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$3.50
An adult ticket price at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando cost just $3.50 when it opened on this date in 1971. Fast forward to 2025, and the one-day ticket price (age 10 and up) is $119 to a place many Disney enthusiasts say is the most magical place on Earth.
READY FOR THE BREAST EVENT IN TOWN?
4th
annual
Tats
for
Tatas set for Oct. 15 at Tattoos & Scars
MANDY MILES
mandy@keysweekly.com
Breast cancer is no laughing matter, and this year, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Womankind, Key West’s women’s health cancer.
But for the past four years, beating breast cancer has proven to be a helluva good time, thanks to the folks behind Tats for Tatas, a huge breast cancer awareness fundraiser for Womankind, conceived and hosted by Casey Vinall and Maria Gonzalez of Tattoos & Scars Saloon, 512 Greene St. Vinall owns the bar, and Gonzalez tends bar there, while also owning and operating Key Lime Bike Tours.
This year’s Tats for Tatas event is set for Wednesday, Oct. 15 from 7 to 10 p.m. and has grown enough to take over a block of Greene Street, from Simonton to Ann Street.
“This Tats for Tatas event is the most crucial fundraiser we’ll have this year,” said Cali Roberts, executive director of Womankind, which lost $80,000 when Monroe County officials cut the funding the county provides to local nonprofits in half. In addition, Womankind lost $60,000 when the state health department ended the contract it has had with Womankind for 25 years. The contract enabled Womankind to provide confidential family planning and STD services to local teens at no cost to young patients. The actual impact of the canceled contract amounts to much more than $60,000, Roberts said, because the contract made Womankind eligible to receive — and provide — free birth control to young women in the form of IUDs and pills.
“We spent years building trust with the teen girls of this community, and now that contract doesn’t exist, so a long-term IUD that used to cost us $125 will now cost $900,” Roberts said. “In addition, no one knows what’s going to happen to the subsidies that make Obamacare health insurance plans affordable. As of now, those subsidies are set to expire in December, meaning anyone with an Affordable Care Act policy (aka Obamacare) will have to pay an additional $400 to $1,000 a month in the next two months.
“We’re just trying to keep our doors open and continue serving the women of Key West and the Lower Keys,” Roberts said. “Our county officials, in keeping our taxes low, just shifted the responsibility to support local nonprofits to their constituents, because we won’t survive without the generosity of this community.”
Enter Tats for Tatas, and everyone who has supported the event since its inception four years ago.
“Due to these budget cuts to Womankind, we are striving this year to raise more money than ever before,” Vinally said. “But we couldn’t do any of it without the incredible generosity of the Key West community.”
Roberts also emphasizes the generosity of Vinall and Gonzalez. “I don’t know what we’d do without Casey, Maria and the whole staff at Tattoos & Scars,” she said. “Casey donates absolutely everything from that event, including drink sale proceeds. The bartenders donate their tips and the silent auction is always the best in town.”
As for the organizers, the mission is personal. “We have seen firsthand
The fourth annual Tats for Tatas breast cancer awareness fundraiser for Womankind takes place Oct. 15 on Greene Street in front of Tattoos & Scars
from 7 to 10 p.m.
the individuals and families who benefit from the funds raised,” Vinall said. “Without this fundraiser, many people in the Florida Keys would not be able to afford the medical care they desperately need. By combining creativity, compassion and community spirit, Tats for TaTas not only honors those affected, but also makes a meaningful contribution to the fight against breast cancer. It’s more than just an event — it’s a way for the Key West community to stand together, show support and make a difference.”
And each year, the event has made a bigger difference than the year before.
“It has grown substantially year after year — far beyond what we ever imagined,” Vinall said. “In our first year, 2022, we raised $40,546. In 2023, that number increased to $69,383. By 2024, we reached $147,753, bringing our three-year total to $257,682. It’s truly remarkable what Key West can accomplish — especially considering this was raised through just three three-hour events.”
Roberts and Vinall thanked a guardian angel that appeared last year in the form of the Barchetta Foundation, a family-run foundation with connections to Key West. Last year, the foundation gave Womankind a $50,000 grant.
“This year, amazingly, the foundation said they’ll match, dollar for dollar, whatever is raised at Tats for Tatas,” Roberts said, adding that the funding will enable Womankind to continue providing essential women’s health services. Its free and low-cost mammograms are covered by Zonta women’s service club, but money raised at fundraisers pays for follow-up tests and appointments once a mammogram reveals breast cancer.
“Our funding cuts will severely affect the supplemental care that is needed after a breast cancer diagnosis, when the woman is already living in terror knowing something is wrong,” Roberts said. “We learned years ago that when women can’t afford that follow-up care, they just wait until a lump becomes big enough to send them to the emergency room, and that’s the worst possible way to beat breast cancer.”
Thankfully, Vinall and Gonzalez know the best way to beat it is by supporting Tats for Tatas on Oct. 15.
Maria Gonzalez and Casey Vinall organize and host Tats for Tatas on Oct. 15 at Tattoos & Scars Saloon, 512 Greene St. CRICKET DESMARAIS/Contributed
Saloon
If made from wrought iron, the new rainbow arch could have a darker frame.
REPLACING THE RAINBOWS
City & community leaders make progress with new pride displays
Rainbows, seashells and a welcoming message weren’t just a fanciful list of favorite things, but rather official business at city hall.
Senior city staff met Tuesday with leaders of the Key West Business Guild to consider colorful replacements for the recently removed rainbow crosswalks at Duval and Petronia streets.
Following last month’s state-mandated removal of the pride-striped crosswalks, city officials have been working with the business guild, which promotes Key West to LGBTQ travelers, to replace those rainbows with permanent symbols of pride and inclusion.
City manager Brian L. Barroso assured the guild’s representatives — board president Cori Convertito, executive director Rob Dougherty and deputy director Fritzie Estimond — that the project is a priority for him and his staff.
After seeking input and ideas from more than a dozen community members, Convertito on Tuesday presented very preliminary renderings of a new arch that will declare, “All are welcome here — Key West,” while spanning Petronia Street alongside the 801 Bourbon Bar. It will be directly opposite the Bahama Village arch that spans Petronia on the other side of Duval.
“We are open to any changes and adjustments that need to be made in terms of materials, installation and other features to ensure the arch complies with the city’s historic preservation requirements,” Convertito assured Daniela Salume, director of the city’s Historic Architectural Review Commission (HARC).
For example, she said, while the preliminary rendering shows a white frame for the new arch, “we understand it may have to be wrought iron or another material, so we can tweak whatever we need to.”
Barroso asked assistant city managers Mike Turner and Rod Delostrinos, as well as growth
management director Patrick Wright, to ensure the project is added to this month’s meeting agendas for the Art in Public Places and HARC boards. The goal is to have the project in front of the city commission for approval in November, so the arch can be manufactured and installed early next year.
“We’re not circumventing any protocols or approvals with this, but we’re not going to drag our feet,” he said. “This needs to happen and we’re going to help the business guild get it through the process.”
The arch isn’t the only addition planned. Another colorful concept is taking shape in three other places between the 700 and 900 blocks of Duval Street, an area now affectionately known as Key West’s “historic gayborhood.”
Three rainbow-colored bike racks will brighten the three-block area, and can be completed in a day or two, assistant city manager Mike Turner said.
“We’re of the opinion that we don’t need FDOT approval for the bike racks, but in an absolute abundance of caution we have sent them the idea,” Barroso said, in case FDOT decides bike racks are traffic control devices, which gave the state the authority to order the rainbow crosswalk removal.
“We’ve already gotten the right paint colors, and are ready to go with the bike racks,” Barroso said.
“We’d be elated with the bike racks,” Convertito said.
“We’ll get the city commission’s buy-in on the arch at their November meeting,” Barroso said, acknowledging the typically slow speed of government. “But the goal is to get this to land before the end of the year. Our goal is to keep this moving forward.”
Dougherty thanked the city managers, saying, “We want the community to see that we’re all on the same page here.”
A preliminary rendering shows one of three bike racks on Duval Street that will soon be painted with pride colors — as long as state transportation officials don’t oppose the plan.
A preliminary rendering shows a new pride arch on Petronia
The design could change if, for example, historic preservation experts prefer wrought iron. CONTRIBUTED
Street.
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CAROL SHAUGHNESSY www.keysweekly.com
COREY MALCOM’S TRAVELS THROUGH TIME
SOMEONE YOU SHOULD KNOW
For most people, time travel is a complete impossibility. For Corey Malcom, it’s a way of life. (And yes, there’s only one L in his last name.)
That’s because Malcom, lead historian for the Florida Keys History Center and a renowned shipwreck archaeologist, has spent most of his professional life immersed in Key West’s past.
He has overseen the preservation of artifacts excavated from the wrecks of the Spanish galleons Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margarita, both sunk off the Marquesas Keys in a 1622 hurricane. He spearheaded the conservation of materials from the English merchant slave ship Henrietta Marie, wrecked 35 miles off Key West in 1700 and yielding vital knowledge about the tragic trade.
He also helped lead a team that rediscovered Key West’s 1860 African Burial Ground, a Higgs Beach site believed to be the only African refugee cemetery in the United States, and currently spends his days exploring varied aspects and eras of Key West and Florida Keys history.
“If you’re interested in the past, the Florida Keys are the place to be,” Malcom said, surrounded by books, documents and vintage photographs at his desk at the history center. “It seems like practically everything in the world has happened here at some point or another — certainly within the last 500 years.”
Malcom was an Indiana graduate student when he first saw Key West in 1985, shortly after local shipwreck salvor Mel Fisher discovered the $450 million “mother lode” of the Atocha — arguably the most fantastic archaeological find since the opening of King Tut’s tomb. His employer at the time, hired as a contract archaeologist on the Atocha project, brought his top assistants down to help.
“I had been working in archaeology for a couple of years, but the Atocha experience changed the course of my life,” Malcom said with a reminiscent smile. “I was totally, completely smitten with shipwrecks.”
The Atocha yielded a priceless cargo of gold and silver bars and coins, as well as personal jewelry, rare religious artifacts and thousands of emeralds. During the excavation of the site, however, Malcom was most fascinated by objects whose primary value wasn’t monetary.
“I remember we brought an astrolabe, a bronze navigational device, up on deck and it had a little wing nut on the back of it, holding part of it together,” he said. “This thing had been underwater almost 400 years, and that little wing nut still worked perfectly. That was such a moment for me.”
When the contract work ended, Malcom didn’t return to Indiana. Instead, he began a career with Key West’s Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society, a nonprofit educational and research organization established by Fisher. In 1988, he became the director of archaeology.
His tenure with the society and its fully accredited Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, which holds the Western Hemisphere’s richest single collection of 17th-century maritime and shipwreck antiquities, lasted some 35 years. As well as excavating, conserving and studying artifacts from the 1622 galleons and the Henrietta Marie, he guided archaeological exploration and identification of the Santa Clara — an astonishingly complete shipwreck dating back to 1564 — and numerous other projects.
During that time Malcom married Lisa Petrone and they had two children, Robert and Alexandra, now attending college in Tallahassee. He also has an older son, Cameron, who works at the State Department.
Malcom still undertakes work for the society, but in 2022 his passion for history led him in a new direction. While researching regional shipwrecks, he had often consulted with historian and longtime friend Tom Hambright, head of the Florida Keys History Center and its extensive archive at the Key West library. When Hambright decided to retire, Malcom became his successor.
1. Corey Malcom studies an 1860 letter from a sailor that’s among the documents preserved at the Florida Keys History Center. CAROL SHAUGHNESSY/Keys Weekly
2. In this 1991 photo, Corey Malcom holds a set of newly discovered iron shackles, covered in marine encrustation, from the shipwrecked slave vessel Henrietta Marie. COREY MALCOM/Contributed
“I always said if there’s one other job that I’d like to have, it would be doing what Tom was doing,” he said, “because there’s just so much here to study.”
His duties these days include helping people find answers relating to local history or properties, continuing to digitize and itemize the center’s vast collection of photos and documents, and adding to its popular online photo archive that now holds some 26,000 images.
Malcom also researches and writes “This Day in Keys History,” which appears on the center’s social media platforms and in the Citizen newspaper, and maintains the rare materials contained in the facility’s climate-controlled fireproof vault — from centuries-old handwritten diaries, logbooks and maps to accounts of the shipwreck salvage industry that brought great wealth to 19th-century Key West.
“I’m not diving underwater and finding cool artifacts, but it’s just as thrilling to scan a negative that nobody’s seen in a hundred years,” said the man whose career continues to take him traveling through time. “In this office, we’re doing everything we can to gather, preserve and make available the history of the Florida Keys — and I just love it.”
RHONDA LOPEZ & SHERRI HODIES CLEARED OF ELECTION FRAUD
Acomplaint of election fraud, filed in September 2024 against Rhonda Rebman-Lopez, chair of the county’s Republican executive committee, and Sherri Hodies, who was then a candidate for supervisor of elections, has been dismissed by the state attorney who investigated the matter.
“There is insufficient evidence to prove Rhonda Rebman-Lopez or Sherri Hodies had the requisite criminal intent to misappropriate or make an unlawful expenditure of Monroe County Republican Executive Committee funds,” states the document concluding the investigation.
The issue started in the summer of 2024, when the Republican executive committee (REC), under Rebman-Lopez’s chairmanship, voted to endorse Hodies for supervisor of elections, despite the presence of another Republican candidate. That endorsement came with a $20,000 campaign donation. Some members of the committee and other county Republicans claimed the vote did not clear the required threshold for an endorsement.
Key West resident and Republican voter Phyllis May filed a complaint with State Attorney Dennis Ward.
“Endorsements require approval of at least 60% of the executive committee members present and voting,” May wrote in her complaint. “At the time of the vote there were 63 members of the REC. A majority of the full committee would have been 32 members voting to endorse. The vote was 20 to endorse; 18 not to endorse. The vote fell short by 12 to endorse.”
When asked by the Keys Weekly in the summer of 2024 about the votes not meeting the threshold, and some REC members’ complaints about the endorsement, Lopez said, “The vote tallies and total were taken to the highest levels of the Republican Party of Florida by me and they told me that as chair, to make the call, and I did.”
State Attorney Dennis Ward, who represents Monroe County’s 16th Judicial Circuit, transferred the complaint for investigation by another district’s state attorney because he is a member of the REC.
