Upper Keys Weekly 24-0411

MUSICIANS TAKE STAGE

Bay Jam returns to Islamorada | P. 19

TUNE BENEFITS LOCAL CHILDREN

Rock-group Lung produces Keys-inspired music video | P. 12

FORMER COUNTY COMMISSIONER DIES

Remembering Shirley Freeman | P. 4

the Florida Keys’ leading hearing health expert, Dr. Michelle!

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2045

For those who didn’t see the April 8 solar eclipse in totality, 2045 will be the next easy chance for Florida residents. A solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2045 will go over a vast portion of the Sunshine State, from the Panhandle and Orlando to portions of South Florida. After that, the next solar eclipse isn’t anticipated to pass over the southern U.S. until 2078.

SHIRLEY FREEMAN MADE HER MARK WITH CLASS & COMPASSION

Retired educator, former county commissioner, dies at 89

mandy@keysweekly.com

Shirley Freeman was born and lived much of her life in what she ruefully called “a man’s world.”

On April 6, she left behind a much different world — one she had helped to change — when she died at the age of 89.

She was Shirley Van Meter when she arrived in 1935 in a tiny Arkansas town during the Great Depression. But she was destined for faraway places, having always studied with yearning the pull-down maps that used to hang above the blackboard in every classroom in every school.

A dedicated student with an insatiable curiosity about the world around her and the people in it, she graduated from college and earned a master’s degree in education from University of Arkansas.

“After teaching for eight years in Arkansas, she applied to overseas embassy schools in Rome, London and Paris. She ended up in Zagreb, Yugoslavia (now Croatia), and took a position as headmaster of the American School,” according to a 2019 tribute compiled by the Lower Keys League of Women Voters. “After two years she returned to the United States to pursue her doctorate in international education and school management from Miami University in Ohio, where she also taught undergraduate courses. She has taught every grade level from kindergarten to graduate school” and lived throughout the United States, including San Francisco, Denver, Washington, D.C. and ultimately, Key West. Having always noted the map dot called Key West on those classroom maps, and wondering what life must

be like there, Van Meter applied in 1971, “basically out of curiosity” for a job as principal of the newly integrated Frederick Douglass School in Key West. Former superintendent Bookie Henriquez flew her to town from Ohio for an interview and hired her on the spot.

The rest is history.

A blind date in Key West introduced the Key West principal to Billy Freeman, for whom the county’s 2008 courthouse, the Freeman Justice Center, would be named.

But back in 1972, Billy Freeman, whose family owned the Porter-Allen Insurance Co. in town, was just wrapping up a 20-year stint as a Monroe County commissioner. A substitute teacher named Frances Signorelli (her husband, Louie, opened Louie’s Backyard) became friends with Shirley and wanted her to meet her husband’s friend, Billy.

The two married in 1973 and soon after, Billy Freeman was elected state

Musicians from the Florida Keys and South Florida, including Leah Sutter, will play a variety of genres during Islamorada Community Entertainment’s Bay Jam 29 at Founders Park on Sunday, April 14. CONTRIBUTED

representative. After a two-year term, he successfully ran for sheriff and set to work cleaning up the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office amid corruption and drug scandals.

“We had discussed me running for office after he retired as sheriff and I retired from education,” Shirley Freeman said in 2017. “I had been thrust into public life as soon as I met Billy, so everyone knew me as his wife, but I wanted to get to know them on my own.”

And she did. But she had to do it without her husband by her side. Billy Freeman succumbed to lung cancer in 1989, months after finishing his term as sheriff.

Shirley Freeman continued to fulfill their plans and won her first county commission election in 1992, becoming the county mayor and serving for two terms until 2000.

She met real estate developer Harvey Server in 1995 and the two became supportive sweethearts until the day she died, rarely seen without each other.

Her so-called retirement from education and public office didn’t slow Shirley Freeman at all.

She was instrumental in leadership roles with Zonta service club, the Key West Woman’s Club, the Red Cross, Lower Keys League of Women Voters, the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys and the Arts Council, to name but a few. She also sang with the Keys Chorale and at times performed on stage for various fundraisers.

MANDY MILES

Zonta Club of Key West, which Shirley Freeman founded in 1981, honored her in 2022. ROBERTA DePIERO/Contributed

Shirley Freeman and Harvey Server, center, at a Community Foundation gala. ROBERTA DePIERO/Contributed

FUGITIVE MARATHON PASTOR CAUGHT IN TEXAS

Monte Chitty will return to Keys to face sexual assault charges

ALEX RICKERT alex@keysweekly.com

AMarathon pastor facing charges for molesting a 15-yearold girl was taken into custody in Texas just four days after skipping his April 1 arraignment, Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay confirmed to the Keys Weekly. Monte Chitty, 62, will return to the Keys to face charges of sexual battery, lewd and lascivious molestation and contributing to the delinquency of a minor after being apprehended in Woodville, Texas, MCSO said in a press release.

According to the release, Chitty approached a Texas church group working with homeless residents in the area before a church member there contacted law enforcement. The release called the work of the Woodville, Texas Police Department and U.S. Marshals Service “instrumental in apprehending Chitty.”

Originally arrested March 4, Chitty is accused of providing a 15-year-old girl with an alcoholic beverage that the victim believed was spiked with something else. According to the arrest report, the victim said she lost consciousness on a couch in the library of Marathon’s First Baptist Church after drinking it, and awoke to find Chitty molesting her.

Released from jail on a $75,000 bond shortly after his first arrest, Chitty’s bond was upped to its current amount of $1.3 million after he failed to appear before Judge James Morgan. Intelligence that day suggested that Chitty had left Florida traveling west in a white van with out-of-state plates.

Additional evidence presented in court that day, including recorded telephone calls during Chitty’s short stay in jail and his internet search history, gave prosecutors and detectives reason to believe Chitty would leave Monroe County.

CUBAN MIGRANTS LAND IN TAVERNIER

A vessel carrying 14 Cuban migrants reached shore near Tavernier on the morning of April 4. CBP/Via X

Fourteen Cubans on a wooden vessel landed in the Upper Keys on the morning of April 4.

According to Samuel Briggs II of the U.S. Border Patrol, agents and other law enforcement agencies responded to the migrant landing in Tavernier. Briggs said the migrants were taken into federal custody.

CORAL SHORES TEACHER HOSPITALIZED AFTER TRYING TO STOP A FIGHT

JIM McCARTHY

ACoral Shores High School teacher was taken to the hospital after she reportedly tried to break up a fight between two students the morning of April 8.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and Islamorada Fire Rescue were called to the high school after a fight broke out between two males. The teacher was trying to stop the altercation when she was knocked into a table and hit her head. She was treated at the scene and taken to Mariners Hospital for head injuries.

She was released from the hospital the same day, according to Coral Shores Principal Laura Lietaert.

On April 9, the sheriff’s office announced the arrest of 15-year-old Heikel Castro Moro, of Key Largo, for injuring the teacher while fighting another student. He was charged with felony battery on an educational employee and misdemeanor battery.

“Violence will not be tolerated in our schools and I will continue to take appropriate steps to ensure the safety of all students and staff,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay.

After fleeing the Florida Keys on April 1, Monte Chitty was taken into custody after approaching a Texas church group just four days later. MCSO/Contributed

MAY 2-5 KEYS-WIDE

THURSDAY, May 2, 6:15-7:30 p.m., Bud N' Mary's Marina Mandatory Team Leader meeting (in-person and virtual), gear pick-up and Mote coral nursery tour. Free beer from Florida Keys Brewing Co.

FRIDAY, May 3 and SATURDAY, May 4, Sunrise to Sunset Debris clean-up Key Largo through Key West.

SUNDAY, May 5, 12 noon-6 p.m. I.CARE Trash Derby Festival & Awards Ceremony at Founders Park Islamorada. Food, Vendors, Raffle, Silent Auction and Awards. Performances by the well-known singer songwriter Leah Sutter and Southern Stampede, a touring rock band with amazing vocals and incredible guitar work.

www.icareaboutcoral.org

www.icaretrashderby.com

Meet Kelly in person as she explains the process behind her many techniques! Light hors d’oeuvres and beverages provided. Show runs from April 13th through May 11th.

1. Go to tinyurl.com/wbs24

2. Take approximately 10 minutes to complete the survey.

3. Share the survey with your family and friends!

COUNCIL REVERSES COURSE ON STAGGERED TERMS

Proposal also sought length change to four years

JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com

Islamorada council turned down a pair of ordinances related to a referendum for staggered fouryear terms and upping the village manager’s purchasing authority from $25,000 to $50,000.

At its April 9 meeting, the council voted 3-2 to maintain the manager’s ability to execute contracts for services, materials and equipment up to $25,000 without needing council approval. An ordinance to increase the purchasing authority to $50,000 was previously approved on first reading via 3-2 vote at a March 12 meeting.

Council members supporting the measure noted the need to account for inflation. 2008 was the last time an adjustment was made to the manager’s purchasing policy. New Village Manager Rob Cole said at the April 9 meeting that inflation alone merits an increase in the manager’s purchasing authority.

“With a professional manager in place, I believe in strong fiscal stewardship and accountability. I don’t think someone in my position would abuse that authority but use it when necessary when it’s in the best interest of the organization and community,” Cole said.

The ordinance came back for a second reading and subsequently voted down by Mayor Buddy Pinder, who voted in favor of the item during the March meeting, and by Vice Mayor Sharon Mahoney and Henry Rosenthal. Elizabeth Jolin and Mark Gregg voted in favor of the measure.

An ordinance to ask voters at the November election whether they support four-year staggered terms was also turned down by the council via 3-2 vote. Rosenthal and Mahoney said “no,” as well as Pinder, who voted in favor of the measure during last month’s meeting. The ordinance was approved on first reading via 3-2 vote at a March 12 meeting.

Resident Van Cadenhead told

FORMER COUNCILWOMAN FILES ETHICS COMPLAINT AGAINST VILLAGE MAYOR

Investigation finds Pinder didn’t abuse public funds for political gain in 2022

JIM McCARTHY

An ethics complaint filed against Islamorada Mayor Buddy Pinder by a former councilwoman, who alleged he misused public funds for his election campaign, led to an investigation that found no wrongdoing on Pinder’s part.

