Congrats to the conference champs, the Coral Shores varsity softball team! P. COMMUNITY39 NEWS 11¢ NEW JOINT Elegant waterfront dining at Islamorada restaurant | P. 20 JAZZ LEGEND Multi-instrumentalist set for another Keys performance | P. 12 Scenes from home game against Palmer Trinity | P. 30 2 UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / APRIL 25, 2019 End of Season CLEARANCE SALE UP TO Going on Now! % OFF 75 SUGGESTED RETAIL EVERY DEPARTMENT KEY LARGO MARATHON KEY WEST 305-451-5700 305-743-4397 305-295-6400 MM 99 Median MM 50 Oceanside Searstown by Publix www.RoyalFurnitureAndDesign.com UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / APRIL 25, 2019 3 Parade of Homes FRIDAY, APRIL 26TH | 1 PM TO 4 PM 355 Sound Drive. Key Largo 105 La Paloma Road, Key Largo 244 S Ocean Shores Drive, Key Largo 45 Mutiny Place, Key Largo 128 Dove Avenue, Tavernier 199 Camelot Drive, Key Largo 142 Dubonnet Road, Tavernier 181 N Airport Road, Plantation Key 114 Azalea Street, Plantation Key 88181 Old Hwy, Unit 2E, Plantation Key 88181 Old Hwy, Unit 1F, Plantation Key 240 Treasure Harbor Road, Plantation Key 79901 Overseas Hwy, Unit 416, Islamorada 77521 Overseas Hwy #5, Lower Matecumbe 140 Atlantic Lane, Lower Matecumbe 75040 Overseas Hwy, Lower Matecumbe 119 Ponce De Leon Blvd, Lower Matecumbe 65780 Overseas Hwy, Long Key BHHSFREEWHEELER.COM | 305.664.4444 | @BHHSFREEWHEELER 85992 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY | ISLAMORADA, FLORIDA 33036 © 2019 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Equal Housing Opportunity. Information not verified or guaranteed. If your home is currently listed with a Broker, this is not intended as a solicitation. Equal Housing Opportunity. 4 ISLAMORADA UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / APRIL 25, 2019 NUMBER OF THE WEEK ON THE COVER Coral Shores Jesse Rego throws Number of times “Oh, my God!” is uttered during a a pitch. The Coral Shores’ var- 22-second clip of a great white shark destroying a chum sity baseball team lost Monday’s bag hanging off a boat transom. The action reportedly home conference game against happened off the coast of Summerland Key earlier this Palmer Trinity 3-0. More scenes 91760 Overseas Hwy. week. Check out Suzy Grumbo’s Facebook page. from the game on page 30. AUS- Tavernier, FL 33070 Office: 305.363.2957 TIN ARONSSON/Keys Weekly www.keysweekly.com Publisher Jason Koler [email protected] Publishing Partner Britt Myers UPDATING [email protected] Editor Jim McCarthy [email protected] STANDARDS Copy Editor Image of general store at Indian Key Mike Howie Village to discuss proposed [email protected] from model at Keys History & Discovery landscaping regulations Center. BRAD BERTELLI/Contributed Account Executives Nola Acker JIM McCARTHY [email protected] [email protected] “There’s exception for the SMALL Lesley Aaron site plan for these smaller proj- [email protected] slamorada council members ects so we’re not putting onus STORE, BIG are set to resume discussion on small builders or single-fam- Staff Writers on landscaping standards ily homeowners, to go through MONEY Sara Matthis [email protected] and environmental regula- those hoops that we’d normally Itions. put on for a contractor for a Upper Keys Hays Blinckmann [email protected] Discussion on an ordi- larger project,” Harris said. nance was heard during meet- Any development activity History Office/Circulation Manager ings on March 14 and April 4. occurring on a property contain- BRAD BERTELLI Charlotte Hruska The ordinance, which village ing mapped sea turtle nest- www.keysweekly.com [email protected] staff introduced during a Lo- ing beach during the nesting cal Planning Agency meeting in season would be required to ndian Key’s first general store Production Manager Anneke Patterson January, would do things such as have a temporary exclusion- was built by Silas Fletcher in [email protected] strengthen protection on various ary barrier. Construction of a 1824. trees while better safeguarding barrier would have to prevent He would take on a part- Design / Web Master turtles. The LPA recommended turtles from traveling inland of Iner, Joseph Prince, who would Travis Cready [email protected] approval at its March 11 meet- the beach area, and would have sell his rights and interests to the ing. to be placed at a maximum 5 store to Fletcher, move away, Design / Pre-Press The ordinance includes an feet seaward of the limits of come back to Indian Key, and Javier Reyes updated definition of a speci- construction. open a second general store on [email protected] men tree: A diameter at breast During the April 4 meeting, the island. Irene de Bruijn height that is 75 percent of the council members noted the Fletcher would sell his store, [email protected] record of a specific tree species, ordinance contained a lot of and his home, to Thomas Gibson or greater than or equal to 18 detail. Council agreed to table in 1828 who, in turn, would sell Classifieds Anneke Patterson inches. the ordinance to further discuss the store and other properties to [email protected] There are also updates with Dan Parobok, village arbor- Jacob Housman in 1831. 