Need A Loan? Call Us ! 305-296-8535 KeysBank.com Kurt Ani Lori Brian Smith Lewin Madruga Bailey Barroso (305) (305) (305) (305) (305) 942-4821 304-4187 308-3210 304-6991 393-4669 NMLS#: 518207 NMLS#: 812476 NMLS#: 812674 NMLS#: 812459 NMLS#: 812460 Member FDICMember Equal Housing Lender WWW.KEYSNET.COM WEDNESDAY,MARCH 13, 2013 VOLUME 60, NO. 21 ● 25 CENTS CITIZENS WINDSTORM OUR SCHOOLS District responds to critical state audit $36 million construction loan on hand at the School state audit’s most serious Loan default to rebuild Horace O’Bryant District and remitted upon finding, referred to as “mate- challenged by Middle School in Key West. receipt of invoicing for the rial weakness.” The audit finding reads: funding dates,” Fowler The significant deficien- bank records “The district’s required wrote to Director of Finance cy reported by state auditors annual debt payment of Ken Gentile, “the School was found in “financial By SEAN KINNEY $2,117,647, due on Dec. 1, Board is in compliance with reporting procedures (that) [email protected] 2011, was made on Aug. 24, the payment terms of the tax could be improved to ensure 2012, or 267 days late.” certificate and no technical that transactions and note As Monroe County But, in what Super- event of default occurred.” disclosures are properly School District administra- intendent Mark Porter The most recent audit, cov- reported.” That’s viewed as a tors weigh their response to described as “great news,” ering the fiscal year that ended wholesale criticism of the a Florida Auditor General’s Fort Lauderdale-based U.S. on June 30, 2012, continues a district’s bookkeeping. Office preliminary financial Bank’s Corporate Trust four-year trend of numerous The School Board, meet- and operational audit, it Services Vice President Peter repeat findings, with the most ing in Key West after press appears at least one critical Fowler notified the district recent listing one “significant time Tuesday, was scheduled finding may be reversed. on March 4 that the problem deficiency,” 12 “additional to discuss Gentile’s audit State auditors, in a draft was with bond documents matters” and five “federal response, which outlines released Feb. 20, cited the and payment schedules. awards findings.” district for defaulting on a “Because the funds were The district escaped the ● See Audit, 3A Keynoter photo by RYAN McCARTHY SEAFOOD FEST The Lady Alexander condo complex in Marathon is facing a massive windstorm insurance premium hike - from $7,351 to $92,138 in one year. 1,300 percent rate hike has owners fuming re-inspection of the 40-year- Citizens raised old condo building, built in windstorm rates 1973, on July 30. ● Tempest received a bill after inspection on Sept. 5 indicating a premi- um hike for the remainder of By RYAN McCARTHY the term to $18,270. [email protected] Residents paid the $10,919 balance. Monroe County Com- ● The condo receives a missioner Heather Carruthers Citizens invoice on Feb. 8 used her two minutes before indicating a policy increase Gov. Rick Scott and the to $20,735 for April 2013 to Florida Cabinet to talk about April 2014. a 17-unit condo complex in ● Just 10 days later, Marathon. Citizens sent another bill It appears state officials increasing the premium to were listening: Carruthers - $92,138. also president of nonprofit Fair Tempest told the Keynoter Insurance Rates in Monroe - that the re-inspection took has scheduled conference calls away all the condo’s mitiga- tion credits, including for with Citizens Property Keynoter photo by RYAN McCARTHY Insurance Corp. and Scott’s shutters, concrete structure office to discuss the astronom- and the size of the nails used Volunteers prepare seafood dishes for the masses Sunday at the 37th Annual Original Marathon Seafood Festival ical windstorm insurance pre- to construct its roof. The Lady held at the Community Park.The weather was perfect and the crowds large for Marathon’s signature event. mium hike now facing resi- Alexander has made zero dents at the Lady Alexander insurance claims of any kind and other properties. since being built 40 years ago. CUDJOE KEY The state-run insurer of “We might as well have last resort has proposed hik- no shutters. They’re older ing the condo’s windstorm than they have standards for, premium from $7,351 in so they haven’t been subject- Fat Albert gets a lifeline 2012, to $92,138 in 2013. ed to standards of testing,” That’s a roughly 1,300 per- Tempest said of the hurricane Homeland Security. tions. U.S. Customs and Yuma. cent increase in one year. shutters on each unit. Radar blimps TARS comprises the bay- Border Protection and Joint From a prepared state- The rate hike is thanks to If not reversed, the premi- part of revamped side Cudjoe site and eight Interagency Task Force- ment released by Barber last Scott’s “depopulation” plan um hike would increase own- others situated