WWW.KEYSINFONET.COM SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2013 VOLUME 60, NO. 100 G 25 CENTS ISLAMORADA Village approves Publix By DAVID GOODHUE essary commercial square It’s the first chain store going in than $1 million do defend. ers stopped letting people [email protected] footage from the village, it Councilman David Purdo inside. The one issue alone would be the first retail since big-box lawsuit was struck said at Thursday’s council was debated by residents and Publix received preliminary chain supermarket built in meeting that he feels that rul- attorneys on both sides for approval from Islamorada’s incorporated Islamorada’s lawsuit, developers of a pro- Circuit Court of Appeals ing opened the door to busi- more than five hours. Village Council Thursday 15-year history. posed Walgreens drug store at judge ruled that Islamorada nesses like Publix. Most speaking against the night to build a 28,000-square- The affirmative vote on mile marker 82 were denied already had chain stores like About 100 people packed project said they think Publix, foot supermarket on Upper Publix’s site plan is arguably because of the so-called “for- Ace Hardware and Eckerd’s into Islamorada’s Village Hall planned for a site at mile mark- Matecumbe Key. the partial result of a federal mula retail” ordinance. Drugs Store (now CVS), so at Founders Park to either er 82.5 bayside, is a quality If the store makes it past a court’s 2008 ruling against a The law’s purpose was to basically, there was no small- support or protest the pro- company but think the project series of regulatory steps, 2002 village law designed to protect the village’s small- town character to protect. The posed store. Turnout was so including receiving the nec- keep chain stores out. In that town character. But an 11th lawsuit cost the village more high that Islamorada firefight- See Publix, 3A KEY WEST UPPER KEYS ‘Tears of joy’ for new trike impressed by her determina- It replaces tion to live independently. one stolen from “I said, ‘Are you kidding me. Someone stole that woman with polio woman’s bike that we see rid- ing up and down the street By DAVID GOODHUE every day,’ “ Murphy said. “I [email protected] was pissed. That was her free- dom, and someone stole it from Sylvia Napoles relies on her her in the middle of the night.” adult tricycle for transportation Murphy gave Lloren an and exercise. She’s owned it order. “Wait here 15 minutes.” for the past seven years. He drove his truck north The 53-year-old Islamorada about two miles to Key woman has polio and is men- Largo Bicycle and Adventure tally challenged. When her Tours, which rents and sells trike was stolen from the front bikes and organizes Keys - yard of her Orange Lane house wide bicycle tours. earlier this week, her brother “I asked Joey [owner Joe Miguel Lloren was furious and Biondoletti], ‘Do you have any went on a mission to get it three-wheel bikes?’ He said he back. His sister was distraught, had one left,” Murphy said. “hysterical really,” and Lloren After Murphy told wanted to make it better. Biondoletti why he wanted to He hopped on his bike and buy the trike, Biondoletti Among the scheduled events for SantaCon Key West today is to see how many Santas can fit into the World’s went around the area telling his sold it to him at cost. He Smallest Bar on Duval Street. The 2012 record is 42. neighbors that his sister’s trike made no profit from the sale. was stolen and asked them to The trike retailed for more be on the lookout for it. than $400 and Biondoletti One of the people Lloren sold it to Murphy for $320. Santa takes over Key West ran into that day was Michael Biondoletti said he J. Murphy, owner of All knows Napoles and her fam- SantaCon travels crawl with participants Ireland. Kringle said last Bill, 624 Duval, for “Santa Tropical Construction. He ily and was glad to help any urged to dress as Santa or year’s Key West SantaCon bull riding, which is worth the was inspecting a sewer later- way he could. through city’s one of his support staff (Mrs. boasted around 250 Santas price of admission,” although al line his crew was digging “Like everyone else in Claus, elves, reindeer, etc.). and he expects the crowd to there isn’t one. on Canal Street, by Coral this community, we like to streets today Contacted through online grow today. The original event was Shores High School. Lloren help out when we can,” social media, the local event The event kicks off at 6 put on by the San Francisco By SEAN KINNEY asked Murphy and his men if Biondoletti said. organizer would only identi- p.m. at the Conch Republic Cacophony Society and has they saw anyone riding Murphy drove back to the [email protected] fy himself as Kris Kringle. Seafood Co., 631 Greene St., spread around the globe. around on the trike. construction site and picked up “Five years ago a bunch then at 7 p.m. moves to the Organized through www Murphy was outraged that Lloren, who noticed the trike Key West joins more than of people got together and World’s Smallest Bar, 124 .santaconinfo.com, there someone would take the trike. in the bed of the pickup truck. 