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According to the nonprofit government watchdog Florida TaxWatch, property taxes are the largest source of tax revenue for Florida’s local governments, generating $59.2 billion in fiscal year 2025-26 for counties, school districts, municipalities and special districts. Of this total, more than $20 billion is paid by Florida homeowners.
KEY WEST STAFFERS PITCH NEW PARKING GARAGE
Plan adds 85 new spots to Angela Street lot + $424K in revenue
MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com
Ooh boy. This is tough. You may not like what I’m about to say. I’m just gonna spit it out; rip the BandAid off quickly. Here we go. This may sting a bit…
Key West officials are considering plans for a new parking garage at Angela and Simonton streets.
There, I said it. Now, cue the outrage and crank up that old Joni Mitchell song: “They paved paradise and they put up a parking lot.”
Sound familiar? It should. Last time the city built a parking garage — the Park ’n’ Ride at Caroline and Grinnell — those lyrics appeared in spray paint on a nearby cement wall.
And I get it. I do. Parking garages are rarely popular, standing as they do as a stark reminder of space we no longer have for cars we can’t seem to live without.
When it comes to the current proposal for a parking garage at Simonton and Angela streets, things could be worse.
First, nothing has been approved yet. The city commission hasn’t discussed or approved the project yet. And senior city staffers will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 27 to present the plans, answer questions and consider concerns.
Second, a 64-spot parking lot already exists on the city-owned property at Simonton and Angela streets — plus there’s a precedent for a
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multilevel parking garage on that site, as one existed there years ago, when city hall and the police department were located there.
Third, the L-shaped parking structure being proposed by consultants with pfb architects is shorter than the fire station that faces Simonton Street, and significantly shorter than the large, white, boxy building next door that’s always been known as the “Bell South building,” with its giant communications tower stretching skyward from its roof.
Fourth, the new garage will provide 85 new parking spots, more than doubling the number of spaces currently available at the site. And those 85 new spots represent new revenue for the city, where officials are keeping a wary eye on Tallahassee as state legislators consider sweeping changes to property taxes that represent a huge chunk of revenue for most cities and counties. Parking director John Wilkins estimates the new parking garage would generate an additional $424,000 each year, bringing the total revenue of that site from $317,332 to a proposed $741,872.
“The city manager asked the engineering and parking (departments) to evaluate the possibility of constructing a parking garage (with parking on the ground level, plus two stories) at the Fire Station #2 property on Simonton Street,” engineering director Doug Bradshaw wrote in a Nov. 21 email to the mayor and commissioners. “A couple of years ago the city (considered) a parking deck (ground level plus one story) at the site, which added 64 additional spaces, but the required footprint of the structure overwhelmed the site. This time the city tasked the consultant to look at a multilevel structure with a reduced footprint.”
Bradshaw attached a presentation to his email that outlined “City staff’s determination of why a parking garage is needed; its benefits to businesses, the city and the residents.”
The Keys Weekly obtained a copy of that presentation, which explains the need for a parking garage: • Small shops need more parking for customers. • Employees must pay a regular price to park near their place of employment. • Revenue is needed to fund loss of grants for transit. • More funding is needed for affordable housing • Electric charging stations are needed to support the city’s sustainability goals.
The presentation also examines potential business impacts in the area:
• A larger parking structure would increase foot traffic to local retail shops.
• Key West’s parking price of $6 an hour is the highest in Florida and more expensive than New York City, which charges $5 an hour. More parking supply could slow the rate of inflation that keeps driving parking prices up.
• The central downtown location is ideal.
Additional benefits
• Reduce congestion in the area caused by vehicles searching for parking. Customers would choose this location because it is well known and offers almost guaranteed available parking including permit parking for locals and employees.
• Revenue could be earmarked to support the city’s transit goals of improving and increasing public transit to encourage less trips by private vehicle. This additional revenue could provide a funding source for transit.
• If employee parking permits are expanded to this new parking structure, fewer employees will park in the blocks surrounding the commercial core and the demand for parking spaces in the historic neighborhoods will be reduced.
• The city could dedicate some spaces in the new parking structure for the Employee Lot permit program, as there is at Truman Waterfront Park and the Old Town Garage.
The drawing shows the view from Simonton Street, with the fire station in the front, and the proposed, new L-shaped parking garage behind it. CONTRIBUTED
CAROL SHAUGHNESSY www.keysweekly.com
MICHAEL BLADES CAPTURES KEY WEST IN ACTION
SOMEONE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Michael Blades isn’t twins, and he’s adamant that he never got himself cloned. Yet the photographer, literary enthusiast, film buff and environmentalist turns up at virtually every notable Key West event — inspiring the theory that he can’t possibly be just one person.
Blades was headed for law school in Indiana when family friends invited him to spend the summer before his first term at their Key West home. Captivated by the island and its inhabitants, he abandoned plans for law school and changed his life’s course.
He quickly got a job working for Craig and DeeVon Quirolo, founders of the coral reef conservation organization Reef Relief, and remained there for 15 years.
Subsequently he became the logistics director for RPM Nautical Foundation, a marine archaeology enterprise that looks for sunken antiquities in the Mediterranean. RPM also helps recover the remains of service members whose ships and planes have gone down, providing closure for their families.
Blades is a longtime member of the Key West Literary Seminar board of directors and sits on Tropic Cinema’s board as well. In addition, the upbeat and energetic man prioritizes traveling and enjoying life with his wife Katheryn: attending local concerts, theater productions and high school sports events.
While the couple soon will embark on a new life in Colorado, Blades has no intention of giving up his Key West involvements. He’s already planning to return for multiple special events — when, as he explained in a recent conversation with the Keys Weekly, he’ll happily continue chronicling the island in action.
What made you realize Key West was right for you? The ocean and the weather were the two things that initially attracted me, but it was also the people. Working for DeeVon and Craig at Reef Relief, I was meeting the most interesting characters and people. Shel Silverstein used to come into the office all the time, and he wrote a jingle for us for Reef Relief. Jimmy Buffett was
friends with DeeVon and Craig and he would do benefit concerts. It was just fascinating — I was in the middle of this wild place and I loved it.
What type of work did you do with Reef Relief? At that time, we were installing and maintaining all the mooring buoys here. We were working with world-renowned scientists on coral reef research — I got to go scuba diving with Sylvia Earle — and we did education projects where we took every fourth-grade student in the Keys on a field trip out to see the reef.
Bob Weir was on our board of directors, and I went on a tour with his band Rat Dog and set up an information table at every concert to talk about Reef Relief. I went from just reading about these things to literally being a part of it. I was living a dream.
How did you get involved with the Key West Literary Seminar? The first time I attended the Literary Seminar was in 1995, and its theme was Literature in the Natural World. It was so intimate and so moving that I was blown away. For the next 13 years, I went every year — and finally they asked if I would be interested in becoming the volunteer coordinator, which meant being on the board.
1. A longtime board member of the Key West Literary Seminar, Michael Blades studies a display of books by local authors. CAROL SHAUGHNESSY/Keys Weekly
2. Michael Blades, with his ever-present camera, and his wife Katheryn immerse themselves in Key West activities and special events — like the annual Fantasy Fest. CONTRIBUTED
3. The upbeat and energetic Michael Blades is deeply committed to capturing Key West’s highlights with his camera. CAROL SHAUGHNESSY/Keys Weekly
What’s it like to be a board member for the seminar? I’m just a reader, but suddenly I was on the board with people like Judy Blume and Meg Cabot — people I’ve long admired, and now they’re my friends. I almost have to pinch myself, because in what world does this happen? Only in Key West. It would never have happened if I lived in Indiana still.
You’ve photographed pretty much every Key West event. What compels you to do that? Well, it’s a hobby. I don’t call myself a photographer because we have a lot of wonderful photographers in town, and most of them are my friends. It gets me up close and personal for things, and I’ve gotten to meet wonderful people and photograph stuff that I might not otherwise have access to. I’m very social, and I love interacting with people and being part of something. For example, I think I photographed 36 events during Fantasy Fest this year.
How do you want people to react when they see your photos? I want people to feel the experience — as if they’re part of the event — and to see the creative, wacky Key West that I know and love. I want to document that. Also, there are real people behind those facades, and that’s the part that interests me. I want to capture their humanity and their character. Every event has a story, and there’s an endless supply of material to choose from.
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Her work has been celebrated at the highest levels of the art world: the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum honored her with a solo exhibition, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art proudly includes her pieces in its permanent collection.
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CITY CLERKS NOW MANAGE CITY ELECTIONS
County elections website no longer includes city races or candidates
MANDY MILES
mandy@keysweekly.com
Looking for details about Key West’s upcoming elections?
Wondering who’s running for the three open city commission seats, and who’s challenging Mayor Dee Dee Henriquez for the gavel? Which candidates are racking up campaign donations? And who’s writing the biggest checks to support them?
All that information and more is available online, but it’s not in its usual spot.
As of Jan. 5, city clerks are handling city elections in the Florida Keys, so all candidate and voting information for municipal, or city, elections is now on the websites for the City of Key West, City of Marathon, City of Key Colony Beach, City of Layton and Village of Islamorada.
Key West races and candidate information are available at cityofkeywest-fl.gov. From the home page, click on Your Government > Office of the City Clerk > Election Information. The city clerk’s webpage has a whole new host of election information and important links, including a direct portal to all candidates’ financial reports that detail all donations that have come in and all money that has been spent on campaign expenses.
“We’ve been working closely with Supervisor of Elections Sherri Hodies on this transition and her office has been very helpful,” Key West city clerk Keri O’Brien told the Keys Weekly.
Hodies said the city clerk’s office has been “wonderful to work with in this transition as we ensure consistency with state statutes and election regulations that specify that city clerks are responsible for municipal elections,” Hodies said on Jan. 20.
She acknowledged that the county elections office for years had managed city elections, but did so without any formal contract or agreement that specified each entity’s roles and responsibilities. Her office has been providing training
and resources to the clerks’ offices and to candidates who are still getting used to the change.
The county elections website now states on its home page, “Beginning Jan. 5, 2026, those who wish to file their municipal (city) candidacy to run for office, must do so through their specific municipality with their city clerk.” The page also includes links to each Florida Keys municipality — Key West, Marathon, Key Colony Beach, Layton and Islamorada.
Hodies and her staff continue to oversee countywide elections for county commission, school board, judges and other countywide offices such as sheriff and state attorney, tax collector, public defender and others. Hodies’ office also still handles the Key West Utility Board elections, as those board members represent people from Key West to the Seven Mile Bridge.
The county elections website at votemonroeflkeys.gov still has all the voter information, important dates and deadlines for early voting, vote by mail and candidate qualification. The county election website is also a wealth of information about voter demographic data, historical election results and more. Hodies and her staff will continue to conduct the operational aspects of a city election with regard to ballot printing, voting machines, vote tabulations, election certification and other mandated tasks.
Anyone interested in running for an office has until May 11 to file all required paperwork to enter a race.
On Key West’s website, as of Jan. 20, active candidates for city offices include:
• Mayor:
Dee Dee Henriquez (incumbent).
Samuel Kaufman.
• City commissioner, District II: Bobi Lore.
Mark Rossi.
• City commissioner, District IV: Sarah Compton. Juan Llera.
• City commissioner, District V: Chris Massicotte.
PRESTON BREWER’S MURDER TRIAL HEADS TO THE JURY
Deliberations began after lunch on Jan. 21
Witness testimony and closing arguments in the Preston Brewer murder trial wrapped up the afternoon of Jan. 21, when Judge Mark Jones sent the jurors into deliberations with specific instructions about their verdict options.
Brewer, who is charged with first-degree homicide following the February 2023 shooting death of Garrett Hughes in the parking lot of the now-closed Conch Town bar on North Roosevelt Boulevard.
Jones told the jury they could find Brewer guilty of first-degree murder or second-degree murder. Or they could find him not guilty of either.
Three days of witness testimony began once a jury was seated on Jan. 15 and wrapped up on Jan. 20, when the prosecutors Colleen Dunne and Joe Mansfield rested. The defense attorneys declined to call any witnesses. Brewer, 60, was in court each day, but declined to testify.
Video evidence played a significant role during the prosecution’s questioning of witnesses, who helped narrate security footage from the bar parking lot that detailed the moments up to and including the fatal shooting.
Witnesses included Garrett Hughes’ brother, Carson Hughes, and friends, Blake Arencibia and Logan Pellecier. The jury also saw footage from inside the bar before the shooting, as well as police body-cam footage from the parking lot that night and during police interviews with Brewer at the police station.
The morning of Jan. 21, the jury heard closing arguments from prosecutors Dunne and Mansfield, and from defense attorney Jerome Ballarotto, who worked with cocounsel Mark Catanzaro on the case.
Ballarotto’s often-meandering closing arguments stunned some courtroom observers, who accused him of “victim blaming” as he pointed to security footage of Hughes, saying derisively, “That’s how drunk he is. Look at him. Totally drunk.”
Ballarotto, who said in his closing that Hughes demonstrated “an attitude of entitlement,” also suggested that Garrett Hughes’ family hired lawyers for witnesses Arencibia and Pellecier “so they would say what they wanted them to say.”
The prosecutors used that same inebriated condition that Ballarotto pointed out to emphasize that Garrett Hughes did not pose a deadly threat to Brewer the night of the shooting – he was shirtless, drunk and unarmed.
“Garrett Hughes lost his life due to a grossly disproportionate and deadly response to a minor act,” Dunne said in her closing. “The defendant was irritated, annoyed, rude and upset because Garrett Hughes peed on the wall of a building outside. The confrontation went from mere words to the defendant grabbing his gun, aiming it at Garrett and ultimately shooting him.”
In his closing, Mansfield reminded the jury of the testimony of witness Melssa Roberts, who happened to be in the parking lot having a cigarette at the time of the shooting.
“Melissa Roberts testified, ‘That kid didn’t stand a chance,’” Mansfield. Said.
As of press time Wednesday, the jury had just begun deliberations. See keysweekly.com for updates when a verdict is reached.
MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com
Defendant Preston Brewer at his murder trial in Key West. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly
MORE THAN 20 KILOS OF COCAINE SEIZED FROM MARATHON CHARTER CAPTAIN
Authorities say Brad Picariello sold drugs he likely found at sea
AMarathon charter captain is facing federal charges after he allegedly sold one of more than 20 kilos of cocaine to an undercover cop, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office announced on Jan. 20.
Working with detectives from the federal High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program as well as Customs and Border Patrol and Air and Marine Operations Agents, the Sheriff’s Office contacted 65-year-old captain Bradford Picariello after receiving a tip that he was in possession of around 20 “kilos” of cocaine.
An undercover agent met with Picariello on Jan. 19 at Burdines Marina, where his 38-foot char-
ter boat “Outlaw” is docked, and bought one kilo for $10,000 cash, later arresting Picariello after the sale, MCSO’s report states.
After receiving consent to search another property, detectives seized another 19.5 kilos. They later seized Picariello’s boat, finding 3.7 ounces of cocaine, $8,000 cash and a .40 caliber handgun aboard. He was arrested, charged with the possession, trafficking and sale of cocaine, and taken to the Stock Island jail on a $65,000 bond.
The case is expected to be prosecuted federally, MCSO said.
“I want to thank all the sheriff’s office members and our law enforcement partners who investigated this case and continue to work to keep dangerous drugs out of our community,” Sheriff Rick Ramsay said in a statement.
