 Leadership Monroe County will celebrate its Class XXXI graduation with “Leadership Spring GradFest,” a community festival and alumni reunion to be held April 27, 2024, from 11:00am-8:00pm at Marathon Community Park, MM49.
The family-friendly event will feature food trucks, games, a bounce house, artist booths, members of the KWPD Mounted Patrol Unit, music, vendors, Monroe County non-profit booths, a Class XXXI raffle and graduation ceremony, and more. Admission is $10; children aged 12 and under free. LMC is an educational, nonpartisan, non-profit community organization that brings together existing and emerging leaders to build constructive alliances in the Florida Keys. For more information about Leadership Monroe County and its program visit LeadershipMonroeCounty.org or call 305-394-3804.
0 Comments
 KEY LARGO, FL – The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners will host a special Rate of Growth Ordinance (ROGO) workshop on Wednesday, March 20, at 10 a.m. in-person at the Murray Nelson Government Center in Key Largo and hybrid through Zoom webinar found at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/meetings. The workshop will be the first in a series of meetings that will take place at Board of County Commissioners meetings and with nonprofit and civic groups throughout the summer to start the conversation regarding the Dept. of Commerce’s hurricane evacuation modeling. The hurricane evacuation modeling is based on a Florida Statute requiring that Monroe County residents be able to evacuate the Florida Keys within 24 hours before a storm.
The special workshop will begin with presentations regarding an overview of regulatory takings claims in Monroe County, ROGO history, the current status of ROGO permits remaining within the unincorporated County, Monroe County’s land acquisition efforts, and the County’s potential takings liability as to private property owners who would be unable to build in the future if ROGO allocations become unavailable. If takings claims are successful, compensation could be the partial responsibility of Monroe County taxpayers. The Florida Department of Commerce reported in their December 2023 Florida Keys Hurricane Evacuation Modeling Report that there are approximately 7,954 total privately owned vacant properties throughout unincorporated and municipal Monroe County. Of those, 6,086 are located within the unincorporated County. Monroe County Planning Director Emily Schemper will report on further analysis undertaken to estimate the number of parcels where development is already restricted by the presence of protected habitat and/or current zoning density requirements. As of March 2024, unincorporated Monroe County has approximately 154 market-rate ROGO permits remaining to be distributed through 2026, and 144 ROGO permits in reserve for administrative relief and future takings liability. The series of workshops and meetings that will be held in the coming months will gauge community feedback on finding a “sweet spot” of the number of ROGO permits Monroe County would ask the State of Florida to be awarded that could potentially be issued over the next 10 to 20 years without raising the evacuation modeling to go over the 24-hour evacuation timeframe, and issued at a rate that does not lead to unbalanced growth or additional takings liability. To schedule a meeting with your group, nonprofit, civic organization, or homeowners’ association, please email Monroe County Strategic Planner Kimberly Matthews at [email protected].  Event to support CFK Academy charter high school KEY WEST, FL, March 15, 2024— The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) Foundation invites the community to “A Roaring Good Time Speakeasy” on Friday, April 19, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Tennessee Williams Theatre. The first annual event will offer partygoers food, drinks, entertainment, auctions, and more. Tickets are $75. Proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit the CFK Academy, the College’s new tuition-free public charter high school. Tickets and sponsorship packages are available on the College’s website at www.cfk.edu/roaring.
To contribute auction items or donations to the CFK Foundation, contact Lana Gaspari, CFK Vice President of Advancement and CFK Foundation Executive Director, at [email protected] or 305-809-3214.  Commissioner Craig Cates and Monroe County Marine Resources Administrator Brittany Burtner address dozens of attendees of the recent town hall meeting held at Bernstein Park on Stock Island regarding the Boca Chica Mooring Field project. STOCK ISLAND, FL — Monroe County Commissioner Craig Cates hosted a town hall meeting Wednesday on Stock Island to discuss the development of the Boca Chica Mooring Field. Residents and stakeholders interested in the future of Boca Chica Basin were encouraged to attend.
