​MONROE COUNTY, FL – Monroe County Chief Resilience Officer Rhonda Haag presented an update on this year’s resilience and water quality efforts, including canal restoration projects, breakwater repair and shoreline resilience projects, road adaptations, and municipal resilience partnerships at Wednesday’s Board of County Commissioners meeting.
 
Canals
This year, the County is moving forward with $5.5 million in State-funded restoration efforts to restore 12 canals to improve water quality. The canals are the top-ranked on the County’s list of 96 canals that do not meet state water quality standards. The restoration methods include culverts, injection wells, organic removal, backfilling, and air curtains. Haag hosted community meetings with the homeowners in advance to inform them of the potential restoration, project benefits, and potential costs to the residents. Assessments are required to fund the long-term operations and maintenance of weed gates required in several projects. The County funds the construction costs of the projects through grants.
 
“This is our biggest one-year restoration list ever, so we are very excited about moving forward,” said Haag.
 
1) Canal #105 backfill and culvert. Located in Tavernier / Key Largo. Restoration cost estimate $668,870.
2) #255 organic muck removal, backfilling, air curtain, and injection well. Located on Big Pine Key. Restoration cost estimate $300,000
3) #315 organic muck removal, backfilling, and air curtain. Located between on Big Pine Key. Design only. Restoration cost estimate $2,373,982.
4) #295 organic muck removal, backfilling, and air curtain. Located in the avenues on Big Pine Key. Restoration cost estimate $1,040,726.Design only
5) Canal #297 organic muck removal, backfilling, and air curtain. Located in the avenues on Big Pine Key. Total restoration cost estimate $1,352,390.
6) #290 backfilling and air curtain. Located in the avenues on Big Pine Key. Total restoration cost estimate $900,000
7) #287 organic muck removal, backfilling, and air curtain. Located on Big Pine Key. Total restoration cost estimate $2,942,881
8) #82 organic muck removal, backfilling, and air curtain. Located between in Key Largo. Total restoration cost estimate $2,547,229.
9) #474 backfill and air curtain. Located on Geiger Key. Total restoration cost estimated $220,650.
10) #278 injection well. Located in the Eden Pines on Big Pine Key. Total restoration cost estimated $250,000
11) #58 injection well. Located in the Calusa Campground of Key Largo. Total restoration cost estimated $250,000
12)  #293 organic muck removal, backfill, and air curtain. Located in the avenues on Big Pine Key. Total restoration cost $2,145,335. Design funded by DEP Ft. Myers.
 
Breakwater Repair Projects
Two breakwaters damaged during Hurricane Irma are being rebuilt to restore protection to homes from storm surges. The County received more than $3 million in federal grant funding for the breakwater repairs. One is located in Tavernier, and the other is in Rock Harbor. The restored breakwaters will provide much-needed resilience against storm surges and stop most floating sargassum seaweed from entering and clogging the canals behind the breakwaters.
 
Resilience Planning
The County is moving forward with several State-funded resilience planning projects, including a resilient design for Pigeon Key and Harry Harris Park. The County is also updating its Watershed Management Plan, which is required to maintain the County’s CRS rating of “3”. The lower the CRS score, the bigger the discount for home National Flood Insurance Policy discounts. Finally, the County is updating its Vulnerability Assessment and developing a natural resource habitat assessment.
 
Municipal Resilience Projects
The County is well underway with its efforts to provide all five municipalities with the mobile LiDAR survey data needed for street elevation planning. Plans are also moving forward to begin the next phase of street elevation planning for the municipalities, using the data collected during the mobile LiDAR stage. The municipalities are funding the work.
 
The County is also leading an effort to conduct Watershed Management Plan updates for the municipalities to help them improve their Community Rating System (CRS) scores and update their Vulnerability Assessments. The State’s Resilient Florida grant program is funding the resilience planning work.
 
Shoreline Resilience
The County received two State grants for the creation of living shorelines to provide resilience and improved wetland habitats and will be moving forward soon:

• Long Key Living Shoreline
• Duck Key Living Shoreline and Breakwater Repair Project

 
Road Elevations and Stormwater
A presentation at the meeting provided the legal and policy challenges the County faces regarding road adaptation projects. The Commissioners directed staff to begin the process of code and comprehensive plan changes needed to move forward.
 
