Key West Weekly 24-0222

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“Peace for our time.” — Neville Chamberlain

February 22, 2024

KEYS TOURISM AGENCY AWAITS FURTHER AUDITS | P. 11 NEW LEADERS FACE BIG PLANS | P. 4

CHARACTER LINES DEFINE ICONIC CARTOONS OCEAN BLUE GALLERIES WELCOMES ARTIST TOM EVERHART | P. 8

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

NUMBER OF THE WEEK KEYS

NEWSPAPERS

5450 MacDonald Ave. No.5 Key West, FL 33040 Office: 305.453.6928 www.keysweekly.com Publisher / Britt Myers britt@keysweekly.com Publishing Partner / Jason Koler jason@keysweekly.com Editor / Mandy Miles mandy@keysweekly.com Digital Editor / Gwen Filosa gwen@keysweekly.com Director of Sales Manuela Carrillo Mobley manuela@keysweekly.com Account Executive Stephanie Mitchell stephanie@keysweekly.com Kiara Bush kiara@overseasmediagroup.com Staff Writers Jim McCarthy jim@keysweekly.com Alex Rickert alex@keysweekly.com Copy Editor / Mike Howie mike@keysweekly.com Production Manager Anneke Patterson anneke@keysweekly.com Executive Administrator Charlotte Hruska char@keysweekly.com Design / Pre-Press Irene de Bruijn irene@keysweekly.com Javier Reyes javier@keysweekly.com Diana Striker www.keysweekly.com Web Master / Travis Cready travis@keysweekly.com Classifieds / Anneke Patterson anneke@keysweekly.com 305.743.0844 Se habla español THE KEY WEST WEEKLY (ISSN 1944-0812) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY FOR $125 PER YEAR

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Members of

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The 10-foot, 5-inch great white shark, “Rose,” pinged off of Carysfort Reef in Key Largo on Feb. 21. The juvenile shark weighs 600 pounds and was originally tagged in Nova Scotia in October 2020. Rose is being tracked by the nonprofit, OCEARCH, which has tagged 437 animals through the years.

ON THE COVER Tom Everhart, who created the cover painting, ‘Working On My Brand,’ featuring Snoopy, is the only artist authorized by Charles Schulz to recreate his iconic Peanuts gang. Everhart will be at Ocean Blue Galleries, which sells his work, Feb 22-24. See page 8.

NEW CITY LEADERS TO FACE BIG CITY PROJECTS After election, Key West could have 4 new lawmakers MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com

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ey West’s leadership is facing huge changes in the upcoming elections, potentially losing four of its seven elected

officials.

Three city commissioners — Clayton Lopez, Jimmy Weekley and Billy Wardlow — cannot seek reelection due to term limits. Mayor Teri Johnston has decided not to run for her final term.

And Commissioner Sam Kaufman has said he plans to resign his commission seat this summer in order to run for mayor against former tax collector DeeDee Henriquez, who began campaigning last year.

“It’s a big one,” Commissioner Mary Lou Hoover told the Keys Weekly on Feb. 20, referring to the upcoming election and the changes it will prompt. “We’ll get a lot of new faces, and it will be interesting to see.”

Hoover and Commissioner Lissette Cuervo Carey are the only two commissioners who will remain in place through the coming election.

Meanwhile, city leaders are moving full steam ahead on three sweeping and costly renovation projects — Duval Street revitalization, Mallory Square master plan and Bayview Park renovations.

But with the faces of leadership changing in the coming months, the Keys Weekly asked city officials whether the new lawmakers could decide to reprioritize or pump the brakes on one or more of the projects.

Johnston said she doesn’t think so.

“All three of those projects are citizendriven, so it would be unusual that anyone attempting to be elected would not support the community’s priorities,” Johnston said. “Duval Street is probably the most complex with an extensive resiliency component underground and a cosmetic upgrade above ground. This

was ranked #1 by 70% of our residents (in the city’s Strategic Plan).”

Cuervo Carey, one of the two commissioners who will remain in place on the dais after the election, offered the following: “I would prioritize the 3 major projects as follows: 1. Bayview Park. This is a park for the residents. While tourists may also enjoy it, it primarily serves the people who live in our community. I ran on a platform that included a concept of not just affordable housing, but affordable living. We need to keep activities and recreation that are free to all residents of all ages in the best condition. This is a simple one for me. We have had many public workshops, conducted surveys and gathered a lot of public input. The consensus is to not change too much of what is at the park. Make it better quality, add a few new features including a splash pad, better security/more police presence, keep it clean and safe for everyone, and provide nice natural open spaces and quality recreation equipment for park visitors. I also like the idea of an indoor community center or space similar to Bernstein Park for residents to use for events such as birthday parties and community meetings.

2. Duval Street. I’m pleased to hear most people don’t want to see much change to our historic Duval Street. The popular opinion I have heard is to clean it up, fix sidewalks, paint curbs, enforce delivery truck times and incentivize business owners to maintain well-kept, desirable storefronts. People miss the unique and artful storefronts of the old Key West — Environmental Circus, Art Attack and Fast Buck Freddies. No one wants it to be a one-way street and the Mall on Duval wasn’t right for our town. …

The people know what they want.

3. Mallory Square. This would be third on my list. I don’t think we should pause decisions or projects while waiting on the change in commission. The current commission has great wisdom and experience, let’s trust them to use that to make good decisions until the very last day of their terms.

Mallory Square is an underused piece of waterfront property. City officials want to make it more useful and relevant for residents and visitors. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly

“Government already moves extremely slowly,” Cuervo Carey said.

“The residents deserve for us to work for them from the minute we take office until the day we leave. I know this outgoing commission loves this community and has dedicated many years of service to Key West. While they respect that new folks are coming in, I think they will keep the city moving forward and make the last few, very best decisions they can make for their community and its people. The new commission will enter during whatever phase these projects are in and make important decisions about these projects in their time as well.”

Hoover said that all three undertakings “are valid projects that I think we have to keep moving forward on.” She added that the Duval Street consultants seem to recognize the three disparate regions that exist on Duval Street and are taking those into account. She is also awaiting the next update on Mallory Square, as “their first pass eliminated a lot of parking and city revenue down there.”

Commissioner Jimmy Weekley said, “We have some amount of money invested in all three projects, and I think they’re all way too important to be placed on a shelf somewhere by a new commission.”

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com

BIG PLANS FOR BAYVIEW PARK

Residents thank city for security & request splash pad for kids

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a gotta love the library for a number of reasons. Most recently, its online collection of historic photos provided a history lesson about Bayview Park — and proof that some things never change.

About a century ago, in the 1920s, a group of Key West Rotarians — only men were allowed in the club back then — posed for a photo at a large vacant parcel in the center of Key West.

It was a ground-breaking photo, marking the start of construction that would turn those six acres into Bayview Park. And of course, at least one of the men in the photo is holding the requisite prop shovel.

Such “grip-and-grin” photos — check presentations, ribbon-cuttings and groundbreaking shovels — apparently are as old as photography itself.

But at least the 100-year-old Bayview Park is in line for a major makeover, currently in the design and planning stages. And one group of residents wants those plans to include a splash pad water playground for kids, like the one at Truman Waterfront Park.

Nearly a dozen residents attended the Feb. 8 city commission meeting, carrying signs in support of the splash pad at Bayview Park.

One resident who lives next to the park thanked city manager Al Childress and his staff for listening to neighbors’ concerns about safety at the park and the number of homeless people who spend time there.

She explained that a man had exposed himself at the park 15 feet from her. “And kids couldn’t use the bathrooms because people were passed out in front of them,” Heather Jane Graub said, adding, “Homeless people have tried to move into my kids’ tree fort in our yard next to the park. But since then, the city has hired a full-time security guard and the changes have been incredibly positive.

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“The next step is a splash pad,” she said. “When it’s sweltering hot outside, no one wants to play on the playground, but the splash pad will bring kids year-round for birthday parties and other gatherings.

Thank you for taking steps to make this park better.”

Her comments were echoed by longtime resident Linda Wheeler, who pointed out, “The kids are having a ball with the splash pad at Truman Waterfront Park. And it’s so safe; it doesn’t require lifeguards.”

Although no vote was scheduled on the matter for the Feb. 8 meeting, the commissioners seemed receptive to the splash pad idea.

Improvements and upgrades to Bayview Park — bounded by today’s Truman Avenue (it was Division Street until the 1940s), Jose Marti Drive, Virginia and Georgia streets — were among the priorities residents listed when surveyed in 2021 for the city’s strategic plan. (Duval Street, Mallory Square, the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Pool and Frederick Douglass Community Center also made the list.)

Construction could begin in October, according to the city’s website, although a plan has not been finalized.

The park includes tennis courts, softball fields, basketball courts and a playground.

The open green space hosts annual events like the Seafood Festival and Mango Fest.

Peaceful demonstrations and Pride celebrations have filled its lawn for decades, and the Southernmost Boys & Girls Club provides after-school and summertime supervision to more than 100 kids a day in its new building at the park.

1. Nearly a dozen residents attend the Feb. 8 city commission meeting in Key West, requesting a splash pad for kids at Bayview Park. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly 2. A diagram on the city’s website shows the current amenities at Bayview Park. CONTRIBUTED 3. A group of residents wants the city to include a splash pad for kids in its upcoming improvement plan for Key West’s Bayview Park. CONTRIBUTED 4. The Key West Rotary Club members (men only, back then) celebrate the groundbreaking for Bayview Park in the 1920s. FLORIDA KEYS HISTORY CENTER/Monroe County Library

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024 MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com

FINE LINES DEFINE A FORMIDABLE FRIENDSHIP Charles Schulz’s ‘Peanuts’ successor Tom Everhart brings the gang together at Ocean Blue Galleries

Cartoonist Charles Schulz authorized Tom Everhart to recreate the Peanuts characters in paintings. CONTRIBUTED

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ith football foibles, five-cent psychiatry and a famously flippant beagle, Charles Schulz gave the world a 50-year friendship with the Peanuts gang, drawing Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy and the others for his syndicated comic strip and a host of other appearances.

For decades, he trusted no one to recreate his characters. Then he met Tom Everhart, a Yale-educated fine art painter who had never considered a career in cartoon or comic strip art.

But a freelance project in 1980 required Everhart to recreate Schulz’s Peanuts gang, then present the drawings to Schulz and his studios.

Everhart enlarged Schulz’s originals to emulate the style.

“Completely impressed with Schulz’s line, he was able to reproduce the line art almost exactly, which in turn impressed Schulz at their meeting,” states Everhart’s biography.

That line prompted a lasting friendship and artistic partnership between Schulz and Everhart, who would go on to draw most of the Peanuts characters for the iconic MetLife advertising campaign. He remains the only fine artist authorized and educated by Schulz to draw the actual Schulz line that defines the familiar characters.

Everhart began to incorporate the characters into original paintings of his own, many of which are now available at Ocean Blue Galleries, 109 Duval St., in Key West.

Everhart will appear at the gallery Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 22-24 from 7 to 9 p.m.

The familiar faces of Snoopy, Woodstock, Charlie Brown, Lucy and the whole Peanuts gang peer out from the walls of the gallery, brought to life by Everhart.

Visit oceanblue.gallery for more information about Everhart and other artists.

Tom Everhart, the only fine artist ever authorized by Peanuts creator Charles Schulz to recreate the iconic characters, appears at Ocean Blue Galleries, 109 Duval St., Feb. 22-24 from 7 to 9 p.m.

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

TDC BOARD STICKS UP FOR AGENCY’S DIRECTOR After 2 troubling audits, a motion to fire the top official fails GWEN FILOSA gwen@keysweekly.com

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fter the Monroe County Clerk’s Office rained criticism down on the financial practices of the Florida Keys’ tourism marketing agency – the Tourist Development Council (TDC) – the board behind the multimillion dollar marketers refused to fire its director on Tuesday.

The TDC board held a special emergency meeting Feb. 20 in Marathon to discuss how to respond to the latest county clerk’s audit that found questionable costs, reimbursement requests and billing by NewmanPR, the TDC’s public relations firm for the past 43 years.

But on Feb. 20, when Monroe County Commissioner Craig Cates, who sits on the TDC’s governing board, made a motion to fire TDC marketing director Stacey Mitchell and give her four months’ severance pay, the rest of the board wouldn’t have it.

Cates’ motion failed 7-2.

“Stacey has been through a lot with us,” said Rita Irwin, the TDC board chair. “There is a partnership and there is an oversight. The idea that this one person becomes a scapegoat bothers me. It is a group effort.”

Cates said his motion wasn’t personal.

“This is not a scapegoat,” Cates said. “This is a business decision. We need a better director. We’re not blaming her. We’re moving in a new direction with a director with more expertise in that field.”

Only Cates and Key West Mayor Teri Johnston, who also sits on the TDC board, voted to remove Mitchell, who has been on paid leave since November, after the first clerk’s office audit of the TDC in about 20 years pronounced the agency as having failures in management.

Released on Oct. 31, the audit prompted the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners to recom-

mend suspending Mitchell with pay while an independent third party — a North Carolina-based accounting firm — fully reviews the TDC’s financial operations.

The TDC board members who represent the tourism industry – George Fernandez, Peg Laron, Diane Schmidt, Patti Stanley, Gayle Tippett and Rita Irwin — all voted against the firing, along with board member Tim Root, who chairs the Utility Board of the City of Key West.

Many at the table, including Root, raised the idea of creating a chief financial officer position for the TDC in addition to a marketing director.

“In a business where you get $4-5 million a month, it’s ludicrous not to have someone in place,” said Root, a longtime general contractor who’s now a construction consultant. “There should be a person who is solely focused on the money. That’s where our weakness is right now.”

The TDC board called the special Feb. 20 meeting after a second clerk’s audit said NewmanPR had its own issues, including collecting reimbursement from the county through a company called Graphics 71 which Newman admitted to auditors doesn’t exist.

But the meeting didn’t focus much on NewmanPR, whose president, Andy Newman, sat at the board table next to his attorney, Russell A. Yagel.

The spectators inside the meeting room at Faro Blanco Resort included Monroe County State Attorney Dennis Ward, who has his own forensic audit of the TDC underway.

“In a business where you get $4-5 million a month, it’s ludicrous not to have someone in place. There should be a person who is solely focused on the money. That’s where our weakness is right now.” ­— TDC board member Tim Root

Mitchell, as the tourism marketing director for the Keys, is responsible for managing several budgets, a staff of about 13, and the contracted companies that handle the advertising, public relations and the TDC website.

Irwin suggested leaving the door open for Mitchell to take another position on the TDC’s sales team, and said perhaps Mitchell didn’t have the skill set to run the entire TDC’s operations.

“I don’t feel we should lose Stacey as part of our sales team,” Irwin said.

After years as the TDC’s sales director, Mitchell was promoted to the top post in 2016. She started shortly after Hurricane Irma made landfall in Cudjoe Key as a Category 4 storm, devastating parts of the Lower Keys and Marathon. Her annual salary is $205,749.

The board’s majority didn’t see any advantage to deciding Mitchell’s fate at this time, with audits pending.

Steve Robbins said changing the TDC director at this time isn’t going to suddenly change the public’s opinion about the tourism agency. Many already think the Keys has enough tourism and doesn’t need more advertising, he said.

“We’re going to continue to advertise,” Robbins said. “Florida Keys tourism is our economy. Ultimately, a new director would be necessary.”

Two additional audits of TDC partner agencies are in the works. The clerk’s office plans to release separate audits of Two Oceans Digital, which handles the TDC’s website and digital marketing, and Tinsley Advertising & Marketing, which does its advertising.