“This was a great opportunity to meet with the residents of Stock Island and present the positive impacts of the mooring field, the upland facilities, and address any concerns,” said Cates. Community members were able to talk directly with Cates, Monroe County Marine Resources Senior Administrator Brittney Burtner, and other project planners and local officials about issues caused by long-term unmanaged anchoring, the benefits of managed mooring fields, the conceptual design of the mooring field and upland site, and the mooring field management plans. To address boating impacts associated with unmanaged anchorages in the Florida Keys, Monroe County is working to develop and manage a system of public mooring fields, including the Boca Chica Mooring Field. The intent is to eliminate abandoned and derelict vessels, ensure compliance with the Clean Vessel Act, minimize benthic damage, and provide a safe, secure harbor for transient and long-term recreational vessels. To learn more about the project or to view the town hall presentation, visit www.monroecounty-fl.gov/marineresources under the “Anchoring and Mooring Management” tab. National Park Service archeologists identify sunken British warship in Dry Tortugas National Park3/14/2024  A National Park Service diver documents one of five coral-encrusted cannons found during an archeological survey in Dry Tortugas National Park. NPS photo by Brett Seymour KEY WEST, Fla. – National Park Service archeologists identified the archeological remains of HMS Tyger, an 18th century British warship, within the boundaries of Dry Tortugas National Park. Built in 1647, the Fourth-Rate, 50-gun frigate sunk in 1742 after it ran aground on the reefs of the Dry Tortugas while on patrol in the War of Jenkins Ear between Britain and Spain. While the remains of the historic shipwreck were first located in 1993, new research has uncovered definitive evidence.
Using leads from historical research, archeologists from Dry Tortugas National Park, the Submerged Resources Center and the Southeast Archeological Center surveyed the site in 2021 and found five cannons approximately 500 yards from the main wreck site. Buried in the margins of the old logbooks was a reference that described how the crew “lightened her forward” after initially running aground, briefly refloating the vessel and then sinking in shallow water. Based on their size, features and location, the guns were determined to be British six and nine-pound cannons thrown overboard when HMS Tyger first ran aground. This discovery and reevaluation of the site led archeologists to make a sound argument that the wreck first located in 1993 was in fact the remains of HMS Tyger. The findings were recently published in the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology. “Archeological finds are exciting, but connecting those finds to the historical record helps us tell the stories of the people that came before us and the events they experienced,” said Park Manager James Crutchfield. “This particular story is one of perseverance and survival. National parks help to protect these untold stories as they come to light.” After HMS Tyger wrecked, the approximately 300 members of the crew endured 66 days marooned on what is today Garden Key. They erected the first fortifications on the island, more than 100 years before Fort Jefferson, which now dominates the island and is the principal cultural resource within the park. The stranded survivors battled heat, mosquitoes and thirst while attempting to escape the deserted island. They built vessels from salvaged pieces of the wrecked HMS Tyger and made several attempts to seek help, gather additional supplies and locate Spanish naval vessels in the area. After a failed attack on a Spanish vessel, the surviving crew burned the remains of Tyger to ensure its guns did not fall into enemy hands and used their makeshift vessels to make a 700-mile (1,125 km) escape through enemy waters to Port Royal, Jamaica. While the site is routinely monitored and currently protected under cultural resource laws applicable to other sites within the park, positive identification of HMS Tyger as a British naval vessel offers additional protection under the Sunken Military Craft Act of 2004. The remains of HMS Tyger and its related artifacts are the sovereign property of the British Government in accordance with international treaty. A similar warship, HMS Fowey, was lost in what is now Biscayne National Park in 1748 and is currently managed under a Memorandum of Agreement between the United States and the British Royal Navy. “This discovery highlights the importance of preservation in place as future generations of archeologists, armed with more advanced technologies and research tools, are able to reexamine sites and make new discoveries,” said Josh Marano, the maritime archeologist who led the team that made the discovery. March is Florida Archeology Month. Learn more about archeology in the National Park Service at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/archeology/index.htm For additional photos and more details about the HMS Tyger, view the article on the NPS website. For more information about Dry Tortugas National Park, visit nps.gov/drto or follow the park on Facebook, X, and Instagram.  MONROE COUNTY, FL – The application period for Monroe County Emergency Management’s 2024 Business Placard Early Reentry Program is open through Tuesday, April 30, at 5 p.m. There will be no exceptions after this time to apply for the 2024 business placard. The program allows essential businesses and nonprofits based in Monroe County timely access to the Florida Keys to assist in restoring community lifelines more efficiently and timely.
