Marathon Weekly 26-0604

“The

June 4, 2026

SWEET SUMMERTIME

RARE VISITOR

School’s out for Switlik, MHS grads | PGS. 6, 12

Deep-ocean whale washes up | P.20

NO PROPERTY TAXES? Proposal hits November ballot | P.4

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9709 Overseas Hwy.

Marathon, FL 33050

Office: 305.743.0844 www.keysweekly.com

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The square mileage of the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef system, made up of 2,500 individual reefs and more than 900 islands.

Fifth graders Denzel Hannah, left, and Cadence Houle sneak in some extra camera time before their Moving Up Ceremony at Stanley Switlik Elementary School. See page 12. NATALIE DANKO/Keys Weekly

WILL FLORIDIANS GET SOME TAX RELIEF?

Legislature passes proposal, voters will decide next

Homesteaded properties in Florida could be in for some tax savings, if six out of every 10 state voters approve a proposal in the November election.

Local counties and municipalities, however, are sounding the alarm on how it could affect the services they provide to their residents. Others fear the property tax burden could shift to commercial and investment properties, affecting business and working families who rent homes.

At the request of Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida legislators returned to the state Capitol on June 1 for a special session. The following day, the Legislature passed a tax relief proposal that increases the homestead exemption from the current $50,000 to $250,000. But unlike DeSantis’ plan, the Legislature protected property tax dollars for school districts.

The plan would relieve the property tax burden on 60% of primary homeowners in the state. In Monroe County, the plan would aid roughly 17% of properties.

Under the legislatively-approved proposal, local municipalities would be required to use the remaining property tax revenues, collected from nonhomesteaded properties, for public safety, education, infrastructure and natural resources.

As for small businesses, the proposal would cut the annual property tax assessments, which can reach 10%, to 5%.

To place the measure on the ballot required a 60 percent vote of the Legislature. It passed the House 75-26 and the Senate 30-9. State Rep. Jim Mooney and state Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez both voted “yes.”

The change would require support from 60% of Florida voters in order to become a part of the state constitution.

The House and Senate also omitted the governor’s proposal to create a state trust fund to help rural governments pay for core services. State Rep. Sam Garrison said that while he understood what the administration was trying to accomplish, it “didn’t seem appropriate for a trust fund” as it required a dedicated revenue stream, schedule and criteria as to how it would be distributed.

While seeking to provide primary owners relief on their property taxes, the proposal takes aim at increasing property tax collections among local municipalities around the state in recent years.

In 2019, local governments across the state gathered $32 billion through property tax. By fiscal year 2026, the collections among municipalities in the state reached nearly $60 billion. Even with population growth and inflation, DeSantis acknowledged the increase in property taxpayer money to local municipalities is still a lot.

“Property tax revenue collected by local governments has nearly doubled in the past seven years and is expected to reach an astounding $83 billion by 2032. Florida homeowners need relief,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis reiterated his proposal during a June 1 appearance in Hillsborough County.

“My question is … is there anything else that can be proposed that would actually deliver thousands of dollars of savings every single year to taxpayers? I haven’t seen it,” DeSantis said. “If you’re looking at helping people afford, to be able to live and be able to prosper, the property tax is the best game in town to be able to help with that.”

Shortly after DeSantis’ announcement, the Florida Association of Counties said the decisions made in the upcoming special session will “negatively impact Florida for generations.” The association released an interactive map showing the funding counties won’t be receiving through the property tax levy, if the proposal secures all continued on page 30

Gov. Ron DeSantis releases his property tax relief proposal on May 27 in Tampa. FILE PHOTO

JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com

Participants gather at the Monroe County Emergency Operations

the 2026 communications symposium. CONTRIBUTED

CLEAR LINES OF COMMUNICATION

More than 40 communications professionals from Monroe County government, municipalities, utility providers and nonprofit organizations gathered on June 1 at the Monroe County Emergency Operations Center in Marathon for an annual symposium. The day also marked the official start of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.

The event emphasized the critical role public information officers play in preparing communities for emergencies and ensuring residents receive timely, accurate and consistent information before, during and after disasters. Attendees participated in presentations, discussions and collaborative conversations focused on emergency communications, the upcoming hurricane season, a media panel with Keys Talk Radio’s Michael Stapleford and Keys Weekly’s Alex Rickert, social media best practices, emerging technology and public outreach.

“Beginning hurricane season by bringing together the profes-

CLASS OF 2026 TAKES FLIGHT

Marathon High School celebrates graduation

ALEX RICKERT alex@keysweekly.com

Agym packed to the brim cheered on the Class of 2026 at Marathon High School’s commencement exercises on May 28.

The 119-member class earned a record-breaking $2.4 million in scholarships as they leave the halls of MHS in pursuit of college degrees, technical programs and the workforce – topping the already-impressive $2.34 million total from the year before.

Principal Christine Paul hailed the seniors’ accomplishments and bright futures, from 98 graduates pursuing college degrees to class members directly entering the military, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Keys Electric Cooperative.

“However you arrived here, Marathon High School is better because of you,” she said. “It is especially meaningful to know that many of our graduates will continue learning, working and building their futures right here in Monroe County. They will become the next generation of leaders who keep this community we love strong and thriving.”

Class president Danna Valenzuela Ordoñez recognized standout staff members for their support of seniors, later turning to recognize her Take Stock in Children mentor Michelle Franck and adding her heartfelt thanks in Spanish to parents Julio and Ana Valenzuela.

“Being in this school for the past six years showed me that no matter what, there will always be someone there for you,” she said. “Although they never said what you wanted to hear, it was what you needed to hear.”

On behalf of the Keys Weekly Newspapers and the entire Marathon community, congratulations to the Class of 2026.

1. Junior class sponsor Michelle Macoskey slings some fundraiser flowers at graduation.

2. Principal Christine Paul and Superintendent Ed Tierney prepare to take the stage.

3. Graduate Tinashay Cunningham sneaks in a selfie.

4. Seniors prep for the final walk across the stage at Marathon High. From left: Mia Sanchez, Matthias Martinez-Velez, Shavely Lopez Perez, Christopher Rodriguez, Landrie Pannone, Braydon Brabenec and Natalie Rodriguez.

5. Daniel Wu gets an ovation from his classmates and the crowd.

sionals responsible for keeping our communities informed in disasters is important,” said Monroe County public information officer Kristen Livengood. “We all share the same goal of providing clear, reliable information when our residents need it most.”

Hosted by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council and the Monroe County public information office, the annual gathering provides an opportunity to strengthen partnerships, share best practices and discuss lessons learned from previous events. More information about hurricane preparedness is at www.monroecountyem.com. When storms threaten, follow reliable sources, like US National Weather Service Key West Florida, Monroe County Emergency Management - Florida Keys, MCSO — Florida Keys, your municipality, trusted news sources and the Joint Information Center on the emergency management website.

— Contributed

Paul shared a special recognition on stage with her father, John Dick, a 20-year veteran of the Monroe County School Board and its current chair. Dick is set to retire from his post in November.

Salutatorian Malanna Myrmel urged classmates to continue forward with courage, even with unknown futures beyond the walls of MHS.

“I think growing up is realizing that life keeps moving even when you don’t feel prepared for it,” she said. “It’s learning how to move forward and accept that you don’t have all the answers.”

Valedictorian Hannah Haines praised the value of effort and health over perfection, sharing her three crucial lessons learned in high school: letting go of things we can’t control, focusing on physical and mental health amid busy everyday lives and the importance of an unwavering support system.

“For a long time, I thought success meant trying to control every outcome and carrying every responsibility on my own,” Haines said. “But as I look back on our years here, I realize that most lessons we learn have nothing to do with academics.”

6. Principal Christine Paul honors her father, longtime school board member John Dick, before his retirement this November.

7. Salutatorian Malanna Myrmel addresses the class.

8. Valedictorian Hannah Haines offers parting advice.

9. Julio and Ann Valenzuela, parents of class president Danna Valenzuela Ordoñez, get an outpouring of love from the podium.

10. Confetti cannons and streamers rain down over the just-graduated Class of 2026.

11. Track and field star Ava Merryman shares one last hug with coach Darby Sheehan.

12. Strongwoman Justice Lee Isom gets in one last lift with teacher Kelley Cruz. Lee Isom leaves Marathon High as one of the most decorated athletes in Keys history.

Photos by NATALIE DANKO/Keys Weekly

Center for

National Weather Service warning coordination meteorologist Jon Rizzo gives a historical overview of hurricane activity throughout the season. CONTRIBUTED

MONDAY

FRIDAY

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NOAA OFFERS 2026 HURRICANE SEASON PREDICTION

Forecasters with NOAA’s National Weather Service are predicting a below-normal hurricane season for the Atlantic basin this year. NOAA’s outlook for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 to Nov. 30, predicts a 35% chance of a near-normal season, a 10% chance of an above-normal season, and a 55% chance of a below-normal season.

The agency is forecasting a total of eight to 14 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher). Of those, three to six are forecast to become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including one to three major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5 with winds of 111 mph or higher). NOAA has a 70% confidence in these ranges. An average season has 14 named storms with seven hurricanes, three of them major.

“With the most advanced forecast modeling and hurricane tracking technologies, NOAA and the National Weather Service are prepared to deliver real-time storm forecasts and warnings,” said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. “Our experts are integrating cutting-edge tools to ensure communities in the path of storms receive the earliest, most accurate information possible.”

“NOAA’s rapid integration of advanced technology, including AI-based weather models, drones, and nextgeneration satellite data will deliver actionable science to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of the American people,” said NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs. “These new capabilities,

We’re now into the month of June, and that means a lot of knocking on wood when we talk about “Hwords.” Fear not: In addition to publishing a fully comprehensive guide on how to prepare for hurricane season, which runs through Nov. 30, the Keys Weekly knows how to make sure your stash of supplies tops all others. Without further ado, here are our…

Although El Niño’s impact in the Atlantic basin can often suppress hurricane development, there is still uncertainty in how each season will unfold.”

combined with the unmatched expertise of our National Weather Service forecasters, will produce the most accurate forecasts possible to protect communities in harm’s way.”

El Niño is expected to develop and intensify during the hurricane season, while ocean temperatures in the Atlantic are expected to be slightly warmer than normal and trade winds are likely weaker than average. El Niño conditions tend to support less tropical storms and hurricanes, while warmer ocean temperatures and low winds support a more active year.

“Although El Niño’s impact in the Atlantic Basin can often suppress hurricane development, there is still uncertainty in how each season will unfold,” said NOAA’s National Weather Service Director Ken Graham. “That is why it’s essential to review your hurricane preparedness plan now. It only takes one storm to make for a very bad season.”

10. Your neighbor’s generator –no need to ask, they’ll understand.

9. Tree trimmers, so you can finally get rid of those pesky mangroves that impede your water view.

8. “Oregano.”

7. Your old iPod with “Rock You Like a Hurricane” – and nothing else.

6. A photo of your AC and working thermostat. To remember happy times.

THINGS TO ADD TO YOUR 2026 HURRICANE KIT

5. At least two gallons of bug spray.

4. Drone repellent. (Everyone knows the best time for Cuba to attack is when the power goes down.)

3. As many Publix chicken tender subs as you can fit.

2. A gallon Ziploc bag with every unidentified key in your house.

1. Reef the Fox (to keep the raccoons away).

Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook. Image by NOAA

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DOLPHINS SWIM ON

Switlik congratulates fifth graders with Moving Up ceremony

ALEX RICKERT

alex@keysweekly.com

Seventy-nine fifth graders stood together as elementary school students at Stanley Switlik for one final time on May 28 as the school celebrated its annual Moving Up ceremony. Filling the cafetorium with family, friends, teachers and administrators, each student had a moment to shine on stage while receiving individual awards in selfdecorated envelopes. The Class of 2033 will now shift from mammals to fish as the former Switlik Dolphins become Marathon Dolphins for the next seven years.

“We are sending a group of bright, funny fifth graders to Marathon Middle School,” said principal Linda Schaefer. ‘I couldn’t be prouder of this amazing class of 2033.”

1. James Zamora, left, and Aubree Wolf head to graduation.

2. The Class of 2033 preps for their final ceremony as Switlik fifth graders.

3. The Class of 2033 takes the Switlik stage one final time.

4. Cheniel Rojas-Guerra carries his awards envelope.

5. Teacher Alyssa Perry, left, and assistant principal Tanya Sly recognize Kevin Diaz for his perfect score on the state science assessment.

6. Royce Schmid receives his awards from teacher Alyssa Perry, assisted by paraprofessional Abbi Colella.

7. James Christensen gets his stage time with assistant principal Tanya Sly.

8. Fifth graders are all smiles as they head off to Marathon Middle School.

9. Sarah Adams, left, and Jesse Morton celebrate their graduate Jason Morton.

10. Katerin Navarro gets a few graduation gifts from her family.

11. Mila Lordi, left, gets a photo op with mom Amanda Matyi.

Photos by NATALIE DANKO/Keys Weekly

THIS WEEKS ENTERTAINMENT

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SHE’S DONE IT ALL

Linda Schaefer retires after 34 years of shaping Monroe County schools

ALEX RICKERT alex@keysweekly.com

When it comes to Monroe County schools, Stanley Switlik principal Linda Schaefer has done – well, just about all of it. And on May 29, she watched students file out the doors of the elementary school one final time as she headed off into retirement.

