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Florida Highway Patrol recently introduced a one-of-a-kind vehicle to its fleet, a 2023 Chevrolet Corvette C8. FHP said the Corvette was seized in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Task Force and was not purchased with state funds. The vehicle will be used for traffic enforcement and educational purposes in the Fort Myers area. FHP/Via Facebook
The Just a Few Friends weekend tribute to Jimmy Buffett in September 2024 drew a recordbreaking 114 volunteers to Keep Key West Beautiful’s weekly island cleanup. See page 28. DORIAN PATTON/Contributed
3 KEY WEST OFFICIALS INDICTED FOR EVIDENCE TAMPERING
City attorney, building official & code director allegedly deleted text messages before investigation
MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com
Three Key West city officials were indicted and taken to jail Tuesday evening, April 15, for tampering with evidence by deleting text messages before a pending investigation.
All three men — Key West City Attorney Ron Ramsingh; his brother Raj Ramsingh, who is the city’s chief building official; and Jim Young, the city’s code compliance director — face third-degree felony charges of tampering with evidence. Ron Ramsingh faces two additional charges for allegedly illegally intercepting electronic communication and allegedly disclosing that illegally obtained information.
The deleted text messages, which were sent among the three men between June 1 and June 28, 2024, coincide with the timing of the contentious firing of then-city manager Al Childress, which occurred just days after Childress had officially reprimanded Raj Ramsingh for legally questionable actions he had taken within the building department.
“This investigation is ongoing,” Monroe County State Attorney Dennis Ward told the Keys Weekly Tuesday evening, just 30 minutes after the three men were taken into custody.
Bond was set at $25,000 for Raj Ramsingh and Jim Young, and $75,000 for Ron Ramsingh given the two additional charges. If convicted, each defendant faces up to five years in state prison for each count. The charges may also carry serious professional consequences, including potential disbarment and removal from public office, according to the state attorney’s office.
Members of
The indictments and arrests were the results of a “months-long joint investigation conducted by the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office in close partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” states a press release
from the state attorney’s office. “The indictments stem from allegations that the three officials attempted to obstruct an ongoing law enforcement investigation by tampering with physical evidence, specifically text message communications sent and received during June 2024.”
“The City of Key West is in full cooperation with the investigation and recent arrest of three city officials,” city spokeswoman Alyson Crean said in a statement released Tuesday evening. “The city will continue to provide the community with professional and dedicated service.”
The indictments state that between Aug. 23 and Sept. 16, 2024, the two Ramsingh brothers and Young “did alter, destroy, conceal or remove text messages” that they had sent among themselves in June 2024 “knowing that an investigation was pending or about to be instituted.”
The indictments state that Ron Ramsingh in May 2024 allegedly intercepted a Zoom conference call without prior consent of the other participant. The indictment further states that a day later, Ron Ramsingh “intentionally disclosed the contents” of that Zoom video to another individual.
Days before Childress filed disciplinary action against Raj Ramsingh, his role and actions in the city’s building department had been criticized in a 55-page investigation and review by planning consultants from the Corradino Group.
Corradino’s review revealed that Raj Ramsingh reportedly approved scores of development applications
and permits without review or approval from the planning department, which is the department tasked with approving or denying permits, development applications and variances. The report stated that Raj Ramsingh also had issued variances that had previously been denied by the planning department and issued permits without requiring development plans.
Ward told the Keys Weekly on Tuesday evening that the investigation and subsequent indictments stemmed from the Corradino Group’s review of Raj Ramsingh’s actions in the building department, the contentious firing of Childress and the text messages that were exchanged among city employees and elected commissioners prior to the vote to fire Childress.
Ron Ramsingh, Raj Ramsingh and Jim Young did not immediately return messages seeking comment Tuesday.. Ward said they had not been taken into custody until after 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15.
“These are deeply troubling allegations involving multiple public officials in positions of trust and authority,” said Ward. “When public servants interfere with investigations or misuse their access, they betray the very community they are sworn to serve. I want to extend my gratitude to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and to our team of state attorney Investigators, who worked side by side to build these cases. I also want to personally recognize Major Crimes Assistant State Attorney Colleen Dunne, whose legal skill, diligence and integrity were essential in preparing these indictments and leading this prosecution effort.”
Chief Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield added, “Tampering with evidence and illegal interception of communications strike at the core of our legal system. These coordinated acts of obstruction would not have come to light without the persistence of our investigative team and our federal partners. The integrity of the justice process demands that we hold even the highest officials accountable when the law is broken.”
From left: Chief Building Official Raj Ramsingh, City Attorney Ron Ramsingh and Code Compliance Director Jim Young. CONTRIBUTED
JOIN US AT ST PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH FOR EASTER DAY
SUNDAY, APRIL 20TH
Great Vigil of Easter
6 am in the Memorial Garden
Festive Choral Eucharist 10 am in the Main Church
EASTER EGG HUNT
following 10 am service, beginning at 11:45 am
FESTIVE POTLUCK BRUNCH
following 10 am service, Parish Hall
ALL ARE WELCOME!
Smart Summer Smart Summer
6-week courses
• May 16 - June 27
• On-campus, online, and hybrid courses
12-week courses
• May 16 - Aug. 8
• Online courses
Summer Kickstart program
• June 2 - Aug. 5
• 8-week term for new students
- English Composition I
- Preparing for Student Success
• Hybrid flex - Key West Campus and /or online
MESSAGE SHERIFF FROM THE
National Public Safety Telecommunications Week is April 13-19 this year and I would like you to join me in recognizing those Sheri ’s O ce members who are critical in keeping us all safe.
The pressure and stress of the 911 communications is high, and the hard work they do every day deserves thanks from all of us.
Telecommunicators have one of the most important and stressful jobs in law enforcement and they play a vital role in any emergency response. They are the first to receive your emergency calls and what they do with those calls is critical.
They not only dispatch law enforcement in the Keys but also fire departments, paramedics, and the Trauma Star helicopters — the last of which also requires dedication as telecommunicators are required to keep track of the helicopters and their location in the air.
Please join us in recognizing the pivotal role played by those who utilize telephones, radios, computers, and technical skills to provide support to law enforcement, fire services, emergency medical services, and all other governmental personnel!
Monroe County Sheriff, Rick Ramsay
NEW KEY WEST AIRPORT IS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF
EYW sends first passengers to Atlanta using new glass jet bridges
Over the last few years, visitors’ and locals’ nostalgic island experience of traipsing across the steaming tarmac at Key West International Airport was replaced with a labyrinth of construction, shipping containers temporarily serving as tunnels, and a virtually standing-room-only departure area best described as purgatory. Even Seward Johnson’s iconic, welcoming bronze sculptures of arriving tourists that were perched atop the ramp decamped nearly two years ago for their own facelifts.
That era of humid tarmac hikes with hefty luggage ended on Monday, April 14 at 7 a.m. And whether you lament the loss of tropical traditions, or welcome the air-conditioned upgrades, Key West International Airport has a whole new look these days. With the pushback of Delta Air Lines flight 1072 to Atlanta, EYW’s new Concourse A was cleared for take-off. Instead of enduring blast-furnace heat or soaking rain showers, passengers left the gleaming, ultra-modern, 48,802-square-foot, new concourse and boarded the Airbus A319 via one of eight air-conditioned glass jet bridges – the first ever in the Florida Keys.
“For those of you lucky people, you are on the very first flight out of the new airport on the first jet bridge out of Key West,” announced Delta agent and local performer Mitch Jones to thunderous applause and cheers. Even at that early hour, most passengers were wowed and surprised at what they were experiencing, though some locals waxed nostalgic about walking to the planes outside on the ramp.
The long-anticipated world-class concourse opened with the first flights smoothly departing on time despite some technology snafus: inoperative PA systems, sideways flight information screens and IT and WiFi issues. But the soaring, spacious architecture no doubt alleviated some of the stress, with airport staff taking it all in stride.
The sleek new concourse will be the envy of major hubs — highlighted by a glass curtain wall assembled with 446 panels of electrochromic glass that can switch between transparent and opaque states and can withstand 200mph winds. But why are there dots on the glass? It’s for the birds The glass wall panels feature bird-safe glazing — a pattern of small dots every 2 inches is fused to the glass to disrupt bird groups from seeing their reflection. Airport officials and the design team met with local wildlife preservation groups to review their concerns and gain approval for the pattern.
The new EYW is chock full of amenities: voluminous space, natural light, sparkling marblewalled bathrooms, comfortable generous seating with work tables, USB and AC power, free WiFi,
Though still a work in progress, the Key West airport is already immensely more spacious. CHRIS SLOAN/Airliner World & theairchive.net
and — most noticeably — the $1 million ThyssenKrupp all-glass jetways at each of the eight gates, which are still a rarity in the United States.
The lights went down on the old concourse with a Sunday night American Airlines arrival from Miami, and the final race was on for departures to begin early Monday morning. Personnel worked through the night to make the overnight switchover.
“There is no simulation to be done beforehand. All the electronics have to just switch over from downstairs to here,” Monroe County’s Director of Airports Richard Strickland said in October.
With three new airlines, seven new nonstop routes, and an 80% increase in available seats since 2019, the airport transformation was overdue. But construction is analogous to changing the tire on a race car while still running a race, as Key West Airport and the Lower Keys experienced their biggest boom in travel during the buildout period.
Airport and airline crews, who had been working in overdrive learning jet bridges and new IT systems, particularly over the last week, were elated at the opening, but acknowledged much work remains. The facility remains a construction zone.
There’s much more to come
With a temporary certificate of occupancy in hand, EYW is in a soft launch mode with a grand opening planned for the first phase of improvements on Tuesday, May 21.
Concessions are still a work in progress, as the airport currently only has a Farm2Air Market and a temporary Conch Flyer bar.
Still to come for departing passengers are a Chili’s restaurant, a Southern Point bar and a new Conch Flyer, an EYW tradition since back in the old Air Sunshine days in the 1970s. Additional vendors will round out the package.
The next phase of construction, which should be finished by summer 2026, will include a new pedestrian bridge, a four-lane TSA checkpoint, a new baggage claim and arrivals area with a new two-carousel baggage system that’s double the current size (thank god), rental car counters and a long First Call Beach Bar will offer thirsty travelers their first margarita.
“There will be more space and depth for everybody to be able to breathe and move around in baggage,” Strickland said.
Key West air travel continues to soar
The upgraded terminal, which Strickland said is the largest single public project in Monroe County history, showcases the Keys’ emergence as a premium destination. The previous 7,000square-foot departure hold room, which dates to the original terminal’s 1957 opening, had long outlived its expiration date even after a 2009 expansion.
All the while, Key West’s air traffic boomed post-pandemic, from 969,069 passengers in 2019 to 1.45 million in 2024, with Key West Interna-
tional Airport enjoying one of the fastest growth rates of any U.S. airport.
Inbound visitors account for 96% of traffic at EYW, with local outbound passengers accounting for the small remaining balance. Of all the overnight visitors coming to the Florida Keys, 24% fly into the Key West airport, while 21% percent fly into Miami and then drive a rental car down the island chain to their hotel or vacation rental.
Overall, 42% of tourists arrive by personal and rental vehicle, according to a 2024 analysis commissioned by the county’s Tourist Development Council. Diverting more leisure-based air traffic into Key West is a growth opportunity for the airport, and potentially could reduce the number of vehicles on the Overseas Highway.
As an example, Key West newcomer Breeze Airways will begin service at the new terminal on June 12, initially offering nonstop service to Orlando and Tampa.
Construction & funding
The county commission approved construction of the new $100 million facility in October 2021 as the travel boom reached its peak. The project broke ground a year later in November 2022. Monroe County selected a joint-venture firm, Kendall-based NV2AGulf and the local Stock Island-based Keystar Construction, as lead contractors.
Taxpayers aren’t footing the bill for the new facility.
“The project was completely funded by $41.34 million in bond proceeds, Florida Department of Transportation grants, FAA grants, PFCs (passenger facility charges), and airport revenues. No local tax dollars were used,” EYW communications director Katie Atkins said in an April 14 press release announcing the soft opening.
Enhanced user fees for airlines, increased rents and concession revenues will be used to pay back more than $40 million in bonds.
Monday’s soft opening was about six months late from the original target, which is considered normal by industry standards. But the project isn’t suffering from cost overruns notorious with projects of this scale.
As for the missing Seward Johnson sculpture of luggage-toting tourists? Fear not. The “New Friends” sculpture will once again welcome people to the Southernmost City. But they, too, will exchange their outside perch for the airconditioned comfort of the new arrivals hall next year.
— Special thanks to Chris Sloan, an aviation journalist and Key West resident, for providing the Keys Weekly with exclusive coverage. For more aviation information, visit theairchive.net and see more of Sloan’s Key West videos on YouTube at TimeFliesTravelVideos.
SHORT ATTENTION SPAN? NO PROBLEM. ISLANDWIDE TREASURE HUNT BEGINS APRIL 26
Red Barn Theatre kills it with snack-size plays
10-minute plays with a connecting theme of ‘Alternative Facts.’ ROBERTA DePIERO/Contributed
WYATT SAMUELSON www.keysweekly.com
If you’re the type who, the moment a movie starts and the lights dim, your eyelids feel like they’ve got dumbbells strapped to them — or if you just need your phone nearby because you know Veronica was texting Justin, but Sarah doesn’t know yet and someone’s gotta tell her — well then, Red Barn Theatre has the perfect show for you.
On April 8, the Barn presented its 2025 edition of “Short Attention Span Theatre: Alternative Facts,” a six-part anthology of 10-minute plays. With brevity comes beauty (I think I’ve always said that?), and “Short Attention Span Theatre” is the perfect mix of funny, loving, heartbreaking and timely. The bite-sized plays keep the audience wanting more as the night rolls on.
Before the show, Mimi McDonald — managing director and founding member of the Red Barn — offers a quick disclaimer to the audience: “Now I just want everyone to know that all of these plays were chosen before the election — so make of that what you will as you’re watching.” Each play bounces among genres. One minute you’re cackling, the next you’re sitting in a somber mood, really weighing out the tone of what you saw. Despite their variety, all the plays circled back to the connecting theme of “alternative facts.” In one way or another, each play deals with the idea of truth and who controls the narratives.
The same six actors play wildly different roles across the performances, showcasing their range and commit-
ment to the craft. Nina Pilar, Erin McKenna, Mathias Maloff, Cassidy Timms and Zach Franchini portray everything from a Jersey theater goer, a disguised knight, a manic girlfriend, a Russian waiter and a broadcast news anchor.
One of the snack-sized plays that resonated with me personally came during “Incident on the Golden Gate Bridge” by David MacGregor. It’s a story about purpose, perspective and the assumption that the grass is always greener on the other side. The play follows a man standing on a bridge, contemplating whether to jump. Through conversations with a few passing strangers, he begins to reassess his life. At first, he assumes everyone else has their dream job and is out there truly doing something. But as the dialogue unfolds, it becomes clear just how deceptive those assumptions can be. It’s a reminder that constantly comparing ourselves to others comes with its own set of worries.
This kind of rapid-fire storytelling might be one of the most relevant formats for our time. In an age of ever-increasing screen time and shortened forms of entertainment, there’s something incredibly poignant about art that moves quickly, but hits deeply. It’s impressive, and leave it to the Red Barn to showcase our unfolding cultural movements, huh?
As with all opening nights, Red Barn welcomed guests with catered food from Hard Rock Café, creating a space for audience members and cast to mingle and celebrate.
“Short Attention Span Theatre: Alternative Facts” runs through May 3. Tickets are available at keystix.com, redbarntheatre.com, or by calling the box office at 305-296-9911.
Blue Marlin Jewelry has hidden an Atocha coin in Key West
Blue Marlin Jewelry is kicking off an islandwide treasure hunt for this authentic, 8-reale, silver coin from the 1622 wreck of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha. The first clue to its location will be posted to Blue Marlin’s Instagram stories – @ bluemarlinjewelry – at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 26. CONTRIBUTED
MANDY MILES
mandy@keysweekly.com
It’s been 40 years since treasure hunter Mel Fisher and his “golden crew” of divers found the mother lode of treasure that was lost in the 1622 shipwreck of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha.
The discovery in July 1985 revealed $400 million in gold and silver coins, gold bars, silver ingots and emeralds. And the “Atocha coins” became ubiquitous accessories for Key West locals who wear them around their necks like dog tags.
On April 26, a different kind of treasure hunt begins.
Blue Marlin Jewelry, 718 Caroline St., will launch the firstever islandwide treasure hunt on April 26. The grand prize? An
authentic, 8-reale, silver Atocha treasure coin. It comes with a certificate of authenticity and all the associated local street cred.
The jewelry store will begin dropping clues to the coin’s hidden location on its Instagram stories (@bluemarlinjewelry) at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 26.
“An Atocha coin is up for grabs, but only for those who can solve the mystery,” said Blue Marlin owner Armando Gonzalez. “Get ready to embark on an islandwide quest for a piece of the past.”
It took Mel Fisher and his team 16 years to find the treasure from the Nuestra Senora de Atocha. Now, one of the silver coins that was in chest No. 5 when divers found it on the ocean floor is once again waiting to be found.
‘Short Attention Span Theater’ is back at the Red Barn through May 3. This year’s version features six
LISTEN UP — THERE’S MUSIC EVERYWHERE
Songwriters Festival? Sounds great. April 30-May 4
The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association 29th annual Key West Songwriters Festival, presented by BMI, the largest and most renowned event of its kind, returns this spring from April 30 to May 4, 2025, featuring more than 200 BMI songwriters performing 60-plus shows for 30,000 music lovers over five days in paradise. The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association and Rams Head Presents will bring together industry veterans and emerging talent, through multiday offerings of free and ticketed shows. Performances range from acoustic story-telling sessions in the round at theaters, bars and beaches, to fullband performances on concert stages.
“The artists really enjoy coming to Key West each year because it’s not just about performing — it’s a vacation and a chance to gather with their fellow songwriters,” said Kelly Norman, vice president of operations at Rams Head Group, “It’s a unique opportunity to perform in an extraordinary setting where music is everywhere.”
“The songwriters festival in Key West offers a rare opportunity to listen to songwriters and their stories in arguably one of the most beautiful spots in the world,” said Raul Malo, frontman of the Grammy Award-winning band the Mavericks. “The setting is inspiring and the whole atmosphere lends itself to creativity. Key West is good for the soul and a lovely place to hang and play music for a few days.”
The 29th annual Key West Songwriters Festival is presented by BMI with Rams Head Presents, with support of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council. In addition to ticketed events, attendees can enjoy more than 50 free shows at bars, restaurants, resort beaches, cafes and hotel pools.
