- Lunchtime Caesar Salad with fresh homemade dressing $15.95 - Dubai Cheesecake $8.95
- THE ORANGE OLD-FASHIONED: Bullet Bourbon, Simple Syrup, Bitters, & Bar Spoon of Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice $13.95
- 16oz Pepes Ale (exclusively brewed) $6.50
- 1-4pm Early Bird: 18oz bone-in Ribeye with a side dish for $18.00
- Two Friends Insulated Reusable Tin: $30.95 with a drink & 6$ refills-top shelf brands included! (Also Great for your Morning Coffee)
- 16oz Two Friends Ale (exclusively brewed) $7.45
- Karaoke every Friday and Saturday 8:00pm
- FREE 3-hour Parking for customers
- Peel and Eat Key West Pinks (shrimp) 1lb during Happy Hour (4-6pm)
$4,695,000
The exclusive one
Tucked behind swaying palms and lush tropical landscaping, this elegant waterfront estate captures the very best of Florida Keys living. It is the kind of home that reminds you exactly why you chose island life. Inside, sun filled living spaces open to sweeping Gulf views and an abundance of natural light. The gourmet kitchen is beautifully appointed with custom cabinetry, high-end appliances, and an oversized island designed for gathering, hosting, and everyday living. Upstairs, the primary suite is a retreat of its own, offering panoramic water views and a spacious walk-in closet. Three additional bedrooms are located on the upper level, while a fifth bedroom and full bath on the main level provide flexibility for guests or extended stays. Designed for seamless indoor-outdoor living, the home flows effortlessly to a private deck, sparkling pool, and observation dock. It is a front row seat to some of the most spectacular sunsets in the Keys. Additional highlights include a copper patina roof, a three-car covered carport, a full house generator, generous storage, and a wave runner lift. Located within the prestigious gated community of Shark Key, just minutes from Key West, residents enjoy resort style amenities including a clubhouse, inland swimming lagoon and beach, as well as pickleball and tennis courts.
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How far will Artemis II travel? According to NASA, the crew is expected to travel a total of 695,081 miles from launch to splashdown. The crew is expected to land off the San Diego coast around 8:07 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, April 10.
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH HIGGS BEACH?
County pays city to take ownership of 16-acre parcel
MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com
Key West officials last week agreed to take ownership of Higgs Beach from the county, which for some reason had always owned the 16-acre parcel in the heart of Key West. The county and city have discussed an ownership change for a decade, but no agreement ever materialized, until now.
Here’s the deal
Key West gets Higgs Beach, the surrounding park, buildings and recreational amenities from the county, plus about $3.7 million in grants and insurance proceeds for planned repairs and improvements.
The county gets rid of its responsibility for the 16-acre parcel and can position its parks and recreation staff and resources to serve countywide facilities more efficiently and effectively.
It never made much sense for the county to own a large beach and park property in the heart of Key West, but it’s not yet clear who got the better end of the deal.
Some oppose acquisition
Five Key West residents spoke in opposition to the acquisition and two city commissioners — Donie Lee and Sam Kaufman — voted against it at the April 1 city commission meeting.
“This seems to be a way for the county to give away something it doesn’t want to be fiscally responsible for, and that doesn’t make sense to me. We need more clarity,” resident Edie Hembright told the commissioners.
Chris Massicotte, who is running for the District 5 city commission seat, urged the commission to ask the voters in a November referendum if they want the city to acquire Higgs Beach.
“This is not just accepting a beach; it’s taking on a long-term financial responsibility for an asset that already has known needs,” Massicotte said. “There is so much uncertainty in Tallahassee around property taxes and our ability to raise funds. There’s economic uncertainty, global risks that could impact tourism and the local economy. ... This is a big decision. People should understand it. … I’m not saying never, but come back with a plan that reflects the scale of the decision that you all are making today.”
City commission candidate Bobi Lori said it would be “unconscionable” to rush the decision “with all that we’re facing from federal and state administrations affecting our local economy.”
Former city commissioner Margaret Romero did not mince words.
“Don’t do it,” she said, outlining potential unknown costs and uncertain revenues. “There’s too many reasons not to do it. It’s a bad idea. For right now, just say no.”
Answering financial questions
City Manager Brian L. Barroso invited Monroe County Administrator Christine Hurley to walk the commission and the public through the funding that accompanies the property transfer.
The city’s financial analysis shows a potential to make about $240,000 from Higgs Beach each year in rent from tenants. Hurley added that the county has typically operated the beach and park in the black.
She said that if the city were to accept the Higgs Beach parcel, the county would transfer about $3 million in funding from insurance proceeds following Hurricane Ian claims and from Tourist Development Council (TDC) grants that cover long-term beach cleaning and maintenance as well as specific improvements. That $3 million would cover seawall repair, playground improvements, upgrades to the historic West Martello building and more.
“Higgs Beach is a valuable asset, but for the county to operate and maintain it is hard on our operation and we know there have always been differences of opinion on what should be there,” Hurley said. “Does the Key West commission want to take that on, or let the county continue to maintain and operate it?”
In the end, the city commission voted 5-2 to take on the responsibility and potential revenue of Higgs Beach, where city officials have already discussed implementing paid parking, which is currently free. Discussions have so far included free parking for residents.
continued on page 6
Key West lawmakers agreed last week to take ownership of the 16-acre Higgs Beach and surrounding buildings, park and amenities. CONTRIBUTED
Meet Rhupert, the original photo-bombing ostrich, created by artist D. Arthur Wilson, whose paintings, as well his wildlife realism works, are available. So are the abstract creations of his wife, Lisa Wilson, at their Wilson Signature Collection Fine Art Gallery on Front Street. See page 16.
continued from page 4
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH HIGGS BEACH?
The city will also become the landlord of the three existing tenants at Higgs Beach — Salute restaurant, Key West Gardens at West Martello and Sunset Watersports rentals.
Commissioners debate
After the public’s comments, the commissioners discussed the proposal, and invited Hurley to participate and answer questions.
“I’m sure the city manager, in budget preparations, has directed departments to formulate their budgets with wants versus needs,” Lee said. “I can’t in good conscience support a want versus a need right now. Higgs Beach is not going away. … I understand sometimes you have to take risks to get the reward. That’s great if it’s my money, but this isn’t my money. I think there’s too much uncertainty to take this on right now.”
Kaufman, who is running for mayor against incumbent Dee Dee Henriquez, agreed with Lee.
“This probably will pass,” Kaufman said. “But we’ll remember this day going forward a year or three from now
TOP GUN PILOT TALKS TRAINING, MISSIONS & LESSONS ON APRIL 16
Retired commander John Picco speaks at College of the Florida Keys
discuss his experience as a Navy aviator at the college’s VIP speaker series on Thursday, April 16.
when we wonder why we’re in this position and struggling to pay for Higgs Beach. I can’t support this because, as Margaret said, it’s just not fiscally responsible, not at this time.”
On the other side of the debate, Commissioner Greg Veliz, a former Key West city manager, said he couldn’t understand why the city wouldn’t accept a free parcel of beachfront land.
“I don’t see how anyone could say no,” Veliz said. “We talk about Higgs Beach being a gem, and yet we have no say-so over it. It’ll never make a boatload of money; it’s an asset. It’s something we should own. … And yet we don’t want to take it over because we might be able to share the expense with the rest of the county? I think it’s our responsibility to take it over and to have it. Geographically, it’s a nightmare for (the county). … Right now it makes sense and if we had 16 unclaimed acres in Key West, we would absolutely take it. But here, we’re gonna sit here and quibble over whether we’re making enough money on chair rentals?”
Retired U.S. naval aviator John Picco will share his experience and insight during a lecture and Q&A session at the College of the Florida Keys’ speaker series on Thursday, April 16 at 7 p.m.
During his presentation, “Top Gun to Combat: Real Training, Real Missions, Real Lessons,” Picco will share true stories about how the military’s preparation and “train like you fight” ethos delivers split-second execution in combat.
Drawing on 28 years in naval aviation, Picco will share experiences to demonstrate the role of calculated risk-taking, pushing to the edge and just past it, and owning results with no excuses. His presentation will highlight how high-intensity training, trust in a wingman and oneself create a mindset where mission success is all that matters.
Picco is a Villanova University graduate and Top Gun-trained pilot with over 3,000 hours in the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet, 900 arrested landings across six carriers, and 80 combat missions. A few of his more memorable assignments include flying with the VFA-195 Dambusters in Japan, shaping global maritime strategy at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium and serving the U.S. Ambassador as the Naval Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia. His final post was in Key West as the director of current and international operations at JIATF-South.
Since retiring in 2020, he has worked as a financial adviser with the Southernmost Edward Jones office in Key West. Picco is active in local chari-
Retired U.S. naval aviator John Picco will share an inside-the-cockpit view from his time as a fighter pilot at CFK’s VIP Series on Thursday, April 16 at the Key West campus. CONTRIBUTED
ties and military affairs. He is married to Melissa, and they have two children attending Key West High School. Now in its 12th season, the CFK series showcases the views, ideas and perspectives – VIP – of speakers with local, regional and national prominence.
Doors open at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 16. The presentation begins at 7 p.m. in the Tennessee Williams Theatre at CFK’s Key West campus. Tickets are $5 at the door, and free for CFK and Monroe County students. More information is available at 305-296-9081.
For years, John Picco’s ‘office’ was unlike most. He’ll
Higgs Beach and its surrounding park will soon be owned by the city of Key West. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly
MESSAGE FROM THE SHERIFF
Electric dirt motorcycles have skyrocketed in popularity, however, there are some significant safety concerns regarding these vehicles. My goal is to ensure that everyone is safe and knows the rules.
Please help us spread the word!
• First, what are they: electric dirt bikes are not equipped with pedals but commonly have motors exceeding 780 watts.
• They are not street legal. That means they are not allowed on roadways, sidewalks, bicycle lanes, bicycle paths, or public rights-of-way.
• They are only permitted on private property with the landowner’s consent.
• All normal tra c laws apply.
• Violations of the rules could result in civil and criminal liability and the vehicle could be impounded. Remember, helmets save lives!
More information about motorized vehicles can be found at www.flhsmv.gov
Monroe County Sheriff, Rick Ramsay
MANDY MILES
drops stuff, breaks things and falls down more than any adult should. She’s married to a saintly — and handy — fisherman, and has been stringing words together in Key West since 1998.
MILES TO GO KEY WEST CAN STILL SURPRISE ME
As the shovels hit only rocks, dirt and gravel for the first 6 inches on April 6 alongside a Keys West school, anyone older than 45 likely was remembering a much-hyped, live TV special in April 1986. Dramatic newsman Geraldo Rivera was going to open Al Capone’s vault and reveal its contents to the world.
Millions of American families were glued to their living room televisions for hours, but with disappointing results — the vault contained only dirt and a few empty bottles.
The scene at May Sands School this week was nothing like that (other than the nagging worry that crept into my and others’ minds during the first inches of digging).
Instead, it became proof that Key West can still surprise and impress me after all these years.
April 6, 2026 was exactly 50 years after April 6, 1976, when fifth-grade students in a gifted program at a Key West school buried a time capsule in their school garden.
But how would they ensure it was retrieved and opened 50 years later?
The kids had a plan. It involved four identical letters, each typed on an actual typewriter and addressed to four different Key West officials.
Their letter demanded specific actions on a specific date, 50 years in the future, so the kids gave themselves an insurance policy — three of them, actually.
The students delivered four identical letters to responsible custodians around town. The then-superintendent of schools received an envelope. Then-Mayor Sonny McCoy received an envelope. The county historian at the public library, Tom Hambright, received a letter. And the then-principal of May Sands School received one from her students.
Typed on the outside of each envelope were instructions to open the envelope at 1 p.m. on April 6, 2026. That would mark exactly 50 years since the time capsule was buried, and directions for its retrieval were inside the envelope.
For years, the aging envelope hung pinned to a bulletin board outside the superintendent’s office at the school district headquarters. Superintendent Ed Tierney had inherited it from Theresa Axford, who had gotten it from her predecessors, dating back five decades.
Historian Tom Hambright, now deceased, also kept his letter filed in the vault at the Key
West library, which is now headed by historian Corey Malcom, who inherited Hambright’s letter. The letter to the mayor’s office, despite being located in multiple city halls, also survived five decades. When Mayor Dee Dee Henriquez took office nearly two years ago, her assistant Dorian Patton marked the April 6 date on the mayor’s calendar.
“It’s amazing that three of the four letters survived,” deputy superintendent Amber Acevedo said at the ceremony to unearth the time capsule this week.
The students’ plan worked flawlessly and their time capsule was retrieved on April 6, 2026 at 1 p.m.
Charlotte Austin Sevilla was there for the burial in 1976. She remembered her class filling the time capsule, recording their voices on a cassette tape that was added to the capsule and sealing all the items in a large, glass mayonnaise jar from Mo’s Restaurant.
She was back in that same spot this past week, and was given the honor of reaching into the “vault” to retrieve items that hadn’t been touched for 50 years.
The included newspapers were dated March 23, 1976. The papers featured full-page cigarette ads and a news article announcing that authorities had located the car of Key West’s missing (and indicted) fire chief, Joseph “Bum” Farto.
There was also a cassette tape, which Malcom took back to the library, dried out and turned into a digital recording. The tape includes selections of popular songs from that era, including (my personal favorite) “Mandy” by Barry Manilow and “That’s the Way (I Like It)” by KC and the Sunshine Band.
“This is so cool and so much more exciting than Al Capone’s vault opening,” one viewer commented while watching the time capsule opening on Facebook Live.
Malcom is in the process of drying out the newspapers and other documents that were included in the time capsule. The school property — like much of Key West — was inundated with floodwater during Hurricane Wilma in 2005. That flood, plus 50 years of hurricanes and summer squalls, eventually permeated the time capsule’s seal and dampened, but didn’t completely destroy, the capsule’s contents.
All the items will be available for viewing in the Key West Library’s Florida Keys History Center, and will eventually be encased in a permanent exhibit.
Meanwhile, Key West students are assembling another time capsule, to be buried at the end of this school year — and to be retrieved in another 50 years.
School district maintenance workers dig about 8 inches through rocks and dirt to unearth the buried time capsule — a
Key West historian Corey Malcom and former May Sands student Charlotte Austin Sevilla explore the contents of the 50-year-old time capsule.
Newspapers, photos and other items that were retrieved from the time capsule will be on temporary display at the Key West library until a permanent exhibit is designed. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly
large mayonnaise jar encased in concrete.
An island inspired treasure trove where fashion meets paradise. Nestled into the heart of Key West, we’re your go-to destination for splurge worthy finds and fashion forward essentials. Featuring the latest styles from Farm Rio, Alemais, Oliphant & many more.
Key West & Cuba’s Museum Quality Regional Art
Celebrating Cultural Resilience
CUBAN ART TOUR April 20-24, 2026
The Eternal Elegance of Innocence
Suzie dePoo Zuzek Works
Suzie DePoo Zuzek (1920–2011) was a beloved Key West artist whose vibrant imagination shaped both American fashion and the island’s creative soul. A WWII Veteran she studied at Pratt to become the visionary designer behind Lilly Pulitzer’s most iconic prints while working at Key West Hand Print Fabrics.
Simultaneously Suzie turned to deeply spiritual art, whimsical animal sculptures, luminous paintings, with a masterful hand that blended her ethereal nature, and pure play. Her home studio over owed with color, deeply, religious subject matter, cats, dogs, and peacocks, re ecting her belief that art should be joyful, generous, and shared and animals should be revered.
Remembered as a gentle, boundless, creative spirit, Suzie’s legacy continues to brighten Key West and collections around the world like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Smithsonian American Art Museum.
MIKEY DARE AND THE MYTHICAL GOATS
KEY WEST BACK IN THE DAY
For many years, an outline of my posterior adorned the upstairs bar top at Bagatelle, the lower Duval Street restaurant that was a high-rollers’ hangout in the early 1980s.
Mercifully, the sketch wasn’t visible. Instead, it had been traced on the temporary plywood bar top the first night the upstairs bar opened, shortly before the plywood was permanently covered with rare Australian beefwood.
has lived in Key West for 40-plus years, witnessing and writing about the island’s renegade past, shipwreck salvage adventures and colorful presentday characters.
Details of that raucous opening-night party remain hazy, but it definitely involved free-flowing alcohol and other substances.
I was perched on the bar when a friend decided to memorialize my denimclad behind. Who was I to argue?
After all, Bagatelle was something special.
Located in a gorgeous twostory wood-frame “Conch house” with a broad porch and balcony, it had a casual elegance that appealed to our offbeat crowd.
Under lazily rotating ceiling fans on the first-floor porch, bartenders like Phil Clark made cocktails and told tall tales with effortless fluency.
But the bartenders weren’t the only storytellers at Bagatelle. The regulars who wandered in during the afternoon lull, when the breeze dropped and the heat was practically a living thing, included some of the generation’s leading outlaw writers.
Thomas Sanchez, who later depicted Key West in his end-of-the-road masterpiece “Mile Zero,” frequented the place with his beautiful blonde companion, Diane Rippe. Phil Caputo, author of the definitive Vietnam memoir “A Rumor of War,” and a notable marlin angler, usually turned up at some point.
Even Jim Harrison, lauded for the threenovella volume “Legends of the Fall,” was a regular whenever he could escape his realworld home to indulge his passion for Keys tarpon fishing.