State Attorney Amira Fox, in the 20th Judicial Circuit, investigated and last week released her office’s findings.
In the conclusion, clearing Lopez and Hodies, investigators write, “Monroe County REC membership had distinct and opposing interpretations of (the rule governing votes for endorsement). Witnesses interviewed provided evidence that the Executive Board articulated their interpretation and planned use of (the rule) prior to the vote held on April 20, 2024. No members of the MCREC questioned, argued, or debated the Executive Board’s interpretation of or use of (the rule) until the ballots were counted and results of the vote announced. The evidence is clear that different members of the MCREC had different interpretations of (the rule) and members had little to no experience with (it).
“(The rule) controls Republican Executive Committees endorsements of candidates. It does not govern financial contributions to campaigns of candidates. Financial expenditures only require a simple majority vote,” the conclusion states. “The MCREC did not need to comply with (the rule) for a financial contribution to Sherri Hodies’ campaign. Had the MCREC simply proceeded with a majority vote for the financial distribution, as the organization had always done in the past, the allegation of misappropriation of funds may have been avoided.
“Based on the totality of the evidence, the conflicts in the evidence and circumstances pertaining to this complaint, the state attorney’s office cannot prove a violation of criminal law beyond a reasonable doubt. …There is no basis for further action by this office. This matter is closed.”
In a press release announcing the ruling this week, Lopez writes, “Today brings vindication. On Sept. 20, 2025, the Office of the State Attorney officially cleared Republican Supervisor of Elections Sherri Hodies and Monroe County Republican Chairwoman Rhonda Rebman-Lopez of all allegations associated with the politically motivated complaint.”
She says, “the complaint — pushed by State Attorney Dennis Ward and his political allies — was a transparent attempt to confuse voters and give Democrat Ron Saunders an unfair advantage. … This was a political attack from the start,” Lopez writes. “Ward’s efforts to slander loyal Republicans failed. … Despite Ward’s interference, Monroe County voters elected Sherri Hodies as their Supervisor of Elections — choosing accountability and integrity over partisan smear tactics.
“The record is now clear: Dennis Ward’s smear campaign collapsed, Ron Saunders (Hodies’ Democratic opponent, who is now village manager of Islamorada) was defeated, and the truth prevailed,” Lopez writes.
KEY WEST MUSEUM ADDS MARIO SANCHEZ WORK TO COLLECTION
The Key West Art & Historical Society recently acquired Mario Sanchez’s woodcarving, ‘The Train That Went to Sea: Cayo Paloma (Pigeon Key),’ along with its original preparatory drawing. The acquisition was made possible through the Margo Golan Acquisition Fund, dedicated to preserving Sanchez’s artistic legacy. KEY WEST ART & HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTION/Contributed
The Key West Art & Historical Society is proud to announce the acquisition of a culturally and historically significant woodcarving, along with its original preparatory drawing, by celebrated Cuban American folk artist Mario Sanchez. The newly acquired piece, titled “The Train That Went to Sea: Cayo Paloma (Pigeon Key),” depicts a Henry Flagler Oversea Railway train crossing the original Seven Mile Bridge above Pigeon Key. As the steward of the largest public collection of Sanchez’s work, the collection now includes over 200 pieces ranging from preparatory paper bag sketches and handcrafted paper kites to intricately detailed bas-relief woodcarvings.
The woodcarving and its companion drawing were acquired from a private collector who bought them directly from Sanchez and displayed them prominently in their home for decades. Funding for the purchase came from the society’s Acquisition Fund, established through a 2010 bequest from the Margo Golan Charitable Remainder Trust. Golan, a longtime supporter of Sanchez, created the fund to ensure the continued growth of the society’s permanent collection, with a special focus on acquiring notable works by the artist.
Sanchez, a Key West native, was a self-taught carver who began
creating his signature painted reliefs in the 1940s, chronicling everyday life in Key West of his youth. Sanchez described his humble approach with the phrase, “Se que mi modesto arte no es bueno, pero gusta,” or “I know my modest art isn’t good, but it pleases.” His works are held in major institutions, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the American Folk Art Museum in New York City.
“The carving spoke to me the moment I saw it,” said Cori Convertito, curator and historian for the society. “It’s an exceptional example of Sanchez’s ability to turn everyday memories into deeply meaningful works of art. Not only does it showcase his technical mastery, but it also captures a pivotal moment in Florida Keys’ history with incredible detail. The addition of the preparatory drawing makes it even more remarkable. It’s like holding the blueprint to Sanchez’s creative process. Both will be featured in a new permanent gallery devoted to Sanchez, opening later this year at the Key West Museum of Art & History.”
The newly acquired work has been digitized and is now available to view at kwahs.org/collections. More information is available from Convertito at 305-295-6616 x507 or cconvertito@kwahs.org.
— Contributed
A STATUE TO ‘FAWN’ OVER
Artist Susanne D’Antonio unveils ‘Reverie,’ one of several freshly-painted Key deer statues, at the Big Pine Key ‘triangle’ on Sept. 22. Painted by local artists, the 13 deer statues are to be placed throughout the Lower Keys by Save Our Key Deer to remind motorists to be vigilant when passing through the home of the endangered species. The gathering of Keys elected officials, dignitaries, first responders and Save Our Key Deer volunteers was one of five unveiling events. ‘Reverie’ was commissioned by Andi Oles in honor of her brother, former MCSO officer David Cormier, who was tragically killed in the line of duty in 1989 at the age of 31. More information is at www.saveourkeydeer.org. CONTRIBUTED
WESLEY HOUSE SEEKS SPONSORS FOR HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN
Wesley House Family Services is seeking sponsors for its annual Holiday Adopt-a-Family gift campaign. CONTRIBUTED
Wesley House is seeking sponsors for its Holiday Adopta-Family gifting campaign.
Adopt-a-Family is a specific gift drive for the clients of Wesley House: children who are in foster care, families who are intact but at-risk, and families in the Healthy Families program.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for parents to include their children in giving back to those less fortunate or a larger group or business to give collectively,” said Grace Epperly, Wesley House development coordinator.
Wesley House asks the children for specific gift requests and provides each sponsor with their clothing and shoe sizes as well as some items for the caregiver or caregivers. The sponsor decides on the number of people to help and how much to spend.
This year, the number of families has doubled. Wesley House has 301 families in need.
More information, including how to sign up to sponsor a family, is at wesleyhouse.org/christmas, or from Epperly at 305-8095000. The deadline to sponsor a family is Oct. 17. — Contributed
Key West & Cuba’s Museum Quality Regional Art
Celebrating Cultural Resilience
CUBAN ART TOURS
November 10-14, 2025 & April 20-24, 2026
Happy Birthday Mario
October 8th
Mario Sanchez (1908–2005) was not just an artist—he was Key West’s visual historian, its cultural chronicler, and arguably the most important Cuban-American folk artist of the 20th century. Through his vibrant intaglios or carved painted wood, Sanchez preserved the soul of a community.
His art is not only visually compelling—it is historically vital. Sanchez’s intaglios document the multicultural fabric of Key West, honoring its Afro-Caribbean, Cuban, and Bahamian communities with warmth, humor, and dignity. Each piece is a living archive, a celebration of ordinary people rendered extraordinary through his eyes.
Though he never trained formally, Sanchez’s work has been recognized nationally for its cultural signi cance. Today, he is considered one of the most important folk artists in American history, and the foremost visual chronicler of Key West’s intangible heritage.
island inspired
His legacy endures in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the American Folk Art Museum, and the hearts of those who see their own stories re ected in his intaglios.
Works
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KEY WEST FIRE DEPARTMENT TURNS 150
City plans celebration on Oct. 11 at Truman Waterfront
MANDY MILES
mandy@keysweekly.com
Key West boasts one of the largest collections of historic wooden structures in the country. Credit for the designation often goes to historic preservationists, who recognized decades ago the value in protecting those properties and hanging on to the island’s history.
But another entity was essential in ensuring those structures stood long enough to become a historic district — the Key West Fire Department, which was founded 150 years ago.
Key West will mark a century and a half of firefighters and first responders at a public celebration on Saturday, Oct. 11 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Truman Waterfront Park. The event will feature a parade of fire trucks and fire boats along the East Quay Wall, as well as live demonstrations, food and free family-friendly activities.
150 years and counting
City officials created the Key West Fire Department in November 1875, 12 years after the Great Fire of 1886 incinerated more than 50 acres of Old Town – although, back then, it was just “town.”
The fire started next to the San Carlos Institute on Duval Street, burned for 12 hours and destroyed 18 major cigar factories and 614 houses and other buildings. It has long been suggested the fire was intentionally set by agents of the Spanish government to disrupt the support of the Spanish revolution in Cuba, which was being funded and encouraged by Key West cigar workers, according to the Key West Historic Marker Tour and the Key West Firehouse Museum.
At the time of the fire, the city’s only steam-powered fire engine had been placed on a ship and sent to New York for repairs, further fueling suspicions about the timing and the cause.
Consuming every wooden building in its path, the fire tore through blocks of Fleming, Whitehead, Eaton, Duval and Simonton streets.
A year after the fire, in 1887, Key West installed its first citywide fire warning system in the form of a giant brass fire bell in a tower. Each neighborhood was assigned a specific number. When a fire was reported, the bell would toll out the number to alert the town to its location.
“My grandmother remembered, when the fire bell would ring, everyone would stop what they were doing and listen to the number of bells to see if the fire was near their house,” retired firefighter and historian Alex Vega told the Keys Weekly. Back then, he said, Key West’s isolation really demanded innovation and forced people and the government to find ways to protect the southernmost city.
In 1875, the city created the Key West Fire Department to replace the private, all-volunteer, Tiger Hose Co. that had operated until then. The first department had 103 firefighters — still volunteers — and one paid fire chief.
“Big changes were made in the years following the great fire,” said Vega. “The city opened three fire stations to spread out its equipment and personnel. It had three horsedrawn engines that used steam to pump water from hoses, and started installing fire hydrants all over town.”
In 1906, the city installed 36, then 58, fire boxes throughout the town that could communicate via telegraph to the fire department.
“There was one in each neighborhood, and a designated person would have a key to their area’s fire box to alert the department,” Vega said.
Once telephones became ubiquitous, the fire boxes became obsolete, although several of them are on display at the Key West Firehouse Museum, 1024 Grinnell St., which is named in honor of Vega.
As technology advanced — combustion engines, telephones, hydraulic pumps, 911 capabilities, sprinkler systems, smoke detectors and countless other innovations — so did the fire department.
“Decades ago, the main job of the fire department was to fight fires,” Vega said. “Today, the vast majority of calls are for ambulance and EMS services, which are handled by the fire department.”
2. The modern-day Key West Fire Department at the station on Simonton Street. LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly
All firefighters are now also emergency medical technicians or paramedics who respond to traffic accidents, heart attacks, hypochondriacs and yes, fires. Today’s department includes an urban search and rescue team, a dive team and a hazardous materials crew. Firefighters are trained to use the “jaws of life” to extract people from vehicles and perform other lifesaving tasks.
“The job really has a lot of stress and pressure that can lead to PTSD for some guys,” Vega said, recalling the horrors of fatal traffic accidents, deadly fires, electrocutions and other tragedies. “And the fact that we’re such a small town makes it even harder, because we’re likely to know the people involved.”
Despite the desperation and destruction he witnessed in his long career as a Key West firefighter, Vega can’t imagine having done anything else. And he’s happy to share some insider secrets of the hottest department in town, as he joins current Key West firefighters at the department’s 150th celebration on Oct. 11 at Truman Waterfront.
1. A Key West Fire Department engine circa 1920. Photo courtesy of the Wright Langley collection/Monroe County Public Library
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.
Meet Falafel. This little sweetheart is
who
to
up to you for cuddles in exchange for treats. He’s not very assertive, so he tends to patiently wait his turn for pets and treats. Falafel is an adorable guy who wants nothing more than to pay you in love and cuddles.
Nobody will love you more than Trixie, an energetic young terrier mix. Trixie is extremely friendly and social with her human friends. She would thrive in a house where she is the only love bug as she would prefer all of your attention.
a 4-year-old black cat
loves
warm
Looking for a loyal, loving dog? Sam is your man. He’s a large adult mixedbreed with a big heart and a love for the simple joys in life, such as burrowing into blankets and playing hide-and-seek with his favorite human.
Meet Pepper, a 2-year-old male guinea pig. This little black fluff ball loves to snack and hide in a cozy bed. If you’re looking for a pint-sized companion, come visit him.
Meet Dashi. This tiny little girl is a fouryear-old black cat who loves to be with other cats and can be a bit timid until she gets to know you. Come by and say hello to see for yourself what a good kitty she can be.
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.
June Carter Cash, our dog, is generally a good dog. Probably the sweetest, kindest beast we’ve ever had. She was a year-old rescue when we got her three years ago. Despite being half pointer, she has no interest in birds, not even chickens, which is a relief. She does have it in for lizards – especially iguanas – and cats, though.
June is a solid 65 pounds, so when you walk her, you have to pay attention to the world around you, lest she jump hard at an unnoticed cat under a car or a curly-tailed lizard skittering across the sidewalk. If she catches you off balance she could reorient your relationship with the pavement quickly. In terms of aggression, though, she will roll on her back for a pug puppy that’s an eighth of her weight and 40 feet away.
Her flaws? She likes to eat books. Which is a problem in our house, where most of the time you have to shove a stack of them out of the way to put down a cup of coffee.
Sometimes she chews apart the books when she’s mad at us for leaving her. Sometimes she does it because she’s bored. She mostly does it when we’re not home, though the other day, a Saturday when we were both in the other room, she shredded a discarded copy of the journal “The Auk” that my wife had given me because it had a story by James Bond – the ornithologist, not the spy.
Because of her anti-bibliomaniacal tendencies, she can’t be trusted alone in the house, and we tend to lock her in the kitchen with a baby gate when we leave. But the kitchen has a dog door, so she has an entire yard to roam.
We often explain that this wouldn’t be necessary if she would stop eating books, but she just stares at us with sad dog eyes, holding a Milkbone in her mouth, refusing to eat it until after we leave. (It’s always gone when we get back.)
