Marathon Weekly 25-0605

The waterfront one

First time on the market in 49 years, this exceptional home is a gem located on the Sombrero Golf Course. Boasting over 110 ft of pristine waterfront, 50-ft wood dock, 12,000 lb boat lift, and 120+ ft wide deep-draft canal, this is a true haven for both avid boaters and golf enthusiasts. Designed with timeless vision and concrete construction, the home spans over 3,000 interior sq ft with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, nestled on a beautifully landscaped 11,950 sq ft lot. From the moment you arrive, the lush tropical grounds, elegant landscape lighting, and brick-paved circular driveway set the tone. The detached 30 x 30 ft double car garage offers immense storage, a workshop, and even a full second level for additional space. Inside, a gracious foyer and wood staircase lead you to the expansive open living space, where walls of glass invite sweeping water views and golden sunsets. The full-width screened porch is perfect for indoor-outdoor living. The gourmet kitchen is a chef's dream, featuring a Wolf six-burner gas cooktop, oven, Subzero refrigerator and freezer, generous prep space, built-in cabinetry, and charming retro tile backsplash illuminated by a skylight. The primary suite offers a tranquil retreat with a walk-in closet, updated ensuite bath, and nearby private office. Downstairs, discover three more bedrooms, full bathroom, laundry area, and versatile bonus space—ideal for an art studio or second living area. Outdoors, host unforgettable gatherings beneath two tiki huts on the expansive waterfront deck with room for a future pool. With recent updates including concrete restoration, mangrove trimming, and a 24kW whole-house generator with 500-gallon propane tank—this legacy property is ready to elevate your waterfront lifestyle.

9709 Overseas Hwy. Marathon, FL 33050

Office: 305.743.0844 www.keysweekly.com

Publisher / Jason Koler jason@keysweekly.com

Publishing Partner / Britt Myers britt@keysweekly.com

Marathon Editor / Alex Rickert alex@keysweekly.com

Staff Writers

Jim McCarthy jim@keysweekly.com

Mandy Miles mandy@keysweekly.com

Copy Editor / Mike Howie mike@keysweekly.com

Business Development

Patti Childress patti@keysweekly.com

Production Manager Anneke Patterson anneke@keysweekly.com

Executive Administrator Charlotte Hruska char@keysweekly.com

Graphic Design

Javier Reyes javier@keysweekly.com

Irene de Bruijn irene@keysweekly.com

Diana Striker

Web Master / Travis Cready travis@keysweekly.com

Classifieds / Anneke Patterson anneke@keysweekly.com 305.743.0844

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.

All stories, photos, and graphics are copyrighted materials.

POSTMASTER:

SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO THE KEYS WEEKLY, 9709 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY, MARATHON FL 33050

News Deadline Tuesday Noon

Advertising Deadline Tuesday 2 p.m.

@KeysWeekly

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Members of

2,541

The 2025 Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers will see some serious travel. The two teams, which appeared in last year’s Stanley Cup, will travel 2,541 miles — the longest distance ever for a Stanley Cup final. This surpassed the previous record of 2,500 miles set in 2011 between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins.

Following reports that the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office was excluded from investigating an alleged cocaine ring in the Keys due to a leak, Sheriff Rick Ramsay tells a different side to the story.

See below

SHERIFF DISPUTES LEAK ALLEGATIONS IN COCAINE RING CASE Prosecutors

claim MCSO was ‘systematically excluded’ from operations

ALEX RICKERT alex@keysweekly.com

New court filings claim that the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office was “intentionally and systematically” excluded for years from investigating a cocaine distribution ring in the Keys. But Sheriff Rick Ramsay is wholly refuting that idea, saying the new development is the culmination of brewing tensions between his office and a single FBI agent.

In May, prosecutors unsuccessfully attempted to revoke the $250,000 bond of 43-year-old John Strama Jr., the alleged head of the ring who was originally arrested in a September 2024 roundup along with 26 co-defendants.

Court documents filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. McLaughlin in the denied motion cited numerous alleged violations of Strama’s release conditions, including continued drug trafficking activity, contact with codefendants and reported attempts to threaten or intimidate potential witnesses or informants.

Of particular interest: a memorandum by U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne in support of the bond revocation motion, in which a partially-redacted footnote claimed the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office was “intentionally and systematically excluded from the FBI’s multi-year underlying investigation.”

According to the memo, FBI spe-

cial agent Matthew Ward suspected Strama was “tipped off” by an unnamed MCSO official who Ward had called on his way to a Metro PCS cell phone store in Marathon on April 17. Ward attempted to retrieve security camera footage of an alleged confrontation the day before between Strama and co-defendant Nyran Ross, who had recently pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with investigators.

But about 30 minutes after Ward’s call to the MCSO official, the document said, Strama arrived at the store with Ward still inside. Minutes after Ward left the store, security footage shows, Strama entered, reportedly asking the clerk whether Ward had inquired about him.

“If the FBI believed one of my people was leaking information, they would have presented that person before the grand jury, and they would have been arrested as a coconspirator.”

According to NBC 6 South Florida, which earlier this week published a lengthy report on Strama’s bond proceedings, Rabin later stated in court that he had spoken with Strama four hours before the encounter. Rabin said he told Strama to go to the store to “see if there were videos or cameras,” to which McLaughlin replied, “I am not really buying that.”

Speaking to the Weekly by phone on June 3, Ramsay roundly refuted the claims against his agency and said he was completely unaware of the reported suspicions about MCSO until contacted for a comment by NBC.

After that call, Ramsay said, he contacted supervisors at the FBI’s Miami office directly, later arranging an in-person meeting with Ward and FBI supervisors to ask whether there was a question of a breach of trust between the agencies and even filing a complaint against Ward.

“(The Miami office) said, ‘we don’t know what you’re talking about,’” said Ramsay. “If the FBI believed one of my people was leaking information, they would have presented that person before the grand jury, and they would have been arrested as a coconspirator.”

Ramsay told the Weekly that he has yet to be provided with the identity of an employee within MCSO to launch his own investigation, comparing the recent case to an August 2024 incident in which he fired then-deputy Jennifer Ketcham when a self-instigated internal investigation showed she had allegedly leaked information to suspected drug dealers.

A leak in this case, he added, would have been impossible by definition if his agency was entirely excluded

continued on page 35

Rick Ramsay Monroe County Sheriff

City

City Council Items

*A. Approval of Minutes

B. Juneteenth Proclamation

C. Florida Hero Andrew Heise (Councilmember Still)

*D. Budget Calendar

City Manager Report

*A. MCSO Marathon Substation Report

*B. Grants Update

*C. Public Works Report

*D. Park and Recreation Report

*E. Marathon Fire Rescue Report

*F. Marina Report

*G. Code Report

*H. Wastewater Utilities Report

*I. Building Report

Resolutions For Adoption

*A. Resolution 2025-52, Providing Recommendations From The Potential Solution List Of Projects Within Appendix G Of The Approved U. S. 1 Transportation Master Plan To Improve Traffic Flow, Alleviate Congestion, Improve Safety And Assist In Improving The Level Of Service On U.S. 1.

*B. Resolution 2025-53, Amending A Grant Agreement With The Florida Department Of Environmental Protection For the City of Marathon Service Area 3 Wastewater Treatment Facility Expansion; Authorizing The City Manager To Execute The Grant Amendment On Behalf Of The City; And Providing For An Effective Date.

C. Resolution 2024-54 Authorizing The Appropriation Of $15,000 To FIRM (Fair Insurance Rates For Monroe) With The Intent That This Amount Should Become A Part Of An

Annual Budget Appropriation Until Otherwise Rescinded; Authorizing The City Manager To Sign The Appropriation To FIRM; And Providing An Effective Date

*D. Resolution 2025-55, Waiving The City’s Purchasing Policies And Procedures And Approving Change Order #1 to A Sole Source Purchase Of Wastewater Treatment Membrane Upgrades For Service Area 5 Wastewater Treatment Facility From Kubota Membrane USA, In An Amount Not To Exceed $104,107.00; Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Purchase Orders Expend Budgeted Funds On Behalf Of The City; And Providing For An Effective Date

*E. Resolution 2025-56, Authorizing A “Piggy-Back” Purchase Pursuant To The City’s Purchasing Policies And Procedures And Approving The Purchase Of Two Chevrolet Silverado, one 1500 and one 2500 Vehicle Under Florida Sheriffs' Association Host Sheriff Procurement HCS-AVP1.0 From Stingray Chevrolet In An Amount Not To Exceed $103,452.95; Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into Agreements In Connection Therewith, Appropriating And Expending Funds; And Providing For An Effective Date.

*F.Resolution 2025-57, Approving And Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into An Agreement With Carlos Garcia, Attention Media LLC To Provide Public Information Officer (PIO) Services for The City of Marathon In An Amount Not To Exceed $49,500 For A Six Month Period; And Providing For An Effective Date.

KEYS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE MOVES TO FOUR-DAY WEEK

Florida Keys Electric Cooperative is now open four days a week.

The nonprofit, member-owned utility service for the Upper and Middle Keys changed its business hours to operate Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. effective June 2. And that means FKEC will be closed on Fridays.

FKEC says it is committed to delivering reliable, safe and affordable electric service to the Upper and Middle Keys — while continuing to provide personalized, hometown service.

Outside of FKEC business hours, emergency operators are available 24/7 at 305-852-2431, and online services are always open. FKEC’s dispatch center and line crews also remain prepared to respond to power outages or any service emergency around the clock.

Concerns or questions about coordinating an inspection, connect/disconnect or other requests can be made by contacting FKEC at 305-852-2431 or member.service@fkec.com.

The utility asks community contractors and other business partners to note updates related to FKEC engineering services:

• Engineering hours: All inspections, utility coordination and related requests should be scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

• Requests outside of standard hours: When possible, FKEC will continue to support emergency needs and requests for inspections or utility work outside of regular office hours. Overtime call-out fees will apply to cover additional staffing and operational costs on Fridays, weekends or holidays.

• Inspection coordination notice: Coordinate all inspection requests at least 24 hours in advance. FKEC may be unable to accommodate requests with less than 24 hours notice, and expedited service charges may apply if fulfilled.

• Plan review timeline: There are no changes to the plan review schedule. The standard turnaround of 10 to 15 business days remains in effect.

More information is at fkec. com/services/new-construction, 305-852-2431 or engineering@ fkec.com.

— Keys Weekly staff report

GREATER MARATHON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

AFTER HOURS

Who: Lighthouse Kitchen & Bar

When: Wednesday, June 11th 5:30pm - 7:30PM

Where: 1996 Overseas Highway

What: Great networking, food & beverages; come promote your business and meet Marathon business owners, executives, and leaders!

• Grilled Ribeye Steak Sandwiches

• Grilled Bratwurst

• Chili Cheese Dogs

• Blackened Dolphin Sandwiches

• BBQ Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

• Bacon Wrapped Scallops

• Bacon Wrapped Lobster

• Barbecue Baby Back Ribs

DRINK

•

When: Tuesday, June 17th 12pm - 1pm

Where: Faro Blanco Resort Conference Room 1996 Overseas Highway Topic:

Speaker: Cory Schwisow, Emergency Management Director

Topic: Storm Season Prep &Tips for Businesses

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK! Mon - Fri 11am to Close | Sat & Sun 10am to Close

CITY DIVVIES UP $149K IN GRANTS

$7 Menu

• Chicken wings, chicken livers and More!

• 32 beers on tap 1/2 off 2pm - 3pm

uengling

* $2 Pints of Yuengling and Bud Light!

BREAKFAST SERVED UNTIL 2PM

• Unique & interesting menu

• $3 Mimosas • $5 Breakfast Shots

LUNCH & DINNER

• New Sandwich Options

• Diver Speared Local Fish

• Prime Rib • Lobster

• Cook Y

• Great Seafood Selections

SUSHI

• Toro • Lionfish • Poke • Hamachi collar

• Fresh Uni arrives on

ALEX RICKERT alex@keysweekly.com

total of $149,000 will fund vital initiatives for Middle Keys nonprofits this summer, courtesy of grants officially approved at the Marathon City Council’s May 27 workshop session.

The third annual funding cycle, brought back in 2023 for the first time since Hurricane Irma, saw 35 groups apply for grants. Their requests totaled $362,852 – an average request of just over $10,000 per organization.