While she spent her final four years as Switlik’s leader, a career spanning more than three decades with MCSD began – and mostly unfolded –in the Lower Keys and Key West, when most knew her as Linda Diaz.

It started in 1992, when she was hired at what was then Glynn Archer Elementary School after finishing her degree with Nova Southeastern University. One of her professors? None other than recently-retired superintendent Theresa Axford. One of her first friends and closest coworkers in the district: current deputy superintendent Amber Acevedo.

“They were looking for teachers who were willing to experiment with computers, and Linda and I were the two that raised our hands,” Acevedo told the Weekly. “Linda expanded her knowledge base, went to classes. She always had a thirst for learning and began helping other teachers.”

That desire would lead her to three other schools – Sigsbee, Sugarloaf and Switlik – with 17 years of teaching and multiple district roles over a career that spanned 10 superintendents. Beyond her time in the classroom, both Schaefer and Acevedo said, she was focused on creating systems for teacher training and any administrative role the district threw at her. That meant everything from supervising the district’s Title 1 program to serving as the head of teacher training for all Monroe County schools.

“She was always game to learn more, do more,” Acevedo said. “That was the type of person she is, and that’s why she’s done so much. There are so many people, not just students but adults – she’s really been someone who helped them, molded their futures and helped them become better teachers.

Sitting down with the Weekly on one of her final days of school, Schaefer admitted the reality of retirement hadn’t fully registered yet. But with a summer trip to Europe with her husband John on the horizon, along with plenty of time to hang with their cat Stanley, work on stage and behind the scenes at Marathon Community Theatre, and pick out a new Netflix series, she said she’s looking forward to all of it.

The following answers were lightly edited for length and clarity.

Was education originally the plan? I actually went to college for broadcast communications at a little college in Tennessee. We had a 50,000watt FM radio station – I read the news and did disc jockey stuff, gave Steve Miller a run for his money. I moved to the Keys in 1988, and I went into education because that was the only degree you could get here at the time, through Nova. It turned out that I loved it.

You’re just days away from retirement. How does it feel? I think it will hit when it’s time for students to come back in August. My sister (Jessica Caton) teaches at Gerald Adams and my brother-in-law (Henry Boza) teaches at Key West High School, so our Sunday family dinners are all school talk. I don’t know what I’m going to talk about now!

You’ve worked with basically every school in the district. What stands out about Switlik? In other regions, they have charter schools and a lot of different options. Because we’re the (one) elementary school in Marathon, everyone here is 100% invested in this school. You don’t always

see that to the same extent.

Do you have a particular moment when you felt like you made a big difference in a kid’s life? Glynn Archer was the school that had the neediest kids, and they loved to be at school. I had a student who had a really tough time and actually had to repeat a grade. I really tried to mentor her and spend time with her, and being in Key West, I was able to follow the kids all through their careers. She told me, “I remember when I was in fourth grade, and you told me that if I didn’t get busy, I’d be in fourth grade again.”

How about a moment when you didn’t have it all together? I have two “Fake It ’Til You Make It” shirts. If I know it’s going to be a crazy day, I put one on, and the day turns out fine. I was actually wearing one when I came here to meet the staff for the first time.

Any parting message to staff? I’d tell them to keep doing what they’re doing and love the kids, with the individualization and the attention to students as people, not just learners. Making them members of the community and making them feel successful and special – that’s what the staff is all about here.

Is there a moment you ‘hang your hat on’ from your career? I think being the principal here. It’s a job where I was able to take all the things I learned from all the previous positions and help make a difference, whether it’s budgets, grant writing, recertification or helping teachers move forward.

What are the biggest challenges now in education versus when you started? When I started in 1992, we didn’t even have classroom

computers. Now, the challenge is with screen time, short attention spans and technology – it’s definitely a difference.

How about A.I. – where is its role headed in education? You can’t turn back the progress that’s been made, but it’s like Star Wars – go to the light instead of the darkness, and use it for the right reasons. It’s like when Google first became a thing. You have to take it with a grain of salt; it’s about putting in that skepticism, that reality check of ‘is this really accurate?’

We all know you’re not supposed to have ‘favorite students.’ But … did you? There’s a sixth grader who’s over at the middle school now who just warms my heart.

How do you think your teachers would describe you? Depends on the day (laughs). I’ve had people tell me I can say almost anything in a politically correct way, but still get my point across. I think they know that whatever decisions I’m making, I’m trying to do it for the best of everyone. So I’d like to believe they’d see me as being fair.

Linda Schaefer is surrounded by her second-grade students on one of her last days as principal of Stanley Switlik Elementary School.

Principal Linda Schaefer puts her John Hancock on the class shirt of fifth-grader James Zamora. ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly

REEL RECS

Staff from your Monroe County Public Library recommend some of their favorites from the collection.

What: “Griffin in Summer” (2024)

Why: “Griffin in Summer” is a charming comedy that might be ideal viewing for Pride month. The film centers around a wildly ambitious teen playwright named Griffin (played perfectly by Everett Blunck) and his newfound fascination with a young man his mother hires to fix things around the house, when the young man’s not trying to find work as (of course) an actor. “Griffin in Summer” is reminiscent of Todd Solondz’s work (“Welcome to the Dollhouse,” “Happiness”), though not as acerbic, or maybe Wes Anderson’s “Rushmore,” but gay. Where: This film is available on Kanopy, the library’s streaming service. How: You can browse and request DVDs by logging in to your account at keyslibraries. org. To view our collection of streaming movies and TV, go to kanopy.com/keyslibraries and set up an account with your library card. If you don’t have a card, you can visit your local branch or register online to get one. Questions? keyslibraries.org/contact-us

Recommended by: Michael Nelson, assistant director of operations.

See previous Reel Recs at keyslibraries.org/post/reel-recs.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER DRAWS CHALLENGER IN DISTRICT 2

George Lopez to run against incumbent Michelle Lincoln

MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com

Acounty commission race heated up this week, when George Lopez filed to run for the District 2 seat against incumbent commissioner Michelle Lincoln, who is currently the county mayor.

The race is likely to reopen Republican rivalries in the Florida Keys, as Lopez came out swinging against Lincoln in a statement to the Keys Weekly about his candidacy.

Lopez is married to Rhonda Rebman Lopez, a Republican firebrand and MAGA devotee who chairs the Monroe County Republican Executive Committee.

George Lopez texted a statement about his candidacy to the Keys Weekly on June 2. That statement appears verbatim here:

“Due to the fact that the current commissioner Michelle Lincoln is working against our great governor DeSantis who is trying to give our Monroe county residents badly needed property tax relief it made my decision to primary her very easy. She’s using her position at the league of counties and mayor of Monroe county to disrespectfully double down against the best governor florida has ever had. She doesn’t represent President Trump’s MAGA agenda and now she’s going against a governor that has been a US congressman veteran grad of Harvard Law & Yale undergrad with her liberal idealogy She claims Monroe county is a purple county that’s why she’s always dressed in purple!! Let me be clear!! Monroe county is Ruby Red country!!Trump DeSantis country!!! and commissioner Lincoln needs reminding. Print that in Bold Letters.”

Lincoln has been a county commissioner for eight years and is currently wrapping up her second term.

“I’m running because I want to continue serving all residents of District 2 and Monroe County,” Lincoln said. “My job is to protect the safety,

economy and environment of our county, and to accomplish that, I need to take the pulse of the community, which is why I’m everywhere, up and down the Keys.”

Lincoln added that District 2 is the longest, geographically, in the island chain. It stretches from Big Coppitt Key to the north end of Marathon, but only along the gulfside of Marathon.

“When someone calls my office or my cell phone, I don’t ask them if they’re a Republican or Democrat before I try to figure out how to help receive services for an elderly parent, or get a pothole fixed. That doesn’t matter to me.”

In response to Lopez’s mention of the Florida Association of Counties, Lincoln said she was proud to have been elected president of the association by its members, who represent all 67 Florida counties.

“I’m the very first person in Monroe County to have been elected president of that association,” Lincoln said.

Residency rules for candidates

George Lopez currently serves as an elected precinct committeeman for the Republican Party in the precinct that includes the private, gated community of Ocean Reef Club, where he and Rhonda live and own a home. He would have had to declare his residency there in order to have run for the committeeman position in that precinct.

When asked whether he lives in District 2, which he is now running to represent, George Lopez told the Keys Weekly, “My family has maintained a home in Sugarloaf since 1971 and two fishing IGFA world records in the district.”

When asked about residency requirements for county commission candidates, Monroe County Supervisor of Elections Sherri Hodies told the Keys Weekly on June 3, “Mr. Lopez will have to live in District 2 at the time of the election. So I’m assuming he’ll be moving to Lower Sugarloaf at the time of the election. As of now, he can continue being a committeeman in Ocean Reef, but then the county’s Republican Party can transfer him and make him a committeeman in his new district, if there’s an opening in that new precinct.”

Hodies said Florida law is frustratingly vague when it comes to defining residency. There is no specified amount of time that someone must spend in a certain address to be considered a resident there.

Hodies added that Florida’s supervisors of elections have requested legislative clarity to define residency.

Currently, an attorney general opinion states, “If one wishes to become a resident in a … district other than the one where he presently resides within the county where he presently resides, all that is required is that he move there and do the things normally incidental to lawfully taking up a residence. One’s residence can be changed within a very short time, given the requisite intent to permanently remain there and not return to the old locality.”

The primary election takes place Aug. 18. If no Democrat enters the race, it will be decided by all voters, regardless of party, on that day.

George Lopez

Michelle Lincoln

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WORM WONDERS

A TINY REEF CREATURE LURES TARPON & TEACHES LESSONS

TIFFANY DUONG tiffany@keysweekly.com

“The palolo worm.”

My new yoga classmateturned-dinner companion said it louder, as if my hearing was the problem and not my complete ignorance about what he was saying.

“Palolo. Worm,” he emphasized.

A few minutes later, veteran Florida Keys backcountry guide and fishing boat captain David Morris had his phone out, showing me photos of little reddish worms. Apparently, once a year, these marine critters rise from the reef, and migratory tarpon come to feast.

I’ve lived in the Keys for nearly eight years. I came here for coral restoration and stayed to tell stories about our environment. I spend plenty of time around scientists, divers and conservation groups. Yet somehow, I had never heard of the palolo worm hatch.

Just when you think you know a place, it entices you with another wonder.

Palolo worms are marine polychaete worms with one of the ocean’s strangest spawning strategies. During the hatch, the reproductive portion of the worm breaks away and swims to the surface, releasing eggs and sperm in synchronized swarms.

In the Keys, these events typically occur around the late May full moon and early June new moon. The best-known hatch happens near Bahia Honda, though smaller events occur throughout the island chain.

“The worm itself comes out of the bottom – typically hard bottom where there are sponges and sea fans,” said Islamorada fishing guide captain Richard Black. “It comes from healthy bottom.”

For a few evenings each year, the water can fill with thousands of drifting worms.

And, where the worms go, the tarpon follow — feeding voraciously.

Black has watched the phenomenon for years. “When the worms start swimming, it almost makes the tarpon act intoxicated,” he said. “They’re sipping worms and rolling around and sliding. It’s a really awesome event.”

MidCurrent, a fly-fishing publication, has called the event “the most electric week of the saltwater calendar.”

Exactly why the hatch is so irresistible to mature tarpon remains something of a mystery. Nobody has definitively studied what role the worms play in the fish’s spawning cycle, but Black believes the event is more than just a convenient buffet. “We don’t know really enough whether that event helps bring the fish together to spawn or exactly what it does,” he said, “but the fact that you get hundreds and at times thousands of fish to come together probably means something.”

Whatever the biological explanation, the hatch brings the tarpon, and the tarpon — during this event and throughout their migratory season in the Keys — remain one of the economic engines of the Keys. A 2103 Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT) study estimated the Florida Keys flats fishery, built largely around species like tarpon, bonefish and permit, generates more than $427 million annually for the local economy, supporting guides, hotels, restaurants, tackle shops and other businesses.

“Tarpon season has truly been the heartbeat of fishing guides down here since the 1950s,” Black said. “If the tarpon aren’t coming down here in April, May and June, there would be a lot slower business.”

My conversations with Morris and Black drifted toward broader questions: how connected everything in the Keys really is, and

what the current state of the fisheries says about where things are headed.

“The Keys are very much connected, bayside to oceanside, Key Largo to Key West,” Black said. He pointed to Florida Bay, where seagrass die-offs and algal blooms can eventually move through bridges and channels toward the reef tract, clouding water clarity and influencing conditions offshore.

That connectivity is easy to forget when we divide ourselves into very specific industries, both guides noted.

“We need to start talking to each other,” Morris said. “We need more conversations across industries. Fish people need to talk to the coral people need to talk to seagrass people need to talk to mangrove people. Because everything is connected.”