“Key West is a music town — during the festival, you can walk down the street and hear music from every direction,” Norman said “At any given moment, you might bump into an artist with a guitar, moving from one gig to the next. You may not recognize an artist by name when you first see them, but years later, you’ll be able to say, ‘I saw them perform here before they were huge.’
“The best way to experience the festival is to just wander,” said Norman. “Stumble across a stage, and you might find yourself standing in front of the person who wrote some of your favorite songs. It’s those ‘a-ha’ moments that make the festival special.”
Music lovers can purchase tickets to individual shows or “Platinum Pass” multishow VIP tickets at www.keywestsongwritersfestival. com. The festival also has an official app, featuring the most up-to-date schedule, artist bios, venues, tickets, exclusive content and first-toknow alerts about pop-up events.
New venues such as the Marquesa Hotel, the Alamo, and Island Dogs will join returning festival favorites, including Rams Head Southernmost Bar & Restaurant (the event’s headquarters), Key West Theater, Southernmost Resort, Blue Heaven, Dante’s Key West Pool Bar & Restaurant, and the San Carlos Institute.
“The Key West Songwriters Festival is as unique as a shiny turquoise sand dollar — you can feel the heartbeat in the salt air of poetic
2. Chase Matthew returns to Key West for the 2025 Songwriters Festival. CONTRIBUTED
3. ‘Key West is good for the soul and a lovely place to hang and play music for a few days,’ said Raul Malo, frontman for the Mavericks, who will return for the 2025 Songwriters Festival. CAROL TEDESCO/BMI
4. Tommy Sims and Chuck Cannon share a Key West stage at last year’s Key West Songwriters Festival. CAROL TEDESCO/BMI
legends Hemingway, Silverstein, Buffett, Tennessee Williams, Billy Collins, and so many others who have been drawn like magnets to this crazy, eclectic, gotta-love-it tropical rock,” said James Slater, a two-time Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter. “I’m looking forward to fried shrimp, late night bicycle rides, ceviche, fresh mango jam, my Cafe Con Leche Sunset shows with Storme Warren at Southernmost Mansion and performing ‘Key West Address’ and ‘Guys Named Captain’ on the grand piano on my favorite stage in the world Saturday night — the San Carlos Theatre.”
Proceeds from the five-day event benefit the BMI Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 1985 that supports music education and creation through grants and scholarships, along with Michelle’s Foundation, a Key West-based nonprofit that helps children and families in need.
— Contributed
1. Songwriter Nate Smith will perform at the Songwriters Festival. CONTRIBUTED
A SEAFARING SEND-OFF
Celebrate the sailing life of Capt. Finbar Gittelman
In late December 2024, Key West lost one of its most colorful and legendary characters:
Captain Finbar Gittelman, who will never be forgotten on the island that was his home port for some 50 years. He lives on through the schooner Wolf that he built and captained, and through the irreverent independence of the Conch Republic he helped shape.
The quintessential seafarer, called simply “Finbar” by practically everyone who knew him, grew up on Miami Beach. He first came to Key West as a child with his parents to board the thenoperating ferry to Havana, Cuba to visit relatives. He made the island his permanent home in 1973.
“When I sailed into Key West Harbor anchorage, dropped anchor and looked around, I knew I was home,” he said in 2018.
While he relished the island’s seafaring atmosphere and freewheeling way of life in the 1970s, he was surprised at the lack of passenger sailboats. In 1980, Gittelman built the 33-foot sloop High Tide, designed for day sailing and trips to the reef.
In 1982, along with master builder Willis Ray, he began constructing the ship that would become his lifelong passion and frequent liveaboard home: the 74-foot, gaff-rigged topsail schooner Wolf.
“I’ve always loved traditional ships,” he said years later. “To me, the old ways are sometimes the best ways.”
Patterned after the 19th-century blockade runners that once plied the Florida Straits, the Wolf was ultimately designated the flagship of both the Conch Republic — the Keys’ offbeat alter ego — and the city of Key West. The venerable vessel was headquartered in Key West and neighboring Stock Island for some four decades, operating as a passenger boat that offered specialty day sails, private charters and even extended voyages.
Rising quickly through the ranks of the colorful Conch Republic Military Forces, Gittelman eventually earned the titles of admiral, first sea lord and supreme commander. For decades he and the Wolf led the republic to victory in its yearly “sea battle” against the U.S. Coast Guard and federal government — a highlight of the annual Conch Republic Independence Celebration that commemorates the “nation’s” 1982 birth. That was the Keys’ symbolic secession from the United States in opposition to the federal blockade at the top of the Keys that aimed to curb drug smuggling, but instead crippled tourism.
He also portrayed a pirate king during Key West’s long-running Pirates in Paradise festival, a rollicking revel for buccaneers and wenches that was created and coordinated by his wife and soulmate, Julie McEnroe.
But there was far more to Finbar than the personas he assumed with devil-may-care enthusiasm. In 1980 he and three shipmates survived a deadly Caribbean hurricane at sea, spending harrowing days in a tiny life raft after their vessel sank in the Category 5 storm.
The Schooner Wolf, right, leads other vessels in a lighthearted sea battle, one of the most popular events of Key West’s annual Conch Republic Independence Celebration, slated this year for April 18-27. BILL KLIPP/ Contributed
Perhaps as a result of that experience, over the years Finbar and first mate McEnroe sailed the Wolf on numerous humanitarian missions of mercy in the Caribbean, delivering cargoes of food and relief supplies to areas devastated by hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural disasters.
The couple also poured their hearts into teaching seafaring skills and traditions to young mariners — a primary focus of Finbar’s life.
“I love teaching young sailors the ancient art of sail,” he said several years ago. “I want to pass on what I know and try to show them the spirit of the sea.”
Finbar’s life provided him with fodder for a wealth of stories — and as his friends can attest, he told them masterfully. Some of his most distinctive tales were captured in “The Old Man and the Sea: Return to Cuba,” a documentary released in 2018 by Matt Dean Films, that explored the captain’s seafaring spirit and first journey to Havana since his childhood.
But no matter where he sailed, Finbar’s affection for his island home never wavered.
“I’ve been to many ports and none of them have the way of life I love here,” he said in 2018. “Key West is one of the places in the world where you can be yourself, and this is where I belong.”
FINBAR’S ‘CROSSING THE BAR’ MEMORIAL SET FOR APRIL 23
Friends and fans of Capt. Finbar Gittelman, the schooner Wolf and the Conch Republic are invited to celebrate the captain’s life and legacy at a memorial ceremony and dinner on Wednesday, April 23 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Sunset Pier at Ocean Key Resort & Spa. Before that, the Tropic Cinema will host a free screening of “The Old Man and the Sea: Return to Cuba” documentary about Gittelman at 1 p.m.
Named for the traditional term for a sailor’s passing, “Crossing the Bar” refers to the journey from a sheltered harbor to open, unpredictable seas. The Gittelman gathering is part of the 2025 Conch Republic Independence Celebration. Admission to the ceremony is free, but tickets for the seated dinner are $45 per person and reservations are suggested. Visit conchrepublic. com.
A portion of the evening’s proceeds benefits the Schooner Wolf Restoration Fund, created to support much-needed renovation and repairs to Gittelman’s beloved tall ship — and preserve its purpose as a “classroom” where new generations can learn the art and traditions of sailing.
Finbar and his wife Julie McEnroe at the 2023 Change of Command ceremony when he turned over leadership of the Conch Republic Military Forces. CAROL TEDESCO/Contributed
ONE-MAN SHOWS BRING HISTORY TO LIFE
Performer Mike Wiley portrays more than 30 characters in his one-man shows that bring history and the civil rights movement to life April 17 and 18 at the American Legion Hall in Bahama Village, 803 Emma St. CONTRIBUTED
Two powerful one-man performances by Mike Wiley, will bring history to life on Thursday, April 17 and Friday, April 18 at the American Legion in Bahama Village, 803 Emma St.
On Thursday evening, Wiley presents “Dar He: The Story of Emmett Till,” in which he portrays over 30 characters while recounting the tragic events that ignited the civil rights movement.
On Friday evening, Wiley performs “A Game Apart,” in which he steps into the world of baseball great Jackie Robinson and other black athletes, revealing the challenges and triumphs of breaking sports’ color barriers.
The Thursday show is recommended for adults and kids
in grades 7 and up, while the Friday show is suitable for kids in grades 3 and up.
An opening reception starts at 6 p.m. each night and features food and a cash bar. Shows begin at 7 p.m.
The shows are presented in a partnership between The Studios of Key West and R.O.S.E. Diversity Group, whose mission is “reaching others socially and educationally.” The group is a community improvement initiative serving Bahama Village.
General admission tickets are $50, but $25 if purchased through R.O.S.E. Diversity Group at tskw.org. More information is available from Arida Wright, president of R.O.S.E Diversity Group, at 305-7664922.
— Contributed
KEY LARGO MAN MAY FACE DEATH PENALTY FOR CHILD MOLESTATION
Jeffrey
Kesling indicted for sexual battery
on kids aged 3 & 7
AJeffrey Scott Kesling, 43, could face the death penalty if convicted on two counts of sexual battery on a 3-year-old and a 7-year old.
CONTRIBUTED
Key Largo business owner could face the death penalty for allegedly sexually abusing two children, ages 3 and 7, over an 18-month period. A grand jury this week indicted Jeffrey Scott Kesling, 43, on five felony counts, two of which are capital offenses and eligible for the death penalty. Kesling, who is listed in state business records as the owner of Keys Meads winery in Key Largo, faces two counts of sexual battery on a child under the age of 12, a capital felony under Florida law, and three counts of lewd and lascivious molestation, a life felony.
Under Florida law, capital sexual battery carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without parole and is eligible for the death penalty. Defendants cannot post bond when facing conviction for a capital crime. For the three counts of lewd and lascivious molestation, Kesling’s bond was set at $150,000 per count, for a total of $450,000.
“There are no words strong enough to describe the cruelty of these crimes,” State Attorney Dennis Ward said. “A 3-year-old and a 7-year-old — these are babies. What happened to them is monstrous. There’s a reason the state of Florida allows the death penalty in cases like this, and if the facts warrant it, we will pursue it. We have a duty to protect our children and bring justice for what they’ve endured.”
Chief Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield added, “This isn’t just criminal — it’s evil. Anyone who sexually violates a 3-year-old or a 7-year-old has no place in our society. This case will be prosecuted aggressively. Our community needs to know that when it comes to protecting children, there is no room for compromise. No plea deals. No leniency. Only accountability.”
Kesling remains in custody and has been indicted, not convicted.
The Monroe County State Attorney’s Office is coordinating with law enforcement agencies, victim advocates and other agencies to ensure the safety and well-being of the victims.
Because this is an active and sensitive criminal prosecution, no further information will be released at this time to protect the integrity of the case and the privacy of the victims, the state attorney’s office added.
— Contributed
CONVICTED KILLER GETS PRISON SENTENCE
Holbrook shot boyfriend in the back during 2023 incident on Big Coppitt
The Monroe County State Attorney’s Office announced on April 11 that Brittany Holbrook, 35, was sentenced to 40 years in state prison – with the first 25 years served without the possibility of reducing the sentence for good behavior –following her conviction for the second-degree murder of her boyfriend, Tyler Nulisch. Monroe County Judge Mark Wilson handed down the sentence, which also includes court costs and fines.
A jury found Holbrook guilty of second-degree murder on Feb. 24, taking less than one hour to render the verdict at the close of a week-long trial.
The case stemmed from a shooting that occurred in the early morning hours of June 17, 2023, at a residence on Big Coppitt. Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a 911 call reporting that Nulisch had been shot and was gravely wounded. When they arrived, they found him lying on the floor of the living area with a gunshot wound to the back, and Holbrook beside him. A 9mm handgun and a spent shell casing were recovered at the scene.
Before he succumbed to his injuries, Nulisch reportedly told his roommate, “That bitch shot me in the back,” directly identifying Holbrook as the shooter.
During the investigation, Holbrook initially claimed she
Brittany Holbrook. MCSO/Contributed
had no memory of the incident but later said she acted in self-defense after Nulisch allegedly strangled her. However, the jury found her testimony inconsistent, and the forensic evidence did not support her version of events. There were no injuries consistent with her claims of being attacked.
“This case is a tragic reminder of how quickly domestic arguments can turn deadly,” said State Attorney Dennis Ward. “We appreciate the jury’s swift and decisive verdict and commend law enforcement and our prosecution team for their outstanding work in securing justice for Tyler Nulisch.”
Chief Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield, who prosecuted the case alongside Assistant State Attorney David Alvarez, added, “The evidence spoke volumes. Mr. Nulisch’s final words, combined with the forensic findings and lack of physical injuries consistent with Holbrook’s self-defense claim, made the facts clear. We thank the jury for their service and thoughtful deliberation.”
— Keys Weekly staff report
LEADERSHIP MONROE COUNTY CELEBRATES CLASS XXXII GRADUATION WITH ‘NAUTICAL FUN IN THE SUN’
Community festival is May 3 at Marathon Community Park
Leadership Monroe County Class XXXI celebrates graduation in 2024 at Marathon Community Park. A family-friendly community exhibition at the park will return this year to celebrate the graduation of Class XXXII. ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly
Leadership Monroe County will celebrate its Class XXXII graduation with a “Nautical Fun in the Sun” community festival and alumni reunion to be held Saturday, May 3 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Marathon Community Park.
The family-friendly event will feature food trucks, games, a bounce house, a water slide, a classic car show, artist booths, pony rides for the kids, the Key West Police Department Mounted Patrol Unit, live music, vendors, more than 30 Monroe County nonprofit booths, a Class XXXII raffle and graduation ceremony, and more.
Admission is free, and donations are accepted.
Established in 1992, Leadership Monroe County is an educational, nonpartisan nonprofit community leadership organization developed to address the rapidly changing needs and concerns of the county, develop a group of well-educated leaders, help guide the community in a positive direction and foster effective countywide alliances. Through a series of single or multiday sessions over seven months, participants examine the fundamental public and private segments throughout the county. More information is at 305-394-3804 or leadershipmonroecounty.org.
— Contributed
IT’S ABOUT TIME
Author Malcolm Gladwell suggested in his book, “Outliers: The Story of Success” that it takes 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to master a craft — nearly five years if you treat it as a full-time, 40-hour-aweek commitment.
Critics argue that the theory oversimplifies the intricacies of expertise and the huge variations in subject matter. What if, for example, the craft you want to master requires mastery of more than one skill? Then, in order to use technological advances in your chosen field, you’d have to learn yet another set of skills. There just doesn’t seem to be enough time to do it all. Sure, today, the internet puts all the necessary information at our fingertips. But turning that information into practical application and skillful execution takes time — a lot of time, plus patience and the passion to pursue it in the first place.
For musicians, so-called mastery of an instrument varies. Not everyone who plays guitar, for instance, feels the need to shred 64th notes at 160 beats per minute. (By the way, folks, that’s super-fast.) And not everyone who shreds that fast does it to impress others; sometimes that’s just how it comes out, and it feels right.
Learning to play the instrument may not be enough if your aim is to play with other people. You must learn to listen and respond to the other players in order to match their level and intensity. You must recognize and understand what other players are doing, and then identify a spot that you can occupy that enhances the overall performance.
Then you must learn to match the tone of the performance by adding sonic textures
RAY WEST
that work with those created by the other players, all while still adding your own ingredients to the mix. That’s a lot to master.
... a professional musician, singer, actor and executive director of the Key West Music Awards, is known to sacrifice his comfort for that of his cat.
And it’s not just the music. It takes time to learn the equipment, the gear, the emerging tools that enable the music. How does that accessory work? What does it do? When should it do it?
But perhaps the most important question is, what gear is not essential? Marketing music gear is much like marketing fishing tackle — much of it is made to attract fishermen, not fish. Manufacturers put immense effort and expense into packaging that convinces buyers that their product is new, improved, different and somehow essential.
Think of toothpaste. The options take up half an aisle in the drug store, and yet they all basically do the same thing. Good marketing does not make good music, and learning to separate the two is another essential skill that takes time.
With all this time invested in mastering all these skills, we haven’t even considered the time it takes to learn new material or write original music and lyrics. The amount of work that goes into learning a particularly complicated piece of music varies from player to player. Even an experienced player may have a hard time adjusting his playing style to fit the new piece. Something as simple as changing a finger position so you can get to the next note could mean breaking a habit you developed nearly 10,000 hours ago.
Whether it takes 10,000 or 50,000 hours to master a craft, why not start today?
KEY WEST KIDS ROCK ’80s TUNES AT CONCERT
Robin Kaplan’s Music Room students perform Bon Jovi, Journey & more
Turn the clock back to the days of big hair, jelly bracelets and mix tapes as the Music Room presents its annual “Kids Helping Kids” spring concert. This year’s theme, “Back to the ’80s,” aims to invoke the energy, fun and nostalgia of the decade through music. Under the direction of Robin Kaplan, students will be joined by Joe Dallas, Skipper Kripitz and Rolando Rojas as they perform ’80s hits like “Livin’ on a Prayer” and “Don’t Stop Believin.’” The evening will include a mix of solo songs, duets and group numbers on
piano, guitar and vocals. There will be guest appearances by Kathleen Peace, Bella Jampol, Nina Pilar and Gregory James. “Kids Helping Kids” is a musical celebration with a purpose. This year, the show will support the Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition, an organization dedicated to ensuring that every baby in the Keys gets a healthy start in life. Donations will be accepted to help provide resources for families in need, including diapers, formula, clothing, medical care and more.
— Contributed
THE MUSIC ROOM PRESENTS KIDS HELPING KIDS CONCERT
April 27 at 5 p.m. at Key West Theater, 512 Eaton St. Admission is $10. Proceeds support Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition. Donations are also welcome. RSVP on Facebook Tickets can be purchased at thekeywesttheater.com or at the box office at 512 Eaton St.
Robin Kaplan’s Music Room students will turn the clock back to the ’80s for their annual Kids Helping Kids concert to raise money for Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition on April 27 at 5 p.m. at Key West Theater. CONTRIBUTED
meet in the
NAUTICAL FUN IN THE SUN!
COMMUNITY FESTIVAL FOR ALL!
SATURDAY, MAY 3, 11 A.M.-6 P.M. MARATHON COMMUNITY PARK
TAKE A STEP TOWARD BETTER HEALTH
Guest Speaker
DR. JACK NORRIS
Dr. Norris, Chief of Staff at Lower Keys Medical Center, will discuss the lease renewal at LKMC .