The nonprofit awards are drawn from the city’s general fund. Marathon elected to resume its earlier practice of providing nonprofit funding two years ago, beginning with a pool of $100,000 in 2023 before increasing the total awards to $150,000 in 2024 and 2025. Organizations receiving funding represented a wide variety of services offered to the Marathon community,

Nonprofits requesting funding were given an opportunity to address the Marathon City Council directly to present their requests in April before the close of applications, when submissions were reviewed and scored by council members.

Groups were required to show proof of fulfilling needed services within the city with little to no duplication by other organizations, providing high-quality and cost-efficient programs while demonstrating administrative and financial stability. While none of the applicants was denied funding this year, a request from Fair Insurance Rates Monroe (FIRM) was withdrawn in favor of introducing an annual contribution from the city as a budgeted expense.

Protect Your HEALTH

Early Cancer Screening Saves Lives

The Florida Department of Health in Monroe County encourages all residents to get screened early. Talk to your primary care doctor and ask what preventive cancer screenings are recommended for you.

SCREENING RECOMMENDATIONS

Breast Cancer

Annual mammograms start at age 40.

Consider earlier screening if you have a family history of breast cancer.

Colon Cancer

Begin annual stool-based screening at age 45.

Ask about colonoscopy or stool-based tests.

Cervical Cancer

Annual Pap tests start at age 21. Start co-testing (Pap and HPV) every ve years from ages 30–65.

Skin Cancer

Monthly self-exams start in your 20s. Begin annual full-body exams by age 35, or earlier if you are high-risk.

Prostate Cancer

Talk to your doctor at age 50, or 45 if you’re Black or have a family history of prostate cancer.

CLASS OF 2025 TURNS THE PAGE

Marathon High School celebrates graduation

Arecord-breaking class of 122 students meant a packed house and a pivot to the school’s gymnasium to celebrate graduation for the Marathon High School Class of 2025 on May 29.

Principal Christine Paul hailed the achievements of students she’s known since her days at Stanley Switlik Elementary – a class who collectively earned more than $2,345,000 in scholarships to fund their future endeavors.

“From academic achievement to athletic triumphs, from artistic excellence to acts of quiet kindness, you have shown time and again what it means to lead with heart and integrity,” she said.

Retiring superintendent Theresa Axford praised Marathon’s “wonderful school climate,” complimenting students for their warm and welcoming nature while achieving a class GPA of 3.29 and doubling Marathon’s scholarship total from the previous year.

“Be bold, be kind, be curious and never forget where you came from or the people who helped you,” she said.

Salutatorian David Ornelas urged the class to write their own stories in “a brand new book” of the future, never being afraid to ask for help when needed. He acknowledged a list of impactful educators from his own journey, closing by drawing a raucous round of applause from the gathered crowd as he addressed his parents directly in Spanish.

“These achievements are as much mine as they are theirs,” he said. “Their story is my foundation, and their strength will guide me in every chapter that follows.”

Valedictorian Vida Pereira likened the strength and beauty of her classmates to that of diamonds, asking them to “find other diamonds, and they will welcome you with open arms. Sometimes, the greatest treasures are found in the most unexpected places.”

“I urge each one of you to reflect on what we’ve accomplished together as a class,” added class president Gabriella Gutierrez. “Channel that energy into pursuing your passions and making a difference, not only for yourselves but for those around you.”

1. Caps fly from a freshly-graduated Class of 2025.

2. Principal Christine Paul congratulates the Class of 2025.

3. Retiring superintendent Theresa Axford gives a final message to Marathon students.

4. Salutatorian David Ornelas addresses the class.

5. Valedictorian Vida Pereira delivers her speech.

6. Class president Gabriella Gutierrez gives her final speech.

7. Alejandro Gonzalez-Gamez hypes up the crowd.

8. Daniela Gonzalez waves to the crowd.

9. Fabbiannho Louis Jeune shows off some dance moves.

LOOKING FOR LOOKING FOR EE KIDS MEALS

KEY WEST WEATHER EXPERTS OFFER REASSURANCE

Despite federal staffing cuts, Keys forecast office is ready for storm season

MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

With the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season in its first week, national news headlines have drawn attention to staffing cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which oversees the National Weather Service (NWS), an essential agency for hurricane forecasting and warning coordination.

The weather service lost nearly 600 positions following funding cuts ordered by the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency, which until this week was initiated and led by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk.

The NWS reported on June 3 that it was taking steps to rehire or newly hire 100 positions to stabilize the agency.

But that didn’t stop TV meteorologist John Morales from interrupting his on-air forecast on June 2 to issue a dire warning about how the staffing and funding cuts could affect his agency’s efforts during hurricane season.

“As you’ve grown accustomed to my presentations over my 34 years in South Florida, I went on TV and told you, confidently, ‘(The storm) is going to turn. You don’t need to worry,’” he told his NBC viewers in Miami. “I’m here to tell you I’m not sure I can do that this year. Because of the cuts — the gutting, the sledgehammer attack on science in general.“

While Morales spoke, the screen behind him flashed statistics, showing that the Central and South Florida National Weather Service is 19%-39% understaffed. He added that the cuts have also led to a 17% reduction in weather balloon launches across the United States.

What does all this mean for the Florida Keys, an island chain that’s particularly vulnerable to hurricanes, and where residents, government officials and business owners have come to know and rely heavily on local meteorologists

Despite federal staffing and funding cuts, the National Weather Service’s Key West forecast office on White Street is prepared and ready for the 2025 hurricane season, meteorologist-in-charge Chip Kasper told the Keys Weekly this week. CONTRIBUTED

and forecasters Chip Kasper and Jon Rizzo?

Kasper, the meteorologistin-charge at the Key West office, offered reassurances to the Keys Weekly on June 3, saying the NWS Key West forecast office is open, operational and fully prepared for the 2025 hurricane season. Kasper added that the Keys community will not notice any changes in the way the agency handles storm forecasting, predictions, warnings or emergency responses.

He declined to comment on the specific staffing levels or say whether the Key West office has been subject to any staff reductions, referring such questions to federal officials.

But, Kasper emphasized, the National Weather Service has maintained an observation and forecast office in Key West since the federal agency was established in 1870 — and that won’t change.

He also said that despite some reductions in weather balloon launches in other parts of the country, the Key West office continues to launch two weather balloons per day to record and track key weather data points.

STILL MOVES FAST

Former mayor becomes first candidate in 2025 city council race

ALEX RICKERT alex@keysweekly.com

Continuing her trend from 2022, Marathon councilwoman Robyn Still became the first candidate to file for the 2025 city council race last week, turning in her candidate materials to the Supervisor of Elections office on May 30.

“I am running for re-election so I can continue to represent everyday working residents of our city,” she told the Weekly. “I am a small business owner, a parent and an involved community member. I feel that I am able to represent all of our residents respectfully and fairly.”

Still touted her support during her first term for software that aided in holding vacation rental properties accountable for code violations. She cited an upcoming skate park rebuild at Marathon Community Park and stormwater drainage project on Sombrero Boulevard as initiatives she’s eager to see through to completion on a timely schedule.

Still’s three years on the council began in January 2022, when she was appointed to fill recently-resigned councilman Trevor Wofsey’s post. She officially filed for the 2022 race two months later, securing the secondhighest vote total from a field of nine candidates with 1,603 (15.62%) that November. She served as Marathon mayor from late 2023 to late 2024.

The Marathon City Council could see up to three new faces this fall, as seats held by Still, Vice Mayor Jeff Smith and Mayor Lynn Landry are all up for re-election. Councilman Kenny Matlock, also elected in 2022 to a shortened term, was re-elected in 2024 along with councilwoman Lynny Del Gaizo. At press time, Smith and Landry had yet to officially announce re-election campaigns.

The qualifying week for city council candidates in the 2025 election runs from Aug. 5 to 12, according to Supervisor of Elections Sherri Hodies’ website, with the election taking place on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Marathon councilwoman Robyn Still, left, turns in election materials to Bill Spizzirri at the Monroe County Supervisor of Elections office in Marathon on May 30. ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly

• Property tax bills for the first installment of 2025 were mailed out and are due by June 30. If the first installment is not paid by July 31, then you will be removed from the plan.

• Delinquent tangible taxes for 2024 must be paid by June 30 or a tax warrant will become e ective on July 1.

• Local business tax renewals will be mailed out at the end of June for the 2026 business cycle.

• Specialty license plates and pre-sale vouchers are available for purchase directly through our website.

City Council Meeting

6/10/25 5:30pm Marathon Council Chambers, 9805 Overseas Hwy.

Code Compliance Hearing

6/12/25 2:00pm Marathon Council Chambers, 9805 Overseas Hwy.

Planning Commission Meeting

6/16/2 5 5:30pm Marathon Council Chambers, 9805 Overseas Hwy.

City Council

6/24/25

• As a reminder, online rental platforms (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.) DO NOT remit the 5% tourist development tax to our o ce. It is the homeowner’s responsibility to ensure the tax has been remitted.

• A property that is being rented out for six months or less must have a tourist development tax account.

• All rental properties must also have a local business tax, regardless of how long they are being rented.

Follow us on for more imortant tax information.

SCOOBY

1-year-old male husky mix.

Looking for: Fun, adventure and plenty of long walks.

Turnoffs: I have some stranger danger – let’s get to know each other first.

SWIPE RIGHT

Adorable furry faces are waiting for families at the Florida Keys SPCA

Keys Weekly is thrilled each week to showcase some “furever” friends that are ready, waiting and available for their perfect adoption “match” at the Florida Keys SPCA’s Marathon campus – complete with their best qualities, preferences and turnoffs to ensure the best fit.

From cats and dogs to Guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, reptiles and birds, the perfect addition to your family is waiting for you at one of the SPCA’s two campuses, in Key West and Marathon. 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.

See all the animals waiting for a home at fkspca.org. To contact the Marathon campus, call 305-743-4800 or visit 10550 Aviation Blvd.

ZARA

1-year-old domestic medium hair.

Looking for: I’m a gentle, loving cat seeking equally loving family.

Turnoffs: So far, nothing.

ASTER

2-month-old kitten.

Looking for: There are lots of great kittens looking for homes right now.

Turnoffs: Nothing, I’m just a baby.

Hurricane fosters needed! With hurricane season upon us, the SPCA needs volunteers and fosters in case of a storm. Over 100 animals would need to be evacuated, so it is crucial they all have homes in place before an impending storm. The SPCA provides everything you need; all you do is give an animal a safe haven during the storm and return them to the shelter once it's safe – that is, if you don't fall in love. For more information on becoming a hurricane foster, visit https://fkspca.org/volunteer/become-a-foster-volunteer/ or call 305-743-4800.

WOMAN UP

Annual community dance showcase honors ladies of the arts

After walking through halls and walls honoring the most “bada**” ladies in history at Marathon Community Theatre this weekend, guests will be treated to a celebration of women’s empowerment on stage with “Tah Dance: Woman Up.”

The 15th annual community dance showcase, directed by Katharine Egan and Cailin Harrell, brings together an all-ages cast of more than two dozen dancers for 20-plus routines spanning the musical decades.

Jazz numbers, tap dancing, lyrical flows and more are backed by tunes ranging from Wicked’s “Defying Gravity” to Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off” and Nelly Furtado’s “Maneater” for the all-female cast, with plenty of stun-

ning solos and group numbers mixed together throughout the program.

Along with the theatre’s own dance classes, Tah Dance adds performances by Marathon’s Prodigy Dance Center, Big Pine-based Island Groove Dance Studio and Tavernier’s On Your Toes Dance Studio.

“This year’s annual dance show highlights the outstanding contributions of local female artists to the performing arts community here in the heart of the Florida Keys,” said Harrell. “We are so proud of how hard our dancers have worked to create an amazing, fun show for the community.”

“Dancing together is a way for us to celebrate the amazing women that make up the MCT dance department and neighboring dance studios,” said Egan. “The theme for this year is our way of saying thank you for your years put into the Florida Keys dance community and for lifting each other up.”

Tah-Dance runs on Friday and Saturday, June 6 and 7 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $17 including fees and can be purchased at www.marathontheater.org or by calling 305-743-0994.