Watching those three and their cohorts at the bar, as they drank steadily and wrangled over topics that ranged from philosophy to fishing, I wasn’t bothered by the brutal lateafternoon heat. Despite being young and inexperienced, I sensed what a rare privilege it was to sit quietly and listen, soaking it all in.
However, Bagatelle wasn’t just a semihighbrow haven for rebel writers. It was also home to a herd of mythical goats.
I might have played a tiny role in spawning the myth, but most of the credit goes to a nameless bartender and a curly-haired adventurer named Mikey Dare.
Mikey was renowned for his tales of jaunts around the Caribbean and exploits in places like Cozumel and Guatemala. Built like a longshoreman, he had a grin that combined innocence and pure wickedness.
Caputo called him one of the world’s great oral storytellers, yet his colorful yarns revealed little about his personal background. But in early 1980s Key West, that didn’t matter.
Mikey’s tough exterior hid a curious gentleness, and he treated me like a little sister. He was also a world-class cook — a talent probably developed working on the freighters and fishing boats that peppered his stories — and held occasional kitchen jobs at Key West restaurants, including Bagatelle.
During his time in the Caribbean and Central America, Mikey had learned several recipes for roast goat and regularly threatened to prepare them. Finally one summer day at Bagatelle, he served a goat dish as the lunch special.
The bar crowd, possibly over-served despite the early hour, ordered it enthusiastically. Shortly after that, a ferocious clattering and banging noise began overhead, emanating from the upstairs bar.
Startled, I spilled my drink and yelped, “What the hell is going on up there?”
The bartender shot back, “It’s the goats, of course. That’s where Mikey keeps the goats.”
The regulars erupted in laughter, and the imaginary goats loomed large in Key West conversations for months afterward.
Eventually most people forgot about them — but not me. Even these days, whenever I stroll past Bagatelle, I can almost hear the clatter of mythical hooves.
1. Before it became Bagatelle, the lovely former home on Lower Duval Street was a restaurant called the Rose Tattoo. IDA WOODWARD BARRON COLLECTION/Florida Keys History Center. 2. Real goats were not unusual in early Key West, but unfortunately no photos exist of Mikey Dare’s mythical goats. DEWOLFE AND WOOD COLLECTION/Florida Keys History Center
CAROL SHAUGHNESSY
RED BARN’S ‘A ROCK SAILS BY’ IS A THEATRICAL GEM
Final act is ‘shiny, witty, emotional’
ERIN STOVER www.keysweekly.com
Live theater is a thankfully bottomless mine. Playwrights keep turning out gems year after year, seeking companies to produce their work. There are dull bits, sure, gravel in between. But any producing manager will tell you there are thousands of sparkling little pieces out there waiting to be found and realized. Key West is fortunate to have miners like Joy Hawkins sifting through scripts, looking for plays that are cerebral, have a heart and are conducive to the intimate setting of Red Barn Theatre. Written by Sean Grennan, “A Rock Sails By,” which premiered just three years ago in Wisconsin, is one such gem.
The play revolves around astrophysicist Lynn Cummings, played brilliantly by Mimi McDonald, a woman who possesses a cold and unrelenting dedication to fact and science, whether the situation pertains to her personal health, or to the unidentified object entering Earth’s orbit. Her conceit is called into question when a journalist (Jody Orrigo) for a questionable online publication takes her comments out of context at the behest of his click-hungry boss (Lauren Thompson). Flummoxed by her integrity being called into question, Cummings invites the journalist to travel with her and witness the event in person, intended to prove that it’s merely a rock, sailing by. As we wait for the penultimate incident, we learn that Cummings is struggling with a health diagnosis that calls into question her capacity for rational thought, a characteristic that is intrinsic to her sense of self — and which won her two Nobel Prizes. Her journey to watch the rock becomes as much about soul-searching as it does about clearing her academic name. Much like scientific discovery, soulsearching rarely occurs in a vacuum, so Cummings is, at turns, challenged and buoyed by her daughter (Susannah Wells), her boss (Glenda Donovan), and her teaching assistant (Thompson, pulling double duty). Each actor brings humanity to her role, nudging
The cast of ‘A Rock Sails By’ shines in the Red Barn Theatre’s production that runs through April 25. CONTRIBUTED along important conversations about mortality, fact and faith. Thompson, in both roles, provides a healthy dose of laughs, deftly delivered, without risk of veering the tone into something too flippant. Wells navigates conversations with her on-stage mother about their shared grief in a way that feels genuine, while Donovan provides the perfect catalyst to spur Cumming’s character into action.
Opposite McDonald, Orrigo shoulders the role of antagonist with an expert “gee-shucks” affect that is charming without feeling saccharine — his verbal challenges, sincere. Leading the charge though, with the lion’s share of dialogue and an equally heavily emotional lift, McDonald delivers her role with integrity and humor.
At the risk of spoilers, it can be said with confidence that the final act of the play is everything you’d seek in a gem – shiny, witty, emotional. The play poses existential questions that it wisely doesn’t intend to answer. It’s not pedantic. Rather, this play is here to nudge viewers toward their own answers, with a gentle push, a reassuring laugh and a little dose of wonder. On the small stage of the Red Barn, it tracks perfectly. A gem.
Tickets can be purchased at redbarntheatre.com or by calling the box office at 305-296-9911. The show runs through April 25. All curtains are at 7:30 pm.
INVESTORS OF RENOWNED ISLAMORADA RESORT CAST LINE FOR BUYERS
Northwood Investors is seeking a buyer for Cheeca Lodge Resort & Spa in Islamorada, according to a Bloomberg report. MONROE COUNTY TDC/Contributed
JIM McCARTHY jim@keysweekly.com
Bing Crosby, Ted Williams, Jane Woodward and President George H.W. Bush are some of the names who’ve visited Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada through the years.
And before Cheeca Lodge, the former Olney Inn’s first guest was President Harry S. Truman.
The storied resort — now a luxurious place with 243 rooms — in the heart of Islamorada could soon be in the hands of new ownership. That’s according to a recent Bloomberg report that Northwood Investors is seeking a buyer. And they’re hoping to reel in a buyer for $300 million, according to the report.
The resort was acquired by Northwood in 2011 for an undisclosed amount. The registered investment adviser is run by John Kukral, former president and CEO of Blackstore Real Estate Advisors.
Cheeca Lodge as many know it began in 1946, when the first hotel and restaurant opened for business on the property. Its history, however, goes back to the late 1800s, when the first homesteaders settled in Islamorada. Members of these pioneer families, the Russells, Parkers and Pinders are buried and memorialized at the cemetery. They farmed limes and pineapples, and built the Pioneer Cemetery that still stands.
The Richardson family, founders of Vick’s Chemical Company and the ones partly behind the Matecumbe Club, eventually took ownership of the property. They built a private residence on the grounds. The property was
eventually sold to the Mills family, who opened the first hotel and restaurant on the island, known as Casa Islamorado.
In 1946, Clara May Downey from Olney, Maryland purchased the property and renamed it Islamorada Olney Inn. The 22-bungalow Olney Inn was destroyed by a hurricane, leading the property to change hands to Cynthia Twitchell, heir to the A&P Grocery fortune. She built the main lobby, oceanfront villas, tennis courts, a golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus and the world famous fishing pier.
Twitchell combined her nickname, Chee, and her husband’s name, Carl, to create the moniker Cheeca. The Twitchell’s then relinquished ownership to Carl Navarre, a Coca Cola executive, in 1976.
Cheeca Lodge welcomed famous guests who appeared on Curt Gowdy’s outdoor show “The American Sportsman,” which took place in Islamorada and ran from the 1960s to the ’80s. Islamorada’s reputation as the “Sportfishing Capital of the World” is often attributed to Gowdy.
The resort also served as home to President George H.W. Bush’s bonefish tournament for a decade. The Presidential Sailfish Tournament continues to this day.
In 2024, Cheeca Lodge unveiled 43 oceanfront suites to the property. The recent addition featured a new conference center and two ballrooms.
Nightly stays at the resort for late April range from $724 to upwards of $900 depending on the type of room.
FRINGE THEATER RELIVES THE MAKING OF ‘JAWS’
The cast of ‘The Shark is Broken’ includes, from left, Mathias Maloff, Ray West and Trey Forsyth in Fringe Theater’s production, April 15-25 at the Armory, 600 White St. CONTRIBUTED
‘The Shark Is Broken’ offers hilarious behind-the-scenes look at moviemaking
Fringe Theater Key West will present “The Shark is Broken,” running April 1525 at 7 p.m. at the Armory, 600 White St. Written by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon, this critically acclaimed play was a hit at the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and earned an Olivier Award nomination for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play.
Set during the famously troubled 1974 filming of the blockbuster movie ”Jaws,” The Shark is Broken” drops audiences into the waters of three actors who are stuck on a small boat as production delays drag on due to a malfunctioning mechanical shark. What unfolds is a funny and unexpectedly moving portrait of Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider as they grapple with boredom, rivalry, ego and the uncertainty of whether the film will ever be completed.
Based on Shaw’s real-life “drinking diary,” discovered by his son Ian Shaw, the play blends humor with moments of depth, offering a glimpse into artistic collaboration under pressure —
and the fragile humanity behind cinematic history.
This production features Trey Forsyth, Mathias Maloff and Ray West, continuing Fringe Theater’s commitment to showcasing Key West artists. ”The Shark is Broken” is co-directed by Rebecca Tomlinson and Aramis Ikatu, with set design and construction by Don Lynch with Jim Beyl and Charlie Bengel. Light design is by Kendall Cameron, and sound design by Su Nubia.
Performances take place in Fringe’s signature black-box space, at the historic Key West Armory, where audiences are brought close to the action. Fringe Theater Key West is dedicated to celebrating creativity and fostering community through live theater.
With its blend of comedy, tension and theatrical storytelling, ”The Shark is Broken” offers a “finish” to the main stage season.
Tickets are $45 and $65 and are available at keystix.com or by calling 305-295-7676. Seating is limited. More information is at fringetheater.org. — Contributed
• Property tax installment applications for the 2026 tax roll are due by April 30.
• All unpaid property tax became delinquent as of April 1. Payments must be made in certified funds and must include 3% interest on the March amount.
• All unpaid tangible personal property tax payments must include interest at a rate of 1.5% per month and a $10.00 collection fee.
• A property that is being rented out for six months or less must have a tourist development tax account.
• A local business tax is required for
• 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.
• We now o er duplicate and replacement concealed weapon permit transactions, as well as photograph and fingerprint only transactions, at our Key West Main O ce and Key Largo Branch O ce.
• Please visit our website for helpful information, forms, applications, and important announcements.
7 MILE BRIDGE
SATURDAY, APRIL 11TH
6:00AM - 9:00AM
HELP KEEP KEY WEST BEAUTIFUL
JOIN A 1- HOUR CLEANUP FRIDAY MORNINGS
BOOK-CLUB-IN-A-BAG NOW INCLUDES YOUNG READERS
Set features 10 copies of same book, plus a reader’s guide
One hour a week makes a huge difference, and volunteers are welcome every Friday and some Saturday mornings, from 8 to 9 a.m., when the Key West Ploggers clean up a designated area of the island.
The April 3 cleanup started at the corner of Whitehead and Petronia streets. In one hour, a dedicated group of 59 volunteers picked up 1,022 pounds of trash, 44 pounds of recycling and 2 gallons of cigarette butts. The haul included furniture and larger items left on the side streets and sidewalks. Special thanks to Kelly Norman of Ramshead Southernmost for hosting the volunteers and providing breakfast. The April 10 cleanup will start in front of the Key West Woman’s Club, 319 Duval St. And remember, Earth Day is coming up on April 22. CONTRIBUTED surrounds and sustains our island community. It is not just the large items you can see easily when you are walking, but the smaller items such as bottle caps and cigarette butts that are collected by the volunteers that make the biggest difference.
Gloves, pickers, buckets, vests, hand sanitizer and a parking pass are provided to all volunteers.
A troubling number of cigarette butts and plastic bags have been included in recent hauls. Please remember your reusable bags when shopping so we can keep the plastic off the streets, parking lots and, most importantly, out of the water. And dispose of cigarette butts in any receptacle rather than the street or sidewalk, as from there, they easily end up in the ocean.
The city of Key West and its residents ask everyone to do their part to help keep Key West beautiful. With simple steps like making sure you bag your trash before putting it in your Waste Management trash cans or Dumpsters, and making sure the lids on Dumpsters are closed, will keep a lot of trash from blowing into the streets. Call Waste Management at 305-296-8297 for any furniture items left on the city right of way.
Please pick up around your home or apartment complex. Every piece of trash picked up is one less that may end up in the ocean that
It takes committed community involvement to keep Key West beautiful and we are making progress with every cleanup event and every spot that’s adopted. Call Dorian Patton at 305-809-3782 to find out how your business, nonprofit or club can help.
— Contributed
Join a one-hour Friday morning cleanup. All events are 8 to 9 a.m. unless otherwise noted.
April 10: Duval & Caroline streets. Meet across Duval Street from the Key West Woman’s Club, 319 Duval St., which is hosting.
April 17: Eaton & White streets. Meet in the front parking lot of Strunk Ace Hardware, 1111 Eaton St. This is a joint cleanup with the Green Ops of the Conch Republic. April 24: Mallory Square. Meet at Mallory Square close to the Ocean Key Resort, which is hosting.
All branches of the Monroe County Public Library now offer its Book-ClubIn-A-Bag collection to young readers interested in forming book clubs that discuss age-appropriate books. CONTRIBUTED
The Monroe County Public Library has expanded its popular book-club-in-a-bag collection to include books for kids and teens.
Library patrons can check out a bag, which includes 10 copies of the same book and a reader’s guide to help get the discussion going. Loans are for eight weeks.
Each branch has bags available. Patrons also can browse the book-club-in-a-bag collection online and request a bag be sent to their local library branch for easy pickup. The online catalog listings include publishers’ recommendations based on reader age and grade level.
“We hope the new collection sparks an interest in book clubbing with our young readers and serves as a valuable tool for homeschooling
parents and educators in Monroe County,” said Kim Rinaldi, senior branch manager at the Key West library.
More information is at keyslibraries.org.
More than 40 different titles are available, and the library plans to add to the collection. Suggestions are welcome. To suggest a title, go to keyslibraries.org/contact-us.
The Monroe County Public Library is South Florida’s oldest public library, with documented roots to 1892. It has branches in Key West, Big Pine Key, Marathon, Islamorada and Key Largo.
Its mission is to deliver a broad range of resources, services and programs that meet the educational, informational and personal enrichment needs of the Keys community.
— Contributed
Lower your cooling costs and boost your home’s curb appeal with FREE shade trees from Keys Energy Services.
When: Saturday, April 18 at 8:30AM (Until they’re gone!)
Where: Key West: KEYS’ Service Building (1001 James St.)
Cudjoe Key: 755 Blimp Rd. between Valencia & Asturia Rds.
The Goods: Choice of 2 FREE native shade trees per customer. First come, first served!
Plan Before You Plant: Visit KeysEnergy.com for the list of available trees.
Plant with the future in mind, check for overhead lines before you dig.
If you have any tree limbs near or striking electrical lines, do not attempt to trim them yourself. Call KEYS so a trained tree trimmer can safely trim the limbs away from lines — free of charge.
Need help? KEYS provides free line clearance tree trimming. Call (305) 295-1010 or request service online at KeysEnergy.com.
THE WILSONS’ GALLERY IS WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
Artistic couple blends realism, abstraction
MANDY MILES
mandy@keysweekly.com
Spend 10 minutes with artists
D. Arthur & Lisa Wilson in the gallery that features their work and you’ll walk away refreshed and smiling as if your day somehow just got a little better.
A visit to the Wilson Signature Collection Fine Art Gallery is a uniquely satisfying experience. Don’t let the long name fool you into thinking it’s an unapproachable bastion of fine art with a museum-like atmosphere and a staff that seems to judge anyone who walks in out of the heat. The Wilsons’ gallery, 407 D Front St., is anything but.
with” type — as serious and unforgiving as his tigers and cheetahs.
But then your gaze wanders to the right — and you laugh out loud at the insistent ostrich demanding your attention from every painting in every frame.
Meet Rhupert, D. Arthur Wilson’s answer to anyone who takes life, or themselves, too seriously.
“I’ve tried painting what sells; I’ve tried painting trends, and it’s never worked out for me,” D. Arthur Wilson said on a recent morning in the gallery. “But when I paint what I’m inspired by, that never fails.”
And some time, more than 21 years ago, he was inspired to paint a bright-eyed ostrich, poking his face into the corner of each painting.
Lisa Wilson’s layered abstracts exude a soothing, coastal undercurrent.
D. Arthur’s renowned in-your-face wildlife paintings, pastels and bronze sculptures are so starkly detailed, they demand to be studied more than just seen. To be noticed, explored and remarked upon — each crease on an African elephant’s face, a crouched cheetah’s splayed whiskers.
The wildlife works are the result of D. Arthur Wilson’s 35 trips to Africa, where he shoots nothing but photographs. His artwork has also raised more than $2 million for African wildlife rescue efforts.
“I started out as a portrait artist, but I ended up painting egos and not the way people really looked,” he said. “With animals, you don’t have to paint their egos.”