The worms emerge from the reef. Tarpon feed on them. Anglers gather to fish for tarpon and local businesses benefit from the fishery. Every link depends on the one before it, and none of it functions in isolation. The challenge, both guides suggested, is less about diagnosing individual problems than it is about working together to address what sits underneath them.

I’m still struck by how often learning happens here, over dinner, on docks and in passing conversations between people who have spent their lives reading water most of us only glance at.

We didn’t solve anything that night. But one shared meal was enough to reignite my curiosity — not just about a strangelynamed worm, but about what it would actually take for everyone who depends on these waters to see them as one system, and to act like it.

The Atlantic palolo worm hatch draws hundreds to thousands of mature tarpon to the Florida Keys each May/June, in a phenomenon that scientists don’t yet fully understand. MAGDA EHLERS/Pexels

What is a skill you are always learning or working on? I come from a family of musicians, but all I could ever play was the drums. My father could play almost any instrument and our son is a professional studio musician. I continue to practice learning and working on playing the bass guitar, but poorly.

If you could go back in time and change one thing, what would that be and why? Time travel would be pretty tricky. Changing history could have unforeseen consequences. Communication: text, phone or email? Why? That’s an easy one: text messages. You always have a record of conversation and most people probably check their text messages more often than their email.

What is an unpopular opinion you hold but you don’t care? Money is just a tool. Some folks are collectors. They want to gather as much money as they can. But you can’t take it with you. It’s only useful while you’re here. They call it currency for a reason. It’s designed to flow between us.

What condiment could you not live without and why? Mike’s Amazing Spicy Brown Mustard. Because it’s amazing, of course!

What conspiracy theory do you feel is actually true and why? I don’t really believe in conspiracy theories. There is a big difference between known facts and someone’s theory. They make for some interesting discussions though!

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

Our neighbor of the week is James Reed, who is the property manager for a local storage facility. He also manages inventory, sales, and merchandising for a local retail outlet. In his spare time he enjoys kayaking, snorkeling and riding his bicycle. Spending time outdoors on our beautiful island is his favorite thing to do.

JAMES REED

How long have you been in the Keys and what brought you here? My family and I have lived in Marathon for almost 13 years. Before that we were regular visitors. We fell in love with the island and never looked back!

If you could eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be? Fresh caught tuna, every day. If you were given $1 million, what would you do with it? I’d use every dollar to fund school lunch programs. Would a million dollars be enough?

What are three essential items you pack in your suitcase when going on vacation? That might depend on where I’m going. But I’ll always have a good rash guard, a quality pair of sunglasses and my trusty bottle opener.

Describe your ultimate day. My favorite days are the ones spent on the water with family and friends. Good music, a full cooler and lasting memories!

What’s a secret about you that people might be surprised to learn? Most people don’t know that I like to write. There is something about putting words on paper with a good pen that is immensely satisfying. I’m currently working on a short story about life’s lessons. I’ve never been published, but it’s still something that I enjoy.

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A SAD FINALE FOR A RARE VISITOR

Deep-water True’s beaked whale found dead in Grassy Key shallows

Arare juvenile deep-water whale met a sad end in the shallow waters off the Middle Keys on May 30.

A kayaking guest at Grassy Flats resort first reported the 16-foot carcass of the deceased whale, exhibiting several shark bites, in the shallow oceanside waters off Grassy Key on Saturday night.

Resort owner Matt Sexton relayed the sighting to local and state stranding network professionals, who enlisted the help of FWC officer Kevin Torres-Rosa to secure the carcass on a mangrove island before it could be safely extracted the next morning.

Working together with locals, and with the assistance of Duck Key’s Hawks Cay Resort, longtime stranding professionals Steve McCulloch and Art Cooper of Upper Keys-based Dolphin Life loaded the animal on a trailer the following morning, delivering it to FWC teams in Port Charlotte for a necropsy.

Researchers identified the whale as a juvenile True’s beaked whale, a squid-eating species, about which little is known, found in deep waters of the North Atlantic and Indian Ocean.

The deep-diving whales make routine plunges to more than 3,000 feet and are known to dive to nearly 10,000 feet to find their food.

“This was an extraordinarily rare species, probably one of the rarer species that anybody’s ever seen in the stranding network,” McCulloch told the Weekly. “It only has two very small little teeth, about one-third the size of your fingernail, in their lower jaw that they use to get cephalopods and squid down deep.”

The exact cause of the whale’s death was not determined at press time.

In a separate incident, a video uploaded to social media reportedly showed tiger sharks feeding on a whale carcass near the Dry Tortugas the same weekend. Responders told the Weekly they were aware of the incident and seeking more details on the location of the encounter.

If you see a stranded marine mammal, do not attempt to touch or handle the animal. Report it to a regional 24/7 hotline, which will connect you to a local stranding network.

NOAA’s southeast region hotline is 877-942-5343.

ALEX RICKERT alex@keysweekly.com

Left: FWC officer Kevin Torres-Rosa secures the whale carcass in the shallows off Grassy Key on May 30. Right: Dolphin Life director of stranding investigations Steve McCulloch works to load the juvenile True’s beaked whale onto a trailer for a necropsy and further study in Port Charlotte. Photos by ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly

A baby girl!

Lucas and Liam became big brothers to a baby sister on June 2 when Aubrey Rose McCarthy entered the world at Baptist Health Homestead Hospital at 10:16 a.m.

Weighing 7 pounds, 1 ounce and measuring 19.75 inches, she is the daughter of Brie Conway and Jim McCarthy of Tavernier. Her dad is the editor of the Upper Keys Weekly and her mom works at the Old Tavernier Restaurant. She is destined to change the world! Congrats to the young family.

MARATHON HAS A GOLDEN CHIHUAHUA

A pup from the Middle Keys named Nettie took home first place in the 13th annual Running of the Chihuahuas at Rick’s Bar in Key West on May 17. ‘After three years of consistently making the drive from Marathon to Key West, Nettie was tired of taking second place,’ said owner Cody Barnett, right. ‘We ran at the beach and the dog park playing fetch every day, training hard. This year she finally took home the gold medal.’ Photo contributed.

All five branches of the Monroe County Public Library are hosting Summer Reading programs, throughout June and July.

Kids can submit their weekly reading logs to earn prizes, and take part in library-sponsored programs featuring performers, crafts, writing activities, wildlife interactions, movies and more. More information is at keyslibraries.org.

“Summer Reading is one of my favorite library programs,” said Kimberly Matthews, senior director of libraries. “This initiative helps kids keep reading when school’s out, to avoid the ‘summer slip’ – but it’s not a list of assigned tomes or required essays. Instead, we encourage kids to read, and their parents to read with them. Everyone loves a good beach read, including our kids.”

Library branches have individual themes for Summer Reading tailored specifically to the community they serve. This year, for the first time, the two Upper Keys branches are sharing a theme – Happy 250th Birthday, America. Kids can turn in their reading logs at either branch to earn prizes.

All programs at the Monroe County Public Library are free and open to the public. Branch locations and hours are at keyslibraries. org/locations.

The Monroe County Public Library is South Florida’s oldest public

Members of the Key West Fire Department visit with kids participating in the library’s summer reading program at the Key West branch of the Monroe County Public Library. CONTRIBUTED

library with documented roots to 1892. It has branches in Key West, Big Pine Key, Marathon, Islamorada and Key Largo, along with lending machines in Key Largo and Stock Island. It is also the home of the Florida Keys History Center, located at the Key West Library branch.

The mission of the Monroe County Public Library is to deliver a broad range of resources, services and programs that meet the educational, informational and personal enrichment needs of the Keys community.

Kids enrolled in the summer reading program at the Marathon library are treated to a visit from one of the residents of the sheriff’s office animal farm. CONTRIBUTED

MAN O’WAR STING OPPONENTS IN CONCH BALL CLASSIC

Marathon’s Man O’ War 10U baseball team made the Middle Keys proud in the Key West Conch Ball Classic on May 31. Battling their way to the tournament final with an 8-1 win over Conch Ball 9U and a 3-1 victory over the Sarasota Shock 10U, the Man O’ War came up just short against their southernmost foes, Conchball 10U. Batters Andrew Worthington and Alex Ornelas hammered home runs from the plate, while James Zamora notched a grand slam. Pitchers Evan Paul and Carson Coletti each threw a complete one-run game from the mound. Team members included Beau Irwin, Evan Paul, Blaise Merryman, Jaythan Bibb, Andrew Worthington, Alex Ornelas, Luke Blanton, Abraham Gomez, Taylor Price, Isaac Simcic, Carson Coletti, James Zamora and Owen Loftus, along with coaches James Simcic, Ryan Irwin, Steve Coletti and Tyler Blanton. CONTRIBUTED

SHERIFF THANKS DRIFTWOOD

On May 29, Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay presented Driftwood Pizza in Marathon with a certificate of appreciation for its continued support of the sheriff’s office and local law enforcement. Owner Tony Piscetello told the Weekly his restaurant regularly donates food to events involving first responders throughout the year, most recently feeding participants in the 2026 Citizens Police Academy graduation. Photo contributed

PHILANTHROPY MATTERS

ELIZABETH BROWN

... is president and CEO of the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys.

Scholarship season supports our future

As every parent, teacher, school administrator and student can tell you, March Madness does not hold a candle to the overscheduled madness that is Maycember. Add mangoes beginning to fall from the trees, and it is certainly a wild ride.

At the root of all that busyness during this season of change are gratitude and appreciation. May is when our community pauses to say thank you to teachers, mothers, fallen service members and all those helping launch the next generation into the world. Here at the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys, it is also scholarship season. Cue the best kind of madness.

Across our community over the last several weeks, millions of dollars have collectively been poured into the Class of 2026 through local fundraisers, generous donors, civic and social clubs, businesses and individuals who believe deeply in the future of these graduates. This year, our foundation awarded $86,500 in scholarships to 45 students from Key Largo to Key West, helping support future teachers, nurses, engineers, artists, first responders and so many others preparing to make their mark on the world. Many of these graduates plan to return to the Keys, helping keep our community strong. We look forward to staying in touch with these recipients as they enter their next phase of life and learning more about how these scholarships make a difference for them and their families.

Scholarships come in all shapes and sizes. Some honor students will attend a specific university, pursue a certain field of study or achieve athletic accomplishments. Then there are the memorial scholarships. Those often hit the hardest. They are bittersweet, carrying forward the light and legacy of loved ones who are no longer here to attend the ceremony themselves. Scholarships are one of the most meaningful ways to carry a legacy forward, and helping families create those lasting legacies is an area where we specialize.

I recently spoke with a donor interested in establishing perpetual scholarships in honor of loved ones while also involving his children in the selection process. It was important to him that the scholarships not only support students for generations to come, but also create a tradition of family philanthropy that his children could continue long into the future.

If you recently found yourself sitting in one of those scholarship award ceremonies thinking, “I would love to do that someday,” we would love to help you make that happen. Whether you want to create a scholarship today, include one in your estate plans or simply learn more about the options available, we can help design something that fits your goals, your family or business, and your financial situation.

It is a wonderful time to think about starting something good.

To the Class of 2026, we bid you fair winds and following seas. When the time comes, remember the love from the community that supported you to this point, and carry that legacy forward by helping those coming behind you.

And please, hug your moms and pick up those mangoes. Your mom may already be planning to turn them into something a little stronger.

To learn more, reach out to us at cffk@cffk.org.

MICROPLASTICS: NEW FEAR UNLOCKED FUNCTIONALLY

NCAFFEINATED WELLNESS

ot sure where your credit card went? Thought your tea bag was safe? I'm sorry, but I'm about to ruin your world for just a little bit. So, pour yourself a glass of water, in a glass glass, and we'll get to why in a moment, because we need to talk about microplastics.

Let's start with the number that stopped me cold. Some estimates suggest we ingest the equivalent of a credit card's worth of plastic every single week. Not swipe it. Eat it. And if you think you're avoiding it by skipping the plastic fork and feeling very virtuous about it, I hate to tell you, but microplastics have been detected in beer, honey, milk, seafood and yes, tea bags, with research confirming that plastics migrate into food and drink during completely normal everyday use. Your relaxing, healthy, doingeverything-right evening cup of tea. There it is.

Here's how it gets in. You eat it, you drink it and you breathe it. Experts estimate people inhale around 68,000 microplastic particles every single day. Sixty-eight thousand. Before lunch. Once inside, these particles don't just politely pass through. Microplastics have been found throughout the human body, in the blood, lungs, placenta and brain, and research shows they accumulate in tissues over time. They move in and apparently they like it here.

Here's the part that really got my attention, and I say this as someone whose entire career is built on keeping your body working well: Your bloodbrain barrier is one of the most sophisticated defense systems in the human body, a tightly regulated filter specifically designed to keep harmful things out of your brain. Recent studies have demonstrated that microplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier, causing potentially irreversible toxic damage to the central nervous system.

A landmark study published in Nature Medicine found that brain tissue samples collected in 2024 contained roughly 50 percent more microplastics than samples taken just eight years earlier, leading researchers to estimate our brains are now 99.5 percent brain, and the rest is plastic. File that under: things I wish I didn't know.

