· florida keys 2 • februar y 20-26, 2020 x continued on page 4 key largo 305-451-5700 mm 99...

FEBRUARY 20 - 26, 2020

Photo: Johnny White / MileZeroKeyWest.com • Cover: JT Thompson

Key West History Comes Vividly to Lifein the Pulitzer Prize-Winning “ANNA IN

THE TROPICS” at The Studios of Key West

Key West History Comes Vividly to Lifein the Pulitzer Prize-Winning “ANNA IN

THE TROPICS” at The Studios of Key WestFlorida Keys 3-10 • Monroe County News 11-12 • Cover Story 13 • What's Happening 14 • Real Estate 26

F L O R I D A K E Y S

2www.konklife.com • FEBRUARY 20-26, 2020

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Girls Build to Strong SuccessALEXANDRA MUCCI AND ELLA HALLKONK LIFE STUDENT WRITERS

As the winter sports season is com-ing to an end, the girls weightlift-

ing season is finishing their second year at Key West High School (KWHS).

The coach of this fine team, Stac-ey Pillari, got the group of 22 girls ready for this past season in various ways. “I push them more on proper form and technique. Then once that has been established, we’ll push them strength wise and fitness level,” ex-plains Pillari.

Heaven Rodriguez, one of the weightlifters, talks about her seasons goals of “being the top of my weight

class and hopefully going to districts.” Coach Pillari was pleased with the large number of girls qualifying for Districts. Another main goal for Coach Pillari this past season was “making this sport send out a message to other girls and inspiring them as well.”

Weightlifting is not just fun, but it also has many long-term benefits. “It helps your performance in other sports and burns muscle fat. As you build muscle, you can build and sculpt a physique that you desire,” says Coach Pillari. She prepared the girls this sea-son by teaching them “how to lift safe-

The girls at their last meet for the 2019-2020 season during senior night at Key West High School. Top row left to right: Teresa Gaitan-Palencia, Coach Stacey Pil-lari, Alekandra Turek, Nina Bowen, Felicia Leamard, Imani Moore, Chloe Knowles, Heaven Rodriguez, Ocean Leto, Rosa Nafrere, Breanna Allen. Bottom row left to right: Danna Correa, Mica Camay, Rosanee Joseph, Kaylee Perez, Emily Bracher, Ella Hall, Marina Goins. Not pictured: Bailey Renner, Madonna Pierre, Valerie Thene.


BY TERRY SCHMIDAKONK LIFE STAFF WRITER

At the Feb. 5 City Commission meeting

City Manager Greg Veliz had a sobering message

for the city: More must be done to se-cure state funding, including money for climate change-related projects in Monroe County.

“We’re just returned from Tallahas-see,” Veliz told commissioners. “We had several rounds of meetings that I feel were hopefully productive . . . I think we laid some very good ground-work while we were up there, and I think we realized that we’re going to have to have an expanded presence in Tallahassee. I think one time going up

on the day that they cut the Key Lime Pie and serve the seafood is not going to suffice any longer. We’re going to have to go up there and make our pres-ence felt, because there’s a lot of people up there making their presence felt.”

Among the issues Veliz said were raised during “Florida Keys Week”

in the far-flung state capital included the ever-present affordable housing crisis, and the gathering climate cri-sis - in which South Florida has been described as “ground-zero,” due to its elevation, in the United States.

That latter issue, climate change, has been on Veliz’ mind a lot lately, as he surveys the situation on the ground, in his home town.

“I’ll admit that I was a little late to the party,” Veliz added in a recent in-terview. “but I’m a believer now. We’ve had flooding and other weather events in the past, but not like we’re seeing now. The evidence is all around us.”

So is the water.“Exactly,” Veliz said. “We’re on an is-

land, so we’re getting it from all sides.”Ultimately what Key West needs,

the City Manager added, is a “master plan” that can be used to successfully move allocations to the Southernmost City through the political apparatus in Tallahassee. It’s too late this year, with the legislature already seated, but put-ting together such a coherent lobbying front in the state capital appears to be high on Veliz’ to-do list, given the mil-lions of dollars at stake.

Given the reception Veliz received from the commissioners and mayor it’s likely that he’ll move in the near future to begin the search for one or more experts who can help shape proposals to fit the city’s needs in a professional manner to expedite their

K E Y N E W S


Key West must step up lobbying for state fundingCity Manager Veliz tells Commissioners

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City Manager Greg Veliz


ly and correctly during preseason. Then once the season started, we focused on the two technical lifts in which they compete in.”

Rodriguez comments on her favorite lift, clean and jerk, which is one of the two technical lifts. While this sport can be fun, some Pillari explains that her “first priority is keeping them safe and injury free.”

The season is officially over, and the girls went

on to Districts. The dreams for Coach Pillari are quite clear for this team. “Having a large number qualify for Districts as we did last year, and we al-ready do have several showing that they can achieve that.” Coach Pillari made her dreams for this sea-son a reality as Key West High School had a district champion, Marina Goins, as well as several that placed and moved on to regional competition. If the program continues to grow at the current pace with success, it will meet the goal of having girls go to state level competition. n

f e b r u a r y 20 - 26, 2 0 2 0

Published Weekly

Vol. 10 No. 8

PUBLISHER/EDITOR Guy deBoer

NEWS WRITERSPru Sowers

Terry Schmida

PHOTOGRAPHERSRalph DePalma, Bill Klipp, Guy deBoer

DESIGN Nand K. Pandey, [email protected]

PIXEL WRANGLER JT Thompson

CONTRIBUTORS

Jeff Johnson &Paula Forman Short AnswersIan Brockway

Tropic SprocketsTammy Fox-RoyerFlorida Keys SPCA

Sylvia Bogart Astrologically Yours

Joanna BradyReviewer

SUMMER INTERNEmily Bracher

ADVERTISING Ashley Williamson – 410.999.4917

305.296.1630

Advertising Deadline Every FridayPRINT-READY advertising materials due by

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chances, rather than just “throwing money” ran-domly at flooded streets “with no rhyme or rea-son” as to an ultimate policy.

“You have my full support for a consultant,” Mayor Teri Johnston said. “I think that’s the only way that we’re going to bring these projects for-ward and see them to completion is to have some-body that’s dedicated specifically to that project.”

Responding to a question from District Three Commissioner Billy Wardlow regarding the city’s paid lobbyists in Tallahassee, Veliz reminded com-missioners that lobbyists don’t formulate policy.

The money to pay for such a consultant could even be reimbursed Veliz suggested, making it an

even more attractive idea.“Who wouldn’t want to come down here and

say, spruce up Duval Street, which hasn’t been done since 1976?” Veliz asked. “Who wouldn’t want that line on their resume?”

The same reasoning can be applied to plans for climate crisis mitigation, Veliz said. Part of the problem at the moment is the amount of planning going on that doesn’t take the climate into consid-eration, something a master plan should help with.

“We allocate curbs and sidewalks, but with no plans to raise them up,” he said. “We have not mit-igation plan. That has to change.”

The City Commission meets next at 5 p.m., on Wednesday, Feb. 19. n

[email protected]

Key West must step up.. X Continued from page 3

Girls Build... X Continued from page 2

Tennessee Williams Birthday Celebration begins with two events on March 1The 2020 Tennessee Williams Birthday Celebra-

tion, an annual, month-long festival that hon-ors the Pulitzer Prize winner who made Key West his home from 1949 until his death in 1983, begins its March events on Sunday, March 1. Up first is a 2:00pm curator tour at the Tennessee Williams Mu-seum, located at 513 Truman Avenue, led by Dennis Beaver, followed by a limited-ticket fundraiser hosted by Beaver and Bert Whitt from 6:00pm – 8:00pm.

The museum curator tour marks the seven-ty-fifth anniversary of the 1945 Broadway opening




Priscilla Coote opens her much-an-ticipated show this year, Island

Dream, on February 22. It is a jour-ney to the imagination for some, and for others lucky enough, a journey to those places evocative of actual loca-tions they have visited.

