serve Keys residents, whether they are looking for entertainment, learning or access to technology like laptops and printing,” said Kimberly Matthews, Monroe County Senior Director of Strategic Planning and Libraries. “We’re dedicated to providing residents with opportunities to improve their quality of life and get the information and resources they need.”

With a Monroe County Public Library card, e-books, e-audiobooks, online courses, magazines, streaming video and more are available any time.

The Monroe County Public Library continues to adapt and expand services to meet the evolving needs of the community. More information is at keyslibraries.org or via email to info@keyslibraries.org.

Since 1987, Library Card Signup Month has been held each September to mark the beginning of the school year. During the month, the ALA and libraries work together in a national effort to ensure every child signs up for a library card.

The Monroe County Public Library is South Florida’s oldest public library, with branches in Key West, Big Pine Key, Marathon, Islamorada and Key Largo.

CONCH KEY MAN FACES ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE

GWEN FILOSA gwen@keysweekly.com

By early the next morning, Capurro was still ranting about a burglar being in his home, reports said.

Capurro’s roommate told deputies Capurro had been on a meth bender.

She said they both started doing meth the night of Aug. 29 – before Capurro called the sheriff’s office claiming a burglary had happened.

The roommate said she stopped doing meth, but Capurro kept ingesting the highly addictive potent central nervous system stimulant known to send addicts into delusions and violent behavior.

KEY WEST POLICE OFFICERS EARN LIFESAVING AWARD

In a recent awards ceremony hosted by the Grand Key Resort, Key West Police Chief Sean Brandenburg recognized the accomplishment of several officers for the first half of 2023. Among them were a number of Lifesaving Awards, including recognition of Officers Scott Standerwick, Raymond Roscoe, Tyler Getchel and Andrew Litton.

On July 6, police responded to a call at Mallory Square. The caller reported that an emotionally disturbed man had taken all of his clothes off, jumped into the water, and was actively cutting his wrists. Three officers spotted the man and monitored his movement with the current while the Marine Unit responded. Using crisis intervention techniques, the officers were able to persuade the man to get into the boat where they began life-saving efforts.

“Had it not been for the quick action of all officers involved, acting as they have been trained and using their excellent decision-making capabilities,” said Brandenburg, “this man would have perished.”

— Contributed

High on methamphetamine and ranting about a nonexistent burglar, a Conch Key man on Aug. 30 fired a handgun three times inside his home while his roommate was inside, according to Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies.

No one was injured, but that wasn’t for a lack of trying, deputies said. His roommate, a 27-year-old woman who had her infant son with her when the first gunshot went off, said she feared for her life.

Peter Anthony Capurro, 57, was taken to the county jail on Stock Island and charged with attempted murder, shooting into an occupied structure, and improper exhibition of a firearm.

Capurro’s final shot on Aug. 30 went through his bedroom door and nearly struck his roommate, deputies said.

On Sept. 5, Capurro remained locked up on a $285,000 bond with a Sept. 20 court date, according to MCSO online records.

The night before the shooting, Capurro had called the Sheriff’s Office to his home on West Conch Avenue. He claimed he saw two people hiding behind the shower curtain in his bathroom, “so he discharged a firearm towards the shower,” MCSO Detective Ty Torres wrote in the incident report.

Torres and deputies went to Capurro’s home but found no evidence a burglary had happened. But they noticed he was acting erratically and appeared to be high on narcotics.

Capurro “continued and exceeded a normal amount consumed by a common user,” and began hallucinating and acting erratically, Torres reported the woman said.

Capurro told his roommate there was a burglar in the home and summoned her to the living room. He fired the handgun at his bathroom door.

The roommate said she raced out of the home with her infant son to her parents’ home nearby.

She left the child at her parents’ house “and for some reason decided to return back to the residence where Capurro was,” according to the MCSO report. Capurro fired the gun again while she was in her bedroom.

She went to confront Capurro. While she was standing behind his bedroom door, he aimed and fired into the door.

After a brief standoff with deputies, Capurro walked out of the home without further incident and was first taken to Fishermen’s Community Hospital in Marathon. He was later taken to jail.

The Sheriff’s Office found several firearms in Capurro’s home, including a 12-gauge shotgun, a .357 revolver, a 9mm handgun, and three rifles.

MCSO obtained a risk protection order Aug. 30 “in order to prevent the weapons from being in the possession of Capurro,” spokesman Adam Linhardt said.

Police say meth-fueled frenzy brings several charges against 57-year-old

Peter Anthony Capurro was booked into the county jail. MCSO photo

Officer Andrew Litton, Chief Sean Brandenburg and Tyler Getchel. CONTRIBUTED

Honorees prevented tragedy for mentally ill man

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.

Florida has a tetchy relationship with flamingos. A few centuries ago, before the state had been developed, they were common in South Florida and the Keys, as evidenced by a letter written by Gustavus Würdemann, an employee of the U.S. Coast Survey. He worked in the Keys for several months in 1857, installing equipment to monitor and record the tides, but he had a hobby of collecting bird and fish specimens and sending them off to the newly burgeoning Smithsonian Institution, as well as the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard. In his letter, which was published posthumously in 1860, he recounts seeing a flock of 500 American flamingos on the flats around Indian Key and Islamorada. (John James Audubon wrote of similar-sized flocks a quarter-century before.) Würdemann also wrote about going out with a local hunter, who captured at least 100 of them and kept them, with their legs tied together, in a single canoe. (Many of the birds did not survive, which was how Würdemann collected the skins he sent to the Smithsonian.)

Hunting practices like this, as well as the plume hunters who decimated wading bird populations throughout South Florida at the end of the 1800s and early 1900s, largely wiped out the Florida population of American flamingos. For a long time it was believed that any flamingos seen in South Florida were escapees from Hialeah Race Track, though that was disproved in the early 1990s when a bird that had been banded in Mexico was seen in the Everglades.

Also, there was the lesson of Conchy, a flamingo trapped in 2015 for its own protection by Tom Sweets of the Key West Wildlife Center at Naval Air Station Key West. Before it was released near Everglades National Park it was equipped with a satellite transmitter, which tracked its movements on a daily basis. The data showed the bird moving all over Florida Bay for the next few years, yet it was reported very rarely by birders. Despite being fourfoot-tall pink birds, flamingos are apparently capable of moving around with hardly anyone noticing them.

Back in the 2010s several large flocks of flamingos, most likely birds that had come over from the Bahamas, were seen at a stormwater treatment area in Palm Beach County known as STA-2. Almost 150 were seen at the peak in 2014, but those numbers slowly dwindled back to nothing.

FLAMINGOSA- GO - GO IN FLORIDA, AND ELSEWHERE

Generally in Florida we only get the occasional flamingo sighting; more often than not, lone birds. (I’ve seen three of them since 2020, and eight or 10 in the time I’ve lived in the Keys.) Florida Bay tends to be the most likely place to see them. At least this was the case until tropical storm-turned-hurricane Idalia came along.

In the week since the storm passed, American flamingos have been popping up everywhere – six were spotted at St. Marks Wildlife Refuge just south of Tallahassee, one in a lake in Gainesville, one in Palm Coast, three in Clearwater, 16 at Treasure Island Beach, three in Fort De Soto, two on Anna Maria Island, five at Boca Grande in Charlotte County, 14 in Factory Bay near Marco Island, and a whopping 51(!) at Estero Bay Preserve State Park near Sanibel.

They’ve also been seen in Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio.

The flamingos have been a mix of adult and immature birds. (You can tell by how pink they are.) Since Idalia formed off the coast of the Yucatan, and lingered there for some time, it’s thought the Yucatan is where most of these birds came from.

It seemed only a matter of time until some were spotted in the Keys, which turned out to be the case.

Last Friday a ranger at Curry Hammock State Park spotted three flamingos flying southwest over the park. Late in the afternoon, as Mariah Hryniewich and Gianna Arcuri were finishing their day at the Florida Keys Hawkwatch, they saw a report that said Amy Grimm had just spotted eight American flamingos in one of the salt ponds of Grassy Key, just a few miles north.

When they arrived there the flamingos were all spread out in a line, mostly loafing. They set up their scopes to get better looks at the birds, which was when Mariah noticed a wide, yellow, plastic band on one of the birds’ legs. It had the letters DXCL on it.