One veteran Keys tourism leader said the TDC shouldn’t be the only ones under scrutiny in the Keys.

“There seems to be a lot of blame on just the TDC,” said Jodi Weinhofer, president of the Lodging Association of the Florida Keys and Key West, who has worked closely with the TDC for 30 years.

“The process broke down, but you can’t blame it on this board,” Weinhofer said, from the spectator seats.

“Nobody seemed to see these things falling through the cracks. This was on a lot of different levels with a lot of people signing off.”

Andy Newman, president of NewmanPR, sat at the board’s table during Tuesday’s meeting, as he usually does at such meetings. This week he was joined by his attorney Russell Yagel.

Newman didn’t make a statement.

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024 CHARLOTTE TWINE www.keysweekly.com

St. Paul African Methodist Episcopalian Church founded Marathon’s first Black school in the 1950s; the Keys were segregated at the time. CHARLOTTE TWINE/Keys Weekly

“William Parrish donated the land, and the first church was made from wood,” said Robbins. Since the structure had a bathroom, it was selected as the perfect place for Grace Jones to run the school.

The wooden chapel was eventually replaced on the same plot of land by the current church, which was constructed out of cement that was purchased, one bag at a time, from pennies that parishioners donated when they could. It was finally completed in 1954.

Though at one point the congregation was a large one, these days, said Hawkins, attendance at the weekly Sunday service has been about eight people. Ten or 12 tops.

“Except when all of my grand- and greatgrandchildren attend, then it fills up,” she said, laughing.

‘WE’VE COME A LONG WAY’ Historic church celebrates Black History Month

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n the early 1950s, Marathon resident Grace Jones took a bus down to Key West to talk to Horace O’Bryant. He was the superintendent of the county’s schools at the time, and Jones was hoping that she could get his permission to send her children to Key West to study. Due to segregation laws, the sole school in Marathon was just for white students, so the only way for Black children to get an education was in Key West.

But as her granddaughter, Charlotte Robbins, told Keys Weekly, when Jones got on the bus, the driver told her to sit in the section designated for Blacks in the back. As she walked between the rows to the section, the driver suddenly took off and the bus lurched — and she fell and broke her arm.

In spite of all this, Jones accomplished her mission: She was able to send her kids to stay with relatives and study in Key West. And later, she started the first school in Marathon for Black students at her place of worship, St. Paul African Methodist Episcopalian Church, on 41st Street.

“We’ve come a long way,” said Larry White, the current pastor of the church, which still stands at the same location.

This past Saturday, he was sitting inside the chapel’s small sanctuary with longtime members Robbins, Doris Hawkins and Burnette Jones to discuss their upcoming Black History Month events. They want the community to hear stories about people like Grace Jones and remember how things used to be. And celebrate.

“Our young people don’t understand the struggle our great-grandparents went through,” said Hawkins. “This time of year, we tell our young people to read about Black history. Kids need to know it wasn’t always like it is now.”

“I am South Carolina born and raised,” said White, “and I know what it is to pick cotton and the struggle of segregation.”

“Me too,” agreed Jones. (Burnette Jones is not a direct descendent of school founder Grace Jones, though she is connected to the family by marriage.) “I’ll be 80 next month. I remember certain behaviors. But we had great pride in who we were.”

Members of Marathon’s St. Paul AME Church (from left, Doris Hawkins, Charlotte Robbins, Burnette Jones and Rev. Larry White) say that churches serve as a beacon for Black communities.

Rev. Larry White says that all are welcome at his church.

Jones spoke of picking a bolt of pretty cotton fabric at the local general store and having a new dress sewn from it for Sunday church, where congregants who couldn’t read or write could still feel moved by songs about the holy spirit called “spirituals.”

“The church was a beacon for all Black communities,” she said.

Robbins explained that in addition to fighting for a Black school, her grandmother Grace Jones helped found St. Paul AME Church along with her grandfather, church deacon Harry Jones, in the 1940s.

But the group remains undaunted. After they posed for a photo under a picture of Martin Luther King Jr., White pointed out a poster next to the front entrance.

“Look, this is our dream,” he said softly. On the poster were blueprints for a new fellowship hall, for which the church is currently accepting donations.

“It would have a kitchen,” he said. “If you think about it, every church has a kitchen.”

The words next to the blueprints were large, and you couldn’t miss them. They said: “The best is yet to come.”

All locals are invited to Marathon’s Black History Month events, which kick off Saturday, Feb. 24, with a health fair (sponsored by Monroe County Coalition, Thriving Mind South Florida and the Florida Department of Children and Families). The fair will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Jessie Hobbs Park, 4104 Overseas Highway. Attendees can partake in free health examinations, then enjoy food and a bounce house for the kids. The first 25 adults will receive a Publix gift card for $25.

On Sunday, Feb. 25, St. Paul AME Church, located at 208 41st Street Gulf, will have a Black History-themed service starting at 11:30 a.m.

Church service attendees are invited to have lunch at the home of Doris Hawkins.

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS

County partners recognized

TORNADO MOVES ACROSS CUDJOE KEY, LEAVING DAMAGED HOMES A tornado damaged a home on Cudjoe Key on Feb. 18. CONTRIBUTED

No injuries reported after Feb. 18 storm GWEN FILOSA gwen@keysweekly.com

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tornado moved across Cudjoe Key and Little and Big Torch Keys at about 1 p.m. on Feb. 18, the National Weather Service in Key West told Keys Weekly.

No injuries were reported. But one neighborhood on Cudjoe Key was left with damaged homes and property.

A unit at the Venture Out Resort, a mobile and manufactured home complex on Cudjoe Key, was left with major damage, while other homes were hit as the tornado moved out into the ocean.

“Most importantly, no one was injured,” read a Venture Out community announcement sent to residents after the storm. The Venture Out message described the event as a “tornado touchdown” inside the gated community.

NWS said it sent a survey team to assess the damage and would release a storm report soon.

Community Health Improvement Plan chairpersons are recognized by the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County at the Gato Building in Key West on Feb. 13. From left, Brandie Peretz, CHIP lead/epidemiology manager; Jody Gross, Leadership Monroe County health coordinator and chairwoman for Choose Health — Partnership for a Healthier Florida Keys Health in all policies health priority; Dr. Carla Fry, assistant county health administrator for DOH-Monroe; Michael Cunningham, CEO for Florida Keys AHEC and chairman for the access to care health priority; Maureen Dunleavy, regional vice president for Guidance/Care Center Inc. and chairwoman for mental health and substance abuse health priority; and Alison Kerr, director of community health improvement and planning for DOH-Monroe. JENNIFER LEFLAR/DOH-Monroe

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A roof from another home rests at a unit at Venture Out Resort on Cudjoe Key,

The tornado overturned a shed and damaged roofs, windows and awnings. Patio furniture was overturned or thrown into canals.

“Enough damage to be aggravating,” a person who was on the scene 15 minutes after the tornado passed told Keys Weekly.

First responders were at the scene at Venture Out after the tornado did its damage. So were many concerned locals.

“We had owners, renters and contractors all show up to help out,” the Venture Out announcement said. “Thank you to everyone who came out to see if they could help.”

n Feb. 13, the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County recognized three chairpersons for Monroe County’s Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) and associated county health partners.

These three individuals were recognized for their dedication the last five years and for their tireless work toward the betterment of health among Monroe County residents. The county’s health priorities, as identified by key stakeholders and residents in the 2019-2024 CHIP, include access to care, mental health, substance abuse and health in all policies.

The department is working on renewing the CHIP and invites all residents to complete the well-being survey available by scanning the QR code. The survey takes 5 minutes to complete and is available in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole.

The results of the survey will help identify the next three health priorities for succeeding years of the Monroe County CHIP. For more information about CHIP and to read the reports, visit monroeflhealth.gov/ chip or email dohmonroe@ flhealth.com.

— Contributed

15

KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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17

KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

February 24, 2024 Benefit for Kair Food Pantry

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18

KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

‘IT’S FOR THE BIRDS’ Help the Key West Wildlife Center help our feathered friends MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com

A

nyone who has spent more than a few months in Key West has come upon an injured bird, one that can’t fly away. One that lets people get uncommonly close. One with a bum wing, or leg. Or one that’s too exhausted to move.

We watch the bird for a bit, practically willing it to take flight and assuage our concerns.

Perhaps we walk away for a few moments and remind ourselves to check on it. When it’s still there upon our return, we pull out our phone and call for backup.

That assistance comes by way of the Key West Wildlife Center (KWWC), a nonprofit wildlife rescue organization that rehabilitates birds to release them back into their natural surroundings — while making us feel good about ourselves for doing the right thing to help a creature in need.

A human always answers the phone at KWWC — 24/7.

They’ll listen with a practiced ear to our decidedly non-expert descriptions of the bird and its plight and then take action to help, prepared to dispatch a rescue team at a moment’s notice to help pelicans, pigeons, egrets, herons, roosters, hawks, mockingbirds, you name it.

Often in the springtime, tiny fledglings that have recently left the nest appear on the ground, seemingly dazed, confused and alone.

People like Tom Sweets and Peggy Coontz at the KWWC typically reassure callers in those cases that the mother is likely nearby and the tiny bird is supposed to be on the ground as part of its learning process.

As long as there’s no potential predators around, they’ll advise us to leave it alone, but to call them back if the situation changes. A helpful flowchart is available at keywestwildlifecen-

GOSPEL CHOIR PERFORMS AT WILLIAMS HALL Bahama Village group hosts Black History fundraiser & film

Thomas Sweets prepares to release a broad-winged hawk that was rehabilitated at the Key West Wildlife Center, 1801 White St. MARK HEDDEN/ Keys Weekly

ter.org showing the step-by-step process to evaluate and help (or not) a worrisome bird.

In more serious circumstances, or those that can’t be readily evaluated over the phone, a rescue expert is often walking to his or her vehicle and already on the way while still speaking with the caller.

The Key West Wildlife Center, located at the city-owned Indigenous Park, 1801 White St., operates a rehabilitation clinic for injured birds as well as an outdoor aviary where recovering birds regain their strength and biologists can ensure that they’re able to survive and thrive back in the wild.

The Key West Wildlife Center provides rescue and rehabilitative care to over 1,400 wild birds each year.

But the center needs help.

It will hold its largest annual fundraiser, “It’s For the Birds,” Sunday, Feb. 25 from 3 to 5:30 p.m. at West Martello Tower, home of the Key West Garden Club, 1100 Atlantic Blvd. The event features food, drinks, live music, a silent auction and a

raffle featuring a two-night stay at the luxurious Little Palm Island. Tickets are $40 in advance and $45 at the door.

While the annual event helps keep the center in operation, the nonprofit is also in the midst of a “Raise the Roof” capital campaign to replace its failing building and refurbish its outdoor aviary.

The center has raised more than $2.2 million toward its goal of $2.4 million, which will provide a brand new modular building for the clinic and new caging for the aviary.

“Our current building is really beyond its useful life,” said Peggy Coontz, a wildlife biologist who has worked at the center for about a decade. “And the aviary’s steel structural beams will remain in place, but we’ll replace the caging inside the aviary.”

While the caging is replaced, the aviary birds will be relocated to a temporary aviary that is already installed on the property.

For more information about the fundraisers or to make a donation, visit keywestwildlifecenter.org — it’s for the birds.

Blessed Community Gospel Choir performs at Williams Hall Feb. 24 Williams Hall, 729 Fleming St., will host a performance by the Blessed Community Gospel Choir of Bahama Village on Saturday, Feb. 24 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

The event includes inspirational gospel music celebrating faith and community spirit, featuring Michelle & Glenwood Lopez, Clayton & Pam Lopez, Barbara Dickerson, Darlene Bennett, Jean Fortson, William Mitchel, Jerry Butler, Julian Butler, Shirley & Daniel Brown, Mina Martin and Joan Leggett.

Proceeds will support both the choir and the ongoing mission of Williams Hall, which aims to offer classes and services dedicated to inspiring faith, empowering teens to realize their full potential and enriching the lives of older adults. Tickets are $25 and are available at williamshall. org.

Diversity group hosts fundraiser Feb. 26 at Tropic Cinema The R.O.S.E. Diversity group, which is based in Bahama Village with the goal of “Reaching Others Socially & Educationally,” will celebrate Black History Month on Monday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. with a screening of the film “Amazing Grace” at the Tropic Cinema.

The 2006 movie details the abolitionist campaign against the slave trade in the British Empire, led by William Wilberforce, who was responsible for steering anti-slave trade legislation through the British parliament.

A one-hour community discussion on racism will follow the film.

Tickets are $25 and are available at rosediversitygroup.weebly.com, tropiccinema.com and at the door the night of the event. Call Arida Wright for more information at 305-766-4922.

19

KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

SUPERFLY: KEY WEST AIRPORT SETS JANUARY RECORD

Passengers board an Embraer 175, left, operated by American Airlines/Envoy Air and bound for Miami, as other passengers walk along the Concourse A construction perimeter on Feb. 13. CONTRIBUTED

THE RENEWED STATE OF REGGAE MUSIC

Local musician Reggae Lou has been nominated for a Key West Music Award. He has helped supplement and renew the island’s reggae genre since his arrival. COVELLO NASH IMAGES/Contributed

R Passengers, right, step off an Airbus A319 operated by American Airlines from Charlotte to Key West on Feb. 13.

New year sees 16% increase over 2023

K

ey West International Airport kicked off 2024 with a nearly 16% increase in passenger numbers over January 2023, outpacing every January passenger count on record at the airport. Numbers show 20,217 more passengers used the airport over the same month in 2023, bringing the total for the month to 147,175 combined enplanements/ deplanements.

“This is exactly what we want to see, and these numbers continue to prove the popularity of our airport for locals and visitors alike,” said Richard Strickland, the county’s executive director of airports.

At a recent meeting of the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners, Strickland said the

airport will see airline seat capacity increase 20.8% in the first quarter of the year. Airlines have scheduled an average of 33 flights per day​ with American Airlines accounting for the majority of seat growth.

While American is operating a second daily mainline A319 aircraft to Dallas/Fort Worth and a second daily flight to Washington’s Reagan airport on the 76-seat Embraer 175, it has also added a fifth daily flight to Charlotte on the 76-seat EMB-175.

United is operating mainline 737-700 aircraft in Key West for the first time to Newark, Washington, Chicago and Houston. Delta will operate new New York LaGuardia service on the 76-seat EMB-175​ . JetBlue has begun operating the larger mainline A220 to Boston.​ Silver is also operating additional Orlando and Tampa flights.

— Contributed

eggae Lou had always intended to make it to Key West. Leaving his home in San Diego, he and his family worked and lived in Lake Worth, Florida for two-anda-half years until they were finally able to head to our little island home. And since he arrived, he has certainly left his mark.

The state of reggae music in Key West seemed to hit a lull in the late 2010s. We had our talented stalwarts: Massai, Toko Irie and a few others who have been true to their roots and playing their music. But they alone didn’t seem enough to bring a needed resurgence to the genre.

The arrival of Reggae Lou and the Kind Budz seems to have done just that.

“I had been bothering the Green Parrot for four years to gain the opportunity to play there,” Lou said. “If I had to be there every weekend for the rest of my life I would have done it.

That’s how much I wanted to play there. This town has been inviting, gracious and unlike any other place in the world for me. And for the past 10 or 15 years I’ve been trying to introduce great players of original roots reggae music

RAY WEST ... a professional

musician, singer, wherever I go. actor and execuWe’ve been tive director of the able to bring Key West Music in friends from Awards, is known Hawaii, Calito sacrifice his fornia, Jamaica comfort for that of his cat. and the U.K. It’s just more icing on the cake.”