U.S. ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS UPDATE
The Commissioners heard an update from the Army Corps of Engineers regarding the $2.7 billion Florida Keys Coastal Storm Risk project, which includes options for dry floodproofing critical infrastructure, elevating 4,698 residential homes, and U.S. 1 shoreline stabilization. The plan addresses critical infrastructure, evacuation-route protection, and structural-damage reduction in response to coastal storm risks and effects and associated impacts such as sea-level rise, storm surge, and extreme wind and tidal effects.
 
“The County received the fantastic news that not only was the project itself recently approved by Congress, but the first appropriation for design and engineering of the U.S. 1 revetments was authorized,” said Haag.
 
The entire project will be in phases over several years. The first phase will be the stabilization of U.S. 1 in six areas. Design is anticipated to begin within the next year and includes revetments along U.S. 1 at mile markers 79.5, 70, 70.9, 67, 37, and 34.5. Construction will require separate future appropriations from Congress. For more information on the Army Corps of Engineers projects, visit https://www.saj.usace.army.mil/FloridaKeysCSRMFeasibilityStudy/.

​The Hemingway Rum Company, makers of Papa’s Pilar Rum, 201 Simonton St, Key West, will host and sponsor Girls Night Out Key West in the Hemingway Library, on Tuesday, 7 March, 530-7:30PM. The Navy League, Key West Commissioning Committee, the proud sponsor of the upcoming Commissioning of the USS Lenah Sutcliffe HIGBEE (DDG 123), scheduled for 13 May 2023 in Key West, will be highlighted as the charity for the month.   
 
Girls Night Out Ladies will be treated to a welcome rum cocktail, music by the Mango Tree Troubadours, a fabulous multi-prize raffle, munchies and desserts, and a cash bar with special pricing.  Entry is a donation of $5 which gets you your first raffle ticket.  Additional tickets may be purchased.
 
Guests will also learn about the HIGBEE Commissioning and how to get free tickets to the event. The HIGBEE is an Arleigh-Burke class destroyer, named for Navy Nurse pioneer, Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee.  Nurse Higbee was the first woman to receive the Navy Cross for her exemplary work as Superintendent of the newly formed U.S. Navy Nurse Corps during World War I.
 
Girls Night Out Key West, chaired by Sue Puskedra, Amy Jamison, and Sharon Lehmann, hosts an event every month at a different Key West venue with a different charity receiving the proceeds from their raffle.  For information on Girl’s Night, like us on our Girls Night Out Key West Facebook page.
 
The Navy League will be hosting many events over the next year to raise funds and raise awareness of the importance of such a major military event happening right here in Key West.  The commissioning ceremony, the culmination of a week of events for the crew of 350, their families, and as many as 5,000 visitors, will be open to all, with free tickets available. 
 
For more information on the HIGBEE commissioning and the Navy League, Key West Council visit www.higbeecommissioning.org or www.navyleaguekeywest.org. 

Mayor Teri Johnston today presented her State of the City address to City employees. With the support of City Manager Patti McLauchlin and Police Chief Sean Brandenburg, the Mayor has been making the presentations to civic organizations throughout Key West.
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The very first presentation was in early January at a City Commission meeting. Today’s brown bag lunch event was, said Mayor Johnston, the chance for City staff to hear an update on the accomplishments of all of their departments and also see what is planned in the months ahead.


The presentation dovetails with the publication of the City’s Annual Report, which is available at City Hall and online at www.cityofkeywest-fl.gov.e to edit.

MONROE COUNTY, FL – Today, the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners recognized two Monroe County employees for their dedicated service to Monroe County.
 
Pam Pumar, Retirement
Pam Pumar, Human Resources Senior Administrator, was recognized for more than 28 years of service before her retirement later this month. Pumar started as a staff assistant in the Employee Services department and worked her way to the senior administrator over the years. She said the highlights of her career include moving the office from the Monroe General Hospital building on Stock Island to the Gato building, where Employee Services is located now. She also founded the County’s Relay for the Life team, which she participated in every year until COVID stopped the event in 2020. “It’s been a pleasure and an honor to work for Monroe County all these years,” she said.
 