Her paintings dive yet deeper into the water that surrounds us, exploring the flash of light and the nuances of reflection that we find there. There, at the interface of sea, sand and sky, the eye can linger with delight upon the motion of a wave and the patterns it weaves across the sea floor; the colors revealed by brilliant tropic light; and the play of clouds across blue skies.

Priscilla’s work contains these ele-ments and more, but is not about the actual elements. They are merely visu-al cues which she skilfully combines in her larger pieces in order to create an overall effect, rather than a focus upon a particular object. To look at her paint-ing is to be transported to that place that resonates, and stirs memories and dreams from within. Through her years of study on and in the water, she is able to translate a moment of time into an

image you will remember forever.Priscilla’s work has continued to

garner awards and accolades over the past year since her previous show, (which has sold out except for a few small pieces). Alongside the top plein air painters on the nation, she took major awards in one national and one international event this summer. She has been juried into an elite outdoor

painting event taking place in March and featured in Fine Art Connoisseur

magazine. Her work has been select-ed for two major exhibitions, most notably the American Society of Ma-rine Artists’ 18th National, scheduled to travel to five museums around the country over the next two years.

Recent exhibitions have included Channel Islands Museum, CA; Visu-al Arts Center’s Biennial; Coos Bay, WA Museum; and Mystic Maritime Museum. She is represented by gal-leries in Key West, Naples, West Palm Beach, Nantucket, Maine, Williams-burg and Nantes, France. Priscilla has recently been featured in Southwest Art, Fine Art Connoisseur and Sail magazines, and has had paintings shown on Netflix’ Bloodline and HGTV’s Island Hunters. She is a Sig-nature Member of the American So-ciety of Marine Artists. n

Priscilla Coote opens show, Island Dream on Feb 22

Physician Assistant Michael Quirk celebrates retirement Physician Assistant Michael Quirk recently en-

joyed a surprise retirement party at the non-prof-it medical center. The beloved practitioner (and fa-ther to Board President Colleen Quirk, pictured) has worked as a Physician Assistant for over fifty years and has provided Primary Care Medicine at Woman-kind since 2013. For more information about Wom-ankind’s many services, visit WomankindKeyWest.com, call 305-294-4004, or stop by at their center located across the street from Bayview Park, open Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm.



The 55th Old Island Days Art FestivalFebruary 22 & 23, 2020 • 10 am to 5pm, Whitehead & Caroline Streets

One of the Keys’ largest and most iconic cultural events is right

around the corner. The 55th Old Island Days Art Festival takes place Saturday, February, 22nd and Sunday, February, 23rd from 10 am to 5pm each day. Over 70 local and national artists will line the streets at Whitehead and Caro-line Streets. The Presidential Gates will be open to welcome guests to view the artists along the Truman Annex Entry.

Fine two dimensional and three di-mensional artists travel from as far as Oregon, Minnesota, Illinois and along the East Coast to showcase their work. Many of the community’s favorites will be returning, along with a number of new and exciting artists. Visitors can leisurely browse the beautiful displays

of paintings from watercolor to oil and acrylic, decorative sculpture, photogra-phy and other fine arts from the select-ed artists. Tropical themes are abundant here, but contemporary and traditional styles make something for everyone!

“Buy supporting these artists, you are in turn, supporting the mission of the sponsoring organization The Key West Art Center and the maintenance of its historic building,” said Show Di-rector Grace Epperly.

Bring the whole family and stop by the Children’s Art Booth at Whitehead and Greene Streets to create an art piece for a $5 donation.

We recommend parking at the City of Key West garage on Grinnell & Car-oline Streets or the parking lots along Caroline Street and hopping on the free Duval Loop. There will be a conve-nient drop-off at Eaton & Whitehead Streets to begin your tour of the show!

The Key West Art Center sponsors the show as an extension of its support of local arts and to help maintain their his-toric building at 301 Front Street. The Art Festival committee acknowledges the City Of Key West, and the Truman Annex for their assistance. For more info visit www.KeyWestArtCenter.com. n

of “The Glass Menagerie,” the mem-ory play featuring characters based on his mother, absent father, and his beloved sister Rose. Beaver will share information about the play, Williams’ relationship with his sister, and her life in the Von Phister Street home he purchased for her. The tour is free to Key West Art & Historical Society members, $5.00 for nonmembers. To register for the limited-ticket tour, vis-it kwahs.org, click ‘tickets.’

That evening, March 1, from 6:00pm- 8:00pm, Tennessee Williams Museum founders, Dennis Beaver and Bert Whitt, host their annual, limit-ed-ticket fundraiser at their private residence. The soiree features an open bar, delectable hors d’oeuvres, mu-sic by DJ Jimmy Jamz Productions, a chance to win show tickets and dinner at an outstanding local restaurant, and gift bags filled with creative treats re-lated to the iconic playwright. Guests

will also enjoy a short excerpt from one of Williams’ legendary plays presented by local actress Diane May. Tickets are for the fundraiser are $100 and can be purchased at kwahs.org, click ‘tickets.’

“All proceeds from the soiree sup-port not only the festival’s program-ming, but also the continued acquisi-tion of artifacts that tell the story of the great playwright’s thirty-four years of living in Key West,” says Beaver.

Over time, Beaver, a Williams’ aficio-nado, acquired a significant collection of memorabilia and materials by and about the famed playwright and artist who for-tified Key West’s strong literary tradition and solidified the island as a cultural mecca. His collection eventually became an exhibit, and after a merger with Key West Art & Historical Society in 2017, The Tennessee Williams Museum.

For more details and to register for these and other limited-ticket events, visit kwahs.org/events/tennessee-wil-liams-birthday-celebration, or contact Key West Art & Historical Society at 305-295-6616. n

Tennessee Williams Birthday... X Continued from page 4

Bring the kids to create an art piece at our Children’s Art Tent!

OldIsland DaysArt Festival55th

Sponsored by:

301 Front Streetwww.KeyWestArtCenter.com

February 22 & 23, 2020

Whitehead & Caroline Streets 10am - 5pmOver 70 Local

& National Artists!



Garden Tours

Friday Feb 28Saturday Feb 2910am–3pm // $25.00 Donation

2020

All pro

ceed

s sup

port

Wes

t Mart

ello G

arden

s

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT ALL THE GARDENS ON THE DAYS OF THE TOUR AND IN ADVANCE AT KEY WEST GARDEN CLUB, 1100 ATLANTIC BLVD. OR AT KEYWESTGARDENCLUB.COMKEYWESTGARDENCLUB.COM

Take a peek behind the garden gates of private homes in Key WestThe Key West Garden Club hosts a walking

tour of four beautiful, diverse, gardens on Friday and Saturday, February 28th and 29th from 10 AM to 3 PM. Key West Garden Club docents will be at each garden with detailed plant lists and horticultural information. On both days there will be a talk about orchids at 11AM at 1131 Johnson St and a talk about the garden at 1225 South St at 2PM. Tickets are a $25.00 donation and are available at all the gardens on the days of the Tour and in advance at West Martello Tower, 1100 Atlan-tic Blvd. Tickets may also be bought on line at keywestgardenclub.com. Keep your email as receipt to show at the Gardens. The tickets are good for both days. Information at 305-294-3210 or keywestgardenclub.com. n

<Monroe /> COMPUTE$ Prizes Hit $25,000 MarkMCSD Middle School Students Earn Microsoft Certifications in Record Numbers

MONROE COUNTY, Fla. – “Middle school students led the district in Microsoft Office

Specialist industry certifications,” according to Acting Superintendent Theresa Axford. “Middle school students were responsible for 80% of 23 Microsoft certifications earned this month.” Plan-tation Key School led the way with eight students earning the highly coveted industry certifications, worth three college credits, plus $250 from <Mon-roe /> COMPUTE$.

