Merry band of chuckleheads… 1¢ March 19, 2020 COVERED BUT NOT CRACKED Reimagine. Revamp. Refresh. Whether searching for that perfect piece of furniture, ready to remodel, or looking to design your dream home and outdoor entertainment space—D’Asign Source is your one-stop shop. 11500 Overseas Hwy, Marathon | MM 53 305-743-7130 | DAsignSource.com | Architecture • Construction • Landscapes • Remodels Local, Fully Licensed #CGC026675, #AA26001284, #B26000844, #LA6667217 Interior Design • Furniture & Decor 2 KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 19, 2020 512 FRONT STREET WWW.TWOFRIENDS.COM START OLD KEY WEST WITH A TWIST OF YOUR DAY SOMETHING NEW PROUD MEMBER OF ONE HUMAN SEE STORYFAMILY. ON P.6. AND END YOUR DAY WITH A KEY WEST ICON BUBBAS 2019 KEY WEST PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS WINNER OF BEST HAPPY HOUR, BEST BLOODY MARY AND BEST FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS. RUNNERUP BEST RESTAURANT. NOMINATED FOR BEST BARTENDER, BEST BLOODY MARY, BEST BAR, BEST OVERALL RESTAURANT, BEST FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS AND BEST HAPPY HOUR. BREAKFAST | LUNCH | DINNER | KARAOKE | DAILY LIVE MUSIC KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 19, 2020 3 Kellie Alpert Jessica Blass Kathleen Burns Vince Taporowski Debbie Cardenas Matt Carlson We are community rst. We are your neighbors. Amanda Garcia We are here for you. Ellen Gvili During this time, we will leverage our unrivaled marketing and technology and continue to move The real estate team you choose to represent your property forward. You can count on us. Ginashould Kennedy be as exceptional as you are, and your next journey.Michael Messina Bob Cardenas Russell Post Everett Smith Stacy Stahl Jenna Stauffer Karen Taporowski Broker/Owner Broker/Owner Pierre Bellion Sarah Ewald Billy Hart Jamie Daniels Bill Hart Nancy Hershoff 1075 Duval Street, Suite 15C, Key West Cynthia Hughes F305.294.1117rederick Mathews | oceansir.com Sue Moret Leslie Leopold Jim Mooney Kim Thaler 4 CORONAVIRUS KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 19, 2020 NUMBER OF THE WEEK ON THE COVER The number of hires Amazon will be making to Key West’s iconic Southernmost Point raise staff levels in order to deal with growing buoy is closed and covered to dis- consumer demands amid the coronavirus epi- 100,000 courage the usual throngs of camera- demic. Amazon said Monday it is looking to add extra full-time and part- 5450 MacDonald Ave. No.5 toting tourists during the COVID-19 Key West, FL 33040 time positions for warehouse and delivery workers. And through the end of Office: 305.453.6928 crisis. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly www.keysweekly.com April, it will raise employee pay by $2 per hour. Publisher Britt Myers [email protected] LETTER TO THE EDITOR Publishing Partner Jason Koler [email protected] Residents of Monroe County paycheck. Many of our small and large housing. This is going to be very dif- businesses are still recovering from ficult on our amazing community, so Editor We are in an unprecedented Irma and haven’t built up enough re- it’s very important we pull together to Mandy Miles [email protected] time in our country today. We will get serve yet to survive this shutdown. So, help each other. through this, but it is going to be dif- as a community we must pull together We need to hold our community Copy Editor ficult on everyone. We all understand like we did after Irma and help one together, our families together and Mike Howie [email protected] that we need to have social separation another. So, I ask landlords to abate when this crisis is over, we can open to stop or slow the spread of the coro- rents if they can afford to, discount back up for business quickly and start Account Executives navirus. So, with the closure of bars, rents or at a bare minimum defer rents our recovery much quicker. We need Stephanie Mitchell night clubs, theaters and attractions, until after this crisis passes. Because to help the nonprofits like SOS and [email protected] there will be a slowdown and, to some, if your tenants go out of business and others to help feed families and resi- Lesley Aaron a complete end of any income. This your properties go dark it could take dents while they are out of work. Shop [email protected] will have a devastating effect on our months to rent the commercial space locally, give an extra tip, call nonprofits workers and business owners. We are to a new tenant and I bet it won’t be to help with your time or money be- Staff Writers Sara Matthis all worried and not sure of what we can anywhere near the amount you are cause there will be many needs in our [email protected] do to get through this uncertain time. getting now. I ask residential landlords community. Jim McCarthy Some of our residents have jobs to do the same if they can afford to, If we come together as a commu- [email protected] that will continue to pay them through because when the