When asked about the subgenre of reggae he felt his original music fell into. Lou said, “I play a lot of different genres.

It’s probably a mixture of calypso and roots with a bit of rock-n-roll, and shredder stuff mixed in on occasion.” Roots reggae refers to the genre of reggae primarily centered on the lives, work and aspirations of the artists who write it as well as the spiritual aspects of Rastafari.

“There are so many subgenres in reggae music, all with their own patterns and rhythms.

Each one is a new experience for me. I’m still learning,” Lou said.

While much of reggae music centers on political and social issues, Lou likes to keep his subject matter positive. “I don’t feel as if involving that in my music is a need. I like having fun, smiling and keeping things positive. That’s the best route for me. Most of my songs are major chords and there is a reason for that. Gratefully, I don’t have a lot of sad stuff going on.”

This year Reggae Lou and the Kind Budz have been nominated for an Iggy for Best Reggae Band and Lou will be performing at this year’s Key West Music Awards with his friend and local reggae favorite Toko Irie. (Go get your tickets now.)

The third annual Key West Music Awards will be held Monday, March 18 at 7 p.m. at the Key West Theater. This formal event will be open to the public; tickets are available at the Key West Theater box office as well as at thekeywesttheater.com. Nominees and more information are at keywestmusicawards.com.

20

KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024 A swallow-tailed kite migrating through the Florida Keys. MARK HEDDEN/Keys Weekly

F

ort Zach was packed, flip-flops and burnt shoulders everywhere, even on a chilly day, by Keys standards.

I start-stopped my way carefully through the first two parking lots, never even touching the accelerator, MARK pulling to a muddy spot in HEDDEN the third lot only a couple of spaces from the ocean. The ... is a photographer, writer, and big storm had just passed semi-professional through the night before, birdwatcher. He and the water was that ’80s has lived in Key turquoise T-shirt color it West for more than 25 years and gets when it’s all churned up may no longer on a bright, sunny day. The be employable in wind was still heavy out of the real world. He the north and two shrimp is also executive boats anchored half a mile director of the Florida Keys Audu- out were the only boats to bon Society. be seen.

I’d had a premonition that morning, of the moat outside the fort filled by weird ducks who’d ridden out the storm on its calmer waters. When I ambled around all the puddles in the parking lot and down the incline to the low fringe of mangroves at the edge of the moat, my long streak of having absolutely no extrasensory perception continued unabated. There were no weird ducks in the pond.

There were no ducks at all.

I kept walking along the edge of the moat, though, heading where all the people weren’t, as ducks will occasionally swim out from under the mangroves when you do that.

There were two other birds at the Navy end of the moat – a great egret biding her time, and an anhinga with his wings held out, doing a little thermoregulating.

With so little avifauna around, I started to pay attention to the butterflies, taking a lot of pictures, but not knowing what species they were, especially the big yellow ones that looked like flying pats of butter.

I was down at the far end of the Back 40, near what everyone calls the secret beach, when I ran into Ellen Westbrook, all bundled up, walking her dog Che. I hadn’t seen her for a few weeks, so we walked and talked for a while, keeping an eye out for birds. Ellen was telling me how much she loved the production of “Singing in the Rain” at the Waterfront, when we spotted them – swallow-tailed kites.

At first there were two, then three, then five, all of them low, swinging around over the tree tops at the far end of the fort. You couldn’t really get any field marks at that distance, but you could just tell by the way they flew.

THE MECHANICS OF GRACE

Seeing a swallow-tailed kite is nothing new in the Keys. Last year 3,025 were counted by the folks at the Florida Keys Hawkwatch. But those were seen in the late summer and early fall, southbound migrants. (Swallow-tailed kites migrate a month or two earlier than other migratory species.)

The number we see in the fall is thought to be the result of geography. The North American population of swallow-tailed kites breeds in Florida and a few other nearby states. The entire population winters in South America.

Most raptors that migrate through Florida follow the peninsula down as far as they can, then follow the Keys until Marathon or below before crossing over to Cuba and points south. And as Florida Keys Hawkwatch has shown, a good number of swallow-tailed kites do the same.

But satellite tracking by the folks at the Avian Research and Conservation Institute has shown that many swallow-tails will leave the Florida peninsula from seemingly random places on the west coast. This is due to the fact that they are some of the best, most energy-efficient flyers out there, and the water crossings most raptors either avoid – or go to great distances to minimize – don’t seem to phase swallowtailed kites.

That being said, when they return to North America, their routes are even less focused.

So seeing them come in off the water, the day after a major storm, is, well, something.

Seeing them fly in general is always something in itself.

No birder – really, no person who gets a good look at them – is immune to their charm.

Hard-hearted ornithologists tend to throw out terms like “handsome,” “striking,” “graceful,” “extremely graceful,” and “extraordinarily graceful” to describe them. I’ve probably waxed too much in this column before about what amazing and subtly deft flyers they are, but I don’t take any of it back. It feels kind of necessary.

The birds just loop through the air with the greatest of ease, with a lightness that puts the best acrobats of the hominid variety to shame.

A bird named after part of another bird’s anatomy could seem like kind of an oddity, but eight other bird species have the descriptor “swallow-tailed” in their name, among them a cotinga, a hummingbird and a bee-eater. All have tails that look a bit like the forked V-shape of a barn swallow’s, but, after surveying photos of the other swallow-tails, the swallow-tailed kite, in my humble opinion, is the barn swallowiest. (Fun fact: kites are not named after the manmade things that hang on a string in the breeze. The things on strings are named for the birds) The mechanics of their grace, if grace can be reduced to mechanics, comes down to that tail. Swallow-tailed kites rarely flap. Instead they hold their wings out steady and stable, tail fanned wide, in constant motion, sometimes sliding all the way from horizontal to vertical to horizontal again in half a second.

They tend to fly in sliding horizontal loops through the air, pausing for the briefest of moments when they face into the wind, then starting another loop. I’ve often felt that if you trace the lines they unravel across the sky, they’d reveal some kind of code for better living.

At first, Ellen and I started to make our way closer to them, hoping for a better look. But it became clear rather quickly that we wouldn’t get there in time. They weren’t pausing because they’d made it to land. They just kept moving.

We watched them for two minutes, tops, before they disappeared over the trees, working their way across Key West, toward the rest of the Keys, the mainland, and back to their breeding territories to start their annual cycle all over again.

21

KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

Jerry Powell credits Southernmost Fatherhood Initiative for its support

KEY WEST MAN GETS BETTER AT HIS MOST IMPORTANT JOB

J

erry Powell credits the Southernmost Fatherhood Initiative with helping him to be a better parent, husband and man.

In 1999, social worker and Key West resident Billy Davis launched the nonprofit A Positive Step of Monroe County with a mission to serve the county’s highest risk kids and their families.

But in 2019, upon realizing that a large percentage of the at-risk kids come from homes without dads, Davis launched the Southernmost Fatherhood Initiative to try to reverse the statistics.

The cost-free program’s “evidence-based” curriculum, which consists of 12 two-hour sessions, is “designed to provide supportive training for dads, including incarcerated ones, in developing new skills in parent, co-parent and child relationships,” Davis said. The initiative also guides clients to 12-step programs if needed, GED referrals, job training, job coaching, construction job referrals and case management, Davis said.

Powell is a married father of seven in a blended family and a volunteer youth sports coach who reached out to Davis after reading about the Southernmost Fatherhood Initiative in the Keys Weekly newspaper.

At the end of 2020, he, his wife Crystal, and several of their blended family of two girls and five boys had moved to Key West due to Crystal’s career with the Air Force. The move meant the couple would no longer be within driving distance of three of their kids. Feeling the need for “stronger glue” to help the family remain close, Powell enrolled.

Sports and music are key features in the Powell family life. Caira, 18, attends West Palm Beach Atlantic University on a choir scholarship.

Jervontae, 17, will graduate this year from Booker T. Washington High School in Tuskegee, Alabama, where he is in the school choir. Grace, 8, is a second grader at Sigsbee who plays soccer. Jerry, 10, is a Sigsbee fourth grader and avid soccer player on a travel team. Corey, 17, will graduate from Key West High School this year. He plays football, wrestles and is a team manager for the Storm Surge traveling basketball team. Jerry Sr. coaches the Sigsbee boys basketball team. Crystal coaches the girls team, and they serve each other as assistant coaches.

Jerry Powell, left, a past participant in A Positive Step of Monroe County’s “Southernmost Fatherhood Initiative” program, is pictured with APSMC founder/executive director Billy Davis while volunteering at December’s Rudolph Red Nose 5K. CONTRIBUTED

Jerry and Crystal Powell are pictured with four of their seven children, from left, Caira, 18, Grace 8, Jerry, 10, and Corey, 17.

Jerry Powell coaches the Sigsbee Charter School boys basketball team at a recent game.

“I wanted to be a better father. I’m still not the best, but I’m always seeking to be better — better husband, better father, better man,” Jerry Powell said after participating in the fatherhood initiative.

“I want to be a person of character, integrity and accountability. As a father, a mentor and a coach, it’s important to stand on the principles we’re trying to teach young men and women. We adults have to exemplify these things if we are going to teach it and expect it of the kids around us.”

Through their APSMC association, Davis also pointed Powell, who was looking for work, to a possible opportunity at Waste Management. Powell got the job and said he finds the variety each day satisfying.

“My job is as a non-commercial driver, but I do everything. One day I might be delivering portaloos to a site, another I’ll be hauling electronics up the Keys. On the first Saturday of each month we have a household hazardous waste drop-off where people can dispose of things that can’t be put in household trash, like paint, antifreeze, batteries and electronics,” he said. “Greg Sullivan (senior district manager for Waste Management in Monroe County) is an awesome boss and gives his employees the opportunity to learn as much as we want to learn.”

In addition to his sports coaching and busy family and work life, Powell is now a dedicated APSMC volunteer. “I’m living proof that A Positive Step of Monroe County cares about people,” he said. “Billy Davis is a godsend and has helped my family on numerous occasions. I’m just very thankful for him and everything he stands for and represents. He’s a very positive, selfless person and that’s why whenever he asks me to help with something, I do my best to drop everything and do it.”

A Positive Step of Monroe County’s Southernmost Fatherhood Initiative is open to dads, stepdads and grandfathers with children under 18. It is supported by the Monroe County Human Services Advisory Board, the Truist Foundation, the Batchelor Foundation and private donors. For enrollment and information, contact Davis at 305304-1969 or APSMCCRP@aol.com. More information is at APSMC.org.

— Contributed

22

KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

OBITUARY

CAPT. JOSEPH P. WEATHERBY

L

ongtime resident and much-loved Key West character, Capt. Joe Weatherby, 62, passed away in a care facility in Miami on Tuesday, Feb. 13, after a medically challenging period following a stroke last year. During this period numerous dear friends exerted maximum efforts to support his recovery and celebrate his contributions to his community. He was attended to at the end by his dear friend, Jennifer Badry.

Joe touched countless lives and strongly shaped the formative years of the young people who surrounded him — Kevin, John, Ricky and Kaiya — along with his sister Elizabeth, at the time of his passing, just at sunset.

Born in Pitman, New Jersey, Joe moved to the South Jersey Shore in his early teens, where his family ran Weatherby’s Wharf in Avalon. He graduated from Wildwood Catholic High School in 1980 before attending the University of Delaware, where many lifelong friendships began. It was during a spring break with his college friends that he first came to Key West, which Joe immediately recognized as home.

Don and Margaret Weatherby, his parents, are previously deceased. He is survived by his brother Marty (Akiyo), nephew Kaiya, niece Nami; sister Elizabeth, nieces Natalie and Bee; brother Mike (Patti), and nephews Kevin and Sean.

Joe was driven by his love of the sea and his connection with people. In Key West he spent his time scuba diving, sailing and shucking oysters at the Half Shell Raw Bar. He was involved in a diving business, bartending, commercial salmon-fishing in Alaska, and spent some time teaching English in Japan with his brother Marty in the early ’90s.

Later, back in Key West, Joe captained dive boats, which led to what became a lifelong dedication to preserving coral reefs. He conceived the “Sink the Vandenberg” project, insisting on the importance of artificial reefs to help both the environment and the local economy.

After 13 years of persistence, and the cooperation of many in the community, the Vandenberg, a 510-foot former military ship, was sunk at last on May 27, 2009, seven miles off Key West. This garnered national and international attention, and as a premier dive site, was recognized by the Key West Chamber of Commerce with the chamber’s Piece of the Rock award.

Along with Captains George and Carla Bellenger, Joe helped conceive and develop the Key West/Havana Challenge, in which competitors sailed across the Florida Straits to compete with the elite sailors of Cuba at the Hemingway International Yacht Club in Havana. Like the artificial reef projects, these events were preceded by “unofficial test runs” that also required daring, endurance and tenacity.

Joe served for many years as a volunteer on the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary’s advisory council. He presented many exhibitions at Diving Equipment & Marketing Association conventions and other events to promote the benefits of artificial reefs and marine preservation.

He also ran his own company, Artificial Reefs International, which sank ships in Belize, Vancouver and Florida. To further publicize the Vandenberg artificial reef, and to help wounded veterans, Joe organized the Reef Wreck Races, using diving sleds, or underwater scooters, in the competition that included underwater races around the wreck.

Joe held other contests at the wreck that challenged divers to find hidden rum and other “treasures” on the artificial reef. Capt.

Joe was overwhelmed by the honor of an Emmy Award that was granted to videographers and producers who captured the sinking of the USS Mohawk in Lee County, Florida in 2013. Another Emmy was awarded for the sinking of the Brause Girls International Reef off Martin County, Florida in 2019. Joe proudly selfidentified as a “shipwrecker.”

His witty, generous personality and talent for bringing diverse people together for good causes, while having fun doing it, earned him deep friendships locally and all over the world. So many people have expressed a fraternal feeling and love for him, and he constantly demonstrated that the affection was mutual.

Capt. Joe is deeply mourned and sorely missed. Our loss and his absence will be felt for all time by his family and countless friends. A celebration of Joe’s life is being planned for a later date and details will be shared when finalized.

I

SAVE THE DATE

t’s February in the Florida Keys, and Key West’s calendar is packed. Take your pick and make your plans for concerts, plays, art shows, plant sales, beach yoga, baseball games, film festivals and Black History Month events.

Through Feb. 24 • Red Barn Theatre presents ‘POTUS,’ starring an all-female cast. Visit redbarntheatre.com for tickets and information.

Monday, Feb. 26 • Celebrate Black History Month with a screening of ‘Amazing Grace,’ at Tropic Cinema, 6 p.m. The event is a fundraiser for R.O.S.E. Diversity group. A one-hour community discussion on racism will follow. Tickets are $25 and are available at rosediversitygroup.weebly.com or at the Tropic Cinema’s website. They also can be purchased at the door. Call Arida Wright for more information at 305-7664922.

• The Friends of the Key West library’s speaker series presents authors Ariel Delgado Dixon and Allegra Hyde at 6 p.m. Their talk will be outdoors in the Palm Garden at the library, 700 Fleming St. Visit friendsofthekeywestlibrary.org/ speaker-series/ Friday, March 1 • The College of the Florida Keys hosts ‘Swords and Tails: A Seaside Soiree’ at the Islander Resort, Islamorada. The 12th annual event will feature costumes, fine dining and cocktails, and live entertainment. Tickets and sponsorship packages are available at cfk.edu/soiree.

• The South Florida Symphony Orchestra performs at Tennessee Williams Fine Arts Center, 7:30 p.m. The performance will celebrate the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.