— Keys
FORMER FIREFIGHTER AWAITS FEDERAL SENTENCING
Vincent Vega pleaded guilty to possessing illegal gun & explosives
Aformer Key West firefighter is facing a federal prison term and will be sentenced later this month, having pleaded guilty to felony charges of possessing an illegal short-barreled rifle and possessing a destructive device – which includes bombs, grenades, rockets, missiles, mines, or similar devices, or the materials to create such a device.
Vincent Vega’s case started with a traffic stop on March 14, 2025, when police found an illegal short-barreled AR-15 in his car. They later found a significant cache of guns, a pipe bomb, bombmaking materials and diagrams of various properties in Vega’s residence, according to police reports and court documents.
Vega’s case was transferred to federal court, and following a bond hearing in June 2025, U.S. Judge Lurana Snow ordered he be detained while awaiting trial. He has been in custody at the Miami Federal Detention Center since June.
Vega, 40, was scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 21, but federal prosecutors asked for a 10-day postponement to prepare a response to a late legal filing by Vega’s attorney, Roger Cabrera, that objects to parts of a confidential pre-sentencing report that the judge will consider when deciding Vega’s sentence.
While the two charges each carry a maximum prison term of 10 years, prosecutors agreed to pursue a significantly shorter sentence
due to Vega’s willingness to take responsibility for his crimes and plead guilty. Cabrera asks the court for an 18-month sentence, but acknowledges that federal sentencing guidelines, when considering Vega’s mental illness, lack of criminal intent, past work history and family support, could result in a sentence of 24 to 30 months. Prosecutors had not filed a sentencing suggestion as of Jan. 20.
Cabrera’s objections to the presentencing report also detail Vega’s decade-long struggle with and treatment for mental illness that has included various anti-psychotic medications. Cabrera also noted that Vega did not use any of the weapons to commit any crimes.
“After completing its search of Vega’s electronic devices, the FBI specifically found that there was ‘no evidence of a planned attack or communications reflecting a particular ideology or a co-conspirator,’” Cabrera writes.
He also disputes the description of the diagrams found in Vega’s residence.
“Because he was a survivalist/ prepper who anticipated the end of civil society, Vega had created this diagram years ago, in anticipation of a doomsday scenario, and the statements … fail to clarify that they reflect Vega’s ideas for protecting his family in the event of such a doomsday scenario,” Cabrera writes.
The court also received 10 letters of support from Key West community members, who describe Vega as a gentle and caring man with strong family ties who spent years caring for his aging grandmother before she died.
Cabrera declined to comment on Vega’s case prior to his sentencing, as did his father, Alex Vega, a well-known retired Key West firefighter and fire department historian.
Vincent Vega worked as a Key West firefighter and EMT from September 2014 to June 2023. He was named EMT of the Quarter in March 2016, but then began struggling significantly with mental illness and depression.
MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com
Vincent Vega.
Bradford Picariello.
Authorities say more than 20 kilos of cocaine, seized in an undercover operation from Marathon charter captain Brad Picariello, were likely found floating offshore. MCSO/Contributed
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HOUSE COMMITTEE PASSES PROPERTY TAX RELIEF PROPOSAL
JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com
Florida House members advanced a proposed amendment to the state constitution to phase out some property taxes on homesteaded property.
A joint resolution by Republican state Rep. Monique Miller would safeguard property tax dollars for school districts and law enforcement. During a Jan. 15 meeting of the House State Affairs Committee, the resolution was approved along party lines, via 16-6 vote, with an amendment to also preserve property tax funds for fire rescue.
“By reducing taxes over years, we are giving local governments time to adjust to new revenue levels, and empowering them to find responsible solutions.”
potentially appear on the ballot. House Speaker Danny Perez said last week he expects one proposal to appear on the ballot for voters.
Miller said she filed the House Joint Resolution 203 to provide meaningful property tax relief. She said her bill proposes an amendment to the Florida Constitution that gradually increases the homestead exemption from all ad valorem taxes by $100,000 each year for 10 years, beginning in 2027. By 2037, all homesteaded property would be exempt, aside from taxes for schools and first responders.
“By reducing taxes over years, we are giving local governments time to adjust to new revenue levels, and empowering them to find responsible solutions,” Miller said.
State Rep. Jim Mooney, who sits on the State Affairs Committee, voted to advance the resolution. He said he voted “yes” to give voters the say.
“It doesn’t mean I like it, but it would be unfair for me to vote ‘no.’ I can’t make the call for the voter,” he said.
The bill is still making its rounds through committee before it reaches the House floor. If passed, it’s still unknown whether the Senate will take up the bill. And Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing for a possible special session after the regular 60-day session to deal with property tax relief.
Any change to the state constitution would have to go to voters for approval. Including Miller’s proposal, House members are mulling seven joint resolutions for property tax relief to
Mooney said the conversation over property tax relief at least has counties and cities throughout the Sunshine State examining their spending while taking a hard look at how they tax property owners.
Charles Chapman, legislative consultant for the Florida League of Cities, said such proposals like Miller’s would end up becoming a tax shift.
“The burden will shift to businesses, the renters, because fees, assessments, higher non-homestead millage rates could replace the homestead tax break,” he said.
As the 2026 Florida state legislative session gets underway, the elimination of property taxes for at least some state residents continues to grab headlines. The potential seismic shift in funding for local governments has left many local leaders – and residents – wondering how they’ll continue to function on shoestring budgets. No worries – we’ve got this. The always helpful Keys Weekly Newspapers presents our…
NEW REVENUE SOURCES FOR KEYS GOVERNMENTS
(if property taxes go away)
10. Cash bar in the lobby of city commission/council meetings, with a “blame the city” collection jar inside.
9. Hurricane Naming Rights Auction, sponsored by NWS Key West.
8. $20 fee for any of the following phrases used in government proceedings: “Just to play devil’s advocate,” “move to postpone” (after more than an hour of debate), references to Gators or Seminoles, “I’ve been here since (insert year).”
7. Tourist Selfie Permit Program: All sunset or Southernmost Point photos require a license. Double fees for blocking traffic on U.S. 1, a visible dolphin, or using your rented Mustang as a prop.
6. Sell building permits and variances. Rates assessed based on applicant’s last name and length of residency.
5. $10 fee for each public comment at government meetings. Increases to $15 if you comment at every single meeting.
4. Lemonade stands and bake sales. (Certain brownies will cost more.)
3. City and county leaders will each start Polymarket accounts and bet on the outcomes of their own upcoming actions using taxpayer dollars.
2. Mile Marker Confusion Tax: All visitors who ask “How long until we reach the Keys?” before making it to Marathon must pay $25.
1. GoFundMe.
The Florida State Capitol. FILE PHOTO
Republican state Rep. Monique Miller
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WATERFRONT PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS
HARRISON GALLERY MARKS 40 YEARS OF ART & MUSIC
Waterfront Playhouse presents the play ‘Almost, Maine’ from Jan. 28 through Feb. 14. The ensemble cast includes Mathias Maloff (1), Cassidy Timms (2), Melanie Keller (3) and Rudy Galvan (4). CONTRIBUTED
Key West theater transports audiences to winter in New England
The Waterfront Playhouse presents “Almost, Maine” by John Cariani, beginning with a preview on Jan. 28, opening night performance on Jan. 29, and running through Feb. 14, with a special matinee performance on Feb. 7.
Set in the small, remote town of Almost in northern Maine (so far north, it’s “almost Canada”), “Almost, Maine” unfolds through a series of nine vignettes about love in all its forms. Since its premier in 2004, the play has been performed thousands of times in high schools, universities and professional theaters.
On one cold winter night, as the Northern Lights hover overhead, neighbors and strangers find themselves falling in and out of love, discovering what it means to open their hearts — and what it takes to hold on.
The production stars Mathias Maloff, Cassidy Timms and Melanie Keller, and introduces Rudy Galvan in his Waterfront Playhouse debut. The ensemble brings warmth, humor and authenticity to Cariani’s collection of interconnected stories.
The design is by resident designer Michael Boyer; Patrick New directs. All performances take place at the Waterfront Playhouse, 407 Wall St. Tickets and additional information are available at waterfrontplayhouse.org.
The Waterfront Playhouse is Key West’s longest-running professional theatre, dedicated to producing work that is inclusive, artistically ambitious, and rooted in the power of live performance to bring people together.
Contributed
MANDY MILES
mandy@keysweekly.com
Ben & Helen Harrison found the Key West we all wish we’d seen
The life and adventures that brought Helen and Ben Harrison to Key West nearly 50 years ago sounds like something that only happens in books and movies.
In fact, it’s a book Ben Harrison wrote himself in 2014 and titled “Sailing Down the Mountain.”
The Key West they discovered upon arrival from Costa Rica in 1979 was an island that no longer exists, but it’s the one we all wish we’d experienced. And it’s an island that still exists in the 800 block of White Street, at the property Ben and Helen bought in the 1980s, after living on their handmade boat that was docked at what is now Truman Waterfront Park, but was back then a sprawling military property that the U.S. Navy had largely abandoned.
“Back then, Truman Annex looked as if the Navy had just picked up and left one day, planning to return shortly, but never making it back,” Ben recalled.
The Harrisons’ early Key West years were spent living on the 38-foot boat they’d built by hand in Costa Rica. (See? I told you it’s the stuff of adventure tales.)
That property at 825 and 827 White St. ultimately became their home — and their livelihood — when they first opened a combination music store and art gallery to suit both of their passions. Ben had always written music, songs, stories and books, while also performing his own music. He had gotten a job playing music at Two Friends on his second day in Key West.
Ben Harrison has since become an accomplished author and musician, perhaps best known for his meticulous research and retelling of “Undying
Love,” one of Key West’s most macabre but true love stories.
Helen was an art school-trained sculptor who worked mainly with wood. But her truest art education didn’t come from any classroom.
“She learned the most when we were building our boat in Costa Rica from 1972 to ’77,” Ben recalled, scrolling through digitized photos of their old 38-foot La Dulce Mujer Pintada (The Sweet Painted Lady).
“She learned to expertly use all the tools and mastered the art of shaping and turning wood into what she wanted it to be while we were building that boat together,” Ben said. “I always say we built the boat, but in a real sense, the boat built us as well.”
The art gallery eventually subsumed the music shop. Harrison Gallery became a full-time home for Helen’s own work and that of others in 1986.
The love and admiration Ben still shows for his wife is as unmistakable as it is mutual.
“I couldn’t do any of the things I do without him,” Helen said, as she has countless times before. “He’s my technical adviser and engineer who figures out how to execute whatever I envision.
“This gallery has been my door to the world, given all the artists I’ve shown from everywhere. And we’re so blessed because Key West has always attracted such a wealth of good people, talented artists and enthusiastic collectors,” Helen said.
The gallery currently features vibrant paintings by Jean Carper alongside Helen’s intriguing wooden sculptures, handmade jewelry and more.
The pair has planned an entire year of art shows and musical performances for the gallery’s 40th anniversary. For a schedule of each, visit harrison-gallery.com — but more importantly, stop into 825 White St. for a glimpse at the extraordinary lives and art that Key West helped to cultivate.
Harrison Gallery, 825 White St., features Helen Harrison’s wooden sculptures, Jean Carper’s paintings and works by a host of other artists. The gallery turns 40 this year. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly
MIND ALTERING LUBRICANTS FOR SOCIAL INTERCOURSE
CHEERS TO WINNING BEST MARTINI AGAIN IN 2025!!
KEY WEST MARCHES IN MEMORY OF MLK
MANDY MILES
mandy@keysweekly.com
Annual event draws larger than usual crowd
“Dr. King, We need you now,” read one of dozens of signs that were carried in Key West’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. march on Jan. 19.
In a time of national division over politics, immigration, diversity and foreign policy, the Key West community came together — Black and white, old and young, residents and visitors.
THE MAGIC OF MILE 0 FEST RETURNS TO KEY WEST
Music festival creator Kyle Carter joins the Keys Weekly Podcast
BRITT MYERS
britt@keysweekly.com
From Tyler Childers and Whiskey Myers to the Red Clay Strays and Jason Isbell, Mile 0 Fest has brought some of the biggest names in music to Key West.
As the “red dirt” and Americana music festival returns for a seventh year Jan. 27-31, founder Kyle Carter joins the Florida Keys Weekly Podcast to discuss the event’s magic
formula of stars and upcoming talent, including this year’s lineup of mind-blowing artists that features Stephen Wilson Jr., Cross Canadian Ragweed, Shane Smith & the Saints and many more. So buckle up for Mile 0 Fest in Key West and visit mile0fest.com for the full schedule and tickets.
Key West’s annual bike ride and march in honor of the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. drew a larger than usual crowd on Jan. 19, when the group marched and pedaled from Nelson English Park in Bahama Village, down Duval Street. LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly
Key West music festival producer Kyle Carter at a previous Mile 0 Fest with country stars Jamie Lin Wilson, left, and Pam Tillis. CONTRIBUTED
Rhythmic drive meets lyrical beauty in Sibelius’ sweeping Symphony No. 2 — a magical journey of transcendent wonder dancing in the glow of swirling light.
Plus, enjoy Ravel’s sparkling, jazz-tinged Piano Concerto in G major — featuring pianist Svetlana Smolina — and Vaughan Williams’ ethereal Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis.
GOOD LIGHT AND THE RUMP- SHAKING TEETER- BOB
MARK HEDDEN
... is a photographer, writer, and semi-professional birdwatcher. He has lived in Key West for more than 25 years and may no longer be employable in the real world. He is also executive director of the Florida Keys Audubon Society.
The front came in fast on Sunday, like a bad mood. I was driving home on North Roosevelt and suddenly everything was divided between the usual bright, Technicolor world of the Keys, and one leached of any chromatically dynamic color. Then the front pushed across the road, trailing its blanket of gray, leaching the brightness out of everything.
I wasn’t actually in a bad mood. I’m just so used to the visual vibrancy of our basic everyday landscape that when that vibrancy dims, I always initially feel like something has gone wrong. And then I think, oh yeah, weather.
Late Monday afternoon, the world was bright and clear again, if a bit under siege from all the wind. The air was crisp, the way an early autumn day would feel up north, even if it was the middle of January. It was actually blowing a little too strongly to be a great day to see birds, but I decided to drive up to Boca Chica Beach just in case.
The beach was mostly empty, but I could see three or four people up beyond the concrete barriers, one walking a small puffball of a dog. Despite all the wind, the water was dead calm. No whitecaps anywhere.
The go-to spot there, the best place to look for birds, is at the edges of the puddles at the end of the runway, on the other side of the green fence. I can list 20 or 30 species I’ve seen there. But on Monday it was empty.
The tide was pretty low and most of the beach was covered with strips of tobacco brown sargasso weed that stretched for yards and yards. Past the runway ponds, climbing over the mounds of sargassum like Alpine explorers, I caught sight of a pair of ruddy turnstones. Further down, a trio of sanderlings.
Turning around at the end of what’s left of the road, just before the sign that says, GOVERNMENT PROPERTY/NO TRESPASSING that went up a few years ago, the light was gorgeous, that golden hue that infuses everything and makes you think nice things about the world. The old asphalt, the chainlink, the ocean, the sargassum-covered beach – everything looked resplendent.
I caught sight of a palm warbler, brown and tannish this time of year, probably the most common species in these parts in the winter. Bathed in those honeyed rays I was all, well, look at you, gorgeous.