Bright costumes, catchy tunes and a variety of dance styles fill the program for Tah Dance: Woman Up, on stage this weekend at Marathon Community Theatre. Top row, from left: Katharine Egan, Kayla Merrill, Gen Schaver, Sharon Young. Second row: Nan Young, Cailin Harrell, Sharla Sugierski. Third row: Charla Garrison and Kristin Reed. ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly

Rotary Report

A donation from the Rotary Club of Marathon helped fund the rst-ever state championship trip for “Team Ruckus” of Ruckus Robotics, a Marathon-based program for local youth with a passion for robotics. Earlier this year, local robotics a cionados competed against teams throughout the state in their rookie year, thanks in part to nancial support from the Rotary Club of Marathon.

Ruckus Robotics, established in 2024, allows kids ages eight through 18 to develop team-building skills by brainstorming robot concepts, learning 3D modeling and printing, and getting hands-on experience testing and battling their creations. The young innovators re ne their designs to competition standards and enter combat robotics showdowns across Florida, competing as “Team Ruckus.”

“It’s not an easily accessible activity,” said Catherine Snowden, mother of Tanner Snowden, who came up with the idea for the program. “But with the help of donations, like ones from the Rotary Club and other sponsors, we are able to have no registration fee and make it free for anyone who would like to join. Having experience on the Ruckus Robotics team also opens the door for college scholarships for these children.”

The group had a remarkable rst year, excelling in tournaments which allowed them to advance the state championship.

“We couldn’t have done that without this donation and support of our community,” Snowden said. “To get to that point and do it as rookies is a big deal. Now our goal is to make it to a world championship.”

For more information on what we do and how you can join the “Irresistible Marathon Rotary Club”, visit our website Marathonrotary org or scan the QR Code.

Monday: Men’s Breakfast 7am at Irie Island Eats. Tuesday: Sisters in Christ 9:45am.

MOVIES, SHARKS & MOVIES ABOUT SHARKS

... 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.

Key West and the Florida Keys have a bit of a film history – “The Rose Tattoo,” “Criss Cross,” “Operation Petticoat,” “Miami Vice.” Like a lot of Keys history, there are highs and lows. My favorite of these movies may not be well made, but it gives glimpses into the Key West of yore.

For instance, “Cuba Crossing” was a low-budget movie filmed down here. It is also sometimes called “Assignment: Kill Castro” and “Sweet Dirty Tony,” because it was allegedly based on the exploits of Capt. Tony Tarracino. And maybe it was. He appears in the film as a rider on horseback. But the movie was so incoherent it’s hard to say for sure. They shot a lot of scenes at Captain Tony’s Saloon, complete with drag queens, sailors getting cruised in the bathroom, attractive young waitresses and a bar brawl that I’m pretty sure was choreographed by the same people who did the one in “Airplane!,” which also came out in 1980. Also, whenever the main character drives around town, someone says, “Hey, Captain Tony!”

The movie had Robert Vaughn from “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” in it, as well as Michael V. Gazzo, who earned an Oscar nomination for his role in “The Godfather, Part II,” though in this movie he mostly smoked cigars and laughed maniacally at his own jokes to fill up empty parts of the script. What it lacked in plot and direction, it (almost) made up for in yore-ness. There were scenes shot at a bunch of different marinas, at Fort Zachary Taylor before it was a state park, and at the old tower at the old Turtle Kraals. There was a long helicopter tracking shot of a woman driving an era-appropriate pink Thunderbird across the old Bahia Honda bridge. Also there were cameos by Iguana Man (See: “The Key West Picture Show”) and Joy Hawkins (See: Red Barn Theatre).

The 1987 movie ”Russkies,” starring Joaquin (then Leaf) Phoenix, Peter Billingsley (“You’ll shoot your eye out” Ralphie), and, unexpectedly, singer/songwriter/goddess Carole King, looks to have been almost completely shot in Key West, and gives a nice sense of the town midway between the hippie/drug smuggling era and fullblown tourism.

The kids ride their bikes around Sigsbee, Clinton Square Market, Clinton Place (because it’s not a square), the Audubon House, Key West Bight and a lot of trailer parks and backstreets. They also race go-carts at the late-lamented Magic Carpet Golf. There were so many background actors that I was pretty sure I would recognize someone, though I never did.

My wife and I have a multi-decade argument about whether Timothy Dalton was a good James Bond, and whether “License to Kill” was a good James Bond movie. I’m on the not-good side. The movie does have some good Keys parts. Particularly at the beginning, which starts with Bond and CIA agent Felix Leiter jumping onto a plane at the airstrip on Sugarloaf to keep a notorious drug dealer from escaping, peaks with them subduing said notorious drug dealer after they attached his getaway plane to a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter in midair, and ends with Bond and Leiter parachuting down onto Truman Avenue, so Leiter can go into Saint Mary’s and get married.

It also predates the whole vehicle-crashingoff the Seven Mile Bridge thing that would later become such a big deal in “True Lies.” Although, unlike “True Lies,” it didn’t inspire the audience to cheer when Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis were saved, while the Lower Keys got nuked.

I could probably go on for pages about how much I love Tom McGuane’s 1972 movie “92 in the Shade,” based on his second-best Key West novel of the same name. But I am 633 words into a newspaper column, writing about locally filmed movies when I am supposed to be writing about wildlife.

How did I end up here? Well, it’s been raining for days, which makes it hard to go out and look at birds. And my good binoculars are broken. And six to eight other excuses.

Also, because I read something recently about a movie called “Mako: The Jaws of Death,” which came out in 1976. It was an early sharksploitation film riding the coattails of “Jaws,” which came out the year before. No one else I knew had ever heard of it, but IMDB and Wikipedia said it was filmed in Key West. And sharks count as wildlife, even if I don’t know much about them. Looking at the movie poster, I think “Mako” was added to the title so they didn’t get sued.

So I watched it. For research purposes.

It starred a character actor named Richard Jaeckel, who had 194 screen credits between 1943 and 1997. He was nominated for an Academy Award for a role next to Paul Newman in “Sometimes a Great Notion.” He ended his career with a 28-episode run on “Baywatch.” Sadly, he was not given a lot to work with in “Mako: The Jaws of Death.”

The other notable actor was Harold Sakata, known to most people as Odd Job, the bodyguard/assassin who lived to behead people with his steel-brimmed bowler in “Goldfinger.” His character mostly laughed at his own jokes to fill out the script.

“Mako: The Jaws of Death” is essentially the story of a man who isn’t out to kill sharks — twist! — but to protect them. Sometimes he kills sportfishermen who hunt them. He has a necklace given to him by a holy man in the Pacific who made sharks trust him.

He lives on an out island in a shack with a hatch in the floor that he can lift to talk with and feed his shark friends, who are always swimming below. Despite his homicidal tendencies, he is a trusting man. He lends one shark to a sexy “aquanaut” who swims in kind of a Weeki Wachee scenario in a tank with windows above a roadside dive bar, after she is told she either has to swim with a shark or swim naked. He lends another favorite pregnant shark to a scientist who wears a kerchief and a short-sleeved safari jacket. Both of them betray him.

He goes mad during a hurricane and ends up ripping off his necklace and committing suicide by shark. (Sorry if that’s a spoiler. But the movie has been out for 49 years.)

The most impressive thing about the movie is that it was largely filmed with real sharks, not Jaws-esque animatronics. You see them coursing by the reef, sometimes attacking people, sometimes letting Jaeckel’s character hitch a ride hanging onto a dorsal fin.

While it is a movie whose moral is that sharks should not be killed wantonly, there are actual dead sharks being used as props everywhere. Dead sharks hanging on hooks. Dead baby sharks stacked like cordwood. At one point, a live shark is shot in the back of the head with a bang stick, with real blood immediately pluming out as it falls to the bottom like a downed fighter jet.

While most of the scenes did not look particularly Key West-ish – for instance, all the buildings were concrete – it was hard to say definitively that it was not filmed in Key West or the Keys. At least not until I searched through some old Miami newspaper archives from the era. Turns out Wikipedia and IMDB were wrong. It was filmed in Miami and the Bahamas.

I think it’s time to watch “92 in the Shade” again. And maybe “Russkies.”

The 1976 movie ‘Mako: The Jaws of Death’ was filmed in the Bahamas and Miami, not Key West. CONTRIBUTED

MARK HEDDEN

THANKFUL & HUMBLED

This town just never disappoints

Ishould have known. Or at the very least, I shouldn’t have been surprised.

When I made the decision to run the Boston Marathon last fall, it came with a price tag I was more than happy to pay. For those who don’t know, you can’t just “sign up” to take the line along with 30,000 other runners each year.

For most, to enter the race, you have to provide proof of running ANOTHER marathon under a certain time limit determined by your age. For guys like me, that means that just to have a shot at getting picked, you have to run 26.2 miles in a maximum of 2 hours, 55 minutes – an average of 6:40 per mile.

I’m nowhere near that fast.

Instead, I made a promise to the Boston-based Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: In exchange for running the marathon with one of their race entries, I would raise at least $10,000 to support cancer research at one of the most esteemed institutes in the world.

To be clear: when they say you MUST raise the $10,000, they’re not playing around. You fork over your credit card info, so if you don’t hit the mark, it’s no problem on their end –they’ll just charge you for the difference. (Shout-out to my family, who were convinced when I told them that this would end up as a black mark on my credit report and prevent me from getting a home loan.)

The figure was a little daunting. So, naturally, my overcommitmentaddicted brain said “forget the $10K. Why not go for 15?” It was a number that I really had no business putting down, but I did it anyway.

Little did I know – because this community is absolutely off-the-walls amazing – I could have gone even higher. And now that one of the most insane months of my life has come to a close, I’ve finally had enough time to think and reflect.

The words overwhelmed and humbled don’t fully convey my thanks

made the natural career transition from dolphin trainer to newspaper editor after six years at Dolphin Research Center. His passions include running, watersports, and civil disagreements with sharks while spearfishing.

to this town, my family and friends for the ridiculous amount of support I received, but I’m chugging Celsius to stay awake, and right now they’re the best I’ve got.

As I write this column, we’ve raised $19,122.03 to combat the world’s most hated disease – and I could not be more thankful for every single person who made that happen, whether it was with their credit cards, their sweat, their words of encouragement or even a honk on the road during a long training run.

Thank you to every single donor, whether you bought a $20 Super Bowl square, sent me $5 to add a weird song to my running playlist, or wrote a big-time check as the backbone of my fundraising efforts.

Thank you to Dale, Courtney and Kaylynn Coburn, who gave up many mornings together so that Dale could pound the pavement with me at 6 a.m. and make sure I wasn’t alone on some of my longest runs.

Thank you to Andy Sharf and the entire team at Marathon Grill and Ale House for raising more than I could have ever asked for in a golf cart raffle that supercharged my donations.

Thank you to our team at the Weekly, who constantly asked me what I needed and insisted on putting an ad in the paper to help the fundraiser, even when I wasn’t comfortable enough to do it myself.

Thank you to my New England family and friends, some of whom traveled from hours away to pop in at strategic spots on the course and re-stock me with water and energy gummies right before the race’s worst hills.

Thank you to the people who honked at me on training runs, sent texts, tracked the race, or just offered words of encouragement for more than seven months. When I hit doubledigit miles on hot days in training and just felt like stopping, the feeling that I had an entire town behind me is a huge part of what kept me going.

Because, even though I’ve seen it before and I should have known, I never could have expected a response like this to make a difference in the lives of cancer patients and make the 2025 Boston Marathon one of the most meaningful days of my life.

And all I want to say is thank you.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY BRUNCH 11am - 2:30pm

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MARATHON CINEMA LILO & STITCH

COMMERCE CORNEr

MEGAN HUGHES FKAA/Forgotten Felines

How long have you been in the Keys and what brought you here? I’ve lived in the Keys on and off my entire life, but I moved back for good at 17 after graduating high school in North Carolina. My grandparents moved here in the 1940s and actually started the old Holiday Inn in Marathon. It’s in my blood, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

What do you do for fun in the Keys and why do you love living here? Honestly, I work a lot. Between my full-time job and running a nonprofit, free time is a luxury. But when I do get a break, I spend it with my kids and close friends. We’re either out on the water soaking up the beauty of the Keys or lounging by the pool (shoutout to my two amazing friends with a backyard oasis).

If you were a cat, what breed of cat would you be and why? A colony cat, of course. Resilient, resourceful and community-minded, just like me. What is one song that makes you get up and dance? All of them. I love to dance! Ask anyone who’s seen me out. My favorite is “Love Man” by Otis Redding.