“Students in grades 4-12 in all Monroe County schools have the opportunity to earn industry com-puter science certifications in Microsoft, Adobe, Au-toCAD, IC3 Digital Literacy and many more,” said MCSD Career and Technical Education Coordina-tor, Sibba Mira. “ <Monroe /> COMPUTE$ awards each student with cash incentives from $50 to $250, depending on the difficulty of the certification. The incentives motivate the students to earn as many certi-fications as possible.”

“A total of 336 prizes worth nearly $25,000 have been earned by our students so far this year,” Super-intendent Mark Porter said. “We anticipate a large in-crease in the third quarter of the school year.”

“I’m thrilled watching students studying at their own pace and earning multiple certificates,” explained John Padget, founder of the Golden Fleece Founda-

tion that supports <Monroe /> COMPUTE$. The mission of the Golden Fleece Foundation, founded by Padget and Jacob Dekker, is to “enable transfor-mations” in education. n

Plantation Key School middle school computer science students proudly display their $250 awards from Mon-roe Computes for earning their Microsoft Office Special-ist certifications. In addition to the cash incentives, the students also earned three college credits. <Monroe /> COMPUTE$ has pledged over $100,000 in incentives for Monroe County School District students earning comput-er science certifications. Pictured (L to R): MCSD Board Member Sue Woltanski, Cole Davis, Monroe Computes founder, John Padget, Logan Sena, Brookelyn Zlockie, instructor, Aimee Gilman, Ashton Prosek, Ambrose San-chez, Ignacio Arias, Enzo Blanco, and Elias DeLaTorre.



CoffeeMill’s Young Dance Collective pre-professional student dance company wins awards at conventionMembers of the Young Dance Collective, CoffeeMill Dance Studios’ nonprof-

it, preprofessional dance company for students aged 8-17, pause between workshops and competitions at this year’s prestigious NUVO Dance Convention in Orlando. YDC took home many awards and scholarships for their group and solo pieces, including Standout in Jazz & Contemporary awardees Vivian Carper and Novalie Marsh, Standout in Ballet awardee Siarah Singh, and High Gold for Ballet Soloist Isabella Nodal. Led by the classically-trained ballet dancer Joseph Goodman and assistant director Kara Querio, the dancers are offered an acade-my-like study and discipline with a rigorous syllabus in the Russian-based Vagano-va technique and rehearse six days a week for multiple performance opportuni-ties throughout the year, including a performance featuring excerpts from “Swan Lake” on April 4 at Tennessee Williams Theater. Performance proceeds support the company’s costs of attending workshops and competitions like NUVO that help them develop their powerful company repertoire and performances through-out Key West and Monroe County, and allows them to build upon their current programming to offer new outreach programs. To make a tax-deductible donation to support the Young Dance Collective, contact Penny Leto at 305-296-9982. n



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Feb. 13th 11 AM - 1 PM

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2020 Season

Feb 23 - Raschèr Saxophone QuartetBach • Pärt • Bartók • Koch • Glass

at St. Paul’s Church• 4pm keywestimpromptu.org

Raschèr Saxophone Quartet to perform Impromptu Classical Concert on Feb. 23The famed Raschèr Saxophone

Quartet will perform an Impromp-tu Classical Concerts presentation at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 401 Duval St.

The ensemble, formed in 1969, is named for its late founding member, Sigurd Raschèr, regarded as one of the foremost concert saxophonists of his time. Raschèr was an American saxo-phonist born in Germany to a Swedish father and English mother. He eventu-ally settled in the United States where he taught at Julliard, the Manhattan School of Music, and the Eastman School of Music.

Raschèr became an important figure

in the development of the 20th Cen-tury repertoire for the classical saxo-phone, and to augment the limited repertoire of the instrument, success-fully began soliciting works from such

important composers as Jacques Ibert, Darius Milhaud, Paul Hindemith and Philip Glass.

Raschèr retired from the group in 1981 and died in 2001 and was eulo-gized by the New York Times as a mu-sician “. . . who showed the sax could be classy.”

The ensemble of four saxophones which continues to bear his name, performing classical and modern music, celebrated its 50th anniversa-ry in September of last year, with a well-received celebratory concert in Freiburg, Germany.

The performers of the Quartet, in-cluding Soprano Christine Rall, Alto

Elliot Riley, Tenor Andreas van Zoel-en, and Baritone Oscar Trompenaars, think of themselves as a musical de-mocracy: in contrast to most other chamber ensembles, the Quartet has no leader. The ensemble has inspired over 350 composers to write pieces dedicated to them.

The Austrian newspaper, Wiener Zeitung, declared the Raschèr Quartet the “Uncrowned Kings of the Saxo-phone . . . and if there were an Olym-pic discipline for virtuoso woodwind playing, the Raschèr would definitely receive a gold medal.”




CoffeeMill Dance Studio to offer informal performances during Walk on White with “hIPSO facto”CoffeeMill Dance Studio, Key West’s premier instruc-

tional dance studio for 37 years, joins the “Walk on White” gallery stroll with an open house and free live dance presentation at their 804 White Street studio, The Annex. Hosted by CoffeeMill Dance Studio Founder Penny Leto, the February 20 “hIPSO facto” salon of dance begins at 8:00pm sharp, with doors opening at 7:45pm.

The monthly event gives audiences a glimpse of the work underway at the studio’s two locations, featur-ing performances and demonstrations from students, teachers, YDC members, and more. This month’s per-formance will feature new Belly dance choreographed by The Southernmost Shimmies and led by Artistic Direc-tor Judith Sahirah Cisneros, who teaches at the studio on Monday Evenings at 7:00pm, Salsa and Zumba demon-strations, and more. Light refreshments will be served.

“We are so happy to be part of this wonderful monthly event that recognizes creativity,” says Leto. “It’s a great opportunity for us to share the art of dance and connect with our island community.”

A cultural haven in the dance community, the CoffeeMill offers professional dance instruction for all ages and skill levels with weekly classes in Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Modern, Contemporary, Tap, Lyrical, HipHop, and Creative Movement, along with work-shops, private lessons, performance opportunities, and recreational classes for adults. Instructors lead with a blend of discipline and fun, allowing students to ex-plore, enjoy, and grow while cultivating an awareness

and understanding of movement, rhythm, choreogra-phy, and connection to classmates.

While the evening is free and open to the public, any donations twill support the Young Dance Collec-tive (YDC), the studio’s non-profit and pre-profession-al dance company comprised of student dancers ages 8-17 that have garnered numerous awards at NUVO Dance Competition in Orlando.

For more information, visit coffeemilldance.com. call the CoffeeMill Dance Studio at 305-296-9982, or email [email protected]. n

Among some of the dance featured in this month’s “hIP-SO facto” performance at the CoffeeMill Dance Studio during Walk on White, February 20 is Belly dance choreo-graphed by The Southernmost Shimmies led by Artistic Director Judith Sahirah Cisneros, who teaches at the stu-dio on Monday Evenings at 7:00pm. The salon of dance begins at 8:00pm sharp, with doors opening at 7:45pm.

35th Annual Wrecker’s Cup Race Series!CALL TO ALL WRECKERS!

Ahoy Mates! It’s time to clean the bottom and pile on the sails.

The 35th Annual Schooner Wharf Bar Wreck-er’s Cup Race Series is set for Sunday, February 23rd. This all-in-fun race series recalls the tradi-tion of the wreckers in the Key West of the 1800’s.

Racers compete in different classes; Classic, Schooner, Multihull, Monohull over 40 feet, Monohull 30 – 39 feet, Monohull 29’ and Under, other categories may apply depending on entries. The Wrecker’s fleet consists of 16’ Hobie Cat’s to 105’ Schooners! All sailing vessels, local sailors and visiting yachtsmen are welcome to join the regatta.

1st, 2nd & 3rd place will be awarded in each division, with trophies, a Bottle of Pusser’s Rum, Schooner Wharf Bar Tabs & Wrecker tee shirts as prizes. Captains’ Meeting is held Saturday, February 22nd at 7:00 p.m. in the Schooner Wharf ’s Sail Loft with complimentary Pusser’s Rum Punch and hors d’oeuvres from the Schoo-ner Wharf Galley.