along the South, the latter located in week: “These systems help aimed at drastically slashing ers’ monthly condo fee from border security Gulf of Mexico, Mexican Key West, employ data col- to secure our border by Citizens’ 1.3-million policy $475 to roughly $900. That’s border and Puerto Rico. lected by instruments about detecting ultralights and load. The plan includes a too much for many to bear, By SEAN KINNEY The surveillance program the airship. other low-flying aircraft ille- wide-ranging re-inspection she said. [email protected] is “capable of detecting low- U.S. Rep Ron Barber (D- gally entering our country program searching for safety Part-time resident Sonney altitude aircraft at the radar’s Ariz.) has spearheaded the carrying drugs.” deficiencies. Forrest has lived in Marathon Initially scheduled for a maximum range by mitigat- effort to save the program, “I am glad that the Following is a timeline for 10 years and owned a unit March 15 shutdown, the ing curvature of the Earth joining 15 colleagues in Department of Defense and according to documents pro- at the Lady Alexander for Cudjoe Key-based surveil- and terrain-masking limita- January asking Homeland the Department of Home- vided by the condo’s treasur- two. He said his wife plans to lance blimp Fat Albert will tions,” according to Air Security Secretary Janet land Security have agreed er Marilyn Tempest: retire soon and they intended stay operational until Sept. Force literature from the Napolitano and then-Defense with me that this system of ● Citizens billed the Lady to live in the Keys full-time. 30 as federal lawmakers bro- Langley, Va.-based Air Secretary Leon Panetta to radar blimps stationed along Alexander $7,351 in “If I have to pay to cover ker a transfer of the Tethered Combat Command. work on a solution. our nation’s southern border February 2012 for April 2012 the insurance increase, plus Aerostat Radar Systems pro- The Cudjoe Key aero- There are two TARS is an essential component of through April 2013. gram from U.S. Air Force stat’s primary mission is to sites in Arizona, one at Fort ● Citizens performed its ● See Citizens, 3A control to the Department of support counter-drug opera- Huachuca and the other at ● See Blimp, 3A INDEX Printed on 100% Classifieds . .6B recycled newsprint Threatened Sad news Living . .3B A savings account has CONTENTS © 2013 again Business . .5A KEYNOTER PUBLISHING CO. been set up to help A red tide event in the Obituaries . .2A the family of Austin Gulf has been killing Alward, 2, killed early Opinion . .4A manatees and this algae Tuesday when struck by Sports/Outdoors . .1B bloom appears headed a car on U.S. 1, 2A. to the Keys, 2A. Crossword . .4B 7786790 22222 2A Wednesday, March 13, 2013 KeysNet.com Keynoter NEWS BRIEFS BOCA CHICA FIELD Man charged with sexual battery Restoration costing upwards of $25M A 62-year-old Big Pine Navy making 2012, the first phase - mitiga- The mitigation encom- around Boca Chica among some 55,000 countywide prop- resident has been charged tion - has been completed at passes 900 acres of wetlands other Monroe County habi- erties on a list prohibiting with sexual battery on a 23- improvements a cost of about $25 million, and surface waters on Navy- tats; the Navy is planting Federal Emergency Manage- year-old woman. according to NAS Key West owned property on Boca “high salt marsh vegeta- ment Agency insurance. The victim told Major to runways spokeswoman Trice Denny. Chica, Geiger Key, Rockland tion...to provide habitat.” That was settled in 2010 Crimes Detective Deb Ryan Now work is focused on Key and Big Coppit Key. The construction, permit- and Keys home and property that the suspect, Lazaro By SEAN KINNEY improvements to the end of The current work being ted by the Florida Department owners are slowly being Tapia, is a family friend. She [email protected] runways on Boca Chica, led by NAS Key West’s of Environmental Protection removed from the list mak- said he gave her a ride the home to rotating crews of Public Works Department is and the U.S. Army Corps of ing them once again eligible night of March 2 to find a Evidenced by the fleet of aviators brought to the Keys to “remove the mangroves at Engineers, is set for a 2014 for federally subsidized friend of hers. dump trucks hauling fill for training, particularly air- the end of the runways and completion. flood insurance. When they couldn’t find down U.S. 1 to Naval Air craft carrier landing practice. replace them with low-lying The Lower Keys marsh rab- The other animals named the victim’s friend, Tapia Station Key West’s Boca “Half of the $50 million marsh grass, which will bit and eight other protected in the lawsuit are the eastern asked her to come see his Chica Field, work is well went toward mitigation,” keep the bunnies happy and species were the subject of a Indigo snake, Key deer, Key new apartment.