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Thank you for loving this community. We’ll miss you, John Padget.

September 24, 2026

PETER MAX’S LIGHT STILL SHINES KEY WEST GALLERY PAYS TRIBUTE TO LATE ARTIST | P. 20

KEY WEST TO CONSIDER SPLIT FROM CITY MANAGER | P. 6 COMMUNITY LOSES FIERCE ADVOCATE JOHN PADGET | P. 4

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

KEYS

On Sept. 21, U.S. Coast Guard cutter Escanaba’s crew offloaded 7,250 pounds of cocaine and 2,082 pounds of marijuana, worth an estimated $57 million, in Port Everglades. The seized contraband was the result of two interdictions in the Caribbean Sea by the crews of the Escanaba and the cutter Richard Dixon.

NEWSPAPERS

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Peter Max’s ‘Sunrise’ exemplifies the late artist’s optimistic art. His work has long been featured at Key West Gallery, 601 Duval St., which will hold a tribute show through Oct. 15. Courtesy of Peter Max 2026

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KEY WEST PHILANTHROPIST JOHN PADGET DIES AT 89

He was dedicated to improving education, health care & scholarship opportunities MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

t was sometime around 1998 when John Padget spoke at a Key West Chamber of Commerce lunch in the Casa Marina’s grand ballroom. At the time, Padget was a relatively new arrival to Key West, not well known, but clearly passionate about his topic — a little-known scholarship program in Florida called Take Stock in Children. It offered income-eligible students a path to a fully funded college degree via Florida’s Pre-Paid College Plans that allows families to start saving for college when their children are toddlers, locking in the state’s tuition rate for whichever year the family begins saving for college. Once he learned of the program, Padget dove in and worked tirelessly to ensure that funding was in place for every Monroe County seventh grader to be guaranteed a scholarship when they completed high school. Padget attended most of the contract signings that take place each year, when students sign a pledge to remain in school and out of trouble while maintaining a C average or better. In exchange, upon graduation, they’ll receive two years paid tuition at a Florida community college followed by two years at a Florida university. Padget had no children of his own, but was a fierce supporter of and advocate for education, along with late partner Jacob Dekker. Padget died from a massive heart attack at Lower Keys Medical Center the night of Sept. 22, said his longtime

Philanthropist and education advocate John Padget in the Florida Keys in 2024. CONTRIBUTED

friend and fellow education advocate and philanthropist Bryan Green. Padget was 89 and was also a dedicated supporter of the arts, having funded several sculptural installations that would become the Florida Keys Sculpture Trail. His dedication to Take Stock in Children earned him statewide attention, and then-Gov. Rick Scott appointed him to the Florida Department of Education board in 2009. Padget was elected vice chair in 2013. “John Padget was part of Take Stock in Children and the Monroe County Education Foundation from the very beginning in 1998,” executive director Chuck Licis told the Keys Weekly on Sept. 23. “And he was one of the most passionate advocates our students have ever had. He cared deeply about helping every student reach their fullest potential, and he was determined that our most deserving students would have the chance to pursue their dream of going to

college. He worked tirelessly to create unique opportunities that helped them become self-advocates and lifelong learners, ready not just to get to college but to thrive there. Our students’ successes are his legacy, and we will miss him deeply.” In a 2013 statement about Padget’s leadership role with the Florida Department of Education, then-Commissioner of Education Tony Bennett said, “I am pleased the board has recognized John’s passion for student success and has asked him to serve in this new role. It is critical that we cultivate partnerships between Florida’s schools and local businesses and John has a long history of nurturing those relationships.” The press release from the Department of Education further stated, “The Key West resident has served in a number of education- and businessrelated roles, including the founding of private equity firm Padget Associates and serving as the interim superintendent of Monroe County schools. Padget graduated from Cornell University in New York with bachelor’s and master’s degrees and earned his M.B.A. from Harvard University. “His history of public service also includes successfully starting Monroe County’s Take Stock in Children program, which provides mentoring and scholarships to children. He is a trustee of the LeRoy Collins Institute at Florida State University and a board member of the Askew Institute at the University of Florida. Padget is also a commissioner at the Lower Florida Keys Hospital District.” Padget’s involvement with the hospital district grew over the past decade, and he was instrumental in persuading the current hospital district board members to solicit proposals from hospital companies interested in running Lower Keys Medical Center once the current agreement ends in 2029. A request for proposals was issued a month or so ago, and the hospital district board soon will review those proposals and start negotiations with the next hospital operator. Stay tuned to the Keys Weekly and keysweekly.com for an official obituary and information about any celebrations of his life and legacy.

KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

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KEY WEST ATTORNEY TO NEGOTIATE ‘AMICABLE’ SPLIT WITH CITY MANAGER KEY WEST HAS A WEED PROBLEM — A SEAWEED PROBLEM Heavy equipment in June rakes and piles up sargassum that collects on Key West’s Smathers Beach on a daily basis. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly.

City officials hear from experts about sargassum on beaches MANDY MILES

mandy@keysweekly.com

t’s hard to miss the scent of weed hovering over Key West, seemingly most pungent near the island’s beaches. But this isn’t the Willie Nelson smell of weed. Key West — and much of Florida, Mexico, Central America, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean — are dealing with an unprecedented onslaught of seaweed, specifically sargassum weed, washing up on beaches, where it rots, stinks and causes significant health, environmental and economic problems. Key West has regularly experienced a summertime influx of sargassum weed on island beaches for the past 15 years or so, but never to this degree. “I’ve met with some elderly residents who are basically trapped in their homes because the hydrogen sulfide released by the sargassum is a health hazard,” said Key West Mayor Sam Kaufman, who called a Sept. 22 meeting to discuss the sargassum problem and hear from experts about its collection, management and reuse efforts in other countries, as the United States is the only country that still prohibits the removal of sargassum from nearshore waters, which is when it is viable as a commodity. The Sept. 22 meeting included presentations from sargassum experts who are exploring its use in manufacturing biofuels, as well as from Key West resident Ed Russo, who leads President Donald Trump’s Environmental Advisory Task Force. “The issue for Key West is not only environmental; it’s public health, and it’s economic,” Russo said at the Sept. 22 meeting. “When it gets to the

beaches of Key West and it starts to decompose, it smells like rotten eggs. That’s not just an annoyance; it’s a serious public health problem. It’s something that’s very serious and we have to treat it like that.” The meeting, which did not include any votes or final decisions, was the first of what Kaufman sees as a frequent series to address the problem. Russo said that until recently, sargassum was an internationally protected species because it’s a habitat for invertebrates and other marine creatures. “There has been a long effort to make sure that people do not harvest sargassum at sea,” Russo said. “But all those laws have changed, and now every country in the world except for one allows for harvesting sargassum at sea, and that one country that doesn’t allow harvesting sargassum in their waters is the United States, and I’ve been working, eliciting help from NOAA, which is the main government agency that oversees all this. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration is the organization that heads all this stuff. But to get rid of this law is very difficult because there’s multiple agencies involved. ... On top of that, the state of Florida also restricts and eliminates the possibility of harvesting sargassum and seaweed. However, I’ve been successful in getting them to agree to exempt the work that is about to happen by providing exemptions for the captains of the ships that we’re planning to use to harvest sargassum at sea. But my one provision is that the person who has to have operational control of all of this is our friend Brian Lapointe.” Kaufman and commissioners Chris Massicotte and Donie Lee all acknowledged the severity of the problem and said they were eager to cooperate with Russo, the county, the Tourist Development Council and Islamorada, where similar conversations are taking place.

Final severance agreement could be costly & will require commission approval MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com

ey West officials this week voted 4 to 3 to direct the city attorney to negotiate an “amicable separation agreement” with city manager Brian L. Barroso. Mayor Sam Kaufman and Commissioners Donie Lee, Chris Massicotte and Monica Haskell voted in favor of the negotiations. Commissioners Mark Rossi, Lissette Carey and Aaron Castillo were opposed. Lee had proposed the resolution, which states, “…disputes and disagreements have arisen between the mayor and the city manager; and the continuation of such disputes is disruptive to the effective functioning of city government, creates uncertainty for city employees and undermines public confidence in the operation of the city. The city commission finds that it is in the best interest of the commission, city employees and the community at large for the city and the city manager to part ways on mutually agreeable terms, .... and delay in addressing these matters risks further disruption to city operations, staff morale and public trust, and therefore warrants prompt and time-sensitive action.” City attorney Mayanne Downs was directed to report back to the commission at its Oct. 1 meeting about the progress of negotiations. “I really think you two guys (Kaufman and Barroso) need to bury the hatchet and get some good things done,” Rossi said. “I won’t vote to get rid of Brian because it’s gonna cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars. Is Brian rough? Yes. Is he emotional? Yes. You’re two grown men. Let’s work this out.” Kaufman on Sept. 9 drafted a 13-page summary of his concerns about the manager that had “developed over a period of months.” He detailed a loud verbal exchange with the city manager on Sept. 1. “During the exchange, the city manager raised his voice and called me a ‘child’ and a ‘coward.’ ... I ultimately asked him to leave my office. By 9:30 a.m., Mr. Barroso sent

an email response to over 400 city employees and less than an hour later, I received email confirmation that our regularly scheduled weekly mayor–city manager meetings had been cancelled...,” Kaufman wrote. “During a recent budget review meeting, ... the finance director offered more than once to provide me with written materials responsive to questions I was asking. I personally heard the city manager respond that he had instructed her not to send those materials to me. Whether information responsive to requests from elected officials has been withheld,... should be reviewed,” the mayor wrote. “Current and former city employees have communicated concerns to me regarding management and the working environment at City Hall. I am not presenting those concerns as established facts. They should, however, be taken seriously enough to determine what the evidence shows. Relevant exit interviews, employee complaints and other available information should be independently reviewed to determine whether there are recurring ... concerns and to fairly assess the current state of employee morale,” Kaufman wrote. Barroso has not responded publicly to Kaufman’s individual concerns, and none was discussed specifically at the Sept. 22 meeting, where Kaufman disputed labels of personality conflicts and questioned whether some commissioners had even read his 13 pages of concerns. Barroso did say at the Sept. 22 meeting that he wants to stay in his job. “I’m not looking to my leaders to get attacked,” Barroso said. “And could I be better? Absolutely. I believe I’ve expressed that I want to be here. But do I want to do it under these circumstances? Who would?” Barroso began work as city manager in January 2025. His current contract is slated to end in January 2029. He and Kaufman, who was a city commissioner for 10 years until elected mayor last month, have had a publicly contentious relationship since Barroso began the job.

KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

Baptist Health Expands Specialized Surgical Care in Key West Longtime Key West physician Michael Klitenick, M.D., and Baptist Health’s dedicated Keys orthopedic hand and upper extremity surgeon, Annie Plate, M.D., are expanding access to expert care in the Florida Keys. Baptist Health is continuing to bring more specialized care closer to home for residents of Key West and the Florida Keys. The health system’s growing local presence now includes cancer care, orthopedic care, concierge medicine and general surgery consultations — offering patients greater access to trusted expertise while connecting them to the breadth of Baptist Health services across South Florida. Helping lead that growth are Michael Klitenick, M.D., a longtime Key West physician now practicing with Baptist Health, and Annie Plate, M.D., a board-certified orthopedic hand and upper extremity surgeon dedicated t o expanding specialized care to Key West.

Together, Dr. Klitenick and Dr. Plate reflect Baptist Health’s continued investment in the Florida Keys, connecting the community with experienced local physicians and the broader resources of Baptist Health across South Florida. To schedule an appointment or refer a patient:

For more than four decades, Dr. Klitenick has cared for the Key West community. He provides local consultations and evaluations for breast concerns, abdominal and soft-tissue conditions, skin conditions, trauma-related needs and full clinical vascular examinations. When surgery or a procedure is recommended, he helps patients understand their options and coordinates their care with Baptist Health surgical teams in Monroe County and Miami-Dade. “Every patient deserves individualized care and a clear path forward,” Dr. Klitenick says. “My role is to listen, evaluate and help connect patients with the right care.” Over the past four years, Dr. Plate has expanded Baptist Health’s orthopedic hand and upper extremity care to the Florida Keys, bringing specialized expertise closer to patients in the Key West community. She provides advanced care for a wide range of conditions affecting the hand and upper extremity, with clinical interests that include fracture management, arthritis, nerve compression, joint replacement and microsurgery. Dr. Plate takes an evidence-based, individualized approach to care, helping patients understand their options and develop treatment plans that align with their needs and goals.

Visit BaptistHealth.net/TheKeys to learn more.

Michael Klitenick, M.D. Call 305-271-9777

Annie Plate, M.D. Call 786-268-6200

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African Field Map, 9.5” x 8”, Mixed Media Annie became increasingly interested in painting after living in Key West, establishing a studio and meeting the island’s painters. She was largely self-taught and worked primarily in small oils and gouaches. Her subjects included the landscapes around her seasonal homes and portraits including Key West, Cape Cod and Virginia. The fascinating thing isn’t simply that Annie Dillard lived in Key West. It’s that a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer who had become an important figure in American literature also developed a serious parallel practice as a visual artist. The Gallery on Greene has exhibited that work from 2010 to the present. Works Available on Approval & Concierge Services from Key West to Key Largo The Gallery on Greene | 606 Greene Street | Key West, Florida galleryongreene.com | 305-304-2323

KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

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CAROL TEDESCO www.keysweekly.com

ROBERTA DEPIERO CAME, STAYED & IS STILL LEAVING HER MARK

1. Roberta DePiero’s Key West Playbills business marks its 20th anniversary this year.

SOMEONE YOU SHOULD MEET

oberta DePiero has spent her time in Key West collecting things: sponsors, scholarship funds, thousands of photographs and even bags of trash and cigarette butts from along Key West roads, sidewalks and beaches. Ultimately, it fits under one description — someone who shows up. Roberta arrived in Key West on something of a whim. A February 1991 vacation from Cleveland, Ohio to visit a friend turned into a permanent move two months later, when she landed her first job on the Schooner Appledore. “I could sail, be on the water, and be tan all the time,” DePiero said of the appeal. She has been following her opportunities, inspiration and heart on the little island at the end of the road for 35 years. Her business, Key West Playbills, marks its 20th anniversary this year. It began after DePiero left five years of selling radio ads and was tapped to sell ads for the Waterfront Playhouse’s program. One theater led to another, then many more. She teamed up with long-time collaborator Peter Arnow and the two were soon selling ads across 17 different programs. “It’s been a great business,” DePiero said, “but it’s kind of amazing to me that I’ve been doing this for 20 years.” She’s equally known these days for Plogging the Keys, the litter-pickup effort she didn’t start but has been committed to shaping into a prominent community fixture. Friend Dee Dee Green had launched the program years earlier. DePiero joined during the pandemic and now has helped grow it from a handful of regulars into gatherings that draw more than 65 people — helped along, she admits, by hosts who provide free breakfast treats at the end. That instinct for turning small efforts into lasting institutions shows up throughout her life. As a member of the Sons and Daughters of Italy, Key West Lodge 2436, she helped rebuild a membership base that had dwindled below the state minimum after the pandemic by organizing wine tastings, special events and a film series with the Tropic Cinema that raises money for the lodge’s scholarship fund for high school students of Italian descent.