All participating vessels will receive up to 4 BBQ dinners for captain & crew to enjoy at the Awards Party & Ceremony. The race is video taped, see yourself under sail on the big screen! Entry fee for each vessel is $40.00

For more information visit our web site www.SchoonerWharf.com/20wreckersrace2.htm. or call 305-292-9520. n

M O N R O E C O U N T Y N E W S


TODD BONITA earned his BFA with honors with the Art Institute of Boston in 1996. His post-baccalaureate study of classical painting con-

tinued at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. Todd has periodically continued hi private study the the French Academy drawing and painting tradition. His career began as an illustrator creating works for news-papers, magazines, book publishers and design firms.

PAM FOLSOM’S Landscape paintings are personal interpretations of the scenes she is drawn to as she works out doors year-round. Author John Berger shares her vision in a quote About Looking: “Shelf of a field, green, with each reach the grass on it not yet high, papered with blue sky through which yellow has grown to make pure green, the surface color of what the basin of the world contains, attendant field, shelf between sky and sea, fronted with a curtain of printed trees, friable at its edges…field that Have always known”. n

TODD BONITA and PAM FOLSOM show on February 24

First Code Compliant Tiny Home in Pilot Project Breaks Ground in Monroe County

The first Monroe Coun-ty approved tiny home

received a permit this week in Key Largo. The pilot

project is one of two planned homes the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners approved in December 2018 to serve as code-compliant mod-els for residents who are rebuilding after losing their homes during Hurricane Irma. It is a great product to consider as a replacement to a mobile home. The Commissioners wanted to be creative and find products that are wind and flood resistant homeowners can consid-er as replacements after Irma. The home will be delivered to Jenny Lane in Key Largo, in about three weeks and will be open to public to view and tour after it is hooked up to utilities and the in-spections are finalized. This home is one bedroom and one bathroom, a little less than 400 square feet, code compliant, and starts at $85,000.

“I am very excited about this proj-ect,” said Monroe County Assistant County Administrator Christine Hurley. “More than 4,000 homes throughout the Keys were destroyed or majorly damaged by Hurricane Irma, and these tiny home prototypes are code compliant, more resilient al-ternatives to mobile homes.”

The County solicited vendor propos-als to design and build different resilient code compliant prototype tiny homes on County-owned land. Cornerstone Tiny Homes owners Kim and Brett Hilt-brand had a vision to create safe, small footprint homes that would be a viable

option for those struggling to own or rebuild their home. They provide their clients several floorplan options, which are all Florida Building Code compli-ant and can withstand winds up to 180 mph. John Gallant, Broker at Engel & Völkers Islamorada, helped with permit-ting. “The officials in Monroe County are forward thinking and we appreciate how proactively they’re working to solve the affordable housing dilemma,” said Kim. “The Cornerstone team is honored to place one of their homes in Key Largo and hopefully many others once the tiny home pilot program in Monroe County proves successful.”

RAS Engineering also developed plans and is in the permitting stage for an elevated storage container-type tiny home to construct on Big Pine Key. The homes will be used as afford-able housing after being opened to the public for viewing. n

The first code compliant tiny home in Monroe County’s tiny home pilot project will be delivered in mid-March. Sitework has began at the Key Largo property.



M O N R O E C O U N T Y N E W S


Key West International Airport to Hold Full-Scale Emergency ExerciseKey West International Airport and

Monroe County Fire Rescue will be conducting its triennial full-scale disaster exercise to review the Airport Emergency Plan on Thursday, Feb. 20 from 6 to 11 p.m. The airport will remain open throughout the event and there will be no interruptions to scheduled flights or the communi-ty. The community should be aware there will be activity going on near the airport entrance on South Roo-

sevelt Boulevard. The exercise is not open to the public.

The Federal Aviation Administra-tion requires the airport to conduct the review at least once a year, but every third year, the airport must perform a full-scale exercise during the review.

Monroe County Fire Rescue’s Air-port Station 7 will lead the full-scale exercise. Other participating agencies will include Monroe County Emer-gency Management, Florida Highway

Patrol, City of Key West Police and Fire Rescue, Trauma Star, Naval Air Station Key West Emergency Services, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Lower Keys Medical Center, Monroe County Health Department, and other critical emergency agencies.

More than 75 volunteers will vol-unteer as injured passengers and play a critical role in the success of the ex-ercise. The drill is designed to test the emergency responders at the airport

and the local community’s response in the event of an aircraft disaster.

“It will be a challenging and over-whelming exercise this year for the participants,” said Monroe County Airport Battalion Chief Alvin “Cab” Bentley. “Although a disaster of this size is unlikely, this will truly test the limits of the airport’s emergency re-sponders. It also will enable the airport to better evaluate its readiness in the event of a real emergency.” n

C O V E R S T O R Y


Pulitzer prize winning play “Anna in the Tropics” at The Studios of Key WestA chapter from Key West’s rich history comes to life on stage

Profile of an actor: Mira Negron

Key West actress Mira Negron couldn’t be more perfectly suited to play Ofelia, the

wife of a cigar factory owner in “Anna in the Tropics.” Her abuela was a “stuffer” (cigar roller), at the factory in Ybor City, Florida (Tampa), and growing up, she loved to lis-ten to the stories her grandma and aunts told of working in the factories. Combined with Mira’s deep passion for history, Mi-ra’s family’s stories were able to inform the choices she made for the role.

How did your family come to Key West?My great grandparents moved from the Canary Islands to Cuba in the 1900’s where they had nine kids. They needed to support a big family, so they came to Key West looking for work in the tobacco industry. Eventually, bigger factories were built in Ybor City so that’s where the fam-ily moved. With so many kids everyone had to pull their weight, and so my aunts all rolled cigars, too.

How well does the play reflect the stories you heard growing up?The writer of “Anna” describes the cigar factory as “a city within a city,” and from the stories I heard, I would say he got it right. The buildings were situated just within the residential areas, and whole communities grew up around them; people’s lives were centered around the industry. The rollers worked hard and it could be tedious, but you still had to be

precise. They hired a “lector” to educate and entertain the workers, and through-out the day, he would read news, horo-scopes, recipes and literature, so in a way the workers did get a bit of an education.

A Colorful HistoryKey West was once the largest producer of Cuban cigars in the country. By 1880, there were 57 factories and eventually Key West was producing 62 million cigars a year

In 1885, a labor strike crippled the industry forcing many manufactur-ers to pull up stakes to move to Ybor City (Tampa). Then, a devastating fire started in one of the factories and swept across the island, destroying over 50 buildings, many of them cigar facto-ries. Eventually, the rolling process was mechanized which eliminated the need for hand rollers.

Mario Sanchez (1909-2005) was a Cu-ban-American folk artist from the Key West cigar-making neighborhood known as “Gato’s Village.” A self-taught artist, Sanchez made his art from whatever ma-terials were on hand, and often used pa-per bags and cedar wood boards in his work. He specialized in depicting scenes of everyday Key West in bas relief wood carvings painted in vibrant colors. One of Sanchez’s most iconic works is “The Reader and the Cigar Makers,” a depic-tion of Mario’s father, a lector, reading to factory workers at the Eduard J. Gato Cigar Factory, which stills stands at 1100 Simonton Street. The historic intaglio now hangs in the Smithsonian American Art Museum. n

Key West history comes vividly to life on stage when The Studios

of Key West presents “Anna in the Tropics,” the Pulitzer prize-winning play by Cuban-American playwright Nilo Cruz. Set against the backdrop of a cigar factory during the Pro-hibition Era, the show is directed by Dennis Zacek, Artistic Director Emeritus of Victory Gardens The-ater in Chicago, and runs from Feb-ruary 19-February 29 at the Helmer-ich Theater, 533 Eaton Street.

