Card Sound Water Access Gone by DAVID GOODHUE Access Points Near Card Sheriff Cites Crowds’ Rowdiness, in the Bunch
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KEY LARGO 305.451.5700 make. MARATHON 305.743.4397 home. KEY WEST stylish. 305.295.6400 keysfurniture.com WWW.KEYSINFONET.COM SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 2014 VOLUME 61, NO. 30 G 25 CENTS NORTH KEY LARGO Card Sound water access gone By DAVID GOODHUE access points near Card Sheriff cites crowds’ rowdiness, in the bunch. If they had not Monroe County Sheriff’s [email protected] Sound Bridge are now for the come down here and screwed Office spokeswoman Deputy most part off limits. graffiti and trash as the reason it up, nobody would have Becky Herrin called the Card Those wanting to launch a The nearest place for ever cared,” Murphy said. “It Sound area “a hot spot for boat or personal watercraft someone to put his or her Road spots because exces- is also known for drunken gets worse and worse with trouble.” She said deputies from anywhere on the Monroe boat in the water for free in sive weekend parties left the fights, loud music and dan- every passing week.” were frequently called there to County side of Card Sound Monroe County is now about area littered with trash, beer gerous personal-watercraft None of the five small respond to fights, traffic inci- Road must look elsewhere. 40 miles south at the Indian bottles and cans and other drivers. She said the majority bridges that span Card Sound dents and other disturbances. Using Jersey barriers, Key fill ramp at mile marker debris, as well as spray- of people who play there are Road, which are popular fish- Herrin said “Jet Ski boulders and “No Trespass” 79 in Islamorada. painted graffiti. from Miami-Dade County. ing spots, will close, Murphy Beach” and the other three signs, areas like the popular County officials said they Monroe County Mayor “On the weekends, there’s said. “They can fish til their “Jet Ski beach” and other closed the four Card Sound Silvia Murphy said the area not a Monroe County resident heart’s content,” she said. See Card Sound, 3A THE TRAVELING WALL KEY WEST Family sues police over man’s death Birch Run, Mich., on North Eimers claim Roosevelt Boulevard. Police asphyxiation say he pulled away from the stop, drove through Old by officers Town and stopped his P.T. Cruiser at South Beach at the By SEAN KINNEY Atlantic end of Duval Street. [email protected] When he got out of his car, police took him down to The family of Charles his stomach and handcuffed Eimers, who died after Key him. They saw he “began West police pulled him over turning blue,” according to in a traffic stop, has sued the numerous reports. city and 12 police officers Eimers was taken off life for what it claims is a support at Lower Keys wrongful death due to exces- Medical Center on Dec. 4. sive force. In the lawsuit, the Eimers The law firm of Horan, family says “it is grossly Wallace and Higgins filed apparent that the defendants the suit Friday in U.S. asphyxiated Charles Eimers by District Court. forcing his face into the sand, On Thanksgiving, police Retired U.S. Army Capt. Jim Anson (right) pulled over Eimers, 61, of See Lawsuit, 2A stands in front of the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall during a dedication MARATHON ceremony for the wall’s visit Friday to the Key Largo Community Park, mile marker 100. Anson was in the first class of the Special Forces and received his green beret from President Kennedy. Rev. Thomas Graf (above), pastor of St. James the Fisherman Episcopal Church, leads a prayer during the dedication ceremony. The wall is based in Brevard County, where it was created by the Vietnam and All Veterans of Brevard. It’s a three-fifths scale model of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. It’s open for viewing in Key Largo from 9 a.m. Keynoter photo by RYAN McCARTHY to 9 p.m. today and Sunday; a closing ceremony is planned for Monday at 6 p.m. These are among the luxury houses inside the Marlin Bay From Key Largo, it heads to Melbourne. Yacht Club on Louisa Street in Marathon. Developer Ronald Brittian purchased the site in 2011 and hopes to Photos by DAVID GOODHUE begin selling property there in the next two weeks. MARATHON Marlin Bay plans Dog owners feel targeted by police emerge from bust Development Brittian is chief executive Warnings given As many as 20 frequent civilly, and essentially said years and never encountered officer of Palm Hill, a Stuart- park visitors showed up to we didn’t have to leave but the Sheriff’s Office there. was symbol of based company that owns the day after Tuesday’s City Council