2. Roberta DePiero and Reef Perkins began dating in 1997 and were married in 2003. 3. Roberta DePiero, left, numbers copies of “Isolated Island – The Key West COVID-19 Spring of 2020,” while Liz Acar, center, and Jody Gross organize them for arriving buyers at the Key West Garden Club in late 2020. The book collaboration raised more than $60,000 for Sister Season Fund. CAROL TEDESCO/Contributed

1 2

A second-generation fundraiser and event planner, “it comes naturally to me to plan, execute and make things fun,” DePiero said. She has organized and led any number of projects, and though even by her own admission, she, “was never really what you’d call a poetry enthusiast,” she took the helm of the Robert Frost Poetry Festival, and with a mission to attract a broader audience, staged events like “Pirate Poetry” readings at sea and percussion-backed live readings with local musicians. DePiero’s other lasting contribution to Key West is visual. She is co-author of two photo books: “After Life – Images from the Key West Cemetery,” published in 2014, and “Isolated Island – The Key West COVID-19 Spring of 2020,” a 300+-page collection featuring the works of 26 local photographers documenting the island from March 1, 2020, when Florida’s first COVID-19 cases were announced, until June 1, 2020, the day after the Florida Keys quarantine checkpoint was dismantled. The project began with DePiero and friend Jody Gross riding bikes and photographing what they encountered. It grew, with collaborators Carol Tedesco and Eric Grahl, into a fundraiser that ultimately raised more than $60,000 for the Sister Season Fund, which helps hospitality workers struggling financially due to illness or injury.

3 “I’ve never done anything that big from just a small idea,” DePiero said, calling it her proudest achievement. Photography is a vein that runs through nearly everything DePiero does. What began with volunteering to photograph headstones for Find A Grave requests turned into her becoming a chronicler of the island’s civic and cultural life — the Fantasy Fest Pet Masquerade, Nutcracker Key West, Red Barn Theater and Fringe productions, fundraisers and events of every kind. “I go back and look at pictures I shot in 1991 or 2000,” she said, “and I see people who are no longer here. It’s part of my genealogy — and the genealogy of Key West.” Her personal life mirrors that same sense of arriving somewhere and staying. She met her husband, Reef Perkins, after deciding to give Key West one more year to deliver either a job or a person she absolutely loved. She and Reef married in 2003. When she’s not organizing an event or scheduling a cleanup, she’s riding her bike, gardening, traveling, scrapbooking or keeping up with Italian, a language she’s studied since 2010. Asked what keeps Key West appealing after all these years, DePiero points to the people. “I love that I know the mayor by name, and the chief of police,” she said. “If my car breaks down, or I fall off my bike and break a collarbone — as I did in February — I can always call a friend nearby to help. Key West is a very special place and I love living here, even with the hurricanes.”

KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

COUNTY GETS KEY PERMITS FOR NEW MOORING FIELD

TOLLS ON CARD SOUND ROAD SET FOR AN INCREASE

Projects to be created off Boca Chica and Wisteria Island

Card Sound Road tolls will increase on Thursday, Oct. 1. File photo A soon-to-be mooring field off Boca Chica in Man-o-War Basin receives key permits. CONTRIBUTED

onroe County has received permits from both the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary for the Man of War Harbor Mooring Field, marking a major milestone toward construction of the county’s planned mooring field near Key West’s Wisteria Island. The Man of War Harbor Mooring Field is part of Monroe County’s effort to address long-term unmanaged anchoring and expand safe, managed mooring options in the Keys. Chronic unmanaged anchoring can contribute to environmental damage, navigational hazards, derelict vessels and reduced public access to waterways. “This is a significant milestone for Monroe County and a project that we have been working toward for several years,” said County Commissioner Craig Cates. “Receiving both permits brings us much

closer to construction to ultimately provide additional safe, managed mooring opportunities for the boating community.” Once the required moorings are installed, the project will also allow a key provision of Florida Statute 327.4108(3) (a) to take effect. The statute establishes a 90-day limit on the time a vessel may anchor in one location within 10 nautical miles of a public mooring field or designated anchoring area in Monroe County. The anchoring limit is intended to address long-term, unmanaged anchoring and its associated environmental and navigational impacts, and to help prevent vessels from becoming derelict. The Man of War Harbor Mooring Field is one of two mooring fields Monroe County is developing. The other is being developed for the Boca Chica basin. — Contributed

olls on an alternate route into the Florida Keys will increase again, Monroe County recently announced. The latest adjustments to the tolls on Card Sound Road follow the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index. The toll is fully electronic and uses Toll-By-Plate, SunPass or another highway pass like E-Pass or EZ-Pass. No cash is accepted at the toll. The toll helps fund road maintenance costs and future repair and replacement of the five bridges along Card Sound Road. Beginning Thursday, Oct. 1, rates for SunPass holders will increase to $2.18 for two-axle vehicles — cars, pickup trucks or motorcycles; $4.17 for threeaxle vehicles and $1.39 per each additional axle. Toll-by-plate rates will be $3.28 for two-axle vehicles — cars, pickup trucks or motorcycles; $6.27 for three-axles and $2.09 per each additional axle.

Two discount programs are available for drivers with a two-axle vehicle and a SunPass account in good standing. • Monthly discount program: Drivers do not need to sign up for the monthly discount program and will automatically receive a 40 percent rebate on their SunPass account after any calendar month in which 28 or more one-way trips are made through the toll. • Annual pass: The annual pass is for frequent users and allows unlimited travel through the toll. The fee is $545 annually from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2027. The annual pass will be available for purchase beginning December 2026. Additional details on the annual pass program will be released later this year. More information is at monroecounty-fl.gov/cardsoundtoll. — Keys Weekly staff report

KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

While historic branch undergoes roof replacement, visit 2 other locations

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LOCAL BUSINESSES ADVERTISE WITH LOCAL FACES A library lending machine at Bernstein Park on Stock Island enables library users to check out and return books.

CELEBRATING 22 YEARS OF LOCAL MEDIA

Key West Weekly STEPHANIE MITCHELL 305.304.5778

Marathon Weekly PATTI CHILDRESS 305.731.9628

Upper Keys Weekly MANUELA MOBLEY 305.967.9222

HELP KEEP KEY WEST

A temporary, pop-up library location has been installed at the Harvey Government Center, 1200 Truman Ave., while the Key West branch of the library on Fleming Street is closed for a month for a roof replacement. CONTRIBUTED

hile the Key West library branch is closed for roof replacement, staff are providing services offsite. They will be hosting a pop-up library from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays at the Harvey Government Center, 1200 Truman Ave., Key West. At the pop-up library, patrons can check out books and DVDs, return library items, and pick up hold requests. Monroe County residents can also sign up for or renew library cards. Library staff will also be providing some programs, like crafts and story time, at Bernstein Park at

the corner of Fifth Street and Fifth Avenue on Stock Island. A calendar of all programs while the library is closed is posted at bit.ly/kw-offsite. Information about the roof replacement, including FAQs and updates, can be found at keyslibraries.org, or by following Key West Library on Facebook or Instagram. The Florida Keys History Center is also closed during this project. Information about the center is available at keyslibraries.org/keyshistory, or via email to history@ monroecounty-fl.gov or at 305-8095260. — Contributed

SEPTEMBER CLEANUPS Join a one-hour Friday morning cleanup. All events are 8 to 9 a.m. unless otherwise noted. Saturday, Sept. 19: 8-11 a.m. International Coastal Cleanup at Smathers Beach. Meet in the cityowned gravel parking lot next to Margaritaville Resort. Do NOT park at the hotel. Friday, Sept. 25: Duval & South streets. Meet on South Street between Duval and Simonton. Hosted by Southernmost Beach Resort & Tobacco-Free Florida, Monroe County.

The Sept. 18 cleanup was held on North Roosevelt Boulevard, where, in one hour, 47 volunteers collected 131 pounds of trash, 23 pounds of recycling and 1 gallon of cigarette butts. Special thanks to host Mount Sinai Medical Center for providing breakfast for everyone. The following day, Sept. 19, was the International Coastal Cleanup at Smathers Beach. Keep Key West Beautiful teamed up with all four local Rotary clubs to clean the beach and both sides of South Roosevelt Boulevard. Over three hours, 75 volunteers collected 214 pounds of trash, 24 pounds of recycling and 2 gallon of cigarette butts. Special thanks to Chef Warren Leamard of Destination Catering for providing a breakfast buffet for everyone after their hard work. CONTRIBUTED

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 305-809-3868 to find out how your business, nonprofit or club can help.

KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

KEY WEST HOME TOURS RETURN THIS WINTER Tickets support Old Island Restoration Foundation

OVERSEAS MEDIA GROUP WELCOMES MIKE HORVATH The longtime Keys local joins the locally-owned OMG & its digital strategy team MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com

Tickets are available for Old Island Restoration Foundation’s 67th annual Key West Home Tours, which are offered over two days each month in December, January, February and March. Each month’s dates feature different Key West homes, such as the one seen above, which was featured in the 2025 tours. CONTRIBUTED

ld Island Restoration Foundation (OIRF) recently announced the dates and ticket availability for its 67th annual Key West Home Tours, offering visitors an opportunity to step inside some of Key West’s most distinctive private homes and gardens while supporting the preservation of the island’s architectural and cultural heritage. This season’s home tours are supported by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council (TDC), with Mount Sinai Florida Keys serving as the community partner for the December tours. Home tour guests can go beyond Key West’s public landmarks and experience historic homes that are ordinarily closed to the public. Guests can explore each featured property, all accompanied by knowledgeable docents, at their own pace and in any order during the tour hours. The event is a fundraiser for OIRF, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting, preserving and celebrating Key West’s architecture, culture and intangible heritage. Founded in 1960, OIRF has played a role in preserving Key West’s historic Old Town, has cared for the

Oldest House Museum since 1974, and provides preservation, education and cultural programming. Every home tour ticket helps the organization continue its work to protect the places, stories and traditions that make Key West unique. Tickets are valid for both tour days within the selected month. Each month features a different collection of private homes, while the Oldest House Museum and Tom Majors Garden is included throughout the season. Each tour date includes featured private homes throughout Key West, plus the Oldest House Museum, 322 Duval St. Ticket prices are $55 for nonmembers, $45 for members; a $180 package is available for tours in all four months. DATES • Dec. 29-30, 2026 (Tues & Wed). • Jan. 22-23, 2027 (Fri & Sat). • Feb. 12-13, 2027 (Fri & Sat). • March 12-13, 2027 (Fri & Sat). More information is at oirf.org or via email to oirf@oirf.org. — Contributed

verseas Media Group (OMG), a locally-owned digital marketing agency serving the Florida Keys, recently welcomed Mike Horvath as its newest digital strategist in Key West. A 25-year Florida Keys resident, Horvath was born in Ohio, raised in Texas and attended 20 different schools before high Mike Horvath school, “so I’m easily adaptable, to say the least,” he said. Horvath spent 13 years in the beer, wine and spirits business in the Keys and also has a long background in the automotive industry. “My job at OMG is to take the complicated world of digital advertising and web solutions and simplify it for our customers,” he said. “Be it website design, analytics and promotion or any of the other web solutions we offer, I want to give our clients peace of mind knowing that a truly local company, with local owners, has their best interests at heart and a desire to partner with them as they grow their business through a long-term relationship.”

Horvath is very excited about OMG’s growing webcam division. “I love the idea of bringing the eyes of the world to our beautiful islands,” he said, adding, “I’m also excited to be working with two guys I’ve been friends with for a decade or more. Owners Britt Myers and Jason Koler have really put together an incredibly talented group of great people, and I’m honored to be a part of it. I hope that my 25 years of living and working in the Florida Keys can bring a unique perspective to my position that will benefit my company and my customers.” ”Mike brings a refreshing new level of service and expertise to the agency,” says OMG founding partner Myers. “As technology continues to change the way we tell our stories, we are excited to have Mike join our team to assist our partners.” A father to two Conch kids — Emily, 14, and Thomas, 18 — Horvath lives with daughter Emily, his fiancee Zoe, and her son Tristan, 18. The family also has two dogs, Birdie and Pepper. Horvath can be reached at mike@overseasmediagroup. com.

KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

LEGENDARY WARREN HAYNES JOINS KEYS WEEKLY PODCAST Grammy winner & Gov’t Mule to play Key West Sept. 30

The band Gov’t Mule will return to Key West to play the Coffee Butler Amphitheater on Sept. 30. CONTRIBUTED

Warren Haynes, third from left, of the band Gov’t Mule, joins the Keys Weekly’s Britt Myers on his latest podcast episode.

rammy winner and music legend Warren Haynes joins the Keys Weekly’s own Britt Myers on the Keys Weekly Podcast. Haynes shares the story behind his latest album, “Dreams & Songs: A Symphonic Journey,” along with the band Gov’t Mule’s upcoming tour that lands in Key West on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at the Key West Coffee Butler Amphitheater.

Haynes reflects on his musical roots in Asheville, North Carolina, reveals which artist he would travel back in time to see and discusses which show he’s been watching while on the road. — Keys Weekly staff report Scan the QR code to listen to the episode featuring Britt Myers’ interview with Warren Haynes of Gov’t Mule.

KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

COLLEGE’S ‘MINI-MESTER’ OFFERS QUICKER PROGRESS

Registration is open; classes start Oct. 8

Feed the Keys volunteers at Burton Memorial United Methodist Church during the 2025 campaign. CONTRIBUTED

HELP FEED THE KEYS SEPT. 28-OCT. 9

United Way of Collier & the Keys launches community-wide food drive

nited Way of Collier and the Keys (UWCK) is once again launching Feed the Keys, its annual food drive benefiting local food pantries. The 2026 Feed the Keys campaign will run Sept. 28 through Oct. 9, with businesses, organizations and community groups across the Keys serving as collection sites for nonperishable food donations. On Friday, Oct. 9, volunteers and community partners come together to collect and distribute donations to participating food pantries. Last year, the community donated 8,339 pounds of food through Feed the Keys. This year, UWCK hopes to build on that impact at a time when local families continue to face rising costs and food insecurity. “Everybody needs something at some time, so watching our communities be so connected and come together is my favorite part,” said Brandi Horton, vice chair of the UWCK board. “Food insecurity is a big crisis

in our community. To know that we’re going to leave our food pantries in a better place – there’s just something so special about that.” Donations collected during Feed the Keys will support four local food pantries serving the Keys: Burton Memorial United Methodist Church, KAIR Keys Area Interdenominational Resources, Keys Community Church of Big Pine Key and SOS Foundation. Community members can participate by donating nonperishable food at Feed the Keys collection sites. Volunteers are also needed to support collection efforts and help make the drive a success. Volunteers can sign up at volunteeruwck.org. Businesses, organizations and community groups interested in hosting a collection bin can contact Andrea Garduno at Andrea.Garduno@uwcollierkeys.org. More information is at uwcollierkeys.org/feedthekeys/. — Contributed

College of the Florida Keys students get hands-on experience and connect with classmates during the fall ‘mini-mester’ offerings. CONTRIBUTED

egistration is now open for the College of the Florida Keys’ “mini-mester,” within the fall semester, with classes starting Oct. 8. Current and new students can take advantage of the eight-week courses to accelerate their progress. Dozens of courses are available, including marine science, diving, culinary, marine engineering and international business. Students can even start a bachelor’s degree in the mini-mester. Applications are due by Oct. 2. More information is at cfk.edu/

fall-mini-mester/ or from Marissa Owens, manager of recruitment, at recruiter@cfk.edu or call 305-8093207. Assistance with registration and financial resources is also available. Current students and anyone exploring options can book an appointment with an academic adviser at cfk.edu/meet-the-advisors/. College faculty and the financial team will hold a virtual academic showcase via Zoom on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 5:30 p.m. — register at cfk.edu/events/. — Contributed

KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

DO YOUR BEST DOLLY PARTON ON 9/25 (GET IT?) Dive Bar hosts inaugural lookalike contest & fundraiser

KEY WEST GALLERY HONORS LATE ARTIST PETER MAX His vibrant and optimistic works echo the spirit of the 1970s

“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” — Dolly Parton

ell, Dolly, we poured ourselves a cup of ambition and heard you loud and clear. And there’s no better place to do it than Dive Bar, 320 Grinnell St. On Friday, Sept. 25 (9-2-5 — get it?), Dive Bar will host the first-ever (and hopefully annual) DollyFest Key West Look-A-Like Contest. Do your best Dolly. Big hair. Big rhinestones. Big, well, everything. If Dolly would approve, you’re doing it right. Hosted by Q-Mitch, proceeds from DollyFest will benefit the nonprofit Friends of the Key West Library, as Dolly was not only a musical legend, but also a fervent champion of books and literacy. Sponsored by Keys Weekly and Coco’s Monkey, here’s how the Dolly Look-Alike contest works: • Sign up by Sept. 23. There are only 20 spots, and no one wants to be all dressed like Dolly with nowhere to go. • Check in at 6 p.m. at Dive Bar on Sept. 25 and pay the $20 entry fee. Contest starts at 7 p.m. • Come dressed as your best Dolly, • Strut the catwalk to whatever song your inner Dolly demands. A panel of judges will decide your fate. A lucky winner will walk away with a $500 prize and a lifetime’s worth of bragging rights. Second- and third-place prizes will also be awarded. • Want to be a judge? Judge spots are being auctioned off. Stay tuned to the Dive Bar’s social media for details.