A little farther down the road I saw the bird that made the drive and the walk worth it (not that just getting out and moving around in the fresh air isn’t worth it). It was a spotted sandpiper.
I have a great, though no doubt unrequited, fondness for spotted sandpipers and all their assorted weirdnesses.
Spotted sandpipers aren’t rare in the Keys. Or anywhere in North America. As long as there’s some water nearby, you have a solid chance of spotting a spotted sandpiper or two.
I see them year-round, even though they typically only winter here. But a few stragglers and non-breeders always hang around. You generally find them alone, out on the edge of things.
Spotted sandpipers are sexually monomorphic – androgynous in human terms. The spotted part of their name comes from the Dalmatian-like dark spots they acquire in the belly in breeding season, which is not something we get to see as they don’t breed down here.
I’d never really thought of them as well camouflaged, but the one on the beach at Boca Chica alternated between easy to see and difficult to see, the brown on its upper half matching the sargassum and the white of its belly merging with the sand.
What gave the bird away was all the rump shaking.
Some of the older common names for the spotted sandpiper are teeter-tail, tip-up, jerk bird, twitchet, teeter-bob, teeter-snipe and tiptail. If the species had been named in modern times, I’d assume the names twerk-snipe or Elvis Presley-on-the-Milton-Berle-Show Bird would have been on the table.
Spotted sandpipers basically bounce their rears on a near constant basis. I doubt there will ever be a fully satisfying scientific answer for why they do this. It has been posited that they do it to mimic the motion of water, which they are almost always near. But whenever I see them, they are always out of sync with the water, making them more obvious.
There has to be some kind of evolutionary advantage there, but it’s possible we’ll never definitively know what it is.
The one common species you could confuse the spotted sandpiper with is the solitary sandpiper, which confusingly does have spots most of the year, but they are white spots. The solitary also bobs, but from the front half of its body, its head rapidly pitching up periodically. In the Keys, though, spotteds are much, much more common.
There are occasional sightings of common sandpipers, the closest relative to the spotted sandpiper, in North America, but they tend to be in Alaska and the northern parts of Canada. They, too, have undulating posteriors, though it is slower and seems more like polite undulating, more pre-rock-and-roll, than the bobbing of the spotted sandpiper.
Spotted sandpipers also have a unique flight pattern, at least on their short hops. While most birds move with full range flaps, spotteds flap three or four times, pause, then flap three or four times again, their wings generally pointed downward, never seeming to rise above their shoulders.
Spotted sandpipers are also uncommon in the bird world due to their largely reversed gender roles. In the spotted sandpipers’ world, the females return to their nesting territories first, where they choose the nesting site and try to attract a mate. They are more aggressive to interlopers than the males. The males do more of the parental care and raising of chicks. And while female spotted sandpipers are often in seasonally monogamous pairings, some will also mate with up to five different mates, leaving eggs in the nest with each one of them.
If the world of sandpipers were a teen movie, the spotted sandpiper would be the weird kid, but the weird kid who, by the end of the movie, proves to be cooler and more sure of themselves than any of the other kids. Maybe even the hero.
Which might explain my fondness for them, in good light and bad.
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CHRIS McNULTY
is an astrologer, wanderer, bartender and advocate for queer justice. He is a loquacious Gemini with a cozy Cancer rising. Find him at hearthandheraldastrology.com
The air is crackling with a different kind of electricity. On Monday, the sun entered the sign of Aquarius. We are officially leaving behind the reviewing, editing and planning season of Capricorn and entering the forwardthinking, experimenting and spontaneous season of the water bearer. When the sun is in Aquarius, our attention turns toward making changes to our usual ways of doing things, thinking outside the box and going rogue from the pack when necessary. But this isn’t just a gentle shift in perspective. The sun and Mercury are traveling together at the moment, and they are immediately forming a powerful conjunction with Pluto, which is currently moving very slowly in the early degrees of Aquarius. When these three cosmic bodies come together, you can be sure that hidden truths will be revealed. This is “deep-dive” energy. It’s about peeling back the layers of our social structures, our friendships, and our own minds to see what is actually running the show. While the truth can sometimes be startling, it is the only thing that can truly set us free to innovate. This week, pay attention to any secrets that come to light because they will set you in the right direction.
Here are your horoscopes for the sun-Mercury-Pluto conjunction in Aquarius. Read for your rising and sun signs.
AQUARIUS
Jan. 20 - Feb. 18
Happy birthday season to you, Aquarius. The spotlight is on you, and it is pretty intense. You are undergoing a deep personal reset. You may find yourself speaking truths you have kept quiet for a long time, or you may be shedding an old identity that no longer fits. Don’t be afraid of this dynamic change. A more powerful, authentic version of yourself exists on the other side.
PISCES
Feb. 19 - March 20
A profound truth is becoming available to you in quiet meditation, reflective solitude or your dreamscapes. Your inner world is holding a realization for you that will probably explain a long-standing mystery in your life. Trust your intuition when it speaks because it is trying to clear out stagnant and heavy energy.
ARIES
March 21 - April 19
Who do you consider “your” people? This week, a deep truth about your social circles will
come into sharp focus. You may realize that a group you’ve been loyal to no longer shares your values, and that’s OK. Speak your truth to your peers, be clear about your own goals and make some space for a community that supports your ambitious dreams. No need to get angry; just move along.
TAURUS
April 20 - May 20
A revelation about your workplace or public reputation is coming to the surface this week. If you’ve been feeling like something is off in your career or your reputation is taking a hit, this week you will learn why. Don’t be afraid to change direction or embrace a more unconventional role because you are in charge of your public-facing self. You do not have to follow the pack.
GEMINI
May 21 - June 20
This is a great week for learning new things, Gemini. A powerful new bit of information has the capacity to radically change your worldview right now. Dip your toes into a new philosophy or religious outlook and see if you’re ready to dive in headfirst. It is important to have a coherent picture of how everything hangs together, but you get to choose which one works for you.
CANCER
June 21 - July 22
What are the unspoken things in your life that you share with other people? Your personal resources? Intimacy? Trust? This week is all about paying attention to how you commune with others. A heavy conversation about money or a deep emotional connection could reveal something unexpected. Treat the clarity that comes through like a gift rather than a burden. You have the opportunity to change a transactional relationship into something deeper.
LEO
July 23 - Aug. 22
This week is about radical honesty with an important partner, Leo. Whether this person is a romantic partner, a business partner, or a significantly important friend, don’t be afraid to bare your truth to them. By dropping any masks or pretense with this person, you have the opportunity to enter into a new, deeper phase of the relationship.
VIRGO
Aug. 23 - Sept. 22
Pay attention to your standard way of doing things, Virgo. This week is offering a breakthrough in how you manage your daily habits and routines. Are you draining your energy
THE BIG REVEAL
because you’re being inefficient and unthinking? Can you be healthier in your habits? When you change these seemingly boring daily tasks, you can uncover a surprising amount of creative freedom.
LIBRA
Sept. 23 - Oct. 22
Joy is a primary ingredient in a life welllived. Have you been pursuing joy for joy’s sake, Libra? A profound realization about creativity and romance is being offered to you this week. Don’t be afraid to try something edgy or different as long as it is true to who you are. You don’t have to hold yourself back because of some arbitrary rule set. This is your life to live, so go play.
SCORPIO
Oct. 23 - Nov. 21
This week, don’t be surprised to come across a family secret or some deep remembrance from your childhood. You have an opportunity to heal an old pattern. It may be uncomfortable, but the truth will set you free. This is also a great time to do some major rearranging at home to break up some stuffy energy that has accumulated.
SAGITTARIUS
Nov. 22 - Dec. 21
Your words carry a lot of weight right now, so use them carefully and speak your truth. You can cut right to the chase in conversation, and you can wield this power to build or to break. The choice is yours. Also, you may be offered a revelation from a neighbor or a sibling who has information that you’ve been looking for.
CAPRICORN
Dec. 22 - Jan. 19
Now is the time to make some serious money moves, Capricorn. You may be privy to some special information regarding an investment or your income, so don’t sleep on it. Get clear on what your values are and make some big decisions. As long as you are in alignment, you truly cannot go wrong. You have a powerful support system right now.
CEREMONY DEDICATES PARK TO THE LATE MIKE FORSTER
New bench, plaque honor former mayor who loved his community and dogs
JIM McCARTHY
jim@keysweekly.com
Asteady bout of rain held off as community members gathered for a dedication of the Founders Dog Park to the late “Mangrove” Mike Forster on Jan. 18.
“I talked to him about the rain,” Paul Minning said about his friend in Forster. “I said, ‘Give us a break,’ and he did.”
Skies above the park cleared a bit as village officials and local residents witnessed a special dog park dedication to Forster, the former village mayor, county commissioner and restaurateur who provided for the community in times of need. Forster passed away on Sept. 6, 2021 following a battle with COVID-19.
Outside the gate to the dog park, attendees saw a new bench with a dog-bone-shaped back to honor Forster. Across from the bench, a bronze plaque was installed dedicating the park to Forster, his love for dogs and his generosity for the community. The additions to the dog park in Forster’s honor were installed by Islamorada Brick Company.
Minning, the village’s code enforcement officer, was the driving force behind dedicating the dog park to his close friend. An unemployed charter boat operator with a criminal justice background, Minning was inspired by Forster to work for the village after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I love serving this community and now I have the privilege of running the code enforcement department. And I have Mike to thank for that,” he said.
Vice Mayor Sharon Mahoney assisted Minning in getting the dog park dedicated to Forster. Kicking off the ceremony, she fondly remembered her interactions with Forster at his restaurant.
The two were partners in various endeavors, and Mahoney said Forster’s the reason she’s had a successful animal rescue.
“He came to every one of my tournaments. He fished my tournaments and he never, ever stopped supporting me and caring for me as a person,” she said.
Mahoney recalled the one year Forster was scheduled to be at her Poor Girls Sailfish tournament, but ended up going to Louisiana to pick up two new pups, Henry and Ms. Joy.
“He called from the airport and said, ‘Okay, I’ve got two dogs now and I don’t have time to go home, so they’re coming to the tournament to give out the trophy,’” she recalled. “Right when the trophies are being given out, Mangrove comes bursting in the doors with two puppies underneath his arms.”
The dogs, now 6, have been in the care of Paul and Michelle Caceres since Forster’s passing. Michelle said a friendship early on with Forster grew into something deeper: family. She
noted how Forster left an indelible mark on the community. At the center of his life were his fur babies.
“They were not just pets to him — they were his kids, his constant companions and a reflection of the love he gave so freely,” Michelle said. “Being entrusted with the privilege of carrying on his legacy through them is something I hold with immense gratitude. Through Henry and Ms. Joy, Mike’s spirit continues to live on in the most beautiful way.”
Minning said he spent the past four years advocating for the dog park to be dedicated in Forster’s honor.
“We finally made it happen. And it took Sharon Mahoney to make it happen. It took Roger Young (owner of Islamorada Brick Company) to make this happen and the right council that we finally have in line and the right manager to make it happen.”
Mahoney said nothing can take away what Forster did for the community during the days after Hurricane Irma and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mahoney ended up staying in the animal clinic with Dr. Bob Foley, his wife and two others during the Category 4 storm. Once it all passed, they took in and rescued all sorts of
animals. She said Forster showed up every day to help feed the animals and the people.
“He went above and beyond by day three or four after Irma,” Mahoney said.
Minning said Forster was quite the character. The two fished in the backcountry. Forster even coordinated Minning’s surprise 50th birthday.
“He was a great guy. He’s one of a kind,” he said, “He’ll never be replaced.”
With the ceremony concluded, a ribbon was cut to officially dedicate the park to the late Forster. From there, Henry and Ms. Joy went running in to enjoy the spacious dog park.
The United Way of Collier and the Keys was on hand to collect nonperishable food. Pizza courtesy of Italian Food Co. was handed out to attendees, and healthy dog treats were given to furry friends in attendance by Homade Doggie Delectables and owner Heidi Hungling. Music was played during the event by Bill Silver.
Above: From village officials to local residents, attendees listen to speakers share sentiments of Mike Forster and the dog park dedicated in his honor. Inset: A plaque installed by Islamorada Brick Co. and owner Roger Young remembers the late Mike Forster. JIM McCARTHY/ Keys Weekly
Councilwoman Deb Gillis and Vice Mayor Sharon Mahoney sit on the new bench installed outside the dog park.
Paul and Michelle Caceres pose with the late Mike Forster’s dogs, Henry and Ms. Joy. The Caceres family took ownership and care of the dogs shortly after Forster’s passing in September 2021. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly
Islamorada Vice Mayor Sharon Mahoney discusses her memories of the late Mike Forster during the dog park dedication.
Paul Minning, village code enforcement officer and friend of the late Mike Forster, helped lead the effort to dedicate the park.
JIMMY BUFFETT’S CORAL REEFER BAND KEEPS THE PARTY GOING
Iconic musicians behind countless summer songs perform in Key West
When Jimmy Buffett passed away in 2023, his instructions were clear: “Keep the party going.” His fans and his band are doing exactly that.
Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band packed the Coffee Butler Amphitheater in Key West on Jan. 16, singing along with treasured summer songs while sipping margaritas and more.
What began in 1973 evolved into one of the most beloved live acts in American music history.
From timeless classics to fan favorites, this show offered everything Buffett fans love — great songs, incredible musicianship and the unmistakable island energy that brings people together with warmth and enthusiasm.
The onstage talent included Mac McAnally, Robert Greenidge, Peter Mayer, Jim Mayer, Roger Guth, Doyle Grisham, John Lovell, Eric Darken, Mick Utley, Nadira Shakoor, Tina Gullickson, Scotty Emerick and Will Kimbrough.
Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band draws a crowd of more than 2,000 people at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater on Jan. 16. LARRY BLACKBURN/ Keys Weekly
Rams Head Presents turned the Coral Reefer concert into a full weekend of events, including a welcome happy hour at the Southernmost House on Jan. 15, a tailgate party before the concert featuring Scott Kirby & Friends at Rams Head Southernmost and a “recovery pool party” the morning after the concert at the Beachside Resort.
— Keys Weekly staff report
KEY WEST HOSTS 34th INTERNATIONAL FLAG FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT
Kelly McGillis Classic welcomes teams from U.S., other countries
The Kelly McGillis Classic, a tournament of the International Women’s Flag Football Association, takes place this week, featuring dozens of teams from the U.S. and other countries. LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly
International teams of women and girls are in Key West this week for flag football games and countless other activities for the 34th annual Kelly McGillis Classic International Women’s & Girls’ Flag Football Championship. The tournament’s opening ceremony is Thursday, Jan. 22 with games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 23, 24 and 25 at Wickers Field.
Named for and endorsed by the Golden Globe-winning actress, director and former Key West resident who starred in “Top Gun” and “Witness,” the championship includes three days of competition paired with pre- and post-tournament team-building activities and gatherings.
Teams from the United States,
as well as El Salvador, Morocco, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico are expected to participate, said Diane Beruldsen, president and founder of the International Women’s Flag Football Association, which presents the tournament.
The event attracts players ranging from 8 years old to seniors who compete in multiple divisions, and take part in flag football clinics and contests, parties and other social events.
Viewing of all games and activities, including clinics on how to play and officiate flag football, is open to the public free of charge.
More information is at iwffa. com/kmc-2026/
— Contributed
THE STUDIOS OF KEY WEST
FIRST LOOK STAGED READING SERIES
This exciting cast of actors and creatives from New York, Los Angeles and Chicago comes together for the first First Look of the season!