Surely an artist this precise, this exacting, must be the “diffcult-to-deal-
Rhupert was photo-bombing Wilson’s paintings before photo-bombing was a word. And people fell in love with this inquisitive, incessant bird. Not all fine art galleries that featured Wilson’s wildlife realism felt the same, though.
“Forty-some galleries dropped me when Rhupert came out,” Wilson recalled. “They considered it whimsical and not real art.”
So Wilson took his ostrich and left. And the two have had a fruitful and fun relationship ever since.
“A few psychologists actually have Rhuperts in their office to provide a little levity,” Wilson said. “He just demands, ‘Look at me.’ A relationship with this bird is inescapable. Rhupert is egotistical and self-centered, like so many people in our lives. But he’s also curious and unapologetically himself.”
And that suits the Wilsons just fine. Stop into the gallery at 407 D Front St. or visit wilsonsignaturecollection.com or call 305-434-0170.
Artist D. Arthur Wilson with Rhupert, the charmingly ubiquitous ostrich that is now in paintings in collections in 28 countries. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly
COLLEGE OF THE FLORIDA KEYS CELEBRATES 60 YEARS
East Martello hosts anniversary gala for nearly 270 guests
The College of the Florida Keys marked a milestone on March 27, with a 60th anniversary gala at historic Fort East Martello.
Nearly 270 guests — including community partners, alumni, donors, current and former board members and longtime supporters — toasted six decades of educational excellence and the college’s effect on the Florida Keys community.
The evening celebrated CFK’s legacy of student success and its continued commitment to fueling the local workforce. Proceeds from the gala and other 60th anniversary efforts will support scholarships, academic and workforce programs, construction of a new residence hall and other initiatives.
“This gala was never about fundraising — it was about celebrating a community,” said CFK President Jonathan Gueverra. “It was about bringing together the people who have shaped and sustained our institution for over 60 years. … The evening was a true celebration of shared history and the enduring relationships that define CFK.
“That same spirit of community is reflected in CFK’s tangible impact. Every dollar invested in education returns $4.50 to our students and $7 to our community, underscoring that our college is a place of learning that yields significant Return on Investment. Equally important, CFK is a powerful economic engine that contributes $44 million annually to the Keys economy.”
Contributed
also known as "Dr. G," addresses partygoers at the gala.
2. From left, ‘Papa’ Tim Stockwell joins CFK President Jonathan Gueverra, ‘Papa’ Zack Taylor and ‘Papa Wannabe’ Brian Canady at the college's 60th anniversary gala. Some 80 representatives from the Hemingway LookAlike Society attended the event.
3. Gala emcee Judge Ed Scales, left, presents a U.S. flag that was flown over the Capitol in Washington, D.C. in honor of CFK’s legacy, to Gueverra and his wife Josephine.
4. Marine engineering student and retired Coast Guard officer Brian Behler dances with his daughter Rebecka. Brian's wife, Wendy, is a student in the culinary program, and their son, Alex, is a high school student enrolled in CFK full-time via the dual enrollment program.
5. Representatives of the Monroe County School District came out to celebrate.
6. Friends, alumni and community partners joined the college to celebrate its milestone year. NICK DOLL PHOTOGRAPHY/Contributed
LOOKING GOOD, LADIES
Miss Island Queen kicks off 5th annual amateur drag contest
MILES mandy@keysweekly.com
“Only in Key West…”
The phrase has been said in reference to many, many observations over the decades. Only in Key West do city officials have a serious debate about nudity and nipples while defining nudity rules for the 10-day Fantasy Fest extravaganza. Only in Key West do roosters roam freely, presumptuously even, through open-air restaurants.
And only in Key West could an amateur drag pageant among (mostly) straight men succeed in raising more than $400,000 for Samuel’s House, a local nonprofit organization that protects and supports abused women and families.
But that’s exactly what the Miss Island Queen Pageant, created and coordinated by Kirby Myers for Samuel’s House, has managed to do.
Now in its fifth year, Miss Island Queen pairs local men (and women), who sign on to be contestants, with professional drag queens to coach them on everything from evening gowns, talent acts, makeup and, yes, in some cases, hair removal.
An April 7 happy hour event at Hugh’s View officially kicked off the 2026 Miss Island Queen affair. The pairs of contestants and coaches spend about a month raising money for their campaigns
at a slew of hilarious events. Each individual event is listed on the “Miss Island Queen” Instagram and Facebook pages.
But the final decisions and crowning moment take place, this year, on May 4 at Key West Theater, where each contestant walks the runway and offers the crowd a performance of some sort while the audience melts down in laughter and gleefully throws cash onto the stage to show their support. (As in so much cash, it has to be swept up by giant push brooms between each performance.)
“I honestly can’t believe it’s year five,” Myers said. “Miss Island Queen has become a testament to the spirit of this community — centered in love, inclusivity and the willingness to show up for others. It’s a powerful reminder that when we come together with purpose, we can create something impactful and full of fabulous, over-the-top energy all at once.”
This year’s teams of contestants and coaches include:
• Scottie Jahn aka “Auna Bender” and coach QMitch
• Mark Huffman, aka “Ida Ho” and coach Maya Montana
• Justin Harris aka “Trixie Dixie” and coach Beatrix Dixie
• Becky Damian aka “Manny Mansplain” and coach Erin McKenna aka “Hugh Janus,” who won as “Hugh” in Miss Island Queen’s first year.
• Nick Mazza aka “Nicky Gaga” and coach Jessica Deveraux
1. CFK President & CEO Jonathan Gueverra,
MANDY
Kirby Myers, front, creator of the Miss Island Queen amateur drag pageant that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Samuel’s House, introduces this year’s five pairs of contestants and coaches. MARK HEDDEN/Contributed
803 803 Emma Emma
Street! Street! t
Key West Cultural Center/Veterans Museum at William Weech American Legion Post 168
Mondays StartingApril6th NEWHOURS!
Live Music! Live Music! Fundraiser Events Fundraiser Events
Every... Every...
- Monday - - Monday -
7:00 - 10:00 pm, Larry Smith’s Jazz Jams Featuring: Larry Smith-Piano, Skipper Kripitz-Drums, Joe Dallas-Bass, & many more Musicians welcome! Creative! High Energy!! Join the Jam!!!
-Wednesday-Wednesday-
7:00 - 10:00 pm, Ladies Night with Larry Smith and Special Guests!
- Thursday - - Thursday -
6:30 – 9:30 pm, Terri White, Larry Baeder, & The Key West All Stars
Jazz , Blues, Soul & a Little Broadway
- Friday - - Friday -
6 - 8:30 pm Cash Bingo - 8:30 - 10:30 pm Motown
Music by the Soul City Dysfunkshunals
- Saturday - - Saturday -
See Facebook: legionpost168 for event details, or call (305) 440-3714.
Suggested Donation at the Door
Dinner available for purchase from Olive’s Mediterranean Grill
We Love Our Locals
Locals enjoy 20% off the bill at Yellowfin Bar & Kitchen
All day, every day
All food All drinks (Yes, even wine )
NASA ASTRONAUTS ON HISTORIC MOON EXPLORATION TRAINED OFF THE FLORIDA KEYS
Before launch, two space explorers spent time underwater
Artemis II crew members, from left, Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen and NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman at an integrated ground systems test at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 20, 2023. NASA/Kim Shiflett
JIM McCARTHY
jim@keysweekly.com
Atest flight by four astronauts aboard NASA’s Artemis II around the moon made history on April 6. NASA’s Artemis II test flight — the first crewed lunar flyby in 50-plus years — broke a record for human spaceflight’s farthest distance, previously set by the Apollo 13 mission in 1970.
At its farthest point, NASA said the crew inside the Orion spacecraft will have traveled about 252,756 miles, before looping back toward our home planet.
During the lunar flyby, a fleet of cameras captured pictures of the moon, including features humans have never directly seen. The astronauts used a variety of digital handheld cameras to conduct high-resolution photography of the lunar surface.
For two astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, the many years of training and preparation leading up to the momentous occasion included time spent below the surface off the Florida Keys.
Florida International University’s underwater research laboratory, Aquarius, serves not only as an important tool for ocean research, but it also provides training grounds for astronauts to simulate isolation, confinement and operational struggles of spaceflight. Located off Tavernier and sitting 60 feet underwater at Conch Reef, Aquarius allows crews to live and work underwater for days.
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket with the Orion spacecraft carrying Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen lifts off on April 1. JIM ROSS/NASA
Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman and Canadian mission specialist Jeremy Hansen had the opportunity to train and live underwater at Aquarius; Wiseman was there in 2016 and Hansen in 2014.
For FIU Aquarius operations director Hank Stark, working with astronauts is both routine and remarkable. Stark has spent years helping astronauts acclimate to life in extreme
Aquarius was submerged by NOAA in 1993. It provides access to study coral reefs and marine life, while also offering opportunities to test state-of-the-art equipment and train special divers and astronauts. FILE
environments. The experience goes beyond technical training.
“It’s exciting. It’s always a unique opportunity to work with NASA and always interesting,” he said in an FIU article. “Going to space is something I think everyone dreams about at some point in their life.
“Training at Aquarius and saturating with these astronauts lets us get to know them on a personal level,” Stark said. “We’re living together underwater for a week or more.”
That was the case for Stark and Wiseman in 2016.
“You spend a lot of time working together in the days leading up to a mission and then the guy is sleeping right above you for the next eight days or so,” Stark said.
Aquarius was submerged by NOAA in 1993. It provides unparalleled access to study coral reefs and marine life, while also offering opportunities to test state-of-the-art equipment and train special divers and astronauts. The habitat is a 43- by 20- by 16.5-foot diameter steel cylinder that’s divided into three compartments. There’s a wet porch, the main point of entry and two pressure locks known as the entry and main lock, which are 500 and 1,400 cubic feet respectively.
In June 2019, Aquarius served as the home to a four-woman crew who were on a 10-day NASA mission simulating space exploration, with a focus on objectives related to the
International Space Station, the moon and Mars.
FIU announced a partnership last October with the technology startup Tekmara to construct and operate a new underwater research laboratory using AI-powered monitoring systems. The systems are designed to autonomously detect anomalies like pollution sources or oxygen depletion, learn from the ocean environment and provide real-time solutions. They will largely be powered by renewable energy sources, including solar and marine renewable energy.
The crew is scheduled to complete its 10-day mission and splash down off the coast of San Diego at 8:07 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, April 10.
Under the Artemis program, NASA will send astronauts on increasingly challenging missions to explore more of the moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits and to build on its foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.
“Their dedication is about more than breaking records – it’s fueling our hope for a bold future. Their mission is carrying our promise to return to the Moon’s surface, this time to stay as we establish a moon base,” said Lori Glaze, an administrator at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
The edge of the visible surface of the moon is called the ‘lunar limb.’ Seen from afar, it almost looks like a circular arc – except when backlit, as in other images captured by the Artemis II crew. NASA/Contributed
NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft’s main cabin windows, looking back at Earth, as the crew travels toward the moon on April 4. Wiseman spent time training at Aquarius Reef Base off Key Largo.
PHOTO
Authentic Flavors That Taste Like Home!
Culinary Shows - Menu Changes Daily
&
Key Lime Pie Demonstration: Monday-Saturday 11 am • 12 pm • 1 pm • 2 pm • 3 pm • 4pm SM
Cocktail Classes A Rum Cocktail Adventure: 12 pm • 2 pm Key West History Through Craft Cocktails: 5 pm
Bar 1
Sunday 10 am - 3 pm • Monday: 10 am - 9 pm
Tuesday-Saturday: 10 am - 10 pm
Happy Hour
Monday-Saturday: 4pm - 6pm
$6 Beer, Wine & Well Drinks Bar Bites • Specialty Cocktails
Monday Night Trivia Monday Nights: 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Top Gun to Combat: Real Training, Real Missions, Real Lessons
Commander
John Picco - Retired U.S. naval aviator
Picco will share true stories about how relentless preparation and the “train like you fight” ethos deliver split‑second execution in combat. Drawing on 28 years in naval aviation, the Commander will share vivid firsthand experiences to demonstrate the essential role of calculated risk‑taking, pushing to the edge and just past it, and owning results with no excuses. His presentation will highlight how high‑intensity training, trust in your wingman, and trust in yourself create a mindset where mission success is all that matters.
Thursday - April 16th - 7PM at Tennessee Williams Theatre
$5 ADMISSION Free for Monroe County & CFK Students
Doors open at 6:00PM Presentation at 7:00PM Thank you to our sponsors: David & Annette Curry, First Horizon, and Essential Net Solutions.
THE STUDIOS OF KEY WEST EXHIBITS ON VIEW: APRIL 2-30, 2026
Collapsed Entanglements
KATIE SIMMONS
Silk and cotton dyed with natural materials become the foundation for imagined ecosystems that blur the line between body and environment.
sponsored by We*Cycle
Beyond Paradise ETHEARD JOSEPH
Large-scale abstract paintings transform the gallery into immersive environments rich with color, movement, and emotional depth.
sponsored by Gallery on Greene
Beneath the Surface TRACEY DELELLIS
Ceramic sculptures inspired by Key West’s reefs, tidal pools, and weathered coasts invite viewers to slow down and notice subtle shifts in texture and color.
sponsored by Shade Ceramics and Shutter Photography
Chair-ity WOMANKIND
Chair-ity, an imaginative exhibition where artists transform the chair into works of art, celebrates 25 years of Womankind.
sponsored by Rent Key West Vacations, image: Tamara Alvarez
Contemporary art center, steps off Duval Street.
Always free to visit! Open Tue-Sun, 10am-4pm
at MM15 open 7 days a week 6am - 5pm
BABY’S COFFEE
SOUL SOULCITY CITY dysfunkshunals
CUDJOE GARDENS KICKS OFF FISHING TOURNAMENT SEASON
Dolphin & Tail Classic returns April 24-26
Gardens Dolphin & Tail Classic fishing tournament, which returns April 24-26. CONTRIBUTED
The Cudjoe Gardens Dolphin & Tail Classic fishing tournament returns for its second annual event April 24-26, inviting anglers from throughout the Keys and beyond to kick off tournament season in the Lower Keys.
Hosted by the Cudjoe Gardens Property Owners Association, the tournament welcomed 23 teams in its first year, blending competitive fishing with a sense of community.
“We’re excited to build on the momentum from last year,” said tournament director Ken Wente. “This tournament is about great fishing, but it’s also about showcasing the community and resources we have right here in our backyard.”
The tournament highlights two of the Lower Keys neighborhood’s cornerstone establishments — Cudjoe Gardens Marina and the Bent Prop Bar & Grill — offering residents and visitors a chance to experience the charm and hospitality of the area.
As the first dolphin tournament of the season, the event lets anglers get on the water, shake off the rust and prepare for the months ahead.
Tournament Schedule
• Friday, April 24: Captains’ meeting, 5 to 7 p.m. at the Bent Prop Bar & Grill.
• Saturday, April 25: Fishing day 1 & weigh-in, 3 to 5 p.m. at Cudjoe Gardens Marina.
• Sunday, April 26: Fishing day 2 & weigh-in, 3 to 5 p.m. at Cudjoe Gardens Marina, followed by the awards ceremony & fish fry from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Bent Prop Bar & Grill.
The tournament’s format combines dolphin (mahi-mahi) and yellowtail snapper, along with a youth division to encourage the next generation of anglers. Teams must catch both a dolphin and a yellowtail snapper, combining dolphin weight and yellowtail length into a single score. Fish may be upgraded from day 1 to day 2 by weighing a larger fish of either species. Reduced entry fees are available for those who sign up in advance. Registration is open. More information is at cudjoegardens. org.
— Contributed
VOLLEYBALL BENEFITS REEF RELIEF
First-ever Conch Classic tournament set for May 9 at Higgs Beach
Reef Relief will launch its first-ever Conch Classic beach volleyball tournament on Saturday, May 9 at Higgs Beach. All proceeds will benefit the nonprofit’s coral reef protection programs. Visit reefrelief.org to register a team. CONTRIBUTED
Reef Relief will host its first-ever Conch Classic beach volleyball tournament, a charity event dedicated to supporting marine conservation and education efforts, on Saturday, May 9 at Higgs Beach, with all proceeds directly benefiting Reef Relief’s programs.
The event will feature coed teams playing 4-on-4, with players of all skill levels. Each team must include at least one female player and may include up to seven participants on its roster.
Early-bird registration is open, and the registration fee will increase on Monday, April
27. A minimum of four players is required to register; teams may temporarily list “TBD” for player names and confirm final rosters by contacting reefrelief@gmail.com.
The tournament will follow a pool play format leading into a single-elimination bracket. Check-in will begin at 8 a.m., with the first serve at 9 a.m. Refunds will only be issued in the event of tournament cancellation.
More information is available at reefrelief.org or via email to reefrelief@gmail.com.
— Contributed
Young angler Tripp Avera shows off his catch at last year’s Cudjoe
ACCELERATED 6-WEEK COURSES
• May 18 - June 29
• On-campus, online, and hybrid courses
100% ONLINE 12-WEEK COURSES
• May 18 - Aug. 10
8- WEEK HEADSTART FOR NEW STUDENTS
• June 3 - Aug. 10
- English Composition I
- Preparing for Student Success
Want Hands-on Help?