JOIN US FOR A WALK & TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR HOSPITAL
Walk with a Doc inspires communities through movement and conversation. This doctor-led walking group is a safe, fun, and FREE community event that happens the third Saturday of each month
SATURDAY APRIL 19th THE
SCAN TO LEARN MORE:
walk@womankindkeywest.org
CELEBRATING CLASS XXXII GRADUATION!
SPECIAL GUESTS: KEY WEST MOUNTED PATROL LIVE MUSIC FOOD TRUCKS CAR SHOW NAUTICAL
MORE THAN 35 NON-PROFIT EDUCATIONAL BOOTHS!
JOIN US FOR A FAMILY FUN DAY & ENJOY OUR ISLAND COMMUNITY! FOR KIDS: BOUNCE HOUSE, WATER SLIDE, FACE PAINTING, & PONY RIDES!
FREE ADMISSION | DONATIONS WELCOME FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 305-394-3804 EMAIL INFO@LEADERSHIPMONROECOUNTY.ORG
PHOTO BY ANDY NEWMAN
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Unforgettable Dining Experiences
Elegant Fine Dining by Chef Laurence Gottlieb
Easter Dinner
A three-course prix fixe celebration of spring April 20 | 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Mother’s Day Dinner
A three-course prix fixe celebration of mom May 11 | 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Morning Menu
A gracious island breakfast experience 8:00 am – 11:00 am daily
Southern Happy Hou r
Enjoy 30% off wines by the glass & signature cocktails and small plate specials 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm daily
Curated Tasting Menu
A sumptuous seven-course prix fixe menu 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm daily
Exquisite Evenings
An exceptional dinner menu, vintage wine list and exclusive cocktails 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm daily
Special Occasion Gift Card
Treat someone to an incredible dining experience or overnight retreat.
KEY WEST GALLERY WELCOMES ARTIST STEVEN QUARTLY
Painting
demonstrations to take place April 17-21
‘Sunkissed View’. STEVEN QUARTLY/ Contributed
‘Sunkissed View’.
MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com
From Italy’s Amalfi Coast to Augusta National golf course in Georgia, and from Mallory Square to the Mediterranean, Steven Quartly’s paintings demonstrate the power and passion of a place. Whether it’s a familiar front porch or the patchwork pastels of Positano, Italy, Quartly takes us there — Italy, Spain, Hawaii, the French Riviera and, yes, Key West.
Although a resident of Southern California, Quartly regularly visits the Southernmost City, where his work is available at Key West Gallery, 601 Duval St.
He’ll be in town from April 17-21, offering live painting demonstrations in the gallery and unveiling his latest limited edition triptych called “Evening Escape.”
‘Time on the Coast’.
‘Taking Flight’.
“Steven is a young-man version of Monet; he paints like an old master with a new vibrancy,” Arthur Barron, president of Paramount Pictures, said of Quartly. “With his masterful use of a palette knife and brush, each stroke creates a symphony of color and dramatic perspective.”
Quartly is married with four children — and manages to sneak in an early-morning surf set before heading to the studio.
More information is at keywestgallery.com.
WHAT’S COOKING, KEY WEST?
Cuban heritage flavors Key West cuisine
CAROL SHAUGHNESSY www.keysweekly.com
Located just 90 miles apart, Key West’s and Cuba’s cultural connection dates back nearly 200 years. So it’s no surprise that Key West’s individualistic cuisine has long been influenced by flavors, preparation techniques and culinary traditions developed by its Cuban neighbors.
The connection began in the early 1830s when scores of Cuban people, seeking freedom and a new home, began crossing the expanse of open water that separated the two islands. Among them were scores of skilled cigarmakers who brought their craft and customs with them.
Key West’s first cigar factory opened in 1831, and others quickly followed. By the mid- to late 1800s, the island city was known as the cigar manufacturing capital of the world.
Today, reminders of the Cuban influence are seen all over Key West in the form of former cigar factories and workers’ cottages that have been lovingly restored, as well as the landmark San Carlos Institute on Duval Street, founded in 1871 as an educational, civic and patriotic center. But the edible evidence of Cuba’s longstanding influence lies in the prevalence and popularity of Cuban food — and the large role it plays in the culinary classes offered at the Key West Cooking School, 291 Front St. upstairs.
At the school, guests can learn to make time-honored Cuban dishes, following along and taking notes as a chef-storyteller demonstrates the recipes’ preparation techniques and shares the traditions behind them. To cap each class experience, attendees share a multicourse meal of the featured dishes, forging new friendships as they enjoy new flavors.
While menu items vary from day to day, they might include such Cuban staples as mojo roast pork, marinated in a citrus and garlic mixture and slow-roasted; ropa vieja (whose name means “old clothes”), a fusion of shredded beef, tomatoes, green peppers, onions and spices; or picadillo, a savory stew-like concoction of ground beef blended with olives, raisins and spices.
cigar” rolls, featuring all the flavors of a Cuban mix in a fried wonton wrap. KEY WEST COOKING SCHOOL/Contributed
A popular Cuban comfort food, picadillo is a savory expression of the cultural and culinary connections between Cuba and Key West — and one of the entrées that Key West Cooking School guests can learn to prepare.
Cuban entrees are typically served with black beans and yellow rice, as well as fried plantains that add an unexpected sweetness. Guests at the school can learn to prepare those as well.
When it comes to a lighter meal, the Cuban mix sandwich is the biggest crowd-pleaser. Roast pork, ham, cheese, pickles and mustard are layered on Cuban bread, toasted and flattened in a press that looks something like a waffle iron. The preparation isn’t complex, but the school’s chef-storytellers offer tips that add a special flair to this Key West favorite.
LAST BITES
Dish of the week: “Cohiba Cigar” Rolls. This innovative “Cuban mix” appetizer includes the traditional ingredients, rolled up in wonton wraps to resemble fine cigars, and lightly fried. Featured at the cooking school’s opento-the-public Bar 1, the rolls are served in a replica cigar box with mustard and Key lime aioli.
Helpful kitchen hack: When preparing an entrée like picadillo that requires ground beef, have a potato masher close at hand. It’s the perfect implement for breaking ground meat apart in the pan, thereby encouraging quick browning.
Hungry for more? Visit keywestcookingschool.com, or call 305-294COOK to book a class.
Opening a replica cigar box at the Key West Cooking School’s Bar 1 reveals a savory surprise: “Cohiba
Easter Brunch Bu ffet
Sunday, April 20th, 10am-2pm, $75 per person
Starters
CHARCUTERIE BOARD
Assorted cured meats & imported cheeses, tru e honey, jams, fresh fruit, herb toast points
QUICHES & CROISSANTS
Assorted & house-made
Soup & Salad
VICHYSSOISE
Chilled potato leek soup, crispy leeks
KEY WEST PINK SHRIMP BISQUE
Spiced crema, chives
CLASSIC CAESAR SALAD
Crisp romaine hearts, lemon thyme croutons, pecorino, Caesar dressing
BABY KALE & ARUGULA SALAD
Cara cara orange, pomegranate, heirloom tomatoes, pickled onions, candied pecans, gorgonzola, maple rosemary vinaigrette
Omelet Station
Choice of whole eggs or egg whites with toppings: PROTEINS
Black forest ham, applewood smoked bacon, house sausage, pulled chicken VEGETABLES
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, With herb garlic butter, Creamy Mushroom Orzo Pasta, Garlic Chili Green Beans, Boursin Cream Corn
Dessert
COOKIES & DONUTS
Assorted selection by Chef Robbie
3841 North Roosevelt Boulevard, Key West 305.296.8100, www.tavernntown.com
Keep Key West Beautiful is an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful
Under Keep Key West Beautiful are three volunteer groups: Plogging the Keys, Key West Adopt a Spot and the Mayor’s Beautification Committee.
PLOGGING THE KEYS
Plogging the Keys does cleanups at different locations throughout the city of Key West every Friday morning from 8 to 9 a.m. year-round, and special cleanups on other weekdays and weekends as requested.
KEY WEST ADOPT A SPOT
Key West Adopt a Spot allows for local community involvement from residents, businesses, and community service organizations. Someone can adopt a street, a park or even the area in front of their house with a common goal of keeping the trash off the street and out of our beautiful waters surrounding Key West.
THE MAYOR’S BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE
The Mayor’s Beautification Committee takes on local projects such as trash can painting, repainting of street names on concrete poles and other community projects.
THE NEWEST ADDITION TO KEEP KEY WEST BEAUTIFUL THE MAYOR’S CEMETERY REVITALIZATION COMMITTEE
Earth Day 2025
CELEBRATING EARTH DAY
Keep Key West Beautiful is celebrating Earth Day and Arbor Day this year with cleanups on both days and a special third cleanup that week on a Saturday.
We know Earth Day puts an emphasis on one day out of 365 that everyone should go out and do something special to make an impact on the environment in your community.
Keep Key West Beautiful believes that in Key West and the Florida Keys, every day should be Earth Day and everyone should do their part year-round in disposing of trash, cigarette butts and toxic chemicals properly to protect our fragile ecosystem. If you see it, pick it up; don’t just walk over it.
If you go to the beach, take back everything that you brought with you.
Keep Key West Beautiful, with the dedication of Plogging the Keys, has made a huge impact on Key West with a significant increase year over year.
YEAR-TO-DATE STATISTICS
895 volunteers
5,039 pounds of trash
542.5 pounds of recycling
40 gallons of cigarette butts All cigarette butts collected are sent to Terra Cycle for recycling at no cost to the city.
Through the dedication of these volunteers, Keep Key West Beautiful has earned two President’s Circle Awards.
TUESDAY, APRIL 22
8 A.M. - 2 P.M.
INDIGENOUS PARK 1801 WHITE STREET
MARK HEDDEN
... is a photographer, writer, and semi-professional birdwatcher. He has lived in Key West for more than 25 years and may no longer be employable in the real world. He is also executive director of the Florida Keys Audubon Society.
Iwas about to head out on my road bike when my future wife said, “Put a helmet on. I’m not changing your diaper.”
That was years ago. I grumbled, but slapped the helmet on my head, and snapped the chinstrap closed, because even if you don’t like wearing one, helmets with open chinstraps are useless.
I loved the bike I was riding, but it was something of a Frankenbike, a bunch of old components on a slightly-less-old steel Peugeot frame. It had been a pretty good bike up to that point, even if only one of the brakes really worked.
Coming down the Garrison Bight Bridge I was probably doing 25 mph or so behind a black Ford Taurus, when the Taurus suddenly screeched to a halt. I squeezed hard on the functional brake lever, even though I still had plenty of room to stop. That’s when the cable snapped, and the universe served up for me a very clear, very illuminated moment in which I knew I was going to slam into the back of the Taurus, and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.
I can still remember the way the plastic of the back bumper molded around me, partially absorbing the impact. And the way the edge of the trunk functioned as a fulcrum, allowing my body to pivot, and my helmeted head – thanks, Nan! – to slam into the car’s back window. The energy from all that absorbing and pivoting and slamming bounced me backwards and I flopped hard on the ground.
Lying on the pavement, in a lot of pain, bleeding a bit, I remember exactly what my first thought was: My bike. I sure hope my bike is okay. (It was not.)
This led me to understand two incontrovertible truths about my life. One, my future wife was now entitled to infinite opportunities to remind me of that time she saved my life by telling me to wear a helmet. (She has used this right surprisingly infrequently.) And two, I had an ingrained tendency to be concerned about material things over personal wellbeing.
The thing about ingrained tendencies is that, while you may recognize them in yourself, you can’t always do anything about them.
I was thinking about this, and vaguely about that bike crash, last week while walking along the south edge of Ohio Key.
For anyone who hasn’t been there, the south side of Ohio Key is a great bit of Florida Keys habitat. The interior is almost entirely a salt pond. The outer edge is coastal, with great views of open ocean and the Seven Mile Bridge. But there is also this shelf/apron of Miami oolite, about 30 yards wide, that is sometimes submerged and sometimes exposed, which shore birds love.
SHOREBIRDS, SOLID GROUND AND TREACHEROUS MUCK
The oolite shelf, however, is uneven and sometimes slick in unexpected places, offering copious opportunities to twist an ankle, stumble or slip, especially if you’re looking harder for birds than tripping hazards.
It wasn’t as dramatic a risk as riding a bike into an unmoving object, but there were some low-grade similarities.
I had my binoculars slung over my left shoulder, my camera over my right. But by some pre-cognizant decision I was also holding my camera slightly out and up, away from my body. Because if I went down I would have a lower likelihood of smashing my camera or submerging it in saltwater. I might protect my head, but anything else would be secondary. Cuts and bruises heal, but replacement cameras are costly.
I’d stopped over on Ohio Key because as I was driving by I noticed that the interior salt pond, which at its fullest covered about 15 acres, looked to be down to about four acres. And in that condensed amount of water, there were a lot of birds.
It was easiest to differentiate the wading birds, because they were bigger and moving around more – reddish egret, snowy egrets, tricolored herons, green herons, great egrets.
But beyond them, flocks of hundreds of loafing shorebirds – ruddy turnstones, blackbellied plovers, semipalmated sandpipers, semipalmated plovers, willets, sanderlings, shortbilled dowitchers — all needed to be counted by the dozen. They were all very distant and in terrible light, but it was just edifying to see so many birds at once.
After a while, though, I went down to the water and started walking along the oolite apron to see if there were any other closer birds there. I walked for a long time, but only managed to see a small flock of least sandpipers.
At some point, there was a bit of an opening onto the back of the salt flat. Looking through it I scanned for nearby birds, but the big flocks were hundreds of yards away. I remembered standing at that exact spot about a year-and-a-half before and seeing an American
flamingo wading through knee-deep water.
A lot of land in the Keys can’t be trusted, as it can be near impossible to tell what is solid ground and what is treacherous muck, especially along the edge of a salt pond. I’ve found myself knee deep in the muck after thinking I was on solid footing more times than I can count.
This all looked so dry, cracked and desiccated though, so I took a step out onto the marl. It crackled beneath my foot. I was holding the camera out and away from my body again, but I did not sink. Not even a little bit. So I made my way back toward the car along the edge of the pond. I even let the camera just hang on its shoulder strap.
I drove by Ohio Key again early this week, and the volume of the water in the salt pond had been even more dramatically reduced, down to maybe half an acre. The wading birds were gone, but there seemed to be just as many, if not more, loafing shorebirds. And they were closer to the edge of the pond.
I took some shots from high up on the embankment, then made my way closer to the pond. Flip flops might not have been the smartest footwear choice, but I wasn’t going that far.
At the bottom of the embankment the underfoot substrate switched from oolite to dried, cracked, desiccated marl, my new safe space.
I took two steps out onto the edge of the pond, and immediately sank up to my knees. Then I started to lose my balance.
Fortunately I’d had my hand on the camera, and had it lifted above me as I slowly went down, my butt falling onto the hard and spiky oolite. I slipped the strap over my head and put the camera down gently on the rocks.
It took me two or three minutes to dig my first flip flop out of the muck, another five or eight minutes to dig out the next one. My feet were so slick with mud I had to very carefully walk barefoot back up to the highway.
The important thing was that the camera was fine.
Shorebirds in a shrinking salt pond on Ohio Key. MARK HEDDEn/Keys Weekly
SUMMER ADVENTURE CAMPS
• We’re Local! Decisions are made right here in the Keys.
• We’re Neighbors! What we make in the Keys stays in the Keys.
• We Exist to Serve You! Your success is our success.
The Prowlers are more daring and dialed-in than ever. Their signature four-part harmonies, dynamic storytelling, and instrumental mastery take stage.
CULTURAL REPORTING & CUISINE
THU APR 24, 6PM $15, $10 mbrs.
What do food stories reveal about who we are? Awardwinning public radio reporter Lisa Morehouse joins local journo-turned-librarian Nan Klingener for a lively conversation on the ingredients that make culture reporting so rich and necessary.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
COULD WATERFRONT PLAYHOUSE LOSE ITS LEASE?
Dear Editor,
The coconut telegraph is buzzing with the rumor that the city’s long-standing rental agreement with the Waterfront Playhouse will not automatically be renewed but put out for bid. Mallory Square is an attractive location and many enterprises with deep pockets would be eager to pay a high rent for the Waterfront Playhouse building. But putting profit before a popular community treasure is not the way to go. Why is Waterfront Playhouse an essential venue? Here are a few reasons:
1. The Waterfront Playhouse has been a respected and well-loved Key West cultural institution since 1939.
2. Theater provides entertainment while also offering an important mirror on society, revealing and shaping culture. Theater has the ability to reflect society’s values, struggles and triumphs back at us. It lets us view ourselves from a different angle.
3. In an increasingly divided world, theater has the magical ability to bring people together. Despite our differences, theater creates a collective, communal experience shared by all. This is especially timely in our currently polarized world.
4. Theater can address difficult topics that society often avoids. It’s a safe space where uncomfortable conversations can take place.
Please don’t allow short-sighted greed to triumph over the good of the community.
Fittingly, the Bard has the last word: “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.”
Sincerely,
George Fontana Key West
REEF RELIEF KICKS OFF SUMMER WITH FAMILY-FRIENDLY LUAU
Fundraiser features food, music & more on May 9
Reef Relief will hold its fifth annual luau, on Friday, May 9 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Lagerheads Beach Bar, 0 Simonton St., Key West.
This free, family-friendly celebration features live music by Gary Hempsey, a limbo competition, Jeopardy-style trivia, a sandcastle-building contest, and hands-on educational activities hosted by Reef Relief and local environmental partners.
There will also be a silent auction and the “Nose to Toes” raffle, with all proceeds supporting Reef Relief’s mission to protect coral reef ecosystems in the Florida Keys.
Admission is free and open to the public, though donations are welcome. Attendees will also have the opportunity to join or renew Reef Relief membership during the event.
— Contributed
Reef Relief will hold its fifth annual fundraising luau to kick off the summer season on Friday, May 9 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Lagerheads Beach Bar, 0 Simonton St. CONTRIBUTED
CASTAWAY NO MORE
Drifting skiff recovered in 24 hours thanks to captains, Coast Guard, TowBoatUS
CONTRIBUTED
ALEX RICKERT alex@keysweekly.com
At midnight on April 12, 15-year-old Alex Keys exited his family’s boat to find out that his day had gone from bad to worse.
Just days ago, the young captain had used his small Palm Beach skiff, a gift from his father a few months earlier, for an emergency tow of the 53-foot Gulfstar trawler. With failing engines and holes in the hull from striking an unknown object underwater, the larger boat eventually came to rest in the shallow waters off Bahia Honda at 4 a.m.