Wednesday, March 6 • The fourth annual Key West NOW Women’s Film Festival kicks off this year’s celebration of women in film, with movies every Wednesday in March at the Tropic Cinema, 6 p.m. ‘ The first screening is Ava DuVernay’s first film, ‘I Will Follow’ (2010).

Thursday, March 7 • Get certified or renew your certification in CPR (adult, child and infant). 2 p.m. at the Monroe County Community Center in the Winn-Dixie Plaza on Big Pine. Cost is $31. Call 305-292-4501 to register.

Thursday, March 14 Get certified or renew your certification in CPR (adult, child and infant) & first aid. 9 a.m. in the Gato Building, 1100 Simonton St., Key West. Cost for combined CPR & first aid certification is $41.

Call 305-292-4501 to register.

29

KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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How’s the water? On Feb. CHRIS 18, we dipped McNULTY into the creative, compassionis an astrologer, wanderer, barate, mystical tender and and sometimes advocate for confusing bath queer justice. He of Pisces season. is a loquacious When the sun is Gemini with a in Pisces, we all cozy Cancer rising. Find him at feel things a bit hearthandherald- more sensitively and our intuitive astrology.com antennae are particularly attuned. Pay attention to the subtle details and ripples in the world around you as they will ensure your choices are in line with the cosmic evolution. It’s a lazy river out there, so breathe deeply and enjoy the ride. Today, fairly early in our Piscean soak, Venus and Mars finally have their romantic rendezvous in the sign of Aquarius. When these two planets come together, sparks fly and tantalizing tangos transpire. Love and lust permeate the air and emotions run high. With Mars and Venus in Aquarius, we can anticipate this yearly tryst to have an analytical bent. Think deep conversations about love, reading the Kama Sutra or sexting. After these two planets met up with Pluto last week, the heavy and hard parts of the romance are over and the sexy fun parts can take flight.

Here are your horoscopes for the Venus-Mars conjunction. Read for your rising and sun signs.

PISCES Feb. 19 - March 20 Happy birthday to you, our dear shamans of the Zodiac. It seems you might have a hidden lover or a passion for someone that you simply cannot control. Today is a culmination of this affair. However you intend to manage this veiled relationship, know that the greatest abundance will come through difficult communication.

KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

ARIES March 21 - April 19 While obviously not all Aries rams are having an anniversary party right now, something akin to a grand celebration of your love is afoot. Perhaps you are sharing your creativity with the world in a gallery opening or making your relationship “Facebook official” and drowning in likes. If there is money being spent or earned, don’t shy away from being bountiful in either direction.

LEO July 23 - Aug. 22 With Mars and Venus conjoining in your house of partnership, this astrological moment is all about fierce and passionate love for another. Yes, this could be a platonic passion for a business partner or another life partner. Regardless, you are being called to merge and throw caution to the wind. Don’t let the big demands of work get in the way, though. They’ll still be there next week.

TAURUS April 20 - May 20 Now, I’m not saying you’re having an affair at work, but I am saying there is a highly charged dance going on “in the office.” Maybe that is the tango with a big client or maybe you genuinely do have a professional paramour. There is a big eruption taking place, and letting your big personality shine will help to seal the deal.

VIRGO Aug. 23 - Sept. 22 We all know love is not always sunshine and daffodils, and you, Virgo, of all the signs, know how to hash out the details and put in the work. This conjunction is going to pull out your passion for getting your hands dirty in love or your love for getting your hands dirty. A big adventure might try to pull you away, but stick to your grind.

GEMINI May 21 - June 21 A romantic adventure is tugging at your wanderlust. Maybe you have a literal honeymoon-esque trip with your partner, or maybe your partner is simply opening you up to new experiences. Go for it. Be mindful that venturing forth may trigger some big yearnings for solitude — consider this an emotional response to stepping out of your comfort zone. Acknowledge it and keep going.

LIBRA Sept. 23 - Oct. 23 Passion is firing up. You’re a sign ruled by the cosmic love of Venus, and she is getting a powerful boost from her lover, Mars, in your house of creative drive. Let your inner artistry fly outward right now and focus on your individuality. You may feel a powerful tug to engage on collective projects, but don’t let that take away from your own selfexpression.

CANCER June 22 - July 22 While passions are high right now, Cancer, you are being called to peer into the invisible bonds that connect you with another person.

Diving into those sometimes unconscious ties and asking questions about what they are will only fuel your fire. Focus on the deeply intimate, despite the powerful draws to socialize and cavort with your friends.

SCORPIO Oct. 24 - Nov. 21 The love of family, whether biological or chosen, is one of the most important parts of life. You have an opportunity to dive deep into the joys of family bonds and a cozy home. Stoke the fireplace and gather ’round the hearth. An important partnership or finalizing a major project might try to pull your attention, but remember that family comes first.

HERE’S A SEXY IDEA… SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22 - Dec. 21 It’s easy to let the regular people and places you see every day become so routine that they disappear into the background.

Under this sky, you have the opportunity to fall deeply in love with the familiar faces and oft-visited places in your community. Stop to smell the roses in your neighborhood, and try your best to let go of the always-imposing grind.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22 - Jan. 19 It’s ok to spend your hardearned dough on the things or people you love, and right now is a great time to do that. Buy that knick-knack that makes you smile or take your lover out for an extravagant meal. You spend time on what you love, and time is money.

So don’t be too thrifty. Your own creative work can take a back seat, although you might just find some fresh inspiration.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20 - Feb. 18 Aquarius season might be over, but falling in love with yourself is top of your to-do list right now.

Take the time to appreciate yourself and treat yourself as if you were the love of your life, because let’s face it, you are. While your family might be looming large, remember that you come first. “Sorry ma, can’t talk, I’m taking myself on a date. Call you tomorrow.”

KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Presidential descendants spend holiday weekend in Key West

Kurt Graham, left, director of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Missouri, moderates a discussion among presidential descendants. From left, Clifton Truman Daniel, grandson of Harry S. Truman; James Earl Carter IV, grandson of Jimmy Carter; Patricia Taft, great-granddaughter of William H. Taft; Mary Jean Eisenhower, granddaughter of Dwight D. Eisenhower; and Massee McKinley, great-great grandson of Grover Cleveland, take part in the Presidents’ Day Weekend event at the Harry S. Truman Little White House. CAROL TEDESCO/ Truman Little White House

STUDENT WRITERS TACKLE POLITICS FOR PRESIDENTS’ WEEKEND

Left: Angie Herrera Yanes, right, who took first place in the 2024 Presidential Families Weekend student essay contest, poses with Patricia Taft, great-granddaughter of William Howard Taft, upon receiving her award. Right: Jordan Lubis, right, who won second place in the 2024 Presidential Families Weekend student essay contest, with Massee McKinley, great-greatgrandson of Grover Cleveland. CAROL TEDESCO/The Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation

Essay contest explores political maneuvering

T James Earl Carter IV, left, grandson of Jimmy Carter, and Clifton Truman Daniel, grandson of Harry S. Truman, examine some of Truman’s belongings at the Truman Little White House in Key West on Feb. 17.

D

escendants of former U.S. Presidents took part in a Feb. 17 discussion of “Political Maneuvering: The Powerful Influence of the Presidency” at the Harry S. Truman Little White House in Key West. The event was part of a Presidential Families Weekend and Forum presented by the Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation in partnership with the Society of Presidential Descendants.

Kurt Graham, director of the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri, served as moderator. Participating descendants were: Clifton Truman Daniel, grandson of Harry S. Truman; James Earl Carter IV, grandson of Jimmy Carter; Mary Jean Eisenhower, granddaughter of Dwight D. Eisenhower; Massee McKinley, great-great-grandson of Grover Cleveland, and Patricia Taft, great-granddaughter of William H. Taft.

— Contributed

he Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation and the Society of Presidential Descendants recently selected first, second and third-place winners in the second annual Presidential Families Weekend student essay competition, a component of the foundation’s annual Presidents’ Day weekend events.

Awards were announced and presented after the 2024 Presidential Descendants Forum, a live moderated discussion among a panel of presidential descendants held Feb. 17 on the grounds of the Key West Harry S. Truman Little White House.

Student competitors researched and wrote about the forum’s 2024 theme of “Political Maneuvering: The Powerful Influence of the Presidency.”

Angie Herrera Yanes, an 11th grader at Key West High School, won first place and received her award from Patricia Taft, great-granddaughter of William Howard Taft. Yanes’ essay explores “the intricate practice of political maneuvering, delving into its multifaceted dimensions and profound impact on the presidency.”

Jordan Lubis, a senior at Coral Shores High School, won second place and received his award from Massee McKinley, great-great-grandson of Grover Cleveland. Lubis’ essay examines Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his New Deal economic relief programs and policies.

The third-place award went to Caroline Garfield, an 11th-grade Coral Shores High School student for her essay titled, “The Political Maneuvering of President Thomas Jefferson.”

The submissions were judged by members of the Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation and the Society of Presidential Descendants, based on their compelling presentation of the subject. Students were also required to provide documentation of having performed community service work during the past two years.

Jennifer C. Barrios, the school district’s social studies coordinator, acted as liaison between the district and the competition organizers.

Each winner received cash prizes and tickets to attend the Feb. 17 forum in Key West.

“All of us from the Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation and the Society of Presidential Descendants who have been involved with the competition are so proud of these students and their accomplishments,” said Clinton Curry, the foundation’s executive director.

“The caliber of research and writing submitted by the contestants was truly excellent.”

The mission of the foundation is to preserve the Harry S. Truman Little White House, Florida’s only presidential museum, and programming that supports civic engagement, education, and the historic and cultural influences of the Truman era. More information is available from the foundation’s deputy director, Michael Ables, at michael. ables@kwtrumanfoundation.org.

— Contributed

36

KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

A ‘TAIL’ OF NAMES Early pioneers had different term for the spiny lobster

I

f you are not following my Facebook group, Florida Keys History with Brad Bertelli, then you are missing out on daily doses of great local history. One thing that makes the group special is how many photographs, memories and insights are shared in the posts.

FLORIDA With more than 24,000 KEYS members, it has become a HISTORY fantastic platform to share WITH these island histories. It has BRAD also become a place where BERTELLI I learn new and interesting pieces of information.

Brad is a local historian, author, A recent post featuring the speaker and picture of these men and that Honorary Conch who loves sharing boy displaying their catch on Pigeon Key circa 1920 inthe history of the spired a lively discussion after Florida Keys.

I referred to the crustaceans piled into the wheelbarrows as crawfish and not spiny lobster.

Technically, the crustaceans are Panulirus argus, the Caribbean spiny lobster. In the Sunshine State, they are more commonly called Florida spiny lobster. As larvae, they are at the whimsy of the currents before settling in the seagrass and algae beds that act as their nurseries. It takes about two years for a lobster to grow to a legal size with a carapace measuring 3 inches long.

Left unmolested by sharks, turtles or fishermen, the spiny lobster can reach up to 15 pounds. The spiny lobster is one of the most commercially important species harvested to support the local seafood industry. It is rare to find the really big ones like those pictured in the wheelbarrows any more. Though considered a commercially sustainable species, no fishery is what it used to be.

Like many pioneers who carved out a way of life in the Florida Keys, William Dunham and Mary Jane Albury left the Bahamas and settled in Key West. In 1886, they left the Southernmost City with their 3-week-old son, William Beauregard, and settled in the Rock Harbor area of Key Largo. The family farmed pineapples until a blight and competition from Cuban farmers took its toll on the Keys’ pineapple industry.

The Albury pineapple farm was replaced with groves of Key lime trees. In 1913, Beauregard and his father constructed a conch-style wooden house. In those days, the Albury home

Pigeon Key, circa 1920. WRIGHT LANGLEY COLLECTION/Florida Keys History Center

would have been located just south of the Over-Sea Railroad’s Rock Harbor Depot. Today, it sits in the exact same place as it did when it was built. It represents the oldest house on Key Largo that still stands in its original locale and is now home to the Reef Environmental Education Foundation at MM 98.

The Alburys were farmers, but they were also fishermen. One of the species they “fished” for was spiny lobster – although, in the old days, the crustaceans were referred to as crawfish, not lobster, as is demonstrated in this portion of an interview with Beauregard Albury that appeared in the book “Key Largo/Island Home” published in 1967 by the Key Largo Foundation.

Albury said, “You should have seen the crawfish in the mangrove roots along the shores.

They were stacked up two feet — one on top of the other. I’ve had them weigh seven pounds.

The whole shore would be red, two or three hundred feet. One time I caught 2,900 crawfish with a small net. My father had a contract with the railroad to supply crawfish to Key West. The last season we worked for them, we shipped 54,000 pounds even though the supply was depleted by that time. That was the only year we kept a record. We found most of them on the lee side of Key Largo, Rodriguez and Tavernier — wherever there was a mangrove shore. Nothing much on Dove Key.” It was not just the pioneers who called lobster crawfish, as evidenced by a series of newspaper advertisements and articles. For instance, the Dec. 1, 1921 edition of the Sarasota County Times advertised, “For French Oysters and Key West Crawfish go to Silva’s Market”.

The Dec. 22, 1928 edition of the Key West Citizen printed the menu for Key West’s Manhattan Café featuring “All American Cooking.” The menu listed “Broiled Key West Crawfish with French Fried Potatoes for 65 cents and Crawfish

a la King with Mashed Potatoes for 75 cents.”

The Key West Citizen printed a different kind of reference to crawfish in its Sept. 21, 1933 edition. The opinion in the paper addressed the controversial Louisiana politician who was assassinated two years later. “We Key Westers object to Huey Long being termed the ‘Crawfish.’ In Key West, crawfish are considered a delicacy and are far superior to the unsavory antics of Louisiana’s senatorial mistake. ‘Jellyfish’ would be more descriptive.”

It was not just the old-timers who referred to lobster as crawfish in South Florida and the Keys. In a story about Key West’s favorite son, a then up-and-coming coconut troubadour named Jimmy Buffett, crawfish was the identifier used when talking about the tasty lobster.

In the Feb. 3, 1974 edition of the Fort Pierce News Tribune, a story appeared with the headline “Country Singer ‘Buffetting’ To Top.” “When he’s not performing or recording, Buffett relaxes with friends or chugs off in his little Boston whaler to check some crawfish and stone crab traps. … His first album, released last summer, is called ‘A White Sport Coat and A Pink Crustacean.’ On the album cover Buffett is posed before a Key West crawfish boat with a crate of the creatures.

He and his friend, the photographer, ate the crawfish after a day spent shooting the cover.”

While crawfish is not the official name of the Caribbean spiny lobster, it is certainly a local variant in South Florida and the Keys and has been for a very long time. In fact, the MerriamWebster Dictionary lists two definitions of crawfish: crayfish and spiny lobster.

37

KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

Equality Florida recognized group at Key West event Feb. 23

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quality Florida, the statewide civil rights organization that fights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, will honor a group of local activists at an event in Key West on Friday, Feb. 23.

Queer Keys, founded in 2021 to support and unite the region’s LGBTQ community, deserves the spotlight at this year’s Equality Florida Key West celebration, the statewide nonprofit said.

“Queer Keys has become a beacon of hope and empowerment for LGBTQ individuals and their allies,” Equality Florida said in a statement.

The event is set Friday, Feb. 23 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Hugh’s View, the rooftop venue at The Studios of Key West, 533 Eaton St. Admission is free and open to the public, but the event is limited to 100 people due to space. Guests are asked to RSVP in advance on Equality Florida’s website at eqfl.org.

Chris McNulty and Janiece Rodriguez, who founded Queer Keys, will accept the award on behalf of the group’s board of directors.