300 other cities in 44 coun- started doing it,” Kringle Duval St. are a number of suggested He had seen Napoles riding tries today in hosting a said. “It’s a bar crawl for “The goal of that stop is rules, foremost: “Santa does by almost daily and was See Trike, 2A SantaCon event, the first of absolutely no reason. It’s not to see how many Santas you not make children cry.” which was held in San a fundraiser for anything. can get into the bar,” Kringle More about Key West Francisco, Calif., in 1994. We just have a great time said. “Last year it was 42.” SantaCon, including a SantaCon Key West, and people really enjoy it.” At 8 p.m., the group schedule and suggested organized on FaceBook, is in In 2007, more than moves to the numerous bars rules, is available on its fifth year and is essential- 13,000 Santas descended on around Caroline and Duval Facebook; search “SantaCon ly a Christmas-themed bar a charity event in Ulster, streets and ends up at Cowboy The Red Tide Returns.” MIDDLE KEYS Marathon pilot Agnew dies at age 86 Germans below sea level.” days to look for an expected He helped four make a dar- Agnew often was seen passenger ship. When they East Germans ing 1980 carrying a heavy video cam- spotted it en route to Cuba, a defec tion era to record newsworthy chartered boat was alerted in defection at sea. events, from crashes that and headed out to deep water Richard closed bridges to prestigious to tag alongside the ship. By KEVIN WADLOW K. Agnew, fishing tournaments. The East German then Senior Staff Writer better He worked on a freelance jumped from ship to make [email protected] known as contract with just about the rendezvous. Three other AGNEW Ken, died every network-affiliated tel- East Germans aboard saw During his years as a fix- Monday at his Marathon home evision station in Miami, so what was happening and ture at Marathon’s airport, after a long illness. He was 86. his aerial and ground pho- made a split-second decision commercial pilot Ken Agnew “Ken was a down-to- tography occasionally to leap, joining the escape. shot video of Florida Keys earth guy who loved to fly,” wound up on national news. All were recovered from Photo by MIGUEL LLOREN road crashes and boat races, said Mike Puto, a friend of In November 1970, he the water safely and taken to taught pilots how to make 40 years. “He was very safe- flew the brother of a hopeful Key West. Agnew filmed the Michael Murphy stands with Sylvia Napoles, who is sitting night landings on a dark run- ty conscious but sometimes East German defector over on an adult tricycle Murphy bought for her after hers way — and helped four East it seemed like he was flying the Florida Straits for several See Agnew, 3A was stolen. INDEX Printed on 100% Classifieds . .6B recycled newsprint Living . .2B Pelican killer Ripley’s CONTENTS © 2013 Business . .7B KEYNOTER PUBLISHING CO. still on loose wants you Obituaries . .2A How weird is your stuff? Lower Keys brown pelicans The weirder, the better, Opinion . .6B are being found with their says Ripley’s, which is in a pouches slashed. Story, 4A Sports/Outdoors . .1B buying mode. Story, 7A Crossword . .2B 7786790 22222 2A Saturday, December 14, 2013 KeysInfoNet.com Keynoter NEWS BRIEFS MARATHON Cops still looking for sex abuser Hernstadt scheduled Key West police continue seeking the public’s help in catching a man who sexually for Marco job interview battered a 17-year-old Key how many man of the Marco council, said West girl Tuesday. POOLE City manager of its man- he attempted to meet with The victim was Allan Pace Poole , 76, ager finalists Hernstadt prior to that council approached about 7 p.m. as of Marathon. Fl, formerly from is looking west Mechanicsville, MD Passed it will inter- meeting but that Hernstadt told she walked along South away on November 30, 2013 in view when it him he was uncomfortable Roosevelt Boulevard near to new position Marathon, FL.