This setup worked great until a couple years ago, when we left town for vacation, and a lightning storm arrived before the dogsitter. In a panic June broke out and visited herself upon our neighbors, Jean and Doug. Our friend Dave, a professional architect, went over to the house and tried to block her escape route. But June managed to escape four or five more times before we made it back, showing up on a different neighbor’s porch nearly every day.
We found a tiny gap in the fence that looked too small for her, but once we closed it up and fortified it with bailing wire and bamboo, she stopped escaping. Until two weeks ago, when I got a call from our neighbor, Matt, saying June had stopped by.
DOGS PLAYING POSSUM
I spent a solid hour inspecting the yard and deck, which has a 6-by-6-foot open square in the middle, occupied mostly by a big mahogany tree. I could see she’d been digging at a corner, but didn’t think our somewhat-zaftig part-pointer could fit through that.
Then I remembered the trail cam.
A couple years ago I wrote a column about opossums and how they got a bad rap, and how if you couldn’t appreciate them for their beauty, you should appreciate them for their weirdnesses. Things like how you could fit a whole litter of newborn opossums in a single tablespoon. How they rode around on their mother’s back for several months — the way people ride on top of buses in developing countries. How they eat ticks and never get rabies. How males have two penises, and females have two and a half vaginas. And –“Battle Hymn of the Republic” building in the background here – how the Virginia opossum is the only native marsupial found in the United States, and goddammit ‘Merica’s Marsupial™ deserves our respect.
I also wrote that I couldn’t recall seeing an opossum in the wild, which made me feel incomplete as a person who’s supposed to know things about the natural world. Then one night on the back deck I startled one, and it startled me. We both hissed at each other until it slunk off into the darkness.
After the column ran, our neighbor Jean sent me a message: You know there’s a family living under your house, right?
No. No, I did not know that. Living there with me, a certified Florida Master Naturalist not noticing it? Impossible.
Jean’s message ate at me for years. And finally, sometime last April or May I opened up the hatch in the deck (no, it’s not how June escaped) and set up a trail camera.
I forgot all about it until June’s recent escapades, then realized if she was getting under
the deck from a spot near the mahogany tree, she’d half to pass the trail cam to get under the house and out. So I crawled down and pulled it out.
Trail cams are designed to work for months at a time, and this one had taken 5,845 photos before the batteries died. If I was smart, I would have started with the newest photos, but instead I started at the beginning. The first 220 photos were of two neighborhood cats. But then, there it was, an opossum, its eyes glowing like marbles in the infrared flash.
It was a lone possum, impossible to tell if it was male or female.
For the next several months, that’s all that passed the camera – the two cats and the lone opossum. More than two months and 2,564 frames later, a female opossum passed with at least two young slung across her back like wide-eyed sacks of wheat. (Jean, I’m sorry I ever doubted you.)
There were no pictures of June on the trail cam, which didn’t mean anything, as I’d neglected to set the current date when I set it up, so all the photos were dated 2019.
The next day I set up the doggie cam my wife bought, which you can monitor through an app, as well as my trail cam and a GoPro, all covering different angles of the yard. I locked up June, got in the car so she would hear me leave, parked in the next block and watched on my phone.
Five minutes later she was nosing at the spot I thought was too small for her to get through. Thirty seconds later her tail disappeared under the deck.
I’ve since shored up the broken plastic lattice she had shoved aside with plywood, then some cinderblocks, then four crates of Mexican river rock I’d never known what to do with.
We think we have June locked in again. We just hope her escapades didn’t scare off the opossums.
Proof of a Virginia opossum under Mark Hedden’s house. MARK HEDDEN/Keys Weekly
ALL CANDIDATE FUNDRAISERS
EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT through October 14th
ROYAL AQUA IDOL
@Aqua Bar and Nightclub 711 Duval Street
The King and Queen candidates whose singers receive the most "votes" wins $2500 each towards their campaigns! OCTOBER 7TH IS CELEBRATING ROCK & ROLL NIGHT
WEDNESDAY 10/8/25
ALL CANDIDATE FUNDRAISER, 5-7PM
@The Gardens Hotel, 526 Angela Street
The King and Queen Candidates that raise the most money will win $2500 each towards their campaign thanks to Sponsor Queen Kate Miano!
Sunday 10/12/25
DRAG QUEEN BINGO WITH QMITCH
5pm @22&Co. 504 Angela Street
FRIDAY 10/17/25
ROYAL CORONATION: THE CROWNING OF THE KING & QUEEN OF FANTASY FEST
6pm @ Coffee Butler Amphitheater 21 Quay Road
Tickets available until 10/13/25 at www.etix.com/ticket/p/79296633/2025happily-furever-after-royal-coronationkey-west-coffee-butler-amphitheater
Royal King & Queen Fundraisers are all benefitting the Florida Keys SPCA
FANTASY FEST KING CANDIDATES 2025
FLOYD JENKINS
SUNDAY 10/5 TEA DANCE @ LA TE DA
4-6:30pm, 1125 Duval Street. Free to public; suggested donation of $10.
MONDAY 10/6
ELEVATED COUNTRY WESTERN DINNER
Williams Hall, 6pm @ 729 Fleming Street
$150 per ticket includes a three-course meal paired with wine and bubbly. Tickets are limited.
TUESDAY 10/7
TACOS, TUESDAY, AND TEQUILA
Old Town Mexican Cafe, 8-10pm @ 609 Duval Street. $25 per person includes 2 tacos.
JOE WOOTEN
THURSDAY 10/2
I WANT TO BREAK FREE JAIL & BAIL Tattoos & Scars, 7-10pm @512 Greene Street Free to public; donations to keep the peeps out of jail
SATURDAY 10/4
FULL FRONTAL FOLIAGE
The Key West Woman's Club, 1-4pm 319 Duval Street. Free to public; donations to participate in the Live Art component
SUNDAY 10/5
DRAG QUEEN BINGO WITH QMITCH @ 22&Co, 5pm @ 504 Angela Street
FANTASY FEST QUEEN CANDIDATES
MINA VALDEZ
THURSDAY 10/2
VIBRATOR RACES @ MARY ELLEN'S BAR 6pm @ 420 Appelrouth Lane
SAVE THE DATE: FRIDAY 10/10
LAGERHEAD'S LUA-LEI'S FOR STRAYS
Lagerheads Beach Bar, 6-9pm 0 Simonton Street. Donations appreciated.
CINDY BENSEN
SAVE THE DATE: THURSDAY 10/9
A REASON TO HOWL! Comedy with renowned veterinarian Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald @ Williams Hall, 7-9pm @ 729 Fleming Street
SAVE THE DATE: SATURDAY 10/11
WHERE ART THE WINE @ Gallery on Greene 5-7pm @ 606 Greene Street. $40 per ticket.
CHRIS McNULTY
is an astrologer, wanderer, bartender and advocate for queer justice. He is a loquacious Gemini with a cozy Cancer rising. Find him at hearthandheraldastrology.com
We’ve been through it. After weeks of chaotic astrology, two weeks of ground-shifting eclipses, and an aggressive MarsPluto square, we are finally drifting into a more peaceful eddy. In a change from seemingly constant action, this week takes a more cognitive turn. With the current formation of the planets, we are thinking and talking about our vulnerabilities and what we can do to work through them. We are also probably working out what communication strategies and recurrent thoughts no longer serve us. With this formation, the solution to this conundrum of cognition and wounding is to find our joy. Jupiter serves as the way through the standoff, and Jupiter always asks us to find joy and to say yes. So, if you’re trying to figure out better ways to think and heal, let your natural joy be your guide and seek out choices that will lead to abundance.
Here are your horoscopes for the T-square formation of Mercury, Chiron and Jupiter. Read for your rising and sun signs.
LIBRA
Sept. 23 - Oct. 23
You are probably thinking about your position in the greater scheme of things. We do not see ourselves as whole cloth, and we need to have an idea about who we are. This self-concept is showing up in relation to your attempts to heal an important relationship in your life. The best way to work through this conundrum is to dive into the happiness that your work brings you.
SCORPIO
Oct. 23 - Nov. 21
So often, we thoughtlessly go through our daily routines and allow our habits to operate mechanically. Now, you are being asked to shine a light on those actions and to ask if they are serving you well. How can you find your zen in your necessary tasks and obligations? In other words, can you find peace in washing the dishes? Try changing your location for a joyful answer.
SAGITTARIUS
Nov. 22 - Dec. 21
Saying “yes” to investing your time, money or energy to a collective project that you believe in is your best bet right now. Finding like-minded people to work toward a shared mission will help you solve a conundrum. As you think about who your supportive people are and you work on healing your insecurities regarding your personal creativity, find joy in wholeheartedly giving yourself to the project.
CAPRICORN
Dec. 22 - Jan. 19
Your work life may be taking up an inordinate amount of your thought processing right now. Perhaps you are avoiding thinking about an important issue at home. Your home and family life is asking for some healing attention. In order to solve this riddle, lean on an important partner who inherently brings happiness and high vibes. They will help release the tension.
AQUARIUS
Jan. 20 - Feb. 18
You may be thinking about grand adventures and running away, but you are also doing a lot of personal healing in your familiar surroundings. Perhaps you are being struck by a classic flight response. In order to work through this confrontation of feelings, find the joy in your daily routines. Find new ways of appreciating your daily habits and the usual routes that you take.
PISCES
Feb. 19 - March 20
It is a great time to get creative, Pisces. Get out the paints, strum the instruments, write the poems. By diving into your artistic expression, you will naturally work out the more financial and practical questions you are sitting with. It seems you are trying to find more healthy ways to make and spend money and thinking about how to invest. Rely on your creativity and those other questions will work themselves out.
ARIES
March 21 - April 19
Working through your own vulnerabilities and healing is a major theme right now. What parts of yourself are you trying to make better? An important partner in your life is probably forcing you to think through your own healing process. If this is a frustrating dynamic, allow yourself to revel and take joy in your home and family. Doing that will lead to the answer you need.
TAURUS
April 20 - May 20
If you are finding happiness and appreciation in the things that are otherwise seemingly familiar and mundane, you are right on time. Your local neighborhood and familiar places are sources of abundance right now. Focusing on those things will help you work through a current conundrum: thinking too much about your habits and perhaps feeling alone. Rely on what’s familiar.
GEMINI
May 21 - June 20
Think about your unique creative offerings. How do you express yourself in your own way? What is your artistic process? You have a support network that is pointing out places where you can heal through your art. The best way to make important decisions now is to find happiness in your values. Do your income and spending parallel your personal value system?
JOY WILL GUIDE YOU
CANCER
June 21 - July 22
Saying “yes” to yourself is the most important thing you can do right now. As you think about what home and family means to you and as you make some meaningful decisions at work, put yourself front and center. Your own well-being will make sure that you are asking the right questions and choosing the right answers when it comes to home and work.
LEO
July 23 - Aug. 22
Spending quality time alone and in joyful reflection is your strength point right now. You may be thinking about your familiar world in new ways and wondering if making some changes will be healing. It can be difficult to make big decisions to change your surroundings. However, the right choices will come to you when you make space to find solitude and tap into your happiness.
VIRGO
Aug. 23 - Sept. 22
Your money and how it reflects your value system is top of mind right now. You may wonder how you can invest your time and talent in ways that can heal rather than hurt you. The way to determine right action is to celebrate and surrender to the joy that the supportive people in your life bring to you. Dive into full appreciation of the friends and family that want to see you succeed.
BRITT MYERS britt@keysweekly.com
OUTSIDE THE LINES WITH BILLY KEARINS
Coast founder explores new boundaries at Jag Gallery exhibit
For over a decade, Billy Kearins’ creative work and projects have flown under the Coast banner, a brand he created to promote artistic collaborations and projects. From graphic design, screen printing, photography and live music, the Coast brand has become one of the most recognized symbols of Key West’s rustic and nostalgic art scene.
But producing art for business, rather than expression, is something Kearins said has been weighing on him in recent years. In May, he produced a 42- by 16-foot urban-styled mural on the new Frederick Douglass Community Center, honoring many of the pioneers and legacies of Key West’s Bahama Village community.
Today, he shares a studio in Bahama Village with legendary artist John Martini. The property is a treasured relic in the heart of the neighborhood. While Kearins leans forward in his chair, behind him are pieces of art that will be featured at his “Outside the Lines” exhibit that’s opening at Jag Gallery on Oct. 4 and running through Oct. 27. As with all Jag exhibitions, it is a two-person show, shared with works by Joey Tepedino.
His art, Kearins said, is “ultimately a sum of all of my mistakes and revisions, my trials and errors. I like to see the process as a metaphor for a life well lived where one learns from mistakes and shapes a better future.”
On the eve of his opening, Kearins opened up to the Keys Weekly on art, family and the constant journey towards a life well lived.
What does this exhibit mean to you and how does it differ from other Coast projects?
For more than a decade all of my creative work and artistic projects have flown under the Coast banner. And really, that had always been the goal of the brand. But I don’t think I have ever enjoyed calling myself a businessman and often have a hard time even telling people what the company does — or articulating what I actually do for work. And to be honest, that has always weighed on me. With that feeling kind of constantly in the back of my mind, over the past few years I started to feel the real need to experiment with creative work that was solely focused on expressing myself.
How would you describe your art (style, inspiration, purpose)? What types of pieces can we expect at Jag?
I needed a way to paint that felt more free-flowing and allowed for experimentation throughout the process. Eventually I started to steer to more bold, geometric concepts, often inspired by the “New York School” of abstract expressionism in the mid-1900s, where the use of simple shapes and color combinations provided the building blocks of the narrative. Considering this migration, stylistically I would say that most of my new pieces border on abstract land and seascapes, but I’ve also been calling them dreamscapes quietly to myself.
What is the greatest compliment you could receive for your art and style?
Clearly taste in art and style varies wildly from person to person, and I’m under no delusion that a lot of people look at my work and think, “man, I really love this” — even Rothko and Basquiat, and Hockney and Picasso have their haters. But it is always nice when I hear people look at my work and immediately try to envision it as something they would like to own. That’s when it goes beyond simply being a “pretty picture” on a wall and gets into a real appreciation for the work.
What’s next for you and Coast? Will we see more festivals, innovative designs, screenprint and apparel, or is this a migration to your evolving artistry?