13, 2022. The video shows segments with Pinder riding his bicycle and displaying a campaign sign and American flag through Founders Park.

council members that the measure was quashed twice overwhelmingly in the village. During the 2018 general election, village voters were asked whether they supported fouryear terms. The measure was voted down with 57% saying “no.”

Before voting no, Rosenthal said the public has the opportunity to get rid of a council member legally every two years.

“If you’ve done the job right, they’ll vote for you every two years. If you haven’t, you’re history,” Rosenthal said.

In other news, Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay visited the council chambers to deliver a check totaling $83,000 to the village. Ramsay said the funds weren’t used by his office — a show of fiscal stewardship while providing service to the community on the road and in neighborhoods.

An executive session was scheduled between council members and counsel for litigation involving Mary Barley. The village council discussed moving public works’ equipment machinery from Founders Park and Green Turtle Hammock Preserve to a different location. Cole told the council he will be seeking space, either to purchase or rent, in the village for public works. The council gave Cole direction to seek a new location.

An investigation by Elizabeth Miller, attorney with the Florida Attorney General’s Office, recommends the Florida Commission on Ethics, at its April 19 meeting, find no probable cause that Pinder violated the Florida Constitution and state statutes on claims that he misused public funds for his election campaign — as he was no longer running for office by the time a village employee started filming a video thanking voters. Pinder appeared in that video riding his bicycle through Founders Park shortly after the November 2022 election in which voters re-elected him.

In September 2023, the Florida Commission on Ethics received a complaint from Hobe Sound resident Cheryl Meads. She served on the Islamorada council from 2016 until leaving in January 2020 to take a seat on the South Florida Water Management District’s governing board. She’s one of the original members who started the Islamorada Community Alliance.

Meads’ complaint contained several allegations, but an investigation was only ordered as to whether public funds were used for Pinder’s 2022 campaign. The complaint alleged that Pinder used a village-contracted employee, Carlos Garcia, to create and post a video on social media to thank voters who supported him.

Garcia’s company, AML, received a four-month contract in February 2021 to develop a media outreach program for the village. The contract stipulated that Garcia’s company wouldn’t provide any social media or marketing service to political candidates running for village council.

Following the Nov. 8, 2022 election results, which showed Pinder the winner over candidate Sue Miller, Garcia began filming an 86-second video titled “Thank You Islamorada” on Nov.

The purpose of the video, according to Pinder, was simply to express his thanks to the community. Garcia was the one who determined the content. The video appeared on the Islamorada Instagram page, Youtube and the village’s social media pages.

Garcia told the investigator he didn’t receive additional compensation from Pinder for the video.

The allegation raised two potential ethical concerns over whether Pinder received a “disproportionate benefit” that was inconsistent with the proper performance of his duties. The investigation states the political solicitations on Pinder’s bike would support wrongful intent; however, the election had already occurred and he was no longer running for office. Rather, he was a re-elected village council member.

“Respondent (Pinder) utilized and benefited from a village resource that was equally available to all council members via a council-approved contract with AML, (Garcia’s social media and marketing company),” Miller’s report stated. “Some members chose to use it and others did not. His conduct did not conflict with the contract’s terms. It does not appear that sufficient evidence exists to find the respondent had a wrongful intent with respect to obtaining a disproportionate benefit.”

Miller’s recommendation to the Florida Commission on Ethics is scheduled to be heard at an April 19 ethics commission meeting in Tallahassee.

Miller deemed other allegations brought forward by Meads against Pinder related to campaign finances weren’t worthy of a deeper investigation.

Mayor Buddy Pinder. KEYS WEEKLY FILE PHOTO

jim@keysweekly.com

New Village Manager Rob Cole speaks to Mayor Buddy Pinder before the April 9 meeting at Founders Park Community Center. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly

BPW SUPPORTS DOMESTIC ABUSE SHELTER REBUILD

Plus, a new round of scholarships available for local women

On March 20, Upper Keys Business & Professional Women (BPW) launched a campaign to raise $10,000 to create a business center within the soon-to-be-built domestic abuse shelter and opened a new round of scholarship funding.

A critical emergency shelter facility serving the Middle and Upper Florida Keys was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017 and has yet to be rebuilt. Since then, residents experiencing domestic abuse have lost an estimated 7,000 nights of safety each year, according to analysis from the Domestic Abuse Shelter (DAS), which serves Monroe County.

Sheryl Schwab, CEO of DAS, spoke to BPW members and guests at a lunch at Playa Largo on March 20.

“Our rates of domestic abuse in the Florida Keys are about the same as the national average – one in four women and one in seven men experience some form of abuse at home,” Schwab said. “The remote nature of our community makes accessibility

to safe places even more challenging, and the loss of our largest shelter almost seven years ago has compounded that challenge.”

The $5 million project to rebuild the domestic abuse shelter is currently raising funds from multiple sources. A $1 million allocation from Florida is awaiting the governor’s signature thanks in large part to support from local lawmakers, State Sen. Ana Rodriguez and State Rep. Jim Mooney. Sponsorship opportunities for the new shelter range from $10,000 for the business center to $300,000 for naming rights to the building, with many levels in between.

The BPW “Give Hope a Home” campaign will fund a business center in the facility where survivors can search for jobs, housing and other needs to rebuild their lives.

“This initiative directly reflects the BPW mission to achieve equity for working women and empower them to reach their full potential,” said Patricia Milian, vice president of program development for Upper Keys BPW.

Elizabeth Brown, vice president for philanthropy at the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys, spoke on the Jean Stearns Legacy Giving Challenge, more than $4,000 had been pledged.

New round of scholarship funding for women

Upper Keys BPW also announced the opening of the spring cycle for its adult women’s scholarship program funded by BPW members, sponsors, and an endowment fund created in 2022. Several scholarships of up to $1,500 each are typically awarded every cycle.

The deadline to apply for the spring 2024 season is April 15. Applicants must have at least three years

BARBECUE BENEFITS COMMUNITY

Local firefighters give back with cookout at Founders

JIM McCARTHY

jim@keysweekly.com

Local firefighters responded to a fired-up grill and some hungry locals and visitors during the annual Givin’ It Back barbecue at Founders Park beach on April 6. Organized by the Islamorada Firefighters Benevolent Association, attendees enjoyed pulled pork, hamburgers, baked beans and coleslaw on a picturesque Saturday overlooking a calm Florida Bay. In a show of thanks to the community by fire rescue, the delicious meal came at no cost to Islamorada residents. Non-residents paid $15 for the meal. The Fuzzy Buddha, DJ Wood Campbell,

of post-high-school work experience and have resided in the Florida Keys for at least three years. Recipients will be announced in May.

“BPW strives to support women at every stage of their lives. That includes both the most dangerous times when they’re experiencing threats of violence in their own homes, and the most promising times, when they decide to invest in their professional education and training,” said Jill Kuehnert, Upper Keys BPW president.

More information about the campaign to fund the shelter or about the scholarship program is at www. upperkeysbpw.org.

— Contributed

From left, Sheryl Schwab, CEO for the Domestic Abuse Shelter; Patricia Milian, vice president of program development for Upper Keys BPW; Jill Kuehnert, Upper Keys BPW president; and Elizabeth Brown, vice president for philanthropy at the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys. CONTRIBUTED

Left: Corie McGraw-Abel and Shannon Oboy dish out cold adult beverages at the Founders Park beach pavilion during the Givin’ It Back barbecue. Center: councilman Mark Gregg and Deb Gillis, former village mayor, enjoy a barbecue organized by Islamorada firefighters.

Right: Mark DiRusso, fire inspector, left; Fire Chief Terry Abel; and Jason Lyman, assistant fire chief.

Photos by JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly

played tunes throughout the afternoon.

LOVE SONG

Local alt-rock duo Lung produces music video in the Keys to benefit local children

CHARLOTTE TWINE

www.keysweekly.com

If you are having even the slightest bummer of a day, play the video for the charity song “In the Key of West (Keys Strong)” by alt-rock duo Lung and prepare to be charmed.

In joyful, sun-splashed scenarios, Lung members Chris and Ric Chandler sing catchy lyrics and take part in everything we love to do in our island paradise, including, among many other favorites, boating through mangroves and Toilet Seat Cut in Islamorada, having cocktails on a sandbar, doing shots on Duval Street, visiting the Hemingway House and enjoying a sunset over a beach.

The video may soften even the most jaded heart. It ends with the Chandlers surrounded by Coral Shores High School students, who are pumping their fists with huge smiles and shouting, “Keys strong!”

The sentiment is fitting, since all proceeds from purchases of the song go directly to a child in need in the Florida Keys, through Lung’s charity Little Angels.

The duo have chosen Tavernier’s Florida Keys Children’s Shelter to be one of Little Angel’s first beneficiaries.

“We are thrilled to be part of this exciting effort,” Ben Kemmer, the CEO of the shelter, told Keys Weekly. “This is something entirely new for our organization, and we feel very honored to help raise awareness of the needs of children in our Florida Keys community.”

Chris and Ric are a husband-andwife team who have made a living as professional musicians for decades in Europe (Chris is from France, while

Modern English — known for the ’80s hit love song “I Melt With You” — he is a member of the band and currently touring with them in Europe. He has also worked with Calvin Harris and Tricky.

Chris, a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and filmmaker, released a record in France on the Sony Music label under her family name, Chris Loung, and worked with industry names such as renowned violinist Nigel Kennedy and producer Boris Bergman, who helped create hits for artists such as Moby, The Kills and Marianne Faithfull.

The couple took advantage of their extensive contacts to create “In the Key of West.” The song was mixed by Grammy Award–winner Chris LordAlge (who mixed Bruce Sprinsteen’s “Born in the USA”). And to help her direct the video, Chris reached out to a friend in the film industry in Paris, Olivier Févin.

“We filmed over three weeks,” she said. “No assistant. The three of us did everything. We were up every morning at 6 a.m. and back every night by 8 p.m. We were completely dead but it was a wonderful experience.”

Through “In the Key of West,” the couple wanted to express gratitude to the community that supported them through their immigration journey, which sometimes became bumpy, especially during the pandemic. They have lived in the Keys for nine years.

“We are proud to be green-card holders and would like to be citizens,” Ric said. “The American dream is still alive in the United States. America supports entrepreneurs and people who work hard. We came here with $7,000 to buy an RV and musical equipment. We built it up from zero. We got our tools and worked hard.”