For Alex, the boat he called his family’s “utility boat” suddenly became a lifeline, connecting his father Joseph and sisters Gemma and Alexa to the land as they worked to put lift bags under the big boat and repair the hull.
But after a day of battling the tides to complete repairs, when he went outside that night, the knot holding the skiff to the trawler had come undone, and the smaller boat was nowhere in sight.
“We were getting ready to try and use it to pull us off, and I went outside and it was gone,” Alex said. “I grabbed the light I had, looked all around, and couldn’t see her anywhere.”
Reporting the missing vessel to FWC and the U.S. Coast Guard, Alex said he knew the two agencies, combined with a cry for help on social media, would be his best shot at recovering the skiff. Noting the winds
and currents along with a detailed description of the boat, his posts in local Facebook groups soon earned hundreds of shares and hundreds of thousands of views.
“I knew I got a good word out, and I just thought, ‘It’s gonna float by someone eventually,’” he said. “It went out quick – within hours. I was pretty confident, but I knew the wind and current could do whatever it wanted, and it could have floated anywhere.”
Alex’s “eventually” came just a day later, when charter captains in Key Largo saw the boat five miles offshore in 350 feet of water. With a call to the Coast Guard, a vessel on patrol in the area intercepted the skiff and started it on its journey to shore, passing the torch to TowBoatUS captain Mike Hutchings to finish off the final two miles to a marina in Key Largo. That’s where family friend “Trawler Tom” Korinek met the prodigal vessel, loaded it up and towed it back down to where it belonged.
“I had seen the boat already (on social media), because TowBoatUS in Big Pine had shared the post from a Marathon locals page,” Hutchings said. “I thought, ‘I wonder if that’s the same boat.’”
“Alex is 15 and one of the best captains I know,” said Korinek, who is temporarily housing the youngster and his siblings while the trawler repairs are finished.
Though he’s not old enough to drive a car yet, Alex was visiting the southernmost island chain by boat for the first time after successfully captaining the family trawler from Merritt Island to West Palm Beach, then continuing further south.
“I actually hired him to help bring my 47-foot boat down from Bradenton, and he drove halfway for me,” Korinek said. “He’s just an extremely impressive person, and he’s going to make a great leader and professional captain when he can. … I was ecstatic that I was able to run up and get the boat. As young as he is, somebody with that kind of potential, I try to help them in any way I can to help him improve his skills at a young age.”
“I was really relieved when I got that call from the Coast Guard and TowBoatUS,” Alex said. “It felt good to know there’s a good community down here.”
DOWNSTAIRS ENCLOSURES CAN EVENTUALLY EXPAND, FEMA SAYS
Enclosures under stilted homes in the Keys, previously limited to a maximum of 299 square feet, will soon be allowed to expand – as long as they are still used for storage, not living space. PHOTO DESIGN BY NATALIE/Contributed
Monroe County removed from flood inspection remedial plan
The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners has been seeking Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approval to eliminate decadesold requirements and restrictions on the amount of square footage that can be enclosed for storage under stilted homes. The county provided written documentation of regulatory efforts in order to assure FEMA that the county is following federal regulations by requiring property owners to build all habitable space above the minimum required elevation to prevent flood impacts.
After providing this documentation, Monroe County received a letter from FEMA supporting the elimination of the county’s 2004 remedial plan for flood inspection and compliance. This decision allows the county to move forward with key code amendments, enabling property owners to have additional enclosed storage space below the required flood elevation under their houses while maintaining compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
With FEMA’s approval, Monroe County can now proceed with eliminating the maximum square footage limit for enclosed storage space below flood, which is currently 299 square feet; as well as the requirement for an inspection at the time of sale.
Code amendments will take eight months to a year to process.
The downstairs storage enclosures must remain limited to storage, park-
ing or building access and cannot be used as habitable space. The prohibition against habitable living space in downstairs storage enclosures is based on federal regulations. A property owner who seeks a permit to expand storage enclosure must sign and record a non-conversion agreement, which will document the types of improvements permitted so future buyers can see what is legal and compare it to existing conditions when they purchase a home. This will allow purchasers to know whether there have been illegal improvements before they buy the house.
“This is a major step forward for Monroe County residents,” said County Administrator Christine Hurley. “The county has worked diligently to meet and exceed NFIP compliance standards over the past decade, and FEMA’s support now allows us to update our codes to serve the community better and be on par with the cities.”
The county agreed to the 299-square-foot limitation to avoid being suspended from the NFIP. The NFIP was enacted to provide affordable flood insurance to property owners at risk for flooding, and there are some 11,110 NFIP-backed policies in Monroe County. FEMA’s minimum elevation standards were adopted to minimize the loss of life, property and costs of cleanup that would be incurred if homeowners were allowed to convert their downstairs enclosures into habitable living spaces.
As part of FEMA’s ongoing oversight, its floodplain management team will conduct compliance reviews through visits for a random sample of structures at six-month intervals throughout the year to ensure enclosures remain compliant.
Alex Keys surveys the scene at his family’s grounded trawler off Bahia Honda.
REMEMBERING THE KEYS OF OLD
Island
chain’s allure brought an artist and a writer
To help make ends meet, I work at a shack next to the marina at Robbie’s of Islamorada a couple of days a week. I pour local beers and muddle fresh lime and mint for what I’m told are some pretty tasty mojitos.
While standing behind the little bar with five plastic stools and chatting as I pour people drinks, I am not infrequently asked if I live here. It is a fair question. I do. We were lucky and bought a little house the last time the market crashed. Otherwise, I’m not sure we could afford to still call this home.
Living in the Florida Keys is not inexpensive — which is one reason more cars are on the road than there used to be. More and more, people who work in the Keys, especially in the Upper Keys, commute from the mainland. People, too, are just moving away and doing so for a myriad of reasons with a familiar theme: “The Keys aren’t what they used to be.”
Even since 2001, when I moved to Plantation Key, the transformation of the island chain is apparent. The Florida Keys aren’t what they used to be — both on land and beneath the surface of the warm, clear waters. Still, they beat the mainland’s alternative. When I moved here, my thought process was that if I was going to pursue writing, I was going to be poor, and I was going to live where I wanted to vacation.
It was not some novel idea. Variations of the story have been repeated time after time. People and artists have always been drawn to the Keys. In the 1940s, Harry Sonntag hitchhiked down to the islands to paint watercolors. He is sometimes remembered as the “Hermit Artist of Key Largo.”
On Sunday, July 6, 1952, a story titled “Harry J. Sonntag Lives for Art Alone” ran in the Miami Daily News. “Art,” Mr. Sonntag said, “is the universal language, and my desire is to bring beauty to the multitudes, so that people may realize how lovely is this world.”
To that note, the brilliant displays of sunrise and sunset colors became his palette, and nature was his inspiration.
FLORIDA KEYS HISTORY WITH BRAD BERTELLI
A watercolor by artist Harry Sonntag, who, in the 1940s, hitchhiked down to the islands to paint. He is sometimes remembered as the ‘Hermit Artist of Key Largo.’ CONTRIBUTED
From his office at the Hemingway House, among other works, he wrote “To Have and Have Not,” a story filled with characters he knew on the island. He moved away in 1939, though the spirit he left behind has failed to follow. People come to Key West to drink in the bars he famously frequented, tour his home and pet the descendants of the six-toed cats that roam the property, still.
For more than four decades, the island has honored the time Papa spent in Key West by celebrating Hemingway Days. The scheduled activities include a mock running of the bulls and a look-alike contest. Interestingly, the look-alike contest winner always seems to be the classic grey-bearded Hemingway and not the man as he appeared when he lived on the island and was writing, drinking and leaving behind those deeply embedded footprints.
When I moved to Florida in 1989, I arrived more like Sonntag than Hemingway and hitchhiked out to my first Florida island. Neither of the two gentlemen served as some guiding light when I came to the Keys in 2001. At the time, I’d never heard of Sonntag, and I wasn’t a fan of Hemingway.
Brad is a local historian, author, speaker and Honorary Conch who loves sharing the history of the Florida Keys.
Sonntag built a seaside shack from driftwood and tarpaper at the edge of a Key Largo cove in the area of MM 97. There, he fished, bathed and did a bit of gardening, growing tomatoes and other vegetables. He also burned fires, not for warmth, but to help keep mosquitoes and other biting bugs at bay. In 1952, too, Sonntag strolled into the office at the Key West Citizen and told his story to reporters. The impression he left behind was that “he has found greater happiness and satisfaction than he has ever known.” According to the newspaper story, Sonntag planned to “stop his wanderings.”
He did not “stop his wanderings.” The Hermit Artist of Key Largo disappeared with his art in 1955.
Sonntag was not the first artist to find inspiration in the Keys and was not the last to leave the islands. Ernest Hemingway moved to Key West in 1928. He fell in love with Key West because, for him, it felt like living in another country. Also, there was the fishing and the proximity to Cuba.
However, there was an early Key West “influencer” who struck a chord and produced a vibe I found attractive. The first time he came to the Keys, he tagged along with Jerry Jeff Walker, who wrote the song “Mr. Bojangles.” Jimmy Buffett, the young, up-and-coming songwriter from Nashville, drove down the Overseas Highway to the Southernmost City with Walker in 1971. Key West and the Florida Keys were never quite the same again.
The two played their guitars around the island, busking for beer money, and Jimmy fell in love with the island. Buffett moved to Key West in 1972. Perhaps no artist has left a bigger footprint on the spirit and culture of the Florida Keys. He even left his name on Florida’s A1A, the renamed Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway that includes a stretch in Buffett’s beloved Key West.
These are not the same Florida Keys that Harry Sonntag hitchhiked to, Hemingway impacted, or that Jimmy Buffett sang so whimsically about. People say that death and taxes are the two constants in life; change is one, too. The coral reefs have changed. The fishing has changed. Certainly, the traffic has changed as these sleepy islands are built out more and more. One day in the not-too-distant future, people will look back at 2025 and reminisce about the good old days. It is hard to imagine what the Florida Keys will look like then.
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
This week enhances the imagination and releases action. Since early March, Mercury, the planet of thoughts and communication, has twice passed over Neptune, the planet of dreams and inspiration. This week, Mercury crosses Neptune for the third and final time until next year. When Mercury and Neptune get together, our thoughts can become unclear and distorted, which doesn’t help with accounting tasks, but does wonders for waxing poetic or imagining new worlds. This conjunction can lead to confusing communication, but also to discussions that heal wounds and bring people together. This final conjunction should bring about an inspired resolution to any recent brain fog you’ve experienced for the past six or so weeks. Also on Friday, April 18, the planet of action and aggression, Mars, moves into the sign of Leo. Mars entered Leo in November of last year, only to retrograde back into Cancer on Jan. 6. (That day obviously has no other historical significance.) Mars does not enjoy being in the sign of Cancer as it prompts feelings, emotions and moodiness. Rather Mars, the planet of action, wants to get a move on, so it’s not particularly inclined to process feelings. When Mars enters Leo, we are supported in taking all of the emotional labor we’ve been churning and turning it into forward action. Hop to it.
Here are your horoscopes for Mercury conjunct Neptune and Mars moving into Leo. Read for your rising and sun signs.
ARIES
March 21 - April 19
When you’ve let your mind wander, you may have been ruminating about all of the parts of life that undercut the person you aspire
to be. This week, your imaginal musings should turn to the avenues that will get you there. Think yourself into your highest form. All of the frustration that has been brewing at home can now readily be turned into creative outputs.
TAURUS
April 20 - May 20
If you’ve been feeling a bit uncertain or confused about how you fit into your social circles or public gatherings, this week transforms that discomfort into creative solitude. Dreamy solitude is a perfect prescription for this moment. If your familiar surroundings have become frustrating, bring your energy closer and engage with your family, whether biological or chosen.
GEMINI
May 21 - June 20
Work seems to have been a source of creative thinking and confusion this past month. That energy is now being transferred to healthful socializing with friends and support networks, and reimagining your circle of trust. Emotional angst around finances and material goods is alchemizing into action within your local sphere. How will you enjoy your neighborhood?
CANCER
June 21 - July 22
Dreaming of getting away to new vistas and experiences may have been a fairly common theme this past month or so, but now you are able to shift that focus into exciting new images of your work in the world. How can you reconsider your vocation? You have probably been pretty hard on yourself as of late, twisting your feelings into knots. Now is the time to transform that energy into real dividends.
LEO
July 23 - Aug. 22
It is time to stop the confused, intrusive thoughts about investing in others. Now, you can take that imaginative energy and dream up
your next great adventure. What is the next vast horizon you will cross? The frustrated inaction you’ve been feeling in your solitude can now be turned to bettering yourself physically and mentally. Let yourself act in your best interest.
VIRGO
Aug. 23 - Sept. 22
It appears that you and an important partner have been struggling to communicate clearly, or you’ve been having great romantic imaginations that haven’t reflected reality. Turn this reverie toward ways in which you can engage with people who share a common mission and see the good that transpires. Time alone will recharge you, especially when you move your body.
LIBRA
Sept. 23 - Oct. 23
You may have been organizing your thoughts around becoming healthier or developing better habits, but now it is time to turn your dreaming toward partnership. Who is your ideal partner, and how can you speak them into existence? Work has probably been a bit overwhelming, but now that frustrated energy can turn to more social engagement. Be the life of the party.
SCORPIO
Oct. 23 - Nov. 21
Your creative mind has been on overdrive, dreaming up new ways to express your inventive spirit. Now is the time to develop fresh ideas for turning your dreams into action. What will be your new routines and habits for living a creative life? If you’ve been feeling stuck about how to actively do new things, that energy is shifting. Fresh energy is going to emerge in your work life.
SAGITTARIUS
Nov. 22 - Dec. 21
The roots of your life, your home space and your family, have probably been a part of your daydreaming and possibly even causing some confusion. Let that rest and
IMAGINATION TAKES ACTION
invest in your creative imagination. What can you do with your unique vision that can better the world around you? Grand adventure is calling, and now is the time to get the get-up-and-gos.
CAPRICORN
Dec. 22 - Jan. 19
What is familiar to you may have been feeling like a dream state. You may have been asking yourself, “How did I get here and whose life is this?” It’s natural to take stock in the patterns that have become familiar, but now’s the time to romanticize your home life. If partnership has felt frustrating, that energy now shifts toward investing in new connections and projects.
AQUARIUS
Jan. 20 - Feb. 18
Your finances and where they come from have probably been a little murky lately, but that is about to change. Your reverie is now focused on thinking about your usual surroundings with new insights and fresh vision. Turn your drive from frustration about your habits and routines into actively engaging with an important partner or significant other. No more waffling. Just do.
PISCES
Feb. 19 - March 20
You’ve been juggling the ageold question, “Who am I?” That is a lifelong quest, but the musing can rest for now as you start to creatively imagine new ways of supporting yourself. How can you source your resources in fresh and exciting ways? If you’ve been feeling a bit blocked in your creative endeavors, now’s the time to build habits that truly support you.
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Southernmost Runners Club board members Jane Mueller, Beata Bahri, Kim Giska and Chris Hinkle present a $5,000 check to Key West High School track and cross country coaches Dave Perkins and Mark Coleman. The donation will help support the teams’ travel expenses.
The club was started primarily to help the underfunded track and cross country teams. It also works with local nonprofits to help organize 5K races and promotes local athletic events. More information is at southernmostrunners.com.
RON SAUNDERS SELECTED AS ISLAMORADA’S NEXT VILLAGE MANAGER
Former state representative to begin new job April 21
JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com
Florida Keys native and former state representative Ron Saunders will take the reins as Islamorada’s next village manager, following a unanimous vote by the five council members at an April 10 meeting.
The selection didn’t take long among the council at the Founders Park Community Center. The process began as each member wrote the name of their preferred choice on a piece of paper provided by Jamie Terry, human resources director. The results came back with three votes for Saunders and two for Jennifer DeBoisbriand, village planning director. Theodore Munchmeyer, Plantation Key resident and former senior military officer, was among the finalists but received no votes.
Councilman Steve Friedman made a motion to select Saunders as village manager; it was seconded by councilwoman Deb Gillis and approved via 5-0 vote.
“Thank you very much, all five of you,” Saunders said. “I pretty much knew somewhat how the vote might go, but I know all five of you very well. The 5-0 vote means a lot to me, and I’ll work equally with all of you.”
A lifelong Keys resident, Saunders started out practicing real estate, banking and corporate law in Key West between 1979 and 1982 in partnership with his father, Jack, who served as a state legislator and judge in Monroe County. He then went on to become deputy county attorney, providing legal counsel to the Monroe County Zoning Board and board of adjustment, between 1982 and 1986. From 1986 to 1994 and 2006 to 2012, he represented Islamorada and the rest of the Keys in the Florida Legislature. During his tenure in Tallahassee, he served as chair for the House Appropriations Committee, responsible for the state’s multibillion-dollar budget, and the Community Affairs Committee, which was responsible for all local government legislation, including growth management bills. Saunders noted his legislative office was located on Plantation Key. He sponsored and passed major legislation, including the Save Our Homes bill that capped increases in homestead property tax values. He also aided and supported measures to
Saunders shakes hands with Islamorada resident Joe Wischmeier after the village council’s 5-0 vote to select the Keys native and former Florida House representative as Islamorada’s next village manager during an April 10 meeting at the Founders Park Community Center. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly
protect Florida Bay from agricultural pollution running from the Everglades.
Following his departure from the state Legislature, he returned to the legal arena as a self-employed attorney and then as general counsel for the Monroe County Clerk of Court. He was also a familiar voice as he delivered daily news reports on US 1 radio for six years. He was also working as an attorney with Merlin Law Group, which he joined after Hurricane Irma to assist Keys residents in dealing with their windstorm insurance companies which either denied or underpaid valid coverage claims.
In January, Saunders began working as director of community relations with Lower Keys Medical Center.
Before the selection process, Mayor Sharon Mahoney stressed the importance of a 5-0 vote for whoever the council would choose as next village manager. Mahoney previously served on a council that parted ways with then-manager Ted Yates in 2023 and hired Rob Cole in early 2024. Cole resigned in January 2025.
“I want the community to get the best person, the best candidate, and for this person to stay more than the next election,” she said.
Saunders and the council verbally agreed to the same salary and benefits structure as reflected in the current budget through former manager Rob Cole’s agreement. Saunders will receive a $200,000 salary, $4,000 monthly housing allowance plus benefits. Saunders said he will be ready to go April 21. A current Cudjoe Key resident, Saunders also said he’ll be looking to find a house in Islamorada.