The health implications being studied read like a list nobody asked

...is a Marathonbased ACSMcertified personal trainer and precision nutrition coach who owns and operates Highly Motivated Functionally Caffeinated LLC.

for. Microplastics have been linked to inflammation, a compromised immune system, altered metabolic function and cell damage, with a suspected connection to colon and lung cancer. People with polyethylene found in their arterial plaque were 4.5 times more likely to experience a heart attack, stroke or death over a threeyear period. Okay. We need a palate cleanser. Here it is.

You cannot eliminate microplastics entirely. They are literally everywhere, including on the top of Mount Everest, so there is no winning that particular battle. But you can meaningfully reduce your exposure starting today, in your own kitchen, without moving off the grid or giving up modern life entirely.

Ditch the plastic cutting boards and go wood or bamboo. Stop storing food in plastic containers and switch to glass, ceramic or metal. Never microwave food in plastic – move it to a plate first. Those beloved nonstick pans? When scratched or heated, they can shed thousands to millions of microplastic particles directly into your food. Cast iron, stainless steel or uncoated ceramic are your friends now. Plastic water bottles expose you to roughly six times more microplastics than tap water, so a filter and a reusable glass or stainless steel bottle is one of the easiest swaps you'll ever make. And your tea? Loose leaf in a stainless steel strainer. Problem solved, ritual preserved.

And because I will never stop saying it: A healthy diet, regular exercise and sufficient sleep all help your body defend itself against every threat to your health, including the ones that weren't even on the radar 10 years ago.

The world has enough plastic in it. Let's keep a little more of it out of you.

JENNIFER HARVEY

Coral Shores High School graduate Jaime Cary receives the Merrick Dunn Memorial scholarship from Elizabeth Brown, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys. Keys Weekly file photo

MARK HEDDEN

... is a photographer, writer, and semi-professional birdwatcher. He has lived in Key West for more than 25 years and may no longer be employable in the real world. He is also executive director of the Florida Keys Audubon Society.

There are few more shopworn phrases in journalism and advertising than, “It’s that time of year again.” Because every time of year is that time of year again. But I was stopped at a red light on Duval the other day when I saw a male white-crowned pigeon sidle up next to a female white-crowned pigeon, who was sitting on a wire just overhead, and start to pitch some woo. And against my better judgment, I thought it. It’s that time of year again. Breeding season for the white-crowns.

White-crowned pigeons, like most of the pigeons and doves found in the U.S., are sexually monomorphic. Androgynous, as Paul Westerberg sang in the Replacements song of the same name. But you could tell who the male was by the fact that he did the sidling. And you could tell who the female was because she was the one who was sidled upon.

Nineteen times out of 20, when you see this happen, the female flies off. Sometimes he will follow and try to make his case again; sometimes he won’t. But this particular male white-crowned pigeon must have been pitching some proper woo because the female didn’t move when he hopped on top of her. Things happened, and 10 seconds later he hopped off and the two sat side by side, staring off into space, the avian equivalent of sharing a cigarette.

How do white-crowned pigeons know who is male and who is female? I don’t know. Do they ever get it wrong? I still don’t know. I can’t find a lot of studies on the subject.

I might have started some kind of more detailed study of the pair I saw over Duval Street, or at least grabbed my camera and got a photo, but the light turned green and someone behind me honked and I had to get moving.

This was not the first time I saw whitecrowned pigeons mating. I’d seen it happen before on a utility line that stretched over North Roosevelt Boulevard.

Reading up, though, it was pretty clear that I’d caught a pretty limited view of him exhibiting his game.

To attract a mate, male white-crowned pigeons have a cooing call that sounds something like hoooo, hoo ha hoooo in a soft, mellifluous tone. Maybe that is why she stopped and landed on that wire. Or maybe she just landed on that wire for reasons inscrutable to anyone but herself.

I’ve been hearing white-crowns calling pretty much any time I walk my dog or ride my bike around town lately. But I’ve also

PAIRING UP AS A HIGH -WIRE ACT

been hearing mourning doves, white-winged doves, Eurasian collared doves, and if it’s quiet enough, common ground-doves. He may have been cooing up there on that wire as I sat there, but it was hard to hear with the windows up and the air-conditioning on.

White-crowned pigeons have a pulchritude that kind of sneaks up on people. I remember a couple of years ago my friend Holly calling me up after noticing one for the first time in her backyard, practically yelling into the phone, “Oh my God, it’s so beautiful!” It’s the Wedgwood blue feathers, the iridescent green laddering pattern that runs up the back of their neck, and the nominate white crown which, in the heat of the day, can look like the snows of Kilimanjaro on the top of a mid-sized pigeon’s head.

In silhouette and in profile, it might be possible to confuse them with your basic everyday rock pigeon, but their heads are laterally compressed, and if they face you they look kind of pinheaded.

Being as I saw the consummation of this pair’s relationship, no doubt there was a lot of courtship that I missed. In the early stages of trying to impress a female, the male will perform a display flight, where he will flap his wings several times and fly straight up from his perch, then glide back down with wings fixed like an airplane. He will throw his wings high up when he takes off, and stop the downstroke midway, when his wings are flat across. It was possible he’d done this multiple times, following her around from spot to spot.

I also probably missed him approaching her with his throat puffed up and his tail spread out, bowing as he moved, and committing a number of frontside ollies, where he leapt up repeatedly and did a series of 180-degree directional changes.

White-crowns are a Caribbean species. The Keys and Florida Bay are the northernmost part of their range.

Nearly any species account you read about white-crowned pigeons says that they require separate habitats for nesting and feeding, making them sort of avian commuters. But most of those accounts are out of date, at least regarding the Lower Keys. I actually participated in a survey some time in the early 2000s organized by Tom Wilmers, the now retired biologist for the Key West National Wildlife Refuge, where a bunch of people spread out on boats at dawn and counted the white-crowns flying in from the backcountry islands to feed in Key West. (White-crowns only eat fruit.)

I don’t remember how many we counted that day – hundreds, possibly thousands. But if you repeated that survey today, I doubt that you would see much. Following the damage to the Keys’ mangrove forests following Hurricane Wilma in 2005, and Irma in 2017, the whitecrowns seem to have taken up both nesting and feeding in Key West and the Lower Keys.

I see white-crowns fly in and out of the mahogany tree in our yard every day, but the mahogany has a thick canopy, so if there’s a nest up there, I have not been able to find it. They certainly feed over our driveway, primarily on the branches of our neighbor’s blolly tree that hang over the fence. I know this because I see them there, too, but also because the guano they leave on our truck is a very specific color of red.

White-crowns are monogamous, at least seasonally, so the Duval Street pair I saw most likely would do a little billing and cooing, then start working on a nest, probably nearby, before laying and incubating a clutch of eggs.

I wish them the best of luck.

A white-crowned pigeon on a wire in Key West. MARK HEDDEN/Keys

PHOEBE

1-year-old female “mini Malinois.”

Looking for: Lots of activity, swimming and keeping busy.

Turnoffs: I have a hard time sitting still. Lazy is not for me.

SWIPE RIGHT

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

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

From cats and dogs to Guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, reptiles and birds, the perfect addition to your family is waiting for you at one of the SPCA’s two campuses, in Key West and Marathon. The SPCA’s knowledgeable staff will help with advice and care tips while working to ensure a good fit between each pet and its people.

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

Hurricane fosters needed. With hurricane season upon us, the SPCA needs volunteers and fosters in case of a storm. Over 100 animals would need to be evacuated, so it is crucial they all have homes in place before an impending storm. The SPCA provides everything you need; all

CHLOE

10-month-old female American bully. Looking for: Do you have a pool? I love pools. Turnoffs: I’m just learning things like crate and potty training.

PEACH

1-year-old female domestic shorthair.

Looking for: I love to be held, but I love snacks more.

Turnoffs: I was a young mom. Please spay and neuter your pets.

you do is give an animal a safe haven during the storm and return them to the shelter once it’s safe – that is, if you don’t fall in love. For more information on becoming a hurricane foster, visit https://fkspca.org/volunteer/become-a-foster-volunteer/ or call 305-743-4800.

BRIEFLY

Marathon Elks to host Summer School’s Out Party

The Marathon Elks Lodge will host a Summer School’s Out Party on Saturday, June 6 from 5 to 9 p.m. at 8239 Overseas Highway. Join the lodge for an all-ages bash with games, karaoke and fun to kick off the summer. Bring family and friends to the lodge for free entertainment, with food and drinks available for purchase. Children must be accompanied by an adult. No membership is required, and all funds raised stay in the Keys for donation to the local community.

Sanctuary Advisory Council to meet June 16

NOAA’s Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council will meet in person on Tuesday, June 16 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the council chambers at Marathon City Hall. The meeting is open to the public, and a public comment opportunity will be offered around 12:10 p.m. The council will receive updates from its two working groups, which will include an opportunity for council input and discussion. In addition, NOAA staff will present on summer plans and weather conditions, including the potential for sargassum weed impacts in the region. NOAA and Office of National Marine Sanctuaries leadership team members will join the meeting. The meeting will also be available in real time for listening only, via GoToWebinar; register in advance by scanning the QR code. To listen by phone, call 415-655-0052 and enter PIN 116-949-650. An agenda and supporting materials will be posted at https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/sac. More information is available from Liz Trueblood, sanctuary advisory council coordinator, at elizabeth. trueblood@noaa.gov.

Kids’ robotics team seeks engineering mentors

Local youth robotics team Ruckus Robotics is seeking experienced mentors to work with the members. The team’s bright minds are looking for engineering professionals who have experience in electrical and mechanical engineering, java coding, AI, robotics and related fields. The team would like to connect with retired, practicing professionals or current college students in these fields who are looking to get involved in the local community. Mentors bring real-world perspectives for students to help them improve their designs, build their skills and work through problems in innovative ways. More information is available via email to ruckusroboticsllc@gmail.com. Background checks are required.

Marathon man sentenced for sale of cocaine

On May 27, Gerome Leatherwood was sentenced to 50 months in Florida state prison after pleading no contest and being adjudicated guilty of sale of cocaine before Monroe County Judge Derek Lewis. Leatherwood also received concurrent 50-month sentences in two additional drug-related felony cases. Leatherwood also received a six-month driver license revocation and was ordered to pay $848 in assorted court, prosecution, investigation and defense costs. The latest charge stemmed from an undercover narcotics investigation conducted by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office special operations unit in Marathon. According to reports, detectives used a confidential informant to conduct a controlled purchase of crack cocaine from Leatherwood on Aug. 15, 2024, near 20th Street and Boot Key Harbor Bridge. Investigators maintained surveillance during the transaction and later recovered about 0.68 grams of crack cocaine, which field tested positive and was submitted to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for analysis. The informant was later shown a photo lineup and positively identified Leatherwood as the individual who sold the cocaine. The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Jon Byrne.

Marathon airport earns Runway Project of the Year

On May 20, the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners recognized Florida Keys Marathon International Airport for receiving the Southeast Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives Runway Project of the Year award, for the Runway 7-25 shift project that was completed in October. The award was announced during the association’s annual conference in March in Savannah, Georgia. It recognizes a critical investment in airfield safety and compliance; a project that required careful coordination in a constrained island environment; and successful execution that maintained airport operations while delivering major infrastructure improvements. “This award reflects the dedication, coordination and vision behind Marathon's transformative runway relocation project,” said Richard Strickland, executive director of airports. “The reconstruction of Runway 7-25 represents a major investment in the future of air transportation in the Middle Keys and enhances safety, resiliency and operational capabilities for years to come.”

Cudjoe Key man faces murder charge

A 56-year-old Cudjoe Key man was arrested on May 28 for alleged murder in the death of his wife, 62-year-old Lynne Alane Shadduck. She was found unconscious on a hallway floor with injuries to her face, head and hands just before 6 a.m. that day on Maracaibo Lane. The sheriff’s office was notified after her husband, Bradly Shawn Shadduck, went to a neighbor’s home wrapped in a blanket or towel but otherwise naked, and asked them to call 911 as there was “blood everywhere.” The interior of the Shadduck residence was found in disarray with blood in multiple areas. Lynne Shadduck was taken to Lower Keys Medical Center on Stock Island, where she was later pronounced dead. The investigation continues and autopsy results are pending. Shadduck was booked into jail.

Quay boat ramp closed for three weeks

The Quay boat ramp on Overseas Highway in Marathon (MM 54) closed for roughly three weeks starting June 1. The closure will allow for the dock at the ramp to be rebuilt. More information is available from the city’s public works department at 305-743-0033.

Anchoring permits required for 14 days or more

In accordance with state law, a new long-term anchoring permit is required for vessels staying 14 days or more in one location within a 30-day period. The program was established to reduce derelict and abandoned vessels and improve stewardship of Florida’s waterways. The permits are available online and valid for one year, and must be updated if a vessel moves more than one nautical mile. More than three citations for violations in a 24-month period may result in vessel removal and disposal. More information is available via email to ltap@myfwc.com. To apply, scan the QR code:

from page 4

WILL FLORIDIANS GET SOME TAX RELIEF?