Though the Chandlers now have

a packed schedule in the Keys, when they first arrived in this country, they took any gig they could get. Chris’ native language is French, but as the guitarist and frontwoman of Lung, she had to get used to speaking to audiences in English and shilling their CDs at performances.

“It wasn’t easy,” she said. “It was a whole new country and culture. But by the second gig we had a breakthrough — the audience bought all our albums.”

Chris explained that they wanted to help children specifically because her husband and she know what it feels like to suffer hard knocks while growing up.

“When you don’t have a privileged upbringing, it’s more difficult to achieve dreams,” she said. “We want to give our money to children who are having difficulties. And we want to meet the child and talk with the child. When we decided that playing music has to be for a higher purpose and not for ego, it was immediately motivating

and encouraging.”

Ric was moved that venues throughout the Keys, such as the Hemingway House, wanted to help with the video once they learned it was for charity.

“Everyone opened their doors,” he said.

“I was thrilled to hear that the museum said ‘yes,’” said Chris. “It meant a lot for us that somebody as eminent as the Hemingway Museum trusted us with our project. We cried in each other’s arms. For us, it expressed that we were accepted here in this country.”

To purchase the song, learn more about the charity and watch the “In the Key of West (Keys Strong)” video, scan the QR code or visit lungmusic.com/ in-the-key-of-westkeys-strong-charityproject. For more information about Lung, go to lungmusic.com.

All proceeds from the single ‘In the Key of West (Keys Strong)’ will be donated to local nonprofits that benefit children, including the Florida Keys Children’s Shelter. CONTRIBUTED. Inset: Lung is a band formed by husband-and-wife team Ric (left) and Chris Chandler, who moved to the U.S. in 2011.

INVESTING WHERE WE LIVE, WORK & PLAY

Assistance Available As REALTORS® we believe everyone should be proud of their community and have a safe place to call home. That's why Florida Keys Board of REALTOR members invest in communities where we live, work, and play.

2024 OFFICERS & DIRECTORS

President: Susan Ashmore

Vice President: Karen Prince

Secretary/Treasurer: Lorie LaLonde-Miller

Directors: Claire Johnson, Ana Zalesky, Rebecca Newman, Gloria Walters, Natalie Biondoletti, Samantha Arce

Lynda Anthony

The FKBR REALTORS® Charitable Foundation (FKBRCF) is the 501(c)3 charitable arm of FKBR. It's a testament to the collective efforts of our community, providing funding for individuals and not-for-profit organizations in the Upper Keys of Monroe County who enhance the quality of life in the community and prioritize supporting REALTOR members in need. The Foundation, established in 2015, is a result of our community's commitment to consolidate FKBR community-giving programs and significantly impact the local community.

MISSION

Our mission is clear and unwavering: to provide outreach programs and charitable donations within the local community and support REALTOR members in need as a priority.

VISION

To be a foundation that dramatically impacts our members and our local community as the philanthropic arm of the Florida Keys Board of REALTORS®

Applications are available now and can be requested by emailing

Lynda@flkeysboardofrealtors.com or calling 305-852-9294.

STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

NOTICE OF INTENT TO ISSUE PERMIT

The Department of Environmental Protection (Department) gives notice of its intent to issue a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit renewal (DEP File No FLR04E132-004) for the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) to the FDOT District 6. The renewal permit requires the implementation of a Stormwater Management Program to control the discharge from the MS4 to the maximum extent practicable.

The intent to issue and application file and supporting data are available online at: https://prodenv.dep.state.fl.us/DepNexus/public/searchPortal or for public inspection during normal business hours by contacting the NPDES Stormwater Program by email, NPDES-MS4@floridadep.gov, by mail at 2600 Blair Stone Rd, MS 3585, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400, or by phone at 850-245-7561.

The Department will issue the permit with the attached conditions unless a timely petition for an administrative hearing is filed under Sections 120.569 and 120.57, Florida Statutes (F.S.), within 14 days of receipt of notice. The procedures for petitioning for a hearing are set forth below.

A person whose substantial interests are affected by the Department’s proposed permitting decision may petition for an administrative proceeding (hearing) under Sections 120.569 and 120.57, F.S. The petition must contain the information set forth below and must be filed (received by the clerk) in the Office of General Counsel of the Department at 3900 Commonwealth Boulevard, Mail Station 35, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3000.

Under Rule 62-110.106(4), Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), a person may request enlargement of the time for filing a petition for an administrative hearing. The request must be filed (received by the clerk) in the Office of General Counsel before the end of the time period for filing a petition for an administrative hearing.

Petitions filed by any persons other than those entitled to written notice under section 120.60(3), F.S., must be filed within 14 days of publication of the notice or within 14 days of receipt of the written notice, whichever occurs first. Section 120.60(3), F.S., however, also allows that any person who has asked the Department in writing for notice of agency action may file a petition within 14 days of receipt of such notice, regardless of the date of publication.

The petitioner shall mail a copy of the petition to the applicant at the address indicated above at the time of filing. The failure of any person to file a petition or request for an extension of time within 14 days of receipt of notice shall constitute a waiver of that person’s right to request an administrative determination (hearing) under Sections 120.569 and 120.57, F.S. Any subsequent intervention (in a proceeding initiated by another party) will be only at the discretion of the presiding officer upon the filing of a motion in compliance with Rule 28-106.205, Florida Administrative Code. A petition that disputes the material facts on which the Department’s action is based must contain the following information, as indicated in Rule 28-106.201, F.A.C:

a. The petitioner’s name, address and telephone number;

b. FDOT District 6, FLR04E132, Monroe County;

c. A statement of how and when each petitioner received notice of the Department action;

d. A statement of how each petitioner's substantial interests are affected by the Department action;

e. A statement of all disputed issues of material fact. If there are none, the petition must so indicate;

f. A statement of facts that the petitioner contends warrant reversal or modification of the Department action;

g. A concise statement of the ultimate facts alleged, as well as the rules and statutes which entitle the petitioner to relief; and

h. A statement of the relief sought by the petitioner, stating precisely the action that the petitioner wants the Department to take.

Because the administrative hearing process is designed to formulate final agency action, the filing of a petition means that the Department’s final action may be different from the position taken by it in this notice. Persons whose substantial interests will be affected by any such final decision of the Department have the right to petition to become a party to the proceeding, in accordance with the requirements set forth above.

FOUNDATION FUNDS SUPPORT KEYS CHILDREN’S SHELTER

The Keys Children’s Foundation has granted the Florida Keys Children’s Shelter $115,000 to help fund residential and counseling programs at the 19-bed Jelsema Center in Tavernier.

The Keys Children’s Foundation provides financial support to nonprofit organizations dedicated to providing programs that offer education, health care and recreation to disadvantaged children and their families living in Florida’s Upper Keys. These programs help youth and their families meet everyday challenges and empower them to gain a greater sense of control and responsibility for their own lives.

“We’re so grateful for the Keys

Children’s Foundation gift that helps fund the gap between government grants and the additional support needed to deliver consistent, highquality service to the children and families of the Florida Keys,” said Ben Kemmer, Florida Keys Children’s Shelter CEO.

The grant to the shelter was among the largest distributed by the Keys Children’s Foundation. Other programs in the Upper Keys receiving grants include Take Stock in Children, Key Largo School and Plantation Key School.

More information is at www.thekeyschildrensfoundation.org.

— Contributed

HABITAT GOLF TOURNAMENT IS APRIL 18

Agolf tournament “fore” Habitat for Humanity/Upper Keys is approaching on Thursday, April 18. To be held at the Redland Golf & Country Club in Homestead, the tournament is open to teams wanting to compete for prizes or simply to have a good time while raising money for affordable housing in the Keys. Register at habitatupperkeys.org/2024Golf. CONTRIBUTED

Lynda Weinstein, FKCS development director, left; Monroe County’s Sheriff’s Capt. Spenser Bryan, FKCS board member; Ben Kemmer, FKCS CEO; Linda Falk, Keys Children’s Foundation and FKCS board member; Brad Copeland, President of Going-Aire & FKCS board chair; Diana Tweedy, Keys Children’s Foundation and FKCS board member; and Alvin Bentley, FKCS chief operations officer. KATYA ANDRADE/Contributed

Islamorada Village of Islands Meeting Schedule April 2024

Unless otherwise noted, meetings are held at the Founders Park Community Center, 87000 Overseas Hwy., Islamorada

Tuesday, April 9, 5:30 p.m. Regular Village Council

Thursday, April 11, 5:30 p.m. Land Use Village Council

Tuesday, April 16, 5 p.m. Workforce/Affordable Housing Citizens Advisory Committee

Islamorada Administrative Center & Public Safety Headquarters, Third Floor Conference Room

Tuesday, April 30, 5:15 p.m. Near Shore Water Regulation Citizens Advisory Committee

Islamorada Administrative Center & Public Safety Headquarters, Third Floor Conference Room

Two or more members from the Village Council and members from various Village Committees may be present at meetings. These meetings are open to the public. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, all persons who are disabled and who need special accommodations to participate in this meeting because of that disability should contact the ADA Coordinator at ADA@Islamorada.fl.us or by phone at 305-664-6448 at least 48 hours before the scheduled meeting.

To participate via Zoom, please scan code to the Village Calendar and refer to the Public Notice for specific meeting log-in information.

Established in 2020, Blue Seas Lawncare specializes in commercial and residential lawn care, including mowing, edging, trimming, palm trimming, weed removal, mulching and pea rock installation. The team at Blue Seas can also design gardens. This family-owned business prides itself on being predictable and reliable, while o ering competitive prices.

Owners Rick Riveron Perdomo and Amanda Riveron service clients out of their location in Key Largo. They o er free estimates, are licensed and insured and have more than 30 years of experience in lawn care and maintenance.

"Our passion is in creating clean and green spaces which make our clients' lives easier," said Amanda Riveron, co-owner and manager.

BEYOND INNOVATIVE

Customized showroom in Key Largo enhances experience

MELINDA VAN FLEET www.keysweekly.com

Na lot of relationships in the industry across various professions — architects, builders, interior designers.”

ext level innovation” is how you feel when you visit the state-of-the-art showroom of Innovative Technology Solutions in Key Largo and have a conversation with founder and owner Lorenzo Giles. Your eyes, ears and overall being are opened to a new level of genius.

Opening in Islamorada in 2012, Innovative Technology Solutions moved to MM 100 for about six years before Giles took advantage of the opportunity to buy the building located at MM 95.1 in October 2022. He has a great team that keeps things running during the process: Omar Leroy, field operations manager; Mark Burget, operations manager; and Carlin Coleman, operations coordinator.

