3 Days to Fine dining Historic find Marathon gets a new upscale A Key Largo-based group lays claim to restaurant, as the Plaza Grill opens finding a sunken British World War II FREE its doors. Story, 7A submarine. Story, 5A JanuaryBayview 14 Park th WWW.KEYSNET.COM WEDNESDAY,JANUARY 11, 2012 VOLUME 59, NO. 3 ● 25 CENTS FLOOD INSURANCE FEMA probation cost: $896,900 By RYAN McCARTHY Friday, the agency plans Policy holders in unincorporated ment program is non-com- erty owners to put pressure [email protected] to formally tell the county pliant with NFIP criteria,” on their county commis- it’s on probation in the pro- Monroe will have to pay $50 fee Olsen said. “The probation sion,” Chief Assistant Nearly 18,000 Monroe gram come May 10. surcharge funds go into the County Attorney Bob County policy holders in the For the 17,938 policy al. That totals $896,900. one year from the effective National Flood Insurance Shillinger said. National Flood Insurance holders in unincorporated FEMA spokeswoman date of probation.” Fund. The funds help offset The dispute revolves Program could be on the Monroe — policy holders in Mary Olsen said the $50 Where does that $50 go? the extra administrative around FEMA mandating hook for nearly $900,000 the municipalities aren’t would “be added to the pre- “The probation surcharge costs of FEMA having to the county determine combined in penalties if a affected — the most imme- mium of every new or helps highlight to the com- initiate and administer the whether some 50,000 Federal Emergency diate affect will be having to renewed flood insurance munity and flood insurance probationary action.” parcels of land contain Management Agency threat pay an extra $50 when their policy sold within the coun- policy holders that the com- “I think it’s FEMA’s way becomes reality Thursday. policies come up for renew- ty for a period of no less than munity’s floodplain manage- of trying to encourage prop- ● See FEMA, 2A MARATHON KEYSWIDE RELAY Asbestos, mold discovered in courthouse house, library, city hall, Neugent: Knock Sheriff’s Office substation and it down, build county Tax Collector’s Office. “Presently, what we’re new complex doing is a Band-Aid approach as opposed to a By RYAN McCARTHY proper procedure to deal with [email protected] this in a comprehensive way. Money could clearly be the The discovery of mold and limiting factor here. But asbestos during a routine when I look at the need and rehab project at the Marathon the asbestos problem ... my courthouse last month has one thoughts are let’s talk about Monroe County commission- razing the whole area, includ- er envisioning a fresh start at ing the sheriff’s station, and the mile marker 48.5 building. build a complex,” he said. Commissioner George Monroe County put a halt Neugent says with the cost to to the $907,000 courthouse remove asbestos-containing renovation on Dec. 27 after materials from the county asbestos was discovered on courthouse estimated at the main courthouse’s ceil- $165,000, the county should ing. The county has budgeted consider “razing and starting $529,600 for the project, from scratch if we can find while the 16th Judicial Runners in the Ragnar Relay the money.” Circuit budgeted 400,000. Florida Keys make their way In an e-mail to other coun- “We had just started the down to Key West from Key ty officials, Neugent suggests demolition of the interior of Biscayne.This was on collaborating with the city of the courthouse and that’s Saturday, the second day Marathon on a new building of the 199-mile trek.The that could serve as a court- ● See Courthouse, 3A relay, which drew teams comprising more than 3,600 OUR SCHOOLS runners along with their support crews, clogged U.S. 1, with motorists from School-bus ads Key Largo to Key West complaining about massive traffic delays caused by the pass 1st hurdle event. Not complaining were Key West hotels and Prohibited by the bill, restaurants, which got a Monroe board sponsored by Sen. Bill members cool Montford (D-Tallahassee), weekend boon from would be ads for alcohol and the event. to the idea tobacco, sexual material, anything that distracts from Photos courtesy RAGNAR RELAY By SEAN KINNEY safety equipment, political [email protected] ads and messages that could be discriminatory. INVASIVE SPECIES As school districts across Monroe County School Florida continue to tighten Board member Robin Smith- their belts, lawmakers in Martin, who has two school- Tallahassee are looking to age children, said he has New study: Pythons can swim to the Keys provide relief through uncon- “mixed feelings” about the The unwanted snakes — pythons’ ability to expand imens up to 10 feet have ventional means. proposal. Saltwater not South Florida’s poster reptile their