Through a few of her birding connections, Mariah quickly found out that the band was from a project at Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve located near the eastern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula. The bird was banded in 2000, making it 23 years old. (American flamingos tend to breed between 2 and 6 years old.) It was banded during a time when the American flamingo population was being heavily preyed on by jaguars, and a team of veterinarians and scientists had worked together to incubate and hatch 200 eggs.

Mariah and Gianna went out to dinner, but stopped by the Grassy Key salt ponds on the way home to see the birds again, because you can never see enough flamingos. But the birds had moved on. Where they’d gone is still unclear, though three were spotted Tuesday off near Munson Island off Big Pine, and one was spotted by Colleen Fuller on Big Pine on Tuesday evening.

Whether the birds will stay in Florida, try to return to Mexico, or possibly move on to somewhere like Cuba is unknown. The ones that have been seen around the state are already getting hard to find. Though, as Conchy taught us, flamingos being hard to find does not mean they are not here.

Eight American flamingos seen recently on Grassy Key. MARIAH HRYNIEWICH/Contributed

KEY WEST RESTAURATEUR HELPS HIS HOMETOWN OF LAHAINA

KAYA ISLAND EATS & KEY WEST CARES HOST FUNDRAISER SEPT. 29

Scott Taylor, managing owner of Kaya Island Eats in Key West, grew up in Lahaina, Hawaii and has been devastated by the destruction wrought by last month’s wildfire.

Taylor has partnered with the nonprofit Key West Cares to host a fundraiser starting at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 29.

The Polynesian-themed party will take place within the EmPOURium, 618 Duval St., where Kaya Island Eats is located. The event will feature islandstyle food, tropical drinks, live local music and a silent auction.All proceeds will benefit the Maui Strong Foundation.

”I grew up in Lahaina and called it home until 1996,” Taylor said. “I have lifelong close friends who have lost everything. My daughter, cousins, aunts

and uncles all live on Maui. When I dream at night, my dreams all take place in Lahaina and the surrounding areas.”

This fundraising event will be a celebration of what makes Key West and Maui special — islanders coming together at a time of need to help one another. Taylor has called Key West his second island home for the past 27 years.

Tickets are $75 for VIP admission that includes free drinks, a commemorative shirt and buffet dinner. General admission tickets for $50 include the entry fee, a cash bar and dinner. Tickets are available at the door or online at keystix.com.

Guests who are unable to attend but wish to contribute may contact Taylor directly at 305-395-0213.

— Contributed

Scott Taylor, who owns Kaya Island Eats in Key West, grew up surfing in Lahaina, Hawaii and is now hosting a Sept. 29 fundraiser to help his hometown in the wake of last month’s devastating wildfire. CONTRIBUTED

A long-exposure photograph shows Lāhainā the night of Aug. 8 to 9 from South Maui — the curved streaks are star trails, not embers. WTP22/Wikipedia

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY AVAILABLE

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

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

The old Strand Theater, 527 Duval St., currently a Walgreens store, still has the theater’s brightly lit facade and marquee. GWEN FILOSA/Keys Weekly

MIAMI COMPANY

GWEN FILOSA gwen@keysweekly.com

AMiami-based real estate group with historic family ties to Key West announced on Aug. 29 that it now owns a Duval Street gem: the Walgreens building that once housed the landmark Strand Theater.

Representatives from the Orion Real Estate Group said the company paid $5.2 million for the property at 527 Duval St., buying it from the Walgreens corporation. The purchase took place on Aug. 23.

The 10,000-square-foot building still has the iconic marquee and facade from the Strand, which opened in the 1920s. Each night on Duval, the luminous display pours over the 500 block of Key West’s most famous street.

Orion plans to keep the drug store chain as a tenant.

“It will be a Walgreens for the foreseeable future,” said Caroline Williams, a publicist for the buyer, in a Sept. 6 email to the Keys Weekly.

The building also has two onebedroom apartments in the back that Orion plans to renovate.

“But there won’t be any major redevelopment as it is a historic building.” Williams said.

Joseph Sanz, Orion’s executive chairman whose great-grandparents made a home in Key West in the early 1900s, said his group is “thrilled to close on this Walgreens building located on the well-known Duval Street

HISTORIC STRAND

in Key West. It’s a remarkable location and we are proud to continue expanding our portfolio with this historic building.

“It’s a very meaningful acquisition for us, as my family, the Sanz family, has a long history in Key West and previously owned a restaurant on Duval Street,” Sanz added.

In 1902, Jaime and Margarita Sanz emigrated from Spain to Key West, via Havana, Cuba on the Olivette steam-

ship. In Key West, the family opened the Victoria Restaurant at the corner of Duval and Greene streets. The Victoria closed in the 1930s and became home to Sloppy Joe’s Bar.

The couple lived at 121 Duval St. and their four children were born here. The Sanz family left Key West for Miami in 1920.

The former Strand building housed a Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditorium in 1993.

BUYS

THEATER FROM WALGREENS FOR $5.2M Buyer says it will remain a drug store for ‘foreseeable future’

The Strand Theatre, 527 Duval St., in the mid-1960s. MONROE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY'S FLORIDA KEYS HISTORY CENTER ARCHIVES/Contributed

SATURDAY, SEPT. 30

KEY LARGO TO KEY WEST 1 DAY -100 MILES

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

PROMOTING CONCH PRIDE SINCE 1971

VOTED BEST FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS IN 2021

VOTED BEST OVERALL BUSINESS

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

A TURN OF FORTUNE

CHRIS

M c NULTY

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

Earlier this week, Venus and Jupiter performed a little switch dance for us. On Sunday night, Venus turned direct after being retrograde for a little over 40 days. A mere 12 hours later, Jupiter turned retrograde and will remain so until the end of the year. Now that Venus is moving forward, all of our inner reflection and possible frustration with life balance, beauty and relationships can begin to integrate and cohere. For example, if your ex has been contacting you, now you will start to feel like you can take some right action to address those DMs. And while retrogrades tend to bring up some worrisome feelings, don’t fret Jupiter’s retrograde period. Known as the Greater Benefic, Jupiter bestows joy and bounty no matter which direction it is traveling. Jupiter retrograde is a period of time when we build up abundance and regrow our inner wisdom. Just after Jupiter’s aboutface, it forms a helpful 120-degree relationship to Mercury and the Sun, which happen to be smack dab on top of each other. We call this moment the “Mercury cazimi,” or Mercury in the heart of the Sun, and it is the exact halfway point of Mercury’s retrograde. Not only can we expect our fortune to start turning around, but we will also be able to clearly and objectively understand why.

Here are your horoscopes for Jupiter Trine the Mercury cazimi. Read for your rising and sun signs.

Virgo

Aug. 23 - Sept. 22

Your self-expression is hitting a high point, Virgo, and you are currently able to see very clearly who you are and how you share your-

self with the world. Speak your truth now because it will translate directly. Also, pay careful attention to the new experiences you are having. These adventures are expanding your self-empowerment. Staying out of your comfort zone will bring prosperity.

Libra

Sept. 23 - Oct. 23

Over the next few months, don’t be surprised if you inherit something wonderful or receive a great return on an investment you’ve made. Yes, this windfall could very well be monetary, but it could also be a bounty of material goods, energetic support or a mission accomplished. My guess is you already know what this could be, and right now is the time to trust your deep intuition because it is crystal clear.

Scorpio

Oct. 24 - Nov. 21

You are starting a journey to reevaluate your beliefs on partnership, and this reflection will bring much joy and generosity into your life. Right now, clearly seeing and honoring the friends in your life who make up your network of support will help to steer your newly gestating ideas on what partnership could look like. See the long game!

Sagittarius

Nov. 22 - Dec. 21

It appears that your work and career goals are clear as day right now, so now it is time to change your routines to match the life you’re envisioning. Allocating your time with some different strategies to create space for more joy in your life will ultimately help you to achieve those goals at work. Start putting some ink in that planner!

Capricorn

Dec. 22 - Jan. 19

You seem to be very clear about what you believe about the world and what new experiences you

need to have in order to live out your belief system. You’re embarking on a journey of creative exploration, and whether your journey is literal or figurative, it is high time to let your creative whimsy support your personal philosophy. Think Salvador Dali or Alice in Wonderland, and take the first step in your own mind-expanding adventure.