Join us for two nights of bold storytelling, fresh voices, and a behind-the-scenes look at a new play in development, right here in Key West.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 & 31, 8PM
HELMERICH THEATER - $45 tix
At 35 years old, Matt Shears is one of the oldest right tackles in the NFL. He and his wife, Emily, are planning for Matt’s retirement. But after his team goes to the Super Bowl, Matt is determined to play for one more year. Emily is equally determined to keep him out of harm’s way.
First Look is made possible with support from Jeffrey Johnson and Hy Conrad, Blake Hunter and Murphy Davis, Frances McKenzie, Jean Carper, and Harrell Odom and Barry Cook
SCAN ME FOR MORE!
LAURA WINTERS (Playwright); ASHLEY BROOKE MONROE (Director); actors from left: CYRUS HOBBI, ELLA PENNINGTON, SHAWN RANDALL
KEYS ARTS COUNCIL KICKS OFF 2026 SEASON
Creators contribute work to pop-up canvas display
www.keysweekly.com
More than 80 community members, artists and art lovers came together on a recent Wednesday evening for the grand opening reception of “A Mosaic of Keys Artists: Florida Keys Council of the Arts 2026” hosted by Kona Kai Resort & Gallery in Key Largo. The annual traveling exhibit is organized by the countywide arts council with pop-up exhibit events countywide through April.
With nearly 150 unique canvases created by artists from Key West through Key Largo, subject matter and medium varied as each artist used their talents to create work on a 6” x 8” blank space. For a $100 donation to the arts council, the notfor-profit local arts agency, attendees can select a canvas to take home from the events. Each of the 10 scheduled pop-ups will include new canvases from additional artists.
The Art Guild of the Purple Isles, a member-supported Upper Keysbased visual arts nonprofit, had more than 25 works on display, with many of those same artists in attendance.
“We’ve created the Connections traveling exhibit for 15 years, trying different themes and methods to keep it fresh; however, one thing never changes – the amazing talent of our Keys visual artists,” said arts council executive director Liz Young. “Most recently we added a musical component to the receptions to showcase our performing artists throughout the Keys. We have partnered with the chambers of commerce to bring art into local businesses, expanding our reach to new audiences beyond our fabulous arts community, and we’re proud this year to have received an Impact for Good grant” from Community Foundation of the Florida Keys.
The next event is at the Big Pine
Art Guild of the Purple Isles member Julie Austin poses with her creative take on a butterfly. Photos by JILL MIRANDA BAKER/Keys Weekly and ART GUILD OF THE PURPLE ISLES/Via Facebook
Artists and community members take in the nearly 150 works of art on display through the exhibit, “A Mosaic of Keys Artists: Florida Keys Council of the Arts 2026.”
view of Alligator Lighthouse.
OVERSEAS MEDIA GROUP WELCOMES STRATEGIST
JD REINBOTT
Locally owned digital marketing agency is Keys Weekly’s sister company
Overseas Media Group (OMG), a locally owned digital marketing agency serving the Florida Keys, recently welcomed John “JD” Reinbott as its newest digital strategist.
A marine conservationist with nearly a decade of experience, Reinbott brings a unique perspective and deep local knowledge as OMG continues to expand its portfolio throughout the Keys. With Reinbott based in Tavernier, the agency now has “boots on the ground” from Key West to Key Largo — and beyond.
“I couldn’t be happier to welcome JD to the team. Finding someone to anchor our Upper Keys office was extremely important to us, and JD’s passion for the Keys and focus on client success made him a perfect fit,” said CEO Jenny Lorenz.
Established in 2020 as a sister company of Keys Weekly Newspapers, Overseas Media Group has quickly become the premier marketing agency of the Florida Keys. The agency offers a full suite of digital advertising services, including branding and logo development, website design, social media management, Meta and Google paid campaigns, search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing, webcams and strategic planning for businesses throughout Monroe County.
In 2024, OMG was awarded the bid to serve as the Tourist Development Council’s (TDC) Agency of Record for organic social media, Meta campaign management and webcams. In addition to destination marketing efforts, the agency works closely with local organizations hosting TDC-funded events, helping promote festivals and tournaments to drive tourism while maximizing advertising dollars to increase attendance.
John ‘JD’ Reinbott joins Overseas Media Group, the locally owned digital marketing agency in the Florida Keys, as a digital strategist. CONTRIBUTED
the 2023 coral bleaching event in the Florida Keys, Reinbott produced a series of videos featured on CNN and other national media outlets, highlighting the fragility of local ecosystems and the need for their protection.
“It’s been incredible to witness the evolution and impact of social media, and to now use that knowledge to support clients in meaningful ways,” said Reinbott. “Working alongside such an incredible team that shares my values around conservation, and drawing on my background in marine science, allows me to bring a unique perspective to my work.”
OMG maintains a diverse portfolio of projects ranging from complex website builds to hands-on support for local organizations and community events. Recent work includes the website design for Conch Republic Marine Army, a grassroots nonprofit focused on mangrove restoration, as well as marketing support for major TDC-funded events such as the Florida Keys Seafood Festival, Florida Keys Celtic Festival, and soon, the Marathon Seafood Festival.
and Lower Keys Nautical Market on Saturday, Jan. 24, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m, at the Lower Keys Chamber building. An evening reception in Islamorada is set for Tuesday, Feb. 17, 5:30 p.m., at the Islander Resort in conjunction with the Islamorada Chamber After Hours. The full schedule is at www.keysarts.com.
Reinbott, who moved to the Upper Keys in 2018, brings years of experience in ocean conservation, community stewardship, digital storytelling, event planning and advocacy work to OMG. A highly regarded environmentalist, he has demonstrated a strong ability to leverage digital campaigns to engage both the public and key stakeholders, translating awareness into action. Following
“Overseas Media Group’s growth is a reflection of the same commitment to community storytelling that has guided Keys Weekly for more than two decades,” said Jason Koler, publisher at Keys Weekly. “Adding JD to the team strengthens that connection even further. His passion for the Keys, understanding of the community, and conservation-driven perspective align perfectly with our mission to support and uplift the people and organizations that make this place so special.”
More information is available at overseasmediagroup.com. Reinbott can be reached via email at john@ overseasmediagroup.com.
— Contributed
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation officer Jason Rafter shows off his photography talents with a
Artist Beth Kamenstein and community member Holly Padgett take time to appreciate the art on display.
JILL MIRANDA BAKER
WHAT’S COOKING, KEY WEST?
‘Kitchen storytelling’ tradition on display
CAROL SHAUGHNESSY www.keysweekly.com
Key West’s storytelling tradition dates back to the island’s earliest settlement, when sailors and fishermen spun yarns to amuse each other during long stretches at sea. Similarly, in the Cuban cigar factories that flourished in the mid-19th century, it was common for a “lector” to entertain workers crafting fine cigars, by reading news and novels aloud to them.
Even the first book written about the island — Walter C. Maloney’s “A Sketch of the History of Key West,” printed in the late 1800s — was intended to be a story or speech presented by then-Mayor Maloney at the dedication of the new city hall. After a nearby house fire interrupted the dedication ceremony, and Maloney’s lengthy speech, he decided to turn it into a book.
As well as seafaring and lecturelike narratives, Key West is known for a custom that might be called “kitchen storytelling.” A blend of gentle instruction and oral history, it has been practiced for generations — by women preparing meals, who offered tips and tales as they taught their children to cook; by men, who revealed the traditions behind roasting whole pigs in a “caja china” for feasts; by grandmothers, who shared family history along with favorite recipes.
Today, that tradition remains alive not just in the island’s home kitchens, but also in the Key West Cooking Show’s learn-and-dine sessions that spotlight local culture through cuisine.
Chief among the chef-storytellers who spin tales from the Cooking Show’s vintage kitchen is Amy Lubchansky — whose culinary passion is equaled only by her passion for Key West.
“I’ve been orbiting Key West for most of my life,” admitted Lubchansky, a Miami native. “As a kid, I came down so often that my mother used to party on Jimmy Buffett’s boat.”
Before she moved to the island full-time in 2020, Lubchansky pursued professional opportunities that included teaching weekly cooking classes as a culinary expert at Williams Sonoma, cooking for a meal delivery company and managing a Miami restaurant group.
“I fell in love with cooking early, and my true happy place was always
Senior chef and storyteller Amy Lubchansky demonstrates traditional recipes and imparts island lore during the Key West Cooking Show’s learn-and-dine sessions. KEY WEST COOKING SHOW/Contributed
the kitchen,” said Lubchansky, who has also been a writer and recipe tester with a popular food blog.
Today, the energetic blonde is the senior chef and storyteller at the Key West Cooking Show’s 291 Front St. venue, where she shares island anecdotes, lighthearted quips and traditional recipes with class participants — in a modern-day continuation of Key West’s “kitchen storytelling” practice.
“This feels like the perfect culmination of everything I’ve done: cooking, teaching, entertaining and sharing the stories behind the food,” Lubchansky said. “What I love most is connecting with people through the food and heritage of the island.”
LAST BITES
Dish of the week: Arroz con pollo. This traditional one-pot dish features tender chicken with annatto-infused rice as well as spices and a variety of vegetables — demonstrating the resourcefulness and ingenuity of Key West cooks, who used seasoned rice as a filling and flavorful way to “stretch” small amounts of poultry.
Helpful kitchen hack: How can you make chicken breasts feed several people economically? Shred the chicken and incorporate it into a recipe instead of serving whole pieces.
Hungry for more? Visit keywestcookingshow.com or call 305-294COOK.
KEY WEST LEGEND COMES HOME FOR CONCERT
Former MLB star Bronson Arroyo plays acoustic concert Jan. 31
Key West has produced perhaps more than its fair share of great baseball players. The island also has spawned plenty of exceptional storytellers who use words and/or music to transport an audience.
Bronson Arroyo is both. And he’ll return to his hometown to perform a fundraising concert Saturday, Jan. 31 in the backyard gardens of the Oldest House Museum, 322 Duval St. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with general admission and VIP tickets available for $50 and $250, respectively.
Arroyo was a Conch baseball superstar in high school and then played in the major leagues from 2000 to 2017. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates between 2000 and 2002, the Boston Red Sox from 2003 to 2005, the Cincinnati Reds from 2006 to 2013, the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014 and the Reds again in 2017.
But full stadiums weren’t the only audiences that wanted to see him perform. In 2005, Arroyo’s burgeoning music career overlapped with baseball when he released his first album, “Covering the Bases,” which included covers from bands such as Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots and Foo Fighters. The album also includes the Red Sox victory song, “Dirty Water” by the Standells, in which Arroyo is accompanied by fellow players Johnny Damon, Lenny DiNardo and Kevin Youkilis.
In the offseason, Arroyo started writing his own songs while still covering his favorite bands and touring the country with his eponymous band. Music clearly ran in the family. For 53 years, Arroyo’s grandmother, Norma Dopp, gave music lessons to generations of Key West kids.
Though his father and sister both played instruments, Arroyo didn’t touch a guitar until adulthood. But he made up for lost time, fronting a band
Trading a bat for an ‘axe,’ Key West’s hometown hero Bronson Arroyo returns to Key West Jan. 31. CONTRIBUTED
that pays tribute to Pearl Jam, Tom Petty, the Lumineers and many more artists. He counts jamming with Eddie Vedder at Fenway Park among his favorite musical performances.
Arroyo will perform an acoustic concert peppered with stories, laughs and memories.
He is donating all proceeds from the concert to the Old Island Restoration Foundation, which runs the Oldest House Museum, and to Key West’s baseball organizations.
“Every ticket supports the preservation of Key West’s architecture, culture and intangible heritage, while also helping to enrich our Conch baseball team that represents the Key West community on and off the field throughout the state of Florida,” said the team at the Oldest House Museum.
VIP tickets include access to a preshow sound check, a Q&A with Arroyo, a signed baseball, swag bags, premier seating and two drinks. Each VIP ticket also funds a general admission ticket for a Key West High School student interested in the arts and/or music.
Scan the QR code for tickets to the Jan. 31 Bronson Arroyo concert at the Oldest House Museum & Gardens.
MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com
TAKE ME HOME?
FIND A FRIEND AT THE FLORIDA KEYS SPCA
The Keys Weekly family loves animals as much as our friends at the Florida Keys SPCA do, and we’re honored each week to showcase some “furever” friends that are ready, waiting and available for adoption at the organization’s Key West campus.
From cats and dogs to Guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, reptiles and birds, the perfect addition to your family is waiting for you. The SPCA’s knowledgeable staff will help with advice and care tips while working to ensure a good fit between each pet and its people.
The SPCA’s Golden Paw program also provides special assistance with vet bills and medications for special-needs and older animals that require a little extra TLC. Check these pages each week for just a few of the animals waiting for a home and see them all at fkspca.org.
Remember, Boomer? He’s still here and needs a happy home. This sweet boy is only 3 years old and has so much love to give. He’s happiest when one of our kennel staff or volunteers is playing “find the coconut” with him. If you don’t know that game, Boomer will be happy to teach you. He is so special that a donor already paid his adoption fees to make it easier for someone to give him a permanent home.
Meet Angel. This 12-year-old gentleman is looking for a family to call his own after being surrendered with his sister, Melody. Senior cats can make the best companions; with an established personality, you’ll know exactly who Angel is from the beginning. You’ll know how calm he is and how much he loves affection. You’ll even know which bed he prefers. Angel is ready to find a strong lasting bond of gratitude with his furever family.
Toby is an 11-year-old Ibizan hound mix looking for a hug and a soft bed. Because Toby is a senior, he will receive free health exams during our wellness clinics, free vaccines and free heartworm tests thanks to Grey Muzzle.
HELP KEEP KEY WEST BEAUTIFUL JOIN A 1-
HOUR CLEANUP FRIDAY MORNINGS
Keep Key West Beautiful’s first cleanup of 2026, on Jan. 9 at the Key West Woman’s Club, drew a record-breaking 124 volunteers, who spread out to cover both sides of Duval Street and the side streets. In one hour, they collected 168 pounds of
73 pounds of trash and an astonishing 5 gallons of cigarette butts. Special thanks to the Key West Woman’s Club and its members for providing a breakfast buffet for the volunteers. CONTRIBUTED
a cold morning, 105 volunteers collected 192 pounds of trash, 39 pounds of recycling and another 5 gallons of cigarette butts. Special thanks to plogger and volunteer extraordinaire
One hour a week makes a huge difference, and volunteers are welcome every Friday and some Saturday mornings, from 8 to 9 a.m., when the Key West Ploggers clean up a designated area of the island.
Gloves, pickers, buckets, vests, hand sanitizer and a parking pass are provided to all volunteers.
A troubling number of cigarette butts and plastic bags have been included in recent hauls. Please remember your reusable bags when shopping so we can keep the plastic off the streets, parking lots and, most importantly, out of the water. And dispose of cigarette butts in any receptacle rather than the street or sidewalk, as from there, they easily end up in the ocean.
The city of Key West and its residents ask everyone to do their part to help keep Key West beautiful. With simple steps like making sure you bag your trash before putting it in your Waste Management trash cans or Dumpsters, and making sure the lids on Dumpsters are closed, will keep a lot of trash from blowing into the streets. Call Waste Management at 305-296-8297 for any furniture items left on the city right of way.