My question is … is there anything else that can be proposed that would actually deliver thousands of dollars of savings every single year to taxpayers?”

— Gov. Ron DeSantis

the necessary approvals.

“Property taxes are the primary funding source for sheriff’s deputies, fire and EMS, jails and emergency response. Under this amendment, public safety budgets could be frozen at 2026 funding levels or even reduced as Florida’s population and calls for service climb. There would be no mass layoffs, just fewer new deputies, slower replacement of squad cars and longer response times, just like Los Angeles,” the association said.

Monroe County Administrator Christine Hurley told Keys Weekly the county has major concerns over the proposal and the loss of revenue. The county said it heeded federal and state-recommended government efficiency efforts last year, trimming almost $19 million in non-core services, while increasing starting and overall pay for sheriff and fire employees.

About 91 percent of Monroe County’s ad valorem (property) tax levy pays for public safety operations and constitutional officers. Public safety services alone account for roughly 69 percent of the levy, supporting the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Fire Rescue, Trauma Star Air Ambulance, Emergency Management, detention operations and emergency communications. Constitutional officers account for another 22 percent.

Democrats in the House and Senate submitted amendments to sunset the changes in 2031. They were voted down by the Republican majority.

Bradly Shadduck. MCSO/Contributed

• Property tax bills for the first installment of 2026 were mailed out and are due by June 30. If the first installment is not paid by July 31, then you will be removed from the plan.

• Local business tax renewals will be mailed out at the end of June for the 2027 business cycle.

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

• Delinquent tangible taxes for 2025 must be paid by June 30 or a tax warrant will become e ective on July 1.

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

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

imortant tax information.

ROCK & REGGAE LEGENDS PLAY ONE NIGHT IN KEY WEST

See Gov’t Mule & Ziggy Marley Sept. 30 at

the amphitheater

Rock powerhouse Gov’t Mule and nine-time Grammy Award winner Ziggy Marley will perform at Key West’s Coffee Butler Amphitheater on Wednesday, Sept. 30.

Blending the power of rock, blues, reggae, soul and improvisational jam, this one-night-only performance unites two acts whose influence spans generations. Against the waterfront backdrop of Key West’s Truman Waterfront, fans can expect a high-energy night of iconic songs, masterful musicianship and an island atmosphere.

“We are still and always have been committed to bringing great live music to Key West and this was one of those shows we felt encompassed the right fit for our island,” said Kelly Norman, vice president of Rams Head Presents. “While our management agreement with the city of Key West for the amphitheater will be ending, our passion for producing world-class concerts here remains unchanged.”

Local ticket presale for residents is available Thursday, June 4 from 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Use local presale code: MULEZIGGYKW26

General tickets go on sale Friday, June 5 at 10 a.m.

Tickets range from $52.50 to $149.50 and will be available at thekeywestamp.com or in person at the Key West Theater box office, 12 Eaton St.

Ziggy Marley is a nine-time Grammy Award winner, Emmy winner, musician, producer, activist and humanitarian whose career has spanned nearly four decades. The eldest son of Bob and Rita Marley, Ziggy has forged his own path, infusing reggae with elements of funk, blues, rock and soul. Marley explores themes ranging from environmental awareness and

self-empowerment to social injustice and political inequity — while continually returning to the transformative power of love. Through his own companies, Tuff Gong Worldwide and Ishti Music, Marley maintains full control of his masters and publishing while also supporting charitable efforts through URGE, benefiting children in Jamaica, Africa and North America.

About Gov’t Mule

For three decades, Gov’t Mule has galvanized a fan base with honest and daring music alongside improvisational virtuosity.

Led by Grammy Award-winning artist, guitar legend, songwriter and producer Warren Haynes, the Grammy-nominated group’s catalog features more than 20 studio and live albums, thousands of performances and millions of album and track sales worldwide.

Gov’t Mule’s most recent 2023 studio album, “Peace…Like A River” was hailed as “captivating,” “riveting” and among the band’s finest work to date. The album features guest appearances from Billy F. Gibbons, Ivan Neville, Billy Bob Thornton, Ruthie Foster and Celisse.

The current lineup includes Warren Haynes (guitar, vocals), Matt Abts (drums), Danny Louis (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), and Kevin Scott (bass). Together, Gov’t Mule continues to embody the spirit of great American music while pushing creative boundaries both in the studio and on stage.

Fans are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets only through the official venue website or box office. Many secondary ticketing websites misleadingly appear to be official ticket outlets and often list inflated prices or inaccurate availability.

If a show appears sold out online, fans may contact Rams Head Presents or the Key West Theater’s box office directly before purchasing through a third-party seller, as tickets may still be available through official channels.

About Ziggy Marley

FICTION IN THE FORECAST

THREE NOVELS FILLED WITH DRAMA AND MYSTERY AS HURRICANE SEASON IS UPON US

UNDER WATER

By Tara Menon

When Marissa and her father, a prominent marine biologist, move from New York to Thailand, life takes a turn no one could have imagined. Her mother has tragically passed away, and Marissa is brought to a remote island where her father can continue his research and move forward from their painful loss. At school, Marissa meets Arielle. They are only 5 years old, but Arielle immediately takes Marissa under her wing, and the two become sisters in every sense of the word. Inseparable and endlessly curious, the girls discover the delicate ecosystem around them, the wonders of the sea and all of its marvelous creatures. When the tsunami of 2004 destroys their world, Marissa’s reality is forever changed. Years later, back in New York, she once again faces disaster as Hurricane Sandy’s fierce winds bear down on the city, forcing memories of her past to come rushing back. It’s fascinating how the author uses grief, friendship, family and loss as mirrors for natural disasters. These forces can leave us helpless, afraid and wondering what the future holds. This beautiful debut novel is about nature and the equally precious and fragile relationships that shape our lives.

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

THE STORM

By Rachel Hawkins

Geneva is the owner and all-around handywoman keeping

the Rosalie Inn running. Growing up in St. Medard’s Bay, Geneva never dreamed she would return, running the hotel her family has owned for generations — and doing it alone. Chris, her ex, couldn’t handle commitment, and her mom, now in a nearly catatonic state, is in nursing care nearby. Geneva is hanging on by a thread, both financially and emotionally. Then an author named August arrives with none other than Lo Bailey at his side. They are writing a book about Lo’s life and the 1984 hurricane, Marie. Legend has it that when Lo was 19, she was having an affair with the handsome governor’s son. When he was killed during the storm, Lo was charged with murder. All these years later, she has returned to finally tell her side of the story. As August digs deeper, Geneva begins to piece together her own family mystery. Set during the tense days leading up to a massive hurricane, this suspenseful thriller is hard to put down. The author perfectly captures that unmistakable pressure in the air — the kind that comes from both a dangerous storm and a town full of secrets.

THE DISPLACEMENTS

By Bruce Holsinger

The Larsen-Hall family relocated from Michigan to Miami, settling into a big, beautiful house. Daphne is struggling to adjust to her fanciful new life as an artist, wife and mother. Her younger children are in school, and Gavin, who should be finishing his freshman year at Stanford, is home on a break. Daphne’s pretentious surgeon husband, Brantley, hasn’t been around much since they arrived. Closely following the news in the morning, Daphne is alarmed to hear a Category 6 hurricane has changed direction and is heading their way. Quickly packing the kids, dog and a few necessities into their minivan, they race to pick up Brantley at the hospital, only to be told he is delayed. As panic builds along the highway, the family keeps driving. When nothing goes as planned, they are transported to a FEMA megashelter with thousands of evacuees. As the days pass slowly, the news out of Miami is devastating, and there is no sign of Brantley. Daphne and her children learn the hard truth about survival, and the unfair ways of the world. This fast-paced novel gathers force, pulling the reader straight into the chaos and making it impossible to look away.

#WORTHWATCHING

“Hurricane Season” stars Forest Whitaker as a Louisiana high school basketball coach rebuilding a team after Hurricane Katrina. Based on a true story, this 2010 movie follows a group of displaced students from several schools who come together on the court while their community is struggling. An uplifting sports drama about teamwork, resilience and hope. Check it out on Prime Video.

KAREN NEWFIELD

CHRIS McNULTY

is an astrologer, wanderer, bartender and advocate for queer justice. He is a loquacious Gemini with a cozy Cancer rising. Find him at hearthandheraldastrology.com

Happy Pride, Key West. This week, as we celebrate the tenacity and creativity of the queer community, remember the universe does not impose binaries, attraction exists in myriad forms and creative self-development is a gargantuan and participatory cosmic process. The astrology of this week is beautifully suited to thinking outside the box and challenging deeply ingrained beliefs. Mercury, the planet of thought and communication, entered the sign of Cancer on June 1, immediately forming a 90-degree square to Neptune, the planet of dreams and idealism. This forces us to confront the tension between our rational minds and our daydreams. It has us questioning the very foundations of our reasoning, and encourages us to think of possibilities beyond the bounds of our structured minds. What is possible for us to think that has not yet been thought? How can we put words together in ways that open up new worlds? This week, be sure to hold on to something that grounds you as the mind may try to become untethered. Once you have your anchor, have fun and let go. The analytical mind needs its vacation, too, so as not to become deathly rigid.

Here are your horoscopes for Mercury square Neptune. Read for your rising and sun signs.

GEMINI

May 21 - June 20

Are your hopes and dreams shifting significantly? Perhaps it is difficult to determine exactly what you want to achieve, but you’ve discovered you no longer strive for the things you used to. Let your goals change, but remember not to lose sight of your material survival needs. Dream your future into existence, and take care of your basics at the same time.

CANCER

June 21 - July 22

When you think of yourself, what comes to mind? You’re becoming aware of the idealized version of yourself that is seen by the public, but who are you without the public gaze? This week marks the beginning of taking yourself back from the image. Take time to think about who you are in this moment, and don’t be afraid to let yourself change.

LEO

July 23 - Aug. 22

Faith is likely becoming a big theme for you, Leo. You are beginning to question and change some of your foundational worldviews. Amid the potentially chaotic shifts happening underfoot, your mind deserves its peace and quiet, too. Let your thinking take a break through meditation or quiet repose. It will ultimately serve your bigger project.

VIRGO

Aug. 23 - Sept. 22

You are likely in the process of dissolving some investments you’ve made, be they financial, social or energetic. That process can feel somewhat isolating, but it is important to keep your eye on your support network. Who is on your side, whether or not they are involved in your activities? Think about who will stick with you as you let go of some of your projects.

LIBRA

Sept. 23 - Oct. 22

You have a public platform, even if you have only one set of ears listening or 10 followers on socials. The size of the platform doesn’t matter nearly as much as what you speak from it. You have a message to share, so figure out how to articulate it in an authentic-yet-creative way. Your partner may confuse you a bit, but allow them to challenge you to perfect your message.

SCORPIO

Oct. 23 - Nov. 21

You have thoughts of grand excursions and changing landscapes, and yet you also dream of routine and stability. Can these two impulses find a shared reality? Of course they can. You are the one who decides what works for you. This week, think about what your next explorations will be, and spiritualize your routines in a way that you can take them anywhere.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 22 - Dec. 21

Your mind turns to matters of investment and intimacy. How can you be more strategic about your investments? How can you allow yourself to enter into intimacy with clear vision? A big part of that answer is dissolving into your own creative outlets. When you become immersed in your creativity, you are given the strength and clarity to pursue your other goals.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22 - Jan. 19

Partnership, in many ways, becomes another home. Take some time to think about how partnership shows up in your life, whether it is rooted in romance, friendship or business. It may feel as though your home and your partner are competing at the moment, but they are not separate. They are integrated through you, and you can resolve the tension.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 20 - Feb. 18

Consider your labor. How do you use your energy to get things done? It may feel as though your familiar surroundings — where you work, live, shop — are dissolving around you. But the loss of the familiar does not mean a loss of self. You can ground yourself in your routines and labor by turning your analytical eye in that direction. Think about how you do what you do.

STAY CURIOUS

PISCES

Feb. 19 - March 20

Can you pursue your creative goals even if there is no monetary incentive? You currently have an opportunity to clearly think about and succinctly articulate your creative endeavors, and yet there is a great possibility that the return on your labor will not be monetary. However, there are returns that are greater than gold. Let your dreams lead.

ARIES

March 21 - April 19

You are beginning a long chrysalis journey, dissolving your old self and reformulating your new self. Be patient with this process because it will take longer than you expect. However, right now turning your thoughts to home and family will challenge your transformation in a powerful way. Where do you want your roots to plant? What is the ideal soil for your newly forming self?

TAURUS

April 20 - May 20

Your daydreaming is probably very loud right now, Taurus. That is A-OK and right on time. Your subconscious is incredibly active. Your challenge right now is to find ways to articulate the nebulous messages you are receiving. What are you learning that deserves to be shared with others? What can you teach us from the trove of wisdom that exists beneath your surface? Let it out.