Register & Apply In-Person at “One Stop Summer Shop”
April 29: Key West Campus
April 30: Upper Keys Center
11 a.m. – 7 p.m. (both days)
is an astrologer, wanderer, bartender and advocate for queer justice. He is a loquacious Gemini with a cozy Cancer rising. Find him at hearthandheraldastrology.com
This week, Mars moves into its home sign of Aries, where it will remain until May 18. Mars is the planet of action, willpower, courage, sweat and aggression. Mars just goes for it without asking permission or forgiveness. When Mars comes home to Aries, our get-up-and-go is encouraged, we can access our inner drive more readily, and we can be a bit more reckless than usual. This sixweek period is a time of high energy and high productivity. The coals are being stoked for us, but it is up to us to use this boost in the way that works best for our needs. It’s time to finish the projects you’ve set on the back burner and start the projects you’ve been thinking or talking about. One note of caution, though. As soon as Mars enters Aries, it is meeting up with the planet Neptune, which can add a big dose of confusion. The energy will definitely shift, but the goals may not be as clear as we would like. So, go ahead and get started, but be mindful that our energy might not have the directed purpose we would hope. In essence, we need to start with some blind faith and let the ultimate goal of our actions show itself. The first few days will be the murkiest, but the fog will start to lift in the middle of next week. All in all, though, it’s go time.
Here are your horoscopes for Mars entering Aries. Read for your rising and sun signs.
ARIES
March 21 - April 19
As an Aries, your engine is usually running, but consider these next six weeks a nitro boost. If you’ve been sitting on a personal goal, now is the time to laser-focus on achieving it. Honestly, it’s a great time to start a physical regimen of some sort because your body is going to be teeming with energy. Find a healthy way to release it that serves your greater purpose.
TAURUS
April 20 - May 20
While the rest of the world is getting loud, your momentum is moving behind the scenes. This is a time for invisible progress. Whether you have some personal work to do in your private space or some inner work to do in your mental space, you are being given the energy to get it done. Your actions need not be seen to be effective.
GEMINI
May 21 - June 20
Are you ready for your social circle to become more active, Gemini? Your support system is going to show up to help you progress toward your long-term goals. There might be some sparring over the right course of action, but a little debate can be helpful. Your friends are here to help, so don’t take any alternative opinions personally. Focus on your goals, not your ego.
CANCER
June 21 - July 22
Your work life is going to pop off in the coming weeks, and you will be called upon to be extra productive. You can either be dragged along or you can step up and meet the calls for action head-on. You don’t necessarily have to take the lead, although you will likely be successful if you do. As long as you show up and meet your end of the bargain, the goals will fall into place.
LEO
July 23 - Aug. 22
The horizon is calling, and your desire for a fresh perspective is hitting a boiling point. Whether it’s travel, a new course of study or a big idea you’re ready to share, go for it with abandon. You have got to do something to expand your world in one way or another, and one foot in front of the other is the only way to get moving. Let the map sort itself out.
VIRGO
Aug. 23 - Sept. 22
Start digging into the deep stuff, Virgo. You have the courage now to look at what’s usually hidden, particularly regarding shared finances or those old emotional ties that have overstayed their welcome. Cut ties with anything that’s been draining your battery, but don’t be afraid to form new ties with people or projects that fire you up. Out with the old, in with the new.
LIBRA
Sept. 23 - Oct. 22
It’s time to give the wheel to an important partner in your life and let them drive for a little while. While it might feel strange at first, all relationships require give-and-take, and it is high time for you to take the passenger seat. Be sure to name what you want and need so you can maintain your personal integrity and serve as the navigator. You are good at giving direction.
SCORPIO
Oct. 23 - Nov. 21
Strap in and overhaul your daily habits and routines. You have a massive window of productivity opening up, and it’s perfect for starting a
IT’S GO TIME
new health kick or finally finishing those tedious chores that have been piling up. Focus on how your energy can serve you rather than giving it away too freely. If you feel a bit sluggish or “off” on Sunday, don’t worry about it and take rest.
SAGITTARIUS
Nov. 22 - Dec. 21
“Follow your bliss,” as Joseph Campbell would say. Whatever gives you joy, chase it down with complete dedication. Don’t worry about the future or get caught up in the past. All you have to do is what you love. Everything else will fall into place if your creative joy is center stage. Be a warrior for creativity right now and see what happens.
CAPRICORN
Dec. 22 - Jan. 19
There is a lot of action taking place at home, and you might feel a sudden, restless urge to renovate, move, or handle a lingering family matter. Family stuff can get heavy and emotional sometimes, but right now is not the time to sit in the muck. Now is the time for action. What needs to get done in order for your home and family to be the best version of themselves? Instigate it.
AQUARIUS
Jan. 20 - Feb. 18
While you may not feel like your voice has much impact, these next few weeks are going to teach you otherwise. Your words will have more “kick” than usual, so use them to advocate for yourself and your community. If you have something to say, don’t think about the consequences and say it. A lot of times, just letting your vocal cords vibrate is all that needs to be done.
PISCES
Feb. 19 - March 20
What do you truly value and how do you value yourself? These two things go hand in hand. Are you willing to fight for yourself and your values? Perhaps it is time to ask for a raise, to price your time appropriately, or to speak up about what you believe in. Remember that your material needs are important because you cannot fight for what you value without a solid foundation.
CHRIS McNULTY
wednesday april 29
KEY WEST THEATER, 8 PM
TAYLOR PHILLIPS, ASHLEY COOKE, TYLER REEVE, JAMES SLATER, AARON RAITIERE, THOMAS EDWARDS
TOMMY SIMS, CHUCK MEAD, GUTHRIE TRAPP, WENDELL MOBLEY, TIM NICHOLS, CHUCK CANNON
saturday, may 2
KEY WEST THEATER
BLOODY MARY BASH, 11 AM
ROBERT EARL KEEN
sunday, may 3
WILLIAMS HALL, 12:30 PM
BUTTER & GRIT, ELISHA HOFFMAN, REBECCA LYNN HOWARD, TOMMY SIMS, CHUCK CANNON, ROBERT RANDOLPH
SUNSET PIER AT OCEAN KEY RESORT, 8 PM
JEFFREY STEELE, THE BRUMMIES
KEY WEST THEATER, 8 PM
LEE THOMAS MILLER, WENDELL MOBLEY, HARDY, ERNEST, CRAIG WISEMAN
thursday april 30
KEY WEST THEATER, 4 PM
RYAN BEAVER, HEATH WARREN, JEFF MIDDLETON, DOUG JOHNSON, JOHNNY CLAWSON, JORDAN DOZZI
SAN CARLOS INSTITUTE, 8 PM
CHUCK MEAD, GUTHRIE TRAPP, AARON RAITIERE, BOB DIPIERO, JEFFRFEY STEELE, JAMES SLATER
LA TE DA, 8 PM
RISSI PALMER, KRISTEN MCNAMARA, REBECCA LYNN HOWARD, TIA SILLERS, SHAN STEVENS, BRIDGETTE TATUM
FURY SUNSET SAIL, 6 PM
THE RUM STRUMMERS
FEAT. JEFF MIDDLETON, JACOB RICE, JUSTIN KLUMP
KEY WEST THEATER, 8 PM
ANNA WILSON, MONTY POWELL, STEVE MCEWAN, DANNY MYRICK, PAUL JENKINS
CURRY MANSION
GOES COUNTRY, 8 PM
MCCOY MOORE, AARON RAITIERE, ANISTON PATE
DUVAL STREET, 6 PM
ERNEST, ASHLEY COOKE, CODY LOHDEN
FURY SUNSET SAIL, 6 PM
STEPHEN BARKER LILES, BRIAN KELLEY
SUMMER OVERSTREET, AVA SUPPELSA, KYLIE FREY, DANNY MYRICK, PAUL JENKINS, JIM MCCORMICK friday may 1
KEY WEST THEATER, 4 PM
SAN CARLOS INSTITUTE, 8 PM
REBECCA LYNN HOWARD, TOMMY SIMS, ELISHA HOFFMAN, CHUCK CANNON, AND MORE
KEY WEST THEATER, 8 PM
TAYLOR PHILLIPS, TIM NICHOLS, LUKE LAIRD, TIM JAMES, TIA SILLERS, BOBBY PINSON, LINDSAY RIMES
PLATINUM PASS
SKIP THE ON SALE AND SECURE TICKETS TO EVERY SHOW WITH A PLATINUM FESTIVAL PASS!
SIMPLY MARINAS
Jamie
Doors
Suggested
MARK HEDDEN
... is a photographer, writer, and semi-professional birdwatcher. He has lived in Key West for more than 25 years and may no longer be employable in the real world. He is also executive director of the Florida Keys Audubon Society.
The sky was foreboding and maybe overdoing it – a two-tone wall of gray and darker gray moving closer and closer to where we sat. Between us and the weather were a few boats not quite ready to pull the anchor yet, and a few boats running full throttle toward their marinas.
The weird light gave the turquoise of the water a charged-up glow, like it was lit from beneath or something. It was a summer drama, not early spring drama, and felt premature, if strikingly beautiful. There was thunder but no lightning.
This was at Keys Fisheries in Marathon. I was up there with two artists who were residents at The Studios of Key West this month: Maxim Loskutoff, a novelist from out west, and Carolyn Monastra, a visual artist doing a long-term project about climate change and potential avian extinctions.
Max and Carolyn were dutifully impressed by the tarpon roiling just off the seawall, and slightly perplexed that Florida lobsters don’t have claws.
We had all ordered lobster reubens, and were waiting for them to come out.
We weren’t alone in the restaurant. There were quite a few people, and also a small cadre of ruddy turnstones perched on the bow of a moored-up center console. There were also two or three patrolling the edges of the seawall, just outside the rope railings, looking for scraps.
Keys Fisheries is one of the more reliable places in the Florida Keys to see ruddy turnstones, largely due to the large volume of french fries they serve. Despite the signs every few feet politely but clearly asking people not to feed human food to the birds or fish, a few fries periodically end up on the floor – usually, I like to believe, by accident.
Ruddy turnstones are handsome birds. One of the reasons to love them, besides their good looks, is that they generally live up to their name. They are ruddy, at least if you are willing to accept that orange is red the same way red hair is red. (Ginger turnstone would have been a less dynamic moniker.) Also, they turn stones, at least when there are stones around.
The stone-turning thing isn’t because they are vandals or cucumber-sized agents of chaos. It’s because under the turned-over stones is often food.
Turnstones are Palearctic breeders, Palearctic being a fancy term meaning the northerly cold parts of Eurasia and North America. But when they are not breeding, they can be found on the beaches of every continent in the world
STORMS AND STONES, TURNED AND UNTURNED
– excluding Antarctica, a continent not generally known for its sandy coastlines.
Ruddies can be found in the Keys yearround, though there are bigger numbers in the winter. Like most shorebirds we see here in the summer, it’s unclear why they don’t migrate. Maybe they’re opting out of the whole migrate/breed/migrate life cycle. Maybe they aren’t healthy enough to fly 2,500 miles. Maybe they’re just taking a year off and don’t need the hassle from you.
Since the turnstone’s name was derived from their behavior on the stony beaches of England, I was curious what their names meant in other languages. It turns out the names translate to literally the same thing in Russian, French, Chinese, Dutch, German, Japanese and several other languages. They are the common rockhopper in Basque, the stone-flipping bird in Thai, the stone mason in Persian and Punjabi, the stone roller in Estonian and the stone tartar in Latvian, tartar most likely referring to the foot soldiers of Genghis Khan, not the calcium buildup dentists have to scrape off your teeth.
Things get a little further afield in Portugal, where they are the sea roller; in Puerto Rico, where they are the Turkish plover; in Sweden, where they are the rosary; and in Georgia, where their name means “I am voting.” All this according to Google Translate.
Ruddy turnstones are sexually monomorphic, though the females are said to have slightly duller plumage than the males. The parents have slightly atypical breeding strategy.
The females do about 70% of the brooding for the first few weeks. The males visit more frequently and get more attentive in the week or so before hatching, though they don’t up their brooding effort.
The chicks are precocial and can walk a few hours after hatching. A day after the last chick,
usually the fourth, has hatched, they abandon the nest as a family and move on to more productive feeding areas. The chicks have to feed themselves from the start, but may learn from watching the parents. They increase in body weight about 700% over a period of three weeks. The mothers abandon the family after nine or 10 days and the fathers stick around, protecting their small flock until the fledglings can fly and take care of themselves, at around 19 days, and may remain protective for another two weeks.
In their breeding territories, ruddy turnstones survive primarily on a diet of insects in the fly family, supplemented by the occasional spider, berry or butterfly. But once they move south, their diet gets more expansive, widening to include crustaceans, mollusks, muscles, small fish and the occasional purloined fast-food item.
If a beach doesn’t have a lot of stones, they seem just as happy turning over sticks, shells and seaweed in the pursuit of sustenance.
Up at Keys Fisheries it wasn’t us, but someone must have dropped a fry or a crust of bread or something on the floor, because a turnstone suddenly darted out from under one of the picnic tables and out over the water as if it had just shoplifted something from a candy counter.
It was confronted immediately by a sharp-eyed gull, then two gulls, then 10 gulls, a screaming flock that chased the turnstone around the marina like a feathered tornado. The bird shot left, then right, then left again, finally dropping out of our line of sight behind a boat, the gulls descending upon him.
The gulls rose up as a group a few minutes later, and flew slowly out of the marina.
I have no idea who managed to gulp what down, but I was rooting for the turnstone.
A small flock of ruddy turnstones in Marathon. MARK HEDDEN/Keys Weekly
TAKE ME HOME?
FIND A FRIEND AT THE FLORIDA KEYS SPCA
The Keys Weekly family loves animals as much as our friends at the Florida Keys SPCA do, and we’re honored each week to showcase some “furever” friends that are ready, waiting and available for adoption at the organization’s Key West campus.
From cats and dogs to Guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, reptiles and birds, the perfect addition to your family is waiting for you. The SPCA’s knowledgeable staff will help with advice and care tips while working to ensure a good fit between each pet and its people.
The SPCA’s Golden Paw program also provides special assistance with vet bills and medications for special-needs and older animals that require a little extra TLC.
Check these pages each week for just a few of the animals waiting for a home and see them all at fkspca.org.
Ms. Grey, a
a
Trigger is a beautiful boy, only 4 years old. He may be a little slow to warm up, but once he trusts you, he will be your loyal best friend forever. He came to us through no fault of his own after his family had to relocate and were unable to bring him along. Despite the big change in his life, Trigger is ready to find a loving home where he can feel safe and cherished again.
quiet
companion. She loves calm moments and will fill your Sunday afternoons with gentle
Ms. Grey is a domestic
and is almost 5 years old. She has a soft, affectionate
and enjoys simply being by your side.
is a
and
a
environment
Amora is a sweet young girl who was rescued from a hoarding situation. She didn’t receive the care she deserved, but you’d never know it. She’s incredibly affectionate and so appreciative of every bit of kindness. Despite her past, Amora chooses love every day. She greets our staff with warmth, leans in for cuddles and reminds us all how powerful a second chance can be.
WHO’S THE COOLEST CAT IN KEY WEST?
Local teen launches contest to help find homes for felines
Enter your cat in local high school student Zach Jeanjulien’s Who’s the Coolest Cat in Key West contest to help the Florida Keys SPCA get more cats adopted. Email a photo of your cat and a description of its personality to jeffykitty01@gmail.com. CONTRIBUTED
Zach Jeanjulien is a junior at CFK Academy, the charter high school at the College of the Florida Keys.
As part of his 11th-grade leadership and community service project, he wants to help the Florida Keys SPCA get more cats adopted.
“I love cats,” he said.
“And I’ve spent a lot of time at the SPCA with the cats they have available for adoption. I wanted to raise awareness and hopefully convince more people to consider adopting a cat from the shelter.”
So Jeanjulien is organizing a Coolest Cat in Key West
contest, challenging residents to submit photos of their cats, including those that were rescued from a shelter, with a short note explaining why their cat deserves the title.
When he receives enough entries, Zach will post the contestants online for the public to vote on a winner.
But for now, email a photo and short video of your cat along with a description of its personality to jeffykitty01@ gmail.com and stay tuned for more details about when to vote online.
— Keys Weekly staff report
Meet
beautiful,
cat who will make
wonderful
snuggles.
shorthair mix
nature
Lorelai
petite 4-year-old grey cat with a gentle spirit and a curious heart. Lorelai finds comfort in soft places to nap
thrives in
calm
where she can feel safe and loved. Her small size and sweet nature make her an easy, peaceful companion.
Meet Kiwi. This charming Quaker parrot is sweet and full of personality. Kiwi is incredibly social and loves being part of the action.
WHAT’S COOKING, KEY WEST?
The magic of mixology
CAROL SHAUGHNESSY www.keysweekly.com
Mixology means much more than pouring and serving drinks. It’s the art of inventing and crafting cocktails, yet it’s also a science — with a strong focus on the chemistry that makes ingredients work together to create a smooth and harmonious whole.
Professional mixologists understand not only how each liquor and supporting ingredient contribute to a cocktail’s flavor and texture, but also the ways their ratios can modify the taste, what tools to use in the preparation of each drink, and techniques like when to shake and when to stir.
They’re also knowledgeable about the history and evolution of cocktails and the trends that drive popularity — and they have the skill, instinct and vision to create innovative new drinks that please their patrons.