What was the last gift you gave someone? Concert tickets.

Established in 2024, The Barnacle Boys is your local solution for keeping elevator boat lifts clean and functional. Founded by two lifelong Big Pine Key residents, we understand firsthand the challenge of maintaining boat lifts in the Florida Keys. As boat owners ourselves, we used to struggle with lift malfunctions caused by barnacle and algae growth. That experience drove us to create The Barnacle Boys so we could help others avoid those same problems. We’re two young entrepreneurs who grew up in the Keys and care deeply about our community and environment. We use eco-friendly, manual cleaning methods that avoid harmful chemicals — protecting the ocean and the boats we love. We offer single-time and scheduled cleaning and maintenance for homeowners and absentee owners alike. Our services include complete underwater barnacle and algae removal, high-pressure greasing, zinc cleaning and replacement, and electrolysis inspections. We take pride in delivering honest, dependable work and making sure every lift we service is ready for action. Give us a call today and let The Barnacle Boys keep your lift clean, safe, and looking its best!

JEN ALEXANDER www.keysweekly.com

No matter how many individuals appear in the pages of each edition of Keys Weekly, there are always so many more of our community members who deserve to be recognized. In an effort to shine a spotlight on more of the incredible individuals who live and work in these islands, Keys Weekly is proud to present our Neighbor of the Week feature, dedicated to celebrating a community member with each issue.

Our neighbor of the week is Megan Hughes. By day she works full-time at the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority – 20 years this month. By night, and most weekends, she runs a cat nonprofit called Forgotten Felines where she wrangles colony cats and raises money to feed hundreds of them. She also won “Best Volunteer” in the Best of Marathon awards back in 2022 and 2024.

What advice would you give to your previous boss if you could? Remember that life is short, and none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. If something happened to you, you’d be replaced almost immediately, so don’t forget to treat people with respect while they’re here.

Describe your most bizarre life experience thus far. One day I was just out trapping cats to help with local efforts, and the next thing I knew, I was running a full-blown nonprofit. It’s definitely not something I saw coming, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

If you had a time machine, would you travel to the past or the future? Why? Oh, I’d absolutely go back in time to track down the one human who thought letting their cat roam unaltered was a good idea.

What is one issue that is affecting the people of Marathon that you would like fixed right away? The unchecked growth of vacation rentals and luxury developments is pushing locals out of Marathon. We need to prioritize the people who actually live, work and give back here, not just those passing through for profit.

What’s one thing people don’t know about you? I’m obsessed with “Family Guy” and quote it way more than I probably should.

Know someone who would be a good “Neighbor of the Week?”

Email keysweeklyjen@gmail.com.

THE GREAT FLORIDA KEYS ROAD TRIP: KEY LARGO

Island once produced fruit; a notable school was also established

It takes 16 miles to drive between Jewfish Creek and Tavernier Creek, the distance the Overseas Highway travels across Key Largo. The largest of the Florida Keys, the island has a wealth of stories to tell, and its farming history is one that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Before the islands were a fishing or vacation destination, the Keys were populated with farming communities. One crop for which they became famous was pineapples. The first to grow the sweet, juicy fruit commercially was a Key West wrecker named Ben Baker – wrecking was the business of salvaging ships, crews, passengers and cargo in peril. Baker was once hailed as the King of the Florida Wreckers.

FLORIDA KEYS HISTORY WITH BRAD BERTELLI

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

Benjamin Baker was born on Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, in 1818. He married Catherine S. Albury, a Bahamian born in Eleuthera. Their marriage was fruitful, and delivered 11 children.

After the arrival of their third child, some time between 1847 and 1848, the growing family left the Bahamas, sailed across the Straits of Florida and into the harbor at Key West.

They lived in a two-story house at the corner of Caroline and Whitehead streets. By 1850, Baker had established the Baker Wrecking Company and himself as a Florida wrecker. It was not his only job; he and his sons were pineapple farmers, too. It was the late 1850s when Baker sailed for the Upper Keys and cleared land on Plantation Key and Key Largo.

When the fields were ready, Baker left for Havana and purchased as many as 6,000 pineapple slips and suckers to plant on his lands. A firsthand account of his operation, written by Dr. J.B. Holder, appeared in an 1871 edition of Harper’s Weekly: “Plantation Key has considerable good soil; many of the trees here are seventy or eighty feet in height.

Here was a large plantation of cocoa-nut palms, several hundred in number, and a patch of young pineapples. A late paper gives the account of the products of his patch, which have been materially increased since the writer was there. Mr. Baker, the owner, who resides at Key West, is reported to have realized seven thousand dollars this season from his crop of pine-apples. The great drawback is the prevalence of mosquitoes, throughout the whole year, in such swarms that few persons are willing to suffer the annoyance; otherwise these keys would richly reward the cultivator.”

Today, the $7,000 Baker earned from his pineapple fields from that season’s haul would be worth about $150,000. In addition to Baker’s Plantation Key pineapple patch, his Key Largo homestead was located in the area of what is now MM 97.

At the Key Largo site, Baker built a home and operated his wrecking business, at least part-time, from the Key Largo anchorage. According to the 1870 U.S. Census, Baker was recorded as one of 61 people living on Key Largo. It was also the year that the island’s first post office opened. Baker filed the petition, indicating it would serve 17 families. It was not called the Key Largo Post Office but the Cayo Largo Post Office.

Early Spanish charts noted the island as Cayo de Dose Leguas or Key of Twelve Leagues. In William Roberts’ First Discovery and Natural History of Florida (1763), it was identified as “Cayo Largo O Doce Legues.” J.W. Norie, in his Piloting Directions for the Gulf of Florida, the Bahama Banks & Islands (1828), wrote: “Cayo Largo affords no living creature, except raccoons and insects, especially those troublesome ones, mosquitoes and scorpions.”

When driving over Key Largo and down the highway, where a wide median separates the southbound and northbound lanes, you will pass an old school, an old house and the area where, in 1977, sightings of Florida’s favorite cryptid made local headlines.

Near MM 98, the road passes through land once owned by William Dunham and Mary Jane Albury. Like many pioneers who carved out a way of life in the Florida Keys, they left the Bahamas and settled

in Key West. In 1886, the Alburys, along with their three-week-old son William Beauregard, moved up the island chain to the Rock Harbor area of Key Largo. The family farmed pineapples until a blight, and competition from Cuban farmers, took their toll on the Keys’ pineapple industry.

The Alburys replaced their pineapple fields with groves of Key lime trees. In the early 1920s, they donated land from the groves to the Monroe County School District for a new school, the two-room, coral rock Rock Harbor Grammar School – built circa 1924. As you drive past the building, its coral “bones” can still be seen at what is now the Key Largo Moose Lodge (in the median near MM 98).

A little south of the old school is the home base of a local nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting coral reef awareness, the Reef Environmental Education Foundation. Circa 1912, William and Beauregard Albury built the conch-style wooden house. It was one of the first local homes to have screened-in windows. Today, it is the oldest structure on Key Largo standing in its original locale.

At MM 97, on the bayside of the highway, is Baker’s Cay. If the name sounds familiar, it should. The resort, built on land once owned by the man who introduced pineapple farming to the Florida Keys, was named to honor Captain Ben Baker.

Because you never know what you might see in the Florida Keys, back in the summer of 1977, people reported seeing a Skunk Ape in the area of Snapper’s Restaurant near MM 94. What is a Skunk Ape? It’s the Sunshine State’s favorite cryptid, Florida’s version of Bigfoot.

The event lasted two weeks. It wasn’t the only one, either. In fact, just a few weeks ago, I was contacted by someone who wasn’t sure what he saw until he walked past my book, “The Florida Keys Skunk Ape Files,” on display at Robbie’s of Islamorada, and exclaimed to his wife, “That’s it, that’s what I saw!”

Remember to keep your eyes peeled when driving through the Florida Keys; there is a lot to see, and some of it is absolutely breathtaking. More importantly, pay attention to the road; the other people driving might be distracted, too.

The former Rock Harbor Grammar School, Getman Methodist Church at Rock Harbor circa 1950. L.P. ARTMAN JR. COLLECTION/Florida Keys History Center

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WILD

SUMMER ESCAPES

ROMANCE, MYSTERY AND FAMILY DRAMA –THREE MUST- HAVES FOR YOUR

THE GHOSTWRITER

By Julie Clark

BEACH BAG

Vincent Taylor, famous author of horror novels, is dying. He requests a ghostwriter to help him complete his final book, a memoir. Olivia Dumont has not seen or spoken to her elusive father in years. She was sent to boarding school at 14 and never went home again. With a different surname, Olivia, also a writer, has slipped under the radar, and no one knows her true identity. When Vincent was a teenager, his brother and sister were murdered, and the killer was never found. Fingers pointed at Vincent for years, which only increased sales of his novels. But now he is ready for the truth to be written, and he wants Olivia to be the author. Similar to her early childhood, Vincent is still playing games with her clever mind. Olivia must follow clues to figure out who killed her Aunt Poppy and Uncle Danny. Going back to Ojai where she grew up is hard, and facing the reasons her mother left reveals deeply painful memories. Regardless of the outcome personally and professionally, Olivia is determined to solve this mystery. A twisted bookwithin-a-book, you will not move from your chair until the final page.

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

SLOW BURN SUMMER

By Josie Silver

Kate Elliot needs a job. After spending the past 20 years as a stay-at-home mom, her skills are a little out of practice. Reaching out to her long-ago London agent, she’s stunned to find his son, Charlie, is now running the agency. Charlie proposes a unique opportunity to her: to be the face of a bestselling love story, with the author remaining anonymous. Kate will attend book signings, give interviews and essentially pretend to be the author – not to mention that after one reading, she herself falls in love with the book. Post-divorce Kate moves out of her beautiful home and is temporarily living in a small flat above her sister’s costume shop. When sparks begin to fly between her and Charlie, also a recent divorcee, the job starts to feel less like a quirky favor and more like an unexpected second chance at love. As their professional relationship turns personal, Kate struggles to keep things platonic while their chemistry is off the charts. Romantic, sweet and packed with humor, this novel has it all. Lovable characters and a fast-paced plot – it’s the perfect easy read for the beach this summer.

By Allison Larkin

Short on rent again, Freya Arnald hits the road, leaving behind Acadia, Maine after a decade. Hounded by an estate attorney, she heads to Somers, New York, where her deceased parents’ home awaits, along with two unexpected occupants: her 15-year-old niece Aubrey and a rat named Lenny Juice. Freya’s initial plan to sell the dilapidated house quickly evaporates when she realizes serious repairs are needed. Deeply drawn to Aubrey, whom she hasn’t seen since she was little, Freya must navigate the challenges of renovation while reconnecting with her niece and avoiding the rest of the town, especially her evil sister. Along the way, she reunites with Jam, her oldest friend and a musical prodigy battling his own demons. As Freya rebuilds the house and her relationship with Aubrey, she faces the painful past she left behind. In this heartwarming drama, Freya discovers that family isn’t just about blood — it’s also the people we choose. With a richly drawn cast of quirky characters, this novel is a beautiful testament to second chances. Sometimes, despite our best efforts to run, happiness can be found where we least expect it, proving that you can always go home again.

#WORTHWATCHING: Set in a beautiful coastal town in Tasmania, “The Survivors” follows Kieran and Mia as they return to confront their troubled past and care for his aging father. Their plans unravel when a body washes ashore, plunging the town into a gripping web of secrets and unresolved trauma. Based on Jane Harper’s bestselling novel, this series blends murder mystery with family drama – a must-watch this summer.

HOME OF THE AMERICAN CIRCUS

KAREN NEWFIELD

Dearest Friends,

After 28 years of having the honor to serve the Upper and Middle Keys communities, I share bittersweet news that I have sold my practice, Florida Keys Pediatrics & Adolescent Center, to an outstanding Pediatrician Manuel Gomez, M.D., effective on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. Dr Gomez has been working at our office for some time now and is excited to continue our legacy of providing quality pediatric care to our communities' families.

I first came to the Keys in 1997, recruited by then-CEO of Mariners Hospital’s Bob Luse, joining the original Baptist Medical Group. My first office was barely 900 square feet, coincidently located next to renowned OB/GYN specialist Dr. Spencer Kellogg, which lasted for about one year, then we moved to an office at MM 103 (now a bait and tackle shop), where I remained until the opening of the Tassell Medical Arts Building at the beginning of 2002, where the office is today in Suite 209. My life partner, and now husband Eric Anderson, and I took over ownership of the practice in 2004, not knowing the first thing about the business end of practice management! Eric devoted himself into learning all about medical billing and coding, successfully mastered these, continuing for nearly 20 years.