Dolly Parton performs in Knoxville,

Tennessee in 2014. KRISTOPHER HARRIS/Wikipedia

‘Two Hearts’ is a painting by iconic artist Peter Max, who died Sept. 14 at the age of 88. Key West Gallery, 601 Duval St., which has long featured Peter Max’s artwork and welcomed him at the gallery several times over the years, is featuring a tribute show of his work through Oct. 15. Courtesy of Peter Max 2026

Dolly Parton performs at the Grand

Ole Opry in 2005. CONTRIBUTED

— Contributed

Dolly Parton and Carol Burnett

in 1979.

he world lost an icon last week with the Sept. 14 death in Manhattan of artist Peter Max at age 88. Key West Gallery, 601 Duval St., has long featured Max’s bright and optimistic artwork, and posted the following tribute to the gallery’s social media pages last week: “Peter Max built a legacy that has stood the test of time, and his work will continue to influence generations of artists, collectors and art lovers around the world. We send our condolences to his family and dear friends and join the art community in remembering an extraordinary and influential career. “Peter will, of course, be remembered for his art. His bright colors and bold brushstrokes became unmistakably his own. But there was much more to Peter than what he created on canvas. He was an environmentalist and a patriot who used his art to support causes that mattered to him. He helped raise money for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty and support-

ed the families of firefighters who lost their lives on Sept. 11. “We were fortunate to host Peter at our gallery in Key West several times over the years, and we have wonderful memories of visiting with him at his beloved studio in New York City. Those are memories we will always treasure. We feel privileged to have known Peter and to have been a small part of his incredible story. We are equally honored to continue working with his family and team, sharing his artwork with collectors and helping carry his legacy forward. “Peter Max created art that makes people feel something. It is joyful, colorful, optimistic and completely his own. His influence will live on through his work and through the countless people he inspired.” Key West Gallery is featuring a tribute show of Max’s work through Oct. 15. More information is at keywestgallery.com. — Contributed

KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

DOMESTIC ABUSE SHELTER ANNOUNCES JACKIE CURL AS NEW CEO Sherrie Schwab to retire after nine years

BAHAMA VILLAGE MUSEUM OPENS OCT. 15

Frederick Douglass School Black Educators Memorial Project celebrates history

he Domestic Abuse Shelter (DAS) has announced the appointment of Jackie Curl as its new CEO, effective Sept. 9. Curl succeeds Sherrie Schwab, who is retiring after anchoring the organization’s mission and community advocacy since March 2017. “We are incredibly grateful to Sherrie Schwab for her profound dedication, compassion and leadership over the last nine years,” said Ashley Arrabal, board chair at DAS. “As we enter this new chapter, we are thrilled to welcome Jackie Curl. Her vision and expertise will build upon our strong foundation to expand our reach and deepen our impact for survivors.” Curl brings more than 26 years of experience in nursing, health care, public service and nonprofit leadership to DAS. Most recently, she was program manager at the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County, overseeing services across multiple locations and working with community partners to meet the needs of vulnerable and underserved populations. A longtime advocate for community-based services, Curl has also held leadership roles in the nonprofit sector, with experience in organizational development, fundraising, strategic planning, emergency preparedness and community engagement. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

Jackie Curl is the new CEO of the Domestic Abuse Shelter in the Florida Keys. CONTRIBUTED

“I am deeply honored to join the Domestic Abuse Shelter and to build upon the strong foundation Sherrie and the DAS team have established,” said Curl. “Throughout my career, I have been committed to serving people who are vulnerable, underserved or facing significant barriers to care and support. I look forward to working alongside our staff, board, community partners and supporters to ensure survivors throughout Monroe County have access to the safety, resources and services they need. I am excited about the opportunity to strengthen our partnerships, expand our community outreach, and help position DAS for a strong and sustainable future.” — Contributed

The Frederick Douglass School Community Center, Museum and Black Educators Memorial Project will host an all-day grand opening and open house on Thursday, Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the center, 111 Olivia St. CONTRIBUTED

he Frederick Douglass Community Center Museum, 111 Olivia St., Key West, will celebrate its official grand opening with an all-day community open house from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m on Thursday, Oct. 15. A community welcome with a continental breakfast will start at 10 a.m. A meet-and-greet will start at 4:30 p.m. featuring light refreshments and an opportunity for community members, former students, supporters, volunteers and visitors to gather and reconnect in the newly reimagined space that

houses the Frederick Douglass School Black Educators Memorial Project. The official grand opening will be celebrated at 6 p.m. with an introduction of the museum and a presentation of its history and purpose. Guest speakers include Mayor Sam Kaufman, District 6 commissioner Aaron Castillo, former commissioner Clayton Lopez, Bahama Village redevelopment advisory committee chair Patricia Eable and Key West Poet Laureate Arida Davis-Wright.

— Contributed

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 A flock of royal terns awaiting a storm on Higgs Beach. MARK HEDDEN/Keys Weekly

ummer had been officially over for nearly half a day, and I had the day mostly free. The only limiting factor, I thought, was the predicted storms, which were supposed to hit at MARK about 1 o’clock by my readHEDDEN ing of the weather page. Normally I wouldn’t head ... is a photograout birding at 11 a.m. on a pher, writer, and semi-professional pretty warm day – early or birdwatcher. He late is generally my theory. has lived in Key But it was cloudy, which West for more than 25 years and made it relatively cool. I’m not much of a may no longer be employable in list keeper when I go out the real world. He because I didn’t get into is also executive birdwatching for the paperdirector of the work. But I had a strange Florida Keys Audubon Society. urge to see if I could pull off seeing 59 species in the twoish hours before the rain came. The first bird, not unexpectedly, was a mourning dove on a wire near the “People’s Fausto’s” on White Street. Then a pair of rock pigeons facing different directions on a wire in front of City Hall. At the park behind the Higgs Beach dog park, there was a white-crowned pigeon in an actual tree. Inside the fence where the FAA tower used to be was a snowy egret. The pond in that part of the park is scraggly but can host a lot of different birds. On a branch just over the water a yellow-crowned night heron was at parade rest. In the buttonwood branches overhead, were a Eurasian collared dove and a white-winged dove, not consorting, but not avoiding each other, either. Higher up, a blue-gray gnatcatcher, a female black-throated blue warbler, a northern parula of indeterminate gender and a male American redstart. Just below the car door was a rooster. Chickens are domesticated animals, but for some reason they are countable birds in Key West. When I put the car back into gear a northern mockingbird flew off toward the tennis courts and a trio of fish crows flew through the darkening sky making their kazoo-like caws. From the other side of the towerless old FAA tower site I could see a small pond had formed and a trio of northern shovelers, with their stout shovel-shaped bills, paddled about as if they were in a kiddy pool. A male and female common yellowthroat perched in the holes in the chainlink. A white ibis came in and landed. Driving on, I caught sight of a pair of Eurasian starlings sitting on the fence, then a female red-winged blackbird in the mud. Usually you see bathing-suited people hanging out at Higgs Beach no matter the weather — tourists bound and determined to get in their beach time — but it being the closest we get to an off-season, the beach was empty, the humans replaced by about 80 royal terns, 30 sandwich terns, and 20 laughing gulls.

FIFTY-NINE SPECIES OR BUST

I faced a decision then – head to Fort Zach to look for migrating warblers, or take the quicker trip over to Smathers Beach with the hope of some shorebirds. A great egret flew across the road as I headed east. I stopped at Rest Beach and got out with the motor running, catching sight of a great white heron, which I’m going to count as a species no matter what the American Ornithological Society says. Below it, milling in the sargassum, were a dozen or so semi-palmated plovers, Ewoks to the heron’s AT-AT Walker. There was also a distant brown pelican. As I got back into the car I saw my first northern harrier of the season, skimming slow over the treetops, then a higher elevation osprey flapping in the other direction. I parked on Atlantic Boulevard and stuck my head into the pond where, last December, Judy Blume had told me there were some roseate spoonbills. There were none, but I added a trio of blue-winged teals, sleeping with their heads tucked under their wings, to the list, and a proper great blue heron. I was trying to be efficient, but the nature trail was right there, so I walked down to the platform, where I found nothing new. But I was halfway to the beach, so I headed out, and picked up a Whitman’s Sampler of shorebirds — a willet, a ruddy turnstone, a shortbilled dowitcher and two least sandpipers. And through wind-buffeted binoculars, a doublecrested cormorant on a distant channel marker. On the way back I heard the chip of a northern waterthrush and the hyper-fast scatting of a white-eyed vireo. I was aiming to see, not hear, 59 birds, but I added them to the list just to be safe. I actually laid eyes on an overbird strutting on the path ahead. As I was unlocking the car I heard a redbellied woodpecker and looked up to see one creeping up the top of a snag. In the top of a different tree were two eastern kingbirds, migrants who would not be here next week.

As I turned onto Bertha Street from Atlantic Avenue, a magnificent frigatebird, all black so an adult male, sidled by in the wind. At the foot of South Roosevelt the three concrete abutments, which I always think of as the Three Sisters, were empty. Out over the ocean, things were getting dark. There was one particular cloud from which thick curtains of rain hung, but it looked like it would be a while before it hit. I stopped where the sand ran out on Smathers and scanned the sargassum, but it was bird-free. Then I drove out where Houseboat Row used to be to look for reddish egrets, but there were none. I figured I had time to get to Fort Zachary Taylor. The wind turbines by the Hampton Inn were spinning like blender blades on high, but a guy in a bucket truck was chopping coconuts off a palm tree, and if he wasn’t worried, what was there to worry about? It was just coming up on noon. A quarter-mile later, the world was a white-out, water coming down in sheets. Past East Martello I turned onto the Bridle Path, partly because it seemed safer, partly because I was hoping to glance sideways into one of the salt ponds and catch sight of a reddish egret there. But it was literally a wash. I hoped the guy in the bucket truck got down okay. Thunder started booming and I started worrying about the dog, who is not a fan of window- rattling noises. I drove side streets home, in the last stretch carefully passing a mother and her toddler son, him holding onto her hand, both of them soaking wet, both of them smiling. In a little under an hour I’d seen 41 species. I’m pretty sure I would have made it to 59 if the rain hadn’t come in like that. There are much worse ways to spend an hour.

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

FANTASY FEST CELEBRATES ‘MUSICAL ICONS & ICONIC MUSICALS’

antasy Fest, Key West’s annual costuming party in paradise, welcomes revelers for this year’s Oct. 16-25 extravaganza. The 2026 Fantasy Fest theme, “Musical Icons and Iconic Musicals” invites fantasymakers to style themselves at the center of a Ziegfeld extravaganza, follow the call of a disco ball, go Gaga for Ziggy Stardust, embody the Mercury magic, or take center stage as the musical icon – or iconic musical character – of their dreams. “Fantasy Fest is a bucket-list experience, an invitation to immerse in an electrifying world of creativity, music, costumes and revelry,” said Fantasy Fest director Nadene Grossman Orr. “Whether you arrive as a Broadway legend, rock icon, pop superstar or icon of your own creation, this is your invitation to step into the spotlight and let your imagination take flight.” Here are some of this year’s highlights: • Fantasy Façades Contest: Creatively transform your home or business for a chance to win cash prizes ranging from $100 to $1,000. Reflect this year’s theme or channel traditional Halloween ghoulishness. Entry form available Sept. 1; entry deadline Oct 12. • Oct. 16: The Royal Coronation event to crown Fantasy Fest’s 2026 king and queen is a 2-hour stage show at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater that features performances by the competitors along with local celebrities. Proceeds benefit the Florida Keys SPCA. • Oct. 16-17: Bahama Village Goombay Festival is a two-day, family-friendly celebration of island arts and crafts, culture, music and food. It is held throughout Key West’s historic Bahama Village neighborhood. • Oct. 17-18: That Arena Rock Show at Sunset Pier: A free admission, high-energy, timetraveling theatrical tribute to classic rock & roll. • Oct. 19: Mrs. Roper’s Romp: Break out your colorful caftan and signature curly red wig for a “Three’s Company”-inspired party at Sunset Pier filled with music, photo ops, dancing, games and prizes. • Oct. 19: A Green Parrot Beatles Tribute: Jump into your yellow submarine and disembark in the 1960s for this dress-up dance party with Key West’s very own Beatles tribute band. • Oct. 20: Florida Keys Council of the Arts Fantasy Fest poster-signing party at the La Concha Hotel: Meet the artist, get your poster signed and stock up on other collectible Fantasy Fest 2026 T-shirts and swag. • Oct. 20: Tutu Tuesday with its epic dance party features lights, lasers and multiple DJs at four different Caroline Street district area venues. Tutus required. • Oct. 21: LUV2GLOW PARTY – Rick’s Upstairs on Duval Street transforms into a universe of fluorescent visuals, underwaterinspired décor and house music with immersive

glowing environments, DJs and live performers. Come dressed or painted to glow under black lights. • Oct. 21: Pet Masquerade, presented by Florida Keys Media at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater: Costume up with your favorite critter friends at this over-the-top competition or cheer them on from the audience. Prizes in multiple categories; registration fees benefit the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Animal Farm. • Oct. 22: The 43rd annual Key West Headdress Ball, presented by the Key West Business Guild at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater, reveals a playlist of out-of-this-world headdresses modeled by their creators along with entertainment by some of the island’s best talent. • Oct. 22: Sloppy Joe’s 47th annual Toga Party: Live music starts early and flows late at this revelry, where partiers can don traditional Roman “drape duds” or create their own 2026 Fantasy Fest theme-inspired versions. Toga costume contest welcomes individuals or groups of two to four. • Oct. 23: Paparazzi Row is the place to get warmed up and strut your stuff for the cameras ahead of the Captain Morgan Masquerade March. Dance music will play and local paparazzi, photo booths and selfie stations will be set up. • Oct. 23: The Captain Morgan Masquerade March (aka “Local’s Parade”) brings costumed revelers parading through Old Town Key West, stopping along the route for adult beverage samples provided by selected guest houses before flowing into the mile-long Fantasy Fest Street Fair. • Oct. 23-24: The mile-long Fantasy Fest Street Fair and Costume Promenade offers revelers food, libations, arts, crafts and costumes starting at noon and going into the night. • Oct. 24: The Deep Eddy Vodka Fantasy Fest Parade in Old Town Key West presents floats, marching groups, and kinetic contraptions to bring this year’s “Musical Icons and Iconic Musicals” theme to life. An island tradition since 1979. • Oct. 25: Children’s Day at Bayview Park from noon to 5 p.m. offers games, food, rides, entertainment, arts & crafts and a costume contest for the kids. • Oct. 25: Don your fabulous feathers for “The Fat Lady Sings” Tea Dance at La Te Da on Duval Street — the final official Fantasy Fest celebration. Oct 26: The 2027 Fantasy Fest theme will be announced. More information is at fantasyfest.com. — Contributed The Headdress Ball is set for Thursday, Oct 22, at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater. CAROL TEDESCO/Fantasy Fest

KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

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at the American Legion, 6-8pm 803 Emma Street Enjoy the evening as your candidates and Key West's greatest talents all come together for a competitive evening of singing! Cash bar! Event is FREE. WEDNESDAY, 10/14 5-7PM @The Gardens Hotel 526 Angela Street The King and Queen Candidates that raise the most money will win $2500 each towards their campaign. Thanks to sponsor Queen Kate Miano!