After completely renovating the building, they opened the new showroom in July 2023. The home setting, unlike a typical lighting showroom, is unique in that you can understand firsthand the experience of what luxury products and services they offer.

Giles had a unique vision for the custom-designed showroom. His wife, Kati Moreni (a full-time mom to Luna and Theo), is also an interior designer and artist and was very helpful. Matt Wagner, a local carpenter friend, worked with Giles on design, as did local contractors CBT.

“I’ve always been into tech and had an opportunity at age 19 to start working for someone on the infrastructure side of the business, then actual design work, installation, and eventually sales,” Giles said. “I go to a lot of trade shows, do a lot of reading, and I have “

His focus is bringing smart technology effortlessly into the home in a unique way so it blends in. Case in point is the magnificent wall-to-ceiling custom LED fixture and dining table that was specifically designed and crafted to showcase his capabilities. This is a “must see” and took about four months to build.

“My favorite thing is to design and lighting.” Giles said. “Things that bring joy to the client. So, light control is a big part of what we do — either letting the natural light in or the light fixtures to generate ambiance and scenes.”

Innovative Technology Solutions specializes in human-centric lighting using a Ketra lighting system from a company called Lutron. Human-centric lighting (HCL), also known as circadian lighting, and your natural circadian rhythm is activated by color temperature throughout the day — boosting overall wellness, increased energy and more peaceful sleep.

“Change the color temperature of the entire room — bring the brightness back up and make the inside match the outside. It brings the natural light inside, and throughout the day, it can continue to shift with the sun,” Giles said during a demonstration. Seeing the variances in person in the showroom is quite an experience. It opens your eyes to the emotional health benefits of lighting that are overlooked or taken for granted at a mass level.

Lighting can also illuminate art, and art tends to be a driving factor for illumination. A fixture they offer has 16 different LEDs, which can create a combination of various colors and

mixes — vibrancy. Giles said it allows his clients to “Enjoy the art especially as the art is intended. You can even shift the entire color. Each fixture is independently controlled and can shift the entire gradient and saturation.”

In addition to lighting, Innovative Technology Solutions offers other products and services: concealed solutions for audio and video, modern security surveillance systems, motorized lifts for TVs and systems, and motorized shades — custom-made in all fabric types.

The showroom has 11 speakers hidden in the ceiling. The sound level is very impressive, and installing the speakers took a lot of strategy and patience. Giles specializes in discreet or hidden technology.

“We start from the ground up, get involved ahead of time, and try to weed out the potential pitfalls. Being able to support our clients is important.”

When asked about customer service, he said that they work with a company that provides customer support and has a tiered program, adding, “Reliability is my number one approach.”

“It’s really cool to be in a place like the Keys that has a demographic that allows my business to flourish and also allows me to work with professionals that I don’t think I’d normally have the reach to in big cosmopolitan areas like that,” Giles said

“I work with people whose main home is out of New York, Connecticut and California — all different professionals. That’s what I love the most — the relationships,” he said

Are there any potential limitations? Giles said, “I don’t think there is much we can’t do if the budget is there, the time is there, and the right client is there. It’s all about somebody’s willingness to go through the process.”

Visit www.itssimplified.com or call 305-600-1411.

Above: Innovative Technology Solutions’ new showroom opened in July 2023. From left, Kati Giles, son Theo Giles, daughter Luna Giles, Lorenzo Giles and dog, Beau. MARY D GRIFFIN

PHOTOGRAPHY/Contributed

Musicians take stage for annual outdoor Islamorada festival

Live musical performers representing Florida Keys rock, jazz, reggae, blues and more, along with student bands from Island Music School, will take the stage for Bay Jam 29 on Sunday, April 14 at Islamorada’s Founders Park.

Presented by Islamorada Community Entertainment, the outdoor concert takes place at the ICE Amphitheater at Founders Park, MM 87, bayside, on Plantation Key. Doors open at 10 a.m. and live performances are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Bay Jam 29’s lineup features Caribbean-influenced jazz by the Bill Todd Trio. Their music is inspired by 30 years in the South Florida, Los Angeles and Nashville music scenes. The genre-bending cover band Uncle Rico, formed in 2011, plays a variety of music in the Upper Keys, from pop, country, classic rock and alternative. The Lower Mat Cats will play some fun rock and country tunes, while the Key Largo Jam Band will bring a group of 10 musicians playing upbeat music.

Other performances include some reggae-tinged blues by Jimmy Hawkins; more blues by Felix the Catt and the Lady A Blues Band; Leah Sutter’s acoustic pop; popular Keys performers the Barstool Sailors and The Carousers; and the flamenco-infused guitar fusion of David Feder, Bay Jam’s founder and longtime guiding spirit.

Bay Jam attractions also include artisan booths, festival souvenir merchandise, cold locally crafted beers and food truck selections.

Attendees can bring lawn chairs and blankets, or enjoy a swim at the bayside beach. Well-behaved leashed pets are welcome, but coolers are not permitted.

General admission is free, although donations are welcomed. Parking is available at Founders Park for $10.

Event proceeds help fund inschool programs and arts and music scholarships for Upper Keys high school students. ICE events have contributed nearly $1 million toward the grants.

— Contributed

1. David Feder is a highly acclaimed guitarist known for his unique fusion of musical styles. CONTRIBUTED. 2. Felix the Catt, son of Jimmy Hawkins, will grace the stage at Bay Jam 29. ICE/Contributed. 3. Jimmy Hawkins got his first guitar at age 9, and began a musical odyssey, which has taken him literally around the world. 4. Local musician Leah Sutter has graced stages in the Upper Keys from Florida Keys Brewing Co. to Baker’s Cay Resort. NATALIE FLAMM/Contributed. 5. Singer-songwriter Micah Gardner transports listeners to peace in paradise. CONTRIBUTED

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HELEN, A HEIST AND HEADLINES

Wife of Righter Perky made her own news

FLORIDA KEYS HISTORY WITH BRAD BERTELLI

Brad is a local historian, author, speaker and Honorary Conch who loves sharing the history of the Florida Keys.

Helen Nellie Davis was no wallflower.

She was born on Dec. 11, 1879, in Baltimore. Because her story is more interesting and complicated than can be told in 900 words or so, this story will concentrate on the time she spent with her last husband, Righter Clyde Perky, the “bat man” of Sugarloaf Key.

When Helen met Perky, she lived in New York but had spent several winters in Miami. Perky was a successful real estate investor who owned several companies in Florida and Texas. In 1926, he was the president of the Miami Motor Club and was living on Santa Maria Avenue in Coral Gables. They married on July 6, 1926. The intimate ceremony was performed at his home and attended by only one other couple. The newlyweds honeymooned in Cuba.

It would not be a particularly long or uneventful marriage. In October of 1929, the Perkys traveled to Chicago to enjoy the horse-racing season. On October 10, she visited the Hawthorne Race Track, where horses had been racing at the family-owned track since 1891. She attended the track with two people with whom she reportedly had become recently acquainted, James Lamorte and the “38-year-old divorcee Marie Knowles.”

While in the car and traveling home from the track, they passed through the Chicago suburb of Cicero when another vehicle pulled up and forced them to pull over to the curb and stop. Two men jumped out of the car. Lamorte was behind the wheel of the vehicle, and one of the men ran up and held a gun to his head. The other leaned through the passenger window and, holding a gun with his right hand, grabbed at Mrs. Perky’s purse with his left. The pistol was held under her chin. When she screamed,

the gunman squeezed the trigger, and the bullet passed up through her chin and exited through her forehead above her left eye. Perky went limp, the bandit grabbed the purse, and the two men ran back to their car and sped away.

Helen Perky was rushed to the hospital, where doctors attended to her injury. While she was recuperating, a curious thing happened. Some anonymous person walked into the hospital and handed a nurse a “pasteboard box wrapped in white paper.” Inside the box was the $50,000 worth of jewelry Mrs. Perky had in her purse when it was stolen, including a pearshaped 16.5-carat diamond ring.

Mrs. Perky’s companions at the time of the attack were taken into custody for questioning. According to chief investigator Patrick Roche of the state’s attorney’s office, a secret investigation of Marie Knowles had been underway, and he thought that when she discovered she was being investigated, she had the jewelry returned.

Helen Perky recovered from the gunshot wound. However, her marriage proved more delicate. The Perky divorce was filed on Dec. 15, 1932, and made regular newspaper headlines in 1933. In March 1933, lawyers on behalf of Mrs. Perky filed a suit for separate maintenance, resulting in Mr. Perky being served with a series of injunctions. Those injunctions reveal that Righter Clyde Perky was more than just the guy who wanted to build a fishing camp and who built Sugarloaf Key’s famous bat tower. Before moving any further ahead, one housekeeping matter needs to be addressed.

Since I began writing about Mr. Perky and his bat tower, I have called him Richter, Richter Clyde Perky, and did so, in fact, in last week’s column. I am one of many who have made this mistake, as many stories about him also refer to him as Richter. While digging into old newspaper accounts (and with help from David Sloan), it became clear that I had been calling him by the wrong name for over a decade. The man’s given name is Righter Clyde Perky.

Righter or Richter, Perky had more interests than the bats and a

Miss Marie Knowles and James Lamorte, the two in the car with Mrs. Perky in the October 1929 Chicago Tribune. CONTRIBUTED

tower that once stood on Sugarloaf Key at MM 17. Those interests were detailed in the injunctions from Mrs. Perky’s suit. In addition to having ownership in Perky Properties Inc., Perkall Properties Inc., Perky Mercantile Company, and the North End Development Company, there was the real estate company Island Holdings Company, where he had an alleged $500,000 in holdings.

Also listed as assets in the March 25, 1933 story in the Miami News were $150,000 in deposits at the First National Bank of Miami and $250,000 worth of stocks. The story also alleged that he owned the Perky Sponge Farm on Sugarloaf Key outright, all 5,000 acres of land and near-shore shallows and that it was valued at $500,000. He also had interests in the Commonwealth Royalty Corporation of Tyler, Texas, valued at between $250,000 and $1 million.

According to the newspaper story, “The injunctions are to prevent Perky from molesting his wife, obtaining a divorce from her without her knowledge, transferring his properties, cashing certificates of deposit in the First National Bank, or damaging

property belonging to her. A $25,000 bond is to be required when he is taken into custody.”