While I have cared for close to 20,000 individual kids and adolescents over the years, those early months in the Keys fostered an immediate love of the Keys community and helped us forge many longtime friendships with so many who soon became like family. Advertising my presence here was crucial to helping get the practice off the ground. To that end, then marketing and public relations manager at Mariners Hospital, Jill Miranda Baker, helped develop the tagline still in use today…Kids Love Dr. Zuba! Initially I was a bit uncomfortable with this, but as time went by I could see it was truly God's gift to me. Kids did seem to love me and I in turn loved them and their families back. Many of these families have now become close friends to Eric and I too!

While on the medical staff of the hospital, I had the honor to serve in leadership roles on the medical staff including being elected Chief of Medicine, Vice Chairperson of the Medical Executive Committee and ultimately I was elected Chief of Mariners Medical Staff, where I served with so many great colleagues over the years.

I also was approved for a faculty position at the University of Miami School of Medicine as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Family Medicine, which afforded me the opportunity to help teach second and third year medical students as they rotated through my office.

In addition to Eric, so many people deserve thanks and recognition for helping to care for our Keys kids by working in the practice: Deanna Norling, Marcia Boswell, Connie Kloesel, Stephanie Kloesel Handte, Stephanie Townsend, Regla “Ray” Vidal, Sandi Fitzgerald, Melanie Dennis, Suellen Freil, as well as fellow pediatricians Armando Mendoza, M.D., Metee Comkornruecha, M.D., and I am especially indebted to Dr. John Weare, M.D., who was my trusted partner and friend for almost eight years. I apologize if I have left anyone out; please know it was not intentional.

A special thank you to the unsung hero in our office, and at Mariners Hospital for that matter, Ms. Kim Sue, our beloved office caretaker who made sure the office was kept clean and was ready to see our kids. When things were tough her daily lunchtime visits, her beautiful smile, and her dedication to her profession and to me helped bring a smile to my face and help get me through the day. Thank you Ms. Kim! I will miss you.

I am also truly grateful and honored for being named Best Medical Professional for three years running (2022-24) in the Keys Weekly Best of Upper Keys People’s Choice Awards.

As I enter the next phase of my life, I can’t help but reflect on how blessed I have been to live in such an idyllic environment for nearly three decades, serving thousands of children from birth to adulthood, including the offspring of so many of my early patients. Living here has provided the ultimate experience of understanding how a small community can actually be just a huge extended family in which we are all there for each other despite our differences in the best and worst of times. Thank you all for allowing Eric and I to be part of such an amazing community.

Eric and I remain living on Plantation Key, where we continue to serve our community and our church family at Coral Isles Church. I will continue serving on the Mosquito Control District Board of Commissioners as the district four representative and also as the current vice chair. Eric will continue on the board for Art in Public Places and as an appointed commissioner on the Monroe County Land Planning Commission. We will continue to travel to parts unknown, meet new people, learn about other cultures, work for equality for all, and try our best to bring comfort and joy to those around us.

“Don't cry because it is over, smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss

All my love and thanks,

Jody & Lynn Represented the Sellers of: Sombrero Blvd #323, Marathon Sold for $300,000

Having Fun in the Middle Keys

BRIEFLY

Habitat for Humanity opens homeownership application

Habitat Middle Keys has opened their application process for their homeownership program. From now until July 15, pre-applications will be accepted for two homes, each with two bedrooms. Visit www.HabitatMiddleKeys.org/home-ownership/ to download the pre-application. Email fsm@habitatmiddlekeys.org or call 305-743-9828 with any questions.

Two men arrested after shelter stabbing

Two men were arrested on May 31 in Marathon for allegedly attacking a third man who suffered from apparent stab wounds. There were no immediate life-threatening injuries reported. Dionisio Cisneros, 64, of Marathon, and Bryan Cisneros, 33, of Big Pine Key, were both charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and battery. The sheriff’s office was called to the Independence Cay shelter in Marathon around 8 p.m. regarding a battery. The adult male victim was outside, bleeding heavily from the head and back. The two suspects were inside. Witnesses’ statements corroborated the victim’s statement that the two suspects attacked the victim while he was gathering his belongings in order to leave the property. One of the suspects had what appeared to be blood on his face, deputies said. There was also blood on the floor, bloody T-shirts and displaced furniture at the scene. Officials at Fishermen’s Hospital stated the victim required stitches to his head and back and the wounds were consistent with injuries caused by a knife or sharp object. The two suspects were taken to jail.

Two cited for illegal parrotfish

Middle Keys Marine Deputy Willie Guerra was on patrol on May 26 at about 2:45 p.m. at Long Key Bridge when he observed two Homestead men fishing — Charles Jacob Bowers, 31, and Lance Jacob Bollenberg, 37. Both reportedly had a dead parrotfish in their possession, which is a protected species. Each man was given a mandatory notice to appear in court.

Applications accepted for county court seat

The 16th Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission is accepting applications for the county court seat vacancy (Marathon) created by the elevation of Judge James Morgan III to the circuit court. All applications must be submitted by email to JNC16@mon-

roecounty-fl.gov by noon on Tuesday, June 10. The notice and application instructions are at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/publicnotices. The commission will meet on June 10 at 12:01 p.m. to review the applications, determine vetting assignments and schedule interviews. This meeting is open to the public. In-person and Zoom details are on the website. More information is available from commission chair Bob Shillinger at 305-292-3470 or shillingerbob@monroecount-fl.gov.

Cornell researchers seek residents for flood experience study

Researchers from Cornell University are seeking residents willing to describe their experiences with flooding and hurricanes to better understand decisions to stay or leave an area during flooding. Interviewees will need to have experienced flooding or a hurricane while living in Monroe County. Interviews will take between 30 minutes and an hour, and can be conducted in person, on the phone or via Zoom. More information is available from Kate Foster at kef72@ cornell.edu or 305-699-4468.

Parks and Beaches art contest extended Monroe County Parks & Beaches invites all Florida Keys students in kindergarten through 12th grade to participate in the 2025 “Protect Our Parks & Beaches” art contest. In celebration of July’s Parks and Recreation Month, students are encouraged to submit a unique artwork or mascot design that raises awareness about protecting the environment and natural spaces in Monroe County. First-place winners will have their art displayed at selected Monroe County parks and beaches and will be featured on county social media and promotional materials. Entries are due by June 9. For contest rules and applications, email ParksAndBeachesFun@monroecounty-fl.gov or call 305-453-8726.

Come take a class at the Marathon library

The Marathon library has a wide variety of class offerings, ranging from photography to book clubs, robots, virtual reality and more. Scan the QR code here to see the schedule and get involved.

Rep. Gimenez should support the End Kidney Deaths Act

Every year, Americans in Florida’s 28th Congressional District die waiting for a kidney. Many of these deaths could be prevented. We are asking Congressman Carlos Gimenez to help by co-sponsoring and championing the End Kidney Deaths Act (H.R. 2687), and to work for its passage in the House of Representatives.

The End Kidney Deaths Act is a 10-year pilot program that would compensate living kidney donors who give to strangers. These donors would receive a refundable tax credit of $10,000 per year for five years. That $50,000 would go to people whose kidneys often save the hardest-tomatch patients — those who have been waiting the longest or who have little hope of a match.

Between 2010 and 2021, more than 100,000 Americans died waiting for a kidney transplant. If passed, this legislation could allow up to 100,000 more Americans to receive a life-saving kidney in the decade ahead. In Rep. Gimenez’s district, there are many people currently on dialysis. Each year, far too many of them die — expensive deaths that could be prevented. If a different disaster claimed that many lives, we know Rep. Gimenez would act.

Sincerely,

Betsy and Peter Snow Marathon

page 4

SHERIFF DISPUTES LEAK ALLEGATIONS IN COCAINE RING CASE

from the FBI’s efforts as described in court filings. An initial press release announcing the arrests last September listed the Homestead and Miami-Dade police departments as assisting the FBI with the investigation, but not MCSO.

“When asked under oath if he had any evidence to support (the leak on April 17), (Ward) is on the record saying ‘I have no evidence to support that suspicion,’” Ramsay said. Ward’s statement is also mentioned in the NBC report.

The sheriff said he believed Ward’s suspicions were a retaliation from months prior, when Ramsay had barred him from working with MCSO due to a history of non-cooperation with agencies in Miami-Dade and Monroe County – a pattern Ramsay called “a direct threat to officer safety, public safety and mission outcomes.”

He alleged Ward’s exclusions included other local FBI agents, who Ramsay claimed were also unaware of a 2023 raid on Strama’s home until after it was in progress.

That operation, prosecutors said, was a second instance in which they believed Strama may have been tipped by an MCSO official – but Ramsay said that also would have been difficult, as his agency, and he himself, were not aware of that raid until after it was in progress.

“The FBI never tells someone about a case they're working on unless they need something from your agency,” he said. “Historically, the FBI is on a need-to-know basis. If you don’t need to know, they don’t tell you.”

Following a May 5 hearing, magistrate judge Lauren Fleischer Louis ruled that Strama would remain on bond with additional conditions, including house arrest with electronic monitoring. Following prosecutors’ concerns that Strama was using FaceTime to communicate – a method not tracked by cellular providers – he was restricted from possessing a phone with an internet connection. Louis’ ruling was upheld later the same month by judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II.

Of the group arrested last September, five had pleaded guilty as of May 14, with two defendants, Louis Charles Arvelo and Allison Annmarie Thomas, sentenced to 15 and 21 months in prison, respectively.

The Weekly called and emailed both the FBI Miami office and Rabin for comment and clarification on court proceedings, leak allegations and MCSO’s reported exclusion in the case, but did not receive a response before press time.

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

We’ve officially entered June, which means we are basking in the days of Pride Month. Happy Pride to all of my LGBTQIA+ family and allies. Celebrate that you are as perfect as the planetary cycles. Astrologically, this week is relatively quiet, though we do have two beneficial transits on the horizon. On Friday, Venus moves into her own sign of Taurus, picking up some much needed good vibes. Venus, the planet of love, pleasure and connection, has had a rough go lately, traveling through Aries (not her happy place), going retrograde (relationship drama in March?) and clashing with Saturn (the cosmic buzzkill). The past few months may have strained relationships, dried up the romance or pushed your spending limits. But now, Venus comes home to her garden, where love softens, pleasure returns and budgets breathe. From June 6 through July 4, indulge your senses and luxuriate in the sweetness of the moment. And looking ahead to next week, Jupiter will enter Cancer on Monday, June 9, and stay there for a full year. He is extra joyful in this sign, promising emotional abundance and good luck to come. We’ll look at Jupiter next week. For now, find your hammock and eat your grapes in the grove.

Here are your horoscopes for Venus entering Taurus. Read for your rising and sun signs.

GEMINI

May 21 - June 20

You don’t have to be “on” all the time. In fact, your soul is requesting a little off switch or at least a dimmer. Let your dreams do the heavy lifting. Something lovely is unfolding quietly, even if it’s still under construction behind the scenes. Rest is productive. Naps

are efficient. Silence is sacred. Your group chat can wait. You’re not retreating; you’re recalibrating.

CANCER

June 21 - July 22

You’re starting to feel more at ease around the people who text you back, see you clearly and share their fries. Community is a two-way street, and right now it’s looking like smooth sailing. Let people hype you up. Hype them back. You’re part and parcel of a beautiful community. And if it feels like new folks are entering your orbit, it’s because your light is reaching farther.

LEO

July 23 - Aug. 22

The spotlight will feel a little less like pressure and a little more like home this upcoming month. People are noticing you not because you’re performing but because you’re glowing. Let yourself feel proud of the slow, steady growth you’ve cultivated. You don’t need to prove anything. Just keep showing up with heart and maybe a little dramatic flair.

VIRGO

Aug. 23 - Sept. 22

Something in you is stretching, and not in a downward dog way, but a soul-expanding kind of way. You’re connecting to new ideas, new ways of thinking or maybe just discovering that you like things you never gave yourself permission to enjoy. This is your philosophical rom com era. Follow the plot. It’s leading somewhere good. Curiosity is the compass now. Say yes to the unfamiliar, especially if it scares you just a little.