Please pick up around your home or apartment complex. Every piece
end up in the ocean that surrounds and sustains our island community. It is not just the large items you can see easily when you are walking, but the smaller items such as bottle caps and cigarette butts that are collected by the volunteers that make the biggest difference.
It takes committed community involvement to keep Key West beautiful and we are making progress with every cleanup event and every spot that’s adopted. Call Dorian Patton at 305-809-3782 to find out how your business, nonprofit or club can help.
— Contributed
Join a one-hour Friday morning cleanup. All events are 8 to 9 a.m. unless otherwise noted.
Jan. 23: Petronia Street between White and Georgia. Meet in front of MCC Church, 1215 Petronia St., which is hosting.
Jan. 24: Special Saturday cleanup in District III. Meet on S. Roosevelt Blvd., across from the Doubletree Hotel. Hosted by commissioner Donie Lee and Carolyn Winters.
Jan. 30: North Roosevelt & Toppino Drive. Meet behind First State Bank, 3406 N. Roosevelt Blvd., which is hosting.
of trash picked up is one less that may
The Jan. 16 cleanup started at Nelson English Park in Bahama Village and drew the thirdhighest number of volunteers ever. In one hour, on
Tunie Hamlin, who provided the volunteers with breakfast from Goldman’s Deli. CONTRIBUTED
trash,
Meet Hammy, a 3-year-old male black cat with big golden eyes. He’s a lover boy who seeks out affection and loves to sit on your shoulder and observe the world around him. If you’re looking for a best friend to spend time with, Hammy is your man.
Cirilla is a young ball python who’s only 3 months old. She’s an easy, lowmaintenance gal with no allergens to disrupt your family. If you’re looking for a unique pet, give Cirilla a try.
SHERIFF’S OFFICE HOLDS CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY IN APRIL
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office will hold its next Citizens Police Academy starting in April, and is looking for people who are interested in learning more about law enforcement and the sheriff’s office.
Classes will begin in April and continue through May 2026. There will be three separate academies — one each in the Lower, Middle and Upper Keys.
Attendees will be asked to commit to spending one night a week between 6 and 9 p.m., in addition to the graduation ceremony in Marathon.
Classes will be held in the individual district holding the academy and will include about 15 attendees.
In the Upper Keys, classes will meet on Thursdays — beginning April 9 — at the Roth Building on Plantation Key.
In the Middle Keys, classes will meet on Wednesdays — beginning April 8 — at the Sheriff’s Office Aviation Hangar in Marathon.
In the Lower Keys, classes will meet on Tuesdays — beginning April 7 — at the Sheriff’s Office headquarters building on Stock Island.
Classes will include:
• An orientation and introduction to patrol procedures.
• A tour of jail facilities.
• Introduction to weapons: Simunitions and Taser.
• Traffic/felony stops.
• Crime scene investigations, including a hands-on mock crime scene.
• Building searches.
• Introduction to specialty units: Bomb, Dive, SWAT, Major Crimes and Special Investigations.
Space is limited. Those interested should contact the captain in the area where they wish to attend. Applications are due by March 2.
• Lower Keys: Capt. David Smith, 305-745-3184 or desmith@keysso.net
• Middle Keys: Capt. Derek Paul, 305-289-2430 or dpaul@ keysso.net
• Upper Keys: Capt. Spenser Bryan, 305-853-3211 or sbryan@keysso.net; or Capt. Lissette Quintero, 305-664-6480 or lquintero@keysso.net
— Contributed
DIVE INTO KEY WEST’S UNDERWATER HISTORY
Mel Fisher Maritime History Museum launches 2026 lecture series
A meticulously crafted model at the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum illustrates the 1622 sinking of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha. The discovery, excavation and preservation of artifacts and treasures from the Atocha are the focus of an upcoming panel discussion during the museum’s winter lecture series. CAROL TEDESCO/Contributed
The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum’s 2026 winter lecture series will cover new insights into one of the Western Hemisphere’s oldest shipwrecks.
Scheduled each Tuesday from Jan. 27 through Feb. 24, the lectures also will cover Florida’s Underground Railroad, the discovery and study of two 17th-century sunken Spanish treasure galleons, lesser-known shipwrecks in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and archaeology of the Keys’ prehistoric sites.
The lectures will be presented by archaeologists, scholars and experts. All programs begin at 6:30 p.m. at the museum, 200 Greene St., Key West.
Permanent exhibits at the museum showcase artifacts and treasure from the Spanish galleons Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margarita, which both sank in 1622, and objects from the English merchant slave ship Henrietta Marie, lost in 1700. The three vessels were discovered and excavated off Key West by teams overseen by museum founder Mel Fisher.
The 2026 lecture series starts Tuesday, Jan. 27, with an exploration into the Santa Clara, which wrecked in 1564 while sailing to Spain from the New World. The program is presented by Corey Malcom, longtime director of archaeology for the museum and leader of the facility’s archaeological excavation and study of the Santa Clara. Now lead historian for the Florida
Maritime archaeologist Matthew Lawrence of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary explores a shipwreck site in sanctuary waters. Lawrence will chronicle some of the Keys’ lesserknown wrecks in a presentation during the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum’s 2026 winter lecture series. BRENDA ALTMEIER/NOAA-FKNMS
Keys History Center, Malcom will also chronicle the great Spanish mariners and multicultural historic figures who traveled on the vessel.
Tuesday, Feb. 3, will feature Magdalena Lamarre, formerly a professor of history and sociology at Miami-Dade College, discussing Florida’s Underground Railroad — the earliest in the United States. Established in the late 17th century, the railroad helped enslaved Africans escape their bondage and earn asylum in Spanish Florida.
On Tuesday, Feb. 10, Robert Carr will present a rare glimpse into the land-based archaeology of Florida’s First People. Carr, director of the nonprofit Archaeological and Historical Conservancy, will detail significant evidence of the indigenous people who lived in the Keys as long as 1,500 years ago.
Tuesday, Feb. 17, brings “The Quest for the Atocha,” a panel discussion featuring five women associated with Mel Fisher’s search for and recovery of the sunken 1622 Spanish galleons Atocha and Margarita.
The final presentation on Tuesday, Feb. 25, explores some of the lesser-known shipwrecks in the waters of the sanctuary. Matthew Lawrence, a maritime archaeologist for the sanctuary, chronicles the wrecks and their place in the history of the Keys.
Admission to all lectures is free, but seating is limited. More information is at melfisher.org.
A Citizens Police Academy attendee puts on a bomb suit. KEYS WEEKLY FILE PHOTO
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Are you still paying dealership rates?
Refinance with Keys FCU and lower your rate this January!
Apply online or stop by a branch to start saving money now.
Carrying multiple exclusive retail lines. Plus a selection of unique & carefully curated pre-loved items.
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MONDAY - WEDNESDAY 11- 4
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Founded by Betty Debnam
Honoring Dr. King
“I have a dream.” You may have heard this famous statement from one of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches. Dr. King led America’s struggle for equal rights for people of all races during the 1950s and ’60s.
Dr. King was assassinated, or murdered, 57 years ago, on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was only 39 years old when he died. Since 1986, we have celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day on the third Monday in January. What kind of doctor?
Martin Luther King Jr. gives his famous “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington in August 1963.
Martin Luther King Jr. was not a medical doctor. He received a Ph.D., or a doctor of philosophy degree, from Boston University. His degree was in theology, or the study of religion.
Segregation
For over a century after the Civil War and the freeing of slaves, many African Americans struggled to make better lives for themselves. Even though laws made them “free,” they were often segregated, or separated based on skin color. In some parts of the country, it was hard for them to get a good education or jobs, buy or rent a house, eat in restaurants, or use public transportation.
Fighting for rights
Across the country, Black people were joining in the fight for theisr civil, or citizens’, rights. Dr. King started the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957. This group would help organize and support protests against discrimination, or unfairness. Dr. King wanted the protests to be peaceful, but that was not always possible.
His influences
Dr. King was known for his strong belief in nonviolence. His friend Dr. Benjamin Hooks had this to say about him: “This was a man who believed in nonviolence as a way of life, not just in the Civil Rights Movement, but nonviolence at home, nonviolence with his children.”
Dr. King’s beliefs were partly based on Christian teachings. He was also influenced, or inspired, by Mohandas Gandhi, a leader in India who peacefully helped to make changes in society.
Making change
Dr. King organized the Poor People’s Campaign, which he hoped would help improve life for impoverished people of all races. With this campaign, he was trying to solve not just racial issues, but the problem of economic, or money-related, inequality. He also protested against the war in Vietnam, which he thought violated human rights.
Words that remind us of Martin Luther King Jr. are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find:
MINI FACT: In 1964, Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, honoring his work toward international peace.
April 4, 1968
Dr. King went to Memphis in April 1968 to support a strike, or work stoppage, by African American garbage workers.
He gave a famous speech on the evening of April 3. Here are a few lines from his speech: “We aren’t engaged in any negative protest and in any negative arguments with anybody. We are saying that we are determined to be men. We are determined to be people.”
The next evening, Dr. King was standing on a balcony at the Lorraine Motel when he was shot by James Earl Ray. Ray was convicted of killing Dr. King and died in prison in 1998.
Dr. King’s legacy, or the ideas he left behind, continued with other leaders.
In May 1968, Dr. King’s friend and coworker Ralph Abernathy and Dr. King’s wife, Coretta Scott King, led the Poor People’s Campaign march to Washington.
Mrs. King started The King Center in Atlanta to continue her husband’s work.
A year after an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu killed thousands of elephant seals in Argentina, about a third of the animals typically expected there have returned. Scientists estimate that the influenza killed more than 17,000 of the marine mammals, including approximately 97% of their pups. “It’s beautiful to walk the beaches now and hear elephant seals again,” said Marcela Uhart of the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. So far, no elephant seals have tested positive for the virus this breeding season.
The Lorraine Motel in Memphis is now the National Civil Rights Museum.
Mini Page photo
COMING SOON TO KEY WEST
BENMONT TENCH
FEB. 3, KEY WEST THEATER
YACHTLY CREW
FEB. 8, KEY WEST THEATER
GARRISON KEILLOR & ERICA RHODES
FEB. 22, KEY WEST THEATER
SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS
APR. 2, KEY WEST THEATER
TOMMY EMMANUEL
MAR. 22, KEY WEST THEATER
GABRIEL RUTLEDGE
DON’T READ THE COMMENTS TOUR FEB. 15, KEY WEST THEATER
BODEANS
MAR. 29, KEY WEST THEATER
FOREIGNER
APR. 23, KEY WEST AMPHITHEATER
GRAHAM NASH
APR. 25 & 26 KEY WEST THEATER
PROVEN POWER
Marathon state medalists lead lifters into postseason | P.6
Marathon Boys Basketball Pace 1/12 L, 62-59
Marathon Girls Basketball Pace 1/12 L, 53-21
Key West Boys Basketball True North 1/12 L, 87-21
Key West Girls Soccer Coral Shores 1/13 W, 3-1
Marathon Girls Basketball NSU University School 1/13 L, 55-25
Marathon Boys Basketball Mater Bay Academy 1/13 L, 46-44
1/22 Key West Girls Basketball NSU University School 6 p.m.
1/22 Marathon Girls Basketball NSU University School 5:15 p.m.
1/23 Key West Competitive Cheer States @ Lakeland TBA
1/23 Coral Shores Boys Basketball Everglades Prep 7 p.m.
1/26 Marathon Girls & Boys Basketball Coral Shores 5:30 p.m.
1/28 Marathon Boys Basketball @ Palmer 5 p.m.
1/28 Coral Shores Boys Basketball @ St. Brendan 7 p.m.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
ESTEVEZ
Coral Shores Basketball
She holds herself to a high standard and that selfdiscipline is what continually pushes her to improve. Her work ethic, composure and leadership set the tone for the entire team.”
Coral Shores point guard Melanie Estevez has quietly been making her mark the past two seasons with the Hurricanes, and her focus-driven attitude has been making a huge impact recently. Against Key West, Estevez scored a career- and game-high 34 points and was credited with nine assists, a testament to her team-first attitude.
Estevez, a team captain as just a sophomore, went on to score a dozen points against a solid Ransom defense and 22 against Basilica, where she also had nine steals. Coach Danielle Thomas describes her as “a coach’s dream” who comes to practice locked in and ready to compete.
“Mel is also an exceptional teammate. She celebrates everyone’s success and is always the first to congratulate a teammate with a high five and genuine praise after a big basket or great play,” said Thomas. For her exceptional and selfless play, Coral Shores’ Melanie Estevez is the Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.
As Marathon’s lady lifters turn their attention to district, regional and state competition, they’ll look to 2025 state medalists Ella Evans, left, and Justice Lee Isom to lead the way. See page 6. NATALIE DANKO/Keys Weekly
Melanie
Sophomore,
Photo by TRACY McDONALD/Keys Weekly
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.
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.
The Keys Weekly Sports Wrap is proud to be the only locally-owned publication providing prep sports coverage from Key Largo to Key West. Together with our writers and photographers, we are committed to providing a comprehensive overview of the world of Keys sports with photography that allows our readers to immerse themselves in game action.
Se habla español THE MARATHON WEEKLY (ISSN 1944-0812) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY FOR $125 PER YEAR BY WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS, INC., 9709 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY, MARATHON FL 33050. APPLICATION TO MAIL AT PERIODICALS POSTAGE RATES IS PENDING AT FORT LAUDERDALE FL AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES.
SOCCER SENIORS SHINE IN FINAL GAMES
Playoffs commence for Monroe County teams
Girls
The Lady Conchs finished their regular season at 10-4-4 following two wins and one loss last week. Up first was Coral Shores, whom the Conchs dispatched 3-1 with a pair of goals from senior Madison Kilduff and one from freshman Gabriella Rodriguez. Sophomore Alondra Montilla was credited with one assist in the win.
Marathon - Alex Rickert alex@keysweekly.com
Upper Keys - Jim McCarthy jim@keysweekly.com
Key West - Mandy Miles mandy@keysweekly.com
All stories, photos, and graphics are copyrighted materials.
Two days later, the Conchs made a sweep of Monroe County, beating Marathon 1-0. Rodriguez struck again, scoring one goal assisted by Alyssandra Camargo. Mary Searcy and Izzie Magarth combined in goal for the shutout. In the Conchs’ final regular season game on Jan. 17, a visiting Lemon Bay left a sour taste behind when they beat Key West 4-0.
Marathon’s girls picked up win their fourth win of the season, defeating Keys Gate 4-1. The team’s three seniors accounted for all of the Dolphin goals, with Shilo Yeider netting two and Kenzie Budi and Addison Collins adding one each.
Eighth grader Ashly Sanchez and junior Kayla Skaarup were credited with assists in the Jan. 14 win.
The following day, the Fins fell to a visiting Key West, putting the team at 3-11-1, but head coach Cathy Warner was pleased with her group’s improvement from their prior matchup with the Conchs. The 1-0 loss demonstrated a step up from a 7-0 loss earlier this season. Last week’s games gave Warner encouragement heading into districts, calling it, “a great way to end the season.”
“It allowed them to see what they can all bring to the table as a team,” Warner said. “I am excited for our district game.”
In Coral Shores’ visit to Key West, Kimmy Dubon scored the team’s final regular season goal in the 3-1 loss. A match scheduled for later in the week against Keys Gate resulted in a win via forfeit, putting the Hurricanes at 4-6-2 with districts beginning this week.
tracy mcdonald
sean mcdonald
1. Key West’s Kenli Rosado (6) and Coral Shores’ Lela Goodrich (12) battle for possession while Sammy Bates (17), Bayley Catarineau (14) and Lily Baxter (19) look on.
