NIGHT WATCH RENT BATTLE The Studios of Key West’s board seeks Traps set to capture giant Gambian pouch reprieve on rent hike for The Armory, negoti- rats on Grassy Key have been catching some ating with the Historic Florida Keys interesting interlopers. See story, 3A. Foundation. See story, 2A. WWW.KEYSNET.COM WEDNESDAY,APRIL 18 , 2012 VOLUME 59, NO. 31 ● 25 CENTS ISLAMORADA Council open to sewer district By DAVID GOODHUE told council members that his Governor approves $50M for Keys process regarding wastewater. Makepeace said he would [email protected] colleagues came to the con- But Councilmen Don make a report on the benefits clusion that forming an inde- wastewater projects. See story, 6A Achenberg, Dave Purdo and of creating a wastewater dis- Most of the five members pendent district would be the Vice Mayor Ken Philipson trict at the May 10 Village of the Islamorada Village best way to address the vil- plants. Blackburn said creat- attention, Blackburn said. said they are willing to con- Council meeting. Council said they are willing lage’s wastewater needs. ing the district will give “There’s no way we can sider the proposal. to consider forming an inde- Councilman Ted Blackburn Islamorada more of a seat at discuss wastewater and what- “I am in the middle, but I Legal settlement pendent wastewater treatment agreed. Islamorada will be the table with Key Largo ever else is going on in the would like to discuss it fur- The Village Council last district similar to Key Largo’s. sending its wastewater to the going forward. village,” he said. ther,” Achenberg said. Thursday also agreed on a At last Thursday’s meet- Key Largo Wastewater An independent district in Mayor Michael Reckwerdt “I am not against [an inde- settlement with Jacksonville- ing, David Makepeace, chair Treatment District’s facility at Islamorada would also free said he was against the idea pendent wastewater district] based WPC Industrial Con- of the Citizens Water Quality mile marker 100.5 instead of up the Village Council to dis- because he feels the council if it is presented to us in the Improvement Committee, building its own treatment cuss other matters that need should remain in the decision right way,” Purdo said. ● See Sewers, 3A ELECTIONS 2012 MARATHON MAGIC Crowded candidate field draws Property Appraiser Karl Hometown PAC Borglum, Tax Collector event was first Danise Henriquez, District 3 County Commissioner in busy 2012 Heather Carruthers or Judge Wayne Miller. By SEAN KINNEY Republican Mark Kohl, a [email protected] former state attorney who wants the job back, didn’t Florida Keys residents show up at the Monday night turned out in droves on session. State Attorney Monday afternoon to meet Dennis Ward, a Democrat, the huge spate of political reaffirmed his promise to candidates running for office fight public corruption, while in the Aug. 16, primary and his Democratic challenger Nov. 6, general election. Catherine Vogel touted her During the annual call to years of trial experience. candidates event hosted by Danny Kolhage, currently Hometown! Political Action the elected Clerk of the Committee, aspiring politi- Court, has yet to draw a chal- cos, both filed and prospec- lenger in his bid to represent tive, were given two minutes District 1 on the County to introduce themselves and Commission, a seat being lay out policy goals. vacated by Commissioner Although qualifying peri- Kim Wigington who decided od ends on June 16, it appears not to seek re-election. a number of races will be Four candidates have decided in the primary; no lined up to contest the county one has filed to challenge incumbents Monroe County ● See Candidates, 2A TEBOW TIME? Runners in last year’s Seven Mile Bridge Run, which draws 1,500 avid race enthusiasts to Marathon’s signature sporting event.This year marks 31 years for this popular over-the-sea run. See story, 5A. OUR SCHOOLS Athlete-scholar wins recognition her high school career. country, soccer and tennis has a chance to earn another Marina Wiatt Wiatt was recognized last teams. $3,000 by being named picked for year as a finalist for the pres- Wiatt is one of just 12 scholar-athlete of the year at tigious National Merit female student-athletes named the FHSAA academic all- state’s top 12 Scholarship Program. She to the 2012 Florida High state awards banquet in June. earned a $5,000 scholarship School Athletic Association “I’m very proud, and By RYAN McCARTHY over four years that she’ll Ronald N. Davis Academic she’s really finished up a Tim Tebow celebrates with Denver teammates and [email protected] put to use at the University All-State Team. It recognizes very stellar high school fans after the AFC West championship game, a of Florida, starting this