businesses close nity and live by our One Human Family Tiffany Duong this shutdown period, but many of our there are no jobs and the workers will motto, we will get through this crisis [email protected] residents don’t, and live paycheck to move away, so they won’t be renting and come out of it with more love and respect for one another. Production Manager Anneke Patterson [email protected] Craig Cates Monroe County Circulation Manager Charlotte Hruska Commissioner District 1 [email protected] Design / Web Master Natural. Travis Cready [email protected] FOR UPDATES, WATCH THE WEB Design / Pre-Press Events related to the coronavirus Irene de Bruijn [email protected] Organic. are changing rapidly as national, state and local governments Javier Reyes make decisions aimed [email protected] at controlling the spread Classifieds of the virus. For updated Anneke Patterson Healthy. information, please see [email protected] 305.743.0844 Treatments and products that keysweekly.com. Se habla español THE KEY WEST WEEKLY (ISSN 1944-0812) IS PUBLISHED are so good for you! WEEKLY FOR $125 PER YEAR BY WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS, INC., 9709 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY, MARATHON FL 33050. APPLICATION TO MAIL AT PERIODICALS POSTAGE RATES IS PENDING AT FORT LAUDER- Ocean DALE FL AND ADDITIONAL MAIL- ING OFFICES. Wellness Spa & Salon FL License MM30205 All stories, photos, and graphics are copyrighted materials. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO THE Call (305)320-0500 for reservations or online at OceanSpaKeyWest.com KEYS WEEKLY, 9709 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY, MARATHON FL 33050 829 Simonton St, Key West, FL 33040 Ample parking off of Olivia St News Deadline Tuesday Noon Advertising Deadline AVEDA HAIR SALON MASSAGE NATURAL SKINCARE ACUPUNCTURE Tuesday 2 p.m. NATURAL BODY TREATMENTS WAXING NATURAL NAILS TAKEOUT AVAILABLE PLEASE VISIT OUR FACE BOOK PAGE FOR UPTODATE CHANGES AND KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 19, 2020 INFORMATION LOCAL CHATTER 5 KIRBY MYERS www.keysweekly.com s the #coronacation continues, everyone is stocking up on, or insanely hoarding, the essentials: food, soap, enough toilet paper to t.p. the entire island and, of course, booze. We want to know... A OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 5PM What is the strangest DELIVERYDELIVERY && TAKETAKE OUTOUT or most unexpected AVAILABLEAVAILABLE item you or your DOWNTOWNDOWNTOWN 305.296.1075305.296.1075 family is stockpiling? OCEANSIDEOCEANSIDE 305.295.6789305.295.6789 LaTraoria PLEASE VISIT FACEBOOK “With all the hoarding of toilet paper, FOR UPTODATE CHANGES I’m stocking up on cheese!” & INFORMATION — Jeremy Wilkerson BEST MARTINIS IN TOWN “Condoms. #safetyfirst.” DOWNTOWN 524 DUVAL ST 305.296.1075 — Nicole Rapanos OCEANSIDE 3593 S. ROOSEVELT BLVD 305.295.6789 “Tortillas. I’m not sure how I ended up with so many, but my house has them in bulk.” — Melanie Rodriguez FULL MENU DELIVERY “Diet Coke. Like A LOT.” — Kathy Gilmour & TAKE OUT 11AM - 10PM EAT WELL & STAY HEALTHY 305.916.5106 “Cashed in most of my ‘medical’ AWARD prescription.” — Landon Bradbary WINNING BBQ 305.916.5106 320 GRINNELL ST KEY WEST THEDIRTYPIGKW.COM 6 CORONAVIRUS KEY WEST WEEKLY / MARCH 19, 2020 MANDY MILES [email protected] UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES Bar and restaurant owners and managers have discussed their commitment to supporting The city-owned Smathers Beach in Key West has their employees through these troubled times. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly been closed since March 17. a business community, because it’s what we’ve “I’ve never seen anything like this. At least BAR AND RESTAURANT always done. This is part of who we are.” with a hurricane you can see it coming,” Hughes OWNERS RESPOND TO Gilleran and Two Friends Patio Restaurant said. “I just wish the city would match its restric- NEW RULES owner Danny Hughes have helped launch tions with the state and county.” a new Facebook presence called One Clean Greg Sullivan, president of the Key West March 18 meeting of Key West bar and Island with the aim of sharing best practices, Chamber of Commerce, suggested that the restaurant owners started with com- financial assistance resources and dispelling folks at the meeting “politely contact” elected plaints and criticism, but quickly gave any misinformation circulating online or via the city officials they know, and mention the dif- way to cooperation and a commitment more organic and informal, yet shockingly ef- ficulties. Ato do as much as they can to help their employ- fective, Coconut Telegraph. “To be honest, the chamber was a bit ees weather this unprecedented storm. They met with Mark Rossi and more than surprised we didn’t receive any advance notice,” The meeting was called in response to a dozen other business owners and managers Sullivan said. mandatory business closures issued the day Wednesday afternoon.