LIBRA

Sept. 23 - Oct. 23

A weight is starting to lift, even if it’s the emotional version of realizing your suitcase has wheels. Some of the intensity you’ve been navigating around money, trust, intimacy or just the general “What is going on?” feeling will begin to soften. Let yourself receive help.

You don’t have to carry it all alone. Vulnerability might feel risky, but it’s also the key that opens the locked doors. Let the support in because resources are shareable.

SCORPIO

Oct. 23 - Nov. 21

Relationships are starting to feel like a place of comfort again instead of a puzzle with no box top. Love wants to be easy. Or at least easier. Let yourself loosen your grip on the outcomes and trust that what’s meant to grow will grow and what isn’t may still text you occasionally, but that’s not your problem. Connection doesn’t have to come with conditions. Let the people who cherish you show up.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 22 - Dec. 21

Your daily routines are asking for a little more care and a little less chaos. This doesn’t mean becoming a brand new person with color-coded planners unless you’re into that, in which case, go off. It just means bringing a little more love into the small moments. Wash the dish. Take the walk. Make the appointment. Your body and spirit will thank you. Healing lives in repetition. Let ease become part of the ritual.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22 - Jan. 19

Some part of you is remembering that joy is not just a reward for productivity. It’s allowed to be the main event. Make art. Flirt with someone cute. Eat the good snack before dinner. This is your playful chapter. There’s no test at the end, just the gentle reminder that pleasure can be a form of wisdom.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 20 - Feb. 18

You’re reconnecting with what grounds you, whether that’s your home, your chosen family or the weird little rituals that make you feel like yourself. This is not the month to burn it all down and start over. This is the month to fluff your pillows, light the candle and tell

LOVE IN THE GARDEN

someone you trust that you’re trying. You don’t have to go it alone. Little comforts matter more than they seem.

PISCES

Feb. 19 - March 20

Your words are landing a little differently, maybe because you’re finally saying what you mean or maybe because people are actually listening. Communication is more than just talking. It’s also being heard. So say it, write it, whisper it to your cat. You’ve got something worth sharing. Don’t underestimate the power of clarity, even if your message is wrapped in glitter or memes.

ARIES

March 21 - April 19

This is not a get-rich-quick moment but it might be a get-comfyslower moment. You’re learning what enough feels like. Your resources are stabilizing. Your confidence is deepening. Either way, you’re building something steady, and that kind of security is worth savoring. Your value is not tied to your hustle. You’re allowed to relax into the life you’ve created and to want more softness without guilt.

TAURUS

April 20 - May 20

You’re coming back to yourself like it’s the best welcome-home party ever. Your body is speaking clearly. Your heart knows what it wants. Your mirror even seems friendlier. This is not about reinvention. It’s about remembering that your softness, your boldness, your timing, all of it is right on schedule. Indulge. Express. Wear the thing you love. You are the thing you love.

TWO GREAT PRICE REDUCTIONS!

510 43RD STREET GULF MARATHON | $562,000

This Mid-Twentieth Century find is perfect for a growing family with its open floor plan and large yard. Updated HVAC (2021), covered parking, and a storage shed o er convenience and peace of mind. The casual design of this home allows for relaxing in the open living area or spreading out in the yard with games and toys while you barbecue. Clean white cabinetry with generous storage adds to the function of the centrally located kitchen. Unique wooden ceiling in the living area adds to the character and charm of the home.

Perfectly situated just minutes from Marathon's shops and local dining spots.

19616 AZTEC STREET SUGARLOAF KEY | $599,000

Nestled in a quiet and charming neighborhood on Sugarloaf Key, this beautifully remodeled 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom home o ers a perfect blend of modern updates and coastal charm. With plenty of natural light throughout and crown molding accenting every room, this home feels both elegant and welcoming.

The kitchen features newer, stainless steel appliances and stylish finishes, making it ideal for both everyday meals and entertaining. The spacious primary bedroom boasts a large, updated en suite bathroom. The second bedroom and additional bath are equally well-appointed, making this home perfect for both family living and hosting guests. Located just down the street from a private neighborhood boat ramp that can only be accessed with a resident key, this home o ers easy access to the crystal-clear waters of the Florida Keys. The large yard provides plenty of room for trailer storage, so you can easily store your boat, RV, or other toys. There's also ample space to add a pool, creating your oasis in the heart of the Keys. Built with durability in mind, the home features impact windows, a metal roof, insulation in the attic, and hurricane shutters for added peace of mind and protection from the elements. This combination of energy e ciency and storm preparedness ensures that you can enjoy both comfort and security in your new home.

Whether you're relaxing in the cozy interior or spending time outside, this home o ers the perfect spot to unwind and enjoy the laid-back Key's lifestyle. Don't miss the opportunity to own this turnkey gem in a prime location!

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

More than 12,000 chicks that had been shipped out from Freedom Ranger Hatchery in Pennsylvania to clients across the country were discovered in early May abandoned in a USPS truck, the Associated Press reported. The turkey, geese, chicken and quail chicks were found at a Camden, Delaware, distribution center. They had been in the truck for three days without food or water, and some had perished. The surviving chicks were delivered to First State Animal Center and SPCA, where a few hundred were adopted out. Executive director John Parana said the agency is struggling financially to take care of the birds.

Adam Dailies

In The Bleachers

Brevity

Adam Smith (1723-1790), economist/philosopher; John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946), economist; Richard Scarry (1919-1994), children's author; Bill Moyers (1934- ), TV journalist/author; Spalding Gray (1941-2004), actor/writer; Ken Follett (1949- ), author; Suze Orman (1951- ), financial adviser/author; Kathleen Kennedy (1953- ), film producer; Kenny G (1956- ), musician; Jeff Garlin (1962- ), actor/comedian; Rick Riordan (1964- ), author; Mark Wahlberg (1971- ), actor; Nick Kroll (1978- ), actor/comedian; Pete Wentz (1979- ), singer-songwriter/musician.

In 1968, U.S. presiden al candidate Robert F. Ke edy was fata y shot by Sirhan Sirhan at the Amba ador Hotel in Los Angeles.

A ording to the Alzheimer’s A ocia on, an es mated 7.2 mi ion Americans ages 65 or older have Alzheimer’s disease in 2025.

“You never get cheered for telling people the situation is not as simple as they think.”

– Ken Follett, "Fall of Giants"

Founded by Betty Debnam

Welcome to Iowa

Mini Fact: Iowa produces more than 2 billion bushels of corn each year.

Our 29th state, Iowa, was admitted to the Union in 1846. The midwestern state is bordered by two major rivers, the Mississippi on the east and the Missouri on the west.

When Europeans arrived in what is now Iowa, Native Americans in the region were farmers, growing corn and other plants on the prairies.

EARLY IOWA

The first explorers in the region were Frenchmen who claimed the land for France. It remained a French territory until 1763, when it was transferred to Spanish ownership. France reclaimed it in 1800, and it was part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.

WORKING IN IOWA

Farmers grow hogs, corn, soybeans and cattle. The state is the largest supplier of corn in the United States.

Although agriculture was the main source of income for Iowans until the mid-20th century,

manufacturing is the largest part of the economy today. Iowa workers produce heavy machinery, electric equipment and chemicals, along with processed foods.

IOWA IN POLITICS

FAMOUS IOWANS

• Buffalo Bill was a well-known soldier and showman who was born in Iowa in 1846. He performed in cowboy-themed shows around the United States and in Europe in the late 1800s. He was also a rider for the Pony Express and a soldier in the Civil War.

• Caitlin Clark is a professional basketball player with the Indiana Fever. She was born in Des Moines in 2002. Clark was a two-time national player of the year with the Iowa Hawkeyes and a WNBA All-Star in 2024.

• Grant Wood, an American artist who created the painting “American Gothic,” was born in 1891 in Anamosa, Iowa. For his iconic painting, he used his sister, Nan, and his dentist as models.

Iowa’s state capital and largest city is Des Moines (deh-MOYN), with about 850,000 people.

During presidential elections, Iowa proudly hosts the nation’s first caucuses, or meetings to choose presidential candidates.

In the Iowa caucuses, people gather in private homes or public places in January or February. People from different parties meet at different spots. This is different from primaries, where polls are open most of the day.

EDUCATION

With a graduation rate higher than 44 other states, 90% of Iowa’s students graduate from high school. Many go on to the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, Drake University or other institutions.

Words that remind us of Iowa are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find:

ARTIST, BUFFALO, BUSHEL, CAUCUS, CLARK, CORN, DES MOINES, FRANCE, GRADUATES, HOGS, IOWA, MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, PRAIRIE, PRIMARY, RIVERS, SOYBEANS, SPAIN, WOOD.

Wood’s painting “Fall

On the Web:

• bit.ly/MPIowa • bit.ly/MPharvest

At the library:

• “The Train Rolls on to the County Fair” by Jodi Adams

Galápagos Islands yellow warblers exposed to regular traffic noise have become more aggressive, according to a new study from Britain’s Anglia Ruskin University. Birds living near roads displayed increased physical aggression during simulated territorial intrusions that were accompanied by traffic sounds, while those farther from roads showed less aggression under the same conditions. The warblers also adjusted their songs, lengthening them and raising their minimum frequencies to avoid being drowned out by low-frequency traffic noise.

photo by Shubert Ciencia wikipedia

photo by John Mac

The Iowa flag is patterned after the French flag.

Iowa Caucus Precinct 15 in Ames (2020) During First Alignment

“American Gothic” by Grant Wood

Plowing” shows a farm field in his home state.

A cornfield in central Iowa.

The Mini Page® © 2025 Andrews McMeel Syndication

FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of S S POPS Island Tours located at 1515 Sombrero Boulevard, Marathon, Florida 33050, intends to register the said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, FL.

By: Two Conchs Island Tours LLC Publish: June 5, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers

FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of The Greeen House located at 925 Duval Street, Key West, Florida

33040, intends to register the said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, FL. By: TGHFL 925 Duval LLC

Publish: June 5, 2025

The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE

Notice is hereby given that on dates below these vehicles will be sold at public sale on the date listed below at 10AM for monies owed on vehicle repair and storage cost pursuant to Florida Statutes 713.585.

SALE DATE: JULY 28, 2025 SOUTHERN MARINA STOCK ISLAND, 6000 PENINSULAR AVE, KEY WEST, FL 1998 CRS CRSUSN10I798

$8,735.21

OWNER: BRITT BOBALI Southern Marina Stock Island

reserves the right to accept or reject any and/all bids.

Publish: May 29 & June 5, 2025

The Weekly Newspapers

PUBLIC MEETINGS NOTICE

Florida Keys Council of the Arts Notice of Upcoming Meetings

The Florida Keys Council of the Arts will hold the following meetings via Communications Media Technology using a ZOOM webinar platform.

The access points to view the Zoom meetings or for members of the public to provide public input will be: JOIN ZOOM via the Zoom app and use each meeting ID and password listed. Meetings are open to the public, and all are invited to attend. Questions, or to RSVP, please email Liz Young at director@keysarts.com

Cultural Umbrella Committee

Meeting

June 10, 2025, at 11:00 AM

The following is an upcoming GMX procurement opportunity:

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)

GMX PROCUREMENT/CONTRACT NO.: RFQ-25-04

GMX WORK PROGRAM NO.: 11212.011

GMX PROJECT/SERVICE TITLE: PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT (PD&E) STUDY FOR THE PARTIAL INTERCHANGE AT SR 112 AND NW 37TH AVENUE

For detailed information please visit the Procurement Department website at http://www.gmx-way.com/business/solicitations, or call the Procurement Department at 305-637-3277 for assistance.

Publish: June 5, 2025. The Weekly Newspapers

Stanley Zuba, M.D.

Florida Keys Pediatric & Adolescent Center 91550 Overseas Highway, #209 Tavernier, Florida 33070

Dr. Stanley Zuba will be retiring and will no longer be practicing at Florida Keys Pediatric & Adolescent Center e ective June 3, 2025.

Patients’ medical records will remain at Florida Keys Pediatric & Adolescent Center, 91550 Overseas Highway, #209, Tavernier, Florida 33070 under the custodianship of Dr. Manuel Joaquin Gomez and his sta . Patients wishing to pick up their records may do so starting June 3, 2025.