Aquarius

Jan. 20 - Feb. 18

Time spent at home can be considered an investment in yourself, and the time between now and the end of the year is perfect for letting your home become a much bigger part of your life. Right now, you can clearly see the return on investment that you will receive when you tend to your nest. Trust that prediction.

Pisces

Feb. 19 - March 20

It looks like you are receiving a revelation about a partner in your life, or having a flash of insight about partnership in general. Perhaps you are seeing someone that you once considered a really close friend in a new, romantic light. Right now, finding great joy in the familiar will offer you helpful insights into your partnerships. Talking it through will only help.

Aries

March 21 - April 19

Wow, Aries, the next few months look to be a period of expanded income (or expanded spending, but let’s aim for the income). Money and material goods promise to become more prominent in your life, bringing joy and generosity. At this particular point in time, you can see very clearly what discipline you will need to put in place to both achieve and to manage the upcoming bounty. Pay attention!

Taurus

April 20 - May 20

You may have been feeling a little extra spring in your step lately,

and you can bet that it’s just going to be gaining more buoyancy. It is time to find the deep, boisterous joy within yourself and to feel full in the knowledge that you are enough. Everyone needs to have an outlet to express themselves, particularly when they are overflowing with self-confidence. You can see your creative release clearly, so take it.

Gemini

May 21 - June 21

Start your chanting and contemplate your koans because you are beginning a multi-month personal retreat. No, I don’t see you heading into the mountains (unless you actually are), but you are about to have a deep dive into your inner sanctuary. You can clearly see what your home is right now, and there is a strong connection between your spiritual path and your home. Find your joy in the inner travel.

Cancer

June 22 - July 22

Supportive people are all around you. There are more people out there who want you to succeed than you are even aware of. In the next few months, I see these people coming out of the woodwork to offer a helping hand. In fact, they might even be as close as your siblings or neighbors. My guess is that you can very clearly see who those people are right now. Trust their generosity.

Leo

July 23 - Aug. 22

It appears that you have a particular monetary or material goal, and you can see that goal very clearly. Trying to buy a new car? Seeking a certain number in the bank? Desiring a fancy rug that would really tie the room together? Keep your goal in mind, and get ready for some fortune to come from work to support your desires.

TAX COLLECTOR’S OFFICE EARNS FINANCIAL EXCELLENCE AWARD

SAM STEELE ELECTED TO STATEWIDE LEADERSHIP BOARD

Monroe County Tax Collector Sam C. Steele and his staff recently earned the Florida Tax Collectors Association’s Legacy Award for financial excellence. Presented during the group’s annual forum in Orlando, the award is one of the highest honors a Florida tax collector can receive from the FTCA. It is also a first for Monroe County, according to a press release.

A five-person judging panel of government financial executives examined the Monroe County tax collector’s financial operations — its budgeting, customer focus and technology innovation/automation. The panel also required a perfect financial audit clear of findings.

“It was an honor to bring this award home to Monroe County alongside Daniel Cabot, our chief financial officer. The Legacy Award recognizes our whole team for their performance as stewards of Monroe County taxpayers’ dollars,” said Steele, who was also recognized by FTCA for completing a two-year course in executive leadership.

He was also elected to the FTCA board of directors for District 10, which represents Monroe, MiamiDade, Lee, Collier, and Hendry counties. In the new leadership role, he will support the association’s mission to provide leadership, legislative advocacy, and assistance in influencing sound public policy on behalf of Floridians.

Also, as co-chair of the FTCA’s Records Management Coalition, Steele and co-chair Shelly Edmonson of Flagler County hosted an educational session about managing public records and complying with Florida’s public record laws.

“My team and I are proud to be recognized at the state level for our performance and leadership here in Monroe County,” Steele said.

More information about the Monroe County Tax Collector’s office is at monroetaxcollector.com or on Facebook at Monroe County Tax Collector Key West.

SHELF HELP

STAFF FROM YOUR MONROE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY RECOMMEND SOME OF THEIR FAVORITES FROM THE COLLECTION.

What: “Daisy Jones & The Six” by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Why: This novel is a complicated narrative that gives an insider’s perspective to the ’70s rock scene. Most bands don’t fail, they break up, and Reid shows readers exactly how it happens. Loaded with plenty of drugs and the antics that accompany stardom’s excesses, readers won’t be disappointed. I really felt that the mystery of inspiration and muse come through as the artistic process unfolds for the two main characters, Billy and Daisy. But egos and passions steer this boat toward the rocks too many times to count, leaving you wondering how long they can keep it all afloat.

Where: This is available as a print book, audiobook on CD, 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: Amy Skerly, library assistant, Key West branch.

Citrus County Tax Collector Janice Warren recognizes Monroe County Tax Collector Sam Steele for completing a two-year executive leadership course. CONTRIBUTED

Monroe County Tax Collector Sam Steele, left, and his chief financial officer Daniel Cabot, right, accept the Legacy Award for financial excellence from Putnam County Tax Collector Linda Myers. CONTRIBUTED

HELP KEEP KEY WEST CLEAN

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.

JOIN A 1- HOUR CLEANUP FRIDAY MORNINGS

Key West Police Department and Monroe County Sheriff’s Office helped clear out occupants from under the Cheryl Cates Memorial Bridge and removed trash, bicycles and debris beside and under the bridge. The Ploggers brought out an additional 26 volunteers who cleaned U.S. 1, part of College Road and the Triangle. Thanks to host Marriott Beachside Hotel for providing breakfast afterward. The volunteers collected 376 pounds of garbage, seven pounds of recycling and three gallons of cigarette butts. 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

Join a 1-hour Friday morning cleanup from 8 to 9 a.m. at the following locations:

Friday, Sept. 8: Duval & Petronia streets. Meet at Key West Business Guild office.

Friday, Sept. 15: City of Key West Fire Station on Simonton Street. Meet in parking lot.

Friday, Sept. 22: Flagler Avenue and Bertha Street. Meet at Brady’s Irish Pub.

Friday, Sept. 29: Fort and Geraldine streets. Meet at CHI Health Center parking lot.

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.

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 specialneeds 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.

The Ploggers meet Sept. 1 at White Street and Atlantic Boulevard, where 25 volunteers collected 161 pounds of trash, seven pounds of recycling and two gallons of cigarette butts. Mary Parsons received the city manager’s Extra Mile Coin. Special thanks to the Sons and Daughters of Italy Lodge for hosting the cleanup and providing the volunteers with refreshments.

Mamma is a 2-year-old female terrier mix. She and her five puppies were rescued a year ago, and her puppies have all found homes. Now it's Mam

ma's turn.

Fennel is a 1-year-old female rabbit. New to the Key West campus, she is ready to hop away with your heart.

-

Mary is a 7-year-old female domestic shorthair. This panther-like beauty is ready to slink into your heart.

This 11-month-old female domestic shorthair is named Soul. One look into the eyes of this kitten and it feels like she can look right into your … well, you know.

Meet Pepper. This female, domestic shorthair is 3 years old and ready to spice up a new home.

FRESH AUTHENTIC ITALIAN CUISINE

CAPTAIN JOEL’S FISHIN’ HOLES THE FALL HAUL IS HERE

As we enter into the fall fishing season, I start getting excited. Fall is one of my favorite seasons in the Florida Keys for offshore and inshore fishing as well as lobster diving and spearfishing.

…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.

One of the biggest changes we're seeing right now is that the mahi bite seems to be getting a lot better. This summer, most anglers would agree the mahi bite was slow, with lower quality and quantity than usual. Some anglers blame it on our record heat wave; some blame it on the increase of commercial mahi fisherman in the Bahamas, cutting our mahi off at the pass; and some blame it on our increased fishing pressure here at home. Many anglers were expecting a banner mahi season since the daily mahi bag limit was recently reduced by FWC. We have seen better quality and quantity mahi caught this August and expect September and October to be an awesome mahi bite as well.

Another theory about why the mahi bite is picking up in dramatic fashion is that the fish simply had a late migration this year into the Florida Keys. With the fall season come tropical storms and hurricanes, and when it comes to mahi fishing, we have a love-hate relationship with these cyclones. Needless to say, we hate when the tropical storms and hurricanes come close enough to keep us off the water, but we love the debris we find floating offshore after the storms with high wind and waves.