Placards are only valid in the year they are issued. There is only one application form to fill out each year. Do not apply until you have read and compiled the required documentation described on the placard web page. A link to the application and program details are available at www.monroecountyem.com/placardprogram. Applications will be reviewed within 21 working days. Each registered business is allowed to bring in only its essential personnel; it does not include friends and family of those workers. Entering the County under a State of Emergency using a placard grants access to an area that has not been deemed safe. Basic life support resources may not be available after a major event; those entering with a placard must be self-sufficient for 14 days with shelter, food, and water. “Disaster response takes the effort of an entire community,” said Emergency Management Director Shannon Weiner. “Sharing your business’s skills and resources when needed most contributes to a swift recovery for all.” Residents who wish to obtain or renew a Monroe County Early Reentry Placard for 2024 may do so through the Monroe County Emergency Reserve Corps at www.mercorps.org. Hurricane recovery courses are required for residents to receive the placard. Reentry windshield stickers for residents can be picked up at Monroe County Tax Collector offices throughout the Florida Keys with proof of residency and vehicle registration. For more information and locations to obtain stickers, visit www.monroecountyem.com/reentrystickers. Hurricane season begins June 1. Be prepared.  Lindsay Hickerson, MD (KEY WEST FL – MARCH 11, 2024) - Keys Medical Group and Lower Keys Medical Center welcome Lindsay Hickerson, MD, board-certified orthopedic trauma surgeon. She joins Christopher Bensen, MD, FAAOS, board-certified sports medicine and orthopedic surgeon, and Amanda Meyer, PA-C, ATC, certified physician assistant and certified athletic trainer, in Keys Medical Group Orthopedics.
Dr. Hickerson is a graduate of a Level 1 trauma center, Virginia Commonwealth University, in Richmond, VA, where she also completed her orthopedic surgery residency. She completed a full year, accredited orthopedic trauma fellowship at Hospital for Special Surgery, in NYC, nationally ranked #1 in orthopedics by US News and World Report for 14 consecutive years. Dr. Hickerson joins with more than 10 years of experience at Level 1 and Level 2 trauma centers where the majority of her practice consisted of performing complex fracture surgeries. She treats acute and chronic fractures and injuries of the joints, upper extremity including the clavicle, and lower extremity including the acetabulum/pelvis. Dr. Hickerson's undergraduate degree was in Sports Medicine at the University of Virginia where she worked for three years with Division 1 athletes at UVA followed by one year as the head athletic trainer for a high school prior to going to medical school. Christopher Bensen, MD, said, "We are pleased to have Dr. Hickerson join our surgical team at Keys Medical Group Orthopedics and care for the residents and visitors of the lower Keys." Appointments may be requested at Keys Medical Group Orthopedics at (305)295-3477. COMMISSIONERS SUPPORT FWC IN FINDING OUT THE CAUSE OF RECENT FISH DEATHS AND ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR3/13/2024  FLORIDA KEYS, FL – The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners are in full support of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in its quest to find out the cause of the recent smalltooth sawfish deaths and spinning fish abnormalities happening in the Florida Keys.