fall. graduating seniors for career and we’re looking Marathon High School And this past Friday excelling in both athletics and forward to her moving on to come-from-behind victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, 29- senior Marina Kay Wiatt has Wiatt received word she’ll academics. the next step,” Wiatt’s moth- 23 in overtime. A Florida donor has reportedly bid excelled in the classroom be recognized for her athlet- According to the FHSAA er, Katrina, said. $100,000 for Tebow to spend a day in the Florida Keys on a and on various playing ic achievements as a mem- website, each member charity drive. See story, 4A. fields, courts and courses in ber of the Dolphins’ cross- receives a $1,000 award and ● See Wiatt, 2A INDEX Printed on 100% Classifieds . .5B recycled newsprint Living . .3B DIVER DOWN CONTENTS © 2012 Business . .7A KEYNOTER PUBLISHING CO. Key West’s Andy Perez’s dive Obituaries . .2A for home plate delivers the winning run as Conch beat Opinion . .6A Doral in 5-4 photo-finish. Sports/Outdoors . .1B See story, 1B. Crossword . .4A 7786790 22222 2A Wednesday, April 18, 2012 KeysNet.com Keynoter NEWS BRIEFS KEY WEST Motorcyclist dies Sunday on U.S. 1 Familiar names surface A motorcycle crash on Card Sound Road killed the for manager search operator Sunday morning. Damion Dunn, 30, was rid- Avael III is the president to renew his contract, which ing his 2009 Ducati Monster Final tally of Miami-based Non- expires on July 1. motorcycle south from Florida of resumes Violence Project USA Inc., a Two other familiar faces City toward North Key Largo, case management and men- in the Florida Keys have according to the Miami-Dade stands at 79 tal health organization. In applied to replace Scholl: Police Department. Key West, he worked as a Bernard Lapira, the village The single-vehicle crash By SEAN KINNEY sales associate and trainer manager in Islamorada from occurred around 10:15 a.m., [email protected] for Historic Tours of 2003 to 2006, who now lives about 11 miles south of the America from 1998 to 2000. now in Old Fort, N.C.; and Card Sound-U.S. 1 intersec- With receipt of a final Also among the latest Ken Davis, an Islamorada- tion in Florida City while batch of applications on round of applicants is based Department of Defense Dunn was riding with a Friday, there are now 79 Margaret Romero, a native contractor, who spent time on group of motorcycles. candidates vying to become Conch who unsuccessfully the ground in Iraq and ran “The victim was traveling the next Key West city man- challenged Mayor Craig unsuccessfully for Monroe at a high rate of speed, failed to ager, included among them Cates in the Oct. 2011 city- County sheriff in 2008. negotiate a curve in the road- Julio Avael III, whose name- wide election and is a regu- A seven-member search way and struck a guardrail,” sake father held the post for lar during public comment committee appointed by the according to a Miami-Dade more than a decade. portions of commission and Key West City Commission Police report. The elder Avael, who Monroe County School will winnow the list to four Dunn was dead when res- unsuccessfully ran for the Board meetings. or five finalists by May 17. Photo courtesy Cindy Durkin Bull cue units reached the crash District 3 Key West City Romero, now retired, On June 1, there’s a Marathon High School senior Marina Kay Wiatt is one of scene. Commission seat won by worked professionally as an planned public reception for Dunn’s hometown was Commissioner Tony Yaniz, executive consultant for the candidates, followed by 12 female student-athletes named to the 2012 Florida not available at press time. held the post for 11 years IBM. interviews with the City High School Athletic Association Ronald N. Davis ending in 2007, when cur- Scholl, who earns Commission on June 2 and Academic All-State Team. rent City Manager Jim $180,000 per year, announced selection at a special com- KEYS WEATHER Scholl came on board. in January he would not seek mission meeting on June 4. Scholar wins PREDICTED TEMPERATURES KEY WEST DAY HIGH LOW WED. 86 75 top accolades THURS. 86 75 Impasse over Studios’ rent From Wiatt, 1A legs to play there. You have FRI. 86 75 to be in good shape to do that SAT. 86 75 Official says Lease rates varied Wiatt told the Keynoter the way we play.” negotiations The Studios of Key West, occupying the historic she filled out an application Tennis coach Chris Bull Forecast: Expect partly armory at 600 White St.,has a 10-year lease for the build- for the award long ago, but is a friend of the family and cloudy skies with a slight have stalled ing,which is owned by the state of Florida and managed only now received word she has known Wiatt for nearly chance of showers.