One of my favorite times to fish for mahi is right after a tropical storm or hurricane passes us. The blackfin tuna bite gets better at the Marathon Humps too, not to mention that wahoo start showing up.

Fall is also great for post-spawn snapper fishing. We like to anchor in the back country near East Bahia in Honda Key in four to six feet of water on grass flats with Swiss cheese-shaped sand pockets. We chum them up and fish for them with live pilchards or small pinfish. On days when we can't find live bait, we do well with chunks of ballyhoo on a jig head.

Mutton snapper come in closer in the fall and are caught in much shallower water inside the reefs. The yellowtail snapper bite picks up at the reef due to decreased offseason pressure, and larger schoolmaster snapper start showing up around the bridges.

Another fish we like to target in early fall is yellow jacks. When I tell clients we're going to go to target yellow jacks, many times they say, “Captain, we've already caught jack crevalles before, and although they're fun, they're not good table fare.” Then I explain the difference to them. Some biologists claim that yellow jacks aren't indigenous to this area and showed up two or three decades ago. They fight like a jack crevalle, but they taste like a permit or pompano – excellent table fare.

We also like to slow troll for grouper inside the reefs and under and beside bridges. We use stretch 30s and also occasionally use planers with jigs and plastic. Once the water cools down more, gamefish move in closer, which makes spearfishing better in the fall than the summer.

After a summer of heavy pressure, fall can be a great time to target grouper before the season closes at the end of the year.

While often mistaken for the poor-eating jack crevalle, yellow jacks give a great fight and a tasty meal.

We also like to lobster dive in early fall. This year, the commercial lobster fishermen say it's one of the best lobster years they've seen in decades. Most of the commercial lobster fishermen have been getting their lobster in deeper water, and mostly on the Atlantic side. Another sign that the lobster have not migrated into the shallow waters of the Gulf in big numbers is that the commercial bully netters have had a real tough time catching lobster so far. Some commercial lobster fishermen say that the lobster are hanging in deeper water because of our heat wave, while some also say that part of the reason they’ve had such a hot start is because we had terrible weather both days of mini-season, preventing tourists from putting a dent in the lobster migration,. Rather than during mini-season or even opening week, we tell our lobster clients to come down lobster diving in September and October, when we seem to catch better quality and quantity.

Another good thing about fishing and diving in the fall is that the kids have gone back to school, and the tourist off-season is here, meaning less crowded hotels, motels and vacation rental homes are easier to reserve at a reduced off-season price.

I hope we dodge all direct hits from tropical storms and hurricanes this fall and hope to fish, dive and spear with you in our beautiful Florida Keys.

To book a charter with Ana Banana, call or text Capt. Joel at 813-2674401 or Capt. Jojo at 305-879-0564, or visit anabananafishing.com.

CAPT. JOEL BRANDENBURG

A commercial lobster boat unloads an impressive early-season catch.

Photos by JOEL BRANDENBURG/Contributed

LEADERSHIP MONROE COUNTY ANNOUNCES CLASS XXXI

Leadership Monroe County, an educational non-profit community leadership organization, has announced its 31st year of programs with the selection of Class XXXI. The LMC program is aimed at residents who are active in leadership in the private sector, government or community organizations. Through a series of single or multi-day sessions over seven months, participants examine the fundamental public and private segments throughout the county. The program also provides participants the opportunity for mutual awareness and discussion of issues affecting the Keys. These experiences help participants grow as residents and leaders as well as provide connections among other leaders across the county.

Sessions begin Sept. 29 in Key West with subsequent monthly classes throughout the Keys, culminating with graduation in April 2024. Sessions are led by experts and leaders in the respective fields covered in each session. The sessions begin their focus on the challenges and opportunities that confront the dynamic tourism industry and the Keys economy. They continue to evaluate vital environmental issues from the Everglades to Florida Bay and the coral reefs, the Monroe County education system, the multiple levels of government, the judiciary and law enforcement system, the historical and present military significance in the Keys, emergency management and emerging best practices; and examine the Keys health care system providers, the human services sector, the increasing impact of the non-profit arts and creative industries, and the rapidly changing media platforms that inform the citizenry and affect and influence public policy.

Established in 1992, Leadership Monroe County is an independent nonprofit, governed by a countywide board of directors.

— Contributed

Class XXXI Members

• John Allen, director, Monroe County Parks and Beaches

• Donny Barrios, station commander, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office

• Danette Baso-Silvers, public affairs officer, Naval Air Station (NAS), Key West

• Rachel Carrier, director of operations, Marine Lab

• Patti Childress, business specialist, Keys Weekly

• Dale Coburn, attorney, Wolfe Stevens, PLLC

• Maria Covelli, grants coordinator, City of Marathon

• Lu Dodson, park manager, Islamorada Area State Parks

• George Fernandez, CEO, The Butterfly Conservancy

• Jay Fraioli, president, Media Counselors

• Judy Gregoire, camp director, Seacamp Association

• Jason Ingram, USCG sector commander/captain of the port

• Ben Kemmer, CEO, Florida Children’s Shelter

• James Morgan, Monroe County judge

• John Picco, financial advisor, Edward Jones

• Taylor Konrath Quarles, treasurer, Marathon Garbage Service Inc.

• Beth Regoli, commanding officer, Naval Air Station Key West

• Julie Schilling, AVP, Lower Keys regional manager, First State Bank

• Randy Smith, operations captain, Key West Police Department

• Michele White, SVP, First Horizon, Commercial Banking Leader

• Kenneth Wolfe, laboratory administrative director, Fishermen’s Hospital

• Suzi Youngberg, director and rescue coordinator, MarrVelous Pet Rescues

KIDS ARE FREE — OR CHEAP

KEYS ATTRACTIONS OFFER DISCOUNTS THROUGH OCT. 15 FOR CHILDREN 12 AND UNDER

Parents, kids, grandparents and extended families can explore Florida Keys attractions, tours, nature centers, museums, watersports and other offerings through a program that provides free admission and opportunities for children age 12 and under.

NOAA PROTECTS RELOCATED CORAL NURSERY

The Dolphin Research Center on Grassy Key is participating in the Kids’ Keys Deals program. Visit kidskeysdeals.com for all discount offers.

CONTRIBUTED

The Kids Keys Deals program continues through Sunday, Oct. 15, and is spearheaded by the Key West Attractions Association.

Families can visit kidskeysdeals. com to download coupons for visits to nature-themed and historic attractions, restaurant perks and enjoyable activities on the water. The site features links to participating businesses and information about their offerings.

The program requires that each child be accompanied by at least one paying adult, and is open to visiting and Keys families.

TEMPORARY SPECIAL USE AREA LIMITS USAGE FOR 60 DAYS

Coral nurseries that were relocated to protect them from high water temperatures will be further protected by a newly established temporary special use area in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. CONTRIBUTED

The Key West Aquarium, along with other boats, watersports, museums and attractions throughout the Florida Keys, offer special discounts for kids through Oct. 15.

Participating attractions in Key West include the Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum, Conch Tour Train, Key West Aquarium, Old Town Trolley Tours, Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory, Sails to Rails Museum, Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden, Key West Escape Room and Harry S. Truman Little White House.

Elsewhere in the island chain, offerings for kids include free general admission to the Middle Keys’ Dolphin Research Center, a nonprofit marine mammal research and education facility, and Marathon’s Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters marine park; and admission and other treats from Islamorada’s oneof-a-kind History of Diving Museum. Also featured are watersports excursions such as snorkeling trips, sunset sails and excursion values or gifts. Participating watersports operators include Danger Charters, FunKey Charters, Fish Monster MAX, Sebago Watersports and Fury Water Adventures.

— Contributed

In response to rising ocean temperatures, NOAA has used its emergency authority to create a temporary special use area in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to protect endangered corals that have been relocated to a nursery in federal waters about five miles southeast of Tavernier. The temporary regulation lasts 60 days, with the option for one 60-day extension, and prohibits all entry except for continuous transit without interruption.

“It’s critical for managers to have the ability to quickly respond to urgent situations,” said Sarah Fangman, sanctuary superintendent. “Coral bleaching created by the recent marine heat wave has forced practitioners into an emergency response, moving endangered corals to cooler, deeper water. This temporary special use area will limit physical impact to sensitive coral nursery stock from anchoring, unintentional fouling of fishing gear, and bottom tending fishing gear including traps.”