The headline in the Miami News the following day read: “PERKY BEING HELD ON WRIT OF WIFE – Miami Real Estate Man Under Technical Arrest in Key West.” Nothing about the newspaper stories screams amicable separation, including the March 30, 1933 story in the paper. “Mrs. Perky claims her husband, through misrepresentation, obtained possession of $23,810 in jewelry he gave to her before their marriage, $20,000 in cash in the bank in her own name and $6,000 she made on real estate commissions.”

After the divorce, Helen D. Perky remained in Coral Gables. Her name frequently appeared on the local society pages. In 1938, she was again named in a legal notice posted in the paper regarding Mrs. Perky and the Key Largo North End Development Company. The property was being auctioned off to the highest cash bidder at the Monroe County Courthouse in Key West.

On Jan. 2, 1941, Helen Davis Perky died in her Coral Gables home after a brief illness.

MOSEY THROUGH MORADA WAY

Islamorada arts scene comes alive every third Thursday

WILLIAM DEPAULA

is an artist, designer and gemologist who believes in the power of art.

On the weekends, the Keys swell with visitors wanting to catch a few days of our beautiful islands. The traffic gets congested with people wanting to visit their favorite spots. The middle of the week is quieter; gone are the weekend visitors. But that changes on the third Thursday of the month at the Morada Way Arts & Cultural District in Islamorada. Morada Way, which is already the central location for arts in the Keys, explodes with even more artists and live music.

The first Art Walk was held in 2011. It developed when local business owners in the area convened and came up with the idea of having a monthly arts festival. One artist who helped spearhead the movement was Islamorada artist Pasta Pantaleo.

“The success of Third Thursdays has been amazing,” Pantaelo said. “It is kind of like being a parent; you have this child and it is a beautiful

thing to see it grow up. The Art Walk is a whole mood, it is a destination. It has grown from the small thing we created.”

If you want to get a quick dive into Upper Keys art, the art walk is a great place to start. In a small, six-block area, you will find some of the area’s most well-known artists, including Elena Madden, Jessica Ann, Pasta Pantaleo, Lisa Lee, Taylor Hale, Bev Blitzer, Chery Hampton, Lisa Smith, Sue Jankowski and Jul Jankowski. What really helps round out the art walk is the music, food and drink, you know, the basics for a good party.

The arts district starts at the Hurricane Monument, Kaiyo Restaurant and Chef Michael’s. The central location of Florida Keys Brewing Co. helps fuel the mood. The district ends by the historic Green Turtle restaurant.

“Art Walk is my favorite evening each month. I love how our little island community comes together to share their favorite art, music, food and beverages while walking the beautiful Morada Way Arts District,” said gyotaku artist Lisa Lee. “You’ll always find friendly faces while shopping for your next unique piece of art; it truly has become an amazing event each month.”

The Morada Way Arts District strives to connect the community with the arts through monthly art

WE BEAT ANY SERVICE ESTIMATE BY 10%*

Above: The local arts scene comes alive at the Morada Way Arts & Cultural District, where an art walk is held every third Thursday of the month from 6 to 9 p.m. TIFFANY DUONG/

walks, partner studios, galleries and more. The Morada Way Arts & Cultural District is the nonprofit organization that runs the operation. Creating and maintaining an environment that enables a creative and business community to thrive is the Morada Way Arts District’s mission. It’s an environment where artists are inspired and have opportunities to showcase their work, while enriching locals and visitors with arts and

cultural programs and events. It provides affordable studio and gallery space to up-and-coming as well as established artists.”

The Morada Way Art Walk is primarily focused on fine art media, including sculpture, ceramics, installations, painting (both acrylic and oil), printmaking, photography, silversmithing and design. The art walk runs from 6 to 9 p.m. every third Thursday of the month.

Keys Weekly. Right: Lisa Lee’s art gallery featuring gyotaku works. CONTRIBUTED

SOARING UP THE LEADERBOARDS

Key West’s Suharevskis notches personal record, state ranking | P.8

APRIL 11

Kaylee

points for her team APRIL 11

Kaylee is a multi-event studentathlete who works hard in the classroom as well as on the track.”

– Dave Perkins, Conchs head coach

3

15 event wins

Senior Kaylee Matas Cabezuelo was dominant in the field events at the track and field meet between Key West and Coral Shores last week, earning a trio of first places. Matas Cabezuelo was the top finisher in long jump, triple jump and discus, earning 15 points for her team. The talented athlete does not just excel in athletics, though; Kaylee was recently accepted at Georgetown University, where she plans to study biomedical engineering. Despite a full class load of the most challenging courses Key West High School offers, she never shies away from the hard work and dedication needed to win a variety of technical events on the track. For her three-win meet and laser-like focus, Key West’s Kaylee Matas Cabezuelo is the Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.

RICK MACKENZIE/Contributed

With a vault of 14 feet, 11 3/4 inches in an April 4 meet against Coral Shores, Key West’s NiksDavis Suharevskis set a personal record en route to a third-place ranking in Florida for FHSAA’s 2A classification. DOUG FINGER/Keys Weekly

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.

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.

Marathon - Alex Rickert alex@keysweekly.com

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Key West - Mandy Miles mandy@keysweekly.com

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Riding a 12-3 record at press time, Zack Payne and the Key West Conchs await their first playoff opponent after a first-round bye. MARK HEDDEN/ Keys Weekly

KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP PODCAST

In this week’s Keys Weekly Sports Wrap Podcast, Sean and Tracy will give you all the latest scores and statistics from this week’s games and events. You will find out the official opponents our local lacrosse teams will face in playoffs as well as behind-the-scenes details you won’t hear anywhere else.

LARIZ, ZIELS LEAD DISTRICTS IN STRIKEOUTS

Monroe County baseball season in full swing

Two Keys pitchers lead their districts in strikeouts. Key West’s Anthony Lariz leads 4A District 16 with 55 Ks and counting, while Marathon’s Dylan Ziels has fanned 58 to lead the District 16 3A charts. Both athletes will have ample opportunity to boost those figures in the upcoming weeks, which offer a whirlwind of scheduled games as Florida baseball barrels toward the start of the postseason on April 29.

The Conchs were busy last week with three games, beginning on April 3 at Columbus. The 7A Explorers held the Conchs to just 2 hits, both off the bats of freshmen. Nelson Ong and Auggy Davila each singled in the 10-0 loss. Anthony Lariz and Felix Ong shared pitching duties, combining for 5 strikeouts in 4 innings of play in Key West’s first mercy-rule loss of the season.

Two nights later, it would be the Conchs showing the mercy. Key West opened play against another 7A team, the Sailors of Sarasota, with a four-run first inning, applying immediate pressure and ultimately winning 10-0. In six innings, the Conchs totaled 11 hits with 3 from Steel Mientkiewicz, 2 from Nelson Ong, and 1 each from Davila, Lariz, Caden Pichardo, Jose Perdigon, Sam Holland and Roman Garcia. Senior Jacob Burnham was a force on the mound, striking out 11 over 6 innings, walking none and allowing a stingy 2 hits.

The next night, the Sailors came out on top, despite the Conchs out-hitting them 5-4. Noah Burnham, Jacob Burnham, Nelson Ong, Davila and Mientkiewicz collected 1 hit each in the 4-2 loss. Lariz started strong on the mound for Key West, striking out 4, giving up 1 hit and 1 walk but no runs in 3 innings. Felix Ong, Christian Koppal and Vinnie Moline combined for the remainder of the game. The trouble came in inning 5 when 5 walks, a hit and a sacrifice fly resulted in 4 runs for the Sailors. Key West now heads to the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina for the National High School Invitational.

Marathon improved to 12-4 after a pair of wins last week. The Fins started off with a resounding 14-5 victory at Miami Country Day. The Dolphins topped the Spartans on

April 3, fueled by 11 hits. Jack Dunn, Mason Thornton and Dylan Ziels had 2 apiece while Roco Piscetello, Dylan Williams, Leo Mendez, Gabe Leal and Aiden Gonzalez each had 1. Marathon stole a total of 6 bases, 3 by Thornton, and were error-free in the field. Thornton, Piscetello and Williams combined forces on the mound.

Their next victim would be the Chargers of North Miami Beach. Despite outhitting the Fins 12 to 6, the Chargers committed 6 errors and doled out a dozen walks to lose the advantage and the game. Leal and Thornton each had two hits and Jack Chapman and Mendez accounted for the other two. Leal pitched a full game for Marathon, striking out 3 with no walks.

Coral Shores played one game last week, losing to the 5A Thoroughbreds of Hialeah High 6-1 in Tavernier. The ’Canes had 5 hits, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the 15 the Thoroughbreds racked up. Maykol BonitoRodriguez, AJ Putetti, Ben Friedman, Riley O’Berry and Zeke Myers each singled in the loss.

Top: Nelson Ong. Below: Anthony Lariz. GRACE ANDREW/Keys Weekly See more game photos at keysweekly.com

Key West boys lacrosse is riding a 4-game win streak, having not lost since March 15. The Conchs are picking up steam heading into district action.

The 11-3 Conchs get a bye in the first round of playoffs, which sends them directly into the semifinals. Their opponent is predicted to be Ransom Everglades on Friday, April 12 with the possibility of a last-minute change due to final power rankings, which occurred after press time.

The Conchs added three wins in four days, starting with Coral Reef on April 2. Smith Switzer, Carter Sessoms, Noah Collins and Max Louchheim netted 2 goals apiece, while Roman Van Loon, Reif Walen, Zack Payne and Kieran Smith each had 1. Mateo Lopez had doubledigit saves in goal, earning the Player of the Game award. Louchheim and Anthony Fernandez teamed up to win a majority of the game’s faceoffs to help Key West pull off a 12-8 victory over the Barracudas.

On April 5, the Conchs beat the St. Brendan Sabres, 13-7. Brooks Pellicier and Sessoms scored 3 goals each with Wallen, Switzer, Collins, Louchheim and Dreyden Telfer adding 1 each. Lopez collected 17 saves in goal to preserve the win.

Fernandez dominated faceoffs, winning what coach Alberto Piceno guessed would amount to about 15 once the game film was thoroughly analyzed. Piceno credited Louchheim with

Key West went on to beat Westminster Christian 7-5 the following night for their third win of the week. Collins was awarded the Player of the Game title in that matchup with 2 goals and 4 assists. Louchheim, Switzer, Sessoms, Pellicier and Mack Hill scored the rest. Lopez had more than 20 saves in goal and Fernandez was dominant on faceoffs.