had to put our dogs on leash- “We show up with 20 properties in numerous meeting protesting the possi- es,” Mike Pinton said. “We people and 13 spoke and the housing crash states. It purchased Marlin council session bility of a fenced-in area that all kind of had the same feel- next day the police show Bay in November 2011 for would limit their animals’ ing that it’s kind of hard to up,” he said. By RYAN McCARTHY $15 million. By RYAN McCARTHY ability to run and exercise. play fetch when your dog is Thompson couldn’t be [email protected] “We’re hoping to have a [email protected] The next day, Sheriff’s on a leash.” reached for comment, but soft opening in approximate- Office Capt. Gene Pinto said that rather than interim City Manager Mike The Marlin Bay Yacht ly two weeks,” Brittian said. Longtime users of the Thompson went to the park, leash their animals, they all Puto said city officials didn’t Club, one of the biggest and In 2004, developer L.M. unofficial dog park behind called Oceanfront Park, and left. He said many questioned direct Thompson to enforce best-known poster children Sandler and Sons evicted 80 Marathon City Hall found reportedly told about 15 peo- the visit coming one day after the leash law. for the Florida Keys housing RV and mobile-home resi- the timing curious at best ple their dogs are required to the group spoke out against Nearly half the speakers bust in the late 2000s, is just dents from the 13.8-acre Wednesday of a Sheriff’s be leashed on the city-owned the fence, adding that he’s Tuesday were neighbors and about back in business, Louisa Street site to make Office visit there to enforce waterfront property. been using the park “pretty according to developer the city leash law. “He showed up, very much every day” for five See Dogs, 3A Ronald Brittian. See Marlin Bay, 3A INDEX Printed on 100% Classifieds . .7B recycled newsprint Zecca Living . .2B CONTENTS © 2014 postponed In L’Attitudes KEYNOTER PUBLISHING CO. Business . .5A Dennis Zecca, who ‘Souvenir’ is a funny, but touching, play about a truly Opinion . .4A admitted trying to hire a hitman to kill a Marathon horrible but dedicated Sports/Outdoors . .1B man, has his sentencing soprano. Story, 4B delayed again. Story, 2A Crossword . .6B 7786790 22222 2A Saturday, April 12, 2014 KeysInfoNet.com Keynoter NEWS BRIEFS IN THE COURTS LaTorre scheduled for Friday release Another delay for Zecca sentencing After serving more than now sched- manding officer of Coast firearm to a convicted felon. Federal authorities say three years in state prison for He admitted uled for Guard Station Islamorada, After 26 years with the the murder plot had “associ- paralyzing a woman while he hired man sentencing admitted in federal court in Coast Guard culminating ates and co-conspirators in driving drunk, a former direc- before U.S. November that he tried to with his Islamorada post, this offense” but have not tor of Monroe County Social to kill Schmitt District hire a hitman to kill Zecca became part-owner said who they are. That Services is scheduled for Court Judge Marathon Realtor Bruce of the Marathon Marina information could come out release this coming Friday. Keynoter Staff JoseSchmitt (he was not injured). and Boatyard. at sentencing. In 2008, a jury convicted Martinez at The hired gun turned out to He was arrested Dec. 21, Zecca was arrested A former U.S. Coast 1:30 p.m. be a federal informant. 2012, for attempting to pay after the informant, who Louise LaTorre, 66, of drunk ZECCA driving- Guard commanding officer July 2 in In return for his guilty an employee — a federal was wearing a wire for the causing bod- who admitted to trying to Courtroom 1 at 301 plea to murder for hire, the informant who is a convict- feds, showed Zecca a doc- ily harm. hire a hitman to kill a Middle Simonton St., Key West. U.S. Attorney’s Office ed felon — $20,000 or a tored photo of Schmitt Monroe Keys Realtor has had his The sentencing was pre- dropped charges of conspira- kilo of cocaine to murder lying in a pool of blood County sentencing pushed back a viously set for Monday cy to possess with intent to Schmitt. No one has ever and as Zecca was going to Circuit second time. morning. Before that, it was distribute cocaine, attempt to said what the incentive get $5,000 of the $20,000 Court Judge Dennis Zecca, facing 10 set for March 25. possess with intent to distrib- was, and Schmitt says he payment for the hit. Luis Garcia years in federal prison, is Zecca, a former com- ute cocaine, and transfer of a has no idea. sent him to LaTORRE prison in June 2011, fed up with what IN THE COURTS OUR FISHERIES prosecutors called LaTorre’s baseless appeals.