Expert forecasts suggest that extreme ocean temperatures will likely persist until at least October. Coral nursery stock located in shallow nurseries (20-30 feet in depth) are most at risk, where nearshore protected environments heat up much more intensely than offshore locations. The relocated site, protecting 2,800 coral fragments, has been established in 70 feet of water.

“The temporary rule is an important management tool that the state and FKNMS have, and this is a perfect

example of how it should be used,” said Ken Nedimyer, technical director for Reef Renewal USA. “We ask that fishermen and local boaters be understanding about the need for this temporary closure. Many of the corals being held in this nursery are the sole remaining colonies left from what used to be thriving thickets of staghorn or elkhorn, so the future prospects for restoration depend on keeping them alive. We anticipate moving the corals back to our Tavernier nursery sometime in October or November, so the duration of the closure is just about right.”

The emergency action is taken in accordance with the sanctuary’s original 1997 regulations: “where necessary to prevent or minimize the destruction of, loss of, or injury to a Sanctuary resource, any and all activities are subject to immediate temporary regulation, including prohibition.” Because further damage to these sensitive nursery corals would occur if the prohibition implemented by this rule was delayed, NOAA found good cause to waive notice and public comment.

It has been 20 years since the sanctuary used the emergency provision. In 2003, a similar coral stress event resulted in a temporary no-entry zone in the White Bank Dry Rocks Area near Key Largo.

The GPS location of the .07 squaremile area can be found in the free Marine Sanctuary Explorer mobile app by searching “Tavernier (Temporary) Special Use Area.”

ISLAND ATTRACTIONS

HOMEBASE FOR RAILROAD WORKERS ONCE HAD BIRD FLOCKS

In the Florida Keys, we all have our favorite islands.

My favorite, Indian Key, has an incredible story, and I have written an inordinate number of columns about it over the years. This column, however, is about Kelly McKinnon’s favorite island.

McKinnon is the executive director at the Pigeon Key Foundation, and his favorite island, believe it or not, is Pigeon Key, located under the old Seven Mile Bridge in the Middle Keys.

FLORIDA KEYS HISTORY WITH BRAD BERTELLI

the hammocks and the loss of the fruit-bearing hardwood trees on which they feed.

Pigeon Key, however, is not remembered for its birds — though it does seem to have a history with them. A man named Otto Stellrecht, born in 1863 in Germany, immigrated to America at 19. In 1892, he came to Florida, and three years later, in 1895, Stellrecht moved to the Torch Keys, about 25 miles away from Key West. Family stories say that he farmed a grove of Key lime trees while there. They also suggest that he raised turkeys on Pigeon Key.

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.

On early Spanish charts, the island McKinnon is lucky enough to call home was identified as Cayo Paloma. Paloma is the Spanish word for pigeon, and the story behind the name suggests the island was once home to large flocks of pigeons. The namesake bird was the distinctive white-crowned pigeon. As it can be imagined, the slate-gray feathered bird has a crown of white feathers covering its head. The pigeons are indigenous to extreme South Florida and the Keys, the Bahamas, the Greater and Lesser Antilles islands, southeastern Mexico, and Central America — and once, they called Pigeon Key home.

They are a skittish species and should be, as they were relentlessly hunted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, the fast-flying birds can be seen zooming over the tops of the tropical hammocks they call home. While they are no longer hunted in the Keys and South Florida, their populations are threatened by the destruction of

What Pigeon Key is best remembered for, however, is its connection to the building of the Key West Extension of Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway. Because of its placement within that 7-mile watery gap between Marathon and the Lower Keys, the island was viewed as a potential base of operations during the construction of the series of four bridges connecting the two sets of islands.

In 1907, the 5-acre Pigeon Key was surveyed by railroad engineers and determined to be the ideal location for a construction campsite. After the island was cleared of its hardwood hammock, railroad workers built three dormitories, a large mess hall, a warehouse, offices, a bakery, a commissary and an infirmary tent.

Because the small island became inundated with workers, a fourth dormitory was built, and tents were erected to house the more than 400 people living on the island during those peak construction periods. Unlike the vast majority of island communities outside of Key West, one luxury the workers had was electricity to light the buildings — F.E.C. Railway generators powered it.

The day before the passenger train carrying Henry Flagler shook, rattled and roared across Key West and steamed into the southernmost terminal for the first time, the Jan. 21, 1912, edition of the Indianapolis Sunday Star printed a story mention-

ing Pigeon Key: “The camps are in charge of a resident or division engineer with the one at Pigeon Key presently the most active. At high tide, Pigeon Key is about two acres in extent and perhaps three acres at low tide. There are four bunkhouses, each designed to hold 64 men; one of them for the foremen, who are housed apart from the laborers. Each has a reading room with good lights. Good mattresses are provided on standard doubledecked bunks, with plenty of clean bedclothes; all laundry work being done by the company. Once a week all beds are washed and thoroughly disinfected to keep any parasites from getting a start.”

Pigeon Key and the rest of the F.E.C. right-ofway were sold to the state after the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane ended the railroad’s run. Eventually, Monroe County was given possession of the island where, today, the old wooden railroad buildings stand like a sort of ghost town — but a kind of living ghost town.

The island was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1990, and two years later, the Pigeon Key Foundation was formed to “protect the island’s long-standing history from the Henry Flagler era.”

Today, visiting the island is a bit like stepping back in time — but also, because of the foundation’s mission, those visiting the island are offered the opportunity to peek into the future.

In addition to preserving history, one of the foundation’s missions is to “educate our youth through marine science curricula and research.”

If you have not visited the island, step back in time, walk the grounds and see the railroad buildings dating back to 1908. The island’s museum is filled with historic photographs, artifacts and stories revealing a more profound history of this amazing island. Guided tours are available. For more information about the Pigeon Key Foundation and touring the island, visit www.pigeonkey. net.

Work on the Florida East Coast Railway bridge over Pigeon Key. KEY WEST ART & HISTORICAL SOCIETY/Contributed

TENNIS ANYONE?

THE 2023 U.S. OPEN IS THE 143RD EDITION OF THE TOURNAMENT. IT IS THE ONLY GRAND SLAM TOURNAMENT IN AMERICA. TO CELEBRATE THE SEASON CHECK OUT THESE THREE WINNERS

Carrie Soto is Back

By Taylor Jenkins Reid

Six years after retirement, Carrie Soto and her father Javier are in the heart of the massive screaming crowd at the 1994 US Open finals in Flushing Meadows, New York. But this time they are sitting in the stands. At 37, Carrie earned multiple world records, 20 Grand Slam titles and a lot of wagging tongues as she was once nicknamed “The Battle-Axe.” At this moment, Nicki Chan is one win away from overtaking Carrie’s record – the most Grand Slam wins ever. By a stroke of fate, Nicki doesn’t win the match, and Carrie decides in that moment that she will come out of retirement with her father coaching her to take one more victory. This incredible journey through the cutthroat, all-consuming world of tennis highlights a very complicated father-daughter relationship and Carrie’s latest, most surprising friendship with top-seeded men’s player Bowe Huntley, who helps Carrie get back in the game. Swept away by women’s tennis, the pages simply turned themselves as the next match approached. With fascinating characters, this is five-star fast-paced fiction at its best.

Open: An Autobiography

By Andre Agassi

A beloved tennis star and 1980s icon opens his heart and soul to the world. The reader does not need to be an avid tennis fan to enjoy this incredible memoir of Agassi’s life story – a child prodigy and early professional tennis champion who rose to fame and fortune as the world watched in awe. Growing up in Las Vegas, Agassi found himself under the volatile thumb of his demanding, perfectionist father. He was soon sent away to the infamous Bollettieri Academy in Florida and dropped out of school by the ninth grade, a constant regret. Agassi describes a rollercoaster career filled with emotional highs and lows the public rarely gets to witness. His faithful brother, caring coach and, later on, Stefanie Graf, provide the love and support he desperately craves. It is never easy, and maybe it is the struggle that makes one stronger – but Agassi illustrates how it can also wear you down – too fast, too young. His unflinching honesty is humbling as we try to imagine how exhausting penning this autobiography must have been. Kudos to Agassi, a player we loved watching and a person we can admire.