The council also thanked Sheila Denoncourt, the village’s head building official, for her service as acting village manager.
RAISE YOUR GLASS FOR THE CONCH REPUBLIC
‘World’s Largest Virtual Toast’ to feature local vodka
JEN ALEXANDER www.keysweekly.com
When an island famous for day drinking is about to commemorate the anniversary of the “Conch Republic,” it’s only fitting that the libation of choice comes from fruit grown in the Republic itself.
Mutiny Island Vodka, along with Big Pine Key-based orchard Grimal Grove and Key West Legal Rum Distillery, will sponsor the 43rd annual Conch Republic Independence Celebration, a 10-day fest from April 18-27 overflowing with family-friendly activities, local culture and adventures across land and sea to commemorate the endeavors of individuals pivotal to Key West’s history.
“We are very excited to be a part of this event as it is a really great way for people to show their Conch pride,” said Mutiny Vodka program director Roger Haines. “There are so many fun events planned including community and beach cleanups, pub crawls, costume contests, honors to Captain Finbar, and we are really looking forward to the pajama party that will be held at Sloppy Joe’s.”
The Conch Republic, a whimsical micronation, originated from the 1982 secession of Key West from the United States on April 23, 1982. The unconventional act arose in response to a disruptive U.S. Border Patrol roadblock that crippled traffic and tourism within the Florida Keys. Following unsuccessful legal challenges, then-Mayor Dennis Wardlow boldly declared secession, staged a symbolic “attack” on a U.S. Coast Guard vessel, then surrendered while humorously requesting foreign aid. The protest ultimately achieved
its goal, leading to the roadblock’s removal and the playful creation of the “Conch Republic.”
Central to Mutiny’s distinct product is the breadfruit from which it is distilled, grown in part at Grimal Grove under the watch of owner Patrick Garvey. Blended with Caribbean rainwater, it is distilled in St. Croix at the Sion Farm Distillery.
“This is going to be an amazing 10 days,” Garvey said. “We are (also) heavily involved with the pub crawl on April 19, which involves around 100 people and eight different bars on Duval Street. It’s also a commemoration of Captain Finbar, who was a pretty famous captain in Key West. … He had done tons of humanitarian work for islands all over the Caribbean after hurricanes and natural disasters. He was a very interesting Conch who passed away this past December, so it will be nice to honor him.”
Mutiny Island Vodka will contribute to the organization of numerous events throughout the festival, headlined by the “world’s largest virtual toast” to bring together revelers in the Southernmost City with digital visitors on Wednesday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. at Sunset Pier. Live entertainment is scheduled from 5 to 9 p.m., with Captain Finbar’s Crossing the Bar Farewell Ceremony set for 5:30 p.m. All bars and restaurants throughout the Keys and across the world are invited to participate in the live-streamed event, with details available at conchrepublic. com/virtual-toast. A $10 donation for inclusion in the toast will help fund restorations of the schooner Wolf, built from scratch by Finbar.
More information is at conchrepublic.com, mutinyislandvodka.com and grimalgrove.com.
Ron
Key West’s Sunset Pier will play host to the ‘World’s Largest Virtual Toast’ on Wednesday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. CONTRIBUTED
REEL RECS
Staff from your Monroe County Public Library recommend some of their favorites from the collection.
What: “Auntie Mame” (1958)
Why: The combination of sharp zingers by screenwriters Betty Comden and Adolph Green (“Singin’ in the Rain”) with a brilliantly madcap performance by Rosalind Russell (“His Girl Friday”) makes for colorful, hilarious cinema. Based on the equally funny book by Patrick Dennis, this story of the ultimate eccentric aunt works because not only is it uniquely quirky and witty, but Russell adds a lot of heart to a character who could become exhausting and aloof in lesser hands. The story moves along at a pace that demands you keep up with it lest you get left behind, and its themes of classism and progress are still relevant today.
Where: The film is available on Kanopy, the library’s streaming app.
How: You can browse and request DVDs online by logging in to your account at keyslibraries.org. To view our collection of streaming movies and TV, go to kanopy.com/keyslibraries and set up an account with your library card. If you don’t have a card, you can visit your local branch or register online to get one. Questions? info@keyslibraries.org.
See previous Reel Recs at keyslibraries.org/post/reel-recs.
SHELF HELP
Staff from your Monroe County Public Library recommend some of their favorites from the collection.
What: “The Undermining of Twyla and Frank” by Megan Bannen
Why: Middle-aged, widowed, with three grown kids, Twyla Banneker is charged with protecting the magical wilds of her home island as a Tanrian Marshal. Frank Ellis, Twyla’s nextdoor neighbor and best friend, is her partner for all of their marshal adventures. I love Twyla & Frank’s banter, the unrequited love, and magical hijinks mixed with nefarious plots. I don’t want to give away more, as this is a delight from start to finish.
This is the sequel to Bannen’s “The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy;” although you don’t have to read it for this novel, I highly recommend it. The world building is second to none, and the vibe is impeccable. This series is composed of interconnected standalones.
Where: You can borrow this as an e-book from the Monroe County Public Library.
How: You can request books, including e-books and e-audiobooks, by logging in to your account at keyslibraries.org. If you don’t have a card, you can visit your local branch or register online to get one. Questions? info@keyslibraries.org
Recommended by: Riona Campbell, senior library associate, Key West library
See previous recommendations at keyslibraries.org/postshelf-help.
HELP KEEP KEY WEST CLEAN
JOIN A 1- HOUR CLEANUP FRIDAY MORNINGS
Key West Beautiful and Plogging the Keys met at the Key West Woman’s Club on Duval St. for the April 11 cleanup. In one hour, 71 volunteers collected a total of 186 pounds of trash, 33 pounds of recycling and 1.75 gallons of cigarette butts. This was the Woman’s Club fourth time hosting the cleanup. CONTRIBUTED
One hour a week makes a huge difference, and volunteers are welcome every Friday and some Saturday mornings, from 8 to 9 a.m., when the Key West Ploggers clean up a designated area of the island.
Gloves, pickers, buckets, vests, hand sanitizer and a parking pass are provided to all volunteers.
A troubling number of cigarette butts and plastic bags have been included in recent hauls. Please remember your reusable bags when shopping so we can keep the plastic off the streets, parking lots and, most importantly, out of the water. And dispose of cigarette butts in any receptacle rather than the street or sidewalk, as from there, they easily end up in the ocean.
The city of Key West and its residents ask everyone to do their part to help keep Key West beautiful. With simple steps like making sure you bag your trash before putting it in your Waste Management trash cans or Dumpsters, and making sure the lids on Dumpsters are closed, will keep a lot of trash from blowing into the streets. Call Waste Management at 305-296-8297 for any furniture items left on the city right of way.
Please pick up around your home or apartment complex. Every piece of trash picked up is one less that may end up in the ocean that surrounds and sustains our island community. It is not just the large items you can see easily when you are walking, but the smaller items such as bottle caps and cigarette butts that are collected by the volunteers that make the biggest difference.
On April 12, Keep Key West Beautiful participated in Ocean Fest 2025 to let people know what our volunteers do every Friday morning and teach residents and visitors the proper recycling methods.
It takes committed community involvement to keep Key West beautiful and we are making progress with every cleanup event and every spot that’s adopted. Call Dorian Patton at 305-809-3782 to find out how your business, nonprofit or club can help.
— Contributed
Join a one-hour Friday morning cleanup. All events are 8 to 9 a.m. unless otherwise noted.
April 18: White Street & Atlantic Boulevard. Meet at the bocce courts, 1301 Atlantic Blvd. Joint cleanup with the Green Ops of the Conch Republic.
Tuesday, April 22: Special Earth Day cleanup. White Street and Atlantic Boulevard, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
April 25: Mallory Square. Meet in the parking lot near Ocean Key Resort. Hosted by Ocean Key Resort & Marina
TAKE ME HOME?
FIND A FRIEND AT THE FLORIDA KEYS SPCA
The Keys Weekly family loves animals as much as our friends at the Florida Keys SPCA do, and we’re honored each week to showcase some “furever” friends that are ready, waiting and available for adoption at the organization’s Key West campus.
From cats and dogs to Guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, reptiles and birds, the perfect addition to your family is waiting for you. The SPCA’s knowledgeable staff will help with advice and care tips while working to ensure a good fit between each pet and its people.
The SPCA’s Golden Paw program also provides special assistance with vet bills and medications for special-needs and older animals that require a little extra TLC.
Check these pages each week for just a few of the animals waiting for a home and see them all at fkspca.org.
Zeus is a 6-year-old Lab mix who’s fixated on fetch. He’s the kind of dog who makes you feel like the most important person in the world.
Purr is a 4-year-old tortie with the chillest vibe. She’s all about cozy naps, head scratches and being wherever the people are. She’s super sweet, loves attention and doesn’t mind sharing her space with another laid-back cat.
Harley is a 2-year-old professional greeter and part-time door gremlin. This friendly guy can usually be found loitering by the front of the catio, giving visitors his best, ‘Hey, come pet me,’ stare. He’s convinced the front door exists solely for him to charm his way into more attention — and he’s not wrong.
Cleo is a 16-year-old sweetheart who’s ready to spend her golden years in comfort and love. She’s gentle, affectionate and just wants a quiet home where she can relax and be adored.
Clover is a 2-year-old albino rabbit with snow-white fur and ruby-red eyes. She’s gentle, curious and loves hopping around and exploring her space. Albino rabbits like Clover can be extra sensitive to light, so she’d love a cozy indoor setup where she can feel safe and relaxed.
Keep
Every day, around the clock, the team at Lower Keys Medical Center provides high-quality care for our patients. We’re also making a positive difference that goes far beyond medical care. Through the jobs we provide, the taxes we pay, the investments we make, and the charity care we offer, our total economic impact was nearly $125 million in 2024.
That’s what we mean when we say we’re taking care of you – and the place we all call home.
*Annual percentage yield. Rates subject to change and vary. Minimum certificate amount is $500 per member. Max certificate amount is $25,000 per member. Offer may be cancelled at any time. Restrictions may apply. Penalty for early withdrawal. Dividends compounded daily. NCUA insured.
By Dr. Kellee Reed
Managing Stress
During Stress Awareness Month, it's the perfect time to reflect on how stress might be impacting your life Chronic stress can affect both your mind and body, but recognizing the symptoms and taking action can help you regain control.
Stress can show up in many ways, including headaches, muscle tension, fatigue, dizziness, irritability, and sleep issues If left unmanaged, stress can lead to serious health problems like heart disease and hypertension. Here are some ways you can learn to keep your stress in check:
1
Exercise Regularly: Physical activity releases endorphins, which improve mood and reduce tension
Aim for 30-60 minutes a few times a week
2.
Seek Professional Support: Talking to a therapist/counselor can help you manage stress and learn coping strategies
Prioritize Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours each night to ensure your body and mind are fully rested 3 Eat a Balanced Diet: Foods rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and magnesium can help lower stress levels 4
5.
Schedule Health Check-Ups: If stress is affecting your health, schedule a check-up with your PCP to create an effective care plan
Recognizing stress is the first step to managing it If you ’ re experiencing symptoms of stress, call 305.535.3434 to book an appointment with one of Mount Sinai Medical Center’s Key West PCPs
Founded by Betty Debnam
An Eye on the Sky
Mini Fact: In 2017, Hubble captured SBW1, a nebula* with a giant star that is predicted to
On April 24, 1990, the
Hubble Space Telescope was launched into orbit. It has transformed what we know about outer space, from our own solar system to the edges of the universe. It has shown us some of the first galaxies ever formed and helped us learn the age of the universe.
Hubble is able to take awesome images because it orbits above the Earth’s atmosphere. The atmosphere can blur images taken from Earth and block the light from space.
HUBBLE’S ORIGINS
In 1925, astronomer Edwin Hubble observed that most galaxies appear to be moving away from all the other galaxies. This is because the universe is stretching out, or expanding.
Astronomers discovered, with Hubble and other telescopes, that this expansion is actually speeding up. The entire universe is expanding faster now than in the past.
No one knows what is pushing the universe out like this. Scientists call the mysterious force dark energy.
Knowing how fast the universe is expanding helps astronomers figure out its age. Information from Hubble and other telescopes offers
strong evidence that the universe formed about 13.8 billion years ago.
Hubble was developed by the U.S. space program and the European Space Agency. It orbits our planet 320 miles above the surface and travels at about 17,000 mph. Over the years, 32 astronauts have flown to Hubble to service the telescope.
HUBBLE’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Since its launch in 1990, Hubble has made more than 1.6 million observations about more than 100 million astronomical objects. It sends about 150 gigabits of scientific data to Earth every week.
The telescope is able to do this because it gathers wavelengths of light from the ultraviolet through the near-infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. With 35 years of images, scientists can study objects in space that are changing over time.
For example, Hubble has proven that supermassive black holes are at the cores of most galaxies. It was the first to gather images of the surface of a star other than our sun.
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
When Hubble launched, there were not yet any confirmed planets outside our solar system. Since then, scientists have found more than 5,000 exoplanets, or planets outside our solar system.
Hubble has also captured images of comet fragments and asteroids slamming into Jupiter and leaving huge scars on the planet.
OUR GALAXY
Hubble has made many discoveries in our own Milky Way galaxy. For example, it has detected flattened disks of stardust orbiting newborn stars. It found evidence that planets form in these dusty disks.
Having confirmed the existence of many exoplanets, it is analyzing their atmospheres and has detected water vapor and other substances within some of them. These findings help scientists explore the possibilities of life on other planets.
OUR UNIVERSE
Some of Hubble’s images show the oldest galaxies soon after they were born, when they were still taking shape. They look like links in a chain or like toothpicks. The closer galaxies have had more time to form the familiar spiral shapes.
RESOURCES
On the Web:
• go.nasa.gov/41bsNq5
• go.nasa.gov/3QzF5Dz
• go.nasa.gov/4h5I7dS
Words that remind us of the Hubble telescope are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find:
ECO NOTE
Pesticide use is causing widespread harm to wildlife: stunting growth, reducing reproductive success and altering animal behavior, according to a new large-scale study. Researchers analyzed 1,700 studies covering 471 pesticide types and found detrimental effects on more than 800 species, threatening ecosystems worldwide. While pesticides are considered essential for global food production, scientists say alternative farming practices, such as adjusting planting times and promoting natural pest control, could reduce reliance on the chemicals.
explode.
photo courtesy ESA/NASA photo courtesy NASA
A remnant of N49, a galaxy that neighbors ours.
* A nebula is a cloud of dust and gas in space.
The Hubble telescope was named for astronomer Edwin Hubble.
photo courtesy NASA
NGC1448, a “Frisbee” galaxy about 50 million light-years fron Earth.
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PLATINUM PASS
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WRECKING CREW
Dolphins claim SFBC title | P.4
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THE SCOREBOARD
Team Sport
Coral Shores Baseball Braddock 4/7 L, 6-3
Coral Shores Baseball Palmer Trinity 4/8 L, 2-1
Coral Shores Girls Lacrosse Keys Gate 4/8 W, 12-2
Key West Girls Lacrosse Lourdes Academy 4/8 W, 9-8
Key West Baseball Eustis 4/9 W, 9-1
Marathon Baseball Miami Country Day 4/9 W, 16-1
Coral Shores Softball Miami Christian 4/9 L, 14-0
Key West Baseball Eustis 4/10 W, 5-3
Coral Shores Girls Lacrosse Westminster Christian 4/10 L, 17-1
Coral Shores Baseball ABF Academy Homestead 4/10 W, 8-7
Coral Shores Boys Lacrosse Florida Christian 4/10 W, 4-2
Key West Boys Lacrosse Westminster Christian 4/10 W, 16-6
Key West Girls Lacrosse Westminster Christian 4/11 L, 11-6
Marathon Baseball Ransom Everglades 4/11 W, 8-5
Key West Boys Lacrosse Gulliver Prep 4/12 L, 16-6
Coral Shores Boys Lacrosse Ransom Everglades 4/12 L, 10-3 Date School Sport
THIS WEEK IN KEYS SPORTS
APRIL 17
TOP 10
Marathon sent four weightlifters to the FHSAA 1A State Championships in Lakeland on April 12, where the Fins held their own against the strongest prep athletes in the state.
4/19
4/21
4/22
4/22 KW & CSHS Track & Field Districts @ Tropical Park 9 a.m.
Four Fins crack elite ranks at states
ON THE COVER
For the second time in as many years, the Marathon Dolphins are South Florida
champions as
coach
Matthias Martinez-Velez took home the top medal, finishing in fourth place overall in the traditional event by combining a 180-pound clean and jerk with 235 pounds on the bench. In fifth place and earning a spot on the podium was Max Childress in the traditional event. Childress lifted 265 on both the clean and bench to earn a state medal.
Senior Tanner Ross secured a state medal by finishing sixth in the Olympic event. Ross snatched 215 and cleaned 280 to earn his medal. Ross cracked the top 10 in traditional as well, finishing in ninth place by adding 265 pounds on bench press.
Damian Stasiewicz finished seventh in the Olympic category. Stasiewicz tied in weight lifted (185 snatch and 235 clean), but his competitor weighed in several pounds lighter to give him the edge.
The athletes’ performances were the best thus far for Marathon, and with the top two medalists returning next season, the stage is set for more hardware and an exciting 2026 season.
Baseball Conference
they
playoffs. Clockwise from top: Gavin Leal, Gabe Leal, Leo Mendez, Jason Stubblefield Jr., Dylan Williams, Bryan Broche, Mason Thornton. SEAN WESTERBAND/Keys Weekly
Top: Marathon’s Tanner Ross, left, Max Childress and Matthias Martinez-Velez show off their state medals.
Above: Matthias Mattinez-Velez approaches the bench for his first attempt while
Jessie Schubert prepares the bar. CONTRIBUTED
fled to the Keys from the frozen mountains of Pennsylvania hours after graduating from college and never looked back. She is a second-generation coach and educator, and has taught in the public school system for over 25 years. She and her husband met at a beginning teacher meeting in 1997 and have three children born and raised in Monroe County. In her free time, McDonald loves flea markets, historical fiction and long runs in the heat.
grew up in Miami and moved to the Keys in 1997. He has spent the last 25 years teaching physical education and coaching virtually every sport for Florida Keys kids ages 4 to 18. If you are reading this and live or lived in the Florida Keys, he has probably taught, coached, or coached against someone you know.