“It lets us know we are making an impact on a local level that is having a ripple effect beyond our island,” McNulty told Keys Weekly. “We are incredibly grateful for the recognition, and we look forward to building on the work that we are being recognized for.”

(McNulty also writes the Keys Weekly horoscopes each week.)

The two created the nonprofit shortly after moving to Key West upon learning the island didn’t have a true queer community center.

They started out using space at a local church to host programs for young people. Now, almost three years later, they’ve signed a lease on their own headquarters at 1100 Truman Ave. Volunteers have been painting and building out the space and plan to open it as a community center once they get through the city’s permitting process, which could take several months, the group said in an announcement on social media.

PROUDLY SERVING THE FLORIDA KEYS AND BEYOND!

The Queer Keys board of directors: Front row: Janiece Rodriguez and Chris McNulty. Back row from left: Jobie Jacomine, Jasmine Kenna, Baires Serrano, Fritzie Estimond. CONTRIBUTED

Queer Keys, whose slogan is “Love is love, community is everything,” has hosted two successful fundraising shows at the Key West Theater to build the program.

While the group has appeared at events such as Key West’s annual Pride parade, Queer Keys focuses on organizing services and resources for locals in need of help. Its members also have hosted youth groups for both support and fun. At one meetup, they all baked homemade bread.

Their goal has always been to create a center in Key West, complete with a community garden and a space for gatherings. At the same time, it would be a center where they could offer mental health services, free STI testing and other programs.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the incredible work of Queer Keys and its visionary co-founders, Chris McNulty and Janiece Rodriguez,” said Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida.

“Their dedication to safeguarding LGBTQ rights and preserving an inclusive, thriving environment for LGBTQ youth in Monroe County is the leadership our state needs from this community,” Smith said.

Rodriguez said she’s excited about the recognition, but remains focused on the current struggles transgender people are facing in Florida.

“I would like people to know that trans folks across Florida are going through a very challenging and scary time and the work is far from done,” Rodriguez told Keys Weekly.

Also at the Feb. 23 event, Equality Florida’s deputy director Stratton Pollitzer will present a recap of the group’s work last year and take questions about current issues facing LGBTQ people.

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Orthodox Mission in the Keys Relics of the Ancient Christian Church Akathist for All Saints Saturday, February 24, 2024 9:30 am @ St. Francis Episcopal Church 1600 Key Deer Blvd, Big Pine Key Polycarp of Smyrna St. Nicholas Catherine the Great Martyr Ephrem the Syrian John Chrysostom Cyril of Alexandria Innocent of Moscow Tikhon of Moscow Vasily Martysz Nikolai of Zhika John Maximovitch of San Francisco

OrthodoxKeys.org

38

KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

TAKE ME HOME? FIND A FRIEND AT THE FLORIDA KEYS SPCA

T

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

From cats and dogs to Guinea

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

The SPCA’s Golden Paw program also provides special assistance with vet bills and medications for special-needs and older animals that require a little extra TLC. Check these pages each week for just a few of the animals waiting for a home and see them all at fkspca.org.

HELP KEEP KEY WEST CLEAN JOIN A 1-HOUR CLEANUP FRIDAY MORNINGS

Fifty-six volunteers met Feb. 16 at the Overseas Market and cleaned up both sides of the Salt Run Bridge and North Roosevelt Boulevard from Kennedy Drive past GFS. In one hour, they collected 504 pounds of trash, 19 pounds of recycling and 4 gallons of cigarette butts. Thank you to everyone who is dedicated to Keeping Key West Beautiful. CONTRIBUTED

O

We have nothing but good things to say about Willie, an 8-year-old tabby cat. His personality shined through this past month as he warmed up to everyone with his paw-sitive attitude and caring nature.

Meet Mozzy. He’s a lovely 3-year-old pit bull mix who’s ready to win your heart with his kisses and affection.

Meet Tiny Tina. TT was recently returned to us for being nothing but herself — a beautiful, caring cat who just wants love.Tiny Tina is a 5-year-old orange cat.

Bean is a 2-year-old female guinea pig.

She loves foraging for food pellets and playing with her pen-mate, Squeaky.

Media Noche is a beautiful 2-year-old black cat. “Media Noche” means midnight, and fits her purr-fectly.

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

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

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

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

Please pick up around your home or apartment complex.

Every piece of trash picked up is one less that may end up in the ocean that surrounds and sustains our island community.

Volunteers with the city’s weekly Friday morning cleanups find and remove all sorts of items to help keep Key West clean.

It is not just the large items you can see easily when you are walking, but the smaller items such as bottle caps and cigarette butts that are collected by the volunteers that make the biggest difference.

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

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

Feb. 23: Northside Drive and 14th Street. Meet in the city parking lot by the baseball fields, next to Wells Fargo Bank on Northside Drive.

39

KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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40

KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

RESEARCHERS ASSESS CORAL HEALTH FOLLOWING MARINE HEAT WAVE Preliminary data shows nearly 80% loss of surveyed staghorn coral

A

team of researchers from NOAA’s Mission: Iconic Reefs program and partners from Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium and the Coral Restoration Foundation have completed a scientific mission to quantify the effect of 2023’s marine heat wave on corals in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Data from the research cruise will help NOAA and partners understand the extent of the record-high marine temperatures from the summer of 2023 on restored corals — which are nursery-raised and outplanted on the reef — and inform future restoration strategies to increase coral resilience.

Researchers aboard the contracted vessel M/V Makai surveyed 64 locations at five of the seven Mission: Iconic Reef sites – Carysfort Reef, Horseshoe Reef, Sombrero Reef, Looe Key Reef and Eastern Dry Rocks – to examine the reef-building stony acroporid corals outplanted by Coral Restoration Foundation, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium and Reef Renewal.

This research follows a mission in August that assessed coral health during the height of the marine heat wave and incorporates data about how eight additional weeks of high temperatures affected corals.

Preliminary findings from the latest assessment provide insights into the current state of coral health: Fewer than 22% of about 1,500 staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) surveyed remain alive.

Only the two most northern reefs surveyed, Carysfort Reef and Horseshoe Reef, had any living staghorn coral.

Of the five reefs surveyed, live elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) was found at only three sites: Carysfort Reef, Sombrero Reef in the middle Keys, and Eastern Dry Rocks off Key West.

No live staghorn or elkhorn corals were observed at sample areas surveyed at Looe Key Reef in the lower Keys.

All data collected during the assessment is undergoing thorough review and analysis.

Though anecdotal evidence from Mission: Iconic Reefs partners suggest that boulder, massive and brain coral outplants at a number of Mission: Iconic Reef sites – including Looe Key Reef – fared better during the marine heat wave, rough weather conditions during this mission prevented the research team from surveying more than the branching coral assemblages of staghorn and elkhorn coral.

“The findings from this assessment are critical to understanding the impacts to corals throughout the Florida Keys following the unprecedented marine heat wave,” said Sarah Fangman, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary superintendent. “They also offer a glimpse into coral’s future in a warming world. When the ecosystem experiences significant stress in this way, it underscores the urgency for implementing updates to our regulations, like the Restoration Blueprint, which addresses multiple threats that will give nature a chance to hold on.”

Florida’s coral reefs are the backbone of the region’s tourism and recreation economy, and provide important ecological services to coastal communities. The health of Florida’s coral ecosystems has declined since the 1970s due to damage from hurricanes, heat-induced bleaching, disease and increased effects from human activities.

The assessment will support the ongoing restoration efforts of Mission: Iconic Reefs, a NOAA-led, partner-driven initiative to restore nearly 3 million square feet of coral reef – the equivalent of more than 50 football fields — at seven iconic sites within the sanctuary, through pioneering restoration efforts involving growing and transplanting corals.

The goal is to restore diversity and ecological function to the reefs by returning coral cover at target reef sites to a self-sustaining level.

In the summer of 2023, corals in the Keys faced the hottest ocean temperatures on record, and the longest-lasting marine heat wave recorded in three decades. The marine heat wave prompted emergency evacuation of in-water nursery corals to land-based nurseries to limit heat exposure.

Collaboration between Mission: Iconic Reefs and coral conservation practitioners safeguarded the genetic diversity of coral reefbuilding species.

“We are fortunate to have the unwavering dedication and expertise of multiple partners collaborating with NOAA to restore this critical ecosystem,” said Jennifer Mooore, co-lead of Mission:Iconic Reefs and Endangered Species Act coral recovery coordinator for NOAA Fisheries. “The assessment results, complementary research efforts from partners and lessons from emergency activities over the summer will inform effective and innovative restoration strategies to support the health of Florida’s coral reefs.”

— Contributed

Iconic Reefs field team member Cate Gelston, co-lead scientist on the assessment cruise, retrieves a transect tape after completing an outplant coral health assessment survey. BEN EDMONDS/NOAA

41

KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

6

1

RUNNING FOR ‘DEER’ LIFE

JEN ALEXANDER www.keysweekly.com

Florida Keys Wildlife Society hosts eighth annual Run with Deer 5K

7

8

2

5

9

T 3

4

he eighth annual Run with Deer 5K event at Big Pine Community Park on Feb. 17 showcased a vibrant gathering of participants, including runners, walkers and volunteers. The event not only brought together individuals eager to engage in physical activity, but also aimed to support a noble cause: raising funds for the Florida Keys Wildlife Society. With the presence of a distinctive and spirited herd of “deer,” the event combined community engagement with conservation efforts in the beautiful setting of the park.

This year’s run totaled a record-setting 259 participants joining forces to support the Florida Keys Wildlife Society. This nonprofit organization is dedicated to advancing the conservation efforts of the four National Wildlife Refuges in the Florida Keys region through various means including education, non-adversarial advocacy, volunteerism and fundraising. The National Wildlife Refuge System, within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, manages a national network of lands and waters set aside to conserve America’s fish, wildlife, and plants. The Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges encompass nearly a half-million acres of land and water habitats critical to the survival of numerous species of wildlife.

10 1. Runners explode off the start line for 3.1 miles of racing. 2. Caitlin Lustic brings a rare flamingo sighting to Big Pine. 3. Stephanie Mosquera-Difolco makes her way through the course. 4. Russell Kiefer breaks out a victory celebration. 5. Whether or not runners saw furry miniature deer made famous on Big Pine Key, an antlered pack on the course provided smiles and laughs. 6. Big Pine Key’s Helena Bursa claims the overall female title with a time of 21:06 on her ‘home course.’ 7. MHS speedster and Big Pine native Vance Bursa wins the eighth annual Run with Deer 5K, posting a time of 18:09. 8. Stephanie Mosquera-Difolco makes her way through the course. 9. Florida Keys Wildlife Society chair Kathy Rhodes, left, and vice chair Dawn Loftus help coordinate the morning. 10. Linda Boroi, left, and Thomas Boroi have time for smiles and a thumbsup. Photos by Brewster Rhoads and Jen Alexander

43

KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

KEYS’ LARGEST SHOPPING EVENT RETURNS SHELF HELP

S

Gigantic Nautical Market supports students

H

undreds of vendors will return this weekend in Islamorada. The Gigantic Nautical Market at Founders Park will welcome thousands of patrons Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 24-25, for a shopping extravaganza and a boat show with a beach.

Since its inception, the Upper Keys Rotary Club’s signature fundraising event has grown to gargantuan proportions, with nearly 400 vendors. As well as boats, attendees can find fishing, diving and other sporting equipment to enhance their outdoor pursuits.

Shoppers will also find furnishings for boat and home along with art, jewelry, clothing, accessories and more. The entire show is outdoors, with 16 food trucks spread around the park and Rotary beverage booths offering Bloody Mary and rum punch drinks.

Market hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Parking is available at Coral Shores High School, MM 90 oceanside, with free shuttle transportation to the market grounds.

Admission to the open-air event is free, although a $5 donation to the Upper Keys Rotary Foundation’s scholarship fund is suggested. More information is at rotarynauticalmarket.com.

— Contributed

Top: Shoppers stroll between vendor tents during the 2020 Gigantic Nautical Market. KEYS WEEKLY FILE PHOTO. Above: A family shows off a Keysy sign purchase at the 2023 Gigantic Nautical Market. MELINA MILLER/Contributed

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

What: “On Juneteenth” by Annette Gordon-Reed Why: Black history is American history, and vice versa – and few writers make that more clear than Annette Gordon-Reed, the Harvard law professor who won a Pulitzer for her book “The Hemingses of Monticello.” More recently, as Juneteenth was recognized as a public holiday, she wrote a book explaining the origins of that celebration. In this slim volume, she also explores the history of Texas, which goes beyond the cowboys and oilmen of popular imagination. Gordon-Reed is from Texas, where her family goes way back, so the book is also something of a memoir. Gordon’s straightforward prose makes the delivery of the events she’s recounting even more powerful. There’s no doubt this lawyer-historian has her facts down, even if they are facts that have been ignored or denied through most of our history. I learned a lot from this relatively short book, about Texas and America and Annette GordonReed. It’s kind of like taking a college seminar with an especially gifted and generous professor. And lucky for us, no exam at the end.

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

How: You can request books online by logging in to your account keyslibraries.org and get e-books and e-audiobooks 24/7 at 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: Nancy Klingener, community affairs manager See previous recommendations at keyslibraries.org/shelf-help.

44

KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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45

KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Tips to keeping meal scraps out of the trash

I

can still hear my mother say “clear your plate” and nanny reminding me “there are people starving all over the world,” as I push my peas around the plate until they’re hard enough to load in my BB gun. But it’s true; MELODY there are people starvTUSCHEL ing everywhere, and we are throwing food in is the Monroe County recycling the trash or down the coordinator and Insinkerator. We are a outreach liaison. disposable society.

Americans throw out about a third of food purchased On average, a family of four will waste about $1,500 per year on food not eaten. Yet in Monroe County, many households struggle to make it paycheck to paycheck. Most of us here could use that food or money. ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. These are households that earn more than the federal poverty level, but less than the basic cost of living for the county.

According to the United Way’s 2021 ALICE report, 33% of Monroe County residents are ALICE households, and 10% are poverty households. If your paycheck isn’t enough to cover your basic needs, what is being compromised to pay the rent? Food, medicine, clothing? If you’re struggling to make ends meet, then food waste shouldn’t even be an issue. But we still waste food. And not only does food waste cost consumers at the cash register, it’s also a cost to the environment.

Food waste increases our carbon footprint as it rots in a landfill. The food purchased and wasted must be replaced on store shelves. This increases the demand for food. The demand is getting more difficult to supply. The resources needed to produce food are being exhausted. The farmland is being overharvested until it is useless. The water resources are scarce.

Since November 2023, Collier and Lee counties have been under an emergency water shortage. Increased food production means more pesticides and fertilizers running into the waterways. The energy and water wasted in food production that is not consumed could service 50 million homes.

Small changes can save food, money and our environment.

DID YOU KNOW? Foam waste, shopping bags and plastics such as egg cartons can be recycled at Publix stores in the Keys. Home Depot stores recycle household batteries, shopping bags and lightbulbs. Ink cartridges are accepted at Office Max in Key West.

Napa Auto Parts stores accept auto and boat batteries, as well as boat and automobile motor oil.

Little steps make a big difference • Establish a food budget and use coupons and store discounts.

• Plan a menu for five days.

• Inventory your kitchen pantry, freezer and refrigerator before shopping.

• Make a shopping list for the planned meals.

• Do not go to the grocery store hungry.

• Stick to the list and only buy food for the five days.

Correct food storage • Keep produce in crisper bins in the refrigerator. That helps retain moisture. If possible, keep fruit in a separate crisper from vegetables because fruit gives off ethylene gas that can shorten storage life.