Coast still coasts along. I’m proud of what we’ve done as a company and like that Coast is still able to co-exist with my other, more personal creative endeavors. I have plans for a pretty cool Coast Is Clear Festival in 2026 with some relevant and exciting collaborations already in the works. New apparel designs come in waves. Sometimes it’s months in between new designs and then all of a sudden I’ll break out and feel inspired to make five or 10 all at once. I still really love the shop and the studio, so I’m looking forward to a busy season after the doldrums of fall.
For more of Billy Kearins’ chat, visit keysweekly.com.
Artist Billy Kearins’ latest exhibit, ‘In & Outside the Lines,’ opens Saturday, Oct. 4 at Jag Gallery, 1075 Duval St. from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The show opens the season for Jag and runs through Oct. 26.
Artist and Coast founder Billy Kearins in his downtown studio, preparing for his Oct. 4 exhibit opening at Jag Gallery. CONTRIBUTED
FROM FINEST FISHERMEN’S CLUB TO NATURAL PARK
Plantation Key Yacht Harbor underwent several ownership changes
FLORIDA KEYS HISTORY WITH BRAD BERTELLI
Brad is a local historian, author, speaker and Honorary Conch who loves sharing the history of the Florida Keys.
Plantation Key Yacht Harbor was developed by Dr. J. M. Renedo and Thomas Renedo.
The brothers were born in Key West.
On Dec. 15, 1940, the Miami Herald printed a story about its opening and stated that it was managed by Frank Paskewich, “whose record in athletics at the University of Miami is well known to thousands of Floridians.” He was a star football player from 1937 to 1939.
The advertisement read: “Drop Anchor At Plantation Key Harbor! Plantation Key Yacht Harbor Opens Today!
‘For the vacationist the lovely cabins, splendidly appointed, give privacy and comfort. The scenic effect, over Gulf waters, is superb. There are launches, outboard skiffs, a splendid pier, and a club house that has no superior in appointments and charm.’”
The resort closed at some point between 1942 and 1944. The Dec. 20, 1944, edition of the Miami Herald printed: “Plantation Key Yacht Harbor now is open. Closed for several years during wartime, it recently was purchased by Leonard E. Billman. Under his direction and with the new manager, Jim Quinnan, on the job, the entire place has been refurbished and put in condition to receive angling guests.”
The following year, Clyde E. Holland was managing the property, clearly appealing to an upscale crowd. The Feb. 5, 1948, edition of the Chicago Tribune advertised: “Live and Loaf at the Plantation Key Club. Only 50 guests. References Required. Write to Club or Robert S. Warner Associates, 77 W. Washington, Chicago, Ill.”
At some point, the property was owned by the Reynolds Metals Company of Richmond, Virginia. The Sept. 4, 1949, edition of the Miami Herald announced: Yacht Harbor Sold to Head. “The 21-acre resort cottage colony on Plantation Key was sold by the Reynolds Metals Company to J. G. Head for a reported $110,000.”
Head is identified as a real estate developer and broker based in Fort Worth, Texas, and Miami. According to the 1949 article, the prop-
Plantation Key’s Plantation Yacht Harbor, a ‘Sportsman’s Paradise,’ as depicted in a postcard from the Jerry Wilkinson Collection. CONTRIBUTED
erty consisted of “10 guest cottages – 22 living units, clubhouse, dining room and lounge, double fireplace of natural coral rock. Head plans to add: yacht club, yacht harbor, swimming pool, and about 100 modern guest cottages. Stores and restaurants along the highway front.”
As advertised, Head improved the property, or at least someone did. In the Dec. 24, 1950 edition of the Miami Herald, the newly reopened resort boasted, “Quarter million just spent on this property.” The Dec. 31 edition advertised: “Now Open To The Public. The Finest Fisherman’s Club in Florida. Plantation Yacht Harbor ‘The Sportman’s Paradise.’ Introducing Paul DuVall, Famous Chef de Cuisine. New Management: J.G. Head, Owner, J. Neil Stebbens, Manager.”
There are discrepancies regarding ownership of the property. However, the owner is mentioned in the March 6, 1952, edition of The News. “Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Edwards and Mr. and Mrs. Naugle were staying at Plantation Key Yacht Harbor, (Tavernier, Fla.) recently, where Mr. and Mrs. Spinella of Patterson, former Wyckoff residents, are spending the winter.”
Eighteen months later, on Sept. 6, 1953, a headline in the Miami Herald read: “Spinella Linked To Keys Resort.” Mike Spinella, the former rackets figure recently deported to Italy, is the real owner of the lush $500,000 property. … There was strong indication that Spinella’s junior partner in the operation is Meyer Lansky, who just finished a three-month jail term, bought into the Plantation Key Properties Inc. in 1951, but nothing has ever shown up in public court and government records to reveal their connection.”
The swank resort facility was incorporated in Florida in May 1951, under the name Plantation Key Properties. Joseph A. Varon, Hollywood attorney, handled the incorporation and has served as the nominal president-treasurer ever since. But Varon said Saturday he isn’t the owner and “I don’t know who the owners are.” He declined to comment when asked if Spinella and Lansky had an interest in the company.
“I was paid in 1951,” Varon stated, “to set up the corporation. Ever since then I have been the nominal head – nothing more. I don’t even sign the checks.”
Varon said he was originally retained by Larry Knohl, president of the Atlantic Investors Inc. of Washington, D.C., an oil firm, when Knohl purchased the place from a Miami real estate firm. The reported purchase price was $150,000. Knohl
apparently stepped out of the picture shortly thereafter when it became known that he was convicted of embezzlement about 17 years ago. He denies he ever got any money out of the deal.
Subsequently, Knohl figured prominently in the income tax scandals that rocked the Internal Revenue Bureau during the Truman administration and, in October 1952, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. on charges of making false statements to the Reconstruction Finance Corp.
Knohl’s former ties with the Key Largo Motel and Yacht Harbor have never been revealed. His name came into the congressional investigation of T. Lamar Caudle, former assistant attorney in charge of tax cases, in connection with an airplane sale of which Caudle received a $5,000 commission. Khohl sold out to Spinella who has already poured in excess of $200,000 in the place. Spinella added 32 air-conditioned units to the motel, which contained 18 when he bought it. There also is a swimming pool, restaurant, cocktail lounge, fishing facilities and docks.
Lansky, who still maintains a home in Hollywood and formerly operated three luxurious gambling houses in Broward County, has been a good friend of Spinella and reportedly joined him in the Plantation Key deal to the extent of at least $50,000. Reliable sources close to Spinella said he and Lansky put their money into Plantation Key properties as a “sound legitimate business investment.”
Lansky was a childhood friend of Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel and later a friend of Charles “Lucky” Luciano. Actors Ben Kingsley, Patrick Dempsey, Dustin Hoffman and Harvey Keitel have played Lansky in movies. According to FBI documents, “Meyer Lansky has been reported to be an overlord of international racketeers and gangsters; to have national connections in gambling circles; and a close associate of the most notorious gangsters and racketeers in the United States; and is considered among this element to be a leader.”
The property has been bought and sold several times since the Spinella and Lansky years. Though recognized as the “Mob’s Accountant,” Lansky remained relatively untouched by the law. He was living in Miami Beach when he died from lung cancer on June 15, 1983. He was 80.
On Feb. 24, 1999, the Village of Islamorada purchased the 40-acre Plantation Yacht Harbor. It is now home to Founders Park.
NEW DELIVERY SERVICE CATERS TO LOWER KEYS
Conch Rocket fills gap from Sugarloaf to Big Pine
www.keysweekly.com
For Lower Keys residents, the 16mile span between Sugarloaf and Big Pine, with its low-key and less-commercialized charm, also represents a frustrating gap in delivery services, as national giants like DoorDash and Uber Eats typically stick to the Key West and Stock Island areas.
That void is about to be filled.
Conch Rocket, a new, locally owned venture by Michelle Karen, John ‘Zero’ Campbell and Jami Larson, aims to redefine delivery in this underserved stretch of paradise.
“We saw a real need here,” said Karen, a longtime Keys resident and the driving force behind Conch Rocket. “When I got sick last year and couldn’t leave my house, I realized there wasn’t any way to get good food or essentials delivered unless it was just pizza. Delivery services wouldn’t even come to my area, and if they did, the drivers barely made enough for it to be worthwhile.”
Karen, who runs the child care and elder care business Sit’n in the Keys, envisioned a hyperlocal alternative. She teamed up with Campbell, a developer whose technical expertise and passion for community-driven businesses became the backbone of Conch Rocket’s operation.
“We wanted to build something that benefits everyone,” Campbell said. “National companies draw drivers to the denser, more profitable areas and leave places like the Lower Keys underserved. We’re creating something that’s by locals, for locals. Communication is key for us. When people order, they know exactly when their food is prepared, picked up and on the way. And if there’s ever an issue, they’re talking to one of us, not a call center thousands of miles away.”
Joining them is Jami Larson, who Karen describes as “our everything girl” and “the face of the company.” Her familiar face and community involvement made her a natural ambassador for the business, Karen said.
“I think one of the coolest services we offer is our ‘order ahead’ option,” Larson said. “Customers can order
HELP KEEP KEY WEST CLEAN
JOIN A 1- HOUR CLEANUP FRIDAY MORNINGS
the night before and have their food delivered at a specific time the next day. This is perfect for local boaters or fishermen who want sandwiches ready for their sandbar or fishing adventures the next day.”
Conch Rocket’s business model is designed to treat both drivers and customers better. Customers can order directly from the website or app. They receive email confirmations and text messages tracking the order and delivery process in real-time.
“With us, the drivers earn more on every delivery, and the difference stays in the community,” said Karen. “When you order with the other delivery services here, you’re lucky if your food even arrives, and the driver might take home less than four dollars. With Conch Rocket, the delivery fee varies based on where you live, but always ensures the driver is paid fairly.”
Conch Rocket is currently hiring additional drivers, who must be 18 or older and with valid auto insurance.
For now, Conch Rocket is offering delivery from 13 Lower Keys restaurants, with more being added. They hope to add alcohol and courier services as the business grows.
“We want to crawl before we walk,” Karen said. “Starting small has allowed us to adapt as we go, and ensure everything is running smoothly. Our goal is to serve the community, not just build another delivery app.”
As Conch Rocket prepares for expansion, the founders remain focused on their core mission of meeting local needs, supporting local businesses and enriching the community.
“I was born to serve,” says Karen. “I find areas where people need help, and I do everything I can to fill that gap.”
More information is at conchrocket.com or 305-433-7799.
One hour a week makes a huge difference, and volunteers are welcome every Friday and some Saturday mornings, from 8 to 9 a.m., when the Key West Ploggers clean up a designated area of the island.
Gloves, pickers, buckets, vests, hand sanitizer and a parking pass are provided to all volunteers.
A troubling number of cigarette butts and plastic bags have been included in recent hauls. Please remember your reusable bags when shopping so we can keep the plastic off the streets, parking lots and, most importantly, out of the water. And dispose of cigarette butts in any receptacle rather than the street or sidewalk, as from there, they easily end up in the ocean.
The city of Key West and its residents ask everyone to do their part to help keep Key West beautiful. With simple steps like making sure you bag your trash before putting it in your Waste Management trash cans or Dumpsters, and making sure the lids on Dumpsters are closed, will keep a lot of trash from blowing into the streets. Call Waste Management at 305-296-8297 for any furniture items left on the city right of way.
Please pick up around your home or apartment complex. Every piece of trash picked up is one less that may end up in the ocean that surrounds and sustains our island community. It is not just the large items you can see easily when you are walking, but the smaller items such as bottle caps and
cigarette butts that are collected by the volunteers that make the biggest difference. 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.
Oct. 3: Deadman’s Curve on South Roosevelt. Meet along the seawall at the east end of the island. Hosted by KW Junior Football League.
Oct. 10: Greene & Ann streets. Meet at Old City Hall on Ann Street. Hosted by the Greater Key West Chamber of Commerce. Oct. 17: Duval and Eaton streets. Meet on Eaton next to Berkshire Hathaway Knight & Gardner Realty, which is hosting. Oct. 24: Key West Fire Station on Simonton Street. Meet in the parking lot. Hosted by Kenna Construction & ShineGroup, eXp Realty.
Oct. 31: Duval & Virginia streets. Meet on Virginia Street next to Duval Square. Hosted by Stacy Stahl, Realty One Group Destination.
JEN ALEXANDER
Jami Larson and Michelle Karen created Conch Rocket delivery service with John ‘Zero’ Campbell (not pictured) to fill a gap between Sugarloaf and Big Pine keys. CONTRIBUTED
The Sept. 19 cleanup was held in the 2500 block of Flagler Avenue. In one hour, 30 volunteers collected 471 pounds of trash (including a 200-pound scooter), 11 pounds of recycling and .75 gallons of cigarette butts. Special thanks to Mount Sinai Primary Care for hosting and providing breakfast for all the volunteers and for supporting the city’s ‘green machine’ trailer. Thanks to everyone who helps Keep Key West Beautiful. CONTRIBUTED
Key West Cooking Show
Dinnertainment™ Shows Daily
EARLY LUNCH LUNCH EARLY DINNER DINNER
1pm-2pm 4pm-5pm
All meals are served with housemade plaintain chips
TUESDAY
Conch Fritters
Mojo Roast Pork with Black Beans and Rice
Key Lime Pie
Garbanzo Soup
Jerk Chicken with Rice and Peas Guava Bread Pudding
Bollos Grits-n-Grunts
Key Lime Pie
Avocado Salad
Ropa Vieja with White rice
Tia’s Flan
Tostones
with Cuban Chimichurri Picadillo with Black Beans and Rice
Tia’s Flan
Conch Fritters
- TROPICAL BITES
Mojo Roast Pork with Black Beans and Rice Key Lime Pie
Garbanzo Soup
Jerk Chicken with Rice and Peas Guava Bread Pudding
Tostones with Cuban Chimichurri Ropa Vieja with White Rice
Tia’s Flan
WEDNESDAY - Island Indulgence
Caldo Gallego Picadillo with Black Beans and Rice
Key Lime Pie
THURSDAY - CATCH OF THE DAY
Bollos Grits-n-Grunts
Key Lime Pie
Avocado Salad
Ropa Vieja with White rice
Tia’s Flan
Conch Fritters
Mariscado with White Rice Guava Bread Pudding
FRIDAY- A TASTE OF HAVANA
Ceviche
Mojo Roast Pork with Black Beans and Rice Key Lime Pie
SATURDAY- KEY WEST COMFORT
Tostones with Cuban Chimichurri Picadillo with Black Beans and Rice
Tia’s Flan
Monday: 11am-8:30pm
Tuesday-Saturday: 10am-10pm
Happy Hour: 4pm-6pm
Trivia Night: Mondays 6:30pm
Conch Fritters
Grits-n-Grunts
Key Lime Pie
Garbanzo Soup
Lobster Enchilados with White Rice Guava Bread Pudding
Caldo Gallego Key West Seafood Rissotto
Tia’s Flan
Mariscado
Swordfish Picatta with Rice and Broccolini
Tia’s Flan
Conch Salad Snapper Creole with Rice Guava Bread Pudding
Bollos
Sunday Pork Chops with Potato Gratin Guava Bread Pudding
Cocktail
Tuesday-Saturday
12pm & 2pm
Rum Revelations A Cocktail Adventure 5pm
Key West History Through Craft Cocktails
BOUTIQUE HOURS
MONDAY - WEDNESDAY 11- 4
THURSDAY - SATURDAY 11- 6
SUNDAY CLOSED Voted BEST LOCAL RETAILER by the Key West People’s Choice Awards 2023, 2024 & 2025. And mentioned in Forbes magazine!