Marathon - Alex Rickert alex@keysweekly.com
Upper Keys - Jim McCarthy jim@keysweekly.com
Key West - Mandy Miles mandy@keysweekly.com
The Keys Weekly Sports Wrap is proud to be the only locally-owned publication providing prep sports coverage from Key Largo to Key West. Together with our writers and photographers, we are committed to providing a comprehensive overview of the world of Keys sports with photography that allows our readers to immerse themselves in game action.
Se habla español THE MARATHON WEEKLY (ISSN 1944-0812) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY FOR $125 PER YEAR BY WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS, INC., 9709 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY, MARATHON FL 33050. APPLICATION TO MAIL AT PERIODICALS POSTAGE RATES IS PENDING AT FORT LAUDERDALE FL AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES.
All stories, photos, and graphics are copyrighted materials.
FINS SEAL
CHAMPIONSHIP
Gavin Leal goes yard twice to drive in seven runs in title game
For the second time in as many years, the Marathon Dolphins are South Florida Baseball Conference champions. Marathon played at Miami Country Day on April 9 for a chance to compete in the conference final game later that week. The Fins wasted no time dismantling the Spartans, outhitting them 11-3 and winning 16-1. Gabe Leal had an impressive showing on the mound, giving up just one run with no walks and striking out three for his fourth win of the season. Mason Thornton registered three hits, two of which were doubles, and drove in three runs. Roco Piscetello and Jack Chapman had a single and a double each and Jason Stubblefield Jr. drove in three runs and tripled in the lopsided victory.
The win put the Fins in the conference final on April 11 against Ransom Everglades. The game started off with a pair of Dolphin errors, and by the end of the first inning, the Raiders were up 4-0, a score that would remain until the bottom of the third when the Fins put up two runs. They did the same in the fourth, led by a Gavin Leal home run, to even up the score.
In inning five, Gavin Leal had enough of the close game and sent a fly ball sailing over the fence for a grand slam. The Raiders added one run in inning seven, but the Dolphins clinched their second consecutive South Florida Baseball Conference title, winning 8-5.
Gavin Leal ended the game with two home runs and seven RBIs. Gabe Leal and Jason Stubblefield each had a pair of hits to lead the offense for Marathon. Thornton went one batter shy of a full game, striking out seven in a solid appearance on the mound.
tracy mcdonald
sean mcdonald
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
Now that their second consecutive conference championship is sealed, Marathon turns their attention to the FHSAA 1A Rural District 8 playoffs. The second-ranked Dolphins played third-ranked Glades Day on April 15 at home (results not available at press time) for a spot in the district title game on April 17.
KEY WEST
Key West hosted Eustis for a two-game series on April 9 and 10. In game one, the Conchs won 9-1, amassing seven hits. Freshman Kade Maltz led the charge with a single, double and two RBIs. Auggy Davila had two hits and Jackie Niles, Nelson Ong and Sam Holland had one hit each in the win. Jon Carlos Lampas-Gormley spent six innings on the mound, striking out five, walking one and giving up four hits with no earned runs. Kasey Kasper closed it out for the win.
In game number two, Vinnie Moline got the start and held it down for the Conchs in three and two-thirds innings on the mound. Kasey Kasper came in for the win, striking out six with no walks, no hits and no runs scored in his three and one-third innings of work. The team registered seven hits, two each from Roman Garcia, Ong and Caden Pichardo. Darreld Tremino doubled to account for the final run. The 5-3 win gave Key West a 16-9 record for the regular season as they look to make a run in the playoffs.
CORAL SHORES
Coral Shores traveled to Miami on April 7 to take on the Bulldogs of Braddock High. The 2A Hurricanes held their own against the 6A Bulldogs in a game that was tied at 3 apiece until the bottom of the sixth. It was then when the Bulldogs pulled ahead and held on to the lead to break the Hurricanes’ 15-game win streak. Donovan Thiery started on the mound, giving up four hits and three runs over five innings. Thiery struck out seven and walked three. O’Berry threw one inning of relief, giving up three runs off two hits and a walk.
The following night, quiet bats hampered the hopes of the Hurricanes to get back into the win column. The ’Canes had just three hits, two from AJ Putetti and one from Maykol Bonito. After seven frames, the score was 2-1 in favor of the Palmer Trinity Falcons, giving Coral Shores their third loss of the season.
On April 10, Coral Shores righted the ship, winning 8-7 in a come-from-behind nailbiter against ABF Academy Homestead. The Hurricanes trailed until the sixth inning, when the team put together four hits to score three runs, take the lead and hang on for dear life. Putetti, Donovan Thiery and Campbell Lavoie had two hits each in the team’s 10-hit total. Four Hurricanes pitched in on the mound for the win to bring the team to a 17-3-1 regular season record.
1-2. The Marathon Dolphins revel in a second straight SFBC championship.
3. Xavier Perez tags a Eustis runner out after a rundown.
4. When a run crosses the plate, Nelson Ong (18) and Christian Koppal know it’s time to celebrate.
5. Jon Carlos Lampas-Gormley delivers the pitch.
6. Key West’s Roman Garcia crushes the ball into the outfield.
Photos by Maicey Malgrat and Justice Lee.
SOUTHERNMOST STRIKEOUTS
Ryleigh Harnish fans 11 in resounding win for Key West softball
The Coral Shores Lady ’Canes traveled to the Southernmost City to take on Key West on April 12 in the Backyard. Ryleigh Harnish was dominant in the circle, striking out 11 hopeful Hurricane hitters with no walks while surrendering just four hits and no earned runs in five innings of work. Key West registered 10 hits, with the freshman duo of Mia Waldner and Lucy Katz leading the pack with two hits each. For Coral Shores, Melanie Estevez logged a pair of base hits, but it would not be enough to overcome the Conchs, who won 16-2 via mercy rule.
1. Key West’s Chloe Kongos frames the ball for a strike.
2. Mira Jones hits a line drive.
3. Ryleigh Harnish dominates on the mound for the Lady Conchs.
4. Mira Jones pitches for the Hurricanes.
5. Vera Rodger crushes the ball into the deep outfield.
6. Lady Conch Lucy Katz is hit by a pitch.
7. Siera Matthews waits for the throw at first from Addison Grady.
8. Addison Grady catches a pop fly in the infield.
9. Chloie Stanley barehands the ball in the outfield.
Photos by MAICEY MALGRAT/Keys Weekly
Brothers Gavin, left, and Gabe Leal have formed a twin power core for Marathon baseball. SEAN WESTERBAND/Keys Weekly
THE LEAL DEAL
Twins ensure double trouble for Marathon’s opponents in week of heavy hitting
Marathon seniors Gabe and Gavin Leal each left their mark on Marathon baseball in last week’s diamond action. The twin brothers have been on the Dolphins’ roster since they were seventhgraders and have quietly evolved into a matched pair of tremendous leaders for Marathon.
Gabe picked up two important wins on the mound last week, helping to boost the Fins’ status in the power rankings in the final 10-day stretch of the regular season. One of those wins came in the conference semifinal game to help send the Dolphins to the South Florida Baseball Conference championship game. Several of Gabe’s outings this season have showcased the right-handed pitcher’s talent in throwing, but he will go down in history for his accomplishments on the other side of the plate.
On April 9, he etched his name in the annals of Marathon baseball, becoming the first Dolphin to record 100 hits in his varsity career. The milestone hit came against Miami Country Day in the form of a double down the left-field line.
“Gabe's versatility and team-first approach athletically, coupled with his leadership and mentorship skills on the academic side, make him such an instrumental part of our Marathon baseball success,” said head coach Joey Gonzalez.
Not to be outdone, brother Gavin Leal made his own mark, driving in seven of Marathon’s eight runs against Ransom Everglades in the team’s conference championship game. The Fins would need every one of those RBIs to secure the win. He drove them in off a pair of perfectly-placed home runs, including a backbreaking grand slam.
“He put the team on his back and led us to our second consecutive SFBC championship,” said Gonzalez. “Gavin had what could be considered the greatest offensive performance in MHS baseball history.”
With multiple games remaining, both senior sluggers have a chance to add to their hit stats as the Fins eye a run into their first postseason in the 1A Rural designation.
HOLDING COURT
Keys tennis teams complete regular season & head to districts
In their final matches of the regular season, the Marathon Dolphins and Key West Conchs split wins on the courts of Marathon’s Community Park on April 8. The Fins boys won 6-1, then the Conch girls did the same.
Ben Delostrinos won the No. 4 singles match for Key West, then the Fins swept the rest. Adrien Holdinga, Tanner Snowden, Carlos Lezcano and Graham Murphy all had singles wins while the teams of Holdinga and Lezcano and Matthew Delgado and Kasimir Kryzpkowski took the wins in the doubles matches.
In girls action, Marathon won their only point by default as the Conchs did not bring a No. 5 singles player. They went on to win the other six points the good old-fashioned way, by defeating their opponents. Hamida Muhsinova, Monea McLeod, Amina Erik and Durdona Oblokulova won in singles, then Muhsinova and McLeod plus Erik and Oblokulov teamed up to bring in two more wins for the Conchs in doubles.
April 10 would be the final day Keys prep teams played prior to the postseason. Key West traveled to Tavernier where the Coral Shores Hurricanes won in boys action 4-3 before the Conchs did the same in girls. Hurricanes Aidan Althouse, Zach Bolano, Max Smith, Kai Redruello, Vanessa Gabriel and Chloe Koval won their singles matches. Althouse and Bolano plus Redruello and Gabriel teamed up for doubles wins for Coral Shores. The Conchs had wins from Ben Delostrinos, Mason Martel, Eva Drozdetskaia and Gabriela Aguero in singles plus a pair of doubles wins. Hubert Konopka teamed up with Martel while Drozdetskaia and Aguero worked together to add points in their doubles matches.
District tournaments began April 14 for 2A Key West and Coral Shores, then the following day for 1A Marathon (results not available at presstime). All three teams have strong contenders to place high enough to make it to the next round, which begins the following week.
Aidan Althouse
Kai Redruello
Ben Delostrinos
Monea McLeod
Hamida Muhsinova
Tanner Snowden
Photos by Doug Finger, Maicey Malgrat and Barry Gaukel.
END OF THE LINE
Prep lacrosse season closes
Monroe County’s four lacrosse teams closed out their seasons last week in a flurry of postseason play. The teams, which compete in FHSAA’s 1A District 16, each stepped onto the field last week knowing it was win or go home. Three teams added a win to their records, but ultimately, all four teams finished their seasons in district play.
The Hurricane boys finished 12-6 after picking up a quarterfinal win against Florida Christian on April 10 before succumbing to Ransom Everglades two days later in the semifinals. The Conch boys followed a similar path, beating Westminster Christian in the quarters, then falling to topseeded Gulliver in their semifinal game. Key West finished 9-7 on the season.
The Lady ’Canes did not have to play two games in a single day as was originally scheduled in their nine-team district. The Hurricanes won their play-in game on April 9 to stay alive in the playoffs, but faced the top seed, Westminster Christian, in their quarterfinal matchup. Coral Shores could not topple the Warriors, ending the season with a 2-10 record.
Key West fared better in the district brackets, edging out Lourdes Academy on April 9 in the quarterfinals, pitting them against Westminster Christian two days later. The Conchs showed drastic improvement against the Warriors from a prior matchup, but were not able to overcome the perennial powerhouse to secure a spot in the finals. Key West finished the season 6-9.
“The grind for next season starts immediately.”
— Marisa Giacopuzzi
Top left and right: The Hurricane boys finished 12-6 after picking up a quarterfinal win against Florida Christian on April 10.
Center: Deanna Mercier (14) and Mavis Bishop (3) tangle with Lourdes players for ball control.
Bottom: Deanna Mercier, right, sets up for the faceoff.
Photos by Maicey Malgrat and Rachel Rusch.
NOTICE OF SHERIFF'S SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY
CASE NO: 24-CA-000594-K
Darreth Dellagnese Plaintiff, Vs William H. Foster
Defendant, NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY given that pursuant to a Writ of Execution issued in the Circuit Court, of Monroe County, Florida, on the 16th day of July, 2024, in the cause wherein Darreth Dellagnese is Plaintiff and William H. Foster was defendant, being Case No. 24-CA-000594-K in said court, I, Richard A. Ramsay, Sheriff of Monroe County, Florida have levied upon all right, title, and interest of the defendant, in and to the following described real property to wit:
SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY:
From the warranty deed that states the following described land, situate, lying and being in Monroe County, Florida towit (With certain exceptions):
Legal Description(s) –
The southerly 15 feet of Lot 30, WHISPERING PINES PLAT NO. 3, according to the map or plat thereof as recorded in Plat Book 4, Page 59 of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida.
PARCEL B – “LESS AND EXCEPT” – (AUTHORED BY THE UNDERSIGNED PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY TONY ANDRE)
A portion of Lot 30, WHISPERING PINES PLAT NO. 3, according to the map or plat thereof as recorded in Plat Book 4, Page 59 of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida, and being more particularly described as follows: Commencing at the Southeasterly corner of the said Lot 30 and run thence S89°53'00"W along the Southerly boundary line of the said Lot 30 for a distance of 99.00 feet to the Easterly face of an existing pool coping, said point also being the Point of Beginning of the parcel of land hereinafter described; thence N0°01'48"E along the said Easterly face of an existing pool coping for a distance of 0.78 feet to the Northeasterly corner of the said existing pool coping; thence N89°58'12"W along the Northerly face the said existing pool coping for a distance of 21.77 feet to the Northwesterly corner of the said existing pool coping; thence S0°01'48"W along the Westerly face of the said existing pool coping for a distance of 0.83 feet to a point on the said Southerly boundary line of the said Lot 30; thence N89°53'00"E along the said Southerly boundary line of the said Lot 30 for a distance of 21.77 feet back to the Point of Beginning. (Containing 45.15 Sq. Ft +/-) Copy of Exhibit A available upon request from the Sheriff’s Office and on the date of sale.
SPECIFIC LOCATION OF REAL PROPERTY:
Vacant Sands Road, Big Pine Key, FL 33040 All bidders must have a valid Driver’s License with them and must register with clerk at location of sale prior to start time of sale.
I shall offer this property for sale, at Monroe County Court House located at 500 Whitehead Street Key West, Florida 33040 in the County of Monroe, State of Florida, on the 29th day of May, 2025, at the hour of 10:00
A.M. or as soon thereafter as possible. I will offer for sale all of the said defendant’s right, title, and interest in the aforesaid real property at public auction and will sell the same subject to all taxes,
prior liens, encumbrances and judgments, if any, to the highest and best bidder for CASH IN HAND. The proceeds to be applied as far as may be to the payment of costs and the satisfaction of the above described execution.
Dated at Key West, Monroe County, Florida this 10th day of April, 2025. Richard A. Ramsay Sheriff of Monroe County, By: Donald Stullken Deputy Sheriff In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, persons with disabilities needing a special accommodation to participate in this proceeding should contact the Civil Division no later than seven says prior to the proceeding at (305)8093041.
Publish: April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE
U-HAUL COMPANY OF MIAMI
Notice is hereby given that on May 5th, 2025, Leonard Richford Jr. Storage Auctioneer, Executive Administrator for U-Haul Company of Miami, Will be offering for sale under the Judicial Lien Process, By Public Auction, the following storage units. The Terms of the sale will be cash only. U-Haul Company does reserve the right to refuse any bids. The sales will Begin at 8:00 a.m. and continue day by day until all units are sold. The names of whose units will be sold are as follows: 103530 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037 Yetman, John 1200 Lopez, Elis 1610 Gonzalez, Juan 1007 Allen, David 1407 Chamberlain, Sheila 1167
Publish: April 17 & 24, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE
Notice of Seizure that in accordance with Florida Statutes 83.805 / 83.506, Whaler’s Plaza, 13333 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida 33050, will sell or otherwise dispose of the personal contents of the following units to satisfy the delinquent storage lien. All Contents in: Unit # C-3
Angela McCllanahan
Contents: Household Goods Unit # BW1 & Shuttle Van Lighting Star INC Contents: Office Supplies and Shuttle Van
Sale of all goods will be on May 2nd, 2025, at 10am at 13333 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050. The terms of the sale will be cash only. Whaler’s Plaza does reserve the right to refuse any bids. The sales will continue day by day until all units are sold.
Publish: April 17 & 24, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 16TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, PROBATE DIVISION FILE # 25-CP-146-P IN RE: THE ESTATE OF BRENT ALAN SPERRY
Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of, BRENT ALAN SPERRY, deceased, whose date of death was 15 March 2025, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88770 Overseas Highway, Tavernier, Florida 33070.
The names and addresses of the Personal Representative
and the Personal Representative's attorney are set forth below.
All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. 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 17 April, 2025.
Personal Representative Shannon Sperry PO Box 1423 Angel Fire, NM 87710 Attorney for Personal Representative Tom Woods, Esq. Florida Bar No.: 0525197 116 Porto Salvo Drive Islamorada, Florida 33036 Phone 305.664.2200 Fax 2205
Primary Email: tom@ tomwoodslaw.com
Secondary Email: eserve@ tomwoodslaw.com
Publish: April 17 & 24, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
PROBATE DIVISION File No. 25-CP-000093-P Division: Probate IN RE: ESTATE OF Charles C. Phelan, also known as, Charles Craven Phelan, Deceased.
The administration of the estate of Charles C. Phelan, deceased, whose date of death was July 5, 2024, 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 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. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST
PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT'S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.
The date of first publication of this notice is April 10, 2025. Personal Representative: Sandra L. Phelan 121 Front Street, Unit E Lewes, DE 19958
Attorney for Personal Representative: Bryan E. Bloom
Florida Bar No.126722 Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP 2600 Campus Drive Florham Park, NJ 07932
Email Address: bryan.bloom@ faegredrinker.com
Telephone: 973-549-7104
Publish:
April 10 & 17, 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-125-K IN RE: THE ESTATE OF LARRIE STEPHEN BUSLOFF, Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of LARRIE STEPHEN BUSLOFF, deceased, whose date of death was March 17, 2025, Case: 25-CP-125-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 representatives and the personal representatives’ attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate, 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: April 10, 2025.
Co-Personal Representative: HARVEY E. BROWN
c/o Samuel J. Kaufman, Esq.
Law Offices of Samuel J. Kaufman, P.A.
3130 Northside Drive
Key West, Florida 33040
Co-Personal Representative: JILL E. WINLAND-BROWN
c/o Samuel J. Kaufman, Esq.
Law Offices of Samuel J. Kaufman, P.A.