• While some produce can be stored at room temperature (like citrus), whole melons, and potatoes, and cut, peeled or cooked fruits and vegetables should always be refrigerated.

• Keep packages of raw meat, poultry and fish frozen until ready to prepare. When thawing, place meat in a separate bowl or pan on the lowest refrigerator shelf. This keeps juices from dripping onto other foods, and the lowest shelf is usually the coldest.

Use fresh meat, poultry and fish within a couple days. Toss meat, poultry or fish with an off odor, a sticky or slimy surface or discoloration.

REUSE AND REDUCE Keep reusable shopping bags in your car for all shopping, not just groceries.

At Baby’s Coffee, clean, reusable coffee mugs are refilled at a discounted price of $2. Starbucks will use any clean, reusable coffee mug for a 10-cent discount.

PIXABAY

Leftovers?

• Save money and pack leftovers for lunch.

• Recreate the leftovers into a new meal.

• Share with a neighbor or colleague.

Food scraps • Compost organic scraps for gardening.

• Upcycle scraps: Citrus peels in a jar of vinegar creates a naturally scented disinfectant cleanser (soak in a dark place for three weeks then remove peels).

• Upcycle produce into non-toxic paints: golden beets (yellow), spinach (green), red beets (red). In a jar, add a small amount of vinegar to the produce’s juice.

• Animal feed: Donate scraps to local farms and bird rescues.

For more food waste and compost information, attend a food waste/compost presentation and seed sowing project. Contact your local library to sign up for the free program.

• Saturday, Feb. 24 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Key West library.

• Saturday, March 2 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Big Pine Key library.

• Thursday, March 28 from noon to 2 p.m. at Key Largo library.

46

KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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FEBRUARY 22, 2024 / KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP

FEB. 22

THE SCOREBOARD

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Team

Sport

Opponent

Date

Result

Coral Shores

Girls Lacrosse

Gulliver

2/12

L, 9-6

Coral Shores

Boys Lacrosse

Gulliver

2/12

L, 22-1

Coral Shores

Baseball

Cooper City (preseason)

2/12

L, 8-1

Coral Shores

Baseball

HEA (preseason)

2/15

L, 12-0

Key West

Boys Lacrosse

Miami Country Day

2/15

W, 13-4

Key West

Boys Tennis

Coral Shores

2/15

L, 7-0

Key West

Girls Tennis

Coral Shores

2/15

W, 4-3

Marathon

Baseball

Berean Christian (preseason)

2/16

W, 11-0

LEE

Sophomore, Marathon Weightlifting

Coral Shores

Boys Lacrosse

John Carroll

2/16

W, 5-3

Key West

Girls Lacrosse

Palmetto

2/16

L, 10-5

Key West

Baseball

Taravella (preseason)

2/16

T, 3-3

Key West

Baseball

Taravella (preseason)

2/17

L, 10-0

Key West

Girls Lacrosse

Calvary Christian

2/17

L, 12-2

Key West

Boys Lacrosse

John Carroll

2/17

W, 17-2

THIS WEEK IN KEYS SPORTS

FEB. 22

Date

School

Sport

Opponent

Start Time

2/22

Marathon

Softball

LaSalle

4 p.m.

2/22

Coral Shores

Baseball

Keys Gate

6:30 p.m.

2/23

Key West

Boys Lacrosse

St. Brendan

6 p.m.

2/23

Marathon

Baseball

Miami Country Day 6 p.m.

2/23

Key West

Baseball

North Fort Myers

7:30 p.m.

2/23

Key West

Softball

Westminster Christian

5 & 7 p.m.

2/23

Coral Shores

Boys Lacrosse

Westminster

6 p.m.

2/24

Key West

Softball

Keys Gate

11 a.m.

2/24

Marathon

Baseball

Keys Gate

7 p.m.

2/24

Key West

Baseball

North Fort Myers

7:30 p.m.

2/24

Key West

Girls & Boys Lacrosse

South Plantation

4 & 6 p.m.

2/24

KW & CS

Boys Wrestling

Regionals @ Cardinal Gibbons

12 p.m.

2/25

KW & CS

Boys Wrestling

Regionals @ Cardinal Gibbons

8 a.m.

2/26

Coral Shores

Baseball

Dade Christian

6:30 p.m.

2/26

Coral Shores

Girls Lacrosse

@ Palmetto

4 p.m.

2/26

Marathon

Baseball

Somerset South Homestead

5:30 p.m.

ON THE COVER At the 2024 FHSAA state weightlifting championships, Marathon weightlifting phenom Justice Lee became Monroe County’s first dual gold medalist, winning her weight class in both the traditional and Olympic lifts.

See page 4. BARRY GAUKEL/Keys Weekly

THIS WEEK

Justice

Justice has been working for this moment from the time we walked out of the state meet last year.”

— Jessie Schubert, Marathon weightlifting coach.

2X Gold medalist FHSAA State Championships

Justice Lee made it clear she was a force to be reckoned with last season when she qualified for the FHSAA State Championships in weightlifting as a freshman. Lee came home without a medal, but was not the least bit discouraged.

In fact, she let her desire to be the best fuel her. She dedicated herself to getting stronger and perfecting her form, rarely missing a day of lifting and following coach Jessie Schubert’s instructions without hesitation or complaint.

Her relentless pursuit of perfection paid off last weekend when she claimed dual state titles in girls weightlifting.

The sophomore powerhouse will return to work this week in her third sport in hopes of making a second state appearance this year – this time in track and field, where she excels as a thrower.

For her unwavering determination and refusal to be anything but the absolute best, Marathon’s Justice Lee is the Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.

Photo CONTRIBUTED

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KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP / FEBRUARY 22, 2024 SPORTS WRITER

The Keys Weekly Sports Wrap is proud to be the only locallyowned publication providing prep sports coverage from Key Largo to Key West. Together with our writers and photographers, we are committed to providing a comprehensive overview of the world of Keys sports with photography that allows our readers to immerse themselves in game action.

TRACY MCDONALD fled to the Keys from the frozen mountains of Pennsylvania hours after graduating from college and never looked back. She is a second-generation coach and educator, and has taught in the public school system for over 25 years. She and her husband met at a beginning teacher meeting in 1997 and have three children born and raised in Monroe County. In her free time, McDonald loves flea markets, historical fiction and long runs in the heat.

PODCAST HOST

Publisher / Jason Koler jason@keysweekly.com

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SEAN MCDONALD grew up in Miami and moved to the Keys in 1997. He has spent the last 25 years teaching physical education and coaching virtually every sport for Florida Keys kids ages 4 to 18. If you are reading this and live or lived in the Florida Keys, he has probably taught, coached, or coached against someone you know.

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TWICE AS GOLDEN Marathon’s Justice Lee wins pair of state championships in Lakeland; Keys lifters bring home six medals

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ophomore Justice Lee made Monroe County history on Feb. 17 when she won both the traditional and Olympic events at the FHSAA 1A State Championships in Lakeland. Though Coral Shores’ Julian Juvier struck double gold in 2023, Lee is the first female weightlifter from Monroe County to accomplish the enormous feat.

She claimed her first gold in the Olympic category after topping her regional lifts by 10 pounds in both the snatch and clean and jerk. Her 190-lb. clean and jerk gave her the momentum heading into the traditional event, where she led her closest competitor by 10 pounds and distanced herself by 15 pounds from a North Florida athlete who was capable of matching Lee’s bench press and possibly stealing a win in the traditional event.

Lee then benched 175 pounds, her best in competition so far.

When added to her clean and jerk, the lift gave her a second state title.

Lee was ecstatic with her win, but said she isn’t going to take any time off to revel in her accomplishments.

“It feels amazing to make history, especially for the town I love,” she told the Weekly. Though confident in her ability and training, Lee said she wasn’t without some worries headed into the state meet. “My biggest concern going into states was all of the pressure I had on my shoulder,” she explained. “Next for me as a weightlifter is to hopefully get some state records.”

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FEBRUARY 22, 2024 / KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP

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Next up for the multisport athlete will be track, where she competes in throwing events, followed by spring football.

Lee plays fullback and linebacker for the Fins’ varsity tackle team in addition to her female flag football team, which also recently won a championship.

The medal is a testament to the growth of an alreadydominant Marathon girls weightlifting program, led by coach Jessie Schubert. Lee’s are the second and third gold medals to return to Marathon in the last three years, with Rylan Chapa claiming the individual snatch title in 2022.

Coral Shores’ Jennille Arias also had a phenomenal showing in the 169-lb. class. Tied for fourth heading into the meet, Arias was determined to reach the podium and secure a medal.

Coach Erin Hamilton knew Arias was within reach, saying, “When Jennille puts her mind to something, she fights to the end.”

And fight she did. Arias added five pounds to her clean and jerk and 10 to her bench to claim a silver medal in the traditional event. The sophomore sensation won a second medal earlier in the competition, claiming sixth place in the Olympic category after an initial eighth-place seeding. A 15-pound increase in her snatch lift ensured she returned to Tavernier with two medals around her neck.

1. Justice Lee, left, and Ella Dunn pose at their state meet sendoff.

2. Marathon’s state qualifiers and coaches pose for a photo after the FHSAA 1A State Championships 3. Marathon’s Sierra Earnhardt competes in the snatch competition at the FHSAA 1A State Championships Feb. 17.

4. Coral Shores’ Jennille Arias claimed a pair of state medals last week in Lakeland. The 169-lb. lifter won silver in traditional and sixth place in Olympic.

5. Fins strongwoman Ella Dunn completes a lift in the 101-lb. Olympic event at the state meet last weekend.

6. Marathon’s Justice Lee, right, reacts in disbelief when she realizes she has just won the state championship. Teammate and fellow state qualifier Sabrina Schofield is first to congratulate her.

Photos by: Tracy McDonald and contributed

With two medals from Lee and another two from Arias, Monroe County was already looking great in the eyes of the state, but another pair of lifters added to the medal count.

101-lb. Ella Dunn brought home a fifth-place medal in the Olympic category and claimed a seventh-place finish in traditional, just one place away from a second medal for the mighty junior.

Sierra Earnhardt, also a junior but likely to graduate a year early, won bronze in the 119-lb. Olympic category.

Earnhardt finished eighth in the traditional event.

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CONCHS MAKE IT 15 IN A ROW Entire Key West squad plus eight ’Canes advance to Regionals; Figueira earns state bid

KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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he Key West Conchs are continuing their schoolrecord win streak with 15 consecutive district championships in boys wrestling. The Conchs destroyed their competition on Feb. 15 at Coral Shores High School, with the runner-up trailing by 94 points despite Key West not fielding a 106-lb. contender. Eight Conchs were crowned district champions, beginning with Abram Canet in the 132-lb. class. Also striking gold at districts were James Searcy (138), Dost Bahktiyorov (144), Jason Flynn (150), Alfredo Corrales (157), Roman Saballos (165), Tristan Yokoyama (215) and Ralph Riche (285). Other regional qualifiers for Key West were Michael Guzman, who won silver at 190 lbs.; Elvis Garcia (120), Prometheus Delacerda (126) and Brayan Ayala (175) who each won bronze; and Jacob Ferguson, who took fourth at 113 lbs. In wrestling, the top four places at districts advance to regionals with no at-large spots available.

Coral Shores did not field a district champion, but still advanced eight athletes to the next round. Steven DeRobertis (106) and Sebastian McCoy (113) won silver medals while Devin Smith (138), David Beltran (144) and Kevin Pere (165) won bronze. Tristan Court rounded out the ’Canes’ qualifiers at the 157-lb. spot with a fourth-place finish. Morgan Stough (126) and Sterling Keefe (132) qualified as wild cards.

Both teams will travel to Jensen Beach High School on Feb. 23 and 24 for the FHSAA 1A Region 4 Championships in hopes of cracking the top four spots and advancing to the state meet. The big show is held Feb. 29 to March 2 at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee.

Already slated to appear at the state meet is one of the Lady Conchs’ grapplers. While the boys were battling it out at districts in Tavernier, Key West’s girls were at Bayside High in Palm Bay for the FHSAA 1A Region 4 Championships on Feb. 17. Sheyla Figueira wrestled her way to the third-place medal in the 100-lb. bracket, securing her spot at the state championships. This will be Figueira’s second appearance at the state meet after qualifying last year in the Lady Conchs’ inaugural season.

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FEBRUARY 22, 2024 / KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP

Opposite page, top: With a dominant performance at districts, the Key West Conchs have now won a staggering 15 consecutive district championships in boys wrestling. CONTRIBUTED Opposite page, bottom: With a thirdplace medal in her weight class at regionals, Sheyla Figueira, center, earned a chance to compete at the 2024 FHSAA State Championships.

CONTRIBUTED

From Top: Key West wrestler Abram Canet handles Miami Sunset’s Oscar Aguilera.

Key West’s Roman Saballos competes against Coral Shores’ Kevin Perez.

Coral Shores’ wrestler Devin Smith lifts Keys Gate’s Erick Santa Cruz. Photos

by DOUG FINGER/Keys Weekly

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KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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A MIXED PRESEASON BAG FOR KEYS BASEBALL

All three teams begin regular schedules this week

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ey West tested its skills against the Trojans of Taravella High in a pair of games Feb. 16 and 17. The 4A Conchs struggled at bat against the 7A Trojans, with their lone hit Friday night coming from Noah Burnham in inning six.

Jacob Burnham started on the mound for the Conchs, striking out five and allowing five hits over four innings.

Anthony Lariz completed the final three innings, giving up one hit and fanning three batters as Key West settled for a 3-3 tie.

On Saturday, the story was similar; this time it was Steel Mientkiewicz with a single hit for the Conchs.

Four pitchers shared the duties, with the start going to Christian Koppal, who went 2.2 innings, striking out six batters, walking three and allowing four hits. Vinny Moline, Felix Ong and Kasey Kasper saw one inning of relief each in the five-inning game. While the Conchs were not prolific at the plate against the Trojans, Saturday’s game saw a typical Key West machine-like defense without a single error committed in the 10-0 loss. The Taravella games do not count against the Conchs, who often test themselves against larger schools in the preseason. Key West and the rest of Monroe County’s teams will begin their regular season games this week.

The Conchs play 5A North Fort Myers in a two-game series starting Feb. 23 at Rex Weech Field.

Marathon ace Dylan Ziels started off his senior campaign with nine strikeouts on Feb. 16 when the Fins faced Berean Christian in a preseason game. Ziels was ranked both in Florida and nationally last season and looks to continue fanning the opposition for his senior season. Marathon beat the Bulldogs 11-0 in four-and-a-half innings of

play. The mercy-rule win allowed many of the Dolphin underclassmen to step to the plate in their first varsity appearances. Ziels pitched three innings, while Gavin Leal and Mason Thornton each pitched an inning of relief. Thornton, Tommy Norris and Jack Chapman each had a pair of hits and Aiden Gonzalez, Gabe Leal, Gavin Leal and Shane Dieguez each registered one hit in the win.

Next up for Marathon was Everglades Prep on Feb. 20 in their regular-season opener (results not available at press time).

Coral Shores played a pair of preseason games last week, starting with the Cowboys of Cooper City on Feb. 12. The ’Canes lost 8-1 to Cooper City but had some success with their bats.

Maykol Bonito-Rodriguez had a pair of singles while AJ Putetti, Donovan Thiery and Riley O’Berry registered one hit each. Coral Shores spread out pitching duties to five athletes, giving a majority of their bullpen a good look for the upcoming season. Two days later, the Hurricanes played Hialeah Educational Academy, losing 12-0 to the Bulldogs. The ’Canes started their regular season Feb. 20 against ABF Academy Homestead (results not available at press time) and will face district rival Keys Gate on the 22nd.