Having Fun in the Middle Keys

CITY COUNCIL ITEMS

*A. Approval of Minutes

B. Justice Lee Athletic Achievement Proclamation

C. Acknowledgement of Diane Clavier (Clerk) 20 years of Service to the City of Marathon, Jared Weaver (Engineering) 5 years of Service to the City of Marathon, and Maria Covelli (Grants) 5 years of Service to the City of Marathon

CITY MANAGER REPORT

*A. MCSO Marathon Substation Report

*B. Grants Update

*C. Public Works Report

*D. Park and Recreation Report

*E. Engineering Report

*F. Marina Report

*G. Code Report

*H. Building Report

*I. Marathon Fire Rescue Report

*J. Florida Commerce ACSC Administration Permit Contact Line (Informational)

K. Property Tax Update

L. City Website Update

M. Employee Interchange Agreement

- Risk Management

QUASI-JUDICIAL PUBLIC HEARINGS

A. Resolution 2026-47, Consideration Of A Request By Key Colony Homes, LLC., For A Conditional Use Permit, Pursuant To Chapter 102, Article 13 Of The City Of Marathon Land Development Regulations (“The Code”) Entitled “Conditional Use Permits”, Authorizing The Construction Of A Boat Ramp At The Property Located At 62 Coco Plum Drive, Which Is Legally Described As BK 3 Lots 3 And 4, Coco Plum Beach, Fat Deer Key PB4-166, Marathon, Monroe County, Florida, Having Real Estate Number 00363290-000000, Nearest Mile Marker 54

ORDINANCES FOR FINAL PUBLIC HEARING AND ENACTMENT:

A. Ordinance 2026-02 An Ordinance Of The City Of Marathon, Florida, Amending The City Of Marathon’s Comprehensive Plan Modifying Chapter One, “Future Land Use Element,” And Intending To Modify Table 1-1, “Future Land Use Densities And Intensities,” Modify Policy 1-3.5.13, “Inventory Affordable/Workforce Housing,” Modify Policy 1-3.5.14, “Establish A Land Acquisition And Conservation Advisory Committee,” Modify Objective 1-4.1, “Provide Workforce-Affordable Housing Building Permit Allocations,” Providing For Severability; Providing For The

City of Marathon City Council Agenda

9805 Overseas Hwy., Marathon

Tuesday, June 9, 2026 5:30 P.M.

(*Denotes Item Is Passed By Consent Upon Approval of Agenda)

Repeal Of Conflicting Provisions; Providing For The Transmittal Of This Ordinance To The State Department Of Commerce After The First Hearing By The City Council; And Providing For An Effective Date

B. Ordinance 2026-03 An Ordinance Of The City Of Marathon, Florida, Amending The City Of Marathon’s Comprehensive Plan Modifying Chapter Two, “Housing Element,” And Intending To Modify Policy 2- 1.1.3, “Affordable And Workforce Housing Report,” Providing For Severability; Providing For The Repeal Of Conflicting Provisions; Providing For The Transmittal Of This Ordinance To The State Department Of Commerce After The First Hearing By The City Council; And Providing For An Effective Date

C. Ordinance 2026-04 An Ordinance Of The City Of Marathon, Florida, Amending The City Of Marathon’s Comprehensive Plan Modifying Chapter Three, “Infrastructure Element,” And Intending To Modify Policy 3-3.4.1, “Pursue Funding Sources,” Providing For Severability; Providing For The Repeal Of Conflicting Provisions; Providing For The Transmittal Of This Ordinance To The State Department Of Commerce After The First Hearing By The City Council; And Providing For An Effective Date

D. Ordinance 2026-05 An Ordinance Of The City Of Marathon, Florida, Amending The City Of Marathon’s Comprehensive Plan Modifying Chapter Four, “Conservation And Coastal Element,” And Intending To Modify Policy 4-1.2.14, “Establish And Coordinate Acquisition Programs,” Providing For Severability; Providing For The Repeal Of Conflicting Provisions; Providing For The Transmittal Of This Ordinance To The State Department Of Commerce After The First Hearing By The City Council; And Providing For An Effective Date

E. Ordinance 2026-06 An Ordinance Of The City Of Marathon, Florida, Amending The City Of Marathon’s Comprehensive Plan Modifying Chapter Five, “Intergovernmental Coordination Element,” And Intending To Modify Policy 5-1.2.4, “Coordinate All Transportation Improvements,” Modify Policy 5-1.2.10, “Render Appropriate Development Permits,” Providing For Severability; Providing For The Repeal Of Conflicting Provisions; Providing For The Transmittal Of This Ordinance To The State Department Of Commerce After

Pursuant to Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes, if a person decides to appeal any decision made by the City Council with respect to any matter considered at such hearing or meeting, one will need a record of the proceedings and for such purpose that person may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made; such record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based. Please contact the City Clerk at clavierd@ci.marathon.fl.us if you would like to receive any of the items on the agenda by email. ADA Assistance: The City of Marathon is committed to ensuring that all members of the public can participate fully in City Council meetings, programs, and services. We strive to provide an inclusive and accessible environment in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The City will

The First Hearing By The City Council; And Providing For An Effective Date

F. Ordinance 2026-07 An Ordinance Of The City Of Marathon, Florida, Amending The City Of Marathon’s Comprehensive Plan Modifying Chapter Seven, “Transportation Element,” And Intending To Modify Policy 7-1.1.3, “Address Short Term And Long Term Strategies To Reduce Clearance Time,” Providing For Severability; Providing For The Repeal Of Conflicting Provisions; Providing For The Transmittal Of This Ordinance To The State Department Of Commerce After The First Hearing By The City Council; And Providing For An Effective Date

G. Ordinance 2026-08 An Ordinance Of The City Of Marathon, Florida, Amending The City Of Marathon’s Comprehensive Plan Modifying Chapter Nine, “Implementation And Review Element,” And Intending To Modify Policy 9-1.2.2, “Annual Work Program And Evaluation,” Providing For Severability; Providing For The Repeal Of Conflicting Provisions; Providing For The Transmittal Of This Ordinance To The State Department Of Commerce After The First Hearing By The City Council; And Providing For An Effective Date

B. Ordinance 2025-09, Amending Chapter 104, Article 1 “General Provisions” By AmendingSection 104.02.1 “Affordable -Early Evacuation Residential Unit” To Address Government Agency Management; Providing For The Repeal Of All Ordinances Or Parts Thereof Found To Be In Conflict; Providing For Severability; Providing For The Transmittal Of This Ordinance To Florida Commerce After Final Adoption By The City Council; Providing For Inclusion In The Code Of Ordinances And Providing For An Effective Date. Ordinances for First Public Hearing:

A. Ordinance 2026-22, An Ordinance Of The City Of Marathon, Florida, Amending The City’s Land Development Regulations, Chapter 104, “Specific Use Regulations,” Article 1, “General Provisions,” Section 104.64, “Waterfront Walkways And Docks”; Providing For Severability; Providing For The Repeal Of Conflicting Provisions; Providing For The Transmittal Of This Ordinance To The State Department Commerce After Final Adoption By The City Council; And Providing For An Effective Date

RESOLUTIONS FOR ADOPTION:

A. Resolution 2026-48, Adopting The City Of Marathon 10-Year Water Supply Facilities Work Plan; Providing For An Effective Date

*B. Resolution 2026-49, Adopting The City Of Marathon Roadway Vulnerability Study; Providing For An Effective Date

*C. Resolution 2026–50, Accepting The Ranking And Recommendation Of The City’s Evaluation Team In Response To An RFQ For Professional Construction Engineering & Inspection (CEI) Services For The Construction Of The 117th Street, 116th Street, And 112th Street Bridges; Authorizing The City Manager And Staff To Negotiate A Contract With The Top Ranked Firm Of RS&H; And Providing For An Effective Date

D. Resolution 2026-51, Rescinding Resolution 2023-33 Keeping Existing Fees And Fines And Waiving Fees For Military Veterans By Registering With The City

*E. Resolution 2026-52, Approving Amendment 1 to the Professional Services Agreement With Raftelis Financial Consultants, Inc. For The Preparation Of Annual Utility Financial Analysis And Other Related Services In An Amount Not To Exceed $60,000.00 Per Fiscal Year; Authorizing The City Manager To Execute The Amendment On Behalf Of The City And Expend Budgeted Funds; And Providing For An Effective Date

F. Resolution 2026-53, Authorizing And Approving A Contract For The Construction Of Phases 2 And 3B Force Main For The Deep Injection Well Project To Accurate Drilling Systems, Inc. In An Amount Not To Exceed $7,625,000.00; Authorizing The City Manager To Execute The Contract And Appropriate Budgeted Funds On Behalf Of The City; And Providing For An Effective Date

*G. Resolution 2026-54, Authorizing And Approving A Contract For The Service Area 3 Vacuum Tank Replacement Project To Pedro Falcon Contractors In An Amount Not To Exceed $781,043.00; Authorizing The City Manager To Execute The Contract And Appropriate Budgeted Funds On Behalf Of The City; And Providing For An Effective Date

*H. Resolution 2026-55, Authorizing And Approving A Contract For The Area 5 WWTP Effluent Disposal Upgrades Project To Charley Toppino And Sons, Inc In An Amount Not To Exceed $634,000.00; Authorizing The City Manager To Execute The Contract And Appropriate Budgeted Funds On Behalf Of The City; And Providing For An Effective Date

HURRICANE SEASON

That means you should have an evacuation plan in place, gathered important documents, stocked your shelves, and cleaned your yard among all the other steps we take each year to stay safe. Part of being prepared is having an emergency supply kit ready.

A basic emergency supply kit should include:

• Water (one gallon per person per day)

• Medications

• Non-perishable food, can opener, utensils

• First-Aid kit

• Personal hygiene items

• Important documents and phone numbers

• Emergency cash

• Battery-operated NOAA weather radio

• Cell phone charger

• Matches and lighters

• A camping stove/grill with fuel or charcoal

• Fire extinguisher and a box of baking soda

• Heavy-duty plastic bags and a plastic bucket

• Pet supplies

• Reentry vehicle sticker

For more information on hurricane preparedness, go to www.monroecountyem.com

Let’s make this storm season as safe as we can!

County Sheriff, Rick Ramsay

Monroe

In The Bleachers

Jericho High School in Nassau County, Long Island, will have not one, not two, but 21 valedictorians to represent the 300 seniors graduating in June, UPI reported on May 18. The school determines valedictorians based on unweighted letter grades. “It shows a lot of success,” coprincipal Brian Cummings said. “Historically, this is the way we’ve done it with letter grades. The difference between a 99.8 and a 99.83 is insignificant, so letter grades really capture what we represent.” With such a large number of valedictorians, not all of them will be able to give a commencement speech, so school officials have had to get creative. “We’re going to put them at the front of the procession,” Cummings said. “We’re [also] creating a video that we’re going to share with the community about their accomplishments.”

Adam Dailies

Brevity

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Robert Merrill (1917-2004), opera singer; Dennis Weaver (19242006), actor; Ruth Westheimer (1928-2024), therapist/media personality; Bruce Dern (1936- ), actor; Mortimer Zuckerman (1937), publisher/real estate executive; Michelle Phillips (1944- ), singersongwriter/actress; Keith David (1956- ), actor; John Hockenberry (1956- ), journalist/author; Rob Huebel (1969- ), actor/comedian; Noah Wyle (1971- ), actor; Angelina Jolie (1975- ), actress; T.J. Miller (1981- ), actor.

In 1989, Chinese government troops and tanks crushed a massive demonstration of pro-democracy protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

23-Pulitzer Prizes normally awarded each year. Online-only news organizations were eligible for 14 journalism prizes for the first time in 2009.

“While failure leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, the sweetness of winning more than makes up for it, and you’ll never win at anything unless you takea risk in the first place.”

Ruth Westheimer

Brevity

Nancy Dailies

Founded by Betty Debnam

PLAYING FOR THE CUP

This year’s FIFA World Cup is extra special because it’s taking place in North America! Between June 11 and July 19, 11 U.S. cities, along with three cities in Mexico and two in Canada, will host soccer teams from all over the world as they compete for the championship title.

U.S. HOST

CITIES ARE:

Mexican host cities are Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey. Canadian hosts are Toronto and Vancouver.

This will be the first tournament with 48 teams, an expansion from 32.

The World Cup has two stages, or parts: group play and knockout play. In group play, each team plays the other three teams in its assigned group. If a team wins, it receives three points; a draw, or a tie, is awarded one point. The two teams with the most points in each group advance to the knockout stage, where a loss means elimination.

2026 FIFA World Cup Groups

Argentina is the defending World Cup champion, having won its third title in 2022.

Meet the Mascots

With three host countries, FIFA World Cup has introduced three mascots: Maple the moose from Canada, Zayu the jaguar from Mexico, and Clutch the bald eagle from the United States.

Maple is a goalkeeper and loves music and art. Zayu is a striker who loves Mexican culture, including dance and food. Clutch, a midfielder, loves adventure and is a leader on his team. Maple, Zayu and Clutch

Estadio Azteca in Mexico City can accommodate more than 87,000 spectaAtlanta

WHAT IS FIFA?

FIFA (FEE-fah) is a French acronym for the International Federation of Association Football. (In the U.S., we call this game soccer.) It is the organization in charge of the World Cup and other international soccer tournaments.