The play recounts the tradition of the “lector,” a person hired to educate and entertain workers by reading to them as they hand-rolled cigars. As the story opens, a new lector arrives at a factory run by a family of Cuban immi-grants. When he begins to read Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina” aloud,

the workers fall under the book’s powerful spell, and they begin to experience subtle and profound emotional changes, wreaking hav-oc in their marriages and lives.

The New York Times says,“… Anna in the Tropics reaches for the artistic heavens.”

“Anna in the Tropics” opens February 19 at The Studios of Key West’s Helmerich Theater, 533 Ea-ton Street, and runs Wednesday through Saturday nights through February 29, with shows at 8pm. Ticket prices range from $100 to $45 (plus a $10 discount for Stu-dios’ members), and can be pur-chased at tskw.org or by calling 305-296-0458. Discounted tickets are available for teachers and spe-cial interest groups by contacting Elena Devers at [email protected]. n

From left: Aramis Ikatu (Cheche), Christian Haler (Santiago), Mira Ne-gron (Ofelia), Daniel T. Bochlas (Juan Julian), Francesca Silva (Conchi-ta), Mathias Maloff (Eliades/Palomo), Nayem Cardenas-Lopez (Marela).

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Whats Happening X Continued from page 14

Raschèr Saxophone... X Continued from page 9

As part of the ensemble’s trip to Key West, group members will conduct a workshop for students at Key West High School, in the band room, at 3 p.m. Mon-day, Feb. 24, funded by a gener-ous grant from the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys. It is free and open to the public

Tickets for the concert cost $20, and are available at www.keystix.com, or at the door on the afternoon of the event. Cash, checks, or credit/debit cards accepted. Students will be admitted free. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information visit www.keywestimpromptu.org. n

Atlanta’s Mike Veal Band at the Hog’s Breath SaloonThe Mike Veal Band, Atlanta’s favorite

party band brings its energy and ex-citement to the Hog’s Breath Saloon, 400 Front St., Feb. 20 – 23, rocking the night stage from 9pm – 1am. n.

The band plays a hot combination of blues, rock, and funk. Diverse musical backgrounds and regional influences color each member’s contribution to the tight sound for which the band is admired.

Atlanta partiers and club patrons throughout the Southeast know the band. n


T R O P I C S P R O C K E T S I A N B R O C K W A Y

Downhill

Force Majeure” by Ruben Östlund is a masterpiece of existential-

ism. In that film, the singer Johannes Bah Kuhnke plays Tomas, a passive husband wracked with guilt for not protecting his family from potential danger during vacation. Lisa Loven Kongsli is equally excellent as Tomas’ wife Ebba, who grows increasingly re-sentful. Half of the wonder of that film is its marvelous cinematography by Fredrik Wenzel with its sweeping blue and white views of the French Alps, as if Tomas and Ebba are distant astro-nauts on an obscure planet, barren and strange. Added to this is a striking and ominous tone reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick with its depictions of long ho-tel corridors and children who glare at their father in reproach.

Now we have the American remake of Östlund’s film, titled “Downhill” directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. The film closely mirrors the original in events but not in tone.

Will Ferrell and Julia Louis- Drey-fus are husband and wife on a ski trip,

of course. Ferrell is exuberant but also preoccupied, a bit like Clark Griswold in the “Vacation” franchise. Dreyfus as the wife and mother is kind yet har-ried. The family has a full and happy morning on the slopes.

Then they stop to eat at an outdoor cafe with a grand view.

The pivotal scene is done wonder-fully containing an ample amount of the first film’s suspense. Suddenly, dad is absent in the ensuing panic, nowhere to be found. In this version, dad Peter nonchalantly walks back, sits down and orders soup, unfazed.

What follows is a gradual withdraw-al from Billie. Where Tomas is eaten up from the inside in the 2014 film, Fer-rell’s Peter is clueless and incredulous. This is a kind of “Curb Your Enthusi-asm” take on Östlund’s great work.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ portrayal is the strongest of the two. Her resent-ment has real force while still possess-ing some comic timing. Ferrell’s range within the film, just doesn’t change be-yond either a mania or a stunned dis-belief. Kuhnke’s performance was so nuanced in the original, it makes this version seem flat.

It is fun to see the actor Kristofer Hivju who played Peter’s friend in the first film. Here, instead of being mild mannered, he plays a taciturn and blunt customer service supervisor.

Overall, the visual potency of the initial film is dispensed with in favor of embarrassing situations: a libidi-nous and bossy concierge, a Don Juan ski-instructor and a cringing dad who is then poker faced or feverish with his frat-type bro (Zach Woods).

As a conceptual exercise, “Downhill” works fine. It is only that the first film is so striking in its emotive power and ap-prehension that it turns its distant cous-in to mere powder by comparison. n

Fantastic Fungi

It is well known that people are generally afraid of fungi. Like a

strange entity or an invader that one cannot describe, it often seems that fungi is something sinister or scary beyond our understanding. If you have these feelings or even a curios-ity about fungi, a documentary by Louie Schwartzberg “Fantastic Fun-gi” is the film for you.

Fungi is far from scary. One could even argue that fungi is benevolent. It is one of the fundamental elements of life and it runs through all living things. Fungi, a decomposer and re-cycler of both the vegetable and the animal, has existed since life began, setting the foundation for earth. The building blocks of fungi known as my-celium are the vegetable parts of a fun-gal colony that create a vast network that reaches over the entire earth like a force field that holds us together.

Mycelium brings forth mushrooms, the odd spongy growths that we put on pizza, soup or salad.

The film is an analysis of how vital the fungal world is to human beings and more importantly, to our world.

In bursts of florid color, one is shown many different mushrooms. There are orange, purple and red ones. Some resemble anemones, while oth-ers look like meat.

In the film, Paul Stamets is a fun-gal enthusiast, a scientist and a lover of mycelium. As a young man with

his Apple II computer, he appears as a Steve Wozniak of the mushroom realm. His energy is palpable. Hear-ing him talk of a mushroom’s heal-ing properties would inspire anyone. Emotional it is to hear that turkey tail mushrooms helped cure Stamets’ mother of cancer.

The film also examines our su-perstition of mushrooms. Although revered by the Mayans, psilocybin mushrooms were once demonized by the Nixon establishment as weird or dangerous for causing insanity or mania. Science has now proven the reverse is true. Psilocybin helps with anxiety and depression and even can-cels out the fear of death or dying in clinical studies. Timothy Leary and Dr. Andrew Weil were at the forefront of this understanding, a new way of handling human obstacles through fungi. Fungi can help a viral bee colo-ny and even store energy for batteries, a natural resource.

Segments of the film are narrated by Brie Larson which make this film about the weave-world of fungal my-celium seem part of the Marvel Uni-verse, as numinous as Doctor Strange.

As the film asks, if humans pass away what will we become? Will we be a hybrid of the human and the fungal world (like a scene in a Da-vid Cronenberg film) with various mushroom like appendages sprout-ing from everywhere? Perhaps it is best not to ponder.

Whatever the case, in the here and now we can all rejoice that mycelium is here to stay, protecting us and holding us in, bonded for life.

Like Kali, an intelligent fungal realm lords over all, a creator, a destroyer and the ultimate refresher, part and parcel of all carbon based organisms. n

Write Ian at [email protected]

“

T H E A T E R R E V I E W


Three years ago, TheatreXP’s Bob Bowersox came across an in-

triguing new theatrical idea he real-ly loved. Called “Twice Told Tales”, he decided to give it a go at Sum-mer Stage 2017, produced under his TheatreXP banner. It turns out his summer theater fest customers loved it as much as he did. It was a smash hit. He repeated the evening at last year’s Summer Stage, with the same results.

So this year, “Twice Told Tales” – a night of contrasting, dueling mono-logues – will make its in-season de-but for two nights only, March 6 and 7, at 8 pm in the Helmerich Theater at the Studios of Key West, 533 Ea-ton Street. Tickets -- both VIP and General Seating -- are limited and can be had at tskw.org or by calling 305-296-0458.