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FEBRUARY 22, 2024 / KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP

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1. Gavin Leal singles in the first inning of the Marathon-Berean Christian game on Feb. 16.

2. Fins ace Dylan Ziels strikes out his first batter of the season.

3. Tommy Norris slides into home plate.

4. Marathon’s Bryan Broche at bat.

5. Marathon pinch runner Dylan Williams crosses the plate for Marathon’s first run of the season.

6. Leo Mendez watches for the pitch.

7-8. The Coral Shores Hurricanes work through a preseason practice ahead of their first game at Founders Park.

Photos by TRACY MCDONALD and DOUG FINGER/Keys Weekly

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KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

CONCHS & ’CANES TENNIS TRADE WINS Key West boys earn sweep against Coral Shores; Lady ’Canes edge Lady Conchs

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hen a Feb. 12 tennis match pitting Key West against Marathon was postponed, the Feb. 15 Coral Shores/Key West meetup became the first in-county match of the season. The Coral Shores boys team swept the Conchs 7-0 on Key West’s home court. In the first match, Hurricane Makani Burga defeated John Picco of Key West 8-0. Aidan Althouse of Coral Shores defeated Nicholas Burnett 8-2. Johann Smith of Coral Shores and Shaun MacAlearney of Key West battled to a close 8-6 win for Smith. Erik Moerner from Coral Shores won against Key West’s Nate Bergh 8-0 and the ’Canes’ Corben Dean beat the Conchs’ Michael Grodzinski 8-3. In doubles action, Burga and Althouse defeated Picco and Burnett 8-2, while Smith and Moerner defeated MacAlearney and Bergh 8-4.

The Lady Conchs fared better in their matches, winning 4-3 overall. In singles play, Eva Drozdetskaya of Key West defeated Charlotte MacEachern 8-5, Coral Shores’ Olivia Hughes defeated Key West’s Gabriella Aguero 8-3, and the Conchs’ Amalia Strunk defeated Kai Guth of Coral Shores 8-1. Coral Shores’ Mary Cakans beat Zoe Gehin of Key West 8-4 and Hurricane Claudia Steling defeated Ally Ingold-Thompson of Key West 8-5. In doubles play, the teams split the wins, with Drozdetskaya and Aguero teaming up to defeat MacEachern and Hughes 8-3 and Guth and Cakans defeating the duo of Strunk and Gehin 8–3.

Marathon traveled to Tavernier to take on Coral Shores Feb. 20, then the Fins hit the road to play against Key West Feb. 28 to complete the first round of in-county play.

Marathon weightlifting coach Jessie Schubert, coach of two state gold medalists in girls weightlifting over the last three years, joins the podcast this week. KEYS WEEKLY FILE PHOTO

THE KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP Marathon weightlifting coach Jessie Schubert and previewing the 2024 season on the diamond On the Keys Weekly Sports Wrap Podcast this week, Sean and Tracy will fill you in on the Keys’ preseason baseball games, provide some background on the upcoming softball season and give you all the usual updates for this week’s games and events. You can also expect some behind-the-scenes details as well as a wealth of information from the first and longest-tenured weightlifting coach in Monroe County, Jessie Schubert. Get all of the scores, updates and more on this week’s podcast.

EP 42 Listen to the Sports Wrap podcast

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FEBRUARY 22, 2024 / KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP

Coral Shores senior AJ Johnson, seen here in a lift against Marathon earlier this month, was the top Olympic lifter using the Sinclair score algorithm at last week’s tri-meet in Miami. TRACY McDONALD/ Keys Weeky

Alexandre Cruz

Chase Leird

Tanner Ross

’CANES, FINS WIN OLYMPIC LIFTS AT GULLIVER TRI-MEET

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hile the Keys’ lady lifters were making history in Lakeland, the boys traveled to Gulliver Prep last week for a tri-meet in Miami. The Dolphins and Hurricanes tied for first in Olympic lifts, taking second and third place, respectively, in traditional.

Both teams’ success in Olympic lifts is a direct result of the attention to detail coaches Erin Hamilton and Jessie Schubert pay to their athletes’ form in the offseason. The Olympic event pairs a lifter’s clean and jerk with the snatch lift, which often takes years to master.

Big winners for Marathon were Chase Leird in the 119-lb. class, Zachary Antonelli (129), Tanner Ross (199) and Alexandre Cruz (138). All four Fins won both events at the Feb. 14 meet.

For Coral Shores, Jordan Henderson won both events in the 139-lb. class and Xavier Johnson won the 183-lb. Olympic event. AJ Johnson won both 219-lb. events and was the overall top lifter in the Olympic category using the Sinclair score algorithm.

Both teams will compete in a home-and-home series the next few weeks and add another trip to Gulliver before their postseason series, which begins the last week of March.

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KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES •

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PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING: MONROE COUNTY CONTRACTORS EXAMINING BOARD MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA Notice is Hereby Given To Whom it may concern, that on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 the Monroe County Contractors Examining Board (CEB) will hold a scheduled meeting at the Marathon Government Center, 2798 Overseas Highway, Second Floor, BOCC Room, Marathon, Florida scheduled to commence at 9:30 A.M. This meeting is to hear the following: any person(s) to come before the board; any reports from Monroe County Assistant Attorney; any reports from Monroe County Building Official; any reports from Staff.

The Monroe County Contractors Examining Board (“CEB”) will review Certificate of Competency Trade applications and the Industry Input Section. All public participation in this meeting may be conducted via Communication Media Technology (“CMT”) using Zoom Webinar platform, during the scheduled meeting.

Meeting Agenda and Zoom Webinar information is available 7 days prior to meeting date on the Monroe County Web Calendar and the Contractors Examining Board webpage: www. monroecounty-fl.gov PURSUANT TO FLORIDA STATUTE SECTION 286.0105, be advised that, if a person decides to appeal the decision made by the Contractors’ Examining Board with respect to any matter considered at today’s hearing, that person will need a record of the proceedings, and that, for such purpose, he or she may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.

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

NOTICE: It shall be the responsibility of each Respondent or other person addressing the Board to have an interpreter if the party is not able to understand or speak the English language.

Rick Griffin, Building Official/ Board Secretary Maria Partington, Senior Coordinator – CEB Board Monroe County Building Department Publish: February 22, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers

on Friday, March 8, 2024 from 10:00 am – 11:00 am at the Marathon Government Center, 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 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 Anjana Morris at the Health Council of South Florida, Inc. at (305) 592-1452 ext. 101 at least 72 hours prior to the date of the meeting.

Publish: February 22, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers

chartrequest.com, or by contacting Jodra Lambert at 5223 Northwest 33rd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309-6302, or calling (786) 900-1979. For current DispatchHealth services in FL, visit www.dispatchhealth. com/locations.

Publish: February 1, 8, 15 & 22, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 24-CP-000009-P IN RE: ESTATE OF WILLIAM C. MORRIS, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of William C. Morris, deceased, whose date of death was February 25, 2023, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88770 Overseas Highway, Suite 2, Tavernier, FL 33070. The name and address 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 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: February 22, 2024.

Dated as of the 14th day of February, 2024.

Personal Representative: Susan F. Morris 33 East 69th Street New York, NY 10021 Attorney for Personal Representative: Paul Rampell, Esq. Florida Bar No. 305901 400 Royal Palm Way, Suite 410 Palm Beach, FL 33480 Email: paul@rampell-law.com Telephone: 561-833-1116 Publish: February 22 & 29, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers

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: February 15, 2024.

Personal Representative: Beverly Crespi 165 Mountain Brook Drive Cheshire, CT 06410 Attorney for Personal Representative: Tom Woods, Esq. Florida Bar No.: 0525197 116 Porto Salvo Drive Islamorada, Florida 33036 Phone: 305.664.2200 Fax 2205 Email: tom@tomwoodslaw. com Publish: February 15 & 22, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers

North Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida 33128, and serve a copy on counsel of record for Petitioner, Victor J. Pelaez, Esq., Fowler White Burnett, PA, 1395 Brickell Ave., 14th Floor, Miami, Florida 33131, on or before March 15, 2024, or be defaulted.

If any Claimant desires to contest either the right to exoneration from or the right to limitation of liability, he or she shall file and serve on counsel for Petitioner an answer to the Petition on or before the aforesaid date, unless his or her claim has included an answer so designated, or else be defaulted.

DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers at Miami, Florida, this 17th day of January, 2024.

DARRIN P. GAYLES UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE Publish: February 1, 8, 15 & 22, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers

Procedure, requires certain automatic disclosure of documents and information.

Failure to comply can result in sanctions, including dismissal or striking of pleadings.

Dated: this 23RD day of January, 2024.

Jody Phillips CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT By: Margaret Martin Deputy Clerk Publish: February 1, 8, 15 & 22, 2024 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

PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE: LOCAL COORDINATING BOARD FOR THE TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED The Monroe County Local Coordinating Board (LCB) will be hosting a public hearing on Friday, March 8, 2024 from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm at the Marathon Government Center, Room, 2798 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050.

This public hearing is open to community members who would like to present or discuss any comments related to the transportation disadvantaged. We welcome you to attend! Persons should contact the HCSF staff 48 hours in advance if they are interested in commenting.

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 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 Anjana Morris at the Health Council of South Florida, Inc. at (305) 592-1452 ext. 101 at least 72 hours prior to the date of the meeting.

Publish: February 22, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers PUBLIC NOTICE OF HEALTHCARE FACILITY CLOSURE On March 5, 2024, DispatchHealth Florida, Inc. will cease operations at 1200 NW Avenue, Suite 101, Doral, FL 33126, affecting certain zip codes in Monroe County. Patients can access their medical records through the patient portal at www.dispatchhealth. com/patientportal, app.

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA DIVISION: PROBATE FILE NO.: 2023-CP-293-K IN RE: ESTATE OF MARGARETE COFFMAN Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Margarete Coffman, deceased, whose date of death was November 3, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, Florida 33040. The names and addresses of the personal representatives and the personal representatives’ attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is February 22, 2024.

The date of the second publication of this notice is February 29, 2024.

Personal Representatives: James Coffman 16618 Willoughby Drive Williamsport, MD 21795 Scott Coffman 16618 Willoughby Drive Williamsport, MD 21795 Attorney for Personal Representatives: Anthony J. Barrows Attorney for James Coffman & Scott Coffman Florida Bar Number: 662569 WRIGHT BARROWS PLLC 9711 Overseas Highway Marathon, FL 33050 Telephone: (305) 743-8118 Fax: (305) 489-0307 E-mail: Tony@keysclosings. com Publish: February 22 & 29, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NUMBER: 24-CP-66-P IN RE: ESTATE OF JEFFREY SCHOCKET, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of JEFFREY SCHOCKET, deceased, whose date of death was 10 January 2024, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88770 Overseas Highway, Plantation Key, Florida 33070. The names and addresses of the Personal Representative and the Personal Representative’s attorney are set forth below.

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA CASE NO.: 4:23-cv-10009-DPG IN ADMIRALTY IN THE MATTER OF THE: Petition Of TWO CONCHS CHARTERS, INC., as Owner of the 2011 Mako 28-foot Center Console Vessel bearing Hull Identification No. BUJ61192F111, Petitioner, ______________________/ NOTICE TO CLAIMANTS OF COMPLAINT FOR EXONERATION FROM OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY Notice is hereby given that Petitioner Two Conchs Charters, Inc., as Owner of the 2011 Mako 28-foot Center Console Vessel bearing Hull Identification No. BUJ61192F111 (“Vessel”) has filed a Petition pursuant to Title 46 U.S.C. §§ 30501 et seq., as amended, for exoneration from or limitation of liability of all claims for any injuries, loss, destruction, or damage arising out of an alleged incident that occurred in Monroe County, Florida, on or about August 8, 2022, as more fully described in the Petition.

All persons having such claims must file their respective claims, as provided in Rule F of the Supplemental Rules for Certain Admiralty and Maritime Claims of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, with the Clerk for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Key West Division, Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. U.S. Courthouse, 400

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FOURTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR DUVAL COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 16-2023-DR-6415 DIVISION: FM-B IN RE: ADOPTION OF HAYDEN MARIE GOLD, Adoptee.

NOTICE OF ACTION FOR TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS AND STEPPARENT ADOPTION TO: Brandon T. Saye 978 Gibraltar Road Key Largo, Florida 33037 YOU ARE NOTIFIED that a Joint Petition to Terminate Parental Rights and Adoption

by Stepparent has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on Stephanie GarciaBaker, of Owenby Law, P.A., Petitioner’s attorney whose address is 2301 Park Avenue, Suite 404, Orange Park, Florida 32073, on or before MARCH 8, 2024, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 501 W. Adams Street, Jacksonville, Florida 32202 before service on Petitioner’s Attorney or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition.

The minor child(ren) is identified as follows: Date of Birth: November 26, 2019 Place of Birth: Fernandina Beach, Florida Physical Description of Respondent: Age: 38 Race: Caucasian Hair Color: brown hair Eye Color: hazel Approximate Height: 5’10 Approximate Weight: 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 addresses on record at the clerk’s office.

WARNING: Rule 12.285, Florida Family Law Rules of

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 20-DR-722-K DIVISION: FAMILY PAULINA ANDREA JARA GALLEGUILLOS Petitioner, and, MAYKEL RAMOS GARCIA Respondent.

NOTICE OF ACTION FOR MODIFICATION OF PARENTLY PLAN TO: MAYKEL RAMOS GARCIA RESPONDENT’S LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: 6639 PENINSULAR AVENUE, KEY WEST, FL 33040 YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for modification of parently plan has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on Paulina Andrea Jara Galleguillos, whose address is 616 Peary Court, Apt. B, Key West, FL 33040 on or before March 1, 2024, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 530 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: N/A 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: January 25, 2024 Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Jaquelyn Fonseca Deputy Clerk Publish: February 1, 8, 15 & 22, 2024 The Weekly Newspapers

13

FEBRUARY 22, 2024 / KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • AUTOS WANTED

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

HOUSING FOR RENT

AUTOS ALL YEARS! Junk or Used Cars, Vans, Trucks.

Runs or Not. $CASH 305-332-0483

Immediate job opening for part-time Housekeeper in Key Colony Beach. Mostly weekends. Will offer top pay for right person.

Call Continental Inn Beachside: Michelle 952-208-2850; Cheryl 305-505-8747

please contact Human Resources at: martinezm@kwha.org or 305-296-5621 Applications are available at the Administrative Office located at 1400 Kennedy Dr., Key West, FL 33040 or online at www. kwha.org - EOE & Drug Free Work Place. This opportunity is covered under Section 3 of the HUD Act of 1968.

Large RV Waterfront Lot with Dockage for rent in Marathon.

Full hook up. $1700/ month plus utilities.

F/L/S 305-731-5042

BOATS FOR SALE 1986 SeaRay 268 Sundancer - Live aboard, furnished, on trailer at Grassy Key Marina, Marathon. $10,000 Call Ben at 712-790-1333 18' Mako 2003 center console T-top with 2020 Suzuki 140 hp only 30 hrs. 2021 Rocket Trailer Located in Marathon. $27,500 call Mark 305.731.5588 Fly N Fish Sailboat, 1981, 36' diesel, low mileage, one owner.

Located in Marathon. $18,000 OBO. 305-709-7234 Place your BOAT FOR SALE ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today!

BOAT SLIPS Place your BOAT SLIP FOR RENT ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today!