2. Coral Shores’ Saydie Hendrix and Key West’s Alyssandra Camargo race to the ball.
3. Key West’s Madison Kilduff (13) boots the ball away from Coral Shores’ Mya Champigny (7).
4. Conch defender Keira Feitz (8) takes control of the chaos in front of Key West’s goal.
5. Key West celebrates a goal in a 3-1 win over Coral Shores on Jan. 13.
6. Hurricane defender Jaime Cary uses his head to prevent a Conch goal.
7. Coral Shores’ Jaime Cary boots the ball away from an oncoming Christandy Agenord (22).
8. Alexix Polanco (7) uses Martin Peralta (15) for leverage as he clears the ball.
9. Hurricane keeper Zachary Swenson stretches out in an attempt to stop a well-placed Key West shot on goal.
10. Loubins Fleuridor (9) maintains control as Jaime Cary (2) approaches.
Boys
Key West’s boys picked up a pair of wins to finish the regular season at 9-6-1. The Conchs won the matches amid a flurry of goals, beginning with a 7-0 shutout against the Wildcats of Westland Hialeah. Key West’s seniors took care of business, with Nico Sulak leading the stat chart with a hat trick. Loubins Fleuridor, Nathan Roca and Martin Peralta netted one apiece in the Jan. 14 road win.
Two days later, the Conchs traveled again, this time a bit closer to home, to take on Coral Shores. The squad’s seniors picked up six more goals against the Hurricanes. This time, Fleuridor scored two and assisted on another goal. Sebastian Camargo and Jose Sente-Reyes netted one each. Chase Hoffman scored one plus an assist, Sulak had one goal and two assists and Kieran Smith was credited with a pair of assists in the 6-1 victory. Coral Shores’ Armando Picado scored the lone Hurricane goal on a well-placed penalty kick after a Key West handball. The match was the regular season finale for both teams. The Hurricanes finished with a 4-14 record as they await their district bracket opponents.
Marathon slipped to 4-14 after a pair of losses last week. The Fins fell to Archimedean and Silver Palms in their final matches of the regular season.
Photos by Marc Serota and Jennifer Searcy
EYES ON THE PRIZE
Girls weightlifting completes regular season
In a final meet before districts, Marathon’s Tinashay Cunningham, left, and Adelle Bainbridge earned wins in both the traditional and Olympic categories for their weight classes. NATALIE DANKO/Keys Weekly
On Jan. 14, Marathon made the quick trip to Key West for a final weightlifting meet prior to each team’s district championships. The squads traded wins, with Marathon outscoring Key West in Olympic lifts, then Key West besting the Fins in the traditional event.
In the 101-pound class, Key West’s Courtney Ward and Althea Olsen each picked up a win. Ward won the Olympic event and Olsen the traditional. Riley Grogan and Keily CardonaQuiche did the same at 110 pounds to sweep the lightweight events for the Lady Conchs.
Ashley Rasmussen put Marathon on the scoreboard in the 119-pound class, winning the traditional event, while Key West’s Caylee Moore won in Olympic.
The rest of the weight classes saw double winners, with athletes clearing the top totals in Olympic and traditional lifts. Marathon’s Tinashay Cunningham (129 pounds), Sofia Konyk (139), Adelle Bainbridge (154) and Justice Lee Isom (183) won their divisions. Key West’s Evalyn Norwood (169), Aaliyah McLeod (199) and Sofia Nafrere (Unlimited) were the double winners for the Lady Conchs.
Both coaches feel confident their teams can show out in the postseason. Marathon will be led by 2025 state medalists Ella Evans, who took the week off in an abundance of caution, and threetime state champion Justice Lee Isom, who is looking to continue her run as one of Marathon’s most decorated athletes.
Lady Conchs coach Brett Fink has high hopes for several of his athletes to bring home postseason honors this year, and he has contenders at every weight class. “Both senior Althea Olsen, who advanced to regionals last year, and Courtney Ward, a junior newcomer this year, stand a good chance of advancing to regionals in the 101-pound weight class,” he said. The two athletes have traded wins all season long.
“Caylee Moore, another newcomer and senior, has been a standout in 119 this year, and we're very hopeful she moves to regionals and possibly states. Mayaa Makimaa has also consistently been good in 119 and may have the opportunity to place and move on,” said Fink. “Meredith Barton, a sophomore, has made huge strides since last year in 154 and could earn us points and have a chance to advance. In 169, we expect senior Cami Linares and freshman Eva Norwood to compete for a spot on top of the leaderboard.”
In the upper classes, Fink has a strong contender in Jazzy Lyons in the 183 slot. Lyons qualified for regionals last season and is looking stronger this year. The Lady Conchs also have plenty of potential in the top two weight classes.
“We expect sophomore Aaliyah McLeod, who was the firstplace finisher last year in 199, to continue her success in 199 and in the Unlimited class,” Fink said. “Sophomores Sophia Nafrere and Monea McLeod are also highly likely to place and advance.”
While the Fins and Conchs were pumping iron in Key West, the Hurricanes hosted Keys Gate for their final meet before districts. Coral Shores won the traditional contest while Keys Gate took top honors in the Olympic event. In the Olympic event, the ’Canes swept the final four weight classes. Grace Patterson (169), Lily Ooms (183), Elaina Kerns (199) and Vanessa Gabriel (Unlimited) won their classes. Ooms, Kerns and Gabriel each won their traditional classes as well. Other traditional event winners were Emily Hurt (119), Mackenzie Borguss (139), Karla Guitierrez (154) and Caylyn Gwilliam (169). Gabriel, a state qualifier in 2025, finished in the top 10 in the Olympic event and stands a fantastic chance to medal in both this time around.
Marathon and Coral Shores begin the road to states at the FHSAA 1A District 16 championships, hosted by Coral Shores at Key Largo School Jan. 20. Key West will travel to Archbishop McCarthy on Jan. 24 for the 2A event.
HARDWOOD HEATUP
Ups and downs define an exciting week on the courts
In girls basketball action, Coral Shores was the only Keys team to log a win last week, with their 58-10 thrashing of Basilica. In the Jan. 13 showdown, Melanie Estevez had a game-high 22 points and nine rebounds. Julia Miranda added 16. The Hurricanes came close to making it a perfect week, but ultimately lost to Ransom Everglades 52-48 the next night. Miranda had the hot hand against the Raiders, scoring 22, while Estevez netted 12.
Marathon had a tough week, losing four games in a six-day span that started with a Jan. 12 loss at Pace. Shaina Robinson scored 14 of the team’s 21 points in the lopsided matchup. The following day, the team was on the road again, this time at NSU University School, where they endured a 5525 defeat. An additional pair of losses Jan. 15 and 17 to Silver Palms and St. Brendan School completed the slide.
Key West suffered a similar fate last week with three losses. On Jan. 15, Damarla Thompson managed five points against a strong North Miami Beach squad, but the Conchs fell 49-18. The following day Lilee Gage scored eight and Jasminabonu Ibodilloeva seven against Westminster Christian, but the Warriors outscored Key West 81-28. The team’s final contest, a Jan. 17 road trip to Archbishop McCarthy, ended in a 46-31 defeat. Gage had 11 of those points and freshman Reagen Graham added six.
In boys action, Key West was all even with one win and one loss last week as they maintained their balanced record. The 10-10 Conchs started the week off with a Jan. 12 loss to True North. Jakub Krytinar scored 10 and Zach Levering pulled down eight rebounds, but the Conchs were without top point-scorer James Osborne and struggled against the Titans, resulting in an 87-21 defeat.
Key West went on to play three games in three days, beginning with a 48-47 win on Jan. 15 against North Miami Beach. Osborne was in the lineup against the Chargers and
made his presence known with 19 points. Zach Levering scored 11 and Kyan Gladwell grabbed eight rebounds. A dominant Westminster Christian outscored the Conchs 83-51 despite a double-double performance from Osborne. His 18 points and 10 boards helped keep hope alive while Leo Batista and Zach Levering each contributed eight points in the loss.
Osborne was not the only Conch to log a double-double last week. Levering scored 16 points and pulled down 14 rebounds against a persistent IMG Academy team on Jan. 17. The teams were deadlocked after four quarters, and two overtime periods were necessary to determine a winner. Osborne poured on 26 points to help the cause and Judson Snider pitched in 14 for the win.
Coach Tommy Butler attributed the team’s tenacity to heart. “The guys really wanted to win. They dug deep and trusted each other and executed the play call to perfection,” he said. “It all boils down to them just staying connected and wanting to win.”
Marathon found no rest for the weary last week with four games, all on the road and all resulting in losses. In a highly-anticipated contest with Pace, the Fins hoped to avenge an earlier tripleovertime loss, but found themselves a bit short, losing 62-59. Andrew Suarez sank 29 points, Jack Chapman had 16 and Josh Koler pulled down a dozen boards in the Jan. 12 loss.
One night later, Marathon played Mater Bay Academy, but not at Mater. The teams were able to play the contest at American Airlines
Arena, home of the Miami Heat. And though the Fins suffered a 46-44 loss to the Stingrays, the experience was one the team will not soon forget.
“The game at the Heat stadium was a great experience for the kids,” said coach Jim Murphy. “It was definitely a game they will always remember. Our cheer squad had a great performance at the half also. It’s something we would definitely look into doing again.”
“Watching my cheerleaders light up the Miami Heat court was pure pride,” said Marathon cheer coach Michelle Macoskey. “From leading the energy on the sidelines for our varsity boys to confidently owning the floor at halftime, they represented our school with passion, teamwork, and heart. This is a moment I’ll never forget as their coach.”
Chapman scored 18 and Koler logged 10 against the Stingrays.
A day’s rest was all the travel-weary team had before making the trip to Boca Raton and then to FAU the following night. At Boca Raton, Koler came alive with a double-double, netting 14 points and 10 boards. Chapman added 13 and Briggs Roberts 12 in the 66-51 loss. In their final game of the week, Koler registered another double-double, sinking 13 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Chapman added 10 to the team’s total of 42, but it was not enough to overcome the Owls’ 60.
Coral Shores picked up a win at Basilica Jan. 13 and finished the week with a winning 6-5 record. Jayden Meng scored 18 while Jordon Brown added 16 points and three blocks. Brock Stoky added 15 to his stats in the 87-47 win. The next day, the Hurricanes lost to Ransom, 50-32. Sergio Alvear had the team high of 12 and Meng netted five.
Coral Shores didn’t let the loss keep them down too long. On Jan. 16, they hosted Palm Glades Prep, where the Hurricanes unleashed a fury of points on the Eagles. The ’Canes held the Eagles to just 20 points, matched by Brown, who dropped 20 of his own. Stoky was next with 19 and Alvear and Meng added a dozen points apiece to the team’s massive 83-point total.
“Everyone who dressed scored,” said head hoops coach Jim Best. Best was happy with his entire team’s efforts, but added praise for Alvear. “Sergio Alvear has emerged as a floor leader, not only scoring but directing our offense,” he said.
Alvear’s leadership comes at precisely the right time. Prep basketball season winds down next week, with playoffs fast approaching. Girls brackets begin Feb. 2 and boys on Feb. 3.
1. Austin Vogt gets set to defend a Ransom ball handler.
2. Sergio Alvear stretches to block a Ransom 3-pointer.
3. Thomas Gonzalez and Jordon Brown watch intently as the Hurricanes play defense against Ransom Everglades.
4. Sergio Alvear makes a quick pass to a teammate.
5. Josh Koler takes flight for a layup.
6. Jack Chapman unleashes a jumper.
7. Giorvis Zamora reaches for two.
8. Andrew Suarez makes a free throw.
9. Briggs Roberts works his way around a defender.
10. Marathon’s basketball and cheerleading teams pose for a photograph after their game at American Airlines Arena Jan. 13.
Photos by Justice Lee Isom and Jackson Garcia
SATURDAY NIGHT SHOWDOWN
Wrestlers take to the mats in Tavernier
Keys wrestling teams met in Tavernier on Jan. 17 to square off against the best competition Monroe County had to offer.
Key West took the top spot against Coral Shores, winning 32-22 after Coral Shores bested Marathon 48-18. Key West was undefeated against Marathon, whose program is in its first year.
Marathon scored wins from Trevor Gordon (106 pounds) and Autumn Wolfe, who stepped up from her usual 105-pound weight class to 113, earning a win by forfeit to help her teammates. Hayden Starling (126) and Charlie Buttner (144) beat their opponents by decision. But Marathon’s heaviest wrestler weighs in at just under 150 pounds, so Coral Shores picked up some forfeits of its own.
Sebastian McCoy won by forfeit at 120, as did Sterling Keefe (157), Jack Brown (165), David Beltran (175), Ricardo Mack (190) and Andrew Grgek (285). Gavin Matheis (132), Ethan Struhs (138) and Nathaniel Tristram (150) each pinned a Marathon opponent and neither team produced an athlete at 215, to give the ’Canes a 48-18 win over their new neighbors.
In the Key West/Coral Shores dual, the teams started at 120, where Sebastian McCoy put Coral Shores on the board with a pin. Matheis added another pin to his record at 138, as did Keefe (157) and Beltran (175). Tristram won by technical fall and Ricardo Mack (190) won by decision to give the Hurricanes 22 points against the Conchs.
Zander Font of Key West won by major decision at 126, then teammates Alexander Holtcamp (132), Kyle Condella (144), Michael Guzman (165) and Allens Alexandre (285) registered wins via pin. Kascper Kowalik (215) picked up a forfeit for the Conchs’ 32 points.
the
3.
1. Coral Shores’ Joseph Barroso and Marathon’s Hayden Starling work it out on the mat in the 126-pound bout on Jan. 17. Starling went on to win in a 7-3 decision.
2. Marathon’s Braydon Anderson and Coral Shores’ Ethan Struhs battle for control in
first period of their 138-pound bout. Struhs won the match by fall.
In a 144-pound matchup, Marathon’s Charlie
Buttner and Coral Shores’ Eric Cline wrestle into overtime to determine a winner. Buttner won, 19-13.
4. Key West’s Kaiden Ascencio works to turn Marathon’s Braydon Anderson in their match.
5. Marathon’s Autumn Wolfe competes in the boys’ junior varsity 106-pound contest. Wolfe won by fall after winning her varsity bout via forfeit.
TRACY MCDONALD/Keys Weekly
NEXT LEVEL
Three more Hurricanes sign letters of intent
The ink on Coral Shores baseball standout Donovan Thiery’s letter of intent to play at Florida State next spring was barely dry when three more Hurricane seniors declared their intentions.
Multi-sport talent Jenna Mandozzi decided on furthering her athletic career at North Carolina’s Wesleyan University, where she will don a Battling Bishops soccer uniform. Mandozzi, a four-year starter for Coral Shores, joins older sister Brooke, who plays volleyball at Wesleyan.
Mandozzi called the school a perfect fit, noting the beauty of the campus, the team’s recent European tour and her sister’s attendance there as primary factors in her choice. She is a natural athlete who has excelled in each of the sports she has taken on, and that list is extensive. In addition to soccer, Mandozzi has played softball and has been a member of the cross country and track and field teams.
“Athleticism is woven into the DNA of every member of her family,” said past athletic director Rich Russell. “North Carolina Wesleyan University is gaining not only a remarkable athlete, but also an exceptional young woman who is a true role model in every sense of the word.”