Normally relegated to the heart of a play, or made a tool of directors for auditions, the monologue – one actor, solo on stage, delivering a single speech that hopefully has power, emotion, message, and connection – is seldom allowed to stand alone center-stage as the sole star.

Until now.“Twice Told Tales” is an evening of

monologues, each delivered twice….once each by two different actors, guided by a single director in two completely different directions, re-sulting in two completely different outcomes for the monologue and for the audience.

Directors for this year’s show in-clude top Key West helmers Tony Konrath, Mathias Maloff, John Mc-Donald, Carole MacCartee, Melody Moore, Karen Leonard, Tom Murtha, Diane May, and Bowersox himself. Actors will include Wayne Dapser, Melody Moore, Mira Negron, Rich-ard Quint, Peggy Montgomery, Archil Megrelishvili, Janet Harwell, Sarah Goodwin, Su Nubia, Ellen Rickert, Daashia Cooper, Barbara Mundy, Daniel Bochlas, Peggy Guidotti, Ar-

amis Ikatu, Kathy Russ, Donna Sta-bile, and Tim Dahms.

Here’s how it works:Monologues are chosen by the

directors – the subject can be any-thing. Each can be two to four min-utes long. Each director is given two actors, who may be of different gen-ders or sexual orientations, but two actors of the same gender could also be used. The directors then work with each actor separately in rehears-al, developing the monologue in two completely different ways…meaning interpretation or delivery or emotion or intent or all of them.

The evening of the performance, each monologue is then delivered in its dual iterations, back to back. The results are sometimes startling.

“It’s a fun, surprising, and often il-luminating evening of theatre,” said Bowersox, “and the audiences have re-ally loved the show. And it shows how direction and actor interpretation can completely change a piece of writing. It really shows the magic of theater.”

“It’s utterly wonderful, and com-pletely entertaining,” said the Studio’s Rosi Ware, who has seen all three pre-vious versions of “Twice Told Tales”. “Don’t miss it.”

Tickets for the one-night-only event are available at theatrexp.ticketleap.com or 302-540-6102. They will also be available at the door that evening. For more information, visit Theatr-eXP.org or call TheatreXP at 302-540-6102 or The Studios of Key West at 305-296-0458. n

Hit “Twice Told Tales” Returns to The Studios

“Eighteen actors deliver different renditions of nine monologues in the smash hit theatrical event “Twice Told Tales”, set for March 6 and 7 at The Studios of Key West.” The photos are by Larry Blackburn


I N T H E K E Y S F L O R I D A K E Y S S P C A

n Rescue Tail

Opossums: Part 2BY CATHY BAIER

There’s nothing better than having good neighbors! But what happens

when you’re not a fan of the neighbor who just moved in? That can happen sometimes when the new neighbor has four legs, a pointy nose, and big teeth. We’re talking opossums. In last week’s Rescue Tails, we described the unique and special qualities of opossums with the hope of giving our only North American marsupial a bump upward in appreciation and respect.

But even in the best of worlds, sometimes their presence is neither appreciated nor practical to allow. So this week we’re offering some humane ways to encourage unwanted opos-sums to “move on” without causing undue pain or harm.

Before doing that, though, we should explain some of the realities that shelters and animal control facil-ities face when dealing with unwant-ed opossums. Our goal is that, with greater understanding, people will re-consider their choices and not demand that an animal be summarily trapped and removed.

Often, homeowners don’t want an opossum on their property out of concern for their pets (addressed in last week’s col-umn) or to avoid property or landscape destruction, but also don’t want any harm to come to the animal. They often just want the animal to be relocated. While this sounds like a simple and humane solution, it often isn’t! Plus, it’s usually just a temporary fix. As long as there’s a standing invitation (available food) on the property, the next opossum in line will just move in. More about that later. From a biological standpoint, wildlife relocation can be problematic and count-er-productive. All natural habitats have what is called a carrying capacity, which is “the number of organisms that an ecosys-tem can sustainably support. An ecosystem’s carrying capacity for a particular species

may be influenced by many factors, such as the ability to regenerate the food, water, atmosphere, or other necessities that popu-lations need to survive.” When an animal appears to be healthy and thriving, that’s usually an indication that the habitat is capable of supporting it.

But if an area is already at maximum carrying capacity with an established population, relocating new animals into the area can create an unhealthy competition for resources. This has the potential to throw the whole ecosys-tem out of balance. Plants and animals can all pay the price. In addition, here in the Keys, it’s possible to transmit disease from one population to anoth-er by moving an animal to a different island, again affecting much more than just the single animal in question.

From a humane perspective, reloca-tion is often NOT a “happily ever after” story for the removed animal. The new-comer is thrown into unfamiliar terri-tory, often very different from where it came, with sources of food, water, and shelter not immediately known. The search for those survival needs can bring the newcomer into conflict with those animals already established. The results can be stress, injury, and often death as the new guy on the block fights to sur-vive with others. Also, a relocated animal may be put at greater risk from cars and predators as it attempts to find its way back to the familiarity of its native area.

So what do you do if you find your-self not wanting to remove an opossum out of respect and kindness, but don’t want to live with one as your neigh-bor? Consider why the opossum wants to be your neighbor in the first place, and then individually address those is-sues. Here are some suggestions:

• Close the restaurant! It’s not fair to invite someone over for a free meal and then punish them for showing up! Feed cats and dogs inside or during the day, and leave no food out at night. Keep in mind that bird seed also attracts opossums, so use feeders that limit spillage. Secure




Priscilla Queen of the Desert will roll out it’s run in Key West at the

Award Winning Waterfront Playhouse beginning March 5. Performances are at 8pm Tuesday through Saturdays through March 28, with discount-ed previews on March 3 and 4. Call 305-294-5015 or visit waterfrontplay-house.org for tickets.

Filled with disco era hits such as I Will Survive, It’s Raining Men, MacArthur Park, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and many more, this mu-

sical will guarantee to bring out the fabulous in everyone!

With a book by Australian film di-rector-writer Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, using well-known pop songs as its score it is adapted from Elliott’s 1994 film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, the musical tells the story of two drag queens and a transgender woman, who contract to perform a drag show at a resort in Alice Springs, a resort town in the re-mote Australian desert. As they head west from Sydney aboard their pink bus, Priscilla, the three friends come to the forefront of a comedy of errors, encountering a number of strange

characters, as well as incidents of ho-mophobia, while widening comfort zones and finding new horizons.

It will star Christopher Peterson, Dave Bootle and Connor Cook as

the threesome, Bernadette, Tick and Adam. The Weather Girls will be played by Sabrina Fosse, Belle Jam-


Priscilla Begins It’s Journey at The Waterfront

Photo by Larry Blackburn


pol and Lauren Thompson; David Black will play Bob, Nana Tatebayashi will play Cynthia, Lauren Thompson will play Marion, Jake Fer-gusson, Benji; Donovan Pavlicek, Miss Under-standing; Carolyn Cooper, Shirley; Rhett Kal-man, Errol; James Harcup, Farrah Fawcet In; Aaron Duclos, Frank and Devante Mills, Torri Gregg, Arthur Crocker, Kelci Grooms and Er-vin Tumm will complete the cast as Jimmy.

The original production of Priscilla de-buted in Australia at the Lyric Theatre, Syd-ney in October 2006. Having had a successful run in Sydney, the production transferred to Melbourne in 2007 and then Auckland, New

Zealand in 2008, before returning to Syd-ney for a limited engagement. The Austral-asian success of Priscilla provoked a two-year strong West End production in addition to its Bette Midler-produced Broadway debut in 2011. While the original production re-ceived one out of its seven Helpmann Award nominations, Priscilla was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musi-cal as well as two Tony Awards, winning these awards in the costume design categories.

Managing Artistic Director Tom Thayer will director, Michael Boyer will design the set, Car-olyn Cooper will choreograph, Michael Fauss will music direct, Kim Hanson will design the lights, Christopher Peterson, costumes and Tr-ish Manley is production stage manager. n

garbage can lids. Use a wire or metal guard (at least 18” wide) around tree trunks to pre-vent animals from climbing and eating from fruit trees.