One of Key West’s most dedicated mixologists is Brad Rouge, operations manager at the Key West Cooking Show and Bar 1. He guides the bar, a welcoming spot for drinks and camaraderie in a heritage-rich atmosphere, as well as the cocktail classes offered daily at the show’s historic 291 Front St. headquarters.
Rouge is known for developing drinks that feature memorable flavors while telling a story. His liquid inventions range from tropicalinspired offerings, capturing the essence of Key West in a glass, to old favorites prepared with an innovative twist — for example, a mojito with a hint of basil.
“As a career bartender, this is my passion,” he said. “I love what I do, and what inspires me is the chance to be far more than just a bartender that’s slinging drinks. What inspires me is the craft of cocktails, and getting back to what a cocktail is.”
Rouge mentors his team members at Bar 1, encouraging their interest in the history behind various cocktails such as his signature Curry old fashioned. Created to salute an early Key West merchant, the rum-based concoction has a
Brad Rouge shakes a cocktail vigorously to blend its ingredients before pouring and serving it. KEY WEST COOKING SHOW/Contributed
slight smoky flavor that recalls the tobacco warehouse Curry owned.
“We all know what these drinks are, but to have that background makes you more passionate about it,” Rouge explained. “I want the staff to know the history of the drinks, as well as why you make it and why it’s made a certain way.”
Patrons learn those elements during the Key West Cooking Show’s stir-and-savor cocktail classes. Topics include the proper tools to use when making drinks — ranging from a yarai mixing glass to a jigger for measuring spirits — and when to shake a drink versus when to stir.
“The passion that we’ve created here is abundantly illustrated in the storytelling of our demonstrations,” said Rouge. “Our establishment is a bar where you come to enjoy and learn.”
LAST CALL
Drink of the month: Planter’s Punch. This Caribbean cocktail is fruity, refreshing and slightly tart. Blending the flavors of rum, citrus, sugar and spice, it originated in late 1800s Jamaica and remains popular in tropical hotspots.
Helpful bar hack: When to shake a drink and when to stir? Stirring is used for the gentle dilution of spirit-forward cocktails, while shaking better combines ingredients when citrus, fruit juice or creams are introduced.
Want to know more? Visit keywestcookingshow.com or call 305-294-COOK.
REEL RECS
Staff from your Monroe County Public Library recommend some of their favorites from the collection.
What: “The Life of Chuck” (2024)
Why: Stephen King is known as the master of horror, and while that’s a title he’s absolutely earned, he’s proven time and again that he’s also capable of writing stories that are inspiring and moving. Based on his novella, this film adaptation keeps everything from that but adds more breathing room for the characters to take in their surroundings, often through music and dance. This is a piece that’s less about plot mechanics and more about atmosphere and living in the moment. In times where media consumption causes a state of panic everywhere you look, it’s refreshing to find a charming, old-fashioned story that reminds you what a gift life can be.
Where: This film is available on Kanopy, the library’s streaming app.
How: You can browse and request DVDs online by logging in to your account at keyslibraries.org. To view our collection of streaming movies and TV, go to kanopy.com/keyslibraries and set up an account with your library card. If you don’t have a card, you can visit your local branch or register online to get one. Questions? keyslibraries. org/contact-us.
Recommended by: Kelvin Cedeño, library associate, Key Largo library branch.
See previous Reel Recs at keyslibraries.org/post/reel-recs.
SHELF HELP
Staff from your Monroe County Public Library recommend some of their favorites from the collection.
What: “What I Ate In One Year (And Related Thoughts)” by Stanley Tucci
Why: The talented actor, food aficionado and controversial negroni-drinker needs no introduction. His collection of memorable meals shared with great friends is a treat from start to finish. Tucci delves into great detail over his luxurious food shopping in local markets, step-by-step dish preparation and personal accomplishments. He chronicles filming for his Italian food/travel show and even his work designing a highend cookware line. I listened to the audiobook read by the author, and I can wax poetic over his dulcet tones forever. Tucci will whisk you away into his daily joys (and lows). This book is a meal not to be missed. Where: You can borrow this as a print book, e-book and e-audiobook from the Monroe County Public Library.
How: You can request books, including e-books and eaudiobooks, online by logging in to your account at keyslibraries.org. If you don’t have a card, you can visit your local branch or register online to get one. Questions? keyslibraries.org/ contact-us.
Recommended by: Riona Campbell, acting branch manager, Big Pine Key library branch.
Conch Republic Independence Celebration Schedule
FRIDAY, APRIL 17TH
8-9AM 11th Annual CONCHY BEACH CLEANUP AT HIGGS BEACH. FREE 10-11:30AM LEGENDS OF KEY WEST CONCH REPUBLIC Old Town Walking Tour with Island Audio Tours with Magic Frank.
4:30-5:30PM OPENING CEREMONY & RAISING OF THE COLORS at Mallory Square. FREE
7PM 41 Annual SCHOONER WHARF BAR st KICK-OFF PARTY & CONCH SHELL BLOWING CONTEST at the Key West Historic Seaport. FREE (Cash Bar)
10AM-3PM Conch Republic Marine Army Weekly Ocean & Mangrove Clean-Up Departs from the Perry Hotel. FREE 10AM-6PM 42 Annual Conch Republic Art & Craft Duval Street Fair (between Eaton & Greene). FREE nd
1-4PM OLD TOWN CONCH CRAWL PUB STROLL includes drinks at 8 saloons and Crawl Tee and After Party.
3-7pm Conch Republic Rum Launch Party at Bali Bar. FREE (Cash Bar)
2-6PM 43 Annual DRAG RACES ON DUVAL between Petronia & Angela. FREE RD
SUNDAY, APRIL 19TH
10AM-2PM Key West ARTISAN MARKETHOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS EDITION at Higgs Beach. FREE High Noon Cow Key Bridge Run Zero K - Cowless in Wonderland - Meet at Key West side of the bridge. 10Am.
5PM-7:30PM JAZZ IN THE GARDENS, Gardens Hotel d'vine Wine Gallery. FREE (Cash Bar)
6:30-9:30PM CONCH DELIGHT Dinner Under the Stars at Grimal Grove, Big Pine Key.
MONDAY, APR 20TH
6-9PM Conch-Tail Party, Dinner and Live/Virtual Toast (7:30pm) at The Sunset Pier, Ocean Key Resort, Hosted by the Conch Republic military.
9PM CAPT MEETING - INDEPENDENCE NAVAL PARADE (4/24), Schooner Wharf Bar at the Key West Historic Seaport. FREE.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22ND
12:30-5:30pm Community Blood Drive at Key Plaza. Sponsored by the CR Aerospace Program (C.R.A.P) FREE
6-10PM HOT HAVANA NIGHT DANCE PARTY & SILENT AUCTION At Kaya Island Eats.
THURSDAY, APRIL 23RD
2-7PM TRUMAN WATERFRONT MARKET: Conch Republic Edition. FREE 4:30-5PM INDEPENDENCE CEREMONY at Mallory Square. FREE 8-9PM 43 Annual WORLD’S LOOOOONGEST PARADE on Duval –From the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf. Join the Parade! RD 9PM SCHOONER WHARF BAR PARADE AFTER-PARTY. at the Key West Historic Seaport. FREE (CASH BAR)
Thompson Plaza Thompson Plaza
FRIDAY, APRIL 24TH
8–9AM MALLORY SQUARE CLEAN UP with Ploggers of the Keys. FREE 10-11:30AM LEGENDS OF KEY WEST CONCH REPUBLIC OLD TOWN WALKING TOUR with Island Audio Tours.
7PM 43 Annual INDEPENDENCE NAVAL PARADE in Key West Harbor, alongside Mallory Square, Ocean Key Resort and Opal Resort. FREE Join the parade! RD 7PM 43 Annual REENACTMENT OF THE GREAT Sea Battle of the CONCH REPUBLIC Best viewing at Mallory Square. FREE (Cash Bar.)
RD
ST
8PM 41 Annual SCHOONER WHARF BAR “Great Sea Battle SURRENDER CEREMONY & VICTORY PARTY” at the Key West Historic Seaport. FREE (Cash Bar).
SATURDAY, APRIL 25TH
10AM-3PM Conch Republic Marine Army Weekly Ocean & Mangrove Clean-Up. Departs From the Perry Hotel. FREE
11AM-4PM OCEAN FEST-A Community Celebration Truman Waterfront Park, foot of Southard St. FREE
1-6PM Julie Hansen Memorial BED RACES ON DUVAL. between Olivia & Southard. FREE Registration 1PM, Races 3PM.
7PM 41 Annual SCHOONER WHARF BAR “WRECKERS CUP RACE” Capt’s Meeting, at the Key West Historic Seaport. FREE ST
ST
7PM 41 Annual SCHOONER WHARF BAR PIRATE BALL & COSTUME COMPETITION (9PM) at the Key West Historic Seaport. FREE (Cash Bar)
1-4PM 41 Annual “SCHOONER WHARF WRECKERS CUP RACE” Sail with the fleet to Sand Key. ST
Key West Historic Seaport
Key West Historic Seaport at Elizabeth & Greene. at Elizabeth & Greene.
4-6PM CONCH REPUBLIC MILITARY MUSTER & Potluck Key West Cultural Center & Veterans Memorial. 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM 10:00 AM – 9:00
5-7:30PM JAZZ IN THE GARDENS The Gardens Hotel d'vine Wine Gallery. FREE (Cash Bar)
ST
7PM 41 Annual SCHOONER WHARF “WRECKERS CUP RACE” AWARDS PARTY CEREMONY at the Key West Historic Seaport. FREE (Cash Bar)
H e a l t h y L i f e
By Dr. Joshua Bitran
Urologic Health Matters
Urologic health is an essential part of overall wellness for both men and women, yet it’s often overlooked Paying attention to changes and seeking care early can help prevent more serious issues down the road
Here are some common concerns to be aware of:
1. Urinary changes, such as frequent urination, urgency, leakage, or discomfort
2 Bladder and kidney conditions, including infections, stones, or pain
3 Pelvic health concerns, such as incontinence or pelvic floor disorders
4 Reproductive health, including prostate health for men and urinary tract health for women
5 Hormonal and sexual health, including symptoms that may affect energy, function, or overall wellbeing
While there’s no cure, treatments like hormone therapy, pain management, minimally invasive surgery, fertility options, and lifestyle changes can help manage symptoms and improve your quality of life.
Stay proactive about your health
Schedule an appointment with one of our expert urologists at Mount Sinai Specialty Care Key West by calling 305.294.8334 today
FREE TAX HELP BEFORE THE DEADLINE
United Way urges residents to use assistance program
As tax season comes to a close, United Way of Collier and the Keys is reminding residents not to miss out on its free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program.
IRS-certified volunteers are providing no-cost tax preparation for individuals and families who earned $67,000 or less in 2025. Appointments are filling quickly.
Last tax season, the VITA program helped generate more than $384,624 in refunds, putting critical dollars back into the pockets of local families. This year, the program is expanding to meet increased demand.
“United Way of Collier and the Keys is dedicated to helping our ALICE neighbors,” said Tiffani Mensch, president and CEO. ALICE — Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — represents hardworking individuals and families who are often stretched thin despite working multiple jobs. In Monroe County, 45% of households fall into this category.
“Our VITA volunteers not only provide free tax preparation, but also help ensure residents claim every credit they’ve earned,” Mensch said.
For many participants, the savings can make a real difference.
“With the way expenses are in this day and age, with gas and the supermarket, you try to save money every which way — and $300 can buy a lot of groceries, especially when you’re retired,” said Theresa Dallao, VITA client.
In Monroe County, no appointments are required for VITA services. Information in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole can be viewed and downloaded at uwcollierkeys.org/programs/vita/.
Volunteers are able to assist through Monday, April 13 at the Harvey Government Center in Key West, 1200 Truman Ave. from noon to 4 p.m. and Wednesday, April 15 at the Marathon library, 3490 Overseas Highway, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Bring photo identification for you and your spouse (if filing jointly), Social Security cards or ITIN documents for all household members; birthdates for yourself, spouse, and dependents; a blank check for direct deposit of your refund; a copy of last year’s tax return; all Forms W-2, 1098, and 1099; Forms 1095-A, B or C (ACA Statements); information about other income; documentation for deductions and credits.
For married couples filing jointly, both spouses must be present.
— Contributed
KEY WEST MAN GETS PRISON TERM FOR OWNING CHILD PORN & HAVING SEX WITH A DOG
Jorge Tyler Perez, 28, sentenced to 3 years prison & 5 years sex offender probation
TState Attorney’s Office announced this week that
Jorge Tyler Perez was sentenced following a plea of no contest to 15 felony counts in Monroe County. County Judge Mark Wilson adjudicated him guilty on all 15 counts. The charges included 14 counts of sexual activity with a dog, and one count of possession of a video depicting sexual conduct involving a minor.
The case started with a tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a clearinghouse that works with online service providers and law enforcement agencies to identify and report suspected child exploitation. The report was forwarded to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and investigated in coordination with Homeland Security Investigations through the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Through subpoenas and search warrants, law enforcement identified Perez and linked him to online accounts associated with the possession of illegal material. A forensic
review of electronic evidence confirmed the presence of multiple files that formed the basis of the 15 charges.
Perez was sentenced to three years in state prison on the count of possession of a video depicting sexual conduct involving a minor.
On the 14 counts of sexual activities involving animals, the court imposed a total of five years of sex offender probation, followed by five years of regular probation for a total of 10 years of supervision with the Department of Corrections.
As part of the special conditions of his sentence, Perez is prohibited from possessing animals and may not live in a household where animals are present. He was also ordered to pay $1,500 in fines and court costs. The case was prosecuted by Major Crimes Assistant State Attorney Colleen Dunne.
“This defendant engaged in conduct that is both deeply disturbing and criminal at every level,” Chief Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield said. “The sentence imposed ensures he will be removed from the community for a significant period of time and held fully accountable; if he were to violate his probation, Perez could be facing over 70 years in prison.”
— Contributed
Volunteers at the Big Pine VITA office. CONTRIBUTED
Jorge Tyler Perez
Founded by Betty Debnam
THANK A TEACHER
Think of all the things your teacher does for you every day. Make a list. How many items did you come up with?
Many of the tasks that teachers do for students each day aren’t even seen or noticed by school kids. For instance, look around your room at the decorations there. Your teacher stays after school or comes in on weekends to put them up. She talks with parents whose kids are struggling or need to move ahead in one subject. He meets with other teachers and educators to learn more about the best methods for teaching kids. Teachers encourage and support their students every day in tiny and huge ways.
Teacher Appreciation Week is celebrated May 4-8 this year. The Mini Page cooked up some ideas to help you show your teachers how much they mean to you.
BE A FRIENDLY SPY
You’ll have to be a little sneaky for this one! Working with your classmates, try to find out what your teacher needs in the classroom. Many teachers have to buy supplies with their own money. This can become a big expense. Ask another teacher or a parent what your teacher really wants for the classroom but can’t get. It might be a new set of colored pencils, calculators, big floor pillows for the reading area or bottles of hand sanitizer.
school event, such as a race or video gamemchallenge. Each person pays a fee to enter, and the winner gets a small prize, with the money going toward items on the teacher’s wish list.
SHOW WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED
Work with your classmates to put on a play about something you’ve been studying. Say you’ve been learning about our branches of government. Write and perform a play about a Supreme Court case. You’ll need nine judges, two lawyers and a defendant and plaintiff. (The defendant is the person who has been accused of something; the plaintiff is the person who has brought the case against the defendant.) Work with your teacher to arrange an appropriate time to present your play.
FOOD ALWAYS WORKS
Everybody loves treats! But don’t just bring a box of doughnuts.
Make some edible bites of history. Ask your family for a recipe that’s been handed down through generations, or make a dish that is native to your culture.
Bring the dishes to school and tell the story behind the food: Who gave you the recipe? Where did your ancestors come from? Why is the dish special to you? How did you make it? Then share your creation!
Again, make sure to work with your teacher to set a date for your food history project.
Words that remind us of teachers are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find:
MINI FACT: On average, teachers spend more than $600 of their own money on school supplies each year.
A FLOOD OF THANKS
Flood your teacher with thanks! Each student in your class can write a short note or poem about what your teacher means to them.
Ask if the notes can be dropped off in the school office for your teacher to find after school or on a break.
Give a lot of thought to your note. Try to think of a moment when your teacher really helped you or stood up for you. Decorate it with a drawing about that time.
TEACHER FACT-A-ROONIES
According to the National Parent Teacher Association:
• The standard American work week is 40 hours. But on average, teachers work about 53 hours a week.
• About 30 hours are spent in the classroom; the other 23 are spent grading papers and preparing for class.
• The average class has more than 20 students.
• Teachers have to adjust their methods for each class and for each individual student.
RESOURCES
ON THE WEB
• bit.ly/4rDX7FE
• bit.ly/MPIdeas
AT THE LIBRARY
• “The Teachers Lounge” by Mendi Spencer
ECO NOTE
Giant tortoises are roaming Floreana Island in the Galápagos Islands for the first time in more than 180 years after conservationists released 158 captive-bred juveniles into the wild. The island’s native tortoise, Chelonoidis niger niger, was driven to extinction in the 1840s by sailors who harvested thousands for food. Scientists launched a breeding program in 2017 after discovering tortoises with Floreana ancestry on nearby Isabela Island. Conservation groups called the release a major milestone that could help restore degraded ecosystems because giant tortoises play a powerful role in shaping vegetation and dispersing seeds.