Breanne Erickson, 10 Years of Service
Breanne Erickson, project management, was presented with her 10 years of service pin for her dedication to Monroe County. She is the budget and contract administrator for project management. She was responsible for Hurricane Irma project and grant details, Plantation Key Courthouse project, among others. “She has a keen eye for paying attention to the details,” said Project Management Director Cary Knight.

​The Key West Chamber of Commerce honored Suzanne Moore with the distinguished ATHENA™ Award, underwritten by Niles Sales and Service. 
Key West Resident since 1995, Moore is a real estate agent who consistently performs in the top 1% in South Florida. She serves as co-trustee of the Klaus Murphy Foundation, works with over 15 local non-profit organizations, participates as an active member of the Cancer Foundation of the Florida Keys, and sits on the Key West Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors as its Immediate Past President.
 
The ATHENA™ Award recognizes individuals who assist women in realizing their fullest leadership potential, help improve the quality of life within their communities, and demonstrate excellence, creativity, and initiative in their profession.

In 1980, the ATHENA™ award originated in Lansing, Michigan when Martha Mayhood Mertz, owner of her own real estate company, joined the Lansing Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. The driving force to establish the ATHENA™ foundation occurred when Mertz realized she was the only woman on the board and the Lansing Chamber had only recognized one woman in 75 years. The first ATHENA™ award was given in 1982 to recognize an outstanding businesswoman and celebrate her achievements in community service and profession. Since its inception, the ATHENA™ award has grown into a national and international tradition with thousands of recipients in cities all over the country as well as in Moscow, Russia, and Canada. 
 
The ATHENA™ Foundation is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing leadership opportunities for women and recognizing those individuals who have given outstanding service to their profession and community. Since the program began in 1982, more than 5000 awards have been presented in over 500 communities in the United States, Canada, China, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
 
The award is named for Athena, the Greek goddess of reason and courage. Award recipients are presented with an original bronze sculpture created by Linda Ackley using the laborious lost-wax technique in her Cedar, Michigan foundry. Each sculpture is unique and numbered as one of a select edition.
           
 

​February 13, 2023 – (Key West, FL).  Architect and historic preservationist Bert Bender to receive 2023 Scotti Merrill Preservation Award at Key West Art & Historical Society “Back In Time” Fundraiser
 
Bert Bender is an advocate for the past, the metaphorical brick and mortar for historic preservation, especially in Key West. This year he will be celebrated  as the Scotti Merrill Preservation Award recipient by the Key West Art & Historical Society at their annual “Back In Time” Prohibition Dinner Party on Friday, February 17 from 6:00pm – 10:00pm. The festive costumed event will transform Fort East Martello into the “A1A Speakeasy,” complete with open bar, hand rolled cigars, delicious rums, surf & turf dinner, and swing jazz— all to support ongoing preservation needs for the Custom House Museum, the island’s architectural crown jewel that Bender is more than familiar with.  
 
The building was his second project with The Society after his 1988 work with the Key West Lighthouse. The massive and complex restoration took 9 years to “finish” before opening the Richardsonian Romanesque building to the public as a museum in 1999. Today, the brick-red building with robust columns and large, graceful arches is an iconic national landmark, the official headquarters of the Key West Art & Historical Society, and an award-winning museum with two floors of exhibitions representing two centuries of history art, people, and events.
 
“The Key West Custom House will always stand out as our favorite project,” says Bender.
 
That’s saying a lot for a man whose historic preservation projects span the state of  Florida, Washington, D.C. South Carolina, and Montana, and in Key West— Old City Hall, the Elizabeth Bishop house, the Monroe County Detention Center, and Key West Lighthouse and Fort East Martello, the latter two which The Society stewards. But then again, Bender takes a challenge head-on and doesn’t stop until it’s “done”— a word he knows is a restoration irony. Bender’s father came to the States from Russia an orphan at 14, his parents lost to the hands of a German solider when he was 7. He was a plumber who taught his son how to use his hands for good. Bender went to school— the first in his family to do so— but in junior college he was told to give it up, that he’d never make it as an architect.
 