GETTING ORGANIZED

FIFA organizes members into six confederations, or groups. Each confederation hosts a tournament to determine which teams qualify for the FIFA World Cup. The countries hosting the matches qualify automatically.

FIND IT

Words that remind us of the FIFA World Cup are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find: CANADA, CHAMPION, CLUTCH, CONFEDERATION, CUP, FIFA, FOOTBALL, GROUP, HOST, KNOCKOUT, MAPLE, MASCOT, MEXICO, SOCCER, STAGE, TEAMS, UNITED STATES, WORLD, ZAYU.

BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, is home to soccer and rugby teams. It can hold more than 54,000 people.

RESOURCES

ON THE WEB • fifa.fans/4taE0nr AT THE LIBRARY • “FIFA World Cup 2026 Kids’ Handbook”

ECO NOTE

A creature with a brain no larger than a sesame seed has surprised scientists by demonstrating something akin to a sense of rhythm, according to an Australian study. Bumblebees learned to recognize repeating patterns of flashes and vibrations, and could still identify the same rhythms even when the signals were faster, slower or switched from vibrations they could feel to flashes they could see. This kind of abstract pattern recognition had previously been associated with animals such as parrots, songbirds and primates.

Photo by Tasnim News Agency

MINI FACT:

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the vessel below will be sold at public sale on the date listed below at 10AM for monies owed for storage pursuant to Florida Statutes 328.17.

SALE DATE: June 19, 2026 at 10AM

LOCATION: Caloosa Cove Marina, 73501 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, Florida 33036

VESSEL: 1986 Catalina Sailboat, HIN: CTN3361G586, Registration: FL5492GX

BALANCE DUE: $9307.04

OWNER: Michael Zutevez

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

Publish: June 4 & 11, 2026

The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE

Notice is hereby given that Big Pine Storage, pursuant to the Florida Self Storage Facility Act, Florida Statutes (Section 83.801–83.809), will sell at public sale by competitive online bidding to satisfy the owner’s lien for unpaid rent, fees, and other charges.

Sale to be held online at 11:00 AM on June 10, 2026, at storagetreasures.com.

Contents of the following unit(s) will be sold:

Unit: 425 – Kimble Kenney, 800 35th Ocean, Marathon, FL 33050 –Personal items Property is stored at Big Pine Storage, 30677 Overseas Highway, Big Pine Key, FL 33043. All items are sold as is, where is, and must be removed within 48 hours of purchase.

Publish:

May 28 and June 4, 2026

The Weekly Newspapers

PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE

Florida Keys Council of the Arts Notice of Upcoming Meetings

The Florida Keys Council of the Arts will hold the following meetings via Communications Media Technology using a ZOOM webinar platform. The access points to view the Zoom meetings or for members of the public to provide public input will be: JOIN ZOOM via the Zoom app and use each meeting ID and password listed. Meetings are open to the public, and all are invited to attend. Questions, or to RSVP, please email Liz Young at director@keysarts.com

Executive Committee Meeting

June 12, 2026, at 10:00 AM Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/ 85730609695?pwd= 0vbHQn4gRQKifAti G0iijmVAgdPZAH.1 Meeting ID: 857 3060 9695 Passcode: 840623

Art In Public Places Committee

Meeting

June 16, 2026, at 4:00 PM Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/ 82094501985?pwd= rBih1bYCIOo8jwXkS6 dvq5dpkyccb1.1

Meeting ID: 820 9450 1985

Passcode: 509374

Membership & Development Committee Meeting

June 24, 2026, at 10:00 AM

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/ 89701976913?pwd= I7CJRKh31yZfrGnT7ua jLrAvuHP72e.1

Meeting ID: 897 0197 6913

Passcode: 661484

Publish: June 4, 2026

The Weekly Newspapers

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

DATE/TIME:

Planning & Zoning Hearing: Wednesday, June 17th, 2026, 3:30 P.M.

City Commission Public Hearing: Thursday, July 16th, 2026, 3:30 P.M.

LOCATION:

City of Key Colony Beach City Hall Auditorium ‘Marble Hall’ 600 W. Ocean Drive, Key Colony Beach, Florida 33051,

To hear a Variance Request from Yankiel Valdes, owner of the property at 311 4th Street, Key Colony Beach, Florida 33051. This meeting will be available via Zoom Meetings. Members of the public who wish to attend virtually may email the City Clerk at cityclerk@keycolonybeach.net or call 305-289-1212, Ext. 2, for further instructions on attending via Zoom.

The applicants request a variance from the City of Key Colony Beach Land Development Regulations, Article IV, Sec. 101-26 (13), which limits yard adornments to a maximum height of 48 inches.

The existing adornment on the property exceeds this limit by approximately 36 inches. All other requirements for yard adornments under Article IV, Sec. 101-26 (13) are being met.

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

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

If you are unable to attend the Hearings on Wednesday, June 17th, or Thursday, July 16th, 2026, but wish to comment, please direct correspondence to the City Clerk at P.O. Box 510141, Key Colony Beach, FL 33051, or via email at cityclerk@ keycolonybeach.net, and your comments will be entered into the record.

Published: On or before June 7th, 2026

City Clerk

City of Key Colony Beach

Publish:

June 4, 2026

The Weekly Newspapers

CITY OF KEY COLONY BEACH

NOTICE OF CODE AMENDMENT

HEARING

“SECOND/FINAL READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 2026-512”

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Commission of the City of Key Colony Beach, Florida, will hold the following Public Hearing to hear amendments to the City’s Code of Ordinances.

DATE/TIME: Thursday, June 18th, 2026, 3:30 PM

LOCATION: City of Key Colony Beach, Marble Hall, 600 W. Ocean Dr., Key Colony Beach.

The proposed Ordinance to be heard by the City Commission is [ORDINANCE NO. 2026-512], entitled: “AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF KEY COLONY BEACH, FLORIDA; AMENDING CHAPTER FIFTEEN OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, ENTITLED STORMWATER UTILITY SYSTEM; AND PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; REPEALING ANY INCONSISTENT PROVISIONS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE..”

The Business Impact Statement is available for review on the City of Key Colony Beach’s website at www.keycolonybeach.net and at City Hall at 600 W. Ocean Drive, Key Colony Beach. Interested parties may appear at the meeting and be heard with respect to the proposed ordinance. Copies of the proposed Ordinance are available for inspection at the City Hall of Key Colony Beach. If any person decides to appeal any decision made by the Key Colony Beach City Commission with respect to any matter considered at the Code Amendment Hearing, that person will need a record of the proceeding and, for such purpose, may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.

If you are unable to attend the Public Hearing on Thursday, June 18th, 2026, but wish to comment, please direct correspondence to the City Clerk, P.O. Box 510141, Key Colony Beach, FL 33051, and your comments will be entered into the record.

To be published: On or before June 10th, 2026

City Clerk - City of Key Colony Beach, Florida

Publish: June 4, 2026

The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF INTENT TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF COUNTY ORDINANCE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN that on June 10, 2026, at 9:00 A.M. or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, at the Nelson Government Center, 102050 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, Florida, 33037, the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida, intends to

The Monroe County Tourist Development Council has funding available to governmental entities and non-profit organizations for capital projects.

The project/facility must have the primary purpose of promoting tourism and must fall into one of the following categories:

Convention Center, Sports Stadium, Sports Arena, Coliseum, Auditorium, Aquarium, Museum, Zoological Park, Nature Center, Fishing Pier, Beach or Beach Park Facility, Channel, Estuary, or Lagoon, Public Facilities in Accordance with Conditions set forth in the Florida Statutes. The deadline for receipt of applications is Tuesday, June 30th, 2026, and applications must be downloaded from the County’s Bonfire platform.

For more information, please email grants@fla-keys.com. Publish: May 7, 14, 21 & 28 and June 4, 11 & 18, 2026. The Weekly Newspapers

consider adopting the following ordinance: AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, AMENDING SECTION 2-58(D) OF THE MONROE COUNTY CODE TO EXPAND UPON THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; AND PROVIDING FOR TRANSMITTAL AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

The proposed ordinance may be inspected by the public at the Monroe County website by viewing the agenda packet for the June 10, 2026, meeting, which will be posted beginning on June 2, 2026 at: https://www. monroecounty-fl.gov/695/BOCCMeetings-Agendas. The ordinance may also be viewed at the Monroe County Attorney’s Office at 1111 12th Street, Suite 408, Key West, FL 33040.

The public can participate in the June 10, 2026, meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, FL by attending in person or via Zoom. The Zoom link can be found in the agenda at: https://mcbocc.zoom. us/j/89204098700, or Live Closed Captioning is available via the MCTV portal at https://cloud.castus.tv/vod/ monroe/ video/60832c9dcf67bb 7ac0c21791?page =HOME&type=live.

ADA ASSISTANCE: If you are a person with a disability who needs special accommodations in order to participate in this proceeding, please contact the County Administrator’s Office, by phoning (305) 292-4441, between the hours of 8:30a.m. — 5:00p.m., prior to the scheduled meeting; if you are hearing or voice-impaired, call “711”.

Pursuant to Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes, notice is given that if a person decides to appeal any decision made by the Board of County Commissioners with respect to any matter considered at such meetings or hearings, that person will need a record of the proceedings, and for such purpose, that person will need to ensure that a verbatim record is made of the proceedings, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.

Dated at Key West, Florida, this 30th day of May, 2026.

KEVIN MADOK, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Ex Officio Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida Publish: June 4, 2026

The Weekly Newspapers

NOTICE OF INTENT TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF COUNTY ORDINANCE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN that on June 10, 2026, at 9:00 A.M. or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, at the

Nelson Government Center, 102050 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, Florida, 33037, the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida, intends to consider adopting the following ordinance: AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, AMENDING ARTICLE VII. OF CHAPTER 2 OF THE MONROE COUNTY CODE, AMENDING ARTICLE VII TITLE FROM LAND ACQUISITION AND DISPOSITION (RESALE) PROGRAM TO LAND ACQUISTION, DISPOSITION (RESALE) PROGRAM, AND LEASES OF COUNTY-OWNED REAL PROPERTY CREATING DIVISION 5 LEASES OF COUNTY-OWNED REAL PROPERTY, PROVIDING FOR STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES GOVERNING LEASES OF COUNTYOWNED REAL PROPERTY PURSUANT TO FLORIDA STATUTE § 125.35(3); PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; AND PROVIDING FOR TRANSMITTAL AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

The proposed ordinance may be inspected by the public at the Monroe County website by viewing the agenda packet for the June 10, 2026, meeting, which will be posted beginning on June 2, 2026 at: https://www. monroecounty-fl.gov/695/BOCCMeetings-Agendas. The ordinance may also be viewed at the Monroe County Attorney’s Office at 1111 12th Street, Suite 408, Key West, FL 33040.

The public can participate in the June 10, 2026, meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, FL by attending in person or via Zoom. The Zoom link can be found in the agenda at: https://mcbocc.zoom. us/j/89204098700, or Live Closed Captioning is available via the MCTV portal at https://cloud.castus.tv/vod/ monroe/video/60832c9dcf67bb 7ac0c21791?page= HOME&type=live.

ADA ASSISTANCE: If you are a person with a disability who needs special accommodations in order to participate in this proceeding, please contact the County Administrator’s Office, by phoning (305) 292-4441, between the hours of 8:30a.m. — 5:00p.m., prior to the scheduled meeting; if you are hearing or voice-impaired, call “711”.

Pursuant to Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes, notice is given that if a person decides to appeal any decision made by the Board of County Commissioners with respect to any matter considered at such meetings or hearings, that person will need a record of the proceedings, and for such purpose, that person will need to ensure that a verbatim record is made of the proceedings, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.

Dated at Key West, Florida, this 30th day of May, 2026. KEVIN MADOK, Clerk of the Circuit

Court and Ex Officio Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida Publish: June 4, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers

PLACE YOUR PUBLIC AND LEGAL NOTICES IN THE KEYS WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS BY EMAILING: ANNEKE@ KEYSWEEKLY.COM

AUTOS WANTED

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

AUTOS FOR SALE

2018 Ford Transit Van For Sale. Only 25k miles. Located in Marathon. $23,000 Call George at 305-783-0886

2001 Dodge Dakota Van For Sale. ONLY 49k miles, 4 seats, mechanically sound, cold A/C, White in color, paint in good condition. Located in Summerland Key. $5,000 OBO 305-394-2777

BOAT MISC.

FOR SALE

PRICE DROP! 2 Suzuki 60hp 2013 motors for sale - 4 stroke, low hours, with controls & wiring harnesses. Currently on boat if you want to test run. $6,000 OBO for the pair. $3,400 single motor. Located at MM74. Gary 305-393-1415 SOLD IN LESS THAN THREE WEEKS!!!

Used NEPTUNE 4-post BOAT LIFT For Sale. 15,000 lbs.+ Located in Marathon. $800.00 260750-6479 SOLD IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!!!