COMING SOON TO KEY WEST THEATER
FIGHT TO THE FINISH
Lacrosse teams prep for postseason | P.4
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Marathon Baseball Coral Shores 3/30 W, 3-0
Key West Boys Lacrosse NSU University 3/30 L, 19-14
Coral Shores Softball South Homestead 3/31 W, 10-0
Coral Shores Boys Lacrosse St. Brendan 3/31 W, 16-4
Key West Boys Lacrosse Archbishop McCarthy 4/1 W, 12-3
Marathon Softball St. Brendan 4/1 L, 20-10
Key West Baseball Southridge 4/1 W, 2-1
Coral Shores Boys Lacrosse NSU University 4/2 L, 17-10
Coral Shores Girls Lacrosse NSU University 4/2 L, 17-3
Coral Shores Baseball Keys Gate 4/2 W, 7-4
Coral Shores Softball Palmer Trinity 4/2 L, 7-0
Key West Baseball Lakeside School 4/2 W, 5-0 Key West Girls Lacrosse NSU University 4/3 L, 16-5 Marathon Baseball JC Bermudez Doral 4/3 L, 9-4 Marathon Baseball ABF Academy Homestead 4/4 W, 6-2
Coral Shores Boys Lacrosse Cardinal Gibbons 4/4 W, 13-4
Key West Girls Lacrosse Keys Gate 4/4 W, 15-1
Key West Boys Lacrosse Keys Gate 4/4 W, 14-1
Key West Baseball Miami HIgh 4/4 W, 15-0 Key West
MARCH 30 - APRIL 4 THIS WEEK IN KEYS SPORTS APRIL 9-16
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
4/9
4/10 Key West Softball
4/11
4/11
4/15
4/15
DAVILA
Auggy is a determined athlete. He is ready for all situations due to his strong work ethic.”
– Judd Wise, Conchs color commentator and Florida Keys sports historian
Auggy
lone inning of work on April 1 may not have looked extraordinary on paper, but those 17 pitches carried historic weight. With a save against Miami Southridge, Davila set a new Key West single-season record with eight, etching his name into one of the program’s most competitive record books.
.973 saves school record fielding percentage this season ON THE COVER APRIL 9
Davila continued to deliver at the plate throughout the week, recording a hit against Lakeside before doubling and driving in a run against Miami High on April 4. Later that evening, he came through again in a second matchup with Lakeside, tallying two hits, including a walk-off that sealed the win for the Conchs.
When he’s not closing out games, Davila anchors the defense at shortstop, where he has posted an impressive .973 fielding percentage this season, and with a season to go, there is no limit to what Davila can do. For his dedication to the sport and to the Conchs and for coming in clutch again and again, Key West’s Auggy Davila is the Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.
by ROCKY GONET/Keys Weekly
Coral Shores boys lacrosse players battle for a ground ball against Cardinal Gibbons High School. The Hurricanes prevailed in a home romp, 13-4. See page 4. NATALIE GOODWIN/Keys Weekly
Auggy
Junior, Key West Baseball
Junior
Davila’s
Photo
fled to the Keys from the frozen mountains of Pennsylvania hours after graduating from college and never looked back. She is a second-generation coach and educator, and has taught in the public school system for over 25 years. She and her husband met at a beginning teacher meeting in 1997 and have three children born and raised in Monroe County. In her free time, McDonald loves flea markets, historical fiction and long runs in the heat.
grew up in Miami and moved to the Keys in 1997. He has spent the last 25 years teaching physical education and coaching virtually every sport for Florida Keys kids ages 4 to 18. If you are reading this and live or lived in the Florida Keys, he has probably taught, coached, or coached against someone you know.
The Keys Weekly Sports Wrap is proud to be the only locally-owned publication providing prep sports coverage from Key Largo to Key West. Together with our writers and photographers, we are committed to providing a comprehensive overview of the world of Keys sports with photography that allows our readers to immerse themselves in game action.
Se habla español THE MARATHON WEEKLY (ISSN 1944-0812) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY FOR $125 PER YEAR BY WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS, INC., 9709 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY, MARATHON FL 33050. APPLICATION TO MAIL AT PERIODICALS POSTAGE RATES IS PENDING AT FORT LAUDERDALE FL AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES.
TAKE TWO
3 4
Keys lacrosse teams face familiar foes in district quarterfinals
With the regular season in the rear view, Keys lacrosse teams are set for high-stakes rematches in the district quarterfinals.
Coral Shores’ boys finished 11-5, securing the fifth seed in their FHSAA 1A District 16 bracket.
The Hurricanes defeated St. Brendan in a 16-4 road win on March 31. Christian Gonzalez had five goals, James Mitchell had three goals and an assist and Zane Martinez had one goal and three assists in the win.
Marathon - Alex Rickert alex@keysweekly.com
Upper Keys - Jim McCarthy jim@keysweekly.com
Key West - Mandy Miles mandy@keysweekly.com
All stories, photos, and graphics are copyrighted materials.
Next up was a stacked NSU University School on April 2. Scoring for the ’Canes were Finn McDonough with four goals, Mitchell with three and two assists and Martinez with two goals. Gonzalez and Nathaniel Shugarman each added two assists. Goalie Brock Bynum had 22 saves in the 17-10 loss. The team found their winning ways again two days later in a 13-4 home romp against Cardinal Gibbons to finish their regular season strong.
“After a slow start, the team put their foot on the gas pedal and scored nine unanswered goals,” said coach Chris Carrow.
Mitchell led the way with six goals and an assist. Martinez netted three goals and three assists while Gonzalez scored two and assisted on another pair. SG Paul had one goal and one assist and McDonough added one goal and three assists to his stats. Bynum had seven saves in the big win. Carrow’s hope for a rematch against neighboring rival Key West will come to fruition this week, as the teams are slated
tracy mcdonald
sean mcdonald
to play one another in the quarterfinals.
Key West earned the upper hand and home-field advantage with a No. 4 seed in the quarterfinals. The 10-4 Conchs lost to NSU University School on March 30, 19-14, then won two in a row to finish their regular season with momentum from a 12-3 defeat of Archbishop McCarthy on April 1 and a resounding 14-1 win over Keys Gate on April 4. The closely-matched Conchs and ’Canes meet in the Southernmost City on Thursday, April 9 at 6 p.m. to determine who earns the right to challenge top-seeded Westminster Christian in the semifinals on April 11.
The Lady Conchs finished their regular season with a 6-8 record after a week of mixed results. The team started at St. Brendan, where they lost 15-7 in what coach Marissa Giacopuzzi described as a “full battle.” The Conchs finished the game with six caused turnovers and 14 ground balls, but also drew a pair of penalty cards, putting them at a disadvantage for four minutes of play. St. Brendan capitalized with some quick goals in the 15-7 March 31 loss.
April 3 pitted the Conchs against NSU University School, one of the top teams in South Florida. Colbie Turner and Mavis Bishop netted two goals apiece and Taylor Gibson scored one, but the Sharks’ scoring was fast and furious, leading to a 16-5 loss for Key West.
The following day, Key West finished their regular season on a high note with a 15-1 victory over a visiting Keys Gate. The lopsided contest allowed the entire Lady Conchs’ roster to see time and vary their positions, and a dozen different athletes scored, including low defenders Molly Martinez, Madison Horner and Vivienne Kenn, who scored two.
Goalkeeper Diya Alwani traded sticks and positions to net a goal of her own on a free position shot with just eight seconds remaining in the game. Bishop
scored three and chalked up five assists while Turner, Adriana Dall, Gibson, Althea Olsen, Eisley Whitehead, Adilys Frouel and Ashlyn Picco accounted for the rest. Giacopuzzi was pleased with her team’s effort, especially that of the defense.
Next up for Key West is the FHSAA 1A District quarterfinals, where they travel back to the raucous fans of St. Brendan on Thursday, April 9 at 4 p.m. The Conchs head into the game ranked fifth while the Sabres drew the No. 4 seed. The winner will face top-seeded Palmer Trinity Apr. 11 in the semifinal game.
The Lady ’Canes dropped two games and finished 4-8 in the regular season. They lost 10-7 at Palmer Trinity March 31, then 17-3 to NSU University two days later. The losses gave Coral Shores the seventh seed in District 16, matching them with second seed Ransom Everglades Apr. 9 for their quarterfinal game. The winner heads into the semis against either third seed Westminster Christian or the sixth-seeded Lourdes two
1. Coral Shores boys lacrosse players in a ground ball battle against players from Cardinal Gibbons High School.
2. James Mitchell (24) surveys the field.
3. Christian Gonzalez (5) scores against Cardinal Gibbons High School.
4. Nathaniel Shugarman (13) keeps a tight cover on a Cardinal Gibbons athlete.
5. Connor Daniels (8) targets the ball.
6. Zane Martinez (3) hustles downfield on his way to score a goal.
7. James Mitchell (24) dodges defenders and creates space for a shot.
NATALIE GOODWIN/Keys Weekly
1. Addison Grady (22) is set to swing at an incoming pitch from Palmer Trinity.
2. Infielder Alyvia Prince (2) catches a fly ball.
3. Catcher Caylyn Gwilliam warms up her pitcher.
4. Pressley Bagwell (1) delivers a strike against Palmer Trinity.
5. Vanessa Cawley (5) is loaded and ready to hit against Palmer Trinity.
NATALIE GOODWIN/Keys Weekly
BAG
The Coral Shores Lady ’Canes had mixed results on the softball field last week, with a win and a loss bringing their record to a respectable 6-3. Their first game was a four-inning mercy-rule win against Somerset South Homestead on March 31. Pressley Bagwell pitched a one-hitter, striking out two and walking none of the 14 batters she faced. Offensively, Addison Grady led the team with two hits. Caylyn Gwilliam, Alyvia Prince, Chloie Stanley, Kayden Costlow, Mira Jones and Bayley Catarineau had one apiece in the 10-0 win.
Two days later, the ’Canes lost to Palmer Trinity 7-0. Stanley and Prince had the only hits for Coral Shores. Bagwell and Prince shared the pitching load, but a hard-hitting Falcons crew came away with the win.
Marathon played one game last week, losing on the road to St. Brendan School in five innings. Madelyn Thornton, Maeve Merryman, Kayla Skaarup and Sutton Sayer doubled and Shaina Robinson singled, but five hits would not be enough to defeat the Sabres. Sayer and Thornton split time in the circle, but St. Brendan’s 13 hits and a slew of errors from the Fins ended with a 20-10 loss for Marathon.
Key West did not see any action last week. The Lady Conchs pick back up April 10 in their quest to hang on to their District 16 title. The 11-4 Conchs finish their regular season April 18, playing the remainder of their schedule at home. District action begins April 27 for the Conchs and Fins; the Hurricanes, who are independent and do not participate in postseason play, will close out their season at home against Marathon on April 21.
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Key West baseball fans enjoyed a flurry of action last week, beginning April 1 against Miami’s 5A Southridge Spartans. Despite being outhit 6-4, the Conchs made theirs count. Roman Garcia’s one-run home run, Kristian Master’s triple and a pair of singles from Kade Maltz and Nelson Ong were all Key West needed to defeat the Spartans. Maltz started on the mound and spanned six innings with five strikeouts, two walks, four hits and one earned run. Then Auggy Davila closed it out in the 2-1 win. Davila’s save, his eighth this season, surpassed the mark set by Darren Miller in 2013.
The next afternoon, the Lakeside School Chiefs visited the Rex all the way from Eufaula, Alabama. Donovan Thiery went the distance, striking out eight, walking two and surrendering three hits and no runs over seven innings. Garcia smacked a pair of doubles and collected two RBIs while Xavier Perez had two base hits. Maltz doubled and Davila and Thiery singled for a total of seven Conch hits. Eight walks boosted Key West’s offense to help fuel the 5-0 win.
An April 4 matchup between Miami High and Key West proved to be a lopsided one. The 7A
FOUR
Stingarees were effectively shut down by a perfect Key West defense, which logged a dozen putouts over the course of four innings. Cruz Holmes opened the game and threw for two hitless innings, then Nick Besson tossed another two to secure the shutout no-hitter.
The Conch duo struck out just one batter and allowed a single walk, trusting the defense to do the rest. Roman Garcia had the hot bat against the Stingarees. He was 3-for-3 at the plate with a single, double and triple. Tyrone Cervantes, Thiery, Darreld Tremino and Maltz had two hits apiece and Jackie Niles, Davila, Ong and Francisco Gonzalez accounted for the remainder of the whopping 15 Conch hits. The 15-0 win gave some underclassmen a chance to play and made for a three-game winning streak.
That streak stretched to four, all in one week, when Lakeside School took another shot at the Conchs later that night. Key West led through six and one-half innings when the Chiefs pieced together an offensive onslaught to tie the game up at 5. Fortunately for Key West, the lineup delivered with a Garcia walk, a Thiery single, then a bunt from Davila that not only placed him safely
on first, but led to a Lakeside error, which scored Garcia for the walk-off win.
Thiery and Davila ended the game with two hits each. One of Thiery’s was a two-run home run in the fifth inning. Maltz, Ong and Niles had one hit each in the 6-5 win. Ong got the start for Key West, allowing just one hit and zero runs over six innings. Ong struck out seven batters and walked none. Christian Koppal and Davila each put in some relief work to put the Conchs at 21-3 with just one regular-season game to go.
A much anticipated contest between the county’s closest neighbors on March 30 delivered for Fins fans, as Marathon and Coral Shores faced off
1. Auggy Davila (9), Kade Maltz (11) and Donovan Thiery (1) discuss their next move.
2. Conch fans leave their seats to root on their team.
3. Nelson Ong delivers a pitch against Lakeside School on April 4.
4. Conch shortstop Auggy Davila stands at first.
Photos by Rocky Gonet and Tracy McDonald
FOUR DOWN
in the Middle Keys. Dolphin junior Dylan Williams got the start and, with the help of his defense, dispatched the first three ’Cane batters, then picked up the bat for a leadoff single. A Hurricane error and three hits later and the Dolphins had three runs on the board, a lead they would hold for the remainder of the game.
Williams finished six innings with nine strikeouts, three walks and a single hit allowed. Jack Chapman stepped in for one inning of work, striking out three and walking one to secure the win. Williams added a double and went 2-for-3 to lead the Dolphin offense. Miles Murphy, Curren Nicolay, Bradley Buigas, Gabriele Cirina and Massimo Quargnali had one hit each. For Coral Shores, Brayden Turner’s single in the second inning was the lone hit of the game. Senior southpaw Riley O’Berry had a solid showing on the mound, striking out five Fins, walking one and surrendering six hits over six innings. The 3-0 win for the Dolphins marks the team’s first win against the Hurricanes since 2014.
After their big win against Coral Shores, Marathon faced off with JC Bermudez on April 3. The aptly-named Thunder brought big bats, racking up
a dozen hits against the Fins. Marathon managed four, with Roco Piscetello leading the way with a triple and a single. Buigas and Cirina added one apiece. Cirina pitched a majority of the game with help from Piscetello, Chapman and Rella to finish out the 9-4 loss.
The following afternoon, a visiting ABF Academy Homestead Black team squared off with the Dolphins. The relatively obscure Bandits, a derivative of the ABF Homestead team, acquired seven hits against Marathon. Like their prior game, the Fins managed just four hits, but when it comes to baseball, timing is everything.
In the bottom of the first, the Dolphins loaded the bases with walks, then Massimo Quargnali stepped to the plate and ripped a line drive to right field, resulting in a grand slam. They added another pair of runs in the sixth for good measure, and a 6-2 victory put the Fins at 13-8-1 for the season. Williams pitched a fantastic five innings, striking out 10, walking one and surrendering five hits and no runs. Piscetello and Rella shut the door on the Bandits. Cirina, Williams, Quargnali and Nicolay each had one hit with Cirina and Williams driving in one run each and Quargnali four.
7. Coral Shores’ Riley O’Berry delivers a pitch against Marathon.
8. Dolphin ace Dylan Williams takes a breath between pitches.
9. Coral Shores’ Jack O’Keefe holds Marathon’s Jack Chapman on first.
The Hurricanes regrouped after their loss to Marathon and picked up a win against Keys Gate on April 2. Mason Clark got the start and Braylon Lindmar pitched four and one-third innings of relief in the win. Clark and Riley O’Berry had one hit and two RBIs each to lead the charge. Maykol Bonito and Jack O’Keefe had one hit and one RBI each and Brayden Turner and Keller Blackburn singled in the 7-4 win.
April 11 is the final day of regular season action for Florida high school baseball. District tournaments begin April 14.
5. The Dolphin dugout stays focused during their rivalry game against Coral Shores.
6. Dolphin shortstop Miles Murphy dives into first safely.
TALENT ON THE TRACK
Keys teams showcase falling marks and rising stars
After an extended spring break, the Key West track and field team traveled to Belen Jesuit School for the Ripoll Invitational on March 31, and the Conchs produced some record-breaking performances.
Junior Jordan Greene finished in second place in the triple jump, but her 35’ 0.25” feat surpassed that of teammate Capri Miner’s school-record-breaking jump just three weeks ago. Prior to Miner’s leap, the record had stood for a quarter century.