String Theory: David Foster Wallace on Tennis

By David Foster Wallace

Five extraordinary essays ranging from his younger success as a promising junior player in the heart of the Midwest to the idolization and heartbreak when Tracy Austin’s biography was released. Between 12 and 15 years old, Wallace was better at calculating wind and ball grids than he was on the actual court. His geometric thinking and calculating angles gave him an unexpected advantage, which led to unlikely wins. During his later adolescence, when his teammates grew exponentially taller and stronger, he finally gave up competing. Wallace’s early life left him with a unique understanding of the heart of the game and its players. He went on to become a successful writer, keeping a close eye on the tennis world and following its biggest stars. Even for non-playing readers, DFW translates the beauty of the game and its complicated athletes into something everyone can appreciate. Sadly, Wallace lost his life in 2008, but there is no doubt his writings will continue to inspire and entertain the world for years to come. If you are a tennis fan, or even an essay fan, this book is a must.

#WORTHWATCHING:

“King Richard,” starring Will Smith, is the entertaining and inspirational story of the Williams family, highlighting parental perseverance, pure talent and much love. It can be seen on Apple TV.

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.

The U.S. OPEN can be viewed on ESPN through Sunday, Sept. 10.

LEGAL NOTICES

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

CONCH HITTING located at 2 Beechwood Drive, Monroe County in the City of Key West, Florida 33040-6208, intends to register the said name with the Division of Corporations of the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

Dated at Key West, Florida this 30th day of August, 2023.

By: JOSEPH A. GANDOLFO

Publish:

September 7, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

PUBLIC SALE NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

U-HAUL COMPANY OF MIAMI

Notice is here by given that on

September 11th, 2023, Leonard Richford Jr. Storage Auctioneer, Executive Administrator for U-Haul Company of Miami, Will be offering for sale under the Judicial Lien Process, By Public Auction, the following storage units. The Terms of the sale will be cash only. U-Haul Company does reserve the right to refuse any bids. The sales will Begin at 8:00 a.m. and continue day by day until all units are sold. The names of whose units will be sold are as follows:

103530 Overseas Highway, Key

Largo, FL 33037

Anita Lezcano

Unit 1559

$952.91

Brian Long

Unit 1504-51

$1,292.00

Todd Nichols

Unit 1449

$572.05

Corey McGahen

Unit 1184

$644.79

Edmund Joseph

Unit 1622

$580.56

David Allen

LEGAL NOTICES

Unit 1407

$584.92

Publish:

August 31 & September 7, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE

Florida Keys Council of the Arts

Notice of Upcoming Meetings

The Florida Keys Council of the Arts will hold the following meetings via Communications Media Technology using a ZOOM webinar platform. The access points to view the meeting or for members of the public to provide public input will be:

JOIN ZOOM via the Zoom app and use each meeting ID and password listed. Meetings are open to the public, and all are invited to attend. Questions, or to RSVP, please email Liz Young at director@keysarts.com

ART IN PUBLIC PLACES Meeting

Tue. Sep 19, 2023 at 12:00 PM

Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 884 2962 8588

Passcode: 265175

Publish:

September 7, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE

QUARTERLY MEETING NOTICE:

LOCAL COORDINATING BOARD FOR THE TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED

The Monroe County Local Coordinating Board (LCB) will be holding its regularly scheduled quarterly meeting on Friday, September 8, 2023 from 10:00 am – 11:00 am at the Marathon Government Center, BOCC Room, 2798 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050. The primary purpose of the Coordinating Board is to provide information and advice to the Community Transportation Coordinator on the coordination of services provided to the transportation disadvantaged

LEGAL NOTICES

population of Monroe County, pursuant to Chapter 427.0157, Florida Statutes. Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), any person requiring special accommodations at this meeting due to a disability or physical impairment, and any related questions or inquiries concerning this meeting should be directed to Vanessa Naranjo at the Health Council of South Florida, Inc. at (305) 592-1452 ext. 121 at least 72 hours prior to the date of the meeting.

Publish:

September 7, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

CITY OF KEY COLONY BEACH

NOTICE OF CODE AMENDMENT

HEARING

SECOND/FINAL READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 2023-486

Key Colony Beach Sewer Rate

Increases

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Commission of the City of Key Colony Beach, Florida, will hold the following Public Hearing to hear amendments to the City’s Code of Ordinances.

DATE/TIME: Thursday, September 21st, 2023

TIME: 9:35 am OR at the conclusion of the Public Hearing

LOCATION: Located at the Temporary Meeting Place for the City of Key Colony Beach, at the Key Colony Inn Banquet Room, 700 W. Ocean Drive, Key Colony Beach.

The proposed Ordinance to be heard by the City Commission is [ORDINANCE NO. 2023-486], entitled: “AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF KEY COLONY BEACH, FLORIDA; AMENDING CHAPTER FOURTEEN OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, ENTITLED SEWERS AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL, SECTION 14-6 MONTHLY RATES AND CHARGES, AND PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; REPEALING ANY INCONSISTENT PROVISIONS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE

Effective September 28, 2023, Michelle D. Bachtel, MD, FACC, will no longer be practicing at the office of Keys Medical Group Cardiology.

Patients may continue to contact the office for an appointment with April Gallagher, APRN. As of September 27, 2023, appointments will also be available with Steven Rowe, MD, FACC. Request an appointment via the patient portal, online at KeysMedicalGroup.com or at 305-294-5727.

Patients may also request a copy of their medical records by contacting Keys Medical Group Cardiology, 1111 12th Street, Suite 210, Key West, FL 33040. Phone: 305-294-5727.

Publish: August 31, September 7, 14 & 21, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

LEGAL NOTICES

DATE.”

Interested parties may appear at the meeting and be heard with respect to the proposed ordinance. Copies of the proposed Ordinance are available for inspection at the City Hall of Key Colony Beach.

If any person decides to appeal any decision made by the Key Colony Beach City Commission with respect to any matter considered at the Code Amendment Hearing, that person will need a record of the proceeding and for such purpose may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.

If you are unable to attend the Public Hearing on Thursday, September 21, 2023, but wish to comment, please direct correspondence to: City of Key Colony Beach, City Clerk, P.O. Box 510141, Key Colony Beach, FL 33051, and your comments will be entered into the record.

City Clerk City of Key Colony Beach, Florida

Publish:

September 7, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, at 3:00 P.M., the Monroe County Purchasing Office will receive and open sealed responses for the following:

Construction of Employee Housing on Big Pine Key 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: OMB-BIDS@monroecounty-fl.gov, no later than 3:00P.M., on October 18, 2023. Please submit your confidential financial information in a SEPARATE EMAIL from your bid and required documents. Your subject line on both emails must read as follows:

Construction of Employee Housing on Big Pine Key 10-18-2023

Files that do not contain this subject line WILL BE REJECTED. Please note that the maximum file size that will be accepted by email is 25MB. Please plan accordingly to ensure that your bid is not rejected due to the file size. Should your bid documents exceed 25MB, in advance of the bid opening, please email: ombpurchasing@monroecounty-fl.gov so accommodations for delivery of your bid can be made prior to the bid opening. Please be advised that it is the bidder’s sole responsibility to ensure delivery of their bid and waiting until the bid opening to address or confirm your bid submission delivery will result in your bid being rejected. The bid opening for this solicitation will be held virtually, via the internet, at 3:00 P.M., on October 18, 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

LEGAL NOTICES

Publish: September 7, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISION

FILE NO.: 23-CP-020-M

IN RE: ESTATE OF BETTY NIELSEN, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of BETTY NIELSEN, deceased, whose date of death was December 21, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050. The estate is testate and the date of the decedent’s Will and any codicils are November 11, 2021. 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 the decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.

ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN 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: September 7, 2023.

Personal Representative: Erik C. Nielsen 2347 Sombrero Boulevard Marathon, FL 33050 Attorney for Personal

Representative: James J. Dorl, Esq. Florida Bar No. 618403 JAMES J. DORL, P.A. Suite 12 First Professional Centre 5701 Overseas Highway Marathon, FL 33050

Telephone: (305) 743-6565

Facsimile: (305) 743-4143 e-mail: jjdorl@yahoo.com

Publish:

September 7 & 14, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 2023-CP-051-M IN RE: ESTATE OF WILLIAM W. BROWN, JR., Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of William W. Brown, Jr., deceased, whose date of death was June 19, 2023, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050. The estate is testate and the date of the decedent’s Will and any codicils are December 11, 2015. 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 the

LEGAL NOTICES

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: September 7, 2023.