3130 Northside Drive
Key West, Florida 33040
Attorney for Co-Personal Representatives: Samuel J. 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: April 10 & 17, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA KEY WEST DIVISION “IN ADMIRALTY” CASE NUMBER: 4:25-cv-10021JEM IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPLAINT OF: WILLIAM MILNER & PAULA MILNER, as owners of the S/V Sara Lou, a 1992 34’ Pacific Seacraft Monohull Sail, bearing Hull Identification No.: PCS34227G192, its Engines, Tackle, Appurtenances, Equipment, Etc., In a cause for Exoneration from or Limitation of Liability. Petitioner.
___________________/
NOTICE TO ALL POTENTIAL CLAIMANTS OF COMPLAINT FOR EXONERATION FROM OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
As the owner of the S/V Sara Lou, a 1992 34’ Pacific Seacraft Monohull Sail bearing Hull Identification No.: PCS34227G192, (the “Vessel”)—and pursuant to 46 U.S.C § 30501, et seq., and Supplemental Rule F of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure—William Milner and Paula Milner filed a Complaint on March 4, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida seeking exoneration from, or limitation of, any liability concerning any and all personal injury, property damage, destruction, or other losses arising out of or related to an incident on or about December 27, 2024, on the navigable waters of the United States in Buttonwood Sound, Key Largo, in Monroe County, Florida, as more fully described in the complaint. The Court has accepted a letter of undertaking as interim security for all claims against Petitioners and the Vessel. Pursuant to 46 U.S.C. § 30511(c), “all claims and proceedings against the owner related to the matter in question shall cease.” By June 9, 2025, all persons or entities claiming damage for any and all loss, destruction, injuries, and/or death allegedly as a result of the occurrences and happenings recited in the complaint must file their respective claims with the clerk of this court and serve copies thereof on Petitioners’ counsel. By the same date, all persons or entities presenting claims and desiring to contest the allegations of the complaint must file an answer to the complaint in this court and must serve copies thereof on Petitioners’ counsel or be defaulted. Service on Petitioners’ counsel may be made by delivery or mail to Richard J. McAlpin, or Lourdes M. Cardelle of MCALPIN FLOREZ MARCOTTE, P.A., 80 SW 8th Street, Suite 2805, Miami, Florida 33130, telephone number (305) 810-5400.
Dated: March 13, 2025. Angela E. Noble United States District Court Southern District Court of Florida
By: Nadhege Augustin Deputy Clerk Publish: April 10, 17, 24 and May 1, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 16TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 25-DR-410-K JOSE PAULINO SANTOS MEJIA, Petitioner, and ESTELA JUDITH DIONISION GOMEZ, Respondent.
NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE (NO CHILD OR FINANCIAL
SUPPORT) TO: ESTELA JUDITH DIONISION GOMEZ RESPONDENT’S LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: UNKNOWN YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for Dissolution of Marriage has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on JOSE PAULINO SANTOS MEJIA, whose address is 2828 FOGARTY AVE., KEY WEST, FL 33040 on or before May 19, 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: NONE Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. You may review these documents upon request.
You must keep the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office notified of your current address. (You may file Designation of Current Mailing and E-Mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915.) Future papers in this lawsuit will be mailed or e-mailed to the address(es) on record at the clerk’s office. WARNING: Rule 12.285, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, requires certain automatic disclosure of documents and information. Failure to comply can result in sanctions, including dismissal or striking of pleadings.
Dated: April 14, 2025 Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Sheryl LaTorre Deputy Clerk Publish: April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 25-DR-414-K PAOLA MELISSA ZEPEDA LAZO, Petitioner, and HECTOR MANUEL CABAN GONZALEZ, Respondent.
NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE (NO CHILD OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT) TO: HECTOR MANUEL CABAN GONZALEZ RESPONDENT’S LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: 1213 14TH STREET, LOT W, 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 PAOLA MELISSA ZEPEDA LAZO, whose address is 3328 EAGLE AVENUE, KEY WEST, FLORIDA 33040 on or before May 17, 2025, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 302 Fleming Street, Key West, FL 33040, before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition. The action is asking the court to decide how the following real or personal property should be divided: NONE Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. You may review these documents upon request. You must keep the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office notified
of your current address. (You may file Designation of Current Mailing and E-Mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915.) Future papers in this lawsuit will be mailed or e-mailed to the address(es) on record at the clerk’s office. WARNING: Rule 12.285, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, requires certain automatic disclosure of documents and information. Failure to comply can result in sanctions, including dismissal or striking of pleadings.
Dated: April 11, 2025 Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Destiny Johnson Deputy Clerk Publish: April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 16TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 25-DR-349-K DEON ROBINSON, Petitioner, and ANTTWON JEWSOME, Respondent.
NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE (NO CHILD OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT) TO: ANTTWON JEWSOME RESPONDENT’S LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: 1213 14TH STREET, LOT 184, 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 Deon Robinson, whose address is 1213 14th Street, Lot 184, Key West, FL 33040 on or before May 31, 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: March 26, 2025
Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Destiny Johnson Deputy Clerk Publish: April 3, 10, 17 & 24, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 16TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 25-DR-315-K MONIKA BANDOVA, Petitioner, and MICHAEL DAVID CARBON, Respondent. NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE
• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES •
LEGAL NOTICES
(NO CHILD OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT)
TO: MICHAEL DAVID CARBON
RESPONDENT’S LAST KNOWN
ADDRESS: UNKNOWN
YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for Dissolution of Marriage has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on Monika Bandova, whose address is 3 Casa Roma Lane, Apt. 3, Key West, FL 33040 on or before April 28, 2025, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 530 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040, before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition.
The action is asking the court to decide how the following real or personal property should be divided: N/A Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. You may review these documents upon request. You must keep the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office notified of your current address.
(You may file Designation of Current Mailing and E-Mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915.) Future papers in this lawsuit will be mailed or e-mailed to the address(es) on record at the clerk’s office.
WARNING: Rule 12.285, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, requires certain automatic disclosure of documents and information. Failure to comply can result in sanctions, including dismissal or striking of pleadings.
Dated: March 17, 2025 Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida
By: Shonta McLeod
Deputy Clerk
Publish: March 27 and April 3, 10 & 17, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE BY THE CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, Kevin Madok, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Monroe County, Florida, will, on the 6th day of May 2025 at 11 o’clock a.m., at 500 Whitehead Street, Monroe County, in the City of Key West, Florida, offer for sale and sell at public outcry to the highest and best bidder for CASH the Following described property situated in Monroe County, Florida, to wit: Property Description: BK 9 NW ½ LOT 20 STRATTONS SUBD PB2-38 UPPER MATECUMBE G24-94 G45-384 OR755-540 G1-450/51 OR 834-325 OR 1007-2476 OR 1660-945 OR 1660-946/AFF OR 1660-947/ AFF OR 2012-2378 OR 2347255 OR 2686-1408 OR 2984962 OR 3110-0874 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, PARCEL ID # 00400600-000000, ALTERNATE KEY # 1492892. COMMONLY KNOWN AS: 81975 OLD HIGHWAY, ISLAMORADA, FLORIDA 33036 Pursuant to FINAL JUDGMENT OF FORECLOSURE entered in a case pending in said Court, the 3rd day of March 2025 Style of which is: KENNETH STEVENS AND CLIFFORD BROWN Plaintiff VS. WOLF CAPITAL FUNDING, LLC, et. al Defendant And the Docket Number of which is Number 2023-CA320-P
NOTICES
WITNESS my hand and the Official Seal of Said Court, this 13TH day of March 2025
KEVIN MADOK Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Shonta McLeod Deputy Clerk Florida Statute 45.031: Any person claiming as interest in the surplus from the sale, if any, other than the property owner as of the date of the Lis Pendens must file a claim within 60 days after the sale. Publish: April 17 & 24, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION/ SALE FOR NON-JUDICIAL TIMESHARE FORECLOSURE MARATHON KEY BEACH CLUB II ASSOCIATION, INC. MONROE County, Florida
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, pursuant to an action for non-judicial foreclosure of timeshare units on the Claim of Lien, which is dated November 23, 2024 and was recorded December 5, 2024, in the Official Records of Monroe County, Florida in Official Records Book 3302, Page 1635 as Instrument Number 2482638, I will sell, to the highest and best bidder for cash, at MARATHON KEY BEACH CLUB CONDOMINIUM II RESORT Manager’s Office, 4560 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050 on the 6th day of MAY, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., the following described real property located in MONROE County, Florida, to-wit: Annual Timeshare Periods as set forth below in MARATHON KEY BEACH CLUB CONDOMINIUM II, according to the Declaration of Condominium thereof, recorded in Official Records Book 859, at Page 786, as amended in Official Records Book 874, at Page 2169, all of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida and all subsequent amendments and exhibits thereto.
Unit Number:
Use Period:
Unit Number:
Use Period:
A 101 03, 23, 48
A 102
27
A 201 30, 35, 36
A 202 21
B 101 05, 06
B 102 02, 25, 36, 50
B 201 03, 04, 47
B 202
27, 39
C 101 21
C 102 01, 36, 40
C 201
40 D 202 31, 32 E 101 12
E 102 20
E 201
40, 41
E 202 39, 41, 47, 48
TO: Unit Owner(s) Last Known Address Annual Timeshare Use Period(s): Amount due:
Dale A Bradley and Catherine E Bradley 7781 Union Street
Mentor, OH 44060
A101/48
$2,958.75 with a per diem amount of $1.46 from September 1, 2024
Charles L Burke and Esther M Damian-Burke 21 Broad Hill Road Leverett, MA 01054
A201/35
$4,176.91 with a per diem amount of $2.06 from September 1, 2024
A201/36
$4,176.92 with a per diem amount of $2.06 from September 1, 2024
$1,517.30 with a per diem amount of $0.75 from September 1, 2024
John W Cummings 109 Poland Hill Place Lafayette, IN 47909
B201/03
$6,443.14 with a per diem amount of $3.18 from September 1, 2024
B201/04
$6,443.14 with a per diem amount of $3.18 from September 1, 2024
B201/47
$6,443.14 with a per diem amount of $3.18 from September 1, 2024
A202/21
$6,443.14 with a per diem amount of $3.18 from September 1, 2024
David B Denholtz and Rhonda J Denholtz
13231 Shetland Lane Ft Myers, FL 33912
D202/31
$2,951.14 with a per diem amount of $1.46 from September 1, 2024
D202/32
$2,951.14 with a per diem amount of $1.46 from September 1, 2024
James A Fregien and Loretta Fregien
2763 Pepperidge Court San Jose, CA 95148
A201/30
$1,517.30 with a per diem amount of $0.75 from September 1, 2024
Troy Gonyea and Michelle Gonyea
16 Silver Street Meriden, CT 06450
E102/20
$1,514.85 with a per diem amount of $0.75 from September 1, 2024
Jennifer L Hill
931 Cordova Avenue Ormond Beach, FL 32174
C101/21
$5,402.08 with a per diem amount of $2.67 from September 1, 2024
Ralph W Hoffman
21225 Railroad Avenue High Springs, FL 32643
B102/25
$1,517.30 with a per diem amount of $0.75 from September 1, 2024
Anita Holt
12 N 269 Factly Road West Sycamore, IL 60178
B102/50
$4,047.55 with a per diem amount of $2.00 from September 1, 2024
Terrell W Jones and Tina F Jones
5095 Datil Pepper Road St Augustine, FL 32086
C102/36
$1,517.30 with a per diem amount of $1.46 from September 1, 2024
Lorraine Khoury 7545 Oso Blanca Road Las Vegas, NV 89149
B101/05
$4,712.06 with a per diem amount of $1.46 from September 1, 2024
B101/06
$4,712.06 with a per diem amount of $1.46 from September 1, 2024
Jeffrey A Kuhfeld
504 N Topsail Drive
Rockledge, FL 32955
B202/27
$1,517.97 with a per diem amount of $1.46 from September 1, 2024
Isadoro Perez and Miladys Perez 13460 SW 66th Street Southwest Ranches, FL 33330
A101/27
$2,960.14 with a per diem amount of $1.46 from September 1, 2024
Porter, LeVay & Rose, Inc
7 Pennsylvania Plaza #10
New York, NY 10001
E101/12
$4,048.94 with a per diem amount of $1.46 from September 1, 2024
Anne E Richardson
5000 S Centinela Ave #213
Los Angeles, CA 90066
B102/36
$2,960.14 with a per diem amount of $1.46 from September 1, 2024
Kennella L Rowzie 604 Deen Road
Bunnell, FL 32110
C102/01
$1,516.58 with a per diem amount of $1.46 from September 1, 2024
James Bryan Stevens and Christine Stevens 111 Old Dundee Road
Barrington, IL 60010
B102/02
$6,071.38 with a per diem amount of $1.46 from September 1, 2024
A101/03
$6,071.38 with a per diem amount of $1.46 from September 1, 2024
Joseph A Viani and Mary Viani 7263 Halleck Street
Viera, FL 32940
C201/40
$1,517.30 with a per diem amount of $1.46 from September 1, 2024
Louis J Wilder
405 Southwind Drive, Apt 1
North Palm Beach, FL 33408
A101/23
$1,514.85 with a per diem amount of $1.46 from September 1, 2024
The assessment lien created by the Claim of Lien was properly created and authorized pursuant to the timeshare instrument and applicable law, and the amounts secured by said lien are as set above. You may cure the default at any time prior to the public auction by paying the amount due, as set forth in this notice, to the undersigned Trustee at the address set forth below. THIS NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION/SALE is dated this _2nd_ day of _APRIL__, 2025.
THOMAS L AVRUTIS
THOMAS L. AVRUTIS, AS TRUSTEE FOR MARATHON KEY BEACH CLUB II ASSOCIATION, INC 201 Fletcher Avenue, 2nd Floor Sarasota, FL 34237
Telephone (941) 955-7300
Facsimile (941) 953-7625
Publish:
April 17 & 24, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CIVIL DIVISION CASE NO.: 25-CA-0291-K BANKS G. PREVATT, PATTY L. PEERY-PREVATT and JILL NOTTKE, Plaintiffs, vs. LITTLE TORCH PROPERTIES, INC.,(A DISSOLVED FLORIDA CORPORATION),JOSEPH PARDO, AS RECEIVER OF LITTLE TORCH PROPERTIES, INC.,(DECEASED), AND ALL UNKNOWN PERSONS OR BUSINESS ENTITIES HAVING OR CLAIMING TO HAVE ANY RIGHT, TITLE, OR INTEREST IN THE DISPUTED PROPERTY IN THIS CASE, WHETHER THROUGH OR DERIVED FROM LITTLE TORCH PROPERTIES INC., OR OTHERWISE, Defendants. ___________ / NOTICE OF ACTION TO QUIET TITLE To: LITTLE TORCH PROPERTIES, INC., (A DISSOLVED FLORIDA CORPORATION), C/O JOSEPH PARDO (DECEASED), AS RECEIVER OF LITTLE TORCH PROPERTIES, INC., AND ALL UNKNOWN PERSONS OR BUSINESS ENTITIES HAVING, OR CLAIMING TO HAVE, ANY RIGHT, TITLE, OR INTEREST IN THE DISPUTED PROPERTY IN THIS CASE, WHETHER THROUGH OR DERIVED FROM LITTLE TORCH PROPERTIES INC., OR OTHERWISE, YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action to quiet title of the
following described property in the Circuit Court of Monroe County, Key West Division, has been filed against you and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to Kevin Hoyes, of Kevin Hoyes Attorney, P.A, at 422 Fleming Street, Key West, Florida, 33040, Phone (305) 731 3349 (Plaintiffs Attorney), on or before DATE: April 28, 2025, and file the original with the Clerk of this Court either before service on the Plaintiffs' attorney or immediately thereafter, including your full name and address; otherwise a default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint.
The Property at issue in this case is formally described as follows:
1. The disputed property lies at the rear of 141 Pirates Road, Little Torch Key, is of a size of approximately 750 square Feet, has a parcel ID number of 00215471-000000 (and an Alternate Key Number of 9036754) according to the Monroe County Property Appraiser's website.
2. The upland property is also more fully described (according to a survey dated February 19, 2025 by Reece & Associates (of 31193 Avenue A, Big Pine Key, FL. 33043), as follows: Parcel 1 A portion of the northerly 25 feet of Lot 30, Block 1 of Jolly Roger Estates, according to the Plat thereof as recorded in Plat Book 5, Page 34, of the public records of Monroe County, Florida, and being more particularly described by metes and bounds as follows:
Commence at Southwest corner of Lot 30, Block 1 of Jolly Roger Estates, Plat book 5, Page 34, thence bear N00°00'00"E along the west line of said Lot 30 and the east right-of-way line of Pirates Road, as shown on said Plat, for a distance of 85 feet to the point of beginning. Thence, continue N00°00'00"E for a distance of 10.22 Feet to a point on the edge of an existing canal and the intersection of the westerly projection of an existing concrete seawall; Thence leaving said right of way line, bear S89°54'0l"E along said canal edge and seawall for a distance of 24.32 feet to a point on the northwest corner of an existing boat basin; Thence bear S00°40'33"W for a distance of 10.18 feet to a point that is 25 feet south of and parallel to the north line of said Lot 30, Block 1; Thence bear N90°00'00"W, along said line, for a distance of 24.44 feet back to the point of the beginning.
Together with Parcel 2
A portion of the northerly 25 feet of Lot 30, Block 1, Jolly Roger Estates, according to the Plat thereof as recorded in Plat Book 5, Page 34, of the public records of Monroe County, Florida, and being more particularly described by metes and bounds as follows:
Commence at Southwest corner of Lot 30, Block 1 of Jolly Roger Estates, Plat book 5, Page 34, thence bear N00°00'00"E along the west line of said Lot 30 and the east right-of-way line of Pirates Road, as shown on said Plat, for a distance of 85 feet to a point of intersection with a line that is 25 feet south of and parallel to the north line of said Lot 30, Block 1; then bear S90°00'00''E, along said line, for a distance of 49.60 to a point on the east line of an existing boat basin and the point of beginning. Thence, bear N00°55'28", along said basin, for a distance of 9.73 feet to the northwest corner thereof, said corner also being on the face of an existing concrete
seawall on the southerly side of an existing canal; Thence S89°06'33"E, along said seawall, for a distance of 50.24 feet to a point on line of said lot 30; Thence bear S00°00'00"W, along said east line for a distance of 8.95 feet to s point that is 25 feet south of and parallel to the north line of said Lot 30, Block 1; Thence bear N90°00'00"W, along said line, for as distance of 50.39 feet back to the point of the beginning. Containing 469.85 Sq. Ft., more or less. If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact Cheryl Alfonso, ADA Coordinator, 302 Fleming Street, Key West, Florida 33040; (305) 292-3423, at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.