Publish: June 5, 12, 19 & 26, 2025

The Weekly Newspapers

Eastern Time

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 837 2464 2023

Passcode: 649805

Art In Public Places Committee

Meeting

June 17, 2025, at 4:00 PM

Eastern Time

Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 834 5177 1563

Passcode: 326912

Executive Committee Meeting

June 26, 2025, at 4:00 PM

Eastern Time

Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 837 5739 8284

Passcode: 995275

Publish:

June 5, 2025

The Weekly Newspapers

PUBLIC HEARINGS NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, THAT THE CITY OF KEY COLONY BEACH WILL BE HOLDING PUBLIC HEARINGS ON:

DATE/TIME:

Planning & Zoning Hearing: Wednesday, June 18th, 2025, 9:30 A.M.

City Commission Public Hearing: Thursday, July 17th, 2025, 9:30 A.M.

LOCATION:

City of Key Colony Beach City Hall Auditorium ‘Marble Hall’ 600 W. Ocean Drive, Key Colony Beach, Florida 33051, To hear a Variance Request from Sharon Power, owner of the property located at 150 9th Street, Key Colony Beach, Florida 33051. This meeting will be available via Zoom Meetings. Members of the public who wish to attend virtually may email the City Clerk at keycolonybeach.netcityclerk@ or call 305-289-1212, Ext. 2 for further instructions on attending via Zoom Meetings. The applicant requests a variance to the City of Key Colony Beach Land Development Regulations, Article IV, Sec. 101-26, for the construction of a pool that would encroach in the setback by two (2) feet on the side.

Interested parties may attend the Hearing and be heard with respect to the requested variance.

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

If you are unable to attend the Hearings on Wednesday, June 18th, 2025, or Thursday, July 17th, 2025, but wish to comment, please direct correspondence to the City Clerk at P.O. Box 510141, Key Colony Beach, FL 33051, or via email at keycolonybeach.net,cityclerk@and your comments will be entered into the record.

Published: On or before June 8th, 2025

City Clerk, City of Key Colony Beach

Publish: June 5, 2025

The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF INTENTION TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF COUNTY ORDINANCE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN that on June 18, 2025, at 9:00 A.M. or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, at the Murray E. Nelson Government Center, 102050 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, Florida 33037, the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida, intends to consider adopting the following ordinance: AN ORDINANCE OF THE MONROE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AMENDING SECTION 19-4 OF THE MONROE COUNTY CODE PROVIDING FOR REVISED TOLL RATES AND TOLL-BYPLATE RATES; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING

FOR REPEAL OF ALL ORDINANCES INCONSISTENT HEREWITH; PROVIDING FOR INCORPORATION INTO THE MONROE COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. The proposed ordinance may be inspected by the public at the Monroe County website by viewing the agenda packet for the June 18, 2025, meeting, which will be posted beginning on June 12, 2025 at: http://monroecountyfl. iqm2.com/citizens/default. aspx. The ordinance may also be viewed at the Monroe County Attorney’s office at 1111 12th St. Ste. 408 Key West, FL 33040. The public can participate in the June 18, 2025, 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 http:// monroecountyfl.iqm2.com/ citizens/default.aspx. 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”. Live Closed-Captioning is available via our web portal @ http:// monroecountyfl.iqm2.com/ Citizens/Default.aspx for meetings of the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners. Dated at Key West, Florida, this 5th day of June, 2025. KEVIN MADOK, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Ex Officio Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida Publish: June 5, 2025

The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Monday, June 30, 2025, at 3:00 P.M., the Monroe County Purchasing Office will receive and open sealed responses for the following: COMPREHENSIVE DISASTER RECOVERY AND GRANT MANAGEMENT CONSULTING SERVICES MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA

Pursuant to F.S. § 50.0211(3) (a), all published competitive solicitation notices can be viewed at: www.floridapublicnotices. com, a searchable Statewide repository for all published legal notices. Requirements for submission and the selection criteria may be requested from the County’s electronic bidding platform at bonfirehub.comhttps://monroecounty-fl. OR www. monroecounty-fl.gov/ BonfireBids. The Public Record is available upon request. Monroe County Purchasing Department receives bids via the Bonfire electronic bidding platform. Please do not e m a i l , mail or attempt to deliver in person any sealed bids. Emailed/mailed/physically delivered responsesbids/proposals/ WILL NOT be accepted.

The Monroe County Purchasing Department hereby directs bids be submitted via the Bonfire electronic bidding platform at bonfirehub.com,https://monroecounty-fl. no later than 3:00 P.M. on Monday, June 30, 2025. There is no cost to the bidder to use the Bonfire platform. Please d o n o t submit your confidential financial information as part of your proposal. There are separate uploads for each set of documents, including confidential financial information. All proposals will be made public on the platform after an intended decision or 30 days, whichever is earlier, unless the bids/ proposals are rejected in accordance with F.S. 119.071.

If your proposal document includes financial information, that information will not be considered confidential and will be available and viewable to the public in accordance with public records law. The bid opening for this solicitation will be held virtually, via the internet, at 3:00 P.M., on Monday, June 30, 2025. You may call in by phone or internet using the following: Join Zoom Meeting https://mcbocc.zoom. us/j/4509326156

Meeting ID: 4509326156

One tap mobile: +16465189805,,4509326156# US (New York) +16699006833,,4509326156# US (San Jose)

Dial by your location: +1 646 518 9805 US (New York) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)

Publish: June 5, 2025

The Weekly Newspapers

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA KEY WEST DIVISION IN ADMIRALTY CASE NO.: 4:25-cv-10041-DPG IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPLAINT OF REINALDO AQUIT AS OWNER OF A 2022 DEEP IMPACT, REGISTRATION NO. 4O1327056, 39' HIN DIC39928K122, AND OTHER APPURTENANCES, Petitioner, NOTICE TO CLAIMANTS OF PETITION FOR EXONERATION FROM OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Notice is given that the above named Petitioner, Reinaldo Aquit ("Limitation Petitioner") has filed a Petition/Complaint for Exoneration from or Limitation of Liability, pursuant to 46 U.S.C. § 30501 et seq., ("Limitation Petition") for all claims for any damages or injuries, arising out of, or occurring as a result of an incident on the navigable waters of the United States on or about November 7, 2024, allegedly involving a 2022 Deep Impact, Registration No. DO1327056, 39' HIN DIC39928K122, and Other Appurtenances, as more fully described in the Limitation Petition.

All persons having such claims must file their respective claims, as provided by Supplemental Rule F of the Supplemental Rules for Certain Admiralty and Maritime Claims of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, with the Clerk of Court in writing and must serve a copy thereof on attorneys for Limitation Petitioner on or before July 14, 2025 or be defaulted. Personal attendance is not required.

Any claimant who desires to contest either the right to exoneration from or the right to limitation of liability shall file and serve on attorneys for Limitation Petitioner an answer to the Complaint, on or before the aforesaid date, unless the claim includes an answer, so designated, or be defaulted.

DONE AND ORDERED this 12th day of May, 2025.

DARRIN P. GAYLES

UNITED STATE DISTRICT JUDGE Publish: June 5, 12, 19 & 26, 2025

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL

CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION

FILE NO.: 2025-CP-220-P

IN RE: THE ESTATE OF EDITH WINIFRED SHERRILL, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of EDITH WINIFRED SHERRILL, deceased, whose date of death was April 25, 2025, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 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 is 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: June 5, 2025.

Personal Representative: Simon Lee Sherrill

100 Ocean Shores Dr. Key Largo, FL 33037

Attorney for Personal Representative:

Urban J. W. Patterson, Esq.

Email: ujwplaw@gmail.com

Secondary Email: ujwplawfirm@yahoo.com

Florida Bar No. 382035

Urban J. W. Patterson, P.A. P. O. Box 783 Islamorada, Florida 33036 Telephone: 3056645065

Publish: June 5 & 12, 2025

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION CASE NO.: 25-CP-200-K IN RE: THE ESTATE OF ELSIE P. ROGERS a/k/a ELSIE LEE ROGERS, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of ELSIE P. ROGERS a/k/a ELSIE LEE ROGERS, deceased, whose date of death was January 31, 2025, Case: 25-CP-200-K, is pending in the Circuit Court, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040. The names and addresses of 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, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, on whom a copy of this notice is served must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF

THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.

ALL CLAIMS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.

The date of first publication of this Notice is: June 5, 2025.

Personal Representative:

SHERYL R. SMOAK

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:

June 5 & 12, 2025

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION

FILE NO.: 25-CP-208-K

DIVISION: LOWER KEYS IN RE: ESTATE OF DONNA MAE JACOBSEN Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of Donna Mae Jacobsen, deceased, whose date of death was March 10, 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 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.

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

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

The date of first publication of this notice is: May 29, 2025.

Personal Representative: Janet Rogers 1507 Watson Blvd. Big Pine Key, Florida 33043

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:

May 29 & June 5, 2025

The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 16TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 25-DR-527-K VINCENT DUFOUR, Petitioner, and PENNEL GRACE SORIANO SANTORIA QUINTONG, Respondent. NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE (NO CHILD OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT) TO: PENNEL GRACE SORIANO SANTORIA QUINTONG RESPONDENT’S LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: 632 WHITEHEAD STREET, KEY WEST, FL 33040

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 Vincent William Dufour, whose address is 2013 Fogarty Avenue, Key West, FL 33040 on or before June 14, 2025, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition.

The action is asking the court to decide how the following real or personal property should be divided: N/A Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. You may review these documents upon request.

You must keep the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office notified of your current address. (You may file Designation of Current Mailing and E-Mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915.) Future papers in this lawsuit will be mailed or e-mailed to the address(es) on record at the clerk’s office. WARNING: Rule 12.285, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, requires certain automatic disclosure of documents and information. Failure to comply can result in sanctions, including dismissal or striking of pleadings.

Dated: May 9, 2025

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

By: Destiny Johnson Deputy Clerk

Publish: May 15, 22, 29 and June 5, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers

AUTOS WANTED

AUTOS ALL YEARS! Junk or Used Cars, Vans, Trucks. Runs or Not.$CASH 305-332-0483

AUTOS FOR SALE

2003 Ford Explorer 174k miles, runs great, A/C works. $3,500 OBO. Located in Middle Keys. 305-417-0169

PLACE YOUR AUTO FOR SALE AD HERE. $25/week for up to 5 lines of copy! Pease call 305-743-0844 today!

Boat Dockage for rent in Marathon. Private bay bottom, up to 40' boat, self containing, offshore water, car & dingy parking space provided. 305-610-8002

19’x40’ slip in Marathon, could handle somewhat larger boat with approval from dockmaster. Desirable location in marina, easy in, easy out. Available 1 June 25 thru Oct 25, possibly long term lease. $1,400/ mo. Please contact Vern Rozier, 904 626 5279, or 904 626 8224 and leave call back info. Or email vrrozier@yahoo.com.

EMPLOYMENT

ALL KEYS GUTTER HIRING INSTALLERS $25/$35hr - Holidays Off -BenefitsTavernier. Apply: call or text Jay 305-587-1581

Night Monitor – FREE

Private Room in exchange for overnight availability at our Assisted Living Facility. 5 nights on, 5 nights off 10pm-8am plus weekly stipend, Drug & background screen required. www.westcare. com/join-our-team/

NOW HIRING in Marathon. Front DeskSaturday only from 9am5pm. Call 305-289-6500

Boat rental company in Marathon needs workers –Boat drivers, Truck drivers, Boat cleaners & Boat detailing. Call 305-481-7006

Fantastic part-time Housekeeper position available in Key Colony Beach! Immediate start date. Primarily on weekends, with excellent pay for the right candidate. Reach out to Continental Inn Beachside at Vivian 952-208-2850 or Cheryl 305-505-8747

The Housing Authority of the City of Key West now hiring for the following positions: Resident Care Supervisor with min. 3 yrs. experience of an LPN, Housing Manager-FT-Marathon, Carpenter-FT, Maintenance Mechanic (Maintenance Worker. To apply, please contact Human Resources at: wrightk@kwha.org or 305-296-5621 ext. 224. 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.

Serve/Bartend on the ocean! The Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club is seeking a customer service-oriented 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.

HELP WANTED: Two Conchs in Marathon is now hiring a Full Time Retail Sales Person in our Tackle Shop/Marina. Competitive wages. Contact George 305-289-0199 HIRED

PLACE YOUR EMPLOYMENT AD HERE. $25/week for up to 5 lines of copy! Pease call 305 743-0844 today! today.