“Nobody tells me what to do,” he says. “So I started my practice.”
 
He graduated from the University of Illinois in architecture in 1971, interned until he launched his Flagstaff-based business in 1975, then moved to Key West with his wife, Nancy, in 1985. It didn’t take long for him to get noticed.  His “dedication, commitment, and matter of fact approach” sets him apart, says Society Executive Director Michael Gieda.
 
“Bert doesn’t mince words and is direct ,” says Gieda. “From our first interaction, I knew he could be trusted and that he cared most about preservation, especially with regards to the Custom House.”
 
Bender remains the lead architect for the building’s capital projects and his firm serves as architects for Fort East Martello and the Lighthouse. The 132-year-old building is on track for the completion of mechanical system upgrades  (12 internal air handler units, 2 external chiller units, the control system) and forthcoming archives storage improvements. In 2013, Bender & Associates completed a building assessment that outlined deficiencies, required improvements, and unfinished restoration work from the 1990s.  All of the work detailed in assessment has been completed over the past 10 years.
 
“He has always gone above and beyond with our needs for the building. If something is needed, he is there ASAP. He is truly dedicated to the cause,” says Gieda.
 
The Scotti Merrill Preservation Award honors those who dedicate themselves to preserving the cultural heritage of the Florida Keys, with special emphasis on the Custom House, a 9 million-dollar renovation spearheaded by the late philanthropist and founder of the Dogwood Foundation.
 
”This award is very meaningful to me,” says Bender. “Key West Art & Historical Society is the reason that I became what I am today.”
 
The evening, partially funded by the Dogwood Foundation, will feature free flowing cocktails to toast Mr. Bender during his award presentation and throughout the night, surf n’ turf by Catered Affairs, hand rolled cigars from Rodriguez Cigars, delicious rums from Papa’s Pilar Hemingway Rum Company, and swinging music from Skipper’s Key West Jazz Band. For more information, visit KWAHS.ORG or call  305.295.6616. Your Museums.  Your Community.  It takes an Island.
 
IMAGE:
Key West Art & Historical Society has selected Bert Bender as this year’s Scotti Merrill Preservation Award recipient, to be celebrated at their annual “Back In Time” Prohibition Dinner Party on Friday, February 17 from 6:00pm – 10:00pm. The festive costumed event will transform Fort East Martello into the “A1A Speakeasy,” complete with open bar, hand rolled cigars, delicious rums, surf and turf dinner, and swing jazz— all to support ongoing preservation needs for the Custom House Museum, the island’s architectural crown jewel that Bender is more than familiar with.  Photo by Cricket Desmarais

​February 13, 2023 – (KEY WEST, FL).  As the Tennessee Williams Birthday Celebration nears, Key West Art & Historical Society invites poets and writers to submit original works for its 2023 Poetry and Short Story writing contests – components of the annual celebration held each March in honor of the Pulitzer Prize-winning literary icon that moved to Key West in 1949 and remained a resident for 34 years.

While there is no specific theme for the 2023 writing competitions, submissions must in some way reference Tennessee Williams.  Authors may choose to write a story referencing Williams, his family, one of his characters, or one of the actors/actresses who played a role in his plays or films.  Cost is $10 per submission and is limited to one poem and/or one short story per person.  The first-place winner in each contest will be awarded $200 while the second-place winner will receive $100.  Submissions will be accepted through March 11, 2023.  For full contest information, guidelines, and a submission link visit www.kwahs.org/upcoming-events
The Tennessee Williams Museum on 513 Truman Avenue is open everyday for self-guided tours 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  For more information, contact Key West Art & Historical Society at 305-295-6616 or visit www.kwahs.org.
Your Museums.  Your Community.  It takes an Island. 
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Image 1: Key West Art & Historical Society invites poets and writers to submit works for the 2023 Tennessee Williams Poetry and Short Story Writing Contests - components of the upcoming Tennessee Williams Birthday Celebration. (Photo Credit: Key West Art & Historical Society)