BOATFORSLIP/RACK RENT

Boat Slip &/or Rack For Rent in Marathon at The Boat House, Vaca Key. Call Tony 561-346-6400

EMPLOYMENT

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

Safety Staff- We are seeking a reliable, dedicated, and responsible Safety Staff member to join our team. Full-time & Part-time availability starting at $18/hr. To apply, call 305-6644860 Ext 1, e-mail: corrine@orlk.org or apply in person at Outdoor Resorts at Long Key, 65821 Overseas Hwy, Long Key

Handyman needed for residence In Marathon. High Pay! Start right away. Call Bob at 305-395-0478

NO EXPERIENCE

NECESSARY - Concrete Field Testing Technician needed. Full-time. Year round. We train you to go to various job sites and collect samples. Vehicle provided. Must speak English and have clean driving record. Starting pay $20/hour. Pay rate will rise at intervals. Benefits included. 305-743-5555

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

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, Electrician, Housing Assistant & Custodian (Marathon). 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.

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

Groundskeeper/ Maintenance person, KCB, Sea Isle Condominium, 20 hrs. per week, $27 per hr., apply by e-mail to HardingThomasL@ aol.com, text or call 734-476-0531. HIRED!!!

Boat rental company in Marathon looking for help with boat detailing & boat cleaning. Call 305-481-7006 HIRED!!!

Hiring for busy pediatric office in Tavernier. FullTime Medical Assistant/ RN - Pediatric experience preferred. Must multitask in fast-paced setting. Pay is commensurate with experience. Email resume to: flkeyspeds@gmail.com HIRED!!!

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 TBDbased on skill. Email: Natalie@cecflk.com HIRED!!!

HOUSING FOR RENT

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

ANNUAL RENTALKey Largo - 3BR/2BA new kitchen, Spacious Doublewide modular on canal w/40’ dock, direct ocean access. Very nice community $3500/ month 786-258-3127

LONG TERM RENTALS: HUGE EFFICIENCY, 650 SF, partially furnished $1,650/month AND 2 Bedroom unfurnished, all appliances, renovated, for rent in Marathon. On the water, gated property. Section 8 possible. $2,000 month. First/Security Call 305-610-8002

3BR / 3BA fully furnished home for rent in Marathon. Available June 30. $3,790/month incl. utilities 618-559-9143

2BR/1BA Condo Unit at Schooner Condominium for rent in Marathon. Newly renovated, furnished. Pet negotiable. Annual lease. $2,900/mo F/L/Security negotiable. 305-431-0577 alicia@ keysrealestate.com

RISK MANAGER

Key Largo 6 months Canal front rental on Blackwater Sound. 40' dockage, 1 BR/1 BA Trailer with 1,000 sq. ft. living area. $2,300/mo. 904-2379090 or 904-338-1207 RENTED!!

WANTED TO BUY

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

MONROE COUNTY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

The Monroe County Attorney’s Office is seeking a strategic and experienced Risk Manager to lead and administer the County’s comprehensive risk management and insurance programs.

This highly responsible professional position serves within the County Attorney’s Of ce and plays a vital role in safeguarding County assets and minimizing liability exposure. The Risk Manager provides expert guidance to County leadership on risk mitigation strategies while ensuring the effective administration of insurance programs, claims management, and regulatory compliance.

The successful candidate will oversee all County property, casualty, liability, and supplemental insurance programs; manage liability claims and coordinate litigation efforts; review contracts for insurance and risk provisions; administer the uninsured loss fund; and supervise Risk Management staff. This role requires frequent collaboration with County leadership, outside counsel, insurance carriers, consultants, and departments across the organization. For more information and to apply online, visit: www.MonroeCounty-FL.gov/jobs For questions, contact Human Resources at: Careers@MonroeCounty-FL.gov or 305-292-4554. Deadline - Open until lled. Veteran’s Preference Available; E.O.E.

FULL-TIME POSITION PUBLIC WORKS LABORER

The City of Key Colony Beach is seeking a full-time Public Works team member. The position includes completing daily tasks and working on projects, ensuring the safe and ef cient maintenance and repair of public infrastructure such as roads, right of way, stormwater systems, parks, facilities, vehicles and equipment.

Salary: $58,000 to $75,000 DOQ

Bene ts include Medical, Dental, and Life Insurance, Paid Vacation, Sick Leave, Holidays, and the Florida Retirement System (FRS).

Application forms can be found at www.keycolonybeach.net; see “I WANT TO” then “APPLY FOR A JOB.”

Equal Opportunity Employer

Submit resume and application by mail or in-person to:

City of Key Colony Beach

Attn.: Michael Guarino

P.O. Box 510141

Key Colony Beach, FL 33051

Or email Michael.guarino@keycolonybeach.net

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

YARD SALES

SARA’S ESTATE SALE at a tropical jungle waterfront estate in Marathon near Sombrero Beach, 42 Treasure Road – Fri June 5 & Sat June 6 from 9a to 1p both days. Standouts: precious & semiprecious jewelry,

dozens of clay pots/ planters, new kayaks and adult trike. We have garage tools (gas, electric, battery, handheld), garage juice (cleaners, lawncare, oil, etc.). There are two bedroom sets – one Tommy Bahama, one wicker – plus 2 living rooms, outdoor furniture like hammock chairs and Weber grill. There is a stationary bike, a new adult trike, rolling walker & more. Electronics include dive camera, 200 CD player & video camera. To see the full

sale, visit estatesales.net. (Last left before Sombrero Beach. Follow the signs; park with consideration.)

PLACE YOUR YARD SALE AD HERE. $25/week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-743-0844 or Email Anneke@ keysweekly.com

NOW HIRING FULL-TIME WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT OPERATOR

The City of Key Colony Beach is seeking a quali ed Full-Time Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator to perform skilled technical work in the operation, monitoring, maintenance, and repair of the City’s wastewater treatment facilities and collection systems.

Responsibilities Include:

• Operating and monitoring wastewater treatment equipment and systems

• Performing routine inspections and preventative maintenance

• Monitoring SCADA and telemetry systems

• Collecting samples and performing laboratory testing

• Maintaining operational logs and compliance records

• Responding to emergencies, alarms, and after-hours callouts

• Assisting with pumps, motors, valves, and treatment equipment maintenance

• Ensuring compliance with FDEP, EPA, and OSHA regulations

Minimum Qualifications:

• Able to work independently with limited supervision

• High School Diploma or GED

• Valid Florida Driver's License

• Florida Wastewater Treatment Operator License preferred

• Experience in wastewater treatment operations or utilities maintenance preferred

• Ability to work weekends, holidays, and emergency assignments as needed

Preferred Qualifications:

• SCADA system experience

• Mechanical or electrical maintenance experience

• Knowledge of wastewater collection systems and pumps

• Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) wastewater system experience

• Integrated Surge Anoxic Mix (ISAM) wastewater system experience

• Class C Wastewater Operator License

Benefits Include:

• Florida Retirement System (FRS)

• Health Insurance

• Paid Holidays

• Vacation and Sick Leave

• Based on Quali cations and Licensing

• Attractive Salary Based on Quali cations and Licensing

Submit application and resume to:

City of Key Colony Beach

City Clerk, 600 W. Ocean Drive, Key Colony Beach, FL 33051 or email: cityclerk@keycolonybeach.net

Position open until lled. EOE/DFWP

Work with the

D'Asign Source is seeking the following professionals. Overtime and benefits are available.

Home Décor Sales Consultant

Customer-focused sales professional with experience in retail or customer service. Creativity and interest in home décor a must. Help customers discover pieces that turn everyday spaces into something special.

Kitchen Design Specialist

Individual who brings creativity, functionality, and style together in kitchen and bath design. Design kitchens that become the heart of the home.

Associate Interior Designer

Detail-oriented and creative individual to assist with residential design projects. Education or experience in Interior Design required. Help bring inspired residential interiors to life.

For complete details and to apply, please visit DAsignSource.com/careers

wants you to join their team!

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

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

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

SUBSTATION ELECTRICIAN

(High Voltage Substation Electrical Technician)

Starting pay rate for this position, depending on qualifications and experience: $46.38/hr. - $51.94/hr.

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

KEYS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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

ARE 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.

KEY LARGO

Behavioral Health Counselor (CAT) Case Manager (Adult) Mental Health Technician

KEY WEST

Case Manager (Children) Crisis Counselor

Behavioral Health Counselor (Children) Prevention Specialist

Behavioral Health Therapist (Children)

MARATHON

Mental Health Technician

Driver (CDL NOT required) (FT, PT)

Registered Nurse (FT, PT)

Behavioral Health Therapist (Adult, PT)

*Support Worker (Assisted Living) (FT)

*Behavioral Health Technicians (FT, PT)

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

OPENINGS AVAILABLE

PHYSICIAN PRACTICE OPENINGS

- Medical Assistant, Ortho-Tavernier, $5k Bonus

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

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

- Medical Assistant, Ortho, Key West, $5k Bonus

- Radiology Technologist, Ortho Surgical, Key West, $25k Bonus

MIAMI CANCER INSTITUTE KEY WEST

- Director Nursing Services, Operations Support Key West, $5k Bonus

- Medical Assistant, Outpatient Procedures, $5k Bonus

- Patient Access Scheduler, Operations Support Key West, $5k Bonus

- Pool Radiation Therapist

TAVERNIER MARINERS HOSPITAL

- Chaplain, Chaplaincy Spiritual Care, Per Diem

- Clinical Partner, Multispecialty Acute Care Center, $3k Bonus

- Clinical Pharmacist, $5k Bonus

- Customer Service & Membership Coordinator, Mariners Wellness Center

- Exercise Assistant, Mariners Wellness Center, Per Diem

- Exercise Physiologist, Per Diem

- MC Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, CT Scan, $50k Bonus

- Mechanic, FT, 7A-3:30P

- Medical Staff Coordinator, Mariners Hospital, FT

- Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, Echocardiography, Per Diem

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

- 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, $4k Bonus

- Pool Clinical Pharmacist, Per Diem

- Pool Group Exercise Instructor, Per Diem

- Pool Medical Technologist

- Registered Nurse, Multispecialty Acute Care, $25k Bonus

- Registered Nurse, ICU, $15k Bonus

- Registered Nurse, Surgery, $15k Bonus

- Supervisor Chef, Dietary

MARATHON FISHERMEN’S COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

- Cook, Dietary, PT

- Multi-Modality Imaging Tech 1, (CT & X Ray), Radiology, $25k Bonus

- Phlebotomist, Laboratory, Per Diem, 7A-3:30P

- Pool Physical Therapist, Per Diem

- Registered Nurse, Emergency Department, Per Diem

- Registered Nurse, Multispecialty Acute Care Center, Various Shifts & Statuses

- Registered Nurse, Surgery, $15k Bonus

- Registered Respiratory Therapist, $25k Bonus

- Registered Respiratory Therapist, PT, $12,500 Bonus

- Security Officer, FT, 7A-7:30P

- Security Officer, Per Diem

select full-time positions based on candidate experience. APPLY AND LEARN MORE careers.baptisthealth.net

THEME: CANDY

ACROSS

1. Family room staple

5. Refrigerator sound

8. *One of original Life Savers flavors

12. Diabolical

13. Supernatural life force

14. Dust allergy triggers

15. Magnesium silicate

16. Thor’s father

17. Audienceís approval

18. *Coconutty candy bar (2 words)

20. Baltimore player

21. Dip a ____ ____ the water

22. Acronym, abbr.

23. *”The Freshmaker” candy

26. Deck painter, often

30. Flight info

31. Russia’s plain

34. Nat of Jazz

35. N in RN

37. Across, in verse

38. *Inspired by “Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

39. Under the weather

40. Lipase or sucrase, e.g.

42. Part of a match

43. English traveling courts

45. Ones with title

47. ____ Aviv

48. Sign of life

50. Between Phi and Kappa

52. *Once known as Chicken

Feed (2 words)

56. Trollop, in the olden days

57. Eyeball rudely

58. “I ____ wed”

59. Opposite of fires

60. Bear’s den

61. Gives a hand

62. Between ids and super-egos

63. Symbol of industriousness

64. *Dad’s ____ Beer Barrels candy

DOWN

1. ____ ____ good example

2. Like West Wing’s office

3. 35mm, e.g.

4. “Little Men” author

5. Mecca pilgrim

6. Teamsters group

7. “Out of ____, one”

8. *Good & Plenty flavor

9. It will

10. Animal protein

11. Is, in France

13. Unassuming

14. Muhammad’s birthplace

19. Gallows loop

22. *Polished off candy, e.g.

23. High IQ society

24. Lady’s pocketbook

25. Narcotics agents

26. Light on one’s feet

27. Relating to Scandinavia

28. Village V.I.P.

29. Catches one’s breath

32. Ages and ages

33. *Pfefferminz, for short

36. *”Taste the Rainbow” candies

38. Broadway’s news boy

40. Ray-finned fish

41. Decompose

44. Ardors

46. Bee’s favorite drink

48. Like a Druid

49. Without illumination

50. Place for mutinous sailor

51. France’s currency

52. *Other Rocket Fizz product

53. Kent State state

54. Do over

55. Hatchling’s home

56. CafÈ alternative