Kellee Reed, DO, FACOEP, FACEP
Christina Kemp Sawyer, MD
Founded by Betty Debnam
Flying South
As the weather turns colder, do you sometimes wish you could just fly away to somewhere warm and sunny? That’s exactly what many species of birds do every fall.
You may have noticed waterfowl, such as geese, ducks and cranes, flying overhead in large groups. Did you notice which direction they were going? Birds that fly south for the winter are called migratory birds.
LONG-DISTANCE TRAVEL
Some migrating birds fly amazing distances on their seasonal journeys. Those that spend the summer in the south of North America don’t have as far to go — maybe only 300 miles or so.
But birds that summer in the northern United States and Canada might travel as far as 10,000 miles! Most of them fly during the night and rest and feed during the day. At night, temperatures are cooler, and the air is calmer.
LOOKING FOR FOOD
We may think that birds are trying to avoid the cold weather when they migrate. In fact, they’re moving to areas with more food.
The blackpoll warbler spends its summers in Alaska and Canada. When it’s time to move south, it first heads east toward New England and the eastern coast of Canada. Then it flies south over the Atlantic Ocean toward South America. Its migration of up to 2,500 miles includes about 90 hours over water, without stops for rest or food.
The Swainson’s hawk flies up to 7,500 miles during its migration from the western U.S. and Canada to Brazil and Argentina.
Many migratory birds eat insects, which are a great source of the protein they need when raising their young. During the summer in the U.S. and Canada, where the birds breed, there are many insects. But when the weather turns cold, this food source disappears. The birds must then fly south to find the food they need until it’s time to return the following spring.
DANGERS
Birds may be vulnerable, or open to harm, during their migration. For example, after a whole night of flying, a tired bird may alight in a backyard, only to be spotted by a house cat. Some cats hunt and kill birds.
In large cities, tall lighted buildings can confuse birds flying at night. They can fly into the buildings, or the lights can make them disoriented so that they keeping flying until they’re exhausted and fall to the ground.
Birds also can fly into power lines, or, when flying low, they can collide with moving cars. Even wind turbines can be a hazard for migrating birds.
Words that remind us of bird migration are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find:
Birds fall into two types of migrants. Some birds are obligate migrants. This means they are genetically programmed to migrate — they are obligated to fly south. Others are facultative migrants. This means they migrate only if the weather makes it hard for them to find food.
For instance, you may see Canada geese all year long. They would migrate if necessary, but in many areas they find plenty to eat in fields where crops have been harvested or in city parks.
BULKING UP
After breeding, a ruby-throated hummingbird weighs about the same as one penny. But before it flies south for some 24 hours over the Gulf of Mexico, it doubles its weight.
Before they leave for their winter homes, birds’ behavior changes. “They transform into superbirds,” an expert said.
This begins with putting on a lot of fat. Fat is used for energy during the long trip. Their pectoral, or chest, muscles become larger. They eat more fruit. Some species will flock together or fly in formation to make the journey easier.
RESOURCES
On the Web:
• bit.ly/1rzhjpS
At the library:
• “Arctic Terns: A Migration Story” by Lisa Amstutz
• “Migration” by Gail Gibbons
ECO NOTE
Seven volcanoes have begun erupting at the same time on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, in a “parade” of eruptions not seen in almost 300 years. Bezymianny, Kambalny, Karymsky, Klyuchevskoy, Krasheninnikov, Mutnovsky and Avachinsky volcanoes began to spew lava and ash following the massive earthquake off southern Kamchatka during the previous week. Six of the eruptions followed the surprise awakening of the Krasheninnikov volcano, which saw lava flow for the first time in nearly 600 years.
Mini Fact: Migrating birds include raptors such as ospreys (left), vultures, eagles and hawks.
photo by Dan Garber
photo by Gerhard Hofmann
photo by Jon Nelson
hoto by Leslie Rummel
REVIEWS FROM MILLIONS OF TRIPADVISOR TRAVELERS PLACE US IN THE TOP 10% WORLDWIDE. PULL
BATTLE OF THE KEYS LVI
Annual showdown is Friday night | P.8
Coral Shores Football Palmer 9/22 L, 23-0
Coral Shores Volleyball Basilica 9/22 W, 3-1
Marathon Volleyball Franklin Academy 9/22 L, 3-2
Basilica Volleyball Marathon 9/24 W, 3-0
Marathon Volleyball Mater Bay 9/25 W, 3-0
Coral Shores Volleyball Key West 9/25 W, 3-2
Marathon Football Moore Haven 9/26 L, 26-0
Key West Football St. Brendan 9/26 W, 36-14
Coral Shores Football Florida Christian 9/26 L, 41-3
Basilica Volleyball The Greene School 9/26 W, 2-0
Basilica Volleyball Glades Day 9/26 W, 2-0
Key West Volleyball Mater Lakes 9/26 L, 2-0
Key West Volleyball St. Brendan 9/26 L, 2-0
Marathon Volleyball Archimedean 9/26 L, 3-0
Basilica Volleyball Berean Christian 9/27 L, 2-0
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
TITENSOR
10/3
Mason has shot in the high 30s and low 40s consistently in every match. He has been a teacher to his teammates at practice and will stay late to work on his skills after practice has ended.”
– Josh Bassett, Conchs golf coach
Last week on the greens, Key West’s Mason Titensor logged two wins and a second place in three matches. Driven by a love for the game, Titensor left his third round with the Conchs last week and headed to Fort Myers, where he played in a Junior PGA tournament. The sophomore has displayed remarkable consistency all season, in great part due to his exceptional work ethic and attention to detail. Titensor’s approach to the game and his teamfirst mentality have improved his game as well as those around him. His guidance, focus and personal accountability have made him a force on the course and the Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.
The Marathon Dolphins and Coral Shores Hurricanes are ready to do battle this Friday night in the 56th annual Battle of the Keys. Clockwise from top left: Jesus Gonzalez, Leo Acosta, Matthew Delgado and Austin Vogt. Photos by Natalie Danko and Doug Finger
Mason
Sophomore, Key West Golf
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.
sean mcdonald
grew up in Miami and moved to the Keys in 1997. He has spent the last 25 years teaching physical education and coaching virtually every sport for Florida Keys kids ages 4 to 18. If you are reading this and live or lived in the Florida Keys, he has probably taught, coached, or coached against someone you know.
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.
SCORECARD STALEMATES
Marathon’s Max Childress tied for first on his home course Sept. 22. NATALIE DANKO/Keys Weekly
Ties and narrow margins make for exciting golf competition
Local golfers enjoyed a tour of the Keys last week, playing on three courses spanning Key Largo to Key West. The first match was Sept. 22 at Florida Keys Country Club in Marathon, where Max Childress of Marathon and Mason Titensor of Key West tied for first place with 37 strokes. Childress birdied on three holes and Titensor on one to finish one over par.
Following them was a three-way tie for third. Key West’s Jakub Krytinar and Marathon’s Emmett Merryman and Roco Piscetello each scored 39. Geo Twyman finished sixth with a 40 for Key West, then Cullen Coleman-Sayer and Luca Picariello tied for seventh. Key West’s Chad Stolka and Marathon’s Jackson Millard rounded out the top 10 scorecards for the day. Marathon won the home-course match, outshooting the Conchs 158-161, with Coral Shores finishing third.
In the girls competition, Lexi Finigan finished first for Key West with a 53. Marathon’s Justice Lee was two strokes back in second, followed by Key West’s Mary Alice Davila, Marathon’s Makenna Haines and Key West’s Berkeley Tripp.
Two days later, golfers completed nine holes in Key West. Krytinar was the solo winner, fueled by a birdie on hole three for a score of 40. Titensor was second with a 42, followed by Coral Shores’ Scout Oliver, Twyman and Coral Shores’ Dylan Lindmar, who were separated by a single stroke each. Marathon took the next five spots, secured by Merryman, Childress, Piscetello, Coleman-Sayer and Picariello. Key West was the top team at the home meet, beating the Fins 182-195 with Coral Shores in third again.
Finigan was the top golfer again in the girls competition with a 53, followed by teammate Claudia Steling with 59. Davila and Lee tied for third at 62, Haines and Estevez tied for fifth and Tripp finished in seventh place.
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.
The final match of the week occurred at Key Largo’s Ocean Reef course on Sept. 26. Key West won again, this time by a more significant margin. The Conchs’ team score was 165, with the Fins scoring 186 and the Hurricanes in a close third at 188. Krytinar shared the win at Ocean Reef with Oliver and Titensor. All three athletes finished at 39. Twyman was in fourth, followed by Merryman, Piscetello, Stolka, Lindmar, Coleman-Sayer and Key West's Ty Hill. All of the top 10 finished under 50.
The girls’ match also ended in a three-way tie. Steling, Finigan and Lee all finished with a 48 on their scorecards with Davila in fourth, Coral Shores’ Valerie Gabriel in fifth, and Tripp, Haines and Estevez in close succession.
The scores continue to fall as golf has officially surpassed the regularseason halfway point. Keys golfers will continue to hone their skills on all three courses as they prepare for their district matches, which begin the final week of October.
tracy mcdonald
HOME MEETS HIGHLIGHT STANDOUT SWIMMERS
Conchs, ’Canes host high-caliber competition and hold their own
After multiple cancellations due to inclement weather, the Hurricanes of Coral Shores finally had a chance to compete on Sept. 23, when they hosted Doral Academy at their home pool at Founders Park. The Firebirds of Doral brought a highly-successful swim program to the Keys, where the 1A ’Canes tested the waters against the much larger 4A Doral program.
Sofia Figueredo swam away with the only first for the girls, winning the 200 individual medley in 2:35. Figueredo also claimed second in the 100 breaststroke event. Parks Dunn finished second in the 200 and 500 freestyle races. Larkin Dunn was second in the 50 free and third in the 100 freestyle race.
Diver Aaron Lykins impressed the judges, earning 237.5 points and the team’s only first in boys competition. Tony Khioni finished second in the 50 free and third in the 100 free individual events.
Key West hosted Wellington Sept. 28 at the College of the Florida Keys pool. The 4A Wolverines outswam the 2A Conchs, but Key West had plenty of success against the larger competition.
The boys 200-meter relay team of Sebastian Camargo, Kieran Smith, Andres Aguero and Hugo Blinckmann had the first win of the day. Blinckmann also won the individual 50 free event in 24.56 seconds, then swam to a third-place finish in the 100-meter breaststroke. Santiago Gonzalez claimed first place in the 200-meter freestyle race, finishing in 1:59.77. Gonzalez was second in the 100 freestyle race.
After his win in the relay, Smith earned a second in the 100 breaststroke, while Jackson Way took second in the 100 backstroke event. Owen Lindley was second in the 50 freestyle race and Max Blinckmann took third for a Conch sweep of that event. Haven Andrade and Jacob Perez each placed third at the meet. Perez had his success in the 500 freestyle race and Andrade in the 100 butterfly, a PR for the sophomore.
In the girls competition, Christina Rice had the only first place, winning the 50 freestyle event in 27.52 seconds. Rice finished second in the 100 free as well. Ashlyn Picco claimed a pair of thirds, one in the 50 free and the other in the 100 backstroke event. Mary Searcy was second in the 100 backstroke race and third in the 200 freestyle. Amelia Korzen took second in the 100 breaststroke and third in the 200 IM and Colbie Turner was third in the 100 butterfly event.
This week, Coral Shores hosts True North on Friday, Oct. 3. Key West will travel to Ocala for the 47th annual FSPA meet, where the Conchs will see some of the best competition this season. The FSPA event is held at the same location as this season’s state meet, which takes place in early November. Districts will be held Oct. 22 for both teams, with 2A Key West traveling to Belen and 1A Coral Shores heading to Carrollton.
Coral Shores swimmer Sofia Figueredo, left, and diver Aaron Lykins placed first against a talented Doral Academy on Sept. 23. JIM MCCARTHY/ Keys Weekly
MONROE ’CANE COUNTY
’CANE COUNTY
Coral Shores picks off two neighbors in one week
The Hurricanes improved to 9-5 last week after a pair of in-county volleyball wins. On Sept. 22, the team took on Basilica School, beating the Mariners 3-1 in Tavernier. Basilica came out fired up and took an early lead on the first set, upsetting the Hurricanes 25-23, but the ’Canes settled down and went to work, winning the next three.
winning ways after the loss to Coral Shores. On Sept. 24, they traveled to Marathon, where they defeated the Dolphins 2-0. After picking up an in-county win, the Mariners put two more marks in the win column in tournament action against the Greene School and Glades Day, giving them a respectable 8-11 record. Basilica school closes out its season Oct. 8 against Key West. The three public high schools head into their respective district tournaments beginning Oct. 13.
It
Celene Walker earned 16 kills and added 13 digs and an ace. Coralyn Frimpter had 15 kills, three aces and six digs as one of four Lady ’Canes to achieve a perfect serve percentage. Maddie Jordan, Ivy Tiedemann and Abby Leigh also served up perfection against the Mariners. Tiedemann added two dozen digs and five assists while Lynn earned 19 assists, 10 digs, five aces and a pair of kills. Leigh killed it nine times and added an ace, 13 assists and nine digs to the books. The entire team was fired up after their slow start, and their focus didn’t falter three days later when Key West paid a visit.