Baseball standout Riley O’Berry chose Northern Oklahoma College to extend his time on the clay. O’Berry received a scholarship to play for the Mavericks next spring, and the staff at NOC is thrilled about its latest signee.
“We’re excited to bring Riley to our
From top:
program. We’re excited to see him shine in his senior campaign and have the opportunity to work with him in Oklahoma,” said Jonathan Monk, head baseball coach for the Mavs. “His work ethic is unmatched and fits our mold for winners in our program.”
The hardworking lefty was instrumental in securing the Hurricanes’ district championship last spring and has also played basketball and soccer at Coral Shores. Athletic director Ed Holly, who also served as baseball coach during O’Berry’s time with the ’Canes, said it best: “When the game is on the line, Riley is the guy you want on the mound pitching for you.”
Lacrosse star Christian Gonzales selected St. Thomas University in Miami for his next chapter. A dual-sport athlete, Gonzales also shined on the soccer field, but ultimately chose to play lacrosse at the next level.
In his time with the Hurricanes, Gonzales has racked up many honors, including a nod to the All-District team, and has elevated his game with club teams and hard work in the offseason. His exceptional play caught the eye of the Bobcats’ sports information director, Eli Sirota, who said, “Christian brings speed, vision, creativity and a strong scoring presence to the field.”
Christian Gonzales, bottom left, signs his letter to play lacrosse at St. Thomas university with his mother, coaches and school administrators.
Riley O’Berry, seated center, signs his letter of intent with Northern Oklahoma College along with his family, coaches and Coral Shores administrators.
Jenna Mandozzi, seated center, will play soccer for the North Carolina Wesleyan Battling Bishops after signing her letter of intent with her family and coaches.
INVITATION TO BID
ITB 2026-01
7TH STREET & SHELTER BAY DRIVE –PERVIOUS PAVERS
CITY OF KEY COLONY BEACH, FLORIDA
Sealed Bids for the construction of the Shelter Bay Drive - Pervious Pavers project will be received by the City of Key Colony Beach, Florida at the of ce of the City Administrator, Key Colony Beach City Hall, 600 West Ocean Drive, Key Colony Beach, Florida 33051, until February 13, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. local time. At that time, the Bids received will be publicly opened and read aloud.
The Project includes the following Work: Furnish and install pervious pavers as shown on the Drawings.
Bids are requested for the following Contract: Shelter Bay Drive –Pervious Pavers.
The Issuing Office for the Bidding Documents is: CPH Consulting, LLC, 580-1 Wells Road, Orange Park, Florida 32073, (904) 278-0030. Prospective Bidders may access and download the Bidding Documents from the DemandStar portal or online at www.mittauer.com upon submission of contact information and registering as a Plan Holder.
Partial sets of Bidding Documents will not be available from the Issuing Of ce. Neither Owner nor Engineer will be responsible for full or partial sets of Bidding Documents, including addenda, if any, obtained from sources other than the Issuing Of ce.
A Pre-Bid conference will not be held.
To be considered quali ed, Bidder must be licensed to engage in the business of contracting in the State of Florida by the Construction Industry Licensing Board. In addition, the Bidder shall have successfully completed, as prime contractor, a minimum of 3 projects of a similar nature within the past 3 years.
The City of Key Colony Beach, Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Instructions to Bidders.
For all further requirements regarding bid submittal, quali cations, procedures, and contract award, refer to the Instructions to Bidders that are included in the Bidding Documents.
All questions must be submitted in writing to City Administrator John Bartus at cityadministrator@keycolonybeach.net
DATE TIME ACTION
January 23 9:30 am Release Solicitation 2026
February 6 4:00 pm Last day for submission 2026 of written questions to the City
February 10 4:00 pm Last day for the City 2026 to post answers to questions
February 13 3:00 pm Bid Due & Opening 2026 (Open to the Public – City Administrator’s Of ce, City Hall, 600 W. Ocean Dr., Key Colony Beach, FL 33051-0141)
February 19 3:30 pm City Commission Meeting – Final Award 2026 (Open to the Public – Marble Hall, 600 W. Ocean Dr., Key Colony Beach, FL 33051-0141)"
City of Key Colony Beach PO Box 510141, 600 W Ocean Drive, Key Colony Beach, FL, 33051
Contact John Bartus, City Administrator cityadministrator@keycolonybeach.net
Publish: January 22, 2026. The Weekly Newspapers.
FICTITIOUS NAME
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Landscape Architecture Academy located at 1404 Cedar Street, Niceville, FL 32578 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.
By: Tricia Keffer
Publish:
January 22, 2026
The Weekly Newspapers
FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Dances With Birds located at 1404 Cedar Street, Niceville, FL 32578 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.
By: Tricia Keffer
Publish: January 22, 2026
The Weekly Newspapers
FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Captain Sharky’s located at 130 Harborview Drive, Tavernier, FL 33070 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.
By: Sharky’s Diving Inc.
Publish: January 22, 2026
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF NON-JUDICIAL
SALE
“Non-Judicial Sale of Vessel” to take place on Friday February 13, 2026, at 10:00 AM at Safe Harbor Islamorada, 80461 Oversees Hwy, Islamorada, FL 33036 on the following vessel: 1993 18’ Bayliner – HIN# USCA39FFF293-- FL# FL5686HJ, last known owner Ted Goldstein. Inspection may take place on Friday February 13, 2026, between 9:00 and 10:00 AM, at Safe Harbor Islamorada, 80461 Oversees Hwy. Islamorada, FL 33036. The vessel will be sold to the highest bidder. Ten percent deposit by cash or cashier's check is due at time of sale; balance by cash or cashier’s check is due by 12:00 PM on Friday February 13, 2026, at which time the vessel shall be removed from the premises by buyer. This sale is pursuant to section §328.17, Florida Statutes.
Publish:
January 15 & 22, 2026
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF NON-JUDICIAL
SALE
"Non-Judicial Sale of Vessel” to take place on Friday February 13, 2026, at 10:00 AM at Safe Harbor Angler House, 80500 Oversees Hwy. Islamorada, FL 33036 on the following vessel: “SNEAKY SALT” 2009 24’ Triton 220 HIN# SXSH0824A909 FL# FL4238PK, last known owner Erik Velazquez. Inspection may take place on Friday February 13, 2026, between 9:00 and 10:00 AM at Safe Harbor Angler House, 80500 Oversees Hwy. Islamorada, FL 33036. The vessel will be sold to the highest bidder. Ten percent deposit by cash or cashier's check is due at time of sale; balance by cash or cashier's check is due by 12:00 PM on Friday February 13, 2026, at which time the vessel shall be removed from the premises by buyer. This sale is pursuant to section §328.17, Florida Statutes.
Publish: January 15 & 22, 2026
The Weekly Newspapers
LEGAL NOTICES
NOTICE OF INTENTION TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF COUNTY ORDINANCE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN that on January 28, 2026, at 9:00 A.M. or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, at the Marathon Government Center, 2798 Overseas Highway, 2nd Floor, Marathon, Florida, 33050, the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida, intends to consider adopting the following ordinance: AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE COUNTY’S CODE OF ORDINANCES, BY AMENDING CHAPTER 13, “FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION,” ARTICLE I, “IN GENERAL,” BY ENACTING SECTION 13-1, “ADOPTION OF MINIMUM FIRE PREVENTION AND LIFE SAFETY CODES” TO INCORPORATE BY REFERENCE THE STATE-MANDATED MINIMUM FIRESAFETY CODE AS FURTHER DESCRIBED THEREIN; AND BY AMENDING ARTICLE II, “FIRE MARSHAL,” SECTION 13-27, “APPOINTMENT, JOB DESCRIPTION,” BY RETITLING THE SECTION TO “LOCAL FIRE OFFICIAL” TO UPDATE TERMINOLOGY; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; AND PROVIDING FOR TRANSMITTAL AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
The proposed ordinance may be inspected by the public at the Monroe County website by viewing the agenda packet for the January 28, 2026, meeting, which will be posted beginning on January 22, 2026 at: https://www. monroecounty-fl.gov/695/ BOCC-Meetings-Agendas. The ordinance may also be viewed at the Monroe County Attorney’s Office at 1111 12th Street, Suite 408, Key West, FL 33040.
The public can participate in the January 28, 2026, meeting of the Board of CommissionersCounty of Monroe County, FL by attending in person or via Zoom. The Zoom link can be found in the agenda at: https://mcbocc.zoom.us /j /89204098700, or Live Closed Captioning is available via the MCTV portal at https://cloud.castus.tv/vod/ monroe/video/60832c9dcf67 bb7ac0c21791?page= HOME&type=live.
ADA ASSISTANCE: If you are a person with a disability who needs special accommodations in order to participate in this proceeding, please contact the County Administrator’s Office, by phoning (305) 292-4441, between the hours of 8:30a.m.—5:00p.m., prior to the scheduled meeting; if you are hearing or voice-impaired, call “711”.
Pursuant to Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes, notice is given that if a person decides to appeal any decision made by the Board of County Commissioners with respect to any matter considered at such meetings or hearings, that person will need a record of the proceedings, and for such purpose, that person will need to ensure that a verbatim record is made of the proceedings, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based. Dated at Key West, Florida, this 16th day of January, 2026. KEVIN MADOK, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Ex Officio Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida Publish: January 22, 2026
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION CASE NO.: 25-CP-538-K IN RE: THE ESTATE OF ALTHEA L. MAUST, Deceased.
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
The administration of the Testate Estate of ALTHEA L. MAUST, deceased, July 22, 2025, is pending in the Circuit Court for MONROE County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040. The file number for the estate is 25-CP-538-K. The estate is testate and the date of the decedent's will is July 21, 2025. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative's attorney are set forth below. All interested persons, including JODY BARTLETT, are required to file with the court WITHIN THREE MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE: (1) all claims against the estate and (2) any objections by an interested person on whom this notice was served that challenges the validity of the will, the qualifications of the personal representative, venue or jurisdiction of the court. ALL CLAIMS AND OBJECTIONS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.
The date of first publication of this Notice is: January 15, 2026.
Personal Representative: Brandie Jean Adamson c/o Samuel J. Kaufman, Esq.
Law Offices of Samuel J. Kaufman, P.A.
3130 Northside Drive Key West, Florida 33040
Attorney for Personal Representative: Samuel J. Kaufman, Esq. Florida Bar No. 0144304
Law Offices of Samuel J. Kaufman, P.A.
3130 Northside Drive Key West, Florida 33040
Email designation for service: Service.Probate@ samkaufmanlaw.com
Telephone: (305) 292-3926
Fax: (305) 295-7947
Publish: January 15, 22 & 29 and February 5, 2026
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 25-CP-493-P
DIVISION: PLANTATION KEY IN RE: ESTATE OF JOSEPH HOVAN
Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of Joseph Hovan, deceased, whose date of death was August 15, 2025, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is Monroe County Clerk of Court, Attn: Probate Department, 88770 Overseas Highway, Suite 2, Plantation Key, Florida 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS
AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.
The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent's death by the decedent or the decedent's surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216-732.228, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. The written demand must be filed with the clerk.
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 January 22, 2026.
Personal Representative: Michael Hovan 675 Monmouth St, Apt 448 Jersey City, New Jersey 07310 Attorney for Personal Representative: Robert K. Miller
Attorney Florida Bar Number: 359173 Cunningham Miller Rhyne PA 10075 Overseas Hwy PO Box 500938 Marathon, FL 33050 Telephone: (305) 743-9428
Fax: (305) 743-8800
E-Mail: service@ floridakeyslaw.com
Secondary E-Mail: rmiller@ floridakeyslaw.com
Publish: January 22 & 29, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION CASE NO.: 2025-CP-570-P IN RE: ESTATE OF SHARON WAMPLER, Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of SHARON WAMPLER, deceased, whose date of death was November 10, 2025, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88770 Overseas Highway, Plantation Key, Florida 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIOD SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.
The date of first publication of this notice is: January 22, 2026. Michael Zachary Wampler
Personal Representative
108 Bee Street
Tavernier, Florida 33070
Rayme L. Suarez, Esq.
Attorney for Personal Representative
Florida Bar No. 0086622
Law Office of Rayme L. Suarez
92400 Overseas Highway, Suite 7
Tavernier, Florida 33070
Email: raymelaw@gmail.com
Secondary email: danrayme@ aol.com
Publish: January 22 & 29, 2026
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
PROBATE DIVISION
FILE NO.: 26-CP-12-K
DIVISION: LOWER KEYS
IN RE: ESTATE OF EDITH C. WAGNER
Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of Edith C. Wagner, deceased, whose date of death was November 29, 2025, is pending in the Circuit Court for MONROE County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, Florida 33040. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.
All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.
The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent's death by the decedent or the decedent's surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216-732.228, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. The written demand must be filed with the clerk. 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: January 22, 2026.
Personal Representative: Lawrence King Wagner, Jr. 22822 John Silver Lane
Cudjoe Key, Florida 33042
Attorney for Personal Representative: Richard E. Warner
Attorney Florida Bar Number: 283134
RICHARD E. WARNER, P.A. 12221 Overseas Highway MARATHON, FL 33050
Telephone: (305) 743-6022
Fax: (305) 743-6216
E-mail: richard@rewarnerlaw. com
Secondary E-Mail: pamela2@ rewarnerlaw.com
Publish: January 22 & 29, 2026
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 25-CP-000518-K IN RE: ESTATE OF OLGA KATHERINE HROSSO
Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS (Summary Administration) TO ALL PERSONS HAVING CLAIMS OR DEMANDS AGAINST THE ABOVE ESTATE:
You are hereby notified that an Order of Summary Administration has been entered in the estate of Olga Katherine Hrosso, deceased, File Number 25-CP-000518-K; by the Circuit Court for MONROE County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 302 Fleming St., Key West, FL 33040; that the decedent’s date of death was September 9, 2025; and that the total value of the estate is $1,660,634.00 and that the names and addresses of those to whom it has been assigned by such order are:
Name/Address
Michael T. Hrosso
464 E. Caribbean Dr. Summerland Key, FL 330424813
ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE NOTIFIED THAT: All creditors of the estate of the decedent and persons having claims or demands against the estate of the decedent other than those for whom provision for full payment was made in the Order of Summary Administration must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702. ALL CLAIMS AND DEMANDS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER APPLICABLE TIME PERIOD, 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 January 15th, 2026.
Attorney for Person Giving Notice:
Charles H Sanford
Attorney Florida Bar Number 702821
3003 Cardinal Dr., Ste B Vero Beach, FL 32963
Telephone: (772) 492-1695
Fax: (772) 492-1697
E-Mail: charleshsanfordlaw@ comcast.net
Secondary E-Mail: captcharlz@ aol.com
Person Giving Notice: Michael T. Hrosso
464 E. Caribbean Dr. Summerland Key, FL 330424813
Publish:
January 15 & 22, 2026
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 25-CP-563-P IN RE: ESTATE OF JEROME L. BAKER, Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of JEROME L. BAKER, deceased, whose date of death was June 27, 2025, File Number 25-CP-563-P is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is Plantation Key Government Center, 88770 Overseas Highway, Suite 2, Plantation Key, FL 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice has been served must file their claims with this Court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE TIME OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIOD SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.
The date of first publication of this notice is: January 15, 2026.