Record-holder Ariel Newton won the nine-team competition outright in the pole vault competition, clearing the bar at 12’ 3.5”. Newton was close to breaking her own record but brushed the bar, bringing it down at the 12’ 9.25” height.
The two Lady Conch field standouts were joined by a pair of track stars. Junior Aly Camargo finished sixth in the open 800, moving to fourth in Key West’s record book with a 2:34 performance. Fellow junior Mirakle Humphrey finished the 100-meter race in 13.09 seconds, finishing sixth. Humphrey set a new school record in the event in March, but a strong headwind last week prevented her from eclipsing her own record.
Jeff Dejean was the overall winner in the long jump event. Dejean’s 22’ 1.5” leap was good for gold. Once he was finished in the sand pit, Dejean teamed up with Roman Van Loon, Walson Morin and Cavane Herron to take second place in the 4x200 relay. The fast foursome was within two seconds of the Conchs’ record in the relay.
The Dolphins of Marathon traveled to Miami’s Southridge High School for the Superfly Athletics Under the Lights meet on April 1, and several Fins made statements on the track and in the field. Freshman Lucian Burns won three events, finishing two laps of the 800-meter event in 2:04 for a new PR and a win. His second was a 4:36 1,600, and he added another eight laps for a win in the 3,200-meter race. The two miles took Burns just 10:26 to complete.
Tony Bursa was second in the 3,200 and third in the 800 to pick up points for the Dolphins. The Fins’ 4x100 relay
1. Key West’s Aly Camargo finishes strong in the 800-meter race.
2. Conch record-holder Ariel Newton prepares for flight in the pole vault.
3. Key West’s Jeff Dejean takes flight in the long jump.
4. Marathon’s record-breaking 4x100 relay team. From left: Sean Nelson, Tariq Patterson, Shamar Wright and Sean Westerband.
5. Mirakle Humphrey sprints to a strong finish in the 100-meter race.
6. Jordan Greene focuses on the takeoff portion of her recordsetting triple jump.
RICK MACKENZIE/Contributed
team of Sean Nelson, Tariq Patterson, Sean Westerband and Shamar Wright finished in third, but their 44.99-second time was good for a new school record. In the field, Israel Gonzalez placed second in the javelin event to round out Marathon’s top three finishers at Southridge.
The Lady Fins stacked up their wins in the field. Senior Daysi Williams won the high jump competition with a 1.52-meter leap. Justice Lee Isom won the javelin (32.64 meters) and shot put (11.74 meters) and placed second in the discus. Ava Merryman cleared the bar at 2.7 meters for a second in the pole vault. All three athletes are seniors.
The Hurricanes chose the Bronco Nation Last Chance event in Homestead on April 2 for their meet of the week. Junior Mikel Castellanos finished second in the shot put for the lone top-three spot for the boys team. Julieanna Oddo finished the 100 hurdles in second place with a new personal best; the girls’ 4x800 team finished third.
April 10 is the final regular-season date for meets this season. Key West and Coral Shores won’t have to wait too long for the postseason; both teams will compete at the 2A District 16 Championships at Southridge on April 15. 1A Marathon competes at Palmer on April 23.
COURT CLASH
Conchs down ’Canes at Coral Shores
Key West paid a visit to Tavernier on April 2 to face Coral Shores on the tennis courts. The Conchs’ boys and girls both brought home wins against the Hurricanes.
Ben Delostrinos, Hubert Konopka and Daniel Morales each won in singles and Delostrinos and Morales teamed up for another win in doubles to sweep the shorthanded ’Canes.
The girls’ matches were closer, with Coral Shores’ Allyson Rosendale, Vanessa Gabriel and Harlee Beeler winning in singles for a narrow 4-3 loss to Key West. Lady Conchs Beyza Atilla and Monea McLeod won in singles, then Atilla and Avery Batty plus Amina Erik and Shihan Ren won in doubles for Key West.
Earlier in the week, Andrei Lehene and John Picco won in singles and paired up for a third win in doubles action for a narrow loss to visiting La Salle. The girls suffered a similar fate, with their wins coming from Eva Drozdetskaia in singles and in doubles with teammate Atilla. Miah Apperson and Batty picked up another win in No. 2 doubles to make it 4-3 in favor of La Salle in their March 31 matches.
Coral Shores sent their girls to Riviera Prep on March 31 while the guys stayed at home to face South Dade. The boys were blanked, but Vanessa Gabriel won the No. 5 match to get the Lady ’Canes on the board.
Marathon’s Lady Fins traveled to True North on April 2 to take on the Titans. Shynell McGuire and Emily Alvear won in No. 1 doubles against a strong True North squad.
Like many spring sports, tennis season is winding down, with final regular-season matches closing out April 11 and district pairings slated for next week.
Top: Daniel Morales and Shihan Ren, seen here in matches earlier this season, were two of Key West’s winners on the courts against Coral Shores.
Bottom: Marathon’s Shynell McGuire, left, and Emily Alvear are proving to be a tough team to beat; last week the duo won against a strong True North matchup. TRACY McDONALD/ Keys Weekly
The following is an upcoming GMX procurement opportunity:
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For detailed information please visit the Procurement Department website at http://www.gmx-way.com/business/solicitations, or call the Procurement Department at 305-637-3277 for assistance.
Publish: April 9, 2026. The Weekly Newspapers
SMALL CITIES COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG). CITIZEN ADVISORY TASK FORCE MEETING & FIRST PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE CITY OF KEY COLONY BEACH, FLORIDA
The City of Key Colony Beach is considering applying to Florida Commerce for FFY 2025 Small Cities Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The City is eligible to apply for funds in the neighborhood revitalization, commercial revitalization, housing rehabilitation and economic development categories. Construction activities funded through the CDBG Program must meet one of the following National Objectives:
• Provide bene t to low- and moderate-income persons;
• Prevent or eliminate slum or blight conditions; or
• Meet a need of recent origin having a particular urgency.
Eligible CDBG activities include, but are not limited to, constructing stormwater ponds, paving roads and sidewalks, installing sewer and water lines, building a community center or park, making improvements to a sewage treatment plant, and rehabilitating low-income homes. Additional information regarding the range of activities that could be funded will be provided at the public hearing.
In developing a CDBG application, the City of Key Colony Beach must plan to minimize displacement of persons as a result of the activities. In addition, the City is required to develop a plan to assist displaced persons.
A Citizen Advisory Task Force (CATF) Meeting will be held on April 16, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. at Key Colony Beach City Hall located at 600 W. Ocean Drive, Key Colony Beach FL, to discuss community needs and make project recommendations.
A First Public Hearing to obtain citizen comments concerning the City’s economic and community development needs will be held at Key Colony Beach City Hall located at 600 W. Ocean Drive, Key Colony Beach FL, on April 16, 2026, at 3:30 p.m.
The CATF meeting and public hearing are being conducted in handicapped accessible locations. Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in the hearing is asked to advise the City at least five days before the hearing.
For more information concerning the public hearing, or to request special accommodation, please contact Silvia Roussin, City Clerk, at 305-289-1212, ext. 2 or cityclerk@keycolonybeach.net. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the City of Key Colony Beach using the Florida Relay Service, 1(800) 955-8771 (TTY) or 1(800) 955-8770 (Voice).
Any non-English speaking person wishing to attend the public hearing should contact Silvia Roussin, City Clerk, at 305-289-1212, ext. 2 or cityclerk@keycolonybeach.net at least ve days prior to the hearing and an interpreter will be provided.
Cualquier persona que no hable inglés y desee asistir a la audiencia pública debe comunicarse con Silvia Roussin, City Clerk, at 305-289-1212, ext. 2 or cityclerk@keycolonybeach.net al menos cinco días antes de la audiencia y se le proporcionará un intérprete.
Publish: April 9, 2026. The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
DIVISION OF ST. CROIX
SX-2026-CV-00106
ACTION FOR DAMAGES AND TO FORECLOSE LIEN
DIRTY BOTTOM LLC
d/b/a ST. CROIX MARINE CENTER, Plaintiff, vs. JORDAN HOPP, Defendant SX-2026-CV-00106
ACTION FOR DAMAGES
To: Jordan Hopp
710 Ashe Street
Key West, FL 33040
To: Jordan Hopp
c/o S/V PENROSE
5063 Gallows Bay St. Croix, VI
Pursuant to the March 19, 2026
Order of the Virgin Islands
Superior Court, within the time limited by law (see Note below) you are hereby required to appear before this Court and answer to a Complaint filed against you in this action and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment by default will be taken against you for monetary and other relief as demanded in the Complaint.
Tamara Charles, Clerk of the Court Superior Court of the Virgin Islands
Bruce P. Bennett
BENNETT LAW
63 Calhoun Street Washington Depot, CT 06794
T: (475) 206-1199
F: (475) 207-0117
V.I. Bar #512
bpb@brucebennettlaw.com
NOTE: The defendant, if served personally, is required to file his answer or other defense with the Clerk of this Court, and to serve a copy thereof upon the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days after service of this summons, excluding the date of service. The defendant, if served by publication or be personal service outside of this jurisdiction, is required to file his answer or other defense with the Clerk of this Court, and to serve a copy thereof upon the attorney for the plaintiff within thirty (30) days after the completion of the period publication nor personal service outside of the jurisdiction.
Publish:
April 9, 16, 23 & 30, 2026
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF SALE
To: All members of the general public including all persons on Exhibit “A”, record owners, their heirs, guardians and assigns, of the unit week(s) as showing thereon, all located in and governed by that certain:
Declaration of Condominium for FLORIDA BAY CLUB OF KEY LARGO, a condominium, recorded in O.R. Book 871 at pages 1215, et seq. Public Records, Monroe County, Florida.
Based upon default in assessment payments and pursuant to the Claim of Lien filed by THE FLORIDA BAY CLUB CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, INC., a Florida notfor-profit corporation, recorded at O.R. Book 3362, Page 949 in the Public Records of Monroe County Florida, STAACK & SIMMS, PLLC, d/b/a TIMESHARE TRUSTEE™ WILL CONDUCT A SALE OF EACH AND EVERY UNIT WEEK LISTED ON THE ATTACHED LIST BEGINNING AT 11:00 A.M. ON April 23rd, 2026, AT: 103500 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo, Florida 33037.
Meyerson 4136 Shadowood Parkway SE, Atlanta, GA 30339
2020 10375.85 $5.12
A01-09 Clifford E. Brown Linda K. Brown 8205 Rio Bend Ct., N. Richmond Hill, TX 76182 2023
2947.39 $1.45
Obligors and junior lienholders showing on Exhibit “A” may cure the default and redeem the timeshare interest by paying the amounts secured by the Association’s lien on their unit week(s) as reflected in Exhibit “A” together with trustee’s fees and interest through the date of payment in cash or certified funds to TIMESHARE TRUSTEE™ at any time prior to the issuance of the Certificate of Sale on the above date.
PROBATE DIVISION DIVISION: UPPER KEYS IN RE: THE ESTATE OF MARK A. SMAIL
Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of MARK A. SMAIL, deceased, whose date of death was February 17, 2024, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division; the address of which is 88770 Overseas Highway, Suite 2, Plantation Key, FL 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.
The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent's death by the decedent or the decedent's surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216-732.228, Florida Statues applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.
NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT'S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is April 2, 2026.
Personal Representative: KELLY L. SMAIL, Executor 4004 Micklefield Lane Greensburg, PA 15601 Attorney for Personal Representative: MICHAEL W. DARPINO, ESQ. Michael.Darpino@epadvisors.com FL Bar No.: 1003432 One PPG Place, Ste. 1710 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 (412) 281-2870
Publish: April 2 & 9, 2026
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 26-CP-000120-P
DIVISION: PROBATE IN RE: ESTATE OF JAMES B. CHAMBERS
Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of JAMES B. CHAMBERS, deceased, whose date of death was February 17, 2026, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88770 Overseas Hwy., Tavernier, FL 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.
All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.
The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent’s death by the decedent or the decedent’s surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216 - 732.228, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.
NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.
The date of first publication of this notice is April 2, 2026.
Personal Representative: James Sean Chambers 195 Atlantic Circle Drive Tavernier, FL 33070
Attorney for Personal Representative: Anthony A. Velardi, Esq. Florida Bar No. 113917
Key Largo Law 218 Lignumvitae Drive Key Largo, FL 33037
Tel: (305) 453-5277
Fax: (305) 453-4985
E-Mail: anthony@keylargolaw.com
Publish: April 2 & 9, 2026
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 25-CP-000551-P
IN RE: THE ESTATE OF JAMES H. BOWER
Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of James H. Bower, deceased, whose date of death was September 17, 2025, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division; the address of which is 88770 Overseas Highway, Suite 2, Plantation Key, Florida 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.
All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims
or demands against decedent's estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent's death by the decedent or the decedent's surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216-732.228, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. The written demand must be filed with the clerk.
ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.
NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT'S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is April 2, 2026.
Personal Representative: Tanya L. Bower 4928 Cypress Lane Coconut Creek, Florida 33073 Attorney for Personal Representative: Tanya L. Bower E-mail Addresses: Tanya@ businesslawteam.com jane@businesslawteam.com
Florida Bar No. 93378 Business Law Team, PLLC 401 E Las Olas Blvd FT LAUDERDALE, Florida 33301
Telephone: (954) 648-5268
Publish: April 2 & 9, 2026
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 26-CP-95-M
DIVISION: MIDDLE KEYS IN RE: ESTATE OF JOHN AMELIO MARTIN A/K/A JOHN A. MARTIN Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of John Amelio Martin a/k/a John A. Martin, deceased, whose date of death was November 20, 2025, and whose Social Security Number is XXX-XX-9450, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, Florida 33050. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.
NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.
The date of first publication of this notice is April 2, 2026.
Personal Representative:
Telephone: (954) 452-1144
Publish: April 2 & 9, 2026
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
DIVISION: PROBATE
CASE NO.: 25-CP-498-M IN RE: ESTATE OF ANNETTE J. AVICOLLI
Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of ANNETTE J. AVICOLLI, deceased, whose date of death was May 17, 2025, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 3117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.
All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.
ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.
NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.
The date of first publication of this notice is April 2, 2026.
Attorney for Personal Representative: Anthony J. Barrows Attorney for Personal Representative Florida Bar Number: 662569
WRIGHT BARROWS PLLC 30410 Sea Grape Terr. Ste. 2 Big Pine Key, FL 33043 Telephone: (305) 743-8118
Fax: (305) 489-0307
E-mail: tony@keysclosings.com
Publish: April 2 & 9, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 2025-CC-399-K
NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE BY CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT
Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, Kevin Madok, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Monroe County, Florida, will, on the 20TH day of April 2026 at 11 o’clock a.m., at 500 Whitehead Street, Monroe County, in the City of Key West, Florida, offer for sale and sell at public outcry to the highest and best bidder for CASH the Following described property situated in Monroe County, Florida, to wit: UNIT 5512, WEEK 2, WINDWARD POINTE, A LEASEHOLD CONDOMINIUM (“CONDOMINIUM”), ACCORDING TO THE DECLARATION OF CONDOMINIUM THEREOF
RECORDED IN OFFICIAL
RECORDS BOOK 1803, PAGE 844, PUBLIC RECORDS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, AND ALL EXHIBITS THERETO, AND ANY AMENDMENTS THEREOF (THE “DECLARATION”).
Pursuant to IN REM SUMMARY
FINAL JUDGMENT OF FORECLOSURE AS TO COUNT(S) VII entered in a case pending in said
Court, the 9TH day of March 2026 Style of which is:
WINDWARD POINTE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION OF KEY WEST, INC., A CORPORATION NOT-FOR-PROFIT UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA Plaintiff vs. ANY AND ALL UNKNOWN PARTIES WHO CLAIM AN INTEREST AS SPOUSE, HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES, PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES, ADMINISTRATORS OR AS OTHER CLAIMANTS, BY, THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST BERLEY BERRY GENTRY II, DECEASED AND LYNN GENTRY WINSTEAD, AS POTENTIAL HEIR TO BERLEY BERRY GENTRY II Defendant And the Docket Number of which is Number 2025-CC-399-K WITNESS my hand and the Official Seal of Said Court, this 18TH day of January 2026
KEVIN MADOK Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Shonta McLeod Deputy Clerk Florida Statute 45.031: Any person claiming an interest in the surplus from the sale, if any, other than the property owner as of the date of the Lis Pendens must file a claim within 60 days after the sale.
Publish: April 2 & 9, 2026
The Weekly Newspapers
I IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 2025-CC-74-K NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE BY CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, Kevin Madok, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Monroe County, Florida, will, on the 20TH day of April 2026 at 11 o’clock a.m., at 500 Whitehead Street, Monroe County, in the City of Key West, Florida, offer for sale and sell at public outcry to the highest and best bidder for CASH the Following described property situated in Monroe County, Florida, to wit: UNIT 5523, WEEK 50 OF WINDWARD POINTE, A LEASEHOLD CONDOMINIUM (“CONDOMINIUM”), ACCORDING TO THE DECLARATION OF CONDOMINIUM THEREOF RECORDED IN OFFICIAL RECORDS BOOK 1803, PAGE 844, PUBLIC RECORDS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, AND ALL EXHIBITS THERETO, AND ANY AMENDMENTS THEREOF (THE “DECLARATION”).