The Hurricanes finished the regular season with two losses last week, with the first coming from Westminster Christian on April 3 and the next, two days later, against North Broward Prep. In the 12-3 loss to Westminster Christian, Lucas Carballo, Reed Tudor and Zane Martinez scored 1 time each. Brock Bynum had 19 saves in the 12-4 loss.

solid offensive and defensive play, awarding him Player of the Game for the win.

CONCH BOYS LACROSSE FINISHES REGULAR SEASON ON FOUR-GAME WIN STREAK

Giacopuzzi was elated with the team’s play.

“The girls played a beautiful game of lacrosse. Solid teamwork, patience with possession and the defense did a phenomenal job shutting down anything the Barracudas tried to do,” Giacopuzzi said.

Top left: The Conchs’ Carter Sessoms netted 2 goals in a win against Coral Reef on April 2 and 3 in a win against the St. Brendan Sabres on April 5.

Above: Key West’s Kaitlyn Piloto scored 3 goals and was credited with 2 ground balls, leading the scoring for Key West in a win against Coral Reef on April 2.

MARK HEDDEN/

Keys Weekly

In the game against North Broward Prep, Carballo had 2 goals and Tudor added another to his season stats in the 5-3 loss. Bynum saved 15 to keep the game close. The ’Canes could face Westminster once again on Thursday, April 11 in a district quarterfinal game, depending on the final power rankings from the FHSAA.

The Lady ’Canes lost a pair of games last week, ending their regular season with a 2-7 record. Coral Shores lost to Palmer Trinity 15-10 on April 3, then to NSU University School on April 5 by a score of 11-5. The Hurricanes’ first postseason opponent was not yet determined

Below: Coral Shores’ Shay Stober moves the ball upfield against NSU University on Senior Day on April 5.

DOUG FINGER/

Keys Weekly

as of press time.

The Lady Conchs faced two of their toughest opponents of the season last week, playing both American Heritage schools over the span of three days. Before that, they took on Coral Reef at home on April 2, beating the Barracudas 11-4. Kaitlyn Piloto scored 3 goals and was credited with 2 ground balls, leading the scoring for Key West. Taylor Gibson and Deanna Mercier each netted a pair of goals. Mercier had 6 draw controls, a pair of caused turnovers and a pair of ground balls; Gibson scooped up 4 ground balls. Maeve O’Hearn scored once, caused 2 turnovers, earned 3 ground balls and captured an interception to help on both sides of play.

Colbie Turner, Ava Brock and Ella Bishop each scored 1 goal in the win while Courtney Grabus was credited with 6 saves and 2 ground balls. Coach Marisa

Two nights later, Key West faced the defending state champions and No. 1-ranked team in Florida, American Heritage out of Delray Beach. The Conchs lost 18-1, but Courtney Grabus made 8 saves while Deanna Mercier prevented Key West from being shut out. The Plantation version of American Heritage ended in a 16-2 loss, but Giacopuzzi had positive takeaways from the game. She credited Bishop with her defensive play on Heritage’s topscorer, completely shutting her down and preventing a single goal from her. The game’s 6 yellow cards, 3 from each team, were a testament to the physical play and efforts on both sides to win.

Grabus was peppered with shots on goal, saving 10 from the scoreboard. Brock and Mercier, assisted by Eisley Whitehead, scored the Conchs’ goals. With official district brackets still in the works, Giacopuzzi offered her prediction, saying, “We will likely see Palmer Trinity again on our turf and will undoubtedly be looking for a redemption from our senior night.”

LADY ’CANES SWEEP WESTMINSTER

Dolphin boys earn first W

On April 4, Coral Shores hosted Westminster Christian for a set of tennis matches that produced mixed results. The No. 2 doubles team of Johann Smith and Jaden Heilbron picked up the only win of the day for the boys team. The girls had better luck, winning all seven matches. Charlotte MacEachern and Olivia Hughes won their No. 1 and 2 singles matches and teamed up to earn another victory in doubles action. Kai Guth and Kai Redruello did the same at the No. 3 and 4 spots in singles and the No. 2 doubles match. Macy Cakans added the final win of the day for the ’Canes, making it a clean sweep over the Warriors.

Key West spent the afternoon of April 3 in Marathon, where the girls picked up a win.

Amalia Strunk, Juliana Strunk, Violet Jangraw and Leyla Atilla racked up singles wins for the Lady Conchs. Eva Drozdetskaia and Amalia Strunk plus Zoe Gehin and Juliana Strunk earned doubles wins, as well. Marquisha Abraham of Marathon earned the only Fins win of the day at the No. 1 singles spot.

The Dolphin boys won their first match in over six years, defeating the Conchs 4-3. Adrien Holdinga won the No. 1 singles match, then Carlos Lezcano, in his first-ever season of play, earned his first win. Holdinga teamed up with middle-schooler Tanner Snowden to pick up their third doubles win of the season. Lezcano and fellow newbie Matt Delgado earned a doubles win as well, giving the Fins the win.

Conchs Devin Soni and Mason O’Conner each won their singles matches for Key West with their final point coming from a forfeit.

Tennis districts are April 15 and 16. Key West will play at Tropical Park, while Marathon and Coral Shores will compete at the Miami Dade College campus.

Charlotte MacEachern. DOUG FINGER/Keys Weekly

CONCHS’ POLE VAULTER LAUNCHES INTO STATE RANKINGS

Hurricanes’ runners have strong showings

An April 4 track and field meet between Key West and Coral Shores saw one pole vaulter launching his way to one of the best marks in the state.

Key West’s Niks-Davis Suharevskis and Ian Newton took first and second, respectively, in the pole vault at Coral Shores High School. Suharevskis launched himself to a personal best of 14 feet, 11 3/4 inches — a mark that currently ranks third in the state for 2A.

Key West’s boys racked up the points in a win over the Hurricanes, 107-38,

with a pair of wins from Jeef Dejean in the long and triple jumps and Colbin Hill in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters. Clerff Alexandre was second in triple jump and Andrew Fedor was second in the 1,600.

The Conchs’ Shane Lavallee was the fastest gentleman on the track, winning the 100-meter dash. William Forster and Rayan Barrios took first and second place in the 800, while Jeremiah Harvey won the 110-meter high hurdles with Anthony Jenner right behind.

In other boys events, Key West’s Anthony Jenner took two second-place

finishes in the discus and shot put. Brondson Etienne won the high jump event with Josue Quiche coming in second. Jean Louis won shot put and Noah Mercer won discus.

The Lady Conchs had a commanding performance in a win over the Hurricanes, 99-30. Dazmine Jenkins won the 100-meter dash, while Alyssandra Camargo took first in the 400. Colleen Barter was second in the 400. Caylaa Makimaa won the 1,600 with Naima Thomas finishing right behind her in second. Thomas went on to win the 3,200 with Lily Kaufman in second place.

Key West’s Grace Andrew won the 100-meter hurdles and Neslo Atilla finished first in the 400 hurdles with Valeria Juarez in second. Nesgaard was second in the 200 to round out running events.

In field events, the Conchs’ Kaylee Matas Cabuzeulo led the charge with three first-place finishes in long jump, shot put and discus. Audrey Smith was second in discus. Anabel Portuondo was first in the pole vault with teammate Ariel Newton in second. Nesgaard took first in the high jump with Portuondo finishing second.

Despite being the smaller school, the ’Canes had some strong showings in boys and girls events. The Lady ’Canes’ Brooke Mandozzi finished first in the 200-meter dash and second in the 100-meter, while Sammy Bates took first in the 800. Julieanna Oddo was second in the 100-meter hurdles while Sofia Jackson and Karala Gutierrez came in second in the long jump and shot put, respectively.

The Hurricanes’ boys saw first-place finishes from Ambrose Sanchez in the 400 hurdles, Adrik Gadea in the 400 and Ethan Marguet in the 200. Sam Harm was right behind Marguet for second in the 200. Jack Collins and Alaric Rodriguez earned second-place finishes in the 400 and the 3,200, respectively. Rex Mathews had a pair of second-place finishes in the 100 meter and long jump.

Top left: The Hurricanes’ Adrik Gadea runs to a first-place finish in the 400-meter dash during a track meet against Key West on April 4.

Top Middle: Key West’s Dazmine Jenkins competes in the 100-meter run at Coral Shores. Jenkins finished first.

Right: Key West’s NiksDavis Suharevskis set a personal best in the pole vault during an April 4 track-and-field meet at Coral Shores High School.

Top right: The Conchs’ Jeef DeJean won the long and triple jumps.

Bottom right: The Hurricanes’ Sammy Bates finished first in the 800-meter dash.

Photos by: Mark Hedden, Doug Finger and Rick Mackenzie

FINS WIN TWO

Conchs split double-header against AIE

Marathon improved to 8-2 last week with a pair of wins. The first was against Gulliver Prep on April 2 when the Fins beat the Warriors 9-8 at home. Allison Garcia struck out 7 batters in 7 innings. Garcia also registered 2 hits in the win. Sara Robinson had a pair of hits and Dani Perdomo, Shynell McGuire and Elena Eubank each had 1 for Marathon. On April 5, the Dolphins hosted Colonial Christian, winning 17-0 in just 3 innings. Garcia fanned 6 and had another pair of hits in the mercy-rule victory. Madelyn Thornton had the hot bat with 3 hits while Elena Eubank, Allison Helms and Maeve Merryman each had 2. Robinson added one more for an even dozen hits by the Fins.

Key West’s Lady Conchs softball team split a pair of games against Academy for Innovative Education on April 6. Key West won the first game of a double-header, 3-1, scoring all three runs in the third inning. Alexa Condella had a pair of hits and a pair of RBIs to lead the Conchs offensively. Nevaeh Arnold, Nina Manresa and Alexandra Rodriguez had a hit apiece in the win. Chloe Gilday commanded in the circle, striking out 6 batters over 7 innings and allowing just 3 hits and 2 walks. In game two, Key West took the early lead, scoring 2 runs in the first inning. Then AIE answered back with a run in the fourth before Key West re-took the lead, holding on until the seventh inning, when the Aviators tied it up. It would take 9 innings to decide a victor when a pair of doubles from AIE ended the game in their favor.