“We know there is a lot of frustration in the community not knowing what is going on,” said Commissioner Michelle Lincoln. “We are all extremely concerned about our ecosystem and what is causing this to happen.” FWC is working with stakeholders and nonprofits to investigate the abnormal behavior and sawfish deaths. Rep. Jim Mooney led the effort to secure $2 million in State funds this budget cycle for the FWC to determine the scale and scope of the ongoing fish mortality and disease event in Biscayne Bay, Florida Bay, and the Florida Keys. The FWC will contract with nonprofits to assist with data collection and analysis, and employ local fishing guides to assist with data collection. “We are fully supporting our State scientists and experts in working as quickly as possible to discover what is happening,” said Mayor Holly Merrill Rashein. What FWC knows so far:
How you can help: Sawfish: Report all healthy, sick, injured or dead sawfish to FWC’s Sawfish Hotline at 844-472-9374 or via email at [email protected] with the date, time and location of the encounter, estimated length, water depth and any other relevant details. Under the Endangered Species Act, it is illegal to catch, harm, harass, or kill an endangered sawfish. It is also unlawful to possess, sell, carry, or transport sawfish or parts of sawfish—such as the rostrum (snout). While some fishermen catch sawfish as bycatch, they can follow safe handling and release guidelines to quickly and safely release incidentally captured sawfish Fish Concerns: If you see abnormal fish behavior, fish disease, and fish kills, submit a report to FWC’s Fish Kill Hotline either through the web form MyFWC.com/ReportFishKill or by phone 800-636-0511.  Billy Davis, founder of A Positive Step Monroe County, center, Miki Yaras-Davis, left, and Lilly Pulitzer sales associate Catherine Whitney, right, get warmed up for a day of shopping to benefit APSMC. On Friday, April 26, the Lilly Pulitzer shop at 600 Front Street in Key West will donate 10% of all sales to A Positive Step of Monroe County to help fund the Idle Hands Summer Youth Employment program. (Photo: Carol Tedesco/APSMC.org) On Friday, April 26, the Lilly Pulitzer shop at 600 Front Street in Key West will donate 10% of all sales to A Positive Step of Monroe County to help fund the “Idle Hands Summer Youth Employment Program,” a program partially supported by and run in partnership with the City of Key West.
Each year, the City provides jobs for young people enrolled in the “Idle Hands Summer Youth Employment Program.” The City also provides $35,000.00 towards the approx. $100,000 program budget; APSMC must raise the remainder, which covers student payroll, program overhead, the cost of a job coach and training/orientation expenses. So come to Lilly Pulitzer on April 26 and celebrate spring in Paradise with some colorful new clothes, while supporting a great program for our island community’s youth. A Positive Step Monroe County is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving Monroe County’s highest risk kids and their families since 1999. For more information about A Positive Step of Monroe County and its various community support programs contact Billy Davis at [email protected] or visit apsmc.org.  Artist Wesley Truman Daniel, great-grandson of President Harry S. Truman, will lead a plein air painting event at the Harry S. Truman Little White House on April 12. (Provided photo) On Friday, April 12, from 10:00am – 1:00pm, artists can immerse in a plein air painting experience and competition with presidential descendant Wesley Truman Daniel on the grounds of the Harry S. Truman Little White House, 111 Front Street, Key West, Florida. “Plein Air Painting with Wesley Truman Daniel” is the second installment in The Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation’s recently launched “TRU-ly Amazing Art” series.
A Chicago-based professional artist, art instructor, and muralist, Wesley Truman Daniel is the great-grandson of President Harry S. Truman. Throughout the session he will paint alongside of and interact with the participating artists, providing assistance and exchanging insights on the plein air style. Each registered participant will be provided with an authentic 1911 roof shingle from the Truman Little White House for their canvas. Artists bring their own outdoor painting supplies, such as easel or plein air box and tripod, paint, brushes, brush washing container, etc. Light refreshments will be served. Judging for the competition is to take place at a Truman Music Series concert held on the Little White House grounds that evening, with the winning artwork selected by concert attendees “popular vote.” The winning artist will win a tour around Key West for a party of six in the Foundation’s elegant vintage Lincoln Cosmopolitan stretch limousine that Truman used during his 1945-53 Presidency, acquired by the Foundation in 2021. The winner’s artwork will also be placed on permanent display in the Truman Foundation gallery. “TRU-ly Amazing Art” events benefit the Harry S. Truman Little White House and are presented with the support of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council. The mission of the not-for-profit Harry S. Truman Foundation is to preserve Florida’s only presidential museum—the Harry S. Truman Little White House—and to provide programming that supports civic engagement, education, and the historical and cultural influences of the Truman era. Tickets and registration are available at www.trumanlittlewhitehouse.org/foundation/events/. |
Submit Your StoriesChamber members send us your press releases on your organizations accomplishments, staff awards and/or major happenings. We will post them for free. Archives
April 2026
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
|
Greater Key West Chamber of Commerce. All Rights Reserved.
510 Greene St., First Floor | Key West, FL 33040 [email protected] | sitemap |
|