CAMPING SITE Camping site at marina available in Marathon. $30/day + misc. Free use of dingy & fishing on dock. 305-610-8002 EMPLOYMENT Hiring: Lead Gutter Installer - EXPERIENCE REQUIRED – valid Driver’s License - must be comfortable with heights - located in Tavernier. To apply, please call or text Jay 305-587-1581.

Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder is hiring an overnight Security Guardresponsibilities include but are not limited to observing marine mammals to ensure quality care, the ability to follow written instructions, and follow protocol and procedures as directed.

Candidates must be able to lift 50 lbs and must be able to stay awake and alert for a 13.5 hour shift (5:30pm-7am). DPMMR is a drug-free workplace.

To apply, please send your resume to andreaw@dpmmr.org.

The Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club is now hiring for the following positions: Server, $10/hr + tips, 9:30am-7pm, Beach Shop Attendant, $18/ hr, 9:30am-5pm, and Part-time Office Clerk, $18/hr, Thu/Fri/Sat, 9:30am-7pm.

Apply in person at 425 E. Ocean Dr. Key Colony Beach or call 404-2193359 and ask for Dave.

Pigeon Key in Marathon is seeking a Customer Service Rep/ Ramp Attendant. to join our island team.

Position includes greeting customers, giving information and taking admissions.

Outgoing professionals can contact pigeonkey@aol.com for additional details.

City of Marathon Current Job Openings: Administrative Asst. Fire Department and Right of Way Technician. Full Benefits. EOE Please see City website for details www.ci.marathon.fl.us Marathon Auto Air looking for Shop Help - full or part-time. Pay based on experience.

Apply in person at 2525 Overseas Highway, Marathon. 305-289-9884 Insurance CSR needed: Fullers Insurance in Key West is looking for a customer service rep. or agent. Hours are 8-5 Mon-Fri. Paid holidays, vacation, and health insurance.

Apply in person at 1432 Kennedy Drive, Key West, FL or email resumé to norman@ fullersinsurance.com.

The Housing Authority of the City of Key West now hiring the following positions: PT Receptionist, Assistant to Director of Housing, Housing Assistant-Key West, Protective Service Aide, Housing ManagerMiddle Keys, HVAC Maintenance Mechanic, and Maintenance Mechanic (Maintenance Worker).

To apply,

Place your EMPLOYMENT ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy.

Call 305-743-0844.

HOBBIES/COLLECT.

P R I V A T E C O L L E C T O R WANTS Rolex, Dive Watches and Pilot Watches. Old Model Military Clocks & Watches.

Call 305-743-4578 HOUSING FOR RENT

ANNUAL RENTAL Key Largo - 2BR/2BA Spacious Doublewide, 1400 sq ft modular on canal w/40’ dock, direct ocean access. Very nice community. $3,500/ month 786-258-3127

Large RV Lot for Rent in Marathon.

Full hook up. $1500/ month plus utilities.

F/L/S 305-731-5042 Place your RV Lot For Rent ad here. $25.00/ week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844.

VACATION RENTAL

Key West House For Rent 28 day minimum.

Recently renovated. 2 Units: 3BR/3BA or 2BR/2.5BA. 1 block to Schooner Wharf @ Historic Seaport.

Starting $214/night.

Sweet Caroline Seaport.com YARD SALES Place your YARD SALE ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844 today!

Large One Bedroom Suite, Conch House, carpet, tile, appliances, available for rent in Marathon. $2,000/ month furnished, $1600/ month unfurnished includes electric, water, sewer, cable & internet. No Pets.

305-610-8002 Place your Housing For Rent ad here. $25.00/ week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844.

RV LOT FOR RENT

Now Hiring Per Diem CNA

Schedule flexibility, plus mileage reimbursement!

The per diem CNA - hospice aide performs personal care, homemaker assistance and defined nursing procedures in the homes of patients and their families. For more information, including job duties, qualifications and application, please visit: chaptershealth.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/jobs

Chapters Health Hospice is your community-based, not-for-profit hospice in the Florida Keys.

Chapters Health Hospice is a dba for Good Shepherd Hospice, an affiliate of Chapters Health System, initially licensed in 1984.

305.743.0844

FULL-TIME POSITION

POLICE OFFICER The City of Key Colony Beach is accepting applications for a FULL-TIME Police Officer.

Applicants must posses a current Florida Certification as a police officer. Applicants will undergo a thorough background investigation, including drug screening, medical, polygraph and a psychological exam.

Salary: $60,000.

Full Health & Dental Insurance, 457 (b) Participation.

Email resume to: Chief of Police at: chief@keycolonybeach.net Or call for additional information: 305-289-1212 ext. 1 EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

PROFESSIONALS NEEDED APPLY TODAY! KEYS AHEC COUNSELOR/EDUCATOR-KEY WEST Key AHEC is seeking a Full Time Counselor to assist individuals in quitting tobacco through counseling, use of nicotine replacement therapies, and developing individual quit plans.

Candidate must be comfortable with speaking to small groups, counseling patients and delivering health programs in a community setting.

Qualified candidate should have a counseling, health care, education and/or public health background as well as be comfortable with computer systems. Position offers a highly competitive salary, health insurance, PTO and retirement plan.

Bi-lingual is a plus.

KEYS AHEC DENTAL ASSISTANT/FRONT DESK-MARATHON The Keys AHEC Health Center is looking for a Part-time dental assistant/front desk professional for its Children’s Dental Program. Candidates will work the front desk receiving/ scheduling/confirming patients as well as with patient care, based on experience.

Position is 2+ days per week (M & F) but may offer more days depending on program need and candidate’s availability to join the dental team on the Mobile Dental Unit. The Dental Unit visits schools Tues-Thurs on a rotating basis. Position will offers a highly competitive salary. Bi-lingual is a plus.

Qualified applicants should email a resume and cover letter to Michael Cunningham, CEO at michael@keysahec.org

EOE

14

YACHT CAPTAIN WANTED

KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP / FEBRUARY 22, 2024

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES 305.743.0844 • CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • •305.743.0844

The Turtle Hospital in Marathon

Join our team! Full and part-time Educational Program Guides/ Gift Shop Sales. Public speaking & retail sales experience helpful. $18/hour to start. Send resume to: turtlehospital@turtlehospital.org

Part or Full Time 54 ft. yacht located in Key Largo Text response to 404-444-0363

DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM OPERATORS

The Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority is looking for Distribution System Operators to perform semi-skilled work, involving the repair and maintenance of FKAA water distribution and transmission systems. We provide on the job training for qualified applicants. Requires a High School, Diploma or GED and valid Florida Driver’s License. Salary: $50,376.48. Excellent benefits and opportunities for advancement.

Apply online at www.fkaa.com/212/opportunities EEO, VPE, ADA, DFW

SUNSET GRILLE IS HIRING

• Bussers • Hosts • Line Cooks • Waitstaff • Bartenders • Dishwashers • Bar Backs Apply in person at Sunset Grille & Raw Bar, 7 Knight’s Key Blvd, Marathon

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 field required. Bilingual preferred, not required. Office located in Marathon. Contact Marcia at 305-704-0117.

WE ARE HIRING!

IS HIRING

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

FULL TIME PROJECT MANAGER

The organization is looking for an experienced, dynamic nonprofit professional to serve as its next Executive Director. The Executive Director is responsible for the overall administration of MARC including programs, facilities, and business operations. The position reports to the Board of Directors, provides direct supervision of the Management Team and is the visible leader of the organization with staff, volunteers, participants, families, other agencies and the community.

IN THE UPPER KEYS

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

MARC is in Monroe County Florida, the Florida Keys and is a locally operated 501(c) 3 organization providing services to adults with intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, severe autism, spina bifida, Prader-Willi syndrome, Down syndrome, and Phelan-Mc Dermid syndrome.

The Executive Director is guided by the mission of MARC and is responsible for planning, program and fund development and advocacy activities on behalf of persons with developmental disabilities. Excellent business and financial management skills are essential for the position.

COME JOIN OUR FAMILY! Apply online at www.marchouse.org. For more information, please contact hr@marchouse.org Phone: 305-294-9526 *32, Fax 305-292-0078 - EOE

NOW HIRING FULL/ PART-TIME HANDYMAN/LANDSCAPING MAINTENANCE POSITION Pay based on experience and work ethic.

Call 305-407-3262 or email info@floridakeysaquariumencounters.com 11710 OVERSEAS HWY, MARATHON

WE ARE HIRING! Client Medical Services Manager 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

Looking for an LPN/RN with solid experience, to work with our clients and staff to meet medical needs. Assist the clients in areas of dental, medical, transportation, liaison between clients, families and support staff. Florida LPN or RN certification. Level II background screening required. Fluent in English, valid Florida drivers’ license w/good driving record, references. Pre-hire on-line training required.

Some on call responsibilities. Strong computer skills.

Come join our family! EOE Apply at the MARC office, 1401 Seminary St., Key West. Or online at www.marchouse.org.

For more information, please contact hr@marchouse.org. Phone: 305-294-9526 *32

The Moorings Village is seeking friendly, self motivated, team players for the position:

MULTI-TASKED OFFICE POSITION Competitive salary and great benefits.

Weekends are a must.

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time Please email your resume to Lindsey@MooringsVillage.com or call the reception office at 305.664.4708

15

FEBRUARY 22, 2024 / KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC && LEGAL NOTICES • • 305.743.0844 • CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC LEGAL NOTICES 305.743.0844 OPENINGS AVAILABLE

Work with the BEST!

• Health, Dental, Vision & Life Insurance • Tuition Reimbursement • Paid Holidays, Vacation & Sick Time • 401K Employer Match • Quarterly Cash Profit Sharing • Fun, Fast-Paced Environment • Great Hours

PHYSICIAN PRACTICE OPENINGS - Medical Assistant, Marathon, Orthopedics, Part Time - Ortho Support Tech, Tavernier, Orthopedics, Part Time

TAVERNIER MARINERS HOSPITAL

- MC Multi-Modality Imag Tech, $20k Sign-on Bonus* - Medical Technologist, Part Time - Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, $20k Sign-on Bonus* - Pool Group Exercise Instructor, Per Diem - Pool Physical Therapist, Per Diem - Pool Yoga Instructor, Per Diem - Registered Nurse, Emergency Department, $25k Sign-on Bonus* - Registered Nurse, Intensive Care Unit, $15k Sign-on Bonus*

Voted Best Bank 2014 - 2023 Upper Keys Full Time Floating Teller

MARATHON FISHERMEN’S COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

- ED Team Coordinator - First Cook, $5k Sign-on Bonus* - MC Multi-Modality Imag Tech, $20k Sign-on Bonus* - Medical Technologist, $15k Sign-on Bonus* - Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, $20k Sign-on Bonus* - Patient Care/Nursing House Supervisor, $15k Sign-on Bonus* - Patient Experience Advocate - Registered Nurse, Multispecialty Acute Care Center, $25k Sign-on Bonus* - Registered Nurse, Post Anesthesia Care Unit, $15k Sign-on Bonus* - Security Officer All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. *Sign-on bonuses are available only for select full-time positions based on candidate experience.

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

The Guidance/Care Center, Inc. a division of

“Uplifting the human spirit since 1973”

THE GUIDANCE/CARE CENTER, Inc.

IS HIRING!

GCC offers excellent benefits for full-time employment, but we realize some would prefer part-time to enjoy the Florida Keys lifestyle more.

All positions can be considered for full or part-time unless notated.

Apply at westcare.com and enter your availability.

KEY LARGO

Behavioral Health Counselor (Child)

KEY WEST

Peer Support Specialist Prevention Specialist Advocate (PT) Behavioral Health Therapist (Child, Adult) Behavioral Health Counselor (Child) Case Manager (Adult, Forensic)

MARATHON

Prevention Specialist (any location) Admission Specialist Care Coordinator (PT) Driver (CDL) Behavioral Health Therapist (Child, Adult) RNs/LPNs - 3 shifts (PT/Per Diem) Peer Support Specialist *Support Worker – Assisted Living (PT) *Behavioral Health Technicians 3 shifts (also Per Diem)

Islamorada

MARATHON GARBAGE SERVICE

Full Time Teller

We are now hiring for the following positions:

Diesel Mechanic Truck Helpers CDL Drivers

Apply Online at KeysBank.com/Careers

Applicants must apply in person to be considered.

4290 Overseas Hwy, Marathon

Member FDIC

DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER

IS HIRING! Volunteer Resources Administrative Assistant (Full-Time, Permanent)

Facilities Maintenance Apprentice (Full-Time, Permanent)

Education Program Host (Full-Time, Permanent)

Staff Photographer

(Full-Time, Part-Time, Seasonal)

Media & Marketing Assistant (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

*No experience required for this position. Will train.

A caring heart & helpful hands required.

DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER

Background and drug screen req.

COMPETITIVE PAY! EXCEPTIONAL BENEFITS!!!

Check out all available positions at: www.westcare.com (search by zip code) EEOC/DFWP

Teaching... Learning... Caring

58901 O/S Hwy - Grassy Key, FL

EOE-M/F/V/D

Equal Housing Lender

$$$ OFFICE ASSISTANT $$$

DYNASTY MARINE ASSOCIATES, MARATHON, FL Duties to include invoice and inventory entry, 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.

Competitive compensation plus benefits.

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 HAS A FT/PERMANENT OPENING FOR A FACILITIES MAINTENANCE APPRENTICE Must work well with animals, in order to support Medical & Animal Care & Training departments & participate on Manatee Rescue Team. Must be physically fit, able to lift 75 lbs., possess general “handy-man” skills, have a clean driving record & be diver certified or willing to become certified – knowledge of dive equipment maintenance is a plus. Successful candidate will be responsible, organized, & motivated with excellent team player skills.

Benefits include medical insurance, 401(k), vacation & paid holidays.

Job description available at www.dolphins.org. Email resume & DRC application to drc-hr@dolphins.org. EOE 58901 O/S HWY - GRASSY KEY, FL TEACHING... LEARNING... CARING

THE REGAN ROTH TEAM IS HERE TO PROTECT YOU...

YOUR FAMILY, YOUR LIFESTYLE, YOUR HOME!

Family owned and operated since 1958 ADMINISTRATION

Joseph H. Roth III President 25 years

Lorie Head Office Manager 34 years

Jennifer Miller Assistant Manager 2 years

ACCOUNTING

Sara Roth Executive Assistant/Agent 1 year

SALES

Linda Griswold Agent/Sales 17 years

Holly Redding Agent/Sales 21 years

Maria Bell Receptionist 1 year

Aileen Joiner Accounting/ Automation 17 years

Irma Guerra Accounting 4 years

COMMERCIAL LINES

Grimi Betancourt Manager/Sales Agent-Marathon 4 years

Lilliam Reyes Supervisor 18 years

Lisa Maguire Account Manager 14 years

Remorna Pottinger Kyra Beyer Account Processor Ochoa 2 years Account Processor 15 years

PERSONAL LINES

Paula Sachs Supervisor 18 years

Vianey Diaz Account Manager 1 year

Jennifer Paul Account Manager 20 years

Melina Price Account Manager New Employee

Elizabeth Kubishen Renee Sebastian Account Processor Account Processor 5 years 7 years

Kayla Soriano Account Processor 1 year

Home, wind and flood. All lines of commercial/business insurance.

Boats, autos, golf carts and recreational vehicles

REST ASSURED, WE ARE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP YOU WEATHER ANY STORM! 305.852.3234 90144 Overseas Hwy. Tavernier

305.743.3414 8065 Overseas Hwy. Marathon

www.ReganRoth.com | Response@ReganRoth.com