FANTASY FEST QUEEN CANDIDATES 2026 Donations & Events

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JURASSIC GONG SHOW @ALEXANDER’S GUEST HOUSE FRIDAY, 10/2, 6-9PM, 1118 Fleming St. This playful talent and variety competition invites local performers, personalities and brave volunteers to bring their best, weirdest, funniest, or most unexpected act to the stage for the animals.

TEA DANCE @LA TE DA SUNDAY, 9/27, 4-6:30PM @ La Te Da, 1125 Duval St. Bring your best boogie, and your sparkliest disco flair, and your favorite friends for an irresistible mixer filled with dancing, mingling, and nonstop fun. FREE event.

PAWS, PICS & PATIO SIPS @ MAC’S PLACE SUNDAY, 9/27, 10:30AM -12:30PM, 1605 N. Roosevelt Bring your pup, cheer from the patio, or have brunch by the water at Mac’s Place. The Tiny Arms Pup Pageant, a lighthearted doggie pageant with $20 dog entries.

POOL PARTY & CANNONBALL CONTEST SUNDAY, 9/27, 1PM-4PM @ Southernmost Beach Resort Pineapple Pool, 1319 Duval St. Food & drink specials for locals, bring a can or bag of pet food for donation and receive 25% off your bar tab (food & drink). $20 Cannonball entries / free to attend.

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

HENRY FLAGLER’S FLORIDA KEYS LEGACY

enry Flagler and the Key West Extension of his Florida East Coast Railway altered the history of the Florida Keys. Before his train came rocking and rolling over land and sea, the island chain was home to boating communities. The outside world was linked to the docks and wharves extending from the edges of the islands like lifelines. People relied on ships to bring what they could not grow on the islands or harvest from the surrounding waters. Coffee, sugar and other sundry items, along with mail, friends and family arrived by boat. When the weather cooperated, mail, friends and family left on boats. For those calling the Florida Keys home, change was on the horizon, and it came in the form of Flagler. He had a vision, set the plan in motion and financed the railroad’s construction through the Keys. Surveys were made, land was cleared, tracks laid and bridges built; each was an extraordinary feat given the uncharted territory. Flagler accomplished something bigger, too. He physically altered portions of the island chain, making one island where there were once two, as was the case with Windley Key. He also changed the culture of the communities that called the island chain home. After the train arrived, people living in the Keys no longer relied solely on the erratic nature of ship

schedules. Life got a little easier as islanders began to turn their focus away from the long, thin docks extending from the craggy shoreline and toward the railroad FLORIDA right-of-way runKEYS ning through the HISTORY islands’ interiors. WITH The train BRAD brought a schedBERTELLI ule to the Keys as Brad is a local it rumbled up and historian, author, down the island speaker and chain twice a day. Honorary Conch who loves sharing It arrived at Key the history of the Largo at 12:50 Florida Keys. p.m., Tavernier at 1:15, Islamorada at 1:31, Marathon at 3:08, and Key West at 4:35. The train brought consistency, delivering, among other things, coffee, sugar, ice, mail and family. It also made medical care easier by allowing convenient travel to Key West or the mainland to see a doctor or dentist. Change occurred in the Upper Keys and Middle Keys years before it did on the other side of the Seven Mile Bridge. While the train arrived in Key West on Jan. 22, 1912, daily service had been established across the Upper Keys and down through Knights Key, at the base of what is now called the Seven Mile Bridge, by 1908.

For farmers shipping the fruits of their labor to northern markets aboard ships, the route’s slow pace and occasional delays from weather or other phenomena hastened spoilage during shipping. The railroad was a boon for Upper Keys farmers because it was more efficient. New York markets could be reached in two or three days. Locals began asking county officials for roads to access the right-of-way better. New communities developed near railroad hubs and stations. Tavernier, Islamorada and Marathon, each established between 1907 and 1910, developed as a result of Flagler’s train. One thing the train did successfully was open a door to the Florida Keys that had previously not existed. When that door swung open, the tourism industry began to take root. Motels, restaurants and fish camps, most notably the Long Key Fishing Camp, were established. New calls for a road to connect to the mainland followed. Those calls developed into the construction of State Road 4A, the first version of the Overseas Highway. When it opened in 1928, it magnified what Flagler’s train brought to public attention – the Keys as a destination. The train’s run ended when the Labor Day Hurricane devastated the island chain on Sept. 2, 1935. The destruction included 40 miles of railroad track; the train never ran again. After the hurricane, the railroad and the highway became intertwined.

Henry Flagler and Mayor Joseph Fogarty of Key West during the arrival of the first train on Jan. 22, 1912. FLORIDA KEYS HISTORY CENTER/Monroe County Public Library

The state purchased the right of way and, when the second version of the Overseas Highway opened to traffic in 1938, the railroad bridges between Lower Matecumbe Key and Big Pine Key had been widened to accommodate automobile traffic. Although the train no longer runs through the Florida Keys, nearly a century later, its visual reminders are hard to miss. Many of the bridges that linked one island to the next still stand as the metaphorical stitching holding Flagler’s legacy intact. Years and hurricanes may have chipped away at them, but many are still in active use. Long since closed to traffic, many of the old railroad bridges are used for fishing, strolling or watching the colors in the sky change when the sun starts to set. For early risers, sunrise strolls work, too, as the island chain acts as a border between the east and west. On one side of the island chain, the sun rises. On the other, it sets. Although cars no longer drive over the old railroad bridges, one “train” still transports people over one of them. It delivers passengers to Pigeon Key, one of the most culturally significant reminders of the railroad years. Home to railroad workers during the construction years, the small island has been preserved as a monument to the building of Flagler’s railroad. Home to some of the oldest structures still standing outside of Key West, visiting Pigeon Key feels a little bit like stepping back in time. The “railroad” tram ride over the refurbished Flagler-era bridge, with warm, salty breezes blowing, certainly helps set the mood. Flagler died on May 20, 1913, and never heard about the 1935 hurricane or saw the end of his ambitious line. He didn’t see his bridges become automobile bridges or hear the name Seven Mile Bridge, which is actually four distinct bridges: Knights Key, Pigeon Key, Moser Channel and Pacet Channel Viaduct. Though he was a visionary, Flagler could never have looked at the Pacet Channel Viaduct and foreseen an Australian pine sapling taking root and growing into a local celebrity named Fred the Tree. Like Flagler, Fred had a dream and pursued it with wild abandon.

KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

On Sept. 21, we crossed a CHRIS major astrologiMcNULTY cal turning point is an astrologer, of the year. The wanderer, barfall equinox, the tender and advocate for moment of equal queer justice. He daylight and is a loquacious darkness, is the Gemini with a threshold that cozy Cancer rising. Find him at ushers us into the hearthandheralddark half of the astrology.com year. The daylight hours are officially growing shorter and the nights are growing longer. For the next six months, our focus turns to the collective rather than the individual, on our intuition rather than knowledge, and on the potential rather than the actual. The sun enters Libra at the fall equinox. Libra is the sign that begins the dark half of the year, emphasizing our capacity for compromise and balance, as well as the importance of clear and intentional communication. This is the season to clear our conscience and find our people who will carry us through the dark months ahead in reciprocity. Soon after the equinox, we have a full moon in Aries on Saturday, Sept. 26. This full moon is all about feeling your courage, embodying your strength and using your anger as a teacher. You are a source for what the world needs now, and you can own your purpose while also acknowledging your place in community. This week is about finding “your place in the family of things,” as the poet Mary Oliver so graciously told us. Here are your horoscopes for the fall equinox and the Aries full moon. Read for your rising and sun signs.

truth, show some emotion, or get snuggly. A little vulnerability goes a long way.

you are immersed in the local world around you. Melt into the familiar while you map out the future.

SCORPIO Oct. 23 - Nov. 21 Who are you when no one else is around? Do you run on autopilot, do you find real rest, or do you give yourself a hard time? Now is the time to get right with yourself in solitude. Observe how you care for yourself when you are in solitude. Under the full moon, find the sacred in the profane. How do your everyday movements and actions amount to devotional practices?

PISCES Feb. 19 - March 20 No one is self-made. It takes a village to get anyone where they are trying to go in life. Who has been sharing their bounty with you and who have you been sharing your resources with? Now is the time to acknowledge the sometimes invisible ties that bind you to other people. Under the full moon, be mindful not to let your boundaries down through generosity. Being of help is fantastic, but you need to have the bandwidth for it to be sustainable.

LIBRA Sept. 23 - Oct. 22 Happy, happy birthday season, Libra. You get to see yourself shine under a fresh light. Express yourself in ways that let us all see even more of you. Drop some of your scripts, get a little weird, let your uniqueness seep outward so we can bask in your glory. This full moon is about shared intimacy with a partner. Express your

AQUARIUS Jan. 20 - Feb. 18 Set your sights on your next great adventure, Aquarius. You are surrounded by horizons, literally and metaphorically. Which direction will you travel to explore the lands beyond? You don’t have to book the flight right now, but research the potential destinations. As you dream of faraway places, realize also that

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22 - Dec. 21 You have a support network that orbits and constellates you, whether you interact with them on the regular or not. You are being offered a fresh light in which to see your friends and allies. Acknowledge them however you wish. Acknowledging them to yourself is quite valid. This full moon gives you the opportunity to merge with your craft. The art and the artist are one and the same. CAPRICORN Dec. 22 - Jan. 19 Your career and public reputation are front and center. Perhaps you’re switching positions or receiving recognition in the workplace. Use this time to scrutinize what you do a little bit, and make adjustments where needed while the light is good. Under the full moon, relish your time at home. You may not know where your home and family begin and you end, but home is where you recharge.

ARIES March 21 - April 19 An important person and partner in your life is offering you the clarity that you have been seeking. Let them shine a light for you so you can make informed choices. Under this full moon, remember that you are a physical body completely enmeshed in a physical world. Do things that make yourself feel good. Wear comfy clothes, spend time in water, find ways to be weightless. TAURUS April 20 - May 20 You live in both a physical world and a psychic world. There is an outer and an inner to your experience. Under this sky, pay attention to the ways that you navigate the outer world. Are there ways that can either change or solidify your usual habits to serve yourself better? This full moon, use your alone time to just melt into your inner world. Let the outer world dissolve and feel yourself amongst the great everything. GEMINI May 21 - June 20 This is your creative season, Gemini. Do you have projects that need to be finished? Are there creative ways to express yourself that you have been meaning to try? Now is the time to gain clarity on your expressive arts. Under the full moon,

ME BECOMES WE spend real quality time with friends. Surround yourself with people who let you drop any pretenses so you can just be without thought or ego. CANCER June 21 - July 22 Take stock of your home and family situation, Cancer. Just observe where things are so you can make informed decisions that help you navigate this terrain. Under the full moon, get ready for your work life to be front and center. There are times when who you are and what you do become one and the same, and this full moon offers that to you. You have a vocation in this life. Let this full moon help you embody it. LEO July 23 - Aug. 22 It is very easy to fall into a daily pattern that backgrounds the world that we interact with every day. The same old houses and shops and people become routine, and they can disappear in our daily wanderings. This Libra season, however, take a step back to acknowledge the world that is always there. Under Saturday’s full moon suspend some disbelief and be a believer of something bigger than yourself. VIRGO Aug. 23 - Sept. 22 Virgo season has ended. Thank you for being our collective lead for the past month. Now it is time to get your house in order. What do you need to purchase, what do you need to budget, and what do you need to replace? Just tidy up your finances and belongings. Under the full moon, relish the community that offers you physical and emotional support. You can let go for a moment and let them hold you.

KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

BUYING ‘FRESH FROM FLORIDA’ The state produces more than oranges

ave you ever stood in the produce section and actually looked at where your food came from? I do this more often than I probably should. I’ll pick up a tomato, turn it over and look for the little sticker. Florida? Great. California? That tomato has had quite a road trip. Another country? Now I’m wondering how many miles it traveled before landing in my shopping cart. ALICIA That BETANCOURT doesn’t automatically mean is the University of Florida, IFAS the Florida Monroe County tomato will Extension Director be better. But and Commuwhen Florida nity Development produce is in Agent. season, I like knowing there’s a good chance it was grown much closer to home. And that is really what “Fresh from Florida” is about. Operated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the program helps us recognize food grown, raised and harvested in the state. A lot more than oranges Mention Florida agriculture and most people immediately think of oranges. Maybe strawberries and tomatoes make the list. But Florida agriculture is much bigger than that. Florida has about 44,400 farms and ranches covering 9.7 million acres, producing hundreds of agricultural commodities. We grow everything from sweet corn, peppers and watermelon to avocados, blueberries and tropical fruit. Add cattle, seafood and nursery plants, and you begin to appreciate how diverse Florida agriculture is. Shopping with the seasons Buying Florida food also encourages us to pay attention to

the seasons again. We’re used to walking into a supermarket and expecting strawberries, tomatoes and watermelon 12 months a year. Usually they’re there, but they don’t come from the same place all year. I notice this most with strawberries. When Florida strawberry season arrives, those packages start showing up everywhere. They look great, the price often improves as supplies increase, and suddenly strawberry shortcake seems like a very good idea. A few months later, the Florida berries disappear and the strawberries on the shelf have traveled much farther. Sweet corn is another example. When I see a big display of Florida corn at a good price, that often determines dinner. I wasn’t planning corn on the cob, but sometimes the produce section should get a vote. Don’t forget the seafood counter Living in Florida also means access to some wonderful seafood. Instead of simply asking, “What’s on sale?” try asking, “What’s from Florida?” Depending on the season and where you live, choices can include shrimp, snapper, grouper, mahimahi, stone crab, spiny lobster, oysters and clams. Not everything will be local every day, but asking where seafood comes from is an easy habit to develop. The person behind the counter may also know what came in recently, what’s especially good that week or how to prepare something new. Logo makes shopping easier Most of us don’t have time to investigate the life history of every tomato we buy. That’s where the “Fresh from Florida” logo comes in handy. It is an easy visual clue that a product is connected to Florida agriculture. Our grocery purchases can help support Florida farmers, ranchers, fishers and other businesses connected to agriculture. Working farms and ranches also

SHELF HELP

S The ‘Fresh from Florida’ logo can be found on products in grocery stores. CONTRIBUTED

help keep land in agricultural production as Florida continues to grow. ‘Fresh from Florida’ challenge Here’s something to try on your next grocery trip: find five Florida foods. Don’t change your grocery list — just look. Check the strawberries. Turn over the tomato package. Look at the sign above the sweet corn. Read the watermelon sticker. Ask where the shrimp came from. Farmers’ markets and seafood markets make the challenge even more interesting. Ask vendors where something was grown or harvested, what’s especially good that week, and how they like to prepare it. Let Florida decide the menu The official Fresh from Florida website includes a “What’s in Season” guide, recipes and information about Florida-grown products, farmers’ markets and seafood markets. The next time you’re grocery shopping, take an extra second before tossing something into your cart. Look at the label. Look for the sunshine. And ask yourself one simple question: “Can I get this Fresh from Florida?” You might be surprised how often the answer is yes.

taff from your Monroe County Public Library recommend some of their favorites from the collection. What: “Our Infinite Fates” by Laura Steven Why: Two souls, tethered together, are reincarnated over and over and are able to remember their past lives. They’ve fallen in love in many lifetimes, but kill each other in every single one. This book weaves between the modern-day dilemma where the main character tries to stay alive to save her sister and back in time to the past lives they’ve experienced. What a ride and what a concept! I couldn’t stop reading. I loved the different places and times the book travels to and experiencing how they were reincarnated each time, their relationships, and how it played out. Fun to read and easily made my list of top books I’ve read this year. Where: You can borrow this as a print book, e-book and audiobook from the Monroe County Public Library. How: You can request books, including e-books and e-audiobooks, online 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? keyslibraries.org/ contact-us. Recommended by: Jessica Penepent, library assistant, Big Pine Key library branch See previous recommendations at keyslibraries.org/post/ shelf-help.

KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

FUNCTIONALLY CAFFEINATED WELLNESS

YOU’VE BEEN INFLUENCED

have been on a bit of a de-influencing kick over on my Instagram page lately. My mission is pretty simple: educate people about health and wellness while hopefully preventing a few of you from falling victim to the $6.8 TRILLION global industry that is health and wellness. Yes, trillion. With a T. Before anyone gets confused, I make my living in health and wellness. I have for years. I believe deeply in exercise, nutrition, sleep, preventive health and taking care of the body you’ve been given. I also believe there are supplements worth taking, health technologies worth using and products absolutely worth spending money on. What I don’t believe is that taking care of your body should require 17 supplements, a vibration plate promising to shake away all your problems, a parasite cleanse, a continuous glucose monitor you don’t medically need and a $4,000 machine promising to somehow improve your mitochondria while you sleep. Somewhere along the way, wellness stopped simply being something we do and became something we are constantly being sold. And the sales pitch generally comes in one of two flavors. Option A: Thank God you found this person because they have finally discovered the hack, secret, protocol or missing piece that will help you ______ by ______. Lucky you, they are willing to share this life-changing information for the perfectly reasonable price of $299. Option B is a little darker. You are in imminent danger. Your hormones are broken. Your cortisol is through the roof. Your gut is leaking. Your lymph isn’t draining. Your liver is apparently incapable of doing the job it has been doing your entire life, and there is a very good chance you are currently housing a family of parasites. But don’t panic. They sell something for that. And don’t worry about the exorbitant price because there’s a payment plan. Besides, who can put a price on evicting the tapeworm you didn’t know you had? This is where the health and wellness industry has become incredibly good at what it does. It knows how to sell us two things that are very difficult for human beings to resist: hope and fear. Hope tells us there might be an easier, faster or better way to get something we desperately want. Lose the weight. Sleep better. Have more energy. Fix the bloating. Stop aging. Balance the hormones. Get rid of the brain fog. Feel like ourselves again.

UNSPLASH

Fear works from the opposite direction. Instead of promising something we want, it convinces us something terrible might already be happening. Health is the perfect place for this kind of marketing because JENNIFER every single one of us HARVEY has something to lose. Nobody wants cancer. ...is a MarathonNobody wants demenbased ACSMtia. Nobody wants heart certified personal trainer and disease. Nobody wants to precision nutrition lose their independence coach who owns as they age. Nobody and operates wants to feel exhausted, Highly Motivated gain weight, lose muscle Functionally Caffeinated LLC. or discover too late that something was wrong. So when someone shows up on your phone and confidently tells you that the headache you had Tuesday, the bloating you had after dinner and the fact that you woke up at 3 a.m. are all signs that your body is desperately trying to tell you something, you listen. Especially when that same person conveniently has the answer linked in their bio. This is exactly why I started de-influencing on my own Instagram page. I don’t want to tell people that everything in wellness is garbage, because it isn’t. I want people to get better at separating what might actually improve their health from what has simply been marketed well enough to make them believe they need it. There are supplements with good evidence behind them. There are incredible health technologies. There are products I use personally and professionally because they are useful and supported by science. Making money in the health and wellness industry does not automatically make someone a snake oil salesman.

The problem is when the marketing has to convince you that you are sick before it can convince you that the product works. That is where I want all of us to become a little harder to influence. Before you buy the supplement, sign up for the protocol, order the test or start the cleanse, ask a few questions. What exactly is this supposed to do? Is there quality research supporting it? Who is making the claim? Are they also selling the solution? And perhaps most importantly, did I believe there was something wrong with me before I watched this video? Sometimes the most effective health advice is also the least marketable. Sleep enough. Move your body. Lift heavy things. Eat enough protein, plants and fiber. Drink water. Don’t smoke. Limit alcohol. Maintain relationships. Get appropriate health screenings. Know your blood pressure and basic health numbers. Go to the doctor when something doesn’t feel right. None of that is particularly sexy. There’s no secret protocol, seven-day reset, miracle powder shipped to your door or quiz revealing which toxin has apparently been ruining your life since 2007. It also doesn’t come with a payment plan. The wellness industry will continue inventing things for us to buy because there are trillions of dollars proving that we will buy them. Some will be useful. Some will be useless. Some will probably be downright ridiculous. My goal with de-influencing isn’t to convince you to stop spending money on your health. Spend money on your health. I just want you to stop assuming that spending money is the same thing as improving it. Your health probably isn’t hiding behind a checkout button. And unfortunately, there’s no affiliate code for going to bed.

KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

WHAT’S COOKING, KEY WEST? Curated ‘dinner parties’ enhance local cuisine scene

FIND A FRIEND AT THE FLORIDA KEYS SPCA

CAROL SHAUGHNESSY www.keysweekly.com

magine being invited to attend the most exclusive monthly dinner parties in Key West. But this isn’t just any series of gourmet galas. It’s an edible adventure where each menu is curated by a master of cuisine — and designed around the iconic chefs, international foodways and flavors of the island that have influenced his personal culinary style. Now imagine that the master is also an acclaimed food historian who doesn’t just prepare the mouthwatering multicourse meal. He also provides colorful commentary on each dish’s meaning, heritage and place in the culinary landscape — making the evening as entertaining as it is appetizing. Happily for food fanciers, this series of dinner parties doesn’t just exist in the imagination. It’s a real-life set of flavorful experiences presented monthly, called “Chef’s Encore” and designed by Keith St. Peter — who has spent 25 years helming restaurants that refined and recharged Key West’s food scene. Begun in June, the “Chef’s Encore” events take place in the rustically elegant private dining room at the Key West Cooking Show’s 291 Front St. venue. Set from 6 to 8 p.m. on the first Friday of every month through March 2027, each dinner features a themed menu, St. Peter’s tales and insights about the dishes presented, and a handcrafted cocktail. “The ‘Chef’s Encore’ series is an invitation to step outside the everyday and into a world of curated flavors, global techniques and intimate island dining,” said the noted chef. Dinners so far have been themed around topics as diverse as the early roots of Chinese culinary tradition, the bold vegetable-focused style of London-based chef and cookbook author Yotam Ottolenghi, the elegance and modernity of Japanese cuisine, and an homage to chef Thomas Keller of the Napa Valley’s renowned French Laundry eatery. Themes of the upcoming dinners are even more intriguing. On Oct. 2, St. Peter will present “Chef’s Whimsy,” a one-of-a-kind experience driven by his culinary creativity

TAKE ME HOME?

This whimsical drawing of Chef Keith St. Peter, busy crafting culinary delights, expresses the spirit of his Oct. 2 “Chef’s Whimsy” event. KEY WEST COOKING SHOW/Contributed

and the freshest ingredients available. “Bella Italia” is set for Nov. 6, highlighting rustic Italian “comfort cooking,” while the Dec. 4 adventure provides a seasonal feast of foods from the Pacific Northwest. Gatherings later in the series are planned to showcase the reinterpretation of Cuban food culture, the clean flavors and elegant simplicity of Nordic cuisine and the delicious diversity of vegetables and plantbased dining. To maintain the intimate atmosphere of a private dinner party, only 20 guests are welcomed to each “Chef’s Encore” event. Early reservations are recommended and can be made at https://www.keywestcookingshow.com/chefs-encore. LAST BITES Foodie alert: The “Chef’s Encore” event series won’t alter the Key West Cooking Show’s focus on the island city’s culture and traditional recipes. On “first Fridays,” learn-and-dine classes will be held in the venue’s large demonstration dining room as usual — just as they are every night except Sunday and Monday. Helpful kitchen hack: When cooking pasta, the quintessential Italian comfort food, use this simple trick. Reserve some cooking water before draining the pot, and then add a few ounces to the sauce. Why? The inclusion of starchy water helps the sauce adhere to the pasta better. Hungry for more? Visit keywestcookingshow.com or call 305-294COOK.

he Keys Weekly family loves animals as much as our friends at the Florida Keys SPCA do, and we’re honored each week to showcase some “furever” friends that are ready, waiting and available for adoption at the organization’s Key West campus. From cats and dogs to Guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, reptiles and birds, the perfect addition to your family is waiting for you. The SPCA’s knowledgeable staff will help with advice and care tips while working to ensure a good fit between each pet and its people. The SPCA’s Golden Paw program also provides special assistance with vet bills and medications for special-needs and older animals that require a little extra TLC. Check these pages each week for just a few of the animals waiting for a home and see them all at fkspca.org.

Meet Radain, a 3-year-old American bulldog mix with a small body and a big heart. He can be a little shy at first, but with patience and kindness, he quickly shows his heart. Radain has been around dogs before, but he is selective and would do best with a family willing to take things slow and give him the time he needs to build trust.

Dashi is a sweet 5½-month-old cat who can be a little timid when meeting new people, but once she gets to know you, her sweet personality shines. Dashi enjoys the company of other cats and would love a home with a feline friend after a proper introduction. Give this little girl some time, patience and space to settle in, and she’ll be a wonderful companion.

Meet Seraphina. This sweet small mixedbreed girl has been through more than any dog should. She came to us from a heartbreaking hoarding situation with many other dogs, and now she’s finally getting the chance at the life she’s always deserved. She can be a little shy when you first meet her, but with a bit of patience, she truly blossoms.

Dante is a handsome 3-month-old male kitten who is ready to find his furever home. This sweet little guy is full of kitten energy, curiosity and plenty of love. He’s at the perfect age to start growing alongside his new family, making a lifetime of memories.

Meet Paddy. This adorable long-haired guinea pig is as fluffy as they come. At just over 3 years old, Paddy has perfected the art of being both charming and cuddly. He has already stolen the hearts of his caretakers and happily accepts treats and extra love whenever he can get it.

KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

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KEY WEST WEEKLY / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

September 24, 2026

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SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 / KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP/LEGALS & CLASSIFIEDS

THE SCOREBOARD

SEPT. 14 - 20

Team

Sport

Opponent

Date

Result

Coral Shores

Volleyball

Westwood Christian

9/14

W, 3-1

Marathon

Volleyball

Glades Day

9/15

W, 3-0

Coral Shores

Volleyball

Mater Bay Academy

9/16

W, 3-0

Coral Shores

Football

Glades Day

9/18

W, 35-0

Key West

Football

St. Brendan

9/18

W, 58-7

Marathon

Football

John I Leonard

9/18

L, 45-35

Marathon

Volleyball

Brooks DeBartolo

9/18

L, 2-1

Marathon

Volleyball

American Youth Academy

9/18

W, 2-0

Marathon

Volleyball

Morgan

9/18

L, 2-0

Key West

Volleyball

Lyman

9/18

W, 2-1

Key West

Volleyball

Durant

9/18

L, 2-0

Key West

Volleyball

Seﬀner Christian

9/18

L, 2-0

Marathon

Volleyball

Admiral Farragut Academy

9/19

L, 2-1

Marathon

Volleyball

Lennard High School 9/19

L, 2-1

Key West

Volleyball

Delﬁ Academy

9/19

L, 2-0

Key West

Volleyball

Aubrey Rodgers

9/19

L, 2-0

THIS WEEK IN KEYS SPORTS

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Jakub

KRYTINAR

Junior, Key West Golf

SEPT. 24 - OCT. 1

Date

School

Sport

Opponent

Start Time

9/24

Coral Shores

Swimming

@ Cutler Bay

4 p.m.

9/24

Coral Shores

Volleyball

Key West

5:30 p.m.

9/24

All Keys Schools

Cross Country

@ Marathon

4 p.m.

9/24

Marathon

Volleyball

@ Horeb

4 p.m.

9/25

Coral Shores

Football

@ Oxbridge

7 p.m.

9/25

Marathon

Football

@ Babcock Ranch

7 p.m.

9/25

Key West

Football

True North

7 p.m.

He’s a hard worker with a great attitude.”

9/25

Coral Shores

Volleyball

@ Somerset Prep

5:30 p.m.

9/25

Key West

Volleyball

@ FL Christian Tourney

TBA

9/26

Key West

Volleyball

@ FL Christian Tourney

TBA

9/28

All Keys Schools

Golf

@ Marathon

1 p.m.

9/29

Marathon

Volleyball

@ Southridge

4 p.m.

9/29

Coral Shores

Volleyball

Westwood Christian

5:30 p.m.

9/30

All Keys Schools

Golf

@ Ocean Reef

Noon

9/30

Marathon

Volleyball

Posnack

4 p.m.

10/1

Marathon

Volleyball

Coral Shores

5:30 p.m.

birdies

SEPTEMBER 24

ON THE COVER

David Beltran, left, and Dominik Jimenez celebrate a Hurricane TD in Coral Shores’ 35-0 romp over Glades Day on Senior Night. See page 8. DOUG FINGER/Keys Weekly

— Joe Henriquez, Key West head golf coach

under par

Key West’s Jakub Krytinar delivered a pair of fantastic performances last week, giving the Conchs the edge they needed to top their Keys competitors and remain unbeaten in county play this season. Krytinar birdied three holes at Marathon on Sept. 14 to finish two under par with a 34. He won by three strokes – exactly the margin his team needed to secure the victory. Two days later, Krytinar proved the performance was no fluke. Back on his home course, he shot a 37 to share medalist honors, demonstrating the consistency and composure of a golfer quickly establishing himself as one of the Keys’ best. Coach Joe Henriquez credits Krytinar’s iron play as the strongest part of his game, and last week, it helped make him nearly unbeatable. For his dominant play and steady focus on the greens, Key West’s Jakub Krytinar is the Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.

Photo by ROCKY GONET/Keys Weekly

tracy mcdonald SPORTS WRITER

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.

KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP/LEGALS & CLASSIFIEDS / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

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.

Publisher / Jason Koler jason@keysweekly.com

Publishing Partner / Britt Myers britt@keysweekly.com

Managing Editor / Alex Rickert alex@keysweekly.com

Copy Editor / Mike Howie mike@keysweekly.com

Business Development

Patti Childress patti@keysweekly.com Manuela C. Mobley manuela@keysweekly.com Stephanie Mitchell stephanie@keysweekly.com

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Graphic Design

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

MARKET EDITORS

Marathon - Alex Rickert alex@keysweekly.com

Javier Reyes javier@keysweekly.com

Web Master / Travis Cready travis@keysweekly.com

Classiﬁeds / Anneke Patterson anneke@keysweekly.com 305.743.0844

Se habla español

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DOWN TO THE LAST STROKE

Key West golf holds off Marathon twice while Krytinar ﬁres a two-under 34

ey West and Marathon battled down to the final few strokes on the links twice last week, with the Conchs edging the Dolphins in a pair of close matches. At Florida Keys Country Club in Marathon on Sept. 14, Key West carded a team score of 158, just three strokes ahead of Marathon’s 161. Coral Shores finished third with a 246. Key West’s Jakub Krytinar turned in the round of the week, firing a two-under-par 34.