Manresa had 2 hits, including a double, in the loss. Scarlet Niles also registered 2 hits. Tavyn Gage, Shylo Sanchez, Vera Rodger and Maicey Malgrat accounted for the rest of the Lady Conchs’ 8 hits. Breanna Breener and Arnold split pitching duties. Key West, now 5-6, has plenty of opportunities in the coming week to get ahead on its record, with five games scheduled in just three days.

Sara Robinson. BARRY GAUKEL/Keys Weekly

Coral Shores has suffered a series of unfortunate events this season, in what head coach Lesa Bonee called “the most challenging and difficult year of my career.” The events have affected the team’s schedule and ability to play. Both Horeb and Dade Christian, two schools that were scheduled for matchups this season, folded due to lack of players and interest. This left the Lady ’Canes with four fewer games right off the bat. Next came an injury, forcing back-to-back cancellations due to the Hurricanes being short players; they had nine and a concussion set them back to eight. Unable to field a team for the past week and a half, they hoped to have a full roster this week, but Bonee received word her player would be out for the season, sending her scrambling to find a replacement so her team, all of whom are freshmen and sophomores, could continue the season. Bonee will have a few extra days to complete her search. Somerset South Homestead canceled its April 8 game against Coral Shores, citing the solar eclipse as the reason they would not be hosting the Hurricanes. Undeterred, the ’Canes will find a way to play at Gulliver early this week, then compete in their final home game of the season Friday, April 12 against Everglades City School at 5 p.m.

THREE KEYS LIFTERS STATES-BOUND

Coral Shores’ AJ Johnson qualifies for dual events

Coral Shores and Marathon sent their strongest athletes to Frostproof on April 4 for the FHSAA 1A Region 4 championships in boys weightlifting. When the chalk settled and the final weights were tabulated, a trio of Keys athletes made the cut to the big show. Marathon’s Tanner Ross and Chase Leird and Coral Shores’ AJ Johnson are headed to states to compete in Lakeland on April 20.

Though no Keys athletes won a regional title, which is an automatic ticket to the state meet, Johnson, Leird and Ross had high enough totals to qualify for at-large spots. Johnson, who is in the 219-lb. category, will compete in both the Olympic and traditional events. In the Olympic event, Johnson has the capacity to crack the top 10. Leird will represent the Fins in traditional lifts at 119 pounds and Ross will have a shot at a medal in Olympic lifts in the 199-lb. class.

Leird was third in the traditional event and likely would have been a double qualifier had he not scratched his three attempts at the snatch lift, negating any chance to move on in the Olympic event in which he was more heavily favored. Johnson was second overall in Olympic lifts and third in traditional. Ross finished fourth in Olympic.

Other standouts at regionals include Marathon’s Matthias Martinez-Velez, who was second in traditional and just 5 pounds from a regional title at 139 pounds. Damian Staciewicz was third in traditional and tied for second in Olympic lifts in the 154-lb. class. At 183, Max Childress finished second in traditional lifts and third in Olympic. Though runner-ups and athletes finishing as deep as fourth or fifth often get an at-large bid, this year’s competition in the northern portion of the state was exceptionally strong. Fortunately for MartinezVelez, Staciewicz and Childress, all have at least one more season to earn a trip to states.

From top: AJ Johnson, Tanner Ross and Chase Leird.

Photos by: DOUG FINGER and BARRY GAUKEL/Keys Weekly

FICTITIOUS NAME

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Community Association Company located at 520 Southard Street, Key West, FL 33040 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

By: Community Association of Florida, LLC

Publish: April 11, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

FICTITIOUS NAME

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of CAC located at 520 Southard Street, Key West, FL 33040 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

By: Community Association of Florida, LLC

Publish: April 11, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE WHEATON’S SERVICE CENTER gives notice that on 4/26/2024 at 10:00 AM, the following vehicle(s) may be sold by public sale at 101500 OVERSEAS HWY, KEY LARGO, FL 33037 to satisfy the lien for the amount owed on each vehicle for any recovery, towing, or storage services charges and administrative fees allowed pursuant to Florida statute 713.78.

Wheaton’s Service Center reserves the right to accept or reject any and/or all bids.

2LNHM82W88X654258 2008

LINC

Publish: April 4 & 11, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE

gives notice that on 5/10/2024 at 10:00 AM, the following vehicle(s) may be sold by public sale at 101500 OVERSEAS HWY, KEY LARGO, FL 33037 to satisfy the lien for the amount owed on each vehicle for any recovery, towing, or storage services charges and administrative fees allowed pursuant to Florida statute 713.78.

Wheaton’s Service Center reserves the right to accept or reject any and/or all bids.

1FTVF14585NA05196 2005

FORD

Publish: April 4 & 11, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE

Notice is hereby given that on dates below these vessels will be sold at public sale on the date listed below at 10AM for monies owed on vessel repair and storage cost pursuant to Florida Statutes 328.17.

May 27, 2024 at 10:00 AM

Yacht Club Drive Marina, 107690 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo, FL Yacht Club Drive Marina reserves the right to accept or reject any and/all bids.

1994 CTY CTYD0011I495

$9,055.52

Owners: Cincinnati Financial Corp

Publish: April 4 & 11, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE

The Monroe County Tourist Development Council will hold their regularly scheduled meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. This will be a hybrid meeting of in person at the Marathon Government Center (2798 Overseas Highway,

Marathon, FL 33050) and Communications Media Technology using a Zoom webinar platform. Monroe County Tourist Development Council Meeting

Please click on the link below to join the webinar: https://mcbocc.zoom.

us/j/83300176016

Or iPhone one-tap:

US: +16465189805,, 83300176016# or +16699006833,, 83300176016#

Or Telephone: Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

US: +1 646 518 9805 or +1 669 900 6833

Webinar ID: 833 0017 6016 International numbers available: https://mcbocc. zoom.us/u/kdfeTtPHLB

The Visit Florida Keys Corporation will also convene during this meeting.

All Tourist Development Council Meetings are open to the public, and one or more County Commissioners may be in attendance. If a person decides to appeal any decision made by the board with respect to any matter considered at such meeting or hearing, they will need a record of the proceedings, and that, for such purpose, they may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.

ADA ASSISTANCE: If you are a person with a disability who needs special accommodations in order to participate in this proceeding, please contact the Monroe County Administrator’s Office, by phoning 305-292-4441, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., no later than

Effective April 1, 2024, Karisa Falden, D.O., is no longer practicing with Baptist Health Primary Care at the following location: 5701 Overseas Highway, Suite 17, Marathon, FL 33050.

Patients who wish to receive copies of their medical records may log into our patient portal at myBaptistHealth.net, call 305-434-1400 or fax 305-743-0962 to request a records release.

Publish: April 4, 11, 18 & 25, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

five (5) calendar days prior to the scheduled meeting. If you are hearing or voice impaired, call “711”.

Publish: April 11, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that

on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at 3:00 P.M., the Monroe County Purchasing Office will receive and open sealed responses for the following: Shift in Centerline of Runway 7/25

Marathon International Airport

Monroe County, Florida

Pursuant to F.S. § 50.0211(3) (a), all published competitive solicitation notices can be viewed at: www. floridapublicnotices.com, a searchable Statewide repository for all published legal notices. Requirements for submission and the selection criteria may be requested from the County’s electronic bidding platform at https://monroecounty-fl. bonfirehub.com OR www. monroecounty-fl.gov/ BonfireBids. The Public Record is available upon request.

Monroe County Purchasing Department receives bids via the Bonfire electronic bidding platform. Please do not email, mail or attempt to deliver in person any sealed bids. Emailed/mailed/physically delivered bids/proposals/ responses WILL NOT be accepted.

The Monroe County Purchasing Department hereby directs that bids be submitted via the Bonfire electronic bidding platform at https://monroecounty-fl. bonfirehub.com, no later than 3:00P.M. on May 28, 2024. There is no cost to the bidder to use the Bonfire platform. Please do not submit your confidential financial information as part of your proposal. There are separate uploads for each set of documents, including confidential financial information. All proposals will be made public on the platform after an intended decision or 30 days, whichever is earlier, unless the bids/ proposals are rejected in accordance with F.S. 119.071. If your proposal document includes financial information, that information will not be considered confidential and will be available and viewable to the public in accordance with public records law. The bid opening for this solicitation will be held virtually, via the internet, at 3:00 P.M., on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. You may call in by phone or internet using the following:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://mcbocc.zoom. us/j/4509326156

Meeting ID: 4509326156

One tap mobile:

+16465189805,,4509326156#

US (New York)

+16699006833,,4509326156#

US (San Jose)

Dial by your location:

+1 646 518 9805 US (New York)

+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)

MANDATORY PRE-BID

MEETING

Date: 04-25-2024

Time: 2:00 P.M., EST

***Prospective bidders failing to attend the Mandatory PreBid Meeting shall forfeit their opportunity to respond to the solicitation***

against decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.

The date of first publication of this Notice is: April 11, 2024.

Co-Personal Representatives: RICHARD J. MCCAUSLAND

c/o Samuel J. Kaufman, Esq.

Law Offices of Samuel J. Kaufman, P.A. 3130 Northside Drive Key West, Florida 33040

Co-Personal Representatives: PATRICIA A. PIACENTINE

c/o Samuel J. Kaufman, Esq.

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

Key West, Florida 33040

Attorney for Co-Personal Representatives: Samuel J.

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 April 11, 2024.

Personal Representative: Elizabeth Mcsherry 89 Pine Street South Paris, Maine 04281 Tel: (603) 986-1531

Attorney for Personal Representative: Anwar E. Hadeed, Esq. Florida Bar Number: 1018036 The Florida Probate & Family Law Firm Samah T. Abukhodeir, Esq. Florida Bar Number: 108015

(305) 735-6468 Email: Anwar@flpfl.com eservice@flpfl.com Publish: April 11 & 18, 2024

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION CASE NO.: 24-CP-107-K IN RE: THE ESTATE OF RICHARD H. MCCAUSLAND, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of RICHARD H. MCCAUSLAND deceased, whose date of death was January 30, 2024, Case: 24-CP-107-K, is pending in the Circuit Court, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040. The names and addresses of

below.

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

All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands

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: April 4, 2024.