305.743.0844 to where canopy trees can be ist, before the April 25 meeting. It should be noted that what Se habla español installed in relation to structures “It’s probably not as con- was by 1833 Housman’s store THE UPPER KEYS WEEKLY (ISSN and other canopy trees. Lan- voluted as we think,” Council- was no Mom and Pop operation. 1944-0812) IS PUBLISHED guage pertaining to plant materi- man Jim Mooney said. “Maybe The residents of Indian Key sent WEEKLY FOR $125 PER YEAR BY WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS, INC., 9709 als, removal and major pruning we should take the minutiae a Memorial to the Congress of OVERSEAS HIGHWAY, MARA- are also included within the out and do a more bullet point the United States dated April THON FL 33050. APPLICATION ordinance, among other items. thing.” 23, 1833 with the testimonial TO MAIL AT PERIODICALS POST- AGE RATES IS PENDING AT FORT As for landscaping, a plan Councilman Ken Davis had (Carter’s Territorial Papers of LAUDERDALE FL AND ADDITION- would be required for submis- similar sentiments. Florida): “One store on this Island AL MAILING OFFICES. sion to the planning department. “I don’t want to pass an sold in the last 12 months mer- All stories, photos, and graphics are copyrighted It would have to be signed and ordinance that is so restrictive chandise to the amount of 25 materials. sealed by a state-registered land- there’s no way out and there’s thousand dollars. 1/4 part of this scape architect, unless otherwise no exception,” he said. “I don’t sum was purchased by residents waived by Planning Director Ty see a problem with passing an of the mainland — the remaining POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO THE Harris. The plan would also need ordinance, but there needs to 3/4 by inhabitants of the Keys KEYS WEEKLY, 9709 OVERSEAS to conform to the Islamorada be an exception. When some- and by vessels who resort here HIGHWAY, MARATHON FL 33050. Landscape Manual. body comes up and says ‘I need for supplies.” to trim this limb because it is Adjusting for inflation, News Deadline right over my child’s bed and it $25,000 in 1833 would have Tuesday Noon could come off and crush…’ This been equal to $747, 341 in 2018. Advertising Deadline is the sort of the thing I want to Tuesday 2 p.m. avoid (restricting).” Brad Bertelli is curator of the Keys History & Discovery Center. UPPER KEYS WEEKLY / APRIL 25, 2019 STATE LAWS 5 By Sara Matthis and Jim McCarthy THE PENDULUM SWINGS STATE POLICY SEEMS TO BE MOVING AWAY FROM HOME RULE ome rule is the ability of local gov- HB 7103 – AFFORDABLE HOUSING ernments — think the City of Key & DEVELOPMENT West or Monroe County — to tailor This bill would preempt local laws that laws to fit their unique environment regulate the ratio of market rate housing and ON WIND INSURANCE: Hand constituents; that’s above and beyond affordable housing; i.e., the requirement for lo- Sen. Anitere Flores’ bill what state law stipulates. It is a part of the cal developers to set aside a certain number of that reduces the Citizens state constitution, added in 1968 — Article units for affordable housing for rent or sale. Insurance rates in the Keys VIII, Section 2(b). The opposite of home rule is According to Tennyson, the bill is mov- was approved 15-1 by the called preemption — the legislature overturn- ing in both houses. The bill in House awaits Rules Committee on April ing home rule because it conflicts with state consideration by representatives. On April 18, 23. FIRM Vice president policy. it was ordered to the special order calendar for Steve Russ testified before Some think the state’s preemptive strike April 24. Several amendments have been filed the Florida Senate Rules against vacation rental law is too radical to since being placed on the calendar. come to fruition. But consider that in 2017, the “State Rep. Holly Raschein has filed an Committee in support of state did the very same thing when it came to amendment that would carve us out of the SB 1476. Legislation will transportation network companies — Lyft and worst of the provisions, because we are an likely see consideration Uber. It struck down local governments’ laws Area of Critical Concern,” Tennyson said. She among Senate members regarding the regulation and number of taxis added that if the bill DID pass, it would be during the April 25 session.