• Don’t provide free housing! Spring and summer are often the times when opos-sums are seeking a safe space for their ba-bies. If possible, tack wire over crawl spac-es to prevent entry and keep trees cut back to limit acrobatic attic access. A bright light shining or a loud radio playing can give an attic or crawl space much less curb appeal in the opossum real estate market. But if you suspect a mother already has

babies, please consider allowing her some time to relocate. Finding new housing for a family is never a quick or easy process for anyone, including wildlife.

• Discourage gardening helpers! Cayenne paper sprinkled about can discourage four-legged gardeners from digging up your landscaping and uprooting your plants.

Wildlife in general is having a harder time staying wild as more natural areas are being taken from them. They are adaptable and are finding ways to survive in spite of the myri-ad pressures facing them, but it can’t be easy. Let’s cultivate a generous and tolerant spirit and, whenever possible, give the wild creatures some space, allowing them to live their lives and coexist whenever possible. n

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Opossums: Part 2... X Continued from page 18

Priscilla Begins... X Continued from page 19



Fringe Theater presents Toni Mor-rison’s haunting Desdemona Feb

19-23 in the performance space of the Sidebar Key West, located at 504 An-gela Street.

The play was first produced in Vien-na in 2011 as part of an international Fringe Festival. This other-world-ly performance piece gives voice to Shakespeare’s doomed heroine, Desde-mona, as she grapples with the cultural issues and personal challenges that led to her murder.

Toni Morrison’s Desdemona creates a back-story for the various characters that casts off the façades portrayed in Shakespeare’s Othello and imagines conversations between Desdemona and the various players in her ultimate murder. An African maid identified by Shakespeare only as Barbary, was

the inspiration for the entire play. The fleeting reference by Shakespeare led Morrison to ask, who were these peo-ple, and what led them to behave the way they did?

The piece was praised by the New York Times as having “a prose so pre-cise and charged with pain and won-der that it becomes poetry.” Morrison pulled from Shakespeare and folk lore to create this story. Fringe Theater is integrating dance, music, and unique staging to tell the tale.

Desdemona is directed by Rebecca Tomlinson, Fringe Theater’s Man-aging Artistic Director. She worked with a large creative team to bring her vision to the stage, including chore-ographer Shelia Bellefleur, lighting designer RJ Conn, singing bowls mu-sician Daashia Cochran, and videog-rapher Aramis Ikatu. In addition, to acting, the two performers were in-strumental in developing the sound design for the show.

The original staging of the play fea-tured one actor. She played all of the

characters including Othello himself. Fringe’s production will use two ac-tors – two women from two ethnic backgrounds. “I feel like this casting strengthens the story telling. It’s also made the play very sensual – an import-ant element in a story of passion, rage, and murder,” explains Tomlinson.

The actor playing Desdemona is Martha Hooten, who was seen by Fringe audiences in last summer’s production of The Pride. Su Nubia plays Othello, as well as all the other characters in the play. Fringe audienc-es are most used to seeing Su behind the light and sound board at Fringe’s shows. “We have such a talented crew,” adds Tomlinson. “You’ll see them pop-ping up everywhere this season!”

Morrison once said in an interview,

“Someone asked me if I was intimi-dated by Shakespeare’s language, and I said, ‘No, I had to create my own kind of language that was worthy of the char-acters.” And Morrison certainly did.

Tickets for Desdemona are avail-able at www.fringetheater.org or by calling the Fringe Box Office 305-731-0581. Seating is extremely lim-ited, so advance tickets are encour-aged. Desdemona runs Feb 19-23 at 7pm, with a special 5pm Happy Hour show on Feb 22. General Ad-mission Tickets begin at $35.

Fringe Theater is Key West’s commu-nity-focused theater. Fringe is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to creating unique opportunities for people to see and do theater. Learn more at www.fringetheater.org n

Toni Morrison’s Haunting Play

Martha Hooten and Su Nubia star in Fringe’s production of Desdemona which runs Feb 19-23 at the Sidebar Key West. Photo Credit: Aramis Ikatu

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Sandford Birdsey Exhibit opening Feb 21Key West Art & His-

torical Society invites the community to a spe-cial reception on Friday, February 21, from 6:00 -7:30pm to celebrate the opening of a retrospective featuring works of the late Key West artist Sandford Birdsey in the Bryan Gal-lery of the Custom House Museum, 281 Front Street. The exhibit showcases wa-tercolors, oils, acrylics, and textiles created during the

course of her career and runs through April 12.

For more information contact Cori Convertito, Ph.D., at 305-295-6616 x112, email her at [email protected], or visit kwahs.org. n

Key West Art Center Associate Members ShowFrom February 28 – March

12 the Key West Art Cen-ter will display for sale works by its associate members. An opening reception will be held February 29 from 5-7 PM and refreshments will be served. Come view the artistry of those who support Key West’s oldest continuously operating art gal-lery, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to encourage local artists and to bring about programs that encourage arts appreciation. For more infor-mation visit the Center’s web-site at keywestartcenter.com and use the event tab. n

I N C O M M U N I T Y


Key West Business guild President Chuck Licis presents First Hori-zon Bank’s Michelle White with the cash winnings of the raffle at the Guild’s February luncheon. Photo by Pete Arnow.

Richard Quint and City Commissioner Clayton Lopez in the Fringe Theater’s production of ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ to celebrate Black History month. Photo byh Pete Arnow.

Artist Joanne Sloan, center, is presented with the Miriam B. Good Award by Anne McKee Artists Fund of the Florida Keys board treasur-er and auction chair Roberta DePiero, right, and 2019 Miriam B Good Award-winner Fran Decker, left, on Thursday night during the 25th an-nual Anne McKee Artists Fund Auction at The Studios of Key West. Named for the late beloved artist and McKee board member Miriam B. Good, the award recognizes those who embody the Anne McKee mis-sion of “artists helping artists.”

Theresa Kalvaitis shows an artwork by Jimm Sherrington while auctioneer Stephanie Kaple encourages bids at Thursday night’s Anne McKee Artists Fund auction, held at The Studios of Key West. Founded by Anne McKee and supported by artists with the sole purpose of benefiting artists, since 1994 the Fund has awarded more than $285,000 in grants to more than 400 visual, performing and literary artists with funds raised through the auction.



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- KARIN WEIGEL & FAMILY

NMLS 376205

Keys Kids Junior and Bahama Village Music Program Present “Wizard of Oz”In celebration of the 80th anniversary

of “Wizard of Oz,” Bahama Village Music Program invites the public to evening performances presented by Keys Kids Jr. at the Key West High School auditorium, set for Thursday, February 13, Friday, February 14, and Saturday, February 15 at 7:30pm, and a Saturday matinee at 2:00pm. More than fifty Horace O’Bryant and home-schooled students will perform in the delightful, full-scale musical that they have rehearsed for since November.

Under the direction of HOB teach-er Stephanie Manaher, musical director Nancy 3. Hoffman, choreographer Pen-ny Leto, and set designers Garth and

Katie Holtkamp, the children’s charac-ter’s come to life as they offer audiences delightful classics such as as “Over the

Rainbow” and “Merry Old Land of Oz.”Due to a tremendous response to

auditions, performances include a dou-ble cast of characters: Dorothy will be played by Kaira Valdez and Angelina Diaz, Alex Mansour as the Scarecrow, Olivia Mansour and Conner Freeman as the Tin Man, Jake Ferguson as the Cow-ardly Lion, Dianna Holliman and Detra Dor as Glinda, Zandrie Font and Lily Kaufman as the Wicked Witch, and Se-bastian Jeanpierre as the Wizard. Young performers from Gerald Adams and Poinciana Elementary Schools will join HOB elementary students to star as the Munchkins in their enthusiastic version of “Ding Dong the Witch is Dead.”