Pursuant to IN REM SUMMARY FINAL JUDGMENT OF FORECLOSURE AS TO COUNT(S) I entered in a case pending in said Court, the 9TH day of March 2026 Style of which is: WINDWARD POINTE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION OF KEY WEST, INC., A CORPORATION NOT-FOR-PROFIT UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA Plaintiff vs. BECKY LOUISE HOPPER AND ANY AND ALL UNKNOWN PARTIES WHO CLAIM AN INTEREST AS SPOUSE, HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES, PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES, ADMINISTRATORS OR AS OTHER CLAIMANTS, BY, THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST ROBERT EUGENE HOPPER, DECEASED
Defendant And the Docket Number of which is Number 2025-CC-74-K WITNESS my hand and the Official Seal of Said Court, this 18TH day of January 2026
KEVIN MADOK Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida
By: Shonta McLeod
Deputy Clerk Florida Statute 45.031: Any person claiming an interest in the surplus from the sale, if any, other than the property owner as of the date of the Lis Pendens must file a claim within 60 days after the sale.
Publish: April 2 & 9, 2026
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
CASE NO.: 2025-CC-363-K
NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE BY CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT
Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, Kevin Madok, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Monroe County, Florida, will, on the 20TH day of April 2026 at 11 o’clock a.m., at 500 Whitehead Street, Monroe County, in the City of Key West, Florida, offer for sale and sell at public outcry to the highest and best bidder for CASH the Following described property situated in Monroe County, Florida, to wit: UNIT 214, WEEK 17, SUNSET HARBOR RESORT, A CONDOMINIUM ACCORDING TO THE DECLARATION OF CONDOMINIUM THEREOF AS RECORDED IN OFFICIAL RECORDS BOOK 1376, PAGE 1093, PUBLIC RECORDS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, AND ALL EXHIBITS THERETO, AND ANY AMENDMENTS THEREOF (HEREAFTER THE “DECLARATION”). Pursuant to IN REM SUMMARY FINAL JUDGMENT OF FORECLOSURE entered in a case pending in said Court, the 9TH day of March 2026 Style of which is: SUNSET HARBOR RESORT CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, INC., A NONPROFIT CORPORATION UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA Plaintiff vs. ANY AND ALL UNKNOWN PARTIES WHO CLAIM AN INTEREST AS SPOUSE, HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES, PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES, ADMINISTRATORS OR AS OTHER CLAIMANTS, BY, THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST MILDRED NEVINS AKA MILDRED B. NEVINS, DECEASED; MARYJANE WOLFE, AS POTENTIAL HEIR TO MILDRED NEVINS AKA MILDRED B. NEVINS; MILDRED COOMBS, AS POTENTIAL HEIR TO MILDRED NEVINS AKA MILDRED B. NEVINS; JOSEPH MCMULLEN, AS POTENTIAL HEIR TO MILDRED NEVINS AKA MILDRED B. NEVINS; EDWARD MCMULLEN, AS POTENTIAL HEIR TO MILDRED NEVINS AKA MILDRED B. NEVINS; JOHN MCMULLEN, AS POTENTIAL HEIR TO MILDRED NEVINS AKA MILDRED B. NEVINS; FRANCES PEAGLER, AS POTENTIAL HEIR TO MILDRED NEVINS AKA MILDRED B. NEVINS; AND MARGARET NEUMANN, AS POTENTIAL HEIR TO MILDRED NEVINS AKA MILDRED B. NEVINS
Defendant
And the Docket Number of which is Number 2025-CC-363-K
WITNESS my hand and the Official Seal of Said Court, this 18TH day of January 2026
KEVIN MADOK
Clerk of the Circuit Court
Monroe County, Florida
By: Shonta McLeod
Deputy Clerk Florida Statute 45.031: Any person claiming an interest in the surplus from the sale, if any, other than the property owner as of the date of the Lis Pendens must file a claim within 60 days after the sale.
Publish:
April 2 & 9, 2026
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL
CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
CASE NO.: 2024-CC-658-K
NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE BY CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT
Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, Kevin Madok, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Monroe County, Florida, will, on the 20TH day of April 2026 at 11 o’clock a.m., at 500 Whitehead Street, Monroe County, in the City of Key West, Florida, offer for sale and sell at public outcry to the highest and best bidder for CASH the Following described property situated in Monroe County, Florida, to wit:
UNIT F12, WEEK 10, BEACH HOUSE, A CONDOMINIUM ACCORDING TO THE DECLARATION OF CONDOMINIUM THEREOF RECORDED IN OFFICIAL RECORDS BOOK 1510, PAGE 225, PUBLIC RECORDS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, AND ALL EXHIBITS ATTACHED THERETO, AND ANY AMENDMENTS THEREOF (THE “DECLARATION”).
Pursuant to IN REM SUMMARY FINAL JUDGMENT OF FORECLOSURE AS TO COUNT(S) IV entered in a case pending in said Court, the 9TH day of March 2026 Style of which is: BEACH HOUSE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION OF KEY WEST, INC., A NONPROFIT CORPORATION UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA
Plaintiff vs. ANY AND ALL UNKNOWN PARTIES WHO CLAIM AN INTEREST AS SPOUSE, HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES, PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES, ADMINISTRATORS OR AS OTHER CLAIMANTS, BY, THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST ROBERT DUANE SHAPPEE, DECEASED, UNKNOWN SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE OF THE ROBERT D. SHAPPEE LIVING TRUST; LAURA SILVERMAN, AS POTENTIAL PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT D. SHAPPEE; AND AMY SERAFIN, AS POTENTIAL PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT D. SHAPPEE
Defendant
And the Docket Number of which is Number 2024-CC-658-K
WITNESS my hand and the Official Seal of Said Court, this 18TH day of January 2026
KEVIN MADOK
Clerk of the Circuit Court
Monroe County, Florida
By: Shonta McLeod
Deputy Clerk Florida Statute 45.031: Any person claiming an interest in the surplus from the sale, if any, other than the property owner as of the date of the Lis Pendens must file a claim within 60 days after the sale.
Publish:
April 2 & 9, 2026
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
CASE NO.: 2024-CC-539-K
NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE BY CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, Kevin Madok, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Monroe County, Florida, will, on the 20TH day of April 2026 at 11 o’clock a.m., at 500 Whitehead Street, Monroe County, in the City of Key West, Florida, offer for sale and sell at public outcry to the highest and best bidder for CASH the Following described property situated in Monroe County, Florida, to wit: UNIT 5434, WEEK 36, ANNUAL WINDWARD POINTE, A LEASEHOLD CONDOMINIUM (“CONDOMINIUM”), ACCORDING TO THE DECLARATION OF CONDOMINIUM THEREOF RECORDED IN OFFICIAL RECORDS BOOK 1803, PAGE 844, PUBLIC RECORDS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, AND ALL EXHIBITS THERETO, AND ANY AMENDMENTS THEREOF (THE “DECLARATION”).
Pursuant to IN REM SUMMARY FINAL JUDGMENT OF FORECLOSURE entered in a case pending in said Court, the 9TH day of March 2026
Style of which is: WINDWARD POINTE
CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION OF KEY WEST, INC., A CORPORATION NOT-FOR-PROFIT UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA
Plaintiff vs. ANY AND ALL UNKNOWN PARTIES WHO CLAIM AN INTEREST AS SPOUSE, HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES, PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES, ADMINISTRATORS OR AS OTHER CLAIMANTS, BY, THROUGH,
UNDER OR AGAINST SHEENA HOULT SHUMATE, DECEASED AND TERENCE GALLAGHER, AKA TERRY GALLAGHER, AS POTENTIAL HEIR TO SHEENA HOULT SHUMATE
Defendant
And the Docket Number of which is Number 2024-CC-539-K WITNESS my hand and the Official Seal of Said Court, this 18TH day of January 2026 KEVIN MADOK Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Shonta McLeod Deputy Clerk Florida Statute 45.031: Any person claiming an interest in the surplus from the sale, if any, other than the property owner as of the date of the Lis Pendens must file a claim within 60 days after the sale. Publish: April 2 & 9, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers
AUTOS WANTED
AUTOS ALL YEARS! Junk or Used Cars, Vans, Trucks. Runs or Not.-
BOAT MISC. FOR SALE
Used NEPTUNE 4-post BOAT LIFT For Sale. 15,000 lbs.+ Located in Marathon. $800.00 260-750-6479
SOLD IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!!!
PLACE YOUR AD HERE. $25/week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-7430844 or E-mail: Anneke @keysweekly.com
BOAT SLIP/RACK FOR RENT
Boat Slip &/or Rack for Rent in Marathon at The Boat House, Vaca Key. Call Tony 561-346-6400
PLACE YOUR AD HERE.
$25/week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-7430844 or E-mail: Anneke @keysweekly.com
EMPLOYMENT
Hiring for busy pediatric office in Tavernier. FullTime Medical Assistant/ RN - Pediatric experience preferred. Must multitask in fast-paced setting. Also hiring Full-Time Front Desk Staff - Experience with insurance verification and EMR required. Strong multitasking skills. Pay is commensurate with experience. Email resume to: flkeyspeds@gmail.com
Specialty Hardware of Marathon - Looking for full time or part time person. Hardware knowledge an absolute must. Must have knowledge of hardware, plumbing and electrical. Apply in person at 10730 Overseas Hwy. Marathon 1-305-743-3382
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.
Handyman needed for residence in Marathon. Part-time, High Pay! Start right away. Call Bpb at 305-395-0478
Boat rental company in Marathon looking for help with boat detailing & boat cleaning. Call 305-481-7006
HIRING: Office Administrator in Marathon. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), experience with QuickBooks or other accounting software preferred and must have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. Full time – Mon-Fri. Pay TBD - based on skill. Email: Natalie@cecflk.com
The SS Wreck & Galley Grill (mile marker 59) is looking for a line cooks and fryers. Self-motivated, experience very helpful but will train, quick learner, and team player. Salary includes 401k match up to 6% and negotiable based on experience. Please call Nicole at 305433-0515 or email nicole@ themoongroupfl.com
Coast To Coast Pizza Company is looking for pizza makers and cashiers. Self-motivated, experience very helpful, quick learner, and team player. Salary includes 401k match up to 6% and negotiable based on experience. Please call Nicole at 305433-0515 or email nicole@ themoongroupfl.com
Part-time Office Clerk, $18/hr, Thu/Fri/Sat, 9:30am-7pm. Apply in person at 425 E. Ocean Dr. Key Colony Beach or call 404-2193359 and ask for Dave
Experienced Fulltime Line Cook needed at the Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club. 10AM - 5PM, Good Pay. Small friendly staff. Apply in person at 425 E. Ocean Dr. Key Colony Beach or call 404-2193359 and ask for Dave.
Serve/Bartend on the ocean! The Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club is seeking a customer 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.
Job Title: Coffee Roaster
Location: Key West, FL
Job Duties: Roast coffee beans using commercial roasting equipment; monitor roast profiles and quality; maintain consistency across batches; manage green coffee inventory; perform routine maintenance and cleaning of roasting equipment; assist with packaging and production as needed. Minimum Requirements: Minimum of 5 years of experience in coffee roasting. No formal education required. Must be able to work nights and weekends. Must have reliable transportation to and from work. How to Apply: Please call 305-509-9215 or email babyscoffeeusa@ gmail.com.
Key West Cooling Company is hiring HVAC technicians and installers. We are looking for dedicated individuals that are ready to work. For more information please can or text us at 305-912-2293 or send an email to keywestcoolingcompany @ gmail.com Compensation is based on experience.
The Housing Authority of the City of Key West now hiring the following positions: Full-time Carpenter, Electrician, Housing Assistant & Project Manager. 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 E-mail: Anneke @keysweekly.com
HOBBIES/COLLECT.
PRIVATE COLLECTOR WANTS Rolex, Dive Watches and Pilot Watches. Old Model Military Clocks & Watches. Call 305-743-4578
TURN YOUR CARDS INTO CASH! Marathon collector buying any and all Pokemon cards & collections. Call 401-256-0645.
HOUSING FOR RENT
HOUSING FOR RENT
Key Largo- 6 months+ canal front rental on Blackwater Sound. 40' dockage, 1 BR/1 BA Trailer with 1,000 sq. ft. living area. $2,300/mo. 904-2379090 or 904-338-1207
3BR/2BA For Rent in Tavernier. Waterfront & bay views, furnished, 1500 sq.ft. $3,250/ month. 954-728-4699
2 bed 1 bath rental in Marathon, long-term, unfurnished, price includes internet, water, electric, pest, and lawn @ $2800 all in. Parking on premises. Call or text 305-433-0515
Studio rental in Marathon, long-term, fully furnished, price includes water, electric, internet, gas, pest, and lawn @ $2200 all in. Call or text 305-433-0515
Furnished Studio AND 2 Bedroom unfurnished, all appliances, renovated, for rent in Marathon. On the water, gated property. Section 8 possible. $1,500 - $2,500 month - includes water, sewer, electric & garbage. Call 305-610-8002
PLACE YOUR HOUSING FOR RENT AD HERE. $25/ week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-7430844 or E-mail: Anneke @keysweekly.com
LOT FOR SALE
Save money, time, hassles with this private (Hammoks behind, no rear neighbors, ocean beyond) permitted lot, cleared, electric, foundation stilts in place, walk to Harry Harris, boat ramp, beach. 186 Dove Creek Drive, Tavernier. $425,000 OBO Marcia, Realtor 305-3030238 Contiguous lot avail.
STORAGE AVAIL.
Gated storage & dockage available in Marathon oceanside. Starting price $10/foot per month for storage and $20/ foot per month for dockage. 305-610-8002
PLACE YOUR AD HERE. $25/week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-7430844 or E-mail: Anneke @keysweekly.com
YARD SALES
PLACE YOUR YARD SALE AD HERE. $25/week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-743-0844 or Email Anneke@keysweekly.com
Morning Baker (Weekends) Cashier / Barista / Server
Apply in person at: Vicky Bakery 97630 Overseas Highway (mm 97) Key Largo, FL 33037 KeyLargo@VickyBakery.com
Keys Energy Services, in Key West, Florida, is accepting applications for the following position in its Customer Services Department:
CUSTOMER SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE I
Starting pay rate for this position, depending on qualifications and experience: $23.93/hr. - $26.80/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.
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.
or Email: bfb@bone shbayresort.com
Certain service members, veterans, the spouses and family members of service members and veterans, receive preference and priority in employment, and are encouraged to apply for positions being filled.
Keys Energy Services, in Key West, Florida, is accepting applications for the following position in its Transmission & Distribution Department: We are hiring a heavy diesel mechanic with experience working on John Deere, Caterpillar, Kubota, Detroit Diesel, etc. Monday-Friday with some overtime available. Sign on bonus after 90 days; top pay and housing assistance available. Please apply at Charley Toppino & Sons, Inc., 129 Toppino Industrial Drive, Key West or online at https://charleytoppinoandsons.com/careers/apply/?job
We are now hiring for the following positions:
Applicants must apply in person to be considered. 4290 Overseas
EFFECTIVE NONPROFIT 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) Driver (CDL NOT required)
KEY WEST
Case Manager (Children)
Crisis Counselor
Behavioral Health Counselor (Children) Prevention Specialist
MARATHON
Mental Health Technician
Driver (CDL NOT required)
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. JOIN A
at guidancecarecenter.org - Get Involved/ Join our team/Job Opportunities/location/zip
OPENINGS AVAILABLE
PHYSICIAN PRACTICE OPENINGS
- Medical Assistant, Ortho-Tavernier,
- Medical Assistant, Primary Care Marathon, $5k Bonus
- Medical Assistant, Upper Keys Internal Medicine, $5k Bonus
MIAMI CANCER INSTITUTE KEY WEST
- Director Nursing Services, Operations Support Key West, $5k Bonus
- Patient Access Scheduler, Operations Support Key West, $5k Bonus
- Pool Radiation Therapist
TAVERNIER MARINERS HOSPITAL
- Clinical Pharmacist,
- Construction Project Manager, FL
- Exercise Assistant, Mariners Wellness Center, Per Diem
- Exercise Physiologist, Per Diem
- Food Service Worker, Dietary,
- 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
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
MARATHON FISHERMEN’S COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
- Cook, Dietary, PT
- Driver, Marathon/Keys Supply Chain, FT
- Lead Med Technologist, Laboratory, $20k Bonus
- Manager Environmental Services, FT
- Medical Staff Coordinator, FT
- Multi-Modality Imaging Tech 1, (CT & X Ray), Radiology,
- Patient Care Manager (Nurse Manager), Surgery, $20k Bonus
Must have customer service experience working in a retail environment and using a point of sale system. Additional duties include restocking, completing purchase orders, daily ordering of basic items in the store, and maintaining a clean appearance in the store. This is an hourly position and compensation is based on experience. Work hours are flexible and we try to maintain a set weekly schedule.
DOCKHANDS
Duties include customer service, helping customers with bait and ice and helping cashiers with restocking. Morning & a ernoon hours available.
BOAT RENTAL STAFF
Flexible hours & competitive wages. Need to have experience driving boats and a working knowledge of the Islamorada area by water. Duties include taking reservations, giving captains lessons and routine boat maintenance.
Email Ma at islamarinama @gmail.com
Please include contact information and any relevant experience.