Krytinar birdied holes 1, 3 and 8 and finished above par on just one hole. Marathon’s Emmett Merryman and Roco Piscetello tied for second individually, each shooting a one-over 37. Merryman birdied holes 1 and 8, while Piscetello picked one up on No. 6. Key West’s Geo Twyman was next with a 38, followed by teammate Mason Titensor at 39. Marathon’s Jackson Millard shot a 43, teammates Ethan Wohlers and Jase O’Rourke each carded a 44 and Cullen Coleman-Sayer

SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 / KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP/LEGALS & CLASSIFIEDS

finished at 45. Key West’s Dominick Novotny and Marathon’s Jack Dunn tied at 47 to round out the top 10. Two days later, the teams met again, this time in Key West, and the margin separating the Conchs and Dolphins grew even slimmer. Key West won 165-167, with Coral Shores finishing third at 206. Krytinar and Piscetello shared medalist honors with matching rounds of 37. The two turned in identical scorecards, shooting par on every hole except Nos. 4 and 7, where each was one over.

Merryman was just two strokes back at 39, followed by Twyman at 41. Titensor and Coral Shores’ Scout Oliver tied at 42. Novotny, Key West’s LB Bennett and Millard each shot 45, while Marathon’s Wohlers and Coral Shores’ Sawyer Hendrix tied at 46. On the girls’ side, Key West was the only school to field a complete team in both matches. The Lady Conchs shot a 201 in Marathon, led by Mary Alice Davila’s 45. Davila birdied the second hole on her way to the day’s low round. Teammate Lexi Finigan shot a 48, followed by Marathon’s Makenna

Haines at 51, Key West’s Charlize Lopez at 52 and Stella Tutlewski at 56. Marathon’s Elleanna Mowry finished with a 61. Back home two days later, Key West swept the top four spots. Finigan led the field with a 44, followed by Lopez at 52, Davila at 55 and Tutlewski at 65. Haines and Mowry shot 69 and 70, respectively, while Coral Shores’ Valerie Gabriel finished at 75. Keys teams will continue to take turns hosting matches through the regular season, which closes out Oct. 24 with district matches beginning Oct. 26.

The Key West, Marathon and Coral Shores golf teams battle it out on Sept. 14 at the Florida Keys Country Club in Marathon.

1. Berkeley Tripp (KW) 2. Jackson Millard (MHS) 3. Dominick Novotny (KW) 4. Josh Myers (CSHS) 5. Bryce Veath (CSHS) 6. Sayde Fromen (CSHS) 7. Jack Dunn (MHS) 8. Mary Davila (KW) 9. Cullen Coleman-Sayer (MHS) 10. John Myers (CSHS) 11. Mason Titensor (KW)

Photos by SEAN WESTERBAND/Keys Weekly

KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP/LEGALS & CLASSIFIEDS / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

BURNS MAKES A STATEMENT AT SPANISH RIVER Marathon sophomore takes second as Keys athletes get a preview of postseason course

Top: Key West runners await the start of the Spanish River Invitational on Sept. 18. Center: Marathon runners wait for instructions at Spanish River. Bottom: Marathon’s Tony Bursa gives Ali Wheatley of Coral Shores a fist bump for good luck at the start of the teams’ most recent race. MARK STONECIPHER/FL Runners

eys runners headed north to Boca Raton’s South County Regional Park on Sept. 18 for the 44th annual Spanish River Invitational, a race that gave local athletes more than an opportunity to test themselves against a massive field. The meet also offered a valuable preview of the course they will see again in the postseason. Regional competition will be held there in November, and Marathon’s 1A district race will take place on the same course this season. Marathon’s Lucian Burns made the most of the preview, racing to second place overall in a boys field of nearly 400 runners. Burns crossed the line in 16:18, a time fast enough to earn a Silver Standard Elite Performance under MileSplit’s national performance standards. The Dolphins backed Burns’ runner-up performance with enough depth to place sixth as a team among 37 Class 1A and 2A programs. Allan Taylor was second across the line for Marathon, finishing 34th overall in 17:51. Eighth-grader Anthony Vargas broke into the top 100 with a 19:09, followed by Landon Anderson in 20:00 and Brayden Anderson in 20:49. Key West was led by Sawyer Hill, who also cracked the top 100. Hill placed 87th overall and was first across the line for the Conchs in 18:53. Alejandro Caridad finished in 19:35, followed by Colin Palomino in 20:58 and Everett Ward in 21:21. Noah Taylor was just seconds behind Ward, finishing in 21:24 to complete Key West’s top five. Victor Lopez led the Hurricanes, clocking a 19:25 for Coral Shores. Wyatt Meyers was next in 19:45, followed by Tristan Sanchez in 20:27, Dillon Matthews in 21:35 and Tyler Cope in 23:35. In the girls race, Coral Shores’ Ali Wheatley led all Keys competitors with an impressive 12th-place finish. Wheatley completed the course in 20:12. Aria Booton and Hayden Teal finished nearly side-by-side for the Hurricanes, clocking 25:21.11 and 25:21.37, respectively. Kiri Crockett and Eloise Carter were similarly close at the finish, crossing in 27:01.03 and 27:01.93 to round out Coral Shores’ top five. Marathon placed three runners in the top 100, led by eighth grader Molly Joly, who finished 23rd overall in 20:42. Rebecca Merryman claimed 84th place in 23:38, while Ariella Dworniczak was 96th in 24:09. A pair of sixth graders completed the Dolphins’ scoring five, with June McKnight finishing in 28:02 and Ava D’Ascanio in 31:24. The Lady Conchs placed two runners among the top 100. Violet Jangraw led Key West with a 46th-place finish in 22:03, while Hazel Matarazzo took 70th in 23:10. Emma Bradshaw and Ryah Bushey crossed just fractions of a second apart in 25:16.05 and 25:16.34, respectively, and Svetlana Snipes completed the Conchs’ top five in 28:03. With postseason races looming later this fall, the Spanish River Invitational offered Keys runners an early look at the terrain they will need to master when the stakes are considerably higher later this fall.

SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 / KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP/LEGALS & CLASSIFIEDS

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KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP/LEGALS & CLASSIFIEDS / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

FROM SHUTOUTS TO SHOOTO

Hurricanes blank Glades Day, Dolphins battle unbeaten Lancers and Conchs experience a tale of two games

oral Shores celebrated Senior Night in style on Sept. 18, shutting out visiting Glades Day on the football field 35-0 in a game that gave the Hurricanes plenty to celebrate on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Sterling Keefe was nearly perfect through the air, completing five of six passes for 115 yards and three touchdowns. Keefe connected with David Beltran for a 20-yard score and found Alex Radovanovic and John Oughton for two more touchdowns. Oughton added a pair of scores on the ground as the Hurricanes amassed 325 allpurpose yards. Coral Shores steadily built momentum, scoring once in the opening quarter before erupting for four touchdowns in the second. The Hurricanes added their final score early in the third quarter, triggering a running clock and presenting head coach Ed Holly with an unusual challenge. On Senior Night, Holly wanted to make sure every eligible Hurricane had an opportunity to take the field. With the clock suddenly disappearing much faster than anticipated, the coaching staff worked quickly to make it happen. By the final whistle, every eligible player had seen action. Among those making the most of their time on the field were senior Andy Connolly and his younger brother Sean, who delivered a memorable night together on defense. Andy Connolly registered four solo tackles, two assists and a sack, while Sean added four solo stops, two assists and two pressures while forcing a turnover. For Holly, seeing the brothers make an impact together was one of the highlights of the night. “It made my heart feel really good as a dad and a coach to watch Andy and Sean,” he said. The brothers were part of a Hurricane defense that kept the Gators off the scoreboard entirely. Ekon Edwards recorded three solo tackles, four assists and a pressure, while Billy Holly added two solo tackles, an assist and a pressure while forcing a fumble.

2 3

SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 / KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP/LEGALS & CLASSIFIEDS

OUTS 5

6 The 35-0 win sends Coral Shores back on the road this week, where the Hurricanes will face Oxbridge Academy and the ThunderWolves on Sept. 25. MARATHON Marathon welcomed unbeaten John I. Leonard High School to the Middle Keys on Sept. 18, taking on a Lancers program whose enrollment of roughly 3,300 students dwarfs Marathon’s 400. The Dolphins were not intimidated by the disparity. Before the game could develop into an offensive shootout, however, Mother Nature had her say. Halftime was scheduled to feature the dedication and official naming of the Michael H. Puto Stadium, but multiple lightning warnings brought play to a halt with four minutes still remaining in the second quarter. The Dolphins headed to the gym to wait out the delay, and with players, coaches and fans gathered inside, the stadium naming ceremony was held a little earlier than planned. When the lightning finally cleared, the rain arrived. The Dolphins’ offense did not cool off with the weather. Marathon amassed 509 yards of total offense, including 438 on the ground, and put 35 points on the board against the undefeated Lancers. Leading the charge was Jesus Gonzalez, who accounted for 345 yards of offense and all five Dolphin touchdowns. Gonzalez rushed for 280 yards and four scores, then completed three of four passes for another 65 yards. One of those throws found Kase Daughtry for a 38-yard touchdown. With Aiden Lezcano sidelined by injury, Gonzalez’s performance drew high praise from the Marathon coaching staff. “With Aiden injured, Jesus stepped up with a phenomenal effort,” Marathon head coach Sean McDonald said. Israel Gonzalez added 72 rushing yards and contributed on the other side of the ball with three tackles, including two for loss and a sack.

1. A Gator running back loses the ball during a big Billy Holly tackle. 2. Joshua Johnson (33), Cain Hughes (32) and Allens Alexandre (50) make a tackle. 3. The Hurricane band livens the crowd in full pirate regalia. 4. Jesus Gonzalez gains the first down, but loses his helmet. 5. Coral Shores celebrates a big play. 6. David Beltran (2) hurdles a Gator for a big run. 7. John Oughton breaks free as a defender reaches for his shoelaces. 8.Chace Gaertner (7) cuts off a Miami Jackson push. Photos by Doug Finger, Sean Westerband and Rocky Gonet

10 Much of Marathon’s success on the ground came behind junior Garrett Ruddy, who helped clear the way for Gonzalez and the Dolphin rushing attack. Ruddy made his presence felt defensively as well, bringing down a Lancer behind the line of scrimmage. Elliott Greenmaki and Jeremy Thiboutot led Marathon with seven tackles apiece. Alnier Mendez added six, while Maverick McDonald registered five. But in a game where both offenses found ways to score, John I. Leonard ultimately managed just enough to stay in front. The Lancers escaped the just-renamed stadium with a 45-35 victory, handing Marathon the loss despite the Dolphins’ blistering offensive performance. “Everyone’s effort was there; we just need to consistently do our jobs, play in and play out,” McDonald said. “We’re getting better. This team will continue to work hard and will continue to improve.” Marathon hits the road this week, traveling to Punta Gorda to take on the Babcock Trailblazers. KEY WEST Key West experienced a tale of two games last week, playing a pair of matchups just days apart with vastly different results. A Sept. 14 district contest against the Jackson Generals was delayed in the opening minutes by weather, and the teams were unable to retake the field at Miami’s Traz Powell Stadium that night. Some creative scheduling by both schools shifted the game to Key West, giving the Conchs an unexpected home-field advantage for the unusual Monday night matchup. An early defensive stop on Jackson’s opening possession gave every indication the Conchs were ready to take advantage of the change in venue. But a turnover on Key West’s first offensive series halted the momentum, and four more giveaways over the course of the game ultimately proved too much to overcome. The teams went into halftime scoreless before both found the end zone in the third quarter. Key West’s touchdown came on a Jayson Michel pass to Javier Perez, and a missed Jackson kick left the Conchs holding a 7-6 advantage deep into the fourth. Jackson struck again in the game’s final minute, pulling ahead 12-7 after another missed kick. Key West responded with a strong drive downfield, giving the Conchs one final opportunity to reclaim the lead. But with seconds remaining, an interception became Key West’s fifth turnover of the night and ended the comeback bid. With just three days to prepare for their next contest, the Conchs regrouped, and head coach Johnny Hughes was relieved to see a very different version of his team on Sept. 18 at St. Brendan. “Two different teams showed up,” Hughes said of his own roster. This time, nearly everything went Key West’s way. The Conchs had little trouble finding the end zone against the Sabres, with seven different players contributing points in a 58-7 rout. Roman Van Loon scored twice on the ground and added a touchdown pass to Perez, while Nico Talpasz hauled in a Michel pass for another score. Luke Hughes, Chace Gaertner, Jaylyn Annylus and Matt Oviedo also found the end zone as Key West turned the short week into its most dominant offensive showing of the season. The performance also showcased the powerful front the Conchs have flashed throughout the season, bolstered by the return of senior Miami commit Josh Johnson to the defensive line. Johnson spent the early portion of the season working his way back to full contact following last year’s knee injury. After already making an impact on the offensive line, the coaching staff felt he was ready to resume two-way duties against the Sabres. “It was one of those nights where everything went right,” Hughes said. “On Monday it was the opposite.” Next up for Key West is a Sept. 25 home matchup against True North, a formidable opponent with Division I commits of its own on a 59-player roster. The game represents the Conchs’ final test before entering a stretch of three consecutive district matchups.

KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP/LEGALS & CLASSIFIEDS / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

9. Mel Val breaks away for a long run. 10. Joshua Johnson (33) and Jakobe Williamson (44) stop a Jackson General’s push. 11. Joshua Johnson celebrates a sack. 12. Roman Van Loon (13) is run into the sideline. 13. Jesus Gonzalez carries the opposing team on his back as he fights for extra yards. 14. Marathon’s offensive unit makes a big hole for Jesus Gonzalez.

SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 / KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP/LEGALS & CLASSIFIEDS

Hurricane sophomores Miracle Woods, left, and Alejandra Aguilar. MICHELE THIERY/Contributed

ACES WILD

Hurricanes stay perfect in district play as Marathon, Key West tackle 128-team Florida Gem brackets

oral Shores volleyball improved to 15-3 and remained unbeaten in district play after adding a pair of wins last week. The Hurricanes blew into Miami on Sept. 14 to take on Westwood Christian and returned home with a 3-1 victory. Sophomore Abby Leigh turned in an all-around performance with six aces, 30 assists, four kills, two blocks and 11 digs. Coralyn Frimpter put down 17 kills and added 16 digs, an assist and a block, while Celene Walker hammered home 18 kills to go with 11 digs. In all, the ’Canes recorded 50 kills against the Warriors in an explosive offensive showing. Two days later, Coral Shores hosted Mater Bay Academy and dispatched the Rays in straight sets. This time, the theme was “aces wild,” with 23 Hurricane serves going untouched. Walker accounted for seven of those aces and added 13 kills and four digs. Leigh delivered five aces, four kills, seven digs and 28 assists, while Alex Burson registered four aces, a kill, two assists and seven digs. Jillian Thiery and Eliyana McLeod were perfect from the service line. Coach Sam Ovalle credited Leigh for her leader-

ship on the court and had plenty of praise for Walker and Burson as the Hurricanes continue their strong run. “Celene has been putting in the work and giving tremendous effort on the court,” Ovalle said. “She continues to push herself, compete and do whatever she can to help her teammates.” Burson’s effort and attitude have also helped guide the team this season. “Alex has also been working extremely hard and continues to show commitment to the team,” Ovalle said. “She brings hustle and a great attitude.” Marathon put plenty of miles on the school vans last week, beginning with a Sept. 15 trip to Glades Day, where the Dolphins swept the Gators in straight sets. The Fins were soon on the road again, this time bound for Wesley Chapel and the Florida Gem Tournament, billed as the largest high school volleyball tournament in the nation. The two-day event featured 128 teams, including 80 varsity squads. Key West also made the trip, but with the teams competing in separate brackets, the two Keys programs did not face one another.