After losing 3-0 to the Conchs on Aug. 28, the ’Canes were unwilling to
lose another match to an in-county rival. Key West pulled ahead early, winning the first set 25-20, but Coral Shores battled back and the teams fought to extra-point territory, with set two going to the Hurricanes 27-25. Key West fired back to win set three, but a fourth-set Coral Shores win commanded a tie-breaker, which the ’Canes won by a strong 15-5
ners. Tiedemann added two in-county rival. Key West ahead the first set 25-20, but Coral margin.
“It was a great game,” said Hurricane coach Sam Ovalle. “The girls are adjusting and they’re getting in the rhythm of playing together. We played with heart and we had discipline and passion for the game and it showed.”
Walker and Jordan had a 100% serve percentage against Key West. Walker was all over the court,
achieving 18 kills, 24 digs, a block, two assists and an ace. Jordan had 13 assists, four digs and an ace to her credit. Tiedemann was clutch on the ’Canes’ defense with 27 digs, while Lynn kept control of the tempo with 29 assists and 16 digs. Lynn served up four aces to give the offense a boost as well. Basilica School didn’t waste any time reclaiming its
was a great game,” said Hurricane coach Sam Ovalle. “ e girls are adjusting and they’re getting in the rhythm of playing together. We played with heart and we had discipline and passion for the game and it showed.”
serving Key West to Islamorada as the ONLY locally owned and operated concrete company in the Florida Keys.
CONCHS SILENCE SABRES
Key West wins fourth straight
Key West won their fourth straight football game Sept. 26 when they handed the visiting Sabres of St. Brendan School a 36-14 loss. The win boosted the Conchs in their district bracket and proved that despite a sparser bench than coach Johnny Hughes would like, they have the stamina to persevere.
“We wore them down in the second half,” said Hughes. The score was 14-all at halftime, but St. Brendan seemed to run out of steam precisely when Key West was just hitting its stride.
Walson Morin ran for 217 yards against the Sabres. “He had a strong night,” said Hughes. “They had a tough time stopping him.” Morin carried two possessions into the end zone for the Conchs.
Jeff Dejean scored two touchdowns of his own, amassing 98 yards off 16 carries. Reef Guyet was responsible for the other score as Roman Van Loon connected with Guyet for an 18-yard touchdown reception. Key West added three two-point conversions, one from Dejean and two from Morin.
The Conchs have a few sidelined athletes, most notably Josh Johnson, whose size and athleticism are crucial to Key West’s scheme on both sides of the ball. Fortunately for the Conchs, they have a week to recover. After their bye week this Friday, Key West will face the toughest test so far this season. The Conchs travel to Miami to take the Miami Northwestern Bulls by the horns in another district matchup. The Bulls, always a fearsome opponent, have multiple D1 commits, particularly at the wide receiver position.
To counter the depth Northwestern has at wideout, the Conchs will be working on defending the pass-happy Bulls. “Open-field tackling is going to be paramount against those guys,” said Hughes. “We’ve got to be able to put points on the board and control the clock. We want to keep their offense off the field as much as possible.”
If the Conchs protect the ball and eliminate mistakes and miscues, they might just upset the highlyranked Bulls. It is unlikely that Northwestern has played against another team with a ground-heavy offense since they faced the Conchs last season, and if their recent opponents are any measure, Key West’s offense is brutal by quarter four and can wear down the best of opponents.
1. Walson Morin breaks through a wall of defenders.
2. Jeff DeJean, left, and Walson Morin celebrate a Key West touchdown.
3. Coral Shores kicker William Judson #4 kicks a field goal to put 3 points on the board against Florida Christian. The kick would be the only points for the Hurricanes on Friday night.
Sept. 26.
On the same night, Marathon made the long drive to Moore Haven to take on the Terriers. A familiar scene unfolded before halftime as both teams were sent to the locker rooms to wait out a bout of distant lightning. The remainder of the game was never played, sending the Fins back to Marathon with a 26-0 loss as there was no logistical way the teams could meet and complete the game before the end of the season.
Coral Shores hosted a powerful Florida Christian. William Judson got the Hurricanes on the board with a 34-yard field goal, but it would not be enough to topple the Patriots in a 41-3 loss. The ’Canes, like their closest rival, now turn toward a date circled on both schools’ calendars for quite some time.
4. Coral Shores wide receiver John Oughton makes a catch against Florida Christian at home on
Photos by Doug Finger and Maicey Malgrat.
BATTLE OF THE KEYS LVI
Dolphins battle Hurricanes in rivalry tradition
This week, Marathon and Coral Shores will meet in Marathon for the 56th Battle of the Keys, the longest-running in-county sports rivalry in Monroe County. Coral Shores has won the past six contests and holds a 30-25 edge over Marathon in the series, but both teams have had nice runs and, regardless of teams’ records, a MarathonCoral Shores game almost always delivers for eager fans on both sides.
Coral Shores fixture Rich Russell has seen it all when it comes to the Battle, serving the Hurricanes as player, coach and athletic director. Russell’s favorite meeting of the teams was the 1989 21-6 Coral Shores victory that served as the team’s final game of the season.
“It allowed us to finish 9-1 and avenged our only loss in 1988,” he recalled. That loss was a 19-7 win for the Fins.
Marathon athletic director Lance Martin was the team’s head coach for the year he pinpointed as the most memorable meeting of the rivals. In 2004, the Dolphins lost their starting quarterback to an injury in a loss to Key West a week prior.
“Then during the Coral Shores game the following week, we lost two more QBs by the second quarter,” he recalled. “We played the rest of the game with our running backs taking shotgun snaps and running off tackle every play. We kicked four field goals to win.” Ryan Paros’ leg won that game for Marathon. He was named to the first state team at the end of the season and kicked at FAU.
Both current head coaches have watched the games through various lenses, including as parents of the players. Hurricane head coach Ed Holly’s oldest sons Eddie and Johnny have graduated and are playing collegiate football now, and his youngest, Billy, is a sophomore who will suit up against the Fins this week. Sean McDonald’s oldest, Jackson, played collegiately as well, and coached the Dolphins’ middle school team in 2024. His youngest, Maverick, is on the Fins’ middle school squad and will serve as ball boy as he awaits the spring football season when Marathon’s eighth graders can join the varsity ranks.
McDonald’s fondest Battle of the Keys was in 2017.
“Hurricane Irma hit us midseason. It wiped out our field and a lot of our kids’ homes,” he said. “We didn’t know if we would play again that season, and some of our guys and their families lost everything. Some people thought we should scrap the
season, but we wanted to give the kids some sense of normalcy, so we called everyone and crossed our fingers that they would come back from wherever they all evacuated to.
“They all returned. Even the guys without houses came back. We had maybe a week of practice and went up there because our field was gone. We had to practice at Switlik and the community park. When we won, it meant a lot more than a football game.”
The score of that Battle was 43-28. McDonald’s oldest son, then a junior, amassed 307 all-purpose yards with two rushing TDs and another pair in the air. Esteban “Stevie” Sainz caught one of those passes and Thad Goodwin reeled in the other. Landon Bish had a sack and seven solo tackles, including four for a loss. Dequian Youngblood had a pick six and Peder Bidonne recovered a fumble and took it to the house.
Holly remembered playing both teams when he was a high school athlete at Archbishop Curly in Miami. Holly says he knew of the rivalry and first experienced it as a fan, and his most memorable meeting of the two schools was during his first year coaching with the Hurricanes.
“It was 2011, I believe, and Lance (Martin) was still coach,” Holly said. “We played on the old field and it was a muddy mess. The officials kept accusing the center of moving the ball, but it was really just floating in a puddle,” he added.
Coral Shores won that game with some trickery. “We ran a double pass to Andre Whitehead on the sideline to win the game,” Holly reminisced, adding, “Andrew Garcia was our running back. He was all of 160 pounds and ran the ball over 20 times that game. He put the team on his back and asked for the ball and carried us that game.”
Holly and McDonald both remarked about the importance of the rivalry to the communities. The game brings fans from both schools out in numbers and is a talking point for weeks leading up to the contest. And while both acknowledge the weight of the game on their teams’ seasons, they also recognize that at the final whistle, many players, fans and both coaches are friendly for 51 weeks out of the year.
Kickoff for Battle of the Keys LVI is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. in Marathon.
Marathon and Coral Shores slug it out in the 55th Battle of the Keys in 2024. The rivalry renews this Friday. DOUG FINGER/Keys Weekly
MIDDLE GROUND
Keys runners storm the beach in Marathon
Keys cross country teams met in the middle on Sept. 24 in Marathon. Runners started and finished at Sombrero Beach on a flat, fast out-and-back course that hosted runners from all three Keys high schools as well as students from Florida Christian and Sugarloaf School.
In the girls 5K race, Coral Shores sophomore Ali Wheatley was the winner, crossing the line in 20:26. Wheatley ran a lonely race, with the next finisher more than three minutes behind. That runner was seventh-grader Molly Joly of Marathon, who had enough juice left to run a 23:02, despite running and winning the 3K race less than an hour prior. Coral Shores’ Kate King was third. In fourth through seventh place were Brenda Cabauy, Valentina Caballo, Anjul Balart and Gabby Gondora of Florida Christian School. In eighth was Violet Jangraw of Key West with teammate Emma Bradshaw close behind. Tess Hill was 10th with fellow Hurricane Aria Booton. Kayla Skaarup of Marathon was 13th, and Isabelle Jacobs and Olive Welch of Coral Shores rounded out the top 15 female 5K finishers.
In the 3K race, Joly beat out Sugarloaf’s Emily Moore for first. Joly finished in 13:05 while Moore crossed in 13:53. A pair of Florida Christian runners were next with Kendyl Francis and Teghan Driskell taking fifth and sixth place.
In the boys 5K race, Marathon swept the podium. Lucian
Burns was first in 16:48, followed by Tony Bursa in 17:26, then Allan Taylor, who took third in 18:45. Prometheus Delacerda of Key West came in fourth, breaking the 20-minute mark in 19:53. Marathon senior Caleb Shelar was fifth, followed by Key West’s Sawyer Hill. Coral Shores took the next three spots with Tristan Rios, Jamie Cary and Alaric Rodriguez finishing seventh through ninth. Alejandro Caridad of Key West rounded out the top 10.
In the boys 3K race, Marathon’s Anthony Vargas was first in 11:28. Sugarloaf’s Noah Taylor was third and Cameron Coletti of Marathon rounded out the top six with Florida Christian runners claiming second, fourth and fifth place.
Two days after the meet in Marathon, Coral Shores and Sugarloaf headed to Larry & Penny Thompson Park for the Larry Wooten Invitational.
Monroe County runners are scheduled for various races in the coming weeks, with plans in the works for another meet up in Marathon or in Key West to replace weather-cancelled contests from earlier this season. All three teams are scheduled for the 305 Classic on Oct. 24 at Larry and Penny Thompson Park in Miami for one last common meet prior to districts, when Marathon will participate in the 1A race and Key West and Coral Shores will toe the line with other 2A schools.
1. The Coral Shores girls team after a race Sept. 24 in Marathon.
2. Girls 5K medalists Ali Wheatley, left, Molly Joly and Kate King.
3. Seen here in an earlier race this season, Allan Taylor, left, Lucian Burns and Tony Bursa of Marathon swept the top three spots at their home meet last week. CONTRIBUTED
NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE
Please take notice that in accordance with Florida Statute 328.17, Robbies of Key West, LLC claims a possessory lien on the following described vessels: Owned by VH4669 LLC / (Donald Rhomberg – Title Manager) for unpaid storage fees: a 1984 Gibson 42’ Houseboat HIN: GBN42768M84K
Sealed bids will be accepted on October 9th, 2025 at Robbies of Key West, 7281 Shrimp Rd, Key West, FL 33040. Robbies of Key West, LLC reserves the right to reject any and all bids.
Publish:
September 25 & October 2, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE
Florida Keys Council of the Arts Notice of Upcoming Meetings
The Florida Keys Council of the Arts will hold the following meetings via Communications Media Technology using a ZOOM webinar platform. The access points to view the Zoom meetings or for members of the public to provide public input will be: JOIN ZOOM via the Zoom app and use each meeting ID and password listed. Meetings are open to the public, and all are invited to attend. Questions, or to RSVP, please email Liz Young at director@keysarts.com
Membership Committee
Meeting
October 1,8,15, 22 & 29, 2025, at 10:00 AM Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom. us/j/ 83426481409?pwd= bAa02HW6udj7Mpw
WXLa4Two7iQ5qHZ.1
Meeting ID: 834 2648 1409 Passcode: 287548
Art In Public Places
Committee Meeting October 14, 2025, at 4:00 PM Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom. us/j/ 84337677352?pwd= 38ChO6USI1YcZcGt
t9yy9Thv10QNrE.1
Meeting ID: 843 3767 7352 Passcode: 217150 Board of Directors MeetingZoom Only October 30, 2025, at 3:00 PM Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom. us/j/ 89699362421?pwd= k7RvbS5gpOBRoUb Q6o8hVeSR2t50lc.1
Meeting ID: 896 9936 2421 Passcode: 976281
Publish: October 2, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS
The Pigeon Key Foundation is requesting proposals for Professional Engineering Services for our Storm Hardening and Preservation Projects. Interested parties should email pigeonkey@aol. com for details related to the proposals with the subject line: ENGINEERING SERVICES. Proposals will be accepted for 14 days after publication.
Publish: October 2, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS
The Pigeon Key Foundation is requesting proposals for its assistance to Paint Forman’s Walls Project. Interested parties should email pigeonkey@aol.com for details related to the proposals with the subject line: PAINT FORMAN’S WALLS. Proposals will be accepted for 14 days after publication.
Publish: October 2, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS
The Pigeon Key Foundation is requesting proposals for its Storm Shutter Project. Interested parties should email pigeonkey@aol.com for details related to the proposals with the subject line: STORM SHUTTERS. Proposals will be accepted for 14 days after publication.