EMPLOYMENT

Las Marias Medical Center- Hiring bilingual: Front Desk, RN, Medical Assistant & Local Driver. Tavernier, MM 91. 305-780-7730

Personal Assitant needed for Key Colony Beach couple. Two times/week - driving to doctor appts, handyman projects, gardening, light housekeeping, must be capable of lifting large male if needed and be good with animals. Must have references. Call Christina 954-483-5426

Joseph Molinaro CPA, LLC in Tavernier is looking for an Office Manager. Duties include answering phones, client screening, accounts payable and purchasing, accounts receivables, file management and other office duties. Must know Quickbooks desktop and Microsoft suite. Monday –Friday 10-5. Email resume Joe@jmolinaro.cpa

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.

City of Marathon

Current Job Openings: Administrative Asst. Fire Department and Part-time Custodian/ Maintenance. Full Benefits for full-time positions. EOE Please see City website for details www.ci.marathon.fl.us

Marathon Yacht Club is hiring a part-time server. Private club, friendly atmosphere, guaranteed gratuities. Flexible lunch/ dinner shifts available Tuesday – Sunday. Must provide photo ID, social security card or passport, and checking account. Call 305-7436739 to schedule an interview or email office@ marathonyachtclub.com.

Marathon Yacht Club is hiring a full-time line cook. Private club, friendly atmosphere, afternoon/evening hours Tuesday – Sunday. Must provide checking account for direct deposit, photo ID, and social security card or passport. Call 305743-6739 to schedule an interview or email office@ marathonyachtclub.com.

Marathon Yacht Club is hiring a part-time dishwasher. Private club, friendly atmosphere, flexible afternoon/ evening hours available Tuesday – Sunday. Must provide photo ID and social security card or passport. Call 305-7436739 to schedule an interview or email office@ marathonyachtclub.com

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 Parttime 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.

The Housing Authority of the City of Key West now hiring the following positions: Housing Choice Voucher Asst., PT Receptionist, Housing ManagerMiddle Keys, HVAC Maintenance Mechanic, and Maintenance Mechanic (Maintenance Worker). To apply, please contact Human Resources at: martinezm@kwha.org or 305-296-5621

Applications are available at the Administrative Office located at 1400 Kennedy Dr., Key West, FL 33040 or online at www. kwha.org - EOE & Drug

The Monroe County Homeless Services Continuum of Care (MC-CoC) is seeking an EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

The position of Executive Director is a full time exempt salaried supervisory position. This position requires a bachelor's degree in public administration, non-profit management, social services or related field - a graduate degree is preferred - and five (5) years of experience in management and supervision. The executive director will work with the Board of Directors to meet the goals and objectives of the agency.

Please send resume or contact Steve Torrence by email: eywsteve@icloud.com

FLORIDA BAY FOREVER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Free Work Place. This opportunity is covered under Section 3 of the HUD Act of 1968.

Place your EMPLOYMENT ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844

FISHING EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

Rods For Sale: Dolphin Time 4 Penn 30w 2 spd. w-star roller guide Rods 4 50w-w-rods as new 305-743-8860 call between 1p-4p.

HOBBIES/COLLECT.

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

Place your Hobbies/ Collectibles ad here. $25.00/week for up to 5 lines of copy. Call 305-743-0844.

HOUSING FOR RENT

Venetian Shores home for rent long term. 3BR/2BA on canal. Available now. $4,000/mo. utilities included. 315-405-5202

ANNUAL RENTALKey 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

3 BR/2 BA home for rent in Key Colony Beach. 75' premium dock. $3,800/month + utilities. F/L/S 786-229-0228

Efficiency for Rent in Marathon. Furnished. $1,200/month + water & sewer. F/L/S 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

RV Site for rent in Marathon. Up to 35', private gated property. $1,500/mo plus water & sewer (electric included). Dockage available - inquire for price. 305-610-8002

Workshop Manager (Key West)

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

Big, Big Yard Sale: 87847 O/S Hwy—Old Road Access Only. Furniture/Appliances/ Clothes/Fishing/Rugs and 32 years of hoarding more. Saturday, April 13 ONLY from 8a - 3p .

Yard Sale - unusual stuff, glass vases, old records, 2 wood file cabinets, lamps, armoire, etc. Sat April 13th, 9a-2p, 8026 Porpoise Drive, Marathon

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

FT administrative, salaried position. The Workshop manager will be responsible for all phases of the operation of the Adult Day Training Program in accordance with The Agency for Persons with Disabilities and Medicaid Waiver minimum standards. This includes the worksites and contracts, personnel, and training programs. The Workshop Manager will maintain a close liaison with the Group Home Managers and Medical Staff in order to maintain program consistency. Bachelor’s degree required and 2 years’ experience in field required. Computer skills: moderate to advanced. FL driver’s license with clean driving record. Pre-employment training online and in person. Ability to pass a Level II background screening and references.

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

WE ARE HIRING!

The EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR is the key management leader and is responsible for overseeing the administration, educational programs and fundraising for the organization. Other key duties include marketing, community outreach and volunteer management. The position reports directly to the Board of Directors. For more information email info@floridabayforever.org. Learn more about our work at www.floridabayforever.org.

305-743-0844

Plant Store/Nursery Associate (PT/FT)

Position requires a min. of high school completion and 1 yr. exp. Must be knowledgeable in tropical plants and have good social/business skills, above average computer skills (knowledge of POS a plus). Must be able to lift at least 50 pounds. English language, speaking and writing, proficiency is a must. FL driver’s license w/clean driving record, references and background screening required.

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

e 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

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

Preference in the selection of vacant positions will be given to eligible veterans and spouses of veterans. The Key Colony Beach Police Department is an EEO employer, drug-free and nicotine-free workplace.

NOW HIRING IN ISLAMORADA

MARINA CASHIERS

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

DOCKHANDS

Duties include customer service, helping customers with bait and ice and helping cashiers with restocking. Morning & a ernoon hours available.

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

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

ADMINISTRATION/OFFICE HELP

Fast paced, busy resort in need of Of ce Help. Must be able to multi-task, stay calm under pressure and have great communication skills. Be dependable, able to work weekends, 3 to 4 days a week, hours til 7pm.

If you want to be part of a great team, please apply! Send resume to captpips@aol.com or come into the of ce at 1480 Overseas Highway, Marathon to ll out an application. CAPTAIN PIP’S IS

D’Asign Source is seeking the following professionals. Overtime and benefits are available. For full details, please visit: DAsignSource.com/careers

Interior Designer

Apply knowledge & creative skills to projects at our high-end design center. Must possess history of achievement in quality projects and a strong sales background.

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

•

OPENINGS AVAILABLE

PHYSICIAN PRACTICE OPENINGS

- Medical Assistant, Orthopedics, PT

- Patient Access Associate, Orthopedics, $1,000 Bonus, FT

TAVERNIER MARINERS HOSPITAL

- Cook, Per Diem

- Exercise Physiologist, Per Diem

- Manager Wellness Center, FT

- Multi-Modality Imag Tech, $20,000 Bonus, FT & PT

- Nuclear Medicine Tech, Per Diem

- Pool Group Exercise Instructor

- Pool Yoga Instructor

- Registered Nurse, Emergency Department, $25,000 Bonus, FT

- Registered Nurse, Multispecialty Acute Care Center, $25,000 Bonus, FT

- Registered Nurse, Surgery, $15,000 Bonus, FT

MARATHON FISHERMEN’S

COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

- ED Team Coordinator, Emergency Room, Part Time

- ED/Acute Care Tech, Emergency, Room, FT & PT

- Environmental Tech, $5,000 Bonus, FT

- First Cook, $5,000 Bonus, FT

- Multi-Modality Imag Tech, Radiology, $20,000 Bonus, FT

- Mechanic, Facility Operations, FT

- Medical Technologist, Laboratory, $15,000 Bonus, FT, PT and Per Diem

- Patient Experience Advocate, FT

- Radiology Technologist, $15,000 Bonus, FT

- Security Of cer, Security/Safety, FT & Per Diem

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. 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.

KEY WEST

Peer Support Specialist

Advocate (PT)

Behavioral Health Therapist (Adult)

Behavioral Health Counselor (Child)

Case Manager (Adult, Forensic)

Substance Abuse Counselor

MARATHON

Prevention Specialist (any location) Care Coordinator (PT)

Behavioral Health Therapist (Child)

RNs/LPNs - 3 shifts (PT/Per Diem)

Peer Support Specialist

*Support Worker – Assisted Living (PT)

*Behavioral Health Technicians

3 shifts (also Per Diem)

*No experience required for this position. Will train. A caring heart & helpful hands required.

Background and drug screen req. COMPETITIVE PAY! EXCEPTIONAL BENEFITS!!!

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

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)

Visual Communications Coordinator (Full-Time, Permanent)

All positions can be considered for full or part-time unless notated. Apply at westcare.com and enter your availability. MARATHON

We are now hiring for the following positions:

Diesel Mechanic Truck Helpers

CDL Drivers

Applicants must apply in person to be considered.

4290 Overseas Hwy, Marathon

Membership & Development Coordinator (Full-Time, Permanent)

Medical Technician (Full-Time, Permanent)

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

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

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

DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER

58901 O/S Hwy - Grassy Key, FL

Teaching... Learning... Caring

•Health, Dental, Vision & Life Insurance

•Tuition Reimbursement

•Paid Holidays, Vacation & Sick Time

•401K Employer Match

Work with the BEST!

•Quarterly Cash Profit Sharing

•Fun, Fast-Paced Environment

•Great Hours

Voted Best Bank 2014 - 2023

Key West Full Time Teller

Customer Service Representative Administrative Assistant

Customer Service Representative/Online Banking

Islamorada Full Time Teller

Key Largo Upper Keys Floating Teller

Apply Online at KeysBank.com/Careers

DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER IS HIRING

Membership & Development Coordinator (Full-Time, Permanent)

DRC has a full-time opening for a Membership & Development Coordinator. This newly created position’s primary focus will be to assist the Director of Membership & Development in helping the department (and position) grow in multiple ways. 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

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. aa.com/212/opportunities

ADA,

Take your Dolphin Pride on the road with a Dolphin Pride FREE CASH BACK Checking Account!

You can help your kids learn to live on a budget while supporting MHS by using their Dolphin Pride Debit Card!*

*E-statements, e-receipts, a debit card, savings and S15 checking account required. Specific transactions required for each reward level. Restrictions may apply. See us for details. NCUA Insured. See us for details.