Marathon competed in the Varsity Patriot Division, where the Dolphins picked up a 2-0 win over American Youth Academy on Sept. 18. The Fins fell to Morgan High 2-0 and battled Brooks DeBartolo to three sets before losing 2-1. Marathon played another pair of three-set matches the following day, falling 2-1 to both Admiral Farragut Academy and Lennard. Key West competed in the Varsity Club Division and opened tournament play with a three-set victory over Lyman High School, winning 2-1. The Lady Conchs then fell 2-0 to Seffner Christian and Durant on Sept. 18 before closing out the tournament the following day with 2-0 losses to Delphi Academy and Aubrey Rogers. Florida high school volleyball’s regular season enters its final weeks, with district tournament action beginning Oct. 12. Marathon will compete in the Class 1A Rural bracket, while Key West and Coral Shores will battle in Class 3A District 16, where the Hurricanes currently hold the district’s top ranking.

KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP/LEGALS & CLASSIFIEDS / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of BIG CONCH POOLS located at 30410 SEA GRAPE TERRACE, SUITE 2, BIG PINE KEY, FL 33043 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida. By: Big Conch Pools, LLC Publish: September 24, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of MADFISH DESIGN GROUP located at 33 BOUNDARY LANE, KEY WEST, FL 33040 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida. By: Madfish Global Enterprises LLC

305.743.0844

LEGAL NOTICES

Publish: September 24, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers

Publish: September 24 and October 1, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE U-HAUL COMPANY OF MIAMI Notice is hereby given that on October 5th, 2026, 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: Location: 103530 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037 Behrendt, Jessica 1755 McClain, Don 1655 Murgas, Alex 1580

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at 3:00 P.M., the Monroe County Purchasing Office will receive and open sealed responses for the following: Professional Surveying Continuing Services Monroe County, Florida Pursuant to F.S. § 50.0211(3) (a), all published competitive solicitation notices can be viewed at: www.floridapublicnotices. com, a searchable Statewide repository for all published legal notices. Requirements for submission and the selection criteria may be requested from the County’s electronic bidding platform at https://monroecountyfl.bonfirehub.com OR www.

monroecounty-fl.gov/BonfireBids. The Public Record is available upon request. Monroe County Purchasing Department receives bids via the Bonfire electronic bidding platform. Please do not email, mail or attempt to deliver in person any sealed bids. Emailed/ mailed/physically delivered bids/ proposals/responses WILL NOT be accepted. |The Monroe County Purchasing Department hereby directs that bids be submitted via the Bonfire electronic bidding platform at https://monroecounty-fl. bonfirehub.com, no later than 3:00P.M. on October 27, 2026. There is no cost to the bidder to use the Bonfire platform. Please do not submit your confidential financial information as part of your proposal. There are separate uploads for each set of documents, including confidential financial information. All proposals will be made public on the platform after an intended decision or 30 days, whichever is earlier, unless the bids/proposals are rejected in accordance with F.S. 119.071. If your proposal document includes financial information, that information will not be considered confidential and will be available and viewable to the public in accordance with public records law. The bid opening for this solicitation will be held virtually, via the internet, at 3:00 P.M., on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. You may call in by phone or internet using the following: Join Zoom Meeting https://mcbocc.zoom. us/j/4509326156 Meeting ID: 4509326156 One tap mobile: +16465189805,,4509326156# US (New York) +16699006833,,4509326156# US (San Jose) Dial by your location: +1 646 518 9805 US (New York) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) Publish: September 24, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers

SUMMONS IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS DISTRICT OF ST. CROIX CASE NUMBER: CV-2025-SX-196 ACTION: DEBT AND FORECLOSURE Association of St. C Condominium Owners Plaintiff vs Joseph Estes, Heather Estes and Vagabond Holdings, LLC Defendant To: Joe Estes Address: 4200 Estate St. John Unit A-201 St C Condominium St. Croix Within the time limited by law (see note below) you are hereby required to appear before this Court and answer to a complaint filed against you in this action. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment by default will be taken against you as demanded in the complaint. Witness my hand and the seal of this Court this October 9, 2025. Tamara Charles Clerk of the Court By: Kimberly Rolle Tonya C. Saffir, Esq. (Attorney for Plaintiff) NOTE: The defendant, if served personally, is required to file his answer or other defense with the Clerk of the Court, and to serve a copy thereof upon the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty-one (21) days after the service of this summons, excluding the date of the service. The defendant, if served by publication or by personal service outside of the jurisdiction, is required to file his answer or other defense with the Clerk of the Court, and to serve a copy thereof upon the attorney for the plaintiff within thirty (30) days after the completion of the period of publication or personal service outside of the jurisdiction. Publish: September 3, 10, 17 & 24, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers

SUMMONS IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS DISTRICT OF ST. CROIX CASE NUMBER: CV-2025-SX-196 ACTION: DEBT AND FORECLOSURE Association of St. C Condominium Owners Plaintiff vs Joseph Estes, Heather Estes and Vagabond Holdings, LLC Defendant To: Vagabond Holdings, LLC Address: 4200 Estate St. John Unit A-201 St C Condominium St. Croix Within the time limited by law (see note below) you are hereby required to appear before this Court and answer to a complaint filed against you in this action. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment by default will be taken against you as demanded in the complaint. Witness my hand and the seal of this Court this October 9, 2025. Tamara Charles Clerk of the Court By: Kimberly Rolle Tonya C. Saffir, Esq. (Attorney for Plaintiff) NOTE: The defendant, if served personally, is required to file his answer or other defense with the Clerk of the Court, and to serve a copy thereof upon the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty-one (21) days after the service of this summons, excluding the date of the service. The defendant, if served by publication or by personal service outside of the jurisdiction, is required to file his answer or other defense with the Clerk of the Court, and to serve a copy thereof upon the attorney for the plaintiff within thirty (30) days after the completion of the period of publication or personal service outside of the jurisdiction. Publish: September 3, 10, 17 & 24, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers

SUMMONS IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS DISTRICT OF ST. CROIX CASE NUMBER: CV-2025-SX-196 ACTION: DEBT AND FORECLOSURE Association of St. C Condominium Owners Plaintiff vs Joseph Estes, Heather Estes and Vagabond Holdings, LLC Defendant To: Heather Estes Address: 4200 Estate St. John Unit A-201 St C Condominium St. Croix Within the time limited by law (see note below) you are hereby required to appear before this Court and answer to a complaint filed against you in this action. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment by default will be taken against you as demanded in the complaint. Witness my hand and the seal of this Court this October 9, 2025. Tamara Charles Clerk of the Court By: Kimberly Rolle Tonya C. Saffir, Esq. (Attorney for Plaintiff) NOTE: The defendant, if served personally, is required to file his answer or other defense with the Clerk of the Court, and to serve a copy thereof upon the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty-one (21) days after the service of this summons, excluding the date of the service. The defendant, if served by publication or by personal service outside of the jurisdiction, is required to file his answer or other defense with the Clerk of the Court, and to serve a copy thereof upon the attorney for the plaintiff within thirty (30) days after the completion of the period of publication or personal service outside of the jurisdiction. Publish: September 3, 10, 17 & 24, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers

INVITATION TO BID: ITB 2026-03 The City of Key Colony Beach cordially invites interested contractors to complete and submit sealed bids by November 2nd, 2026, no later than 2:00 PM, for the following project.

WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT TANKS AND PIPING COATING ITB 2026-03 THE PROJECT CONSISTS OF: Clean, prepare and coat the four (4) tanks (two (2) steel and two (2) concrete) with all associated exposed piping at the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant located at 600 8th Street, Key Colony Beach, Florida, all in accordance with the requirements incorporated herein, and to be submitted by November 2, 2026, at 2:00 a.m. All bids must be submitted in a sealed envelope to City Administrator John Bartus at 600 W. Ocean, Key Colony Beach, Florida 33051 (mailing address PO Box 510141, Key Colony Beach, FL 33051), no later than November 2, 2026, at 2:00 PM, clearly marked “Sealed Bid for the City of Key Colony Beach ITB 2026-03” and including the name of your firm. Each bid must include one original, five (5) copies, and 1 thumb drive with an electronic copy. The bid manual, requirements, and specifications are available on DemandStar/Open Bids at www.Demandstar.com. All questions regarding the bid process should be directed in writing to City Administrator John Bartus at cityadministrator@keycolonybeach.net

CALENDAR OF EVENTS ITB 2026-03 DATE

TIME (ET)

Action

Sept. 25, 2026

10:00 a.m.

Release Solicitation

Oct. 9, 2026

2:00 p.m.

Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting & Site Visit (600 8th Street, Key Colony Beach, Florida 33051)

Oct. 16, 2026

4:00 p.m.

Last day for submission of written questions to the City

Oct. 23, 2026

4:00 p.m.

Last day for the City to post answers to questions

Nov. 2, 2026

2:00 p.m.

Bid Due & Opening*

Nov. 9, 2026

10:00 a.m.

Evaluation Committee Meeting** Recommendation to the Utility Board

Nov. 17, 2026

10:00 a.m.

Utility Board Meeting** Recommendation to Award

Nov. 19, 2026

10:00 a.m.

City Commission Meeting – Final Award**

*The bid opening is open to the public and will be held at City Hall (Trailer) at 600 W. Ocean Drive, Key Colony Beach, Florida 33051. ** All meetings are open to the public and will be held at the temporary meeting place for the City of Key Colony Beach, at the Key Colony Inn, Back Patio, 700 W. Ocean Drive, Key Colony Beach, Florida, 33051

Publish: September 24, 2026. The Weekly Newspapers

John D. Verghese, M.D.

Keys Plastic Surgery & Dermatology 2901 Overseas Highway, Suite # 2 Marathon, Florida 33050 Dr. John D. Verghese will be retiring and closing his practice, Keys Plastic Surgery & Dermatology, located at 2901 Overseas Highway, Suite # 2, Marathon, Florida 33050, effective October 12th, 2026. Please call the office at 305-289-1975 with any questions. Patient’s medical records will remain with Dr. John D. Verghese. Patients who wish to receive their medical records may contact the office at 305-289-1975. Publish: September 10, 17 & 24 and October 1, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 26-CP-458-K DIVISION: PROBATE IN RE: ESTATE OF CELESTE M. SCHETTIG Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the Estate of CELESTE M. SCHETTIG, deceased, whose date of death was August 6, 2026, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, Florida 33040. The names and addresses of the Co-Personal Representatives and the Co-Personal Representatives’ attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent's death by the decedent or the decedent's surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216-732.228, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. The written demand must

SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 / KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP/LEGALS & CLASSIFIEDS

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

be filed with the clerk. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is: September 24, 2026. LISA SPELLMAN, Petitioner JOHN P. SEILER, ESQUIRE Attorney for Petitioner, Lisa Spellman Florida Bar Number: 776343 Seiler Sautter Zaden Rimes & Wahlbrink 2850 North Andrews Avenue Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311 Telephone: (954) 568-7000 E-Mail: jseiler@sszrlaw.com Alternate E-Mail: lsasser@ sszrlaw.com RAYMOND J. POWERS, Petitioner JODY LESLIE, ESQUIRE Attorney for Petitioner, Raymond J. Powers Florida Bar Number: 773174 LESLIE & McLAUGHLIN, LLP 6750 North Andrews Avenue Suite 200-2038 Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309 Telephone: (954) 779-1772 E-Mail: service@leslie-law.com Alternate E-Mail: lmservice.2400@gmail.com Publish: September 24 and October 1, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers

IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is: September 24, 2026. Personal Representative: MICHAEL ALLEN BRESLIN 6667 Stadler Road Monroe, Michigan 48162 Attorney for Personal Representative: JOHN FERRARI, JR. Attorney Florida Bar No. 111132 Ferrari Elder Law 7100 S. Beneva Road Sarasota, Florida 34238 Telephone: (941) 960-1676 Fax: (941) 296-8656 E-mail: johnf@ferrarielderlaw. com Secondary E-mail: pollyb@ ferrarielderlaw.com Publish: September 24 and October 1, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers

Secondary E-mail: pollyb@ ferrarielderlaw.com Publish: September 24 and October 1, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 26-CP-486-K IN RE: ESTATE OF ROBERT LOUIS BRESLIN Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of ROBERT LOUIS BRESLIN, deceased, whose date of death was March 31, 2026, is pending in the Circuit Court for MONROE County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent's death by the decedent or the decedent's surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216-732.228, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. The written demand must be filed with the clerk. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 26-CP-487-K IN RE: ESTATE OF JEAN M. MCGROARTY Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of JEAN M. MCGROARTY, deceased, whose date of death was March 25, 2026, is pending in the Circuit Court for MONROE County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent's death by the decedent or the decedent's surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216-732.228, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. The written demand must be filed with the clerk. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is: September 24, 2026. Personal Representative: CHERYL ANN AJAX 1930 Glenoak Drive Corpus Christi, Texas 78418 Attorney for Personal Representative: JOHN FERRARI, JR. Attorney Florida Bar No. 111132 Ferrari Elder Law 7100 S. Beneva Road Sarasota, Florida 34238 Telephone: (941) 960-1676 Fax: (941) 296-8656 E-mail: johnf@ferrarielderlaw. com

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION CASE NO.: 26-CP-000406-K DIVISION: PROBATE IN RE: ESTATE OF PHILIP TODD GORE, JR. Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the Estate of Philip Todd Gore, Jr., deceased, whose date of death was May 15, 2026, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 500 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent's death by the decedent or the decedent's surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216-732.228, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. The written demand must be filed with the clerk. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is September 17, 2026. Personal Representative: Maryland Reier 5412 Patterson Rd. PO Box 9692 Baldwin, MD 21013 Attorney for Personal Representative: Alexander Gil, Esq. Florida Bar Number: 111507 Alexander Gil, PLLC 2775 Sunny Isles Blvd., Suite 118 North Miami Beach, FL 33160 Telephone: (954) 309-8800 Fax: (954) 676-1099 E-Mail: agil@agilpllc.com Secondary E-Mail: apruitt@ agilpllc.com Publish: September 17 & 24, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 26-DR-1043-K JOSEPH COLABELLA, JR., Petitioner, and KYLIE G. HINE,

305.743.0844

LEGAL NOTICES

EMPLOYMENT

Respondent. NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE (NO CHILD OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT) TO: KYLIE B. HINE RESPONDENT’S LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: 7505 SE 28TH STREET, APT. 302, MERCER ISLAND, WA 98040 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 JOSEPH COLABELLA, JR, whose address is 1360 6TH STREET, REAR, KEY WEST, FL 33040 on or before OCTOBER 10, 2026, 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: September 10, 2026 Kevin Madok, CPA, Clerk Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Destiny Johnson Deputy Clerk Publish: September 17 & 24 and October 1 & 8, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers

dismissal or striking of pleadings. Dated: September 8, 2026 KEVFIN MADOK, CPA, Clerk CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT Monroe County, Florida By: Leslie Turner Deputy Clerk Publish: September 10, 17 & 24 and October 1, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers

Marathon Yacht Club is hiring a part-time Bartender and Server. Flexible evening shifts 3:30-9:00 at a private club. Must provide photo ID, social security card or passport, and checking account. Email office@ marathonyachtclub.com or call 305-743-6739 to schedule an interview.

Marathon Yacht Club is hiring a Line Cook. 20-30 hours a week at a private club, primarily dinner shifts, Tuesday-Saturday. $24/hr or negotiable based on experience. Must provide photo ID, social security card, and checking account. Email office@ marathonyachtclub.com or call 305-743-6739 to schedule an interview. HIRED IN LESS THAN ONE MONTH!!!