range beyond the been found in the Keys. In a 4-2 vote on Monday, “I feel like we’re so inun- a deterrent to for the dangers of exotic pets Everglades,” said lead One of the first pythons the state Senate Education dated with commerciality — apparently have the abili- researcher Kristen Hart, a discovered in the protected Committee passed Senate that kids need to focus more migration south ty to swim across Florida USGS ecologist. “Unfortun- hammocks of North Key Bill 344. It would allow on school,” he said. Bay from the Everglades. ately, our results suggest salt- Largo was found in 2007 school districts to sell adver- Board Vice Chairman By KEVIN WADLOW The study conducted by water alone cannot act as a when it swallowed an endan- tising space on the sides of Andy Griffiths said the con- Senior Staff Writer researchers with the U.S. reliable barrier to the Ever- gered Key Largo woodrat their buses, putting 50 per- cept is distracting: “We’ve [email protected] Geological Survey shows glades python population.” that was tagged with a radio cent of revenue back into got serious problems here pythons can tolerate saltwa- That means the big tracker. The radio tracker their transportation budgets, and we’re getting bogged All of the Burmese ter for limited periods, likely snakes may invade nearby was inside the snake. with the other 50 percent split down in this debate about pythons found in the Florida long enough to swim to new islands — such the Florida In November, a 7-foot evenly between discretionary advertising on buses?” Keys may not have been territory. Keys, she said. python startled German budgets and investment released pets, a new study “It was hoped that saltwa- Pythons can grow to accounts. ● See Ads, 3A says. ter would naturally hinder more than 12 feet long; spec- ● See Pythons, 2A INDEX Printed on 100% Classifieds . .4B recycled Still in the newsprint Fishing the Living . .3B CONTENTS © 2011 win column Business . .7A KEYNOTER PUBLISHING CO. Florida Keys The basketball Conchs Obituaries . .2A The Gulf Stream is moving of Key West High stay in, meaning the sailfish Opinion . .6A undefeated by beating bite is really heating up. Ransom’s Raiders. Sports/Outdoors . .1B Captain’s column, 1B Story, 1B Crossword . .5A 7786790 22222 2A Wednesday, January 11, 2012 KeysNet.com Keynoter NEWS BRIEFS Saltwater no problem SOUTH FLORIDA ENVIRONMENT Saunders: End From Pythons, 1A make their way in saltwa- said. “The fact that this GOP partisanship ter, the USGS team con- study has ruled out one of tourists walking to their car ducted an experiment using the most hoped-for forms State Rep. Ron Saunders at a Key Colony Beach res- python hatchlings taken of physical barriers, saltwa- of Key West on Tuesday idence. from the Everglades, where ter, as preventing the spread delivered the Democrats’ “We don’t keep track of the species has taken hold of invasive pythons in response to GOP Gov. Rick numbers but we’ve been amid the freshwater and Florida puts even more Scott’s opening remarks for called out numerous times brackish wetlands. onus on human action to the 2012 legislative session, for pythons,” said Florida Young snakes exposed prevent the spread of these and didn’t hold back the crit- Fish and Wildlife to nothing but saltwater damaging reptiles.” icism. Conservation Commission survived for a month. An agency spokes- “In last year’s legislative Officer Bobby Dube, an Those with access to brack- woman said there is no evi- session,” Saunders said “our agency spokesman in ish water survived up to dence that pythons have Republican colleagues who Monroe County. five months. established a breeding pop- control the Florida House That pythons occasion- Researchers said it ulation in the Keys. spent more time advancing ally turn up in the Keys appears larger snakes, Florida lawmakers in their political agenda than cannot be disputed. which have access to rain- 2007 tightened regulations fixing problems in our However, how the big water to drink, “could per- for people who want to own state’s economy. House snakes get here remains an sist even longer in saltwater pythons. Previously, young Democrats believe that the open question. Were they environments.” pythons could be bought Legislature should spend all released or escaped pets “This study demon- cheaply at pet stores. less time protecting a parti- — or did some reach the strates the distinct possibil- From 2000 to 2010, san political advantage and Keys on their own? ity that pythons could Everglades National Park spend more time protecting “Reptiles, in general, spread to new suitable staff reports nearly 1,700 and expanding Florida’s have poor salinity toler- habitats one estuary at a pythons were removed middle class.” ance,” Hart said.