PRIVATE

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

HOUSING FOR RENT

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT REPORTS TO: CITY CLERK

The City of Key Colony Beach is accepting applications for the Administrative Assistant position. The Administrative Assistant will respond to and resolve administrative inquiries, issue boat trailer parking permits, review and issue annual Business Tax License applications while keeping those records updated, issue Property Management Certificates of Completion, and accurately maintain those records. Additionally, this role involves conducting educational classes and fostering strong relationships with managers, owners, and the city, assisting the Front Desk and other departments, and performing any other necessary tasks.

Qualifications: High school graduate with two years of experience in customer service and administrative support. Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite. Applicants must have strong communication skills, both written and verbal.

Salary: $61,000.00+ Competitive salary based on experience. Exceptional benefits, including participation in the Florida Retirement Fund, are available. Contact City Hall for an application at 305289-1212, opt. 2. Applications are also available at www.keycolonybeach.net; see “City Government” then “Forms”. Open until filled. Equal Opportunity Employer Submit resume and application by mail or in-person to: City of Key Colony Beach City Hall

Attn: City Clerk 600 West Ocean Drive PO Box 510141, Key Colony Beach, FL 33051 Or email cityclerk@keycolonybeach.net

2/2 on the water w/ dockage in Pirates Cove, Key Largo. Fenced & fully furnished. Short and long term available. From $3500/month. Credit check required. 28 day minimum. Call 305-588-6723

1BR/1BA Upstairs adorable condo for rent on 8th Street in Key Colony Beach. $2,300/mo + $150 credit/background check fee. Avail. June 1st. Call 630-330-1610

3BR/3BA fully furnished home for rent in Marathon. Avail July 1. $4,500/mo. 618-559-9143

Studio House with Queen size bed available in Marathon. Furnished, kitchen, dining, newly renovated. No pets. $1,299 + utilities F/L/S 305-610-8002

Room available June 15th. Stock Island near CVS. Traveling nurses, working professionals only. No pets, smokers or drugs. Gated, safe, quiet with parking & a pool. Fully furnished w/private bath, smart TV, washer/ dryer. House and kitchen privileges always with fridge and cabinet space. All included... Monthly rent $1200.00 and Security deposit $1000.00 at move in time. Call 305-797-5600 RENTED IN LESS THAN ONE WEEK!

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

Key Colony Beach7 night min., 2BR/1BA, max. 3 guests per rental agreement. Starting $175/ night + cleaning fees & taxes. 786-285-9476 fjvillegascpa@gmail.com

YARD SALES

A BIG Treasures & Trash MOVING SALE! Rain or Shine - ALL MUST GO! -

DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER is a fun, environmentally friendly non-profit 501(c)(3) Corporation specializing in education, research, and rescue of marine mammals.

We have the following opening available. Scan the QR code to visit the careers page on our website. FACILITIES

APPRENTICE (Full-Time, Permanent)

DRC seeks to provide for the well-being of its employees by offering a competitive total package. DRC currently offers a 401k retirement plan, medical benefits, HSA account, paid holidays, vacation, sick and an employee assistance program. DRC also provides life and disability insurance at no cost to the employee.

COME JOIN THE FAMILY!

Email your resume and a DRC application to drc-hr@dolphins.org. EOE

DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER

58901 O/S Hwy - Grassy Key, FL

Teaching... Learning... Caring

WE ARE HIRING!

CLIENT MEDICAL SERVICES ASSISTANT, CNA (FT)

NOW HIRING GENERAL OFFICE HELP

Captain Pip’s & their sister properties are looking to hire for general of ce help. Send resume to captpips@aol.com or come in the of ce to ll out application. 1480 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050

CAPTAIN PIP’S IS AN AWESOME PLACE TO WORK, WE TREAT OUR EMPLOYEES GREAT. COME JOIN OUR TEAM!

HIRING TICKET SALES & CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (FT/PT)

This position is responsible for face-to-face customer service, inbound calls and email inquiries for this tourism company located in Key West, FL. A well-quali ed applicant must be self-motivated, have excellent sales & customer service skills, be computer literate, have sound knowledge of telephone etiquette, ability to maintain con dentiality and must read/write/speak clear English.

For application by email contact Brett@YankeeFreedom.com.

Apply in person at 100 Grinnell Street, Suite 200, Key West, FL 33040

Keys Energy Services, in Key West, Florida, is accepting applications for the following position in its Engineering Department:

ELECTRICAL PROJECT ENGINEER

willing to train the right candidate.

Assisting our clients with dental, medical and transportation appts. Act as liaison between clients, families and support staff. Requires some on-call responsibility. Min. requirement - Florida certification as a Certified Nursing Assistant.*

CLIENT MEDICAL SERVICES MANAGER, RN/LPN (FT)

Responsible for medical administration of prescriptions and over the counter drugs. This nurse will serve as a liaison between the medical services staff, group homes, supported living and ADT staff and the physicians and pharmacy as needed. Coordinate needs and services, supervise the medical services staff by overseeing the implementation of all medical & therapeutic interventions. Coordinate w/other medical staff for on-call duties as required. Must have a current Florida license as an RN or LPN.*

DIRECT CARE STAFF – NIGHTS/WEEKENDS – GROUP HOMES 24/7 (FT)

These positions are available at our Windsor and Von Phister Group Homes. Providing direct-care services and support to our clients in their home. Must be willing to work flexible shifts including overnights. This position requires a minimum of high school completion or GED and 1 year of experience with care giving or 30 hours of college coursework.*

DIRECT CARE STAFF/DRIVER AT ADULT DAY-TRAINING PROGRAM (FT/PT)

This position is available at our Adult Day program. Providing direct care service and support for our clients in the day program. Requires the minimum of high school completion or GED. Prefer experience with caregiving or working with adults with disabilities*

*ALSO REQUIRED FOR ALL POSITIONS: Fluent

driver’s license. EOE

Starting pay rate for this position, depending on qualifications and experience: $136,979/annually$140,815/annually

For more information, including job duties and required qualifications, and to apply for the job, please visit their website at www.KeysEnergy.com.

KEYS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. KEYS promotes a Drug-Free Workplace. Certain service members, veterans, the spouses and family members of service members and veterans, receive preference and priority in employment, and are encouraged to apply for positions being filled.

e Turtle Hospital in Marathon wants you to join their team! EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM GUIDES/GIFT SHOP SALES

Full and part-time. Public speaking and & retail sales experience helpful. $19/hour to start.

Send resume to: turtlehospital@turtlehospital.org

JOIN A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE NONPROFIT 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 LARGO

Behavioral Health Counselor (Children)

Behavioral Health Therapist (Children)

KEY WEST

Case Manager (Children Forensic, Adult) (FT,PT)

Behavioral Health Therapist (Adult, PT)

Behavioral Health Therapist (Children)

Prevention Specialist

Advocate

MARATHON

Care Coordinator (PT)

Driver (CDL not required) (PT)

RN/Licensed Practical Nurse (FT,PT) Maintenance Specialist

*Behavioral Health Technicians – 3 shifts (FT,PT)

*Support Worker (Assisted Living) (FT,PT)

*Night Monitor (Assisted Living - Free Housing)

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

EEOC/DFWP

COMPETITIVE PAY! EXCEPTIONAL BENEFITS!!!

Apply at guidancecarecenter.org

Search Employment/Portal/Location/zip THE GUIDANCE/CARE CENTER, Inc.

DUI FRONT DESK CLERK & EVALUATOR/INSTRUCTOR

The Advocate Program DUI school is hiring for part time positions.

Front desk: 3 days a week, high school diploma and computer data entry skills required.

DUI instructors and evaluators: 2 days a week, Bachelors or Masters degree in substance abuse eld required.

Of ce located in Marathon. Contact Marcia at 305-704-0117.

MARATHON GARBAGE SERVICE

We are now hiring for the following positions:

Diesel Mechanic Truck Helpers

CDL Drivers

Applicants must apply in person to be considered.

4290 Overseas Hwy, Marathon

OPENINGS AVAILABLE

PHYSICIAN PRACTICE OPENINGS

- Advanced Practice Provider (APRN-PA-C)Surgical, Ortho, Tavernier

- Advanced Practice Provider (APRN-PA-C), BHMG Multispecialty - Marathon, $5k Bonus

- Medical Assistant, Primary Care Marathon, $5k Bonus

- Medical Assistant, Upper Keys-Gastro, $5k Bonus

MIAMI CANCER INSTITUTE KEY WEST

- Radiation Therapist, $12k Bonus

- Medical Assistant, Medical Oncology, $5k Bonus

TAVERNIER MARINERS HOSPITAL

- Cook, Dietary

- Radiology Technologist 1, Imaging-MRI, $40k Bonus

- Multi-Modality Imaging Tech 1, (Mammo & X Ray), Radiology, $50k Bonus

- Registered Nurse, Emergency Department, $25k Bonus

- ED Team Coordinator 1, Emergency Department

- MC Multi-Modality Imaging Tech 1, Ultrasound/Vascular with Echo, $50k Bonus

- AC Mechanic-Licensed

- Registered Nurse, ICU

- Cook, Per Diem

- Environmental Tech, $5k Bonus

- Manager Imaging Services

- Pool Medical Technologist

- Pool Registered Nurse, Cardiac Rehab

- Patient Access Associate, Primary Care, $5k Bonus

MARATHON FISHERMEN’S COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

- Multi-Modality Imaging Tech 1, (CT & X Ray), Radiology, $50k Bonus

- Multi-Modality Imaging Tech 1, (Mammo & X Ray) Radiology, $50k Bonus

- Social Work Case Manager, Case Management, $10k Bonus

- Pool Pharmacy Tech 2

- Pool Occupational Therapist

- RRT, Respiratory Therapy

- Sr. Phlebotomist

- Security Officer, FT, Weekends

- Supervisor Patient Access Operations

THEME: FATHER’S DAY

ACROSS

1. Home to Taj Mahal

5. Centum weight, acr.

8. Psychedelic drug, acr.

11. Elephant trainer’s poker

12. *Ned Stark’s youngest daughter

13. Draw out a conclusion

15. Parks of Civil Rights fame

16. Toothy wheel

17. Birth-related

18. *Pinocchio’s father

20. Fortune-telling coffee remnant

21. Religious doctrine

22. D.C. mover and shaker, abbr.

23. Assembled

26. Raidable hotel room amenity

30. Evergreen creeper

31. “Fasten” a shoe (2 words)

34. Nay, to a baby

35. Dryer accumulation, pl.

37. Expose to moisture

38. White heron

39. Sodium hydroxide

40. Same as battle-ax

42. UN labor grp.

43. Like localized disease

45. Crab’s grabber

47. Catcher in the what?

48. Food-borne bacteria

50. Begone!

52. *”Fathers and Sons” author

55. Not expensive

56. Medicinal plant

57. Joie de vivre

59. Batu Khan’s posse

60. *Fils’ father

61. Chicken of the sea

62. *Tarzan’s adoptive dad

63. Before, poetically

64. Big Bang’s original matter

DOWN

1. Financing acronym

2. Hot rum drink

3. *Official flower of Father’s Day

4. Adjusts

5. Minotaur’s island

6. *Kurt Russell’s son of “Thunderbolts” fame

7. Tropical tuber

8. Stringed instrument

9. Slang for heroin

10. Marina ____ Rey, CA

12. “To do” list

13. “____ ____ a high note”

14. *Fictional Mr. _____ who banished children’s nanny to a doghouse

19. Banana refuse, pl.

22. Gladys Knight’s band member

23. *Christopher Robin’s father

A.A. ____

24. Like certain flu

25. Church assembly

26. Speechless

27. Gabriel of Chile

28. Administer ceremonial oil

29. Chopper blade

32. Nile dweller, for short

33. Snake-like reef dweller

36. *Cormac McCarthy’s postapocalyptic father/son novel (2 words)

38. Expatriate

40. Dream in the sky

41. Climactic stage

44. Nearsited one

46. Degrees in right angle

48. Prolific Swiss mathematician

49. Ten million, in India

50. Mercantile establishment

51. This location

52. Cassette contents

53. Twelfth month of Jewish calendar

54. Rooftop contraption

55. Cuban dance step

58. “Platoon” setting, for short