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA FAMILY DIVISION CASE NO.: 2026-DR-000345-M IN RE: THE MARRIAGE OF OMAR FLORES RIVES, Petitioner/Husband, and MABEL ARZUAGA PEREZ, Respondent/Wife. NOTICE OF ACTION TO: Mabel Arzuaga Perez Respondent/Wife 7151 Overseas Hwy, Apt. 301 Marathon, FL 33050 YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on the petitioner’s attorney, ADA M. BARRETO, P.A., whose address is 782 N.W. 42ND Avenue, Suite 440, Miami, Florida 33126, on or before October 10, 2026, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at the Family Division, 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050, before service on Petitioner’s attorney or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition. 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 a Notice of Current Address, Florida Family Law Form 12.915.) Future papers in this lawsuit will be mailed to the address 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

SUDOKU SOLUTION

S.S. Wreck on Grassy Key – looking for management, line cooks, fryers and prep. Salary includes 401k match up to 6% and negotiable based on experience. Please call Nicole at 305-433-0515 AUTOS WANTED AUTOS ALL YEARS! Junk or Used Cars, Vans, Trucks. Runs or Not.$CASH 305-332-0483 AUTOS FOR SALE PLACE YOUR AUTO FOR SALE AD HERE! $25/week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-743-0844 or Email Anneke@keysweekly.com BOAT SLIP/RACK FOR RENT

Boat Slip &/or Rack For Rent in Marathon at The Boat House, Vaca Key. Call Tony 561-346-6400 PLACE YOUR BOAT SLIP FOR RENT AD HERE! $25/ week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-743-0844 or Email Anneke@ keysweekly.com COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR RENT

PRIME COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE ON US 1 available for rent in Marathon. 3,000 SF and 2,000 SF avail. Let's make a deal! Call or text Tony at 860-428-1506 Email: R2tpinc@gmail.com PLACE YOUR COMMERCIAL SPACE AVAILABLE FOR RENT AD HERE! $25/week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-7430 8 4 4 or Email Anneke@ keysweekly.com EMPLOYMENT HIRING: Office Administrator in Marathon. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), experience with QuickBooks or other accounting software preferred and must have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. Full time – Mon-Fri. Pay TBD - based on skill. E m a i l : Natalie@cecflk.com

Experienced FT Line Cook needed at the Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club. 10AM - 5PM, Good Pay. Small friendly staff. Apply in person at 425 E. Ocean Dr. Key Colony Beach or call 404-2193359 and ask for Dave Serve/Bartend on the ocean! The Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club is seeking a customer 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. The Housing Authority of the City of Key West now hiring the following positions: Full-time Carpenter, Journeyman Electrician, Grounds Caretaker. To apply, please contact Human Resources at: greenel@kwha.org or 305-296-5621 ext. 225. Applications are available at the Administrative Office located at 1400 Kennedy Dr., Key West, FL 33040 or online at www.kwha.org - EOE & Drug Free Work Place. This opportunity is covered under Section 3 of the HUD Act of 1968. THE KEYS WEEKLY MEDIA GROUP has an immediate opening for a Sales & Marketing professional in the Middle Keys. Salary, benefits, commission and the opportunity to make a difference in our community and work alongside an amazing team. Send a confidential resume to jobs@keysweek ly.com

Specialty Hardware of Marathon - Looking for full time or part time person. Hardware knowledge an absolute must. Must have knowledge of hardware, plumbing and electrical. Apply in person at 10730 Overseas Hwy. Marathon 1-305-743-3382 HIRED!!! PLACE YOUR EMPLOYMENT AD HERE. $25/week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-743-0844 or Email Anneke@ keysweekly.com HOUSING FOR RENT

ANNUAL RENTAL - Key Largo - 3BR/2BA new kitchen, Spacious Doublewide modular on canal w/40’ dock, direct ocean access. Very nice community $3500/month 7 8 6 - 2 5 8 - 3 1 2 7 2BR/2BA Single Family Waterfront Home for rent in Marathon. Fully furnished. 70' dock. $4,500/month includes all utilities, internet & TV. Available for 4 months Jan - April. 727-278-1105 3 BR/2 BA home for rent in Key Colony Beach. 75' premium dock. $3,800/month + utilities. F/L/S 786-229-0228 2 BR available in Marathon for long term rental. On the water, gated property, $2,200/ month includes limited electricity. First/Security. Small pets ok for separate fee. Call 305-610-8002 Studio Rental in Marathon, long-term, partially furnished, price includes internet, water, electric gas, garbage, pest, and lawn @ $1,800/ mo + utilities. Call or text 305-433-0515 RENTED!!! PLACE YOUR HOUSING FOR RENT AD HERE! $25/ week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-743-0844 or Email Anneke @keysweekly.com HOUSING WANTED TO RENT

KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP/LEGALS & CLASSIFIEDS / SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • 305.743.0844 • CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • 305.743.0844 HOUSING WANTED TO RENT HOUSING WANTED TO RENT. Long-term rental at Cobia Point, Marathon. Will pay top dollar. Current Daytona Beach resident. Former Keys resident who wants to return. Please call Jan Burch 251-978-6267 MISC. FOR SALE Cargo Container Storage Units For Sale in Marathon. 20'-50' long, various pricing. Call 305-610-8002 Scooter For Sale excellent condition, 7,541 miles, all service records, individually owned. $400 OBO. Located in Key West. Call Denny 305-294-5568 SOLD IN LESS THAN 2 WEEKS!!! PLACE YOUR MISC. FOR SALE AD HERE! $25/week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-743-0844 or Email A n n e k e @ keysweekly.com WANTED TO BUY PRIVATE COLLECTOR WANTS Rolex, Dive Watches and Pilot Watches. Old Model Military Clocks & Watches. Call 305-743-4578

WANTED TO BUY

YARD SALES

TURN YOUR CARDS INTO CASH! Marathon collector buying any and all Pokemon cards & collections. Call 401-256-0645.

commercial essentials like TVs, minifridge, retail shelving, printer, office chair, etc. We even have a 3-tier section of bleachers! Lots of the items for sale can be repurposed beyond their intended use (hello DIY-ers) and it’s also a chance to get a jump on your New Year’s Resolutions and buy this gently-used, high-end equipment. To see the full sale, visit estatesales.net. (Turn off US1 just west of Coco Plum Drive; plenty of parking.)

PLACE YOUR COLLECTIBLES AD HERE! $25/week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-743-0844 or Email Anneke@ keysweekly.com YARD SALES SARA’S ESTATE SALE liquidation of a COMMERCIAL GYM in Marathon located at 13371 Overseas Hwy (near Coco Plum Dr.), Sat & Sun, Sept. 26-27, 9A-1P. This sale isn’t just for boxers – though we’ve got them covered – plenty of high-end equipment for regular gyms and home gyms. We have barbells, rubber hex dumbbells, medicine balls, battle rope, etc. We have a 6-segment monkey bar/training rig, floor-bolted heavy bag stands, heavy bags, specialty bags and an entire boxing ring (canvas, ropes, corner posts, post pads, timer/round clock). Tons of rubber puzzle floor mats, tumbling mats and various generic

PLACE YOUR YARD SALE AD HERE! $25/ week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-7430844 or Email Anneke@ keysweekly.com

NOW HIRING IN ISLAMORADA

BOAT RENTAL STAFF

FLEXIBLE HOURS & COMPETITIVE WAGES Need to have experience driving boats and a working knowledge of the Islamorada area by water. Duties include taking reservations, giving captains lessons and routine boat maintenance. Email Matt at eliteboatrentalsmatt@gmail.com. Please include contact information and any relevant experience.

WE’RE HIRING

PIZZA MAKERS, PREP & CASHIERS D’Asign Source is seeking the following professionals. Overtime and benefits are available. Pool & Landscape Technician Experienced technician needed for pool plumbing, electrical, irrigation, lighting and outdoor audio. Must have strong troubleshooting skills and experience with hand/power tools. Reliable, hardworking and able to perform physical outdoor work. Competitive pay & benefits. Finish Carpenter Experienced finish carpenter needed for high end residential work. Must have own tools and reliable transportation. Attention to detail and dependable work ethic required. Interior and Exterior work. Competitive pay and benefits. Working Project Construction Foreman Competitive pay and benefits. For complete details and to apply, please visit DAsignSource.com/careers

NOW HIRING! wants you to join their team!

RETAIL GIFT SHOP ASSOCIATE Full-time. $19/hour to start.

EMAIL resume to: TurtleHospital@TurtleHospital.org APPLY in person: 2396 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL

NOW HIRING IN ISLAMORADA

MARINA CASHIER Must have customer service experience working in a retail environment and using a point of sale system. Additional duties include restocking, completing purchase orders, daily ordering of basic items in the store, and maintaining a clean appearance in the store. This is an hourly position and compensation is based on experience. Work hours are flexible and we try to maintain a set weekly schedule. Please respond by email (Matt at islamarinamatt@gmail.com) with any relevant previous experience and at least two references.

SUNSET GRILLE NOW HIRING BARTENDERS WAIT STAFF - HOST/HOSTESS BUS PERSONS Apply in person at

SUNSET GRILLE & RAW BAR 7 Knight’s Key Blvd, Marathon

NEW KEY LARGO LOCATION – NOW OPEN: PIZZA MAKERS* PREP & DAYTIME CASHIERS MARATHON: PIZZA MAKERS* *Pizza maker experience is a must. For all positions, applicant must be self-motivated, quick learner and team player. Salary includes 401k match up to 6% and negotiable based on experience. Please call Nicole at 305-433-0515 or email nicole@themoongroupfl.com

The Bourbon Street Pub Complex is now accepnng applicanons for: • Take Out Kitchen - Team Members Experience Required • Security

• Barback

Full and Part-Time Posiions Available

Apply in-person at 724 Duval Street: Pizza Joe’s or New Orleans House Front Desk. English Speaking required with valid idennﬁcanon. Call 305-293-9800 for more informaaon Keys Energy Services, in Key West, Florida, is accepting applications for the following position in its Transmission & Distribution Department:

SUBSTATION ELECTRICIAN

(High Voltage Substation Electrical Technician) Starting pay rate for this position, depending on qualifications and experience: $48.47/hr. - $54.28/hr. For more information, including job duties and required qualifications, and to apply for the job, please visit their website at www.KeysEnergy.com. KEYS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. KEYS promotes a Drug-Free Workplace. Certain service members, veterans, the spouses and family members of service members and veterans, receive preference and priority in employment, and are encouraged to apply for positions being filled.

NOW HIRING 81024 AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION MECHANIC Upper Keys, reporting in Tavernier. Full-time job with benefits, vacation time and holidays.

Apply at keysschools.com or call 305-293-1400 ext. 53398

SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 / KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS WRAP/LEGALS & CLASSIFIEDS

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC && LEGAL NOTICES • • 305.743.0844 • CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC LEGAL NOTICES 305.743.0844 The Guidance/Care Center, Inc. a division of “Uplifting the human spirit since 1973”

THE GUIDANCE/CARE CENTER, Inc.

IS HIRING! JOIN A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE NONPROFIT HELPING PEOPLE COPE AND CHANGE FOR 53 YEARS! We provide Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs to the Florida Keys community while valuing and rewarding our employees.

OPENINGS AVAILABLE

Behavioral Health Counselor (Child, FT) Case Manager (Adult)

KEY WEST

MIAMI CANCER INSTITUTE KEY WEST

Crisis Counselor (PT) *Mental Health Technician (FT)

MARATHON Maintenance Specialist (FT) Driver (CDL NOT required) (FT, PT) Registered Nurse (PT) Behavioral Health Therapist (Adult, PT) *Support Worker (Assisted Living) (FT, PT) *Behavioral Health Technicians (FT, PT) *No experience required for this position. Will train. A caring heart & helpful hands necessary. Background and drug screen req. EEOC/DFWP COMPETITIVE PAY! EXCEPTIONAL BENEFITS!!! Apply at guidancecarecenter.org - Get Involved/ Join our team/Job Opportunities/location/zip

THE GUIDANCE/CARE CENTER, INC. “Uplifting the human spirit since 1973”

IS HIRING for The Heron Assisted Living Facility! Interested in gaining health care experience in a comfortable canal front home? Like giving care & assisting with life skills for 16 residents? Well-rounded team player able to handle a variety of responsibilities? Able to make meals, do paperwork, and hold a clean three yr. driver’s license? Available for PT or FT shifts 8am-4pm, 2pm-10pm Monday-Sunday? If so, you would be a great SUPPORT WORKER! No experience required for this position, we will train. A caring heart and helpful hands are necessary.

We offer flexibility; a minimum 16 hrs. & shift differentials! Background and drug screen req. EEOC/DFWP COMPETITIVE PAY! EXCEPTIONAL BENEFITS!!! Apply at guidancecarecenter.org - Get Involved/ Join our team/Job Opportunities/location/zip

MARATHON GARBAGE SERVICE We are now hiring for the following positions:

Diesel Mechanic Truck Helpers CDL Drivers Applicants must apply in person to be considered. 4290 Overseas Hwy, Marathon

Key West Assistant Maintenance Manager

PHYSICIAN PRACTICE OPENINGS

- Medical Assistant, Ortho-Tavernier, $5k Bonus - Patient Access Associate, Multispecialty Marathon, $5k Bonus - Radiology Technologist, Ortho Surgical, Key West, $25k Bonus

KEY LARGO

A Great Place to Bank, is a Great Place to WORK!

- Pool Radiation Therapist

TAVERNIER MARINERS HOSPITAL

- Chaplain, Chaplaincy Spiritual Care, Per Diem - Director of Nursing Services, Intensive Care Unit/Oncology, $20k Bonus - Food Service Worker, Dietary, $5k Bonus - MC Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, MRI, $25k Bonus - Medical Technologist, Per Diem - Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, Echocardiography, Per Diem & FT - Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, (CT & X Ray), $25k Bonus - Multi-Modality Imaging Tech 2, (Echo & Vascular w/Ultrasound Preferred), $25k Bonus - Pharmacy Technician, Mariners Hospital, $7k Bonus - Physical Therapist, Outpatient, $25k Bonus - Pool Group Exercise Instructor, Per Diem - Pool Registered Nurse, Emergency Department, Per Diem - Registered Nurse, ICU, $25k Bonus - Registered Nurse, Surgery, $15k Bonus - Registered Respiratory Therapist 2, $25k Bonus - Supervisor Chef, Dietary

MARATHON FISHERMEN’S COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

- Cook, Dietary, FT - Diet Concierge, Full Time - ED Team Coordinator, PT & FT - Lead First Cook, Dietary, $5k Bonus - MC Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, CT & X Ray, $25k Bonus - MC Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, CT & X Ray, Radiology, $25k Bonus - Manager Food Services, Dietary - Manager Plant Operations, Facility Operations - Medical Assistant, Urology, $5k Bonus - Medical Technologist 2, $20k Bonus - Multi-Modality Imaging Tech 1, (CT & X Ray), Radiology, $25k Bonus - Patient Care/Nursing House Supervisor (MH/FCH), $20k Bonus - Patient Financial Associate, $10k Bonus - Patient Scheduler, Surgery, FT - Pool Physical Therapist, Per Diem - Registered Nurse, Emergency Department, Per Diem - Registered Respiratory Therapist, $25k Bonus - Registered Respiratory Therapist, PT, $12,500 Bonus - Security Officer, FT, 7A-7:30P - Sr Phlebotomist, $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.

APPLY AND LEARN MORE careers.baptisthealth.net

Stock Island

Assistant Branch Operations Manager

Islamorada

Customer Service Representative Assistant Branch Operations Manager

Apply Online @ KeysBank.com/Careers

Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender

EOE-M/F/V/D

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Key West

Call us for all ready-mix concrete, block, aggregate, rebar and bagged good needs.

Monroe Concrete 155 Toppino Industrial Drive Key West, 305-296-9934 Monroe Concrete Marathon 1500 107th Street Gulf Marathon, 305-743-5800