Personal Representative:

Dyann Putman

P.O. Box 522588

Marathon Shores, FL 33052-2588

Attorney for Personal

Representative:

James J. Dorl, Esq. Florida Bar No. 618403

JAMES J. DORL, P.A.

Suite 12 First Professional Centre 5701 Overseas Highway Marathon, FL 33050

Telephone: (305) 743-6565

Facsimile: (305) 743-4143 e-mail: jjdorl@yahoo.com

Publish:

September 7 & 14, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISION

FILE NO.: 2023-CP-027-M

IN RE: ESTATE OF ROBIN G. SAUNDERS, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of Robin G. Saunders, deceased, whose date of death was April 3, 2023, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050. The estate is testate and the date of the decedent’s Will and any codicils are April 3, 2023. 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 the decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3

MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.

ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN 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: September 7, 2023.

Personal Representative:

Kenneth W. Saunders

327 Anglers Drive North Marathon, FL 33050

Attorney for Personal

Representative:

James J. Dorl, Esq. Florida Bar No. 618403

JAMES J. DORL, P.A.

Suite 12 First Professional Centre

5701 Overseas Highway Marathon, FL 33050

Telephone: (305) 743-6565

Facsimile: (305) 743-4143

e-mail: jjdorl@yahoo.com

Publish:

September 7 & 14, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISION

FILE NO.: 2022-CP-088-M IN RE: ESTATE OF JOSEPH P. RABITO,

Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of Joseph P. Rabito, deceased, whose date of death was June 27, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050. The estate is intestate. 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 the decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.

ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN 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: September 7, 2023.

Personal Representative: Linda M. Rabito 2913 Sombrero Boulevard Marathon, FL 33050

Attorney for Personal

Representative: James J. Dorl, Esq. Florida Bar No. 618403

JAMES J. DORL, P.A. Suite 12 First Professional Centre 5701 Overseas Highway Marathon, FL 33050

Telephone: (305) 743-6565

Facsimile: (305) 743-4143

e-mail: jjdorl@yahoo.com

Publish:

September 7 & 14, 2023

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

FILE NO.: 23-CP-000098-P IN RE: ESTATE OF ALAN ALFRED HANCHER, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of ALAN ALFRED HANCHER, deceased, whose date of death was May 19, 2023, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88820 Overseas Hwy., Tavernier, 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.

Jay Park Hancher

20 Hillside Avenue

San Rafael, CA 94901

Attorney for Personal

Representative:

Anthony A. Velardi, Esq. Florida Bar No. 113917

Key Largo Law

218 Lignumvitae Drive

Key Largo, FL 33037

Tel: (305) 453-5277

Fax: (305) 453-4985

E-Mail: anthony@keylargolaw.com

Publish:

September 7 & 14, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION

FILE NO.: 21-CP-98-P

DIVISION: UPPER KEYS

(Adversarial Proceeding)

IN RE: ESTATE OF BERTHOLD KEIL

Deceased.

NOTICE OF ACTION

(formal notice by publication)

TO: All persons having or claiming to have any right, title or interest in the assets and estate of BERTHOLD KEIL, deceased

YOU ARE NOTIFIED that a Petition to Determine Beneficiaries has been filed in this court. You are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, on petitioner’s attorney, whose name and address are:

Richard E. Warner, Esq., Richard

E. Warner P.A., 12221 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050 on or before November 22, 2023, and to file the original of the written defenses with the clerk of this court either before service or immediately thereafter.

Failure to serve and file written defenses as required may result in a judgment or order for the relief demanded, without further notice.

Signed on this 24th day of August, 2023.

KEVIN MADOK, CPA,

As Clerk of the Court

By: Catie L. Knowles

As Deputy Clerk

Publish:

August 31 and September 7, 14 & 21, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISION

FILE NO.: 23-CP-211-K

DIVISION: LOWER KEYS

IN RE: ESTATE OF FREDERICK EBERSTADT Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of Frederick Eberstadt, deceased, whose date of death was July 29, 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 31, 2023.

Personal Representative:

Nicholas Nash Eberstadt

53 Cape Henlopen Drive, Apt. 3 Lewes, Delaware 19958

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 31 & September 7, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISION

FILE NO.: 23-CP-105-P

IN RE: ESTATE OF STEPHEN J. ORTON, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of STEPHEN J. ORTON, deceased, whose date of death was June 25, 2023, File Number

23-CP-105-P is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is Plantation Key Government Center, 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 has been served must file their claims with this Court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE TIME 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 SO FILED 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: August 31, 2023.

Personal Representative:

CYNTHIA A. ORTON

174 Indian Mound Trail Tavernier, FL 33070 Attorney for Personal Representative:

JOE A. CATARINEAU Florida Bar Number: 0517291 91750 Overseas Highway Tavernier, FL 33070 Telephone: (305) 852-4833

Publish: August 31 & September 7, 2023

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

PROBATE DIVISION CASE NO: 23-CP-000160-K IN RE: ESTATE OF LLOYD P. BREWER, JR., Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the Estate of Lloyd P. Brewer, Jr., deceased, whose date of death was June 9, 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 Administrator Ad Litem and the Administrator Ad Litem’s attorney are set forth below.

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 31, 2023.

Scott Saunders, Administrator

Ad Litem

P.O. Box 6162

Key West, Florida 33041

Jared Gelles, Esq.

FBN 991181

Co-Counsel to Scott Saunders

STOLZENBERG GELLES FLYNN & ARANGO, LLP

1533 Sunset Drive, Suite 150 Coral Gables, Florida 33143 Tel: (305) 961-1450/ Fax: (305) 423-3979

E-mail: jgelles@sgfcounsel.com egrant@sgfcounsel.com

Publish:

August 31 & September 7, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO: 23-CP-000050-M IN RE: ESTATE OF DANIEL CALLAGHAN GUDE, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the Estate of Daniel Callaghan Gude, Deceased, whose date of death was July 2, 2023, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida 33050. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the Decedent and other persons having claims or demands against Decedent’s Estate, on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served, must file their claims with the 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 733.702 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 August 31, 2023.

Signed on this 28th day of August, 2023.

Personal Representative

Michael Egan Gude, Petitioner

1536 Camp Street New Orleans, Louisiana 70130

Attorney for Personal

Representative Lee Robert Rohe, ESQ. Florida Bar Number: 271365

LEE ROBERT ROHE, P.A.

1100 Crestwood Court South

Unit 1117

Royal Palm Beach, Florida 33411

Telephone: (305) 745-2254

Email: lrrlaw@bellsouth.net

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION

FILE NO.: 23-CP-041-M IN RE: ESTATE OF DONALD M. DAHLFUES, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of Donald M. Dahlfues, deceased, whose date of death was December 22, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida 33050. The estate is testate and the date of the decedent’s Will and any codicils are July 5, 2011. 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 the decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.

ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN 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 31, 2023.

Personal Representative: Judy M. Dahlfues 302 B Anglers Drive North Marathon, FL 33050 Attorney for Personal

Representative: James J. Dorl, Esq. Florida Bar No. 618403

JAMES J. DORL, P.A. Suite 12 First Professional Centre 5701 Overseas Highway Marathon, FL 33050 Telephone: (305) 743-6565

Facsimile: (305) 743-4143

e-mail: jjdorl@yahoo.com

Publish:

August 31 & September 7, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 23-DR-646-K DIANA RESHETKO ROSA Petitioner, and, ABDUSALOM KADIROV Respondent. NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE (NO CHILD OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT)

TO: ABDUSALOM KADIROV RESPONDENT’S LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: UNKNOWN YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for Dissolution of Marriage has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on Diana Reshetko Rosa, whose address is 3333 Duck Avenue, Apt. A208, Key West, FL 33040 on or before October 10, 2023, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition. The action is asking the court to decide how the following real or personal property should be divided: NONE Copies of all court documents in

LEGAL NOTICES

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

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

Dated: August 30, 2023

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

By: Shonta McLeod Deputy Clerk Publish:

September 7, 14, 21 & 28, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 23-DR-0000590-K ORLANDO MACHADO GALIANO Petitioner, and, NIURKA JIMENEZ PAZO, Respondent.

NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE

TO: NIURKA JIMENEZ PAZO RESPONDENT’S LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: 240 LIBERTAD MORON CA, CUBA 65110

YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for Dissolution of Marriage has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on ORLANDO MACHADO GALIANO, whose address is 2111 FLAGLER AVENUE, KEY WEST, FL 33040 on or before SEPTEMBER 25, 2023, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition.

The action is asking the court to decide how the following real or personal property should be divided: NONE

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

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

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

Dated: August 21, 2023

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

By: Riza Hall Deputy Clerk

Publish: August 24 & 31 and September 7 & 14, 2023

The

o’clock a.m., at 500 Whitehead Street, Monroe County, in the City of Key West, Florida, offer for sale and sell at public outcry to the highest and best bidder for CASH the Following described property situated in Monroe County, Florida, to wit:

COUNT I

Condominium Unit 105, Unit

Weeks 36 and 37, of THE BANYAN TREE OF KEY WEST, together with an undivided interest in the common elements, according to the Declaration of Condominium thereof, recorded in Official Records Book 872, Page 1654, as amended from time to time, of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida.

Pursuant to ORDER ON PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO RESET FORECLOSURE SALE DATE ON COUNT(S) I entered in a case pending in said Court, the 23RD day of August 2023

Style of which is: THE BANYAN TREE OF KEY WEST CONDOMINIUM AND OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION, INC., A FLORIDA CORPORATION

Plaintiff v. WILLIAM STAFFORD Defendant

And the Docket Number of which is 2020-CA-44-K

WITNESS my hand and the Official Seal of Said Court, this 24TH day of August 2023.

KEVIN MADOK, CPA

Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida

By: Shonta McLeod

Deputy Clerk Florida Statute 45.031: Any person claiming an interest in the surplus from this sale, if any, other than the property owner as of the date of the Lis Pendens must file a claim within 60 days after the sale.

Publish:

September 7 & 14, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

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

CASE NO. 2020-CA-44-K

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE BY CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT

Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, Kevin Madok, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Monroe County, Florida, will, on the 27th day of September, 2023 at 11 o’clock a.m., at 500 Whitehead Street, Monroe County, in the City of Key West, Florida, offer for sale and sell at public outcry to the highest and best bidder for CASH the Following described property situated in Monroe County, Florida, to wit:

COUNT II

An undivided 1/260th interest as a tenant in common with other owners in the Resort Facility (1 Time Share Interest), according to the Time-Sharing Plan thereof, recorded in the Official Records Book 942, Page 653, of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida (Plan). Together with the right to occupy, pursuant to the Plan, Unit 405, during Unit Week 35.

Pursuant to ORDER ON PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO RESET FORECLOSURE SALE DATE ON COUNT(S) II entered in a case pending in said Court, the 23RD day of August 2023

Style of which is:

THE BANYAN TREE OF KEY WEST CONDOMINIUM AND OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION, INC., A FLORIDA CORPORATION

Plaintiff v. WILLIAM STAFFORD

Defendant

Publish:

September 7 & 14, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

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

CASE NO. 2020-CA-44-K

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE BY CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT

Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, Kevin Madok, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Monroe County, Florida, will, on the 27th day of September, 2023 at 11 o’clock a.m., at 500 Whitehead Street, Monroe County, in the City of Key West, Florida, offer for sale and sell at public outcry to the highest and best bidder for CASH the Following described property situated in Monroe County, Florida, to wit:

COUNT III

An undivided 1/416th interest as a tenant in common with other owners in the Resort Facility (1 Time Share Interest), according to the Time-Sharing Plan thereof, recorded in Official Records Book 988, Pages 1510 through 1580, of the Public records of Monroe County, Florida (Plan). Together with the right to occupy, pursuant to the Plan, Unit 503, during Unit Week 35.

Pursuant to ORDER ON PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO RESET FORECLOSURE SALE DATE ON COUNT(S) III entered in a case pending in said Court, the 23RD day of August 2023

Style of which is:

THE BANYAN TREE OF KEY WEST CONDOMINIUM AND OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION, INC., A FLORIDA CORPORATION

Plaintiff v. WILLIAM STAFFORD

Defendant

And the Docket Number of which is 2020-CA-44-K WITNESS my hand and the Official Seal of Said Court, this 24TH day of August 2023.

KEVIN MADOK, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida

By: Shonta McLeod

Deputy Clerk Florida Statute 45.031: Any person claiming an interest in the surplus from this sale, if any, other than the property owner as of the date of the Lis Pendens must file a claim within 60 days after the sale.

Publish:

September 7 & 14, 2023

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY CASE NO. 2020-CA-44-K

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE BY CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT

Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, Kevin Madok, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Monroe County, Florida, will, on the 27th day of September, 2023 at 11 o’clock a.m., at 500 Whitehead Street, Monroe County, in the City of Key West, Florida, offer for sale and sell at public outcry to the highest and best bidder for CASH the Following described property situated in Monroe County, Florida, to wit:

COUNT IV

Newspapers

Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, Kevin Madok, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Monroe County, Florida, will, on the 27th day of September, 2023 at 11

And the Docket Number of which is 2020-CA-44-K

WITNESS my hand and the Official Seal of Said Court, this 24TH day of August 2023.

KEVIN MADOK, CPA

Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida

By: Shonta McLeod

Deputy Clerk Florida Statute 45.031: Any person claiming an interest in the surplus from this sale, if any, other than the property owner as of the date of the Lis Pendens must file a claim within 60 days after the sale.

Unit 38 in Condominium Parcel Number 105, of the BANYAN TREE OF KEY WEST CONDOMINIUM, together with an undivided interest in the common elements appurtenant thereto, according the Declaration of Condominium thereof recorded in Official Record Book 872 at page 1654 Public Records of Monroe County, FL, together with any amendments thereto.

Pursuant to ORDER ON PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO RESET FORECLOSURE SALE DATE ON COUNT(S) IV entered in a case pending in said Court, the 23RD day of August 2023 Style of which is: THE BANYAN TREE OF KEY WEST CONDOMINIUM AND OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION, INC., A FLORIDA CORPORATION

FT administrative, salaried position. Responsible for operations of Group Homes in accordance with State and Fed rules and regulations. Oversight of sta and clients. Bachelor’s degree and Florida DL w/clean driving record req. At least 2 yrs of mgmt and admin experience req, and direct or comparable experience w/same or similar population preferred. Computer skills: moderate to advanced. Pre-employment training online and in person. Ability to pass a Level II background screening and references. EOE. Apply at 1401 Seminary St., Key West, FL or online at www.marchouse.org.

For more information, please contact hr@marchouse.org Phone: 305.294.9526 *32 FAX 305.292.0078

MARC, 1401 Seminar y St, Key West, FL www.marchouse.org Come join our family! EOE

NOW HIRING DIVE INSTRUCTOR

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

MARATHON GARBAGE SERVICE

We are now hiring for the following positions:

Diesel

Applicants must apply in person to be considered.

4290 Overseas Hwy, Marathon

SUDOKU SOLUTION

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 FT FRONT OFFICE ASSISTANT MARATHON, FL

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

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

DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER IS HIRING

Dolphin Research Center has Full-Time/Part-Time, Permanent/Temporary Guest Services & Gift Shop positions that involve direct contact with our visitors & is another opportunity to ensure they leave DRC with a happy & positive experience.

Walk around the grounds and see dolphins every day.

Job description available at www.dolphins.org. E-mail your resume and a DRC application to drc-hr@dolphins.org. EOE

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

IS HIRING

IN THE UPPER KEYS

FULL TIME PROJECT MANAGER EXPERIENCED

TRIM CARPENTER

Send resume to: admin@cbtconstruction.com Or call: 305-852-3002

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.

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!

High School Diploma or GED. 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.

THE GUIDANCE/CARE CENTER, Inc.

IS HIRING!

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

KEY LARGO

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.

DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER IS HIRING

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)

Facilities Maintenance Apprentice (Full-Time, Permanent)

Trainer (Full-Time, Permanent)

Education Program Host (Full-Time, Permanent)

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

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

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

DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER

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