Publish: October 2, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA MIDDLE KEYS PROBATE DIVISION CASE NO.: 2025-CP-347-M IN RE: ESTATE OF DORIS JEAN BICKNELL, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of DORIS JEAN BICKNELL, deceased, whose date of death was May 27, 2025, 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 ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIOD SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.
The date of first publication of this notice is: October 2, 2025. Personal Representative: James S. Bicknell IV c/o Wolfe Stevens, PLLC 5800 Overseas Highway, Suite 3 Marathon, Florida 33050
Attorney for Personal Representative: Dale R. Coburn III Florida Bar No. 88981 Wolfe Stevens, PLLC 5800 Overseas Highway, Suite 3 Marathon, Florida 33050 305-743-9858 – Telephone 305-743-7489 – Facsimile
Primary email: coburn@ marathonlaw.com
Secondary email: reception@ marathonlaw.com
Publish: October 2 & 9, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
PROBATE DIVISION CASE NO.: 25-CP-288-M IN RE: ESTATE OF VICTOR C. DE CREMER, Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of VICTOR C. DE CREMER, deceased, whose date of death was March
9, 2025, 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 ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.
The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent's death by the decedent or the decedent's surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216-732.228, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. 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 October 2, 2025.
Personal Representative: MICHAEL WALSH 87851 Old Hwy, Apartment P5 Islamorada, FL 33036
Attorney for Personal Representative: Victoria Miranda, Esq. Fl Bar No. 1015363 Hershoff, Lupino & Yagel, LLP 88539 Overseas Highway Tavernier, FL 33070 (305) 852-8440 – Telephone (305) 852-8848 – Facsimile VMiranda@HLYlaw.com –Primary SWilliams@HLYlaw.comSecondary Publish: October 2 & 9, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 2025-CP-000389-P DIVISION: HELMS IN RE: ESTATE OF CATHERINE C. PATTERSON, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the Estate of CATHERINE C. PATTERSON, deceased, whose date of death was May 22, 2025, is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 88770 Overseas Highway, Suite 2, Tavernier, Florida 33070. The name and address of the Personal Representative and the Personal Representative’s attorneys 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 September 25, 2025.
Personal Representative: FIRST HORIZON BANK (f/k/a Gibraltar Private Bank and Trust Company) 35 Ocean Reef Drive Suite 100 Key Largo, FL 33037
Attn: Janice K. Snyder, Vice President Attorneys for Personal Representative: DUNWODY WHITE & LANDON, P.A.
John J. Grundhauser, Esq.
Florida Bar No. 0705373
Candice J. Maya, Esq. Florida Bar No. 118840
550 Biltmore Way, Suite 810 Coral Gables, FL 33134
DIVISION: MIDDLE KEYS IN RE: ESTATE OF LINDA M. KOHOUT, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of Linda M. Kohout, deceased, whose date of death was July 30, 2025, 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 ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.
The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent's death by the decedent or the decedent's surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216-732.228, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. The written demand must be filed with the clerk.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED
WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.
The date of first publication of this notice is: September 25, 2025.
Personal Representative: Wendy L. Frederick 1625 Harbor Drive
Marathon, Florida 33050
Attorney for Personal Representative: Richard E. Warner
Attorney Florida Bar Number: 283134
RICHARD E. WARNER, P.A. 12221 Overseas Highway MARATHON, FL 33050
Telephone: (305) 743-6022
Fax: (305) 743-6216
E-mail: richard@rewarnerlaw. com
Secondary E-Mail: pamela2@ rewarnerlaw.com
Publish:
September 25 & October 2, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
KEY WEST DIVISION IN ADMIRALTY CASE NO.: 4:25-cv-10067-DSL IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPLAINT OF KEY WEST JETSKI, INC. AS OWNER OR A 2025 11’8” YAMAHA WATERJET POWERCRAFT, HIN NO. YAMA1040G425, AND APPURTENANCES, Petitioner, NOTICE TO CLAIMANTS OF PETITION FOR EXONERATION FROM OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
Notice is given that the above named Petitioner, Key West Jetski, Inc. ("Limitation Petitioner") has filed a Petition/Complaint for Exoneration from or Limitation of Liability, pursuant to 46 U.S.C. § 30501 et seq., ("Limitation Petition") for all claims for any damages or injuries, arising out of, or occurring as a result of an incident on the navigable waters of the United States on or about May 9, 2025, allegedly involving a 2025 11’8” Yamaha Waterjet Powercraft, HIN No. YAMA1040G425 and Appurtenances ("Limitation Vessel"), as more fully described in the Limitation Petition.
All persons having such claims must file their respective claims, as provided by Supplemental Rule F of the Supplemental Rules for Certain Admiralty and Maritime Claims of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, with the Clerk of Court in writing and must serve a copy thereof on attorneys for Limitation Petitioner on or before October 30, 2025 or be defaulted. Personal attendance is not required. Any claimant who desires to contest either the right to exoneration from or the right to limitation of liability shall file and serve on attorneys for Limitation Petitioner an answer to the Complaint, on or before the aforesaid date, unless the claim includes an answer, so designated, or be defaulted.
DONE AND ORDERED this 10th day of September, 2025. Angela E. Noble UNITED STATE DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OT FLORIDA By: Lisa T. Streets Deputy Clerk Publish: September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 25-DR-1011-K ELENA VISSER, Petitioner, and KEITH RAYMOND VISSER, Respondent. NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE TO: KEITH RAYMOND VISSER RESPONDENT’S LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: 912 POHALSKI ST. APT. D, KEY WEST, FL 33040 YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for dissolution of marriage has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on ELENA VISSER, whose address is 1621 JOSEPHINE ST. APT. 2, KEY WEST, FL 33040 on or before October 18, 2025, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 500 WHITEHEAD STREET, KEY WEST, FL 33040 before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition. The action is asking the court to decide how the following real or personal property should be divided: NONE Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. You may review these documents upon request. You must keep the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office notified of your current address. (You may file Designation of Current Mailing and E-Mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915.) Future papers in this lawsuit will be mailed or e-mailed to the address(es) on record at the clerk’s office. WARNING: Rule 12.285, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, requires certain automatic disclosure of documents and information. Failure to comply can result in sanctions, including dismissal or striking of pleadings.
Dated: September 15, 2025 Kevin Madok, CPA, Clerk Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Destiny Johnson Deputy Clerk Publish: September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 24-DR-1320-K DIVISION: FAMILY STACY ANNE PAULWELL Petitioner, and TAVERES DENARD WATLEY Respondent, NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE (NO CHILD OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT) TO: TAVERES DENARD WATLEY 2821 Windsor Forrest Ct, College Park, GA, 30340 YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for dissolution of marriage has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on STACEY ANNE PAULWELL, whose address is C/O Law Office of Wayne Dapser, 300 Southard St, Suite 208, Key West, FL 33040 on or before October 11, 2025, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 500 Whitehead St, Key West, FL 33040, before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition.
The action is asking the court to decide how the following real or personal property
should be divided: NONE Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. You may review these documents upon request. You must keep the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office notified of your current address. (You may file Designation of Current Mailing and E-Mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915.) Future papers in this lawsuit will be mailed or e-mailed to the address(es) on record at the clerk’s office.
WARNING: Rule 12.285, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, requires certain automatic disclosure of documents and information. Failure to comply can result in sanctions, including dismissal or striking of pleadings.
Dated: September 5, 2025
Kevin Madok, CPA Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Destiny Johnson Deputy Clerk Publish: September 11, 18 & 25 and October 2, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-26
Notice is hereby given that, BLUE LOCKER HOLDINGS LLC, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2019/1493 Date of Issuance: June 01, 2019 Account Number: 8557965 Parcel ID: 00489050-000200
Description of Property: 26 62 38 PT LOT 8 BLK 3 BLUEWATER TRAILER VILLAGE SEC 2 PB5-124 OR807-1744 Name in which assessed: VINCENTE G SANCHEZ, GLADYS M SANCHEZ
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida. Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com
Sale Date: October 29, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am. Dated this 12th day of August, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk Publish:
September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-28
Notice is hereby given that, BEAMIF A LLC, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2022/290
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1103357
Parcel ID: 00090500-000100
Description of Property: 5 62 39 ISLAND OF KEY LARGO PT GOV LOTS 1 & 3 (4 AC PER SURVEY) OR795-1307-1309 OR806-2183E OR806-2187Q OR8611511/1513Q/C OR8611514/1516 OR861-1517/1519 OR863-1946/1948Q/C OR879882/884Q/C OR1363171/75MER OR1516-1060/62
Name in which assessed:
KAWAMA HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION INC
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com Sale Date: October 29, 2025
Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this 11th day of August, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish:
September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED
2025-29
Notice is hereby given that, SCOTT V MORTON, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2019/920
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2019
Account Number: 1406171
Parcel ID: 00331061-009100
Description of Property:
BK 4 LT 31 & PT OF SANDY AVE
SEA-AIR ESTATES VACA KEY
PB6-91 (AKA BAYBTM) OR847768 RES NO 373-1981
Name in which assessed:
SEA-AIR ESTATES INC C/O GOSS RICHARD
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida. Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com Sale Date: October 29, 2025
Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this 11th day of August, 2025 KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk Publish: September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-30
Notice is hereby given that, SCOTT V MORTON, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2019/919
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2019 Account Number: 1406163
Parcel ID: 00331061-009000
Description of Property:
BK 4 LT 30 & PT OF SANDY AVE
SEA-AIR ESTATES VACA KEY PB6-91 (AKA BAYBTM) OR847768 RES NO 373-1981
Name in which assessed: SEA-AIR ESTATES INC C/O GOSS RICHARD All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida. Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such
certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com Sale Date: October 29, 2025
Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this 11th day of August, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish:
September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-31
Notice is hereby given that, SCOTT V MORTON, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2019/922
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2019
Account Number: 1406198
Parcel ID: 00331061-009300
Description of Property: BK 4 LT 33 & PT OF SANDY AVE
SEA-AIR ESTATES VACA KEY PB6-91 (AKA BAYBTM) OR847768 RES NO 373-1981
Name in which assessed:
SEA-AIR ESTATES INC C/O GOSS RICHARD
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com
Sale Date: October 29, 2025
Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this 11th day of August, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish: September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-32
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2022/664 Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1288730
Parcel ID: 00221510-000000
Description of Property: BK 2 LT 23 WINDWARD BEACH
ESTATES LITTLE TORCH KEY PB4-131 OR455-280-281 OR592-807 OR732-749 OR2525-1126D/C OR25251127/28
Name in which assessed: OCONNOR LESLIE JACK REV TR 8/30/2010
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com
Sale Date: October 29, 2025
Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this 12th day of August, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish:
September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-33
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2022/666
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1288896
Parcel ID: 00221670-000000
Description of Property: BK 2 LT 39 WINDWARD BEACH ESTATES LITTLE TORCH KEY PB4-131 OR455-280/281 OR592-807 OR7891809 OR1041-1844QC
Name in which assessed: F N A S BUILDERS
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida. Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com
Sale Date: October 29, 2025
Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this 12th day of August, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy
Clerk
Publish: September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED
2025-34
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2022/667 Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1288926
Parcel ID: 00221700-000000
Description of Property: BK 2 LT 42 WINDWARD BEACH ESTATES LITTLE TORCH KEY PB4-131 OR532-713 Name in which assessed: ELTON T NAYLON, MERLE A NAYLON
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com
Sale Date: October 29, 2025
Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this 13th day of August, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA
CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish: September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED
2025-35
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2022/668
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1288985
Parcel ID: 00221760-000000
Description of Property: BK 3 LT 6 WINDWARD BEACH ESTATES LITTLE TORCH KEY PB4-131 OR560-584
Name in which assessed: MARGARET TORRES
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com
Sale Date: October 29, 2025
Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this 13th day of August, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish: September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED
2025-36
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2022/702 Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1328103
Parcel ID: 00256360-000000
Description of Property: LT 13 LINDA-LOMA SUB PB419 BIG PINE KEY OR123-282283 OR429-276 OR16981812/13EST/ORD
Name in which assessed: RHODES BETTY
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com
Sale Date: October 29, 2025
Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this 13th day of August, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish: September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-37
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which
it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2022/669
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1289086
Parcel ID: 00221860-000000
Description of Property: BK 3 LT 16 WINDWARD BEACH ESTATES LITTLE TORCH KEY PB4-131 OR427-983
Name in which assessed: CHARLES L HORSTKAMP,LORRAINE HORSTKAMP
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com
Sale Date: October 29, 2025
Sale Time: 10:00am. Dated this 13th day of August, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish:
September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-38
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2022/660 Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1289141
Parcel ID: 00221920-000000
Description of Property: BK 3 LT 22 WINDWARD BCH EST LITTLE TORCH KEY PB4131 OR534-998 OR758-453 OR1296-191
Name in which assessed: YIU WEI MAK
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com
Sale Date: October 29, 2025
Sale Time: 10:00am. Dated this 13th day of August, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish: September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-39
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2022/673 Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1289302
Parcel ID: 00222080-000000
Description of Property: BK 3 LT 38 WINDWARD BEACH ESTATES LITTLE TORCH KEY PB4-131 OR339-127 897-2394 Name in which assessed:
CALLENDER JANET
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida. Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com Sale Date: October 29, 2025
Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this 13th day of August, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy
Clerk
Publish: September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-40
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2022/1056
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1457019
Parcel ID: 00373940-000000
Description of Property: CRAINS SUBD OF GRASSY KEY PB 1-51 PT SECS 24-25-26 TWP 65S R 33E LOT 3 SQR 54 G30-189/190 OR900-2496 OR1331-184 Name in which assessed: GORMAN JOSEPH E All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com
Sale Date: October 29, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am. Dated this 13th day of August, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish:
September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-41
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2022/1055 Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1457001
Parcel ID: 00373930-000000
Description of Property: CRAINS SUBD OF GRASSY KEY PB 1-51 PT SECS 24-25-26 TWP 65S R 33E LOT 2 SQR 54 G30-189/190 OR900-2496 OR1331-184
Name in which assessed: GORMAN JOSEPH E All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder
on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com
Sale Date: October 29, 2025
Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this 13th day of August, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish:
September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-42
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2022/1054
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1456993
Parcel ID: 00373920-000000
Description of Property: CRAINS SUBD OF GRASSY KEY PB 1-51 PT SECS 24-25-26 TWP 65S R 33E LOT 1 SQR 54 G30-189/190 OR900-2496 OR1331-184 Name in which assessed: GORMAN JOSEPH E All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida. Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com
Sale Date: October 29, 2025
Sale Time: 10:00am. Dated this 13th day of August, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy
Clerk
Publish: September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-43
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2022/1058 Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1457035
Parcel ID: 00373960-000000
Description of Property: CRAINS SUBD OF GRASSY KEY PB 1-51 PT SECS 24-25-26 TWP 65S R 33E LOT 5 SQR 54 G30-189/190 OR900-2496 OR1331-184
Name in which assessed: GORMAN JOSEPH E All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida. Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com
Sale Date: October 29, 2025 Sale Time: 10:00am. Dated this 13th day of August, 2025 KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY,
FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy
Clerk
Publish: September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED
2025-44
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2022/1057
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1457027
Parcel ID: 00373950-000000
Description of Property: CRAINS SUBD OF GRASSY KEY PB 1-51 PT SECS 24-25-26 TWP 65S R 33E LOT 4 SQR 54 G30-189/190 OR900-2496 OR1331-184
Name in which assessed:
GORMAN JOSEPH E
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com
Sale Date: October 29, 2025
Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this 13th day of August, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA
CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy
Clerk
Publish:
September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-46
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2022/1062
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022 Account Number: 1457108 Parcel ID: 00374030-000000 Description of Property: CRAINS SUBD OF GRASSY
OR900-2496 OR1331-184
Name in which assessed: GORMAN JOSEPH E
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com
Sale Date: October 29, 2025
Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this 13th day of August, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish:
September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED 2025-47
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2022/1063
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1457116
Parcel ID: 00374040-000000
Description of Property: CRAINS SUBD OF GRASSY KEY PB 1-51 PT SECS 24-25-26 TWP 65S R 33E LOT 13 SQR 54
G30-189/190 OR900-2496 OR1331-184
Name in which assessed: GORMAN JOSEPH E
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com
Sale Date: October 29, 2025
Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this 13th day of August, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk Publish: September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
LEGAL NOTICES
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED
2025-48
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2022/1064
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1457124
Parcel ID: 00374050-000000
Description of Property:
CRAINS SUBD OF GRASSY
KEY PB 1-51 PT SECS 24-25-26 TWP 65S R 33E LOT 14 SQR 54
G30-189/190 OR900-2496 OR1331-184
Name in which assessed: GORMAN JOSEPH E
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com
Sale Date: October 29, 2025
Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this 13th day of August, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish:
September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED
2025-49
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows: Certificate No: 2022/1065 Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1457132
Parcel ID: 00374060-000000
Description of Property:
CRAINS SUBD OF GRASSY KEY PB 1-51 PT SECS 24-25-26 TWP 65S R 33E LOT 15 SQR 54 G30-189/190 OR900-2496 OR1331-184 Name in which assessed: GORMAN JOSEPH E All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida.
Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such
certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed.
com Sale Date: October 29, 2025
Sale Time: 10:00am.
Dated this 13th day of August, 2025
KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk
Publish:
September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025
The Weekly Newspapers
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TAX DEED
2025-50
Notice is hereby given that, MIKON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OCEAN BANK, holder of the following Certificate(s) has filed said Tax Certificate(s) for a Tax Deed to be issued thereon. The Certificate Number and year of issuance, the description of property, and Name in which it is assessed are as follows:
Certificate No: 2022/1066
Date of Issuance: June 01, 2022
Account Number: 1457141
Parcel ID: 00374070-000000
Description of Property: CRAINS SUBD OF GRASSY KEY PB 1-51 PT SECS 24-25-26 TWP 65S R 33E LOT 16 SQR 54 G30-189/190 OR900-2496 OR1331-184
Name in which assessed: GORMAN JOSEPH E
All of said property being in the County of Monroe, State of Florida. Unless such certificate or certificates shall be redeemed according to law the property described in such certificate or certificates will be sold to the highest bidder on www.monroe.realtaxdeed. com
Sale Date: October 29, 2025
Sale Time: 10:00am. Dated this 13th day of August, 2025 KEVIN MADOK, CPA CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: Aneta Jodkowska, Deputy Clerk Publish: September 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9, 2025 The Weekly Newspapers
AUTOS ALL YEARS! Junk or Used Cars, Vans, Trucks. Runs or Not.$CASH 305-332-0483
GREAT DEAL: Key Largo 21' Deep V Center Console w/trailer. New 150hp motor & electronics. $15,000 Located in Marathon. 201-696-8906
17' Montauk Whaler, 90hp Yamaha-50 hours only, GPS, Depth Finder, Radio, Aluminum Trailer, excellent condition. Located in Marathon. $11,000 OBO 305-849-5793 SOLD IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!!!
PLACE YOUR BOAT FOR SALE AD HERE. $25/ week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-4170871 or email Anneke@ KeysWeekly.com
BOAT SLIP FOR RENT
Boat Dockage for rent in Marathon. Private bay bottom, up to 40' boat, self containing, offshore water, car & dingy parking space provided. 305-610-8002
PLACE YOUR BOAT SLIP FOR RENT AD HERE. $25/week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-417-0871 or email Anneke@KeysWeekly.com
EMPLOYMENT
Night Monitor – FREE Private Room in exchange for overnight availability at our Assisted Living Facility. 5 nights on, 5 nights off 10pm-8am plus weekly stipend, Drug & background screen required. www.westcare. com/join-our-team/
Boat rental company in Marathon looking for help with boat detailing & boat cleaning. Call 305-481-7006
The SS Wreck & Galley Grill (mile marker 59) is looking for a fulltime prep and dishwasher person. Self-motivated, will train, experience very helpful, quick learner, and team player. Salary includes 401k match up to 6%. Please call Nicole at 305433-0515 or email nicole@ themoongroupfl.com.
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.
PAVER DAVE INC. is now hiring in the Lower Keys. Must have Driver’s License. Bobcat driver experience helpful. Pay depends on experience. Call 305-304-3966 HIRED IN LESS THAN 4 WEEKS!!!
PLACE YOUR EMPLOYMENT AD HERE. $25/week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-417-0871 or email Anneke@KeysWeekly.com
HOBBIES/COLLECT
PRIVATE COLLECTOR
WANTS Rolex, Dive Watches and Pilot Watches. Old Model Military Clocks & Watches. Call 305-743-4578
HOUSING FOR RENT
Key Largo - like new fully furnished private ground floor studio. Includes utilities, cable TV, internet. rental application required. $1,800/mo - 786 258 3127
UNFURNISHED 2/2 HOUSE FOR RENT ON CANAL, MM27, Ramrod Key, recently refurbished and painted, w/d, utilities paid by owner, $2,500/month, fenced yard, available now. Pete 786-649-9833 or pprm1119@aol.com
Luxury rental - vacation or long term. 2BR/2BA at 1800 Atlantic, Key West. Pool, beach, zacuzzi. $4,000/mo. 773-421-0332
3 BR/2 BA home for rent in Key Colony Beach. 75' premium dock. $4,000/month + utilities. F/L/S 786-229-0228
2BR/1BA house for rent in Marathon. Completely remodeled. All appliances. No pets. $2700/mo for 2+ ppl.- $2,500/mo if less, incl. electric only. F/L/S Dock available for sep. fee. 305-610-8002
2BR/1BA with outdoor patio for rent in Marathon. $2,100/month F/L/S Taking applications. 305-849-5793 RENTED IN LESS THAN ONE WEEK!!!
PLACE YOUR HOUSING FOR RENT AD HERE. $25/ week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-417-0871 or email Anneke@ KeysWeekly.com
VACATION RENTAL
Key West House For Rent - 28 day minimum. Recently renovated. 2 Units: 3BR/3BA or 2BR/2.5BA.
MARINA CASHIER
Looking for a friendly, dependable team member who can handle a busy retail environment with a great a itude. Customer service experience and willingness to learn our sales system is ideal. Duties include assisting customers, restocking, placing orders, and keeping the store clean and organized.
This is an hourly position with pay based on experience. Flexible hours with a consistent weekly schedule. Morning and a ernoon shi s available.
Please respond by email (Ma at islamarinama @gmail.com) with any relevant previous experience and at least two references.
We’re HIRING!
s Key West
IMMEDIATE OPENING FOR SIGN
TECHNICIAN
Experience preferred. CDL required. Applicant must apply in person at:
Keys Energy Services, in Key West, Florida, is accepting applications for the following position in its Transmission & Distribution Department:
APPRENTICE SUBSTATION ELECTRICIAN
Starting pay rate for this position, depending on qualifications and experience: $33.25/hr - $37.24/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.
DOCK HAND
Marathon Boat Yard is looking for a Part-Time Administrative Assistant to perform the following duties: Answering the phone, basic bookkeeping, basic data entry and some customer service. Basic computer and email skills are required. QuickBooks experience is a plus. Bilingual is also a plus. Pay will be based on experience.
MARATHON BOAT YARD 2059 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY
MARATHON, FL 33050, 305-735-4594
MARATHONBOATYARDLLC@GMAIL.COM
We are looking for a Dock Hand with excellent customer service to join our team. You would assist with the daily operations of our marina. Responsibilities include assistance with the daily marina tasks including helping guests arrive and depart from their dock, guiding guests over the radio, navigation, marina amenity cleaning, pressure-washing, assisting guests with golf cart rides and requests, and maintaining the marina. Send resume to captpips@aol.com or come in the of ce to ll out application. 1480 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050 CAPTAIN PIP’S IS AN AWESOME PLACE TO WORK, WE TREAT OUR EMPLOYEES GREAT. COME JOIN OUR TEAM!
NOW H I RI NG!
wants you to join their team! ONLINE
Full or Part-time. $19/hour to start. EMAIL resume to: Bette@TurtleHospital.org
APPLY in person: 2396 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL
and rescue of marine mammals.
DRC provides for the well-being of its employees with a competitive package including: a 401k retirement plan, medical benefits, HSA account, paid holidays/vacation/sick days, an employee assistance program, in addition to, life and disability insurance at no cost to the employee. EOE
JOIN A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE NONPROFIT HELPING PEOPLE COPE AND CHANGE FOR 52 YEARS!
We provide Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs to the Florida Keys community while valuing and rewarding our employees.
KEY LARGO
Behavioral Health Therapist (CAT) Behavioral Health Therapist (Children)
KEY WEST
Case Manager (Children, Adult) (FT) Prevention Specialist
Advocate
MARATHON
Advocate Care Coordinator (PT)
Driver (CDL not required) (PT)
Driver (CDL required) (FT)
RN/Licensed Practical Nurse (FT, PT)
*Support Worker (Assisted Living) (PT)
*Behavioral Health Technicians – 3 shifts (FT, PT)
*Night Monitor (Assisted Living – Free Housing)
*No experience required for this position. Will train. A caring heart & helpful hands necessary.
req. EEOC/DFWP COMPETITIVE PAY! EXCEPTIONAL BENEFITS!!! Apply at guidancecarecenter.org - Get Involved/ Join our team/Job Opportunities/location/zip
DUI FRONT DESK CLERK & EVALUATOR/INSTRUCTOR
The Advocate Program DUI school is hiring for part time positions.
Front desk: 3 days a week, high school diploma and computer data entry skills required.
DUI instructors and evaluators: 2 days a week, Bachelors or Masters degree in substance abuse eld required.
Of ce located in Marathon. Contact Marcia at 305-704-0117.
MARATHON GARBAGE SERVICE
We are now hiring for the following positions:
Diesel Mechanic Truck Helpers
CDL Drivers
Applicants must apply in person to be considered.
4290 Overseas Hwy, Marathon
OPENINGS AVAILABLE
PHYSICIAN PRACTICE OPENINGS
- Advanced Practice Provider (APRN-PA-C)Surgical, Ortho, Tavernier
- Medical Assistant, Primary Care Marathon, $5k Bonus
- Medical Assistant, Upper Keys-Gastro, $5k Bonus
- Medical Assistant, LPN, EMT or Paramedic, Primary Care Marathon, $5k Bonus
MIAMI CANCER INSTITUTE KEY WEST
- Advanced Practice Provider (APRN/PA-C) Medical Oncology, Per Diem
- Pool Radiation Therapist
TAVERNIER MARINERS HOSPITAL
- Clinical Pharmacist, $5k Bonus
- Cook, Dietary, $5k Bonus
- MC Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, CT Scan, $50k Bonus
- Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, Echocardiography, Per Diem
8. Cosine’s buddy 12. Target of grand theft 13. Influencer’s journal 14. Food-grinding tooth 15. Bear’s hang-out 16. Like a maxi skirt 17. Get up 18. *Robert McCloskey’s “Make Way for ____” 20. March Madness org.
21. Expenditure, in the olden days 22. *”Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a ____”
23. Turn pale
26. Lachrymatory agent (2 words)
30. Swimmer’s distance
31. Rinse and ____
34. Consequently
35. Join forces
37. Bruin legend Bobby
38. Jury duty event
39. Per person
40. Hockey player, e.g.
42. Approximated landing time
43. What naughty children do
45. Fortification made of wagons
47. Preceding month
48. Unnecessary embellishment
50. Customs document
52. *He had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day
56. Popular pie nut
57. Not final
58. Just a little
59. Choice dish
60. ____-do-well
61. Sudden and brilliant success
62. Doofus
63. Is, in France
64. Fail to mention
DOWN
1. Like a certain eagle
2. Oahu shindig
3. Related to ear
4. Exert persuasive powers (2 words)
5. Jennifer Aniston’s movie “____ Came Polly”
6. *Canine father in Dodie Smith’s “The Hundred and One Dalmatians” 7. *Dr. Seuss: “I do not like green ____ and ham”
8. *Philosopher in American edition of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”
9. Hipbone
10. U.S. space agency, acr.
11. *”I heard him exclaim, ____ he drove out of sight, Merry Christmas...”
13. Not serious
14. Bipolar disorder phase
19. Filthy cabbage
22. Favorite student
23. Protected steel from rust with coating
24. Hawaiian veranda
25. Long stories
26. *The Queen of Hearts baked more than one of these
27. “In the Hall of the Mountain King” composer Edvard ____
28. Popular gemstone
29. Type of renewable energy
32. *Janette Sebring Lowrey’s “The ____ Little Puppy”