Personal Representative: KATHLEEN K. BAKER
725 North Jade Drive
Key Largo, FL 33037
Attorney for Personal Representative: JOE A. CATARINEAU
Florida Bar Number: 0517291 91750 Overseas Highway Tavernier, FL 33070
Telephone: (305) 852-4833
Publish: January 15 & 22, 2026
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 25-DR-1129-M ANJA MANIKA NATASHA BOWERS SANCHEZ, Petitioner, and ANGEL SANCHEZ, Respondent. NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE (NO CHILD OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT)
TO: ANGEL SANCHEZ
RESPONDENT’S LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: 13370 SW 251ST TERRACE, APT. 1, HOMESTEAD, FL 33032
YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for dissolution of marriage has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on ANJA MANIKA NATASHA BOWERS SANCHEZ , whose address is 68500 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY, LONG KEY, FL 33001 on or before FEBRUARY 14, 2026, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 3117 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY, MARATHON, FL 33050 before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition. The action is asking the court to decide how the following real or personal property should be divided: NONE Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. You may review these documents upon request. You must keep the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office notified of your current address. (You may file Designation of Current Mailing and E-Mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915.) Future papers in this lawsuit will be mailed or e-mailed to the address(es) on record at the clerk’s office. WARNING: Rule 12.285, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, requires certain automatic disclosure of documents and information. Failure to comply can result in sanctions, including dismissal or striking of pleadings.
Dated: January 8, 2026
Kevin Madok, CPA, Clerk
Deputy Clerk Publish: January 15, 22 & 29 and February 5, 2026
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CIVIL DIVISION
Case#: 2012-CA-000363-K Federal National Mortgage Association Plaintiff, -vs.Joseph Patrick Clements a/k/a Joseph P. Clements and Debra Lynn Clements a/k/a Debra L. Clements a/k/a Debbie L. Clements; Branch Banking and Trust Company, Successor by Merger to Republic Bank; Iberiabank; Unknown Parties in Possession #1, If living, and all Unknown Parties claiming by, through, under and against the above named Defendant(s) who are not known to be dead or alive, whether said Unknown Parties may claim an interest as Spouse, Heirs, Devisees, Grantees, or Other Claimants; Unknown Parties in Possession #2, If living, and all Unknown Parties claiming by, through, under and against the above named Defendant(s) who are not known to be dead or alive, whether said Unknown Parties may claim an interest as Spouse, Heirs, Devisees, Grantees, or Other Claimants Defendant(s). NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to order rescheduling foreclosure sale or Final Judgment, entered in Civil Case No. 2012-CA000363-K of the Circuit Court of the 16th Judicial Circuit in and for Monroe County, Florida, wherein Federal National Mortgage Association, Plaintiff and Joseph Patrick Clements a/k/a Joseph P. Clements and Debra Lynn Clements a/k/a Debra L. Clements a/k/a Debbie L. Clements are defendant(s), I, Clerk of Court, Kevin Madok,CPA, will sell to the highest and best bidder for cash AT THE MONROE COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 500 WHITEHEAD STREET, KEY WEST, FL 33040, AT 11:00 A.M. on January 29, 2026, the following described property as set forth in said Final Judgment, to-wit: LOT 23, BLOCK 2, AMENDED PLAT OF COPPITT SUBDIVISION, (A RESUBDIVISION OF PLAT BOOK 3, AT PAGE 116) LOCATED IN GOVERNMENT LOT 5, SECTION 27, TOWNSHIP 67 S., RANGE 26 E., BIG COPPITT KEY, MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA,
SUDOKU SOLUTION BRANCH OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Edward Jones is a financial services firm focused on meeting the needs of individual investors. Our Marathon branch office has an opening for an entry-level administrative assistant. Excellent organization, communication skills, and the ability to work independently are required to perform Administrative, marketing, and client service responsibilities. We offer competitive benefits and a comprehensive on-line training program. To be considered for this position apply online at: careers.edwardjones.com Job #106443BR Marathon, FL Location. Edward Jones does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy, veteran status, genetic information or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.
AS RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 4, AT PAGE 50, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA. ANY PERSON CLAIMING AN INTEREST IN THE SURPLUS FROM THE SALE, IF ANY, OTHER THAN THE PROPERTY OWNER AS OF THE DATE OF THE LIS PENDENS MUST FILE A CLAIM NO LATER THAN THE DATE THAT THE CLERK REPORTS THE FUNDS AS UNCLAIMED.
Florida Rules of Judicial Administration Rule 2.540 Notices to Persons With Disabilities If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact Cheryl Alfonso, ADA Coordinator, Court Operations Manager, 502 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, 305-295-3652 at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.
SPANISH: Si usted es una persona discapacitada que necesita alguna adaptación para poder participar de este procedimiento o evento; usted tiene derecho, sin costo alguno a que se le provea cierta ayuda. Favor de comunicarse con Cheryl Alfonso, Coordinadora de A.D.A Court Operations Manager, 502 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, 305-295-3652 por lo menos 7 días antes de que tenga que comparecer en corte o inmediatamente después de haber recibido ésta notificación si es que falta menos de 7 días para su comparecencia. Si tiene una discapacidad auditiva ó de habla, llame al 711.
KREYOL: Si ou se yon moun ki kokobé ki bezwen asistans ou aparêy pou ou ka patisipé nan prosedu sa-a, ou gen dwa san ou pa bezwen péyé anyen pou ou jwen on seri de èd. Tanpri kontakté Cheryl Alfonso, Co-ordinator ADA, Court Operations Manager, 502 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, 305-295-3652O'mwen 7 jou avan ke ou gen pou-ou parèt nan tribunal, ou imediatman ke ou resevwa avis sa-a ou si lè ke ou gen pou-ou alé nan tribunal-la mwens ke 7 jou; Si ou pa ka tandé ou palé byen, rélé 711.
Kevin Madok, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT Monroe County, Florida By: Shonta McLeod Deputy Clerk of Court Publish: January 15 & 22, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers
AUTOS ALL YEARS! Junk or Used Cars, Vans, Trucks. Runs or Not.$CASH 305-332-0483
BOATS FOR SALE
PLACE YOUR BOAT FOR SALE AD HERE. $25/ week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-743-0844 or Email Anneke@ keysweekly.com
BOAT SLIP FOR RENT
Boat Dockage/ Storage/ Parking available in Marathon. Gated, private bay bottom, up to 40' boat, self containing, offshore water, car & dingy parking space provided. 305-610-8002
Dockage up to 60’ Islamorada - Bayside, 50 amp service. Call 860-982-4517
Boat Slip For Rent in Key Largo - Oceanfront Marina - Up to 46’ x 11.5’ - $20/ft/ month. No Liveaboards. 330-219-5313 RENTED IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!!
PLACE YOUR BOAT SLIP FOR RENT AD HERE. $25/week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-743-0844 or Email Anneke@keysweekly.com
EMPLOYMENT
Administrative Assistant needed in Key West. Perfect for retired individual with property management experience. $35/hour, Part-time, 10-15 hours per month. 219-793-2232
Fullers Insurance is looking for a Customer Service Rep. or Agent. Hours are 8-5 Mon-Fri. Paid holidays and health insurance. Apply in person at 1432 Kennedy Dr. Key West or email resumé to norman@ fullersinsurance.com.
Now Hiring in Key West: Vacation Sales Coordinators. Up to $2,000 Sign-On Bonus. Please contact Brea.RollinsSimms@vacationclub. com for more information!
Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Leslie Rodriguez
Captain part-time position available in Key Largo. Ideal for retired person. Captain Sterling's Everglades Tours 305-395-0033
Specialty Hardware of Marathon - Retired? Have hardware knowledge? Want to keep your brain stimulated? Come see us at Specialty - we are looking for a full or part time person. Hardware knowledge a must. Apply in person at 10730 Overseas Hwy. Marathon 1-305-743-3382.
Boat rental company in Marathon looking for help with boat detailing & boat cleaning. Call 305-481-7006
The Housing Authority of the City of Key West now hiring the following positions: Grounds Caretaker, Full-time Carpenter, Electrician & Housing Assistant. To apply, please contact Human Resources at: greenel@kwha.org or 305-296-5621 ext. 225. Applications are available at the Administrative Office located at 1400 Kennedy Dr., Key West, FL 33040 or online at www.kwha.org - EOE & Drug Free Work Place. This opportunity is covered under Section 3 of the HUD Act of 1968.
Experienced Fulltime Line Cook needed at the Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club. 10AM - 5PM, Good Pay. Small friendly staff. Apply in person at 425 E. Ocean Dr. Key Colony Beach or call 404-2193359 and ask for Dave.
Serve/Bartend on the ocean! The Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club is seeking a customer serviceoriented Server/Bartender. Serve on pool deck, beach and/or bar lounge. Open year round, 9:30am7pm daily. Full time/ Part time. Small friendly staff. Above average hourly wage plus tips. Apply in person at 425 E. Ocean Dr. Key Colony Beach or call 404-2193359 and ask for Dave.
PLACE YOUR EMPLOYMENT AD HERE. $25/week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-743-0844 or Email Anneke@keysweekly.com
PRIVATE COLLECTOR WANTS Rolex, Dive Watches and Pilot Watches. Old Model Military Clocks & Watches. Call 305-743-4578
TURN YOUR CARDS INTO CASH! Marathon collector buying any and all Pokemon cards & collections. Call 401-256-0645.
HOUSING FOR RENT
Key Largo- 6 months+ canal front rental on Blackwater Sound. 40' dockage, 1 BR/1 BA Trailer with 1,000 sq. ft. living area. $2,300/mo. 904-2379090 or 904-338-1207
3BR/2.5BA unfurn. Townhouse (Sister's Creek) for rent in Marathon. $3,000/mo. 618-559-9143
Furnished Studio AND 2 Bedroom unfurnished, all new for rent in Marathon. On the water, gated property. Section 8 possible. $1,300 - $2,000 month. Call 305-610-8002
PLACE YOUR HOUSING FOR RENT AD HERE. $25/ week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-743-0844 or Email Anneke@keysweekly.com
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 CarolineSeaport.com
YARD SALES
PLACE YOUR YARD SALE AD HERE. $25/week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-743-0844 or Email Anneke@keysweekly.com
Keys Energy Services, in Key West, Florida, is accepting applications for the following position in its Transmission & Distribution Department:
SUBSTATION ELECTRICIAN
(High Voltage Substation Electrical Technician)
Starting pay rate for this position, depending on qualifications and experience: $46.38/hr. - $51.94/hr. For more information, including job duties and required qualifications, and to apply for the job, please visit their website at www.KeysEnergy.com.
KEYS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. KEYS promotes a Drug-Free Workplace.
Certain service members, veterans, the spouses and family members of service members and veterans, receive preference and priority in employment, and are encouraged to apply for positions being filled.
Keys Energy Services, in Key West, Florida, is accepting applications for the following position in its Generation Department:
OPERATOR/MAINTAINER
Starting pay rate for this position, depending on qualifications and experience: $40.15/hr - $44.97/hr
For more information, including job duties and required qualifications, and to apply for the job, please visit their website at www.KeysEnergy.com.
KEYS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. KEYS promotes a Drug-Free Workplace.
Certain service members, veterans, the spouses and family members of service members and veterans, receive preference and priority in employment, and are encouraged to apply for positions being filled.
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.
BOAT RENTAL STAFF
Flexible hours & competitive wages. Need to have experience driving boats and a working knowledge of the Islamorada area by water. Duties include taking reservations, giving captains lessons and routine boat maintenance.
Email Ma at islamarinama @gmail.com Please include contact information and any relevant experience.
PERMIT CLERK
Must have experience with Excel. We are willing to train the right candidates.
D'Asign Source is seeking the following professionals. Overtime and benefits are available.
Home Décor Sales Consultant
Seeking a passionate, customerfocused individual with sales and customer service experience. Creativity and interest in home décor a must. Join our team and help customers bring their spaces to life.
Junior Accountant
Seeking a detail-oriented Junior Accountant with basic accounting knowledge and strong organizational skills. Responsibilities include data entry, reconciliations, and assisting with financial reports. Accounting qualification or relevant experience preferred.
Working Project Construction Foreman
For complete details and to apply, please visit DAsignSource.com/careers
MARATHON GARBAGE SERVICE
JOIN A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE NONPROFIT HELPING PEOPLE COPE AND CHANGE FOR 52 YEARS!
We provide Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs to the Florida Keys community while valuing and rewarding our employees. KEY
Lead Certified Recovery Peer Support Specialist
Behavioral Health Counselor (CAT)
Prevention Specialist
Case Manager (Adult)
KEY WEST
Case Manager (Children)
Mental Health Technician (PT or FT)
Behavioral Health Therapist (Adult, Children) Crisis Counselor
Behavioral Health Counselor (Children) Prevention Specialist
MARATHON
Mental Health Technician
Peer Support Specialist Driver (CDL required)
HR Assistant/Recruiter
Registered Nurse (FT, PT)
*Support Worker (Assisted Living) (PT)
*Behavioral Health Technicians – 3 Shifts (PT)
*No experience required for this position. Will train. A caring heart & helpful hands necessary.
- Get Involved/ Join our team/Job Opportunities/location/zip
OPENINGS AVAILABLE
PHYSICIAN PRACTICE OPENINGS
- Medical Assistant Ortho,
- Medical Assistant, Primary Care Marathon, $5k Bonus
- Patient Access Associates,
MIAMI CANCER INSTITUTE KEY WEST
- Pool Radiation Therapist
- Registered Nurse, Oncology,
TAVERNIER MARINERS HOSPITAL
- Administrative Assistant
- Clinical Pharmacist,
- Cook, Dietary, $5k Bonus
- Exercise Physiologist, Per Diem
- MC Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, CT Scan, $50k Bonus
- Mechanic, FT, 7A-3:30P
- Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, Echocardiography, Per Diem
- Multi-Modality Imaging Tech 1, (Mammo & X Ray), Radiology,
- Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, MRI,
- Physical Therapist,
- Pool Clinical Pharmacist, Per Diem
- Pool Group Exercise Instructor, Per Diem
- Pool Medical Technologist
- Pool Pharmacy Tech
- Pool Registered Nurse, Cardiac Rehab
- Registered Nurse, Multispecialty Acute Care Center, PT
- Registered Nurse, Surgery,
MARATHON FISHERMEN’S COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
- ED Team Coordinator, 7P-7A
- Inventory Control Administrator, Keys/Marathon Supply Chain
- MC Multi-Modality Imaging Tech 2, (MRI & X Ray), Radiology,
- Registered Nurse, Emergency Department, Per Diem
- Registered Nurse, Multispecialty Acute Care, Per Diem, 7P-7:30A
DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER is a fun, environmentally friendly non-profit 501(c)(3) organization specializing in education, research, and rescue of marine mammals.
DRC provides for the well-being of its employees with a competitive package including: a 401k retirement plan, medical benefits, HSA account, paid holidays/vacation/sick days, an employee assistance program, in addition to, life and disability insurance at no cost to the employee. EOE
- Registered Nurse, Multispecialty Acute Care, Part Time, 7P-7:30A
Proudly serving Key West to Islamorada as the ONLY locally owned and operated concrete company in the Florida Keys.
Whether you’re building a large commercial building, FDOT bridge, or a customdesigned home, we have concrete mix designs for every project. Thanks to decades of experience, our team can create custom mixes with high-quality additives for specific project needs. We offer the largest variety of materials and operate the only FDOT-certified ready-mix plants in the Florida Keys. Call us for all ready-mix concrete, block, aggregate, rebar and bagged good needs.