Since 2017, Bahama Village Music Program has offered the free musical theater program to local schools, allow-ing them to increase their outreach into the community and bring the gift of music to as many children as possible.

Tickets are available at bvmpkw.org and can also be purchased at the door. A silent auction and a concession stand will be available for all performances. Sponsored by the Bahama Village Mu-sic Program and the Community Foun-dation of the Florida Keys. For more information or to make a donation, email [email protected] or call (305) 504-7664. Celebrating 20 years of free music education. It takes a village. n

KONK LIFE REAL ESTATE • www.konklife.com • FEBRUARY 2020

Living the dream on the open waterAt 155 Key Haven Rd.

SPECIAL TO KONK LIFE

This may well be the house you’ve been hunting for,

if your dream is living on the open water just minutes to Key West. The home at 155 Key Haven Rd. offers all

this and more. A beautifully designed single-level house, recently updated by well-known Key West designer Mi-chael Pelkey, boasts a spacious 2,300 square feet of living space. With four beautifully appointed bedrooms and three baths, this home is quintessen-

tially Florida Keys — and includes a separate 1-bedroom/1-bath guest cot-tage, next to the huge infinity edge pool and spa, overlooking the open water of the Gulf of Mexico.

The professionally designed land-scape, maintained by Ecoscapes, in-

cludes countless varieties of Palms and tropical foliage. Inside the home, the ambiance is airy and breezy, with 10-foot-high ceilings, and plenty of windows for beautiful sunset views.

Gourmet chefs will fall in love with the home’s kitchen at first sight. It has been

This home offers a huge infinity-edged pool and spa, and a guest cottage, all safely elevated above the open Gulf of Mexico!


The deluxe chef’s kitchen features state-of-the-art appliances and two great dining options.

An open concept design in the great room makes it the perfect place for living and entertaining.

Solidly build and impeccably maintained, this single-level house is located on a gently sloping, elevated lot in the heart of Key Haven. What could be nicer than a sunset kayak through the mangroves?

totally updated with custom Hansen and Bringle cabinetry, Wolfe gas range, Sub-zero Refrigerator, Bosch dishwasher, and sparkling quartz countertops with full quartz backspash. Perfect for enter-taining, the eat-in kitchen forms a great room that connects to the smart, sophis-ticated living room. Rich wood floors through most of the rooms compliment the fresh palette of whites and grays.

With built-ins throughout the home, there’s plenty of storage space, a full laundry room, and a double garage.

The owner’s beautiful furnishings are also offered as an option.

A sliding wall of glass opens to the waterfront retreat beyond. The pool and spa’s elegant design offers a variety of sitting areas, and the con-crete seawall and dock with davits

can accommodate deeper draft boats for living the waterfront dream. The entire lot is elevated well above the water level. With its poured concrete walls, and high-and-dry construc-tion, this home exudes security and privacy.

As any Key Haven denizen will tell you, this area is a prime location. Qui-et, but close to all amenities. A short

drive to the golf course, hospital, col-lege, and schools, and just a few min-utes to the restaurants and theaters of bustling Key West and the new ‘Hot Spots’ of Stock Island.

This location offers the best of both worlds! See this lovely home today. Call Stephen Hammond of Realty Executives at 305-766-9919 for a showing. Of-fered at $1,849,000.


Jenna

Service You Deserve!

[email protected]

Derek Epperly: 305.923.4833Jenna Blackwell: 305.393.6573

What are your 2020 Real Estate goals? Contact us today!

1809 Seidenberg Ave.Midtown West • 3BD/2BA Total modern renovation!

$900,000

1301 Flagler Ave. Midtown West • 3BD/3BAHistoric luxury renovation!

$1,245,000Contact us to view our current listings!

2916 Seidenberg Ave. • $589,000 • 3BD/2BA • Large Lot611 Grinnell St. #4 • $624,997 • 2BD/1BA • Prime Location!

See Map

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Sailors and yacht enthusiasts will love this fine property, which can accommodate nearly any kind of vessel, up to 30 feet in length!

Key Haven Open Water Masterpiece

155 Key Haven Road offers exceptional Open Water

views and boating access in a beautifully designed

single-level home, just a few minutes to Key West. With 4

beautifully appointed bedrooms and 3 baths, this

home is quintessentially Florida Keys. Includes a

separate 1 bedroom / 1 bath guest cottage, next to the

huge infinity edge pool and spa, overlooking the open

water of the Gulf. OFFERED @$1,849,000

Stephen Hammond(305) 766-9919RealtyExecutivesFloridaKeys.com

3706 N. Roosevelt Blvd., Key West ■ ■ 24752 Overseas Hwy., Summerland

POWERED BY EXPERTS®REALTY EXECUTIVES FLOIDA KEYS

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Featured Home Locations

Key Haven

Stock Island

1

Map # Address #BR/BA Listing Agent Phone Number

1 1000 Eaton Street, Key West FL 33040 Michelle Clauson Kirby, ReMax Keys Connection 305-849-1276

2 5 Hunts Lane, Key West, FL 33040 Mike Caron, Keller Williams Key West Compass Realty508-269-8565

305-296-7078

3 1301 Flagler Ave. Midtown West 3BD/3BADerek Epperly & Jenna BlackwellBerkshire Hathaway HomeServices Knight & Gardner Realty

305-923-4833305-393-6573

4 1809 Seidenberg Ave. Midtown West 3BD/2BADerek Epperly & Jenna BlackwellBerkshire Hathaway HomeServices Knight & Gardner Realty

305-923-4833305-393-6573

5 1215 Newton St. Key West, FL 33040Tina M MastersColdwell Banker Schmitt Real Estate Co. (KW)

305-923-0062

Featured Homes – Viewed by Appointment

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Key West Association of REALTORS®

keywestrealtors.orgPhone (305) 296-8259 Fax (305) 296-2701

Listing Office Selling Office Sold Date List Price Sold Price Street # Street Name Year Built Style Total Beds Wtrfrnt MM

Key West

Truman & Co. Truman & Co. 07/01/20 $1,249,000 $1,060,000 522 Petronia St 1933 Single Fam 3 No 1

Key Largo

Century 21 Island Life LoKation Real Estate 08/01/20 $749,000 $697,500 18 Blackwater Ln 1991 Single Fam 3 Yes 105

BHHS Freewheeler Realty Coldwell Banker Schmitt 10/01/20 $437,500 $444,000 13 Bonita Ave 2016 Single Fam 3 No 105

Coldwell Banker Schmitt Sutter & Nugent, Inc. 10/01/20 $1,249,000 $1,200,000 562 Ave A 1966 Single Fam 3 Yes 104

Marathon

RE/MAX Keys To The Key RE/MAX Keys To The Key 10/01/20 $375,000 $300,000 8304 Gulf Of Mexico Blvd, #304 1983 Condo 3 Yes 53.5

Coldwell Banker Schmitt Coco Plum Real Estate 13/01/20 $719,900 $675,000 11600 1st Avenue Gulf, #28 2006 Townhouse 3 Yes 52.5

The New Home Spot Ocean Sotheby's International 08/01/20 $799,900 $790,000 237 Sombrero Beach Rd, #2 2016 Duplex 4 Yes 49.5

Coldwell Banker Schmitt Coldwell Banker Schmitt 08/01/20 $495,000 $450,000 2315 Overseas Hwy 1958 Commercial 0 No 49.5

BHHS Keys Real Estate BHHS Knight & Gardner Realty 14/01/20 $825,000 $800,000 979 Ocotillo Ln 1979 Single Fam 3 Yes 49.5

Fathom Realty Fathom Realty 08/01/20 $339,900 $310,000 601 28th Street Ocean 1966 Mobile Hom 2 Yes 48.5

Big Pine Key

Keller Williams Realty Premier Mark F. Peterson Lic Real Estate Broker

07/01/20 $65,000 $58,000 243 Horvath Rd N/A Lots 0 Yes 30

Based on information found in the Key West Association of Realtors® MLS from January 7th, 2020 to January 14th, 2020.

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