Dated: March 17, 2025
Kevin Madok, Clerk of the Court for Circuit Court of Monroe County Key West, Florida By: Shonta McLeod As Deputy Clerk Publish: March 27 and April 3, 10 & 17, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED
2025-02
Notice is hereby given that, ASSEMBLY TAX 36, LLC ASSEMBLY TAX 36, LLC FBO SEC PTY, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2022/117
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1036145
Parcel ID: 00035290-000000
Description of Property: KW MOFFATS SUB PB1-12 ALL LOT 6 AND PT LOT 8 SQR 3 TR 14 OR106-113/114 OR395891/92 OR1292-464D/C OR1294-1030/33 OR12981250/51L/E OR1303-1725D/C OR1318-711/14 OR1323-450 OR2966-45NAME/CHG OR2991-2420
Names in which assessed: VINSON CYNTHIA JEAN REV TRUST 09/14/2019
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this April 4th 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish: April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-03
Notice is hereby given that, ASSEMBLY TAX 36, LLC ASSEMBLY TAX 36, LLC FBO SEC PTY, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year
of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2022/764
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1376221
Parcel ID: 00304180-000000
Description of Property: BK 32 LTS 1-2 SANDS SUB 1-65 BIG PINE KEY OR622-272 OR742-430C/T OR12801827D/C OR1495-2321AFF OR1495-2322 OR21761063/64 OR2691-575C/T OR2726-40C/T OR27502109/10 OR2750-2111 OR2791-796/802 OR29081900/01 OR2952-2223 ALONG WITH MOBILE HOME: TITLE NUMBER: 4754739 VEHICLE ID NR:FT168FL2250 YEAR:1971 MAKE: IN-HOUSE PKWA
BODY:HS
Names in which assessed: FIGUEROA LUIS
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com
Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this April 4th 2025 KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk Publish:
April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-04
Notice is hereby given that, ASSEMBLY TAX 36, LLC ASSEMBLY TAX 36, LLC FBO SEC PTY, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2022/887
Names in which assessed: BROWN GARY D All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida. Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com
Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this April 4th 2025 KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish: April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-05
Notice is hereby given that, ASSEMBLY TAX 36, LLC
ASSEMBLY TAX 36, LLC FBO SEC PTY, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of
• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES •
property, and Name in which
it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2022/151
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1056456
Parcel ID: 00055910-000000
Description of Property:
BK 2 LT 3 KW PB5-19
PEARLMAN ESTATES SECOND
ADDITION OR300-332/33
OR503-201 OR1487-626/27
OR2750-742LET/ADM
OR2762-196ORD OR27861389/90
Names in which assessed:
NESIUS THEODORE II
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this April 4th 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta
Jodkowska,
Deputy Clerk
Publish:
April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-06
Notice is hereby given that, ASSEMBLY TAX 36, LLC
ASSEMBLY TAX 36, LLC FBO
SEC PTY, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2022/992
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 9085848
Parcel ID: 00355430-000149
Description of Property: UNIT B-38 SOMBRERO MARINA A CONDOMINIUM OR3120-1942
Names in which assessed: BROWN GARY
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida. Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this April 4th 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk Publish: April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-07
Notice is hereby given that, ASSEMBLY TAX 36, LLC
ASSEMBLY TAX 36, LLC FBO SEC PTY, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2022/531 Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 9090619
Parcel ID: 00104180-002310
Description of Property:
OR2736-1492C/T OR32630841
Names in which assessed: MFRA TRUST 2014-2 C/O FAY SERVICING LLC
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com
Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this April 4th 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish:
April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-08
Notice is hereby given that, MARCIO AUGUSTO DE LA CRUZ GOMEZ, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2020/1327
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2020
Account Number: 1451681
Parcel ID: 00368500-000000
Description of Property:
NW'LY 4 FT LOT 1 BLK 19 CRAINS SUBD OF GRASSY KEY PB 1-51 OR39-216-217
Names in which assessed:
DOROTHY LEE JARO, JARO JACK
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com
Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this April 4th 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish: April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-09
Notice is hereby given that, KEYS FUNDING LLC - 7022, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2022/124
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1041513
Parcel ID: 00040830-000000
Description of Property: KW TROPICAL BLDG AND INVESTMENT CO SUB LOT 17 AND PT LOTS 10 AND 18 SQR 2 TR 19 PB1-34 G49-309/10 J2-121 OR122-236/37 OR491599 OR491-600 OR491602(PROB-81-357-CP-12) OR845-2195/2197-WILL OR1051-2301/02 OR1464-723
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State
of Florida. Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com
Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am. Dated this April 4th 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish:
April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED
2025-10
Notice is hereby given that, KEYS FUNDING LLC - 7022, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2022/542
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1210064
Parcel ID: 00164560-000000
Description of Property: LT 64 SUGARLOAF SHORES
SEC D SUGARLOAF KEY PB488 OR414-663 OR446-605/06
OR937-183 OR937-184D/C
OR1207-584 OR2692-1570/72
Names in which assessed: HOME ON KINGFISHER LLC
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida. Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com
Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this April 4th 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish: April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED
2025-11
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2022/315
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 910454
Parcel ID: 00097680-000100
Description of Property: 20 64 36 LOWER MATECUMBE
KEY PT GOVT LOT 2 OR30401431
Names in which assessed: KEYS STEVEN L All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida. Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com
Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am. Dated this April 4th 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy
Clerk Publish: April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-12
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2022/711
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1337960
Parcel ID: 00266320-000000
Description of Property: BK 6 LT 9 EDEN PINES COLONY
PB4-158 BIG PINE KEY OR404157E OR460-781 OR1167998DC
Names in which assessed: HELLIESEN FRANCYS M
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com
Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am. Dated this April 4th 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish: April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-13
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2022/864 Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1402974
Parcel ID: 00328740-00000
Description of Property: BK B LT 8 PART A OF MASTER PLAT OF N MARATHON SHORES PB3-8 KEY VACCAS OR453-665-666 OR624-371 OR686-867 OR1571-945 OR1823-886/87 OR1832-393 Names in which assessed: ANTHONY D'AIUTO, JOSEPH D'AIUTO
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com
Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am. Dated this April 4th 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk Publish: April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-14
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK,
LEGAL NOTICES
holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2022/334
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 9088412
Parcel ID: 00100371-018700
Description of Property: UNIT 55C BOAT HOUSE CONDOMINIUM OR2738-1752 OR2822-2314/15
Names in which assessed: SHELLFISH ENTERPRISES LLC
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com
Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am. Dated this April 4th 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish:
April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-15
Notice is hereby given that, DAY INVESTMENT AND CONSULTING LLC, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2021/1161 Date of Issuance: June 01, 2021
Account Number: 1451690
Parcel ID: 00368510-000000
Description of Property:
BK 19 LT 2 CRAINS SUBD OF GRASSY KEY PB 1-51 PT SECS 24-25-26 TWP 65S R 33E OR39-218/219 CASE #86-47CP-23 OR972-1185/1190WILL OR996-1715/1716P/R OR1006-38/42 OR1011-500 OR1018-205Q/C OR2094408/09
Names in which assessed: ARLENE KAISER, ROBERT KAISER
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com
Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am. Dated this April 4th 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish: April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-16
Notice is hereby given that, CHARLES WEITZEL, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2019/924
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2019 Account Number: 1406414
Parcel ID: 00331061-011301
Description of Property:
SEA-AIR ESTATES KEY VACA PB6-91 W1/2 LOT 17 BLK 5 & ADJ PT OF ANA COURT OR1550-2356-62RES
Names in which assessed:
SEA-AIR ESTATES INC C/O
GOSS RICHARD
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com
Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this April 7th 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish:
April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-17
Notice is hereby given that, ASSEMBLY TAX 36, LLC ASSEMBLY TAX 36, LLC FBO SEC PTY, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2022/1561
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1670022
Parcel ID: 00546530-000000
Description of Property:
BK 3 LT 8 AMD PLAT OF WINSTON WATERWAYS PB4144 OR297-77 OR725-787/88 OR858-221/22 OR1063-1340 OR1874-999 OR2366-681/82
OR2797-1106/07
Names in which assessed: LEGNA INVESTMENTS LLC
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com
Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this April 7th 2025 KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish: April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-18
Notice is hereby given that, ASSEMBLY TAX 36, LLC ASSEMBLY TAX 36, LLC FBO SEC PTY, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2022/1560
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1669911
Parcel ID: 00546420-000000
Description of Property: BK 2 LT 5 AMD PLAT OF WINSTON WATERWAYS PB4-144 OR575-383 OR978936 OR999-35 OR999-34 OR1793-1400 OR1793-1401 OR1793-1402 OR1793-1403 OR2068-2148/49 OR30241180 OR3030-1245 OR31192376
Names in which assessed: KARIM-URROZA DAVID, LARYSA KULISH SMITH
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida. Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com
Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am. Dated this April 7th 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish: April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-19
Notice is hereby given that, TLOA OF FLORIDA, LLC FOR SECURED PARTY, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2022/1191
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1512907
Parcel ID: 00416730-000000
Description of Property: BK 8 S 1/2 LT 13 KEY HEIGHTS SECTION 2 PB3-159 PLANTATION KEY OR392266/67 OR824-2483 OR908908 OR1362-392 OR1362393/94PR OR1433-1787/88 OR1433-1789/93 OR1478555/56EST/ORD OR1479-1738 OR1479-1739DC OR14791740DC
Names in which assessed: NEZBED MELBA E JR All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida. Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com
Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am. Dated this April 7th 2025 KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish: April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-20
Notice is hereby given that, TLOA OF FLORIDA, LLC FOR SECURED PARTY, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2022/1260 Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022 Account Number: 1551864 1512907
Parcel ID: 00452230-000000 00416730-000000
Description of Property: LT 92 PORT LARGO PB5-3 KEY LARGO OR647-575 OR696-121 OR3062-1391
Names in which assessed: DERRIEN JEANNINE All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida. Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the
property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com
Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale
Time: 10:00am.
Dated this April 7th 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA
CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish:
April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED
2025-22
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2022/1473
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 9104464
Parcel ID: 00513300-001600
Description of Property:
BK 3 LOT 16 PARADISE POINT
PB3-16 KEY LARGO G72302/03 OR187-483/84 OR269553/554 OR274-113/114 OR369-350 OR414-363/64
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this April 7th 2025 KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish: April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-23
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2022/1499
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022 Account Number: 1642843
Parcel ID: 00523590-000000
Description of Property:
BK 2 LT 5 AMD PLAT OF PB3-62
KEY LARGO PARK KEY LARGO OR381-151 OR1249-144 OR1240-1459/62 OR1786-7 OR2177-1751C OR2196-1574 OR3109-2275
Names in which assessed: ARIAS CARLOS LUIS
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such
certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com
Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this April 7th 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish: April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-24
Notice is hereby given that, JPL INVESTMENTS CORP, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2022/1059
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1457043
Parcel ID: 00373970-000000
Description of Property: CRAINS SUBD OF GRASSY
KEY PB 1-51 PT SECS 24-25-26 TWP 65S R 33E LOT 6 SQR 54 G30-189-190 OR900-2496 OR1331-184 OR2426-295 OR2836-1631 OR3110-0230
Names in which assessed: TORRES WILGENS SR All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com
Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this April 7th 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish: April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-25
Notice is hereby given that, TLGFY, LLC CAPITAL ONE, N.A., AS COLLATERAL ASSIGNEE OF TLGFY, LLC, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2022/1070
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 8918194
Parcel ID: 00378381-000101
Description of Property: UNIT B-001A & B-001A EXPANSION VILLAGE AT HAWK'S CAY DUCK KEY OR1488-190/265DEC OR14882199/02 OR1910-1972/1973A OR1967-1550/52 OR27972198/200 OR3044-165 OR3127-0667
Names in which assessed: PATRICIA D PYTLESKI, PYTLESKI VICTOR D All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com Sale Date: May 28, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this April 14th 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT
& COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA By:
Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish:
April 17 & 24 and May 1 & 8, 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
1964 Ford Galaxy, 427 Big Block, 5-speed, located in Key Largo. REDUCED $45,000 954-445-6647
BOAT SLIP FOR RENT
19’x40’ slip in Marathon, could handle somewhat larger boat with approval from dockmaster. Desirable location in marina, easy in, easy out. Electricity, available, free water, pump out, WiFi. Available 1 May 25 thru Oct 25, possibly long term lease. 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 - Major 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/
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
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, Carpenter-FT-KeyWest, Housing Manager- FTMarathon, 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.
Part Time Supervisor/ Housekeeper Position Available Immediately in Key Colony Beach. Hours may vary depending on need including weekends. Responsibilities include oversee housekeeping staff, inspecting rooms prior to guest occupancy, making up laundry bags, cleaning rooms, etc. Physical demands: ability to lift and carry laundry bags ~ 35 lb. **Must have reliable transportation** Please call/text or email to discuss pay and to request application.
Vivian -952-208-2850
Cheryl -305-505-8747
Marathon Yacht Club is hiring a part-time bookkeeper. QuickBooks experience required. Must provide photo ID, social security card or passport, and checking account. Email office@ marathonyachtclub.com to schedule an interview.
Marathon Yacht Club is hiring a part-time line cook. Private club, friendly atmosphere. Flexible lunch/ dinner shifts available Tuesday – Saturday, some Sundays. English proficiency required. Must provide photo ID, social security card or passport, and checking account. Email office@ marathonyachtclub.com to schedule an interview.
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.
Full time office position with strong computer skills, KCB Condominium, $78K per yr., apply by e-mail to HardingThomasL@ aol.com, text or call 734-476-0531. HIRED IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!!!
HOBBIES/COLLECT.
PRIVATE COLLECTOR WANTS Rolex, Dive Watches and Pilot Watches. Old Model Military Clocks & Watches. Call 305-743-4578
HOUSING FOR RENT
Downstairs apartment of a duplex to rent to 1 person (no pets). Large living room/bedroom and separate kitchen. Large screened porch with its own washer/dryer and driveway. Utilities include wifi/tv. 150 ft to the ocean. MM 96 Key Largo $1600/month. F/L/S 305-853-3779
1 upstairs bedroom for rent in Grassy Key (East Marathon). Unfurnished. Mostly private bathroom with shared W/D. Other upstairs occupants are the homeowners: A probation officer, his wife, and their very small dog. $1200/ month F/S 305-393-5049
Rental in Marathon: 4/2 pool waterfront tiki bar home with dock for up to 50 ft. Steps to Sombrero Beach, ocean in under 10 mins. Seasonal or annual. Furnished. Thania Moses, MBA & Realtor 954.683.2150
PLACE YOUR HOUSING FOR RENT AD HERE. $25/week for up to 5 lines of copy! Pease call 305-4170871 or email Anneke@ KeysWeekly.com
NOW HIRING
TECHNICIAN MARINE REPAIR
Specializing in Yamaha outboard engines.
RETAIL PARTS/COUNTER HELP
Marine outboard knowledge and QuickBooks experience a plus.
Hours M-F 8a-5p for both positions. Apply in person at: All Keys Yamaha 2001 Overseas Highway, Marathon. 305-743-3530
FOR
Available Now, Stock Island near CVS. Traveling nurses/Working professionals only. No pets, smokers or drugs. Gated, safe, quiet, has parking and a pool. Fully furnished room w/private bath, smart TV, washer/ dryer. House and kitchen privileges always, w/ fridge and cabinet space. Monthly rent REDUCED to $1,400.00 All Included. First and Last due at move in time. Call 305-797-5600
1BR/1BA fully furnished Apt. for rent in Marathon. Ideally one person. On canal w/boat lift, W/D, Wifi. $1,950/mo. 850-376-7137 RENTED IN THREE WEEKS!
VACATION RENTAL
Key West House For Rent - 28 day minimum. Recently renovated. 2 Units: 3BR/3BA or 2BR/2.5BA. 1 block to Schooner Wharf @ Historic Seaport. Starting $214/night. Sweet CarolineSeaport.com
YARD SALES
PLACE YOUR YARD SALE AD HERE. $25/week for up to 5 lines of copy! Pease call 305-4170871 or email Anneke@ KeysWeekly.com
D’Asign Source is seeking the following professionals. Overtime and benefits are available.
Accounts Payable Specialist
D’Asign Source is seeking a detailoriented and organized Accounts Payable Specialist to join our dynamic team. Ideal candidates should have prior experience in accounts payable or general accounting and be proficient with accounting software and Excel. We offer competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits in a supportive work environment.
Landscape Designer/Sales Project Foreman
For complete details and to apply, please visit: DAsignSource.com/careers
•Paid
WE ARE HIRING!
CLIENT MEDICAL SERVICES ASSISTANT, CNA (FT)
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.*
SUPPORTED LIVING COACH (FT)
Responsibilities include management of developmentally disabled clients in independent living environments, management of office and in-home support staff. Must be available for some evenings and weekends. Bachelor’s degree in related field or experience working with developmentally disabled clients in lieu of degree. Must have a valid FL driver’s license. Salary commensurate with experience.*
GROUP HOME MANAGER FT KEY WEST
FT administrative, salaried position. Responsible for operations of Group Homes in accordance with State and Fed regulations. Oversight of staff and clients. Bachelor’s degree and Florida DL w/clean driving record req. At least 2 years of mgmt and admin experience req, and direct or comparable experience w/same or similar population preferred. Computer skills: moderate to advanced.*
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.*
*ALSO REQUIRED FOR ALL POSITIONS: Fluent in English language, speaking and writing, proficiency is a must. Level 2 background screening and valid Florida driver’s license. EOE
Apply at the MARC office, 1401 Seminary St., Key West. Or online at www.marchouse.org. For more information, please contact hr@marchouse.org Phone: 305-294-9526 *32
e Turtle Hospital in Marathon 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
NOW HIRING
HVAC TECH WANTED
Upper Keys position, reporting in Tavernier. Full time job with benefits, vacation time, and holidays.
Apply at keysschools.com or call 305-293-1400 ext. 53398
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.
or email info@floridakeysaquariumencounters.com
Keys Energy Services, in Key West, Florida, is accepting applications for the following position in its Engineering Department: 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 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.
SEE DOLPHINS PLAY EVERYDAY!
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 openings available. Scan the QR code to visit the careers page on our website.
FACILITIES MAINTENANCE
APPRENTICE
(Full-Time, Permanent)
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
(Full-Time, Part-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
- Registered Nurse, Multispecialty Care, $25k Bonus
- Social Work Case Manager, Case Management, $10k Bonus
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.
*Sign-on bonuses are available only for select full-time positions based on candidate experience.
