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Sydney Schuhmacher was born and raised in Key West and lived on the mainland while attending the New College of Florida and graduating from Florida State University. Schumacher works with the …

1924: Wm. M. Butler, political manager for U.S. President Calvin Coolidge, bought 476 acres on Key Largo. The land included a 100-acre lime grove, along with grapefruit, avocado, sugar apple a…

Community News

KEY WEST

Key West City Manager Patti McLauchlin recently presented Key West Police Department Lt. Bradley Lariz a gold watch in honor of his 20 years of service to the city.

KEY WEST

The City of Key West is turning to the community to help keep the Bahama Village Food Pantry at the Douglass Gym stocked. Donations are gladly accepted, both at the pantry and at City Hall.

STOCK ISLAND

Migration Mania will be taking place at the historic, 15-acre, Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 1.

Around the Keys

• Animal Farm

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Animal Farm will be open from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 26, at 5525 College Road, beneath the Sheriff’s Office headquarters. The event is free and open to the public.

• Tropical Gala

A fund-raising gala to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Key West and the Lower Florida Keys will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, March 31, at the Truman Little White House, 111 Front St. The event will feature music, drinks, dancing, games and auctions. For reservations, call 305-294-9006, Ext. 5, or visit http://www.habitatlowerkeys.org.

• Wesley House benefit

The Wesley House Family Services Black Tie Benefit will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 1, in the Grand Ballroom of the Key West Marriott Beachside Hotel, 3841 N. Roosevelt Blvd. Tickets include a welcome champagne cocktail and wine during dinner service. For tickets, visit https://e.givesmart.com/events/vS5/.

• Dive into Art

The History of Diving Museum is hosting “Dive Into Art & Music” from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Friday, March 31, under the stars at Safe Harbor Angler House in Islamorada. The Jerry Garcia Foundation donated limited-edition museum quality giclees of his art to the museum. For ticket purchase, visit https://divingmuseum.org/events-calendar.

• MARC fundraiser

Local restaurants are coming together to participate in Dining out for MARC. From Sunday, March 26 to Saturday, April 1, participating restaurants will donate a portion of their sales to MARC, which provides services and support to individuals with developmental disabilities in the community. For a listing of participating restaurants, visit https://marchouse.org/dining-out-for-marc

• Southernmost Air Show

A free air show will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 15-16, with performances by the Blue Angels and other military and civilian aircraft at Boca Chica Naval Air Station. For VIP and preferred seating, visit http://www.airshowkeywest.com or call 305-293-2503.

• Aqua Idol fundraiser

The Waterfront Playhouse Aqua Idol benefit is being held on Mondays at Aqua Nightclub, 711 Duval St. A group of vocalists will sing to benefit the Playhouse. The event will be held each Monday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. through April 10.

• Migration Mania

Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden, 5210 College Road, will host Migration Mania from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 1. The day features two age-level egg hunts with 6,000 eggs, environmental education booths, children’s interactive playground, games, crafts and face painting. The event is free for members and children younger than 3. Admission is $5 for non-members and children 3 and older. There is a maximum charge of $10 per family. Memberships available on-site. For information, call 305-296-1504 or visit http://www.keywest.garden.

Dereck Berger’s family took a Key West vacation and decided to move to the island in 2005. Originally from Galveston, Texas, Berger attended Key West High School for his junior and senior year. He is now a Lt. Fire Inspector with the Key West Fire Department and said he loves getting out on …

Jessica Ormiston came to Key West in 2016 and works at Old Town Tavern on Duval Street. Originally from Winchester, Massachusetts, Ormiston graduated from the University of New Hampshire and said she loves getting out on the water, adding ‘Everybody loves a good boat day.’

Diana Carrazana came to Key West in 1985 and is a property manager at 1800 Atlantic Condominiums. Originally from Nueva Gerona, Cuba, Carrazana said she enjoys happy hour, sand bars and brunch, also adding how much she loved being bullied into this photograph by co-workers.

1924: Wm. M. Butler, political manager for U.S. President Calvin Coolidge, bought 476 acres on Key Largo. The land included a 100-acre lime grove, along with grapefruit, avocado, sugar apple and lemon trees.

1822: John Fleming arrived from Mobile, Alabama with workers and material to erect the first house on Key West.

1854: The bark California, sailing from New Orleans to New York, ran onto Conch Reef with a cargo of molasses. Wreckers removed 250 barrels and were then able to pull it off the reef. An award of $3,413 was given for salvage.

1838: The barque Eleanor, sailing from Boston to New Orleans, ran onto Alligator Reef with a cargo of ice and codfish. Two Key West wrecking sloops managed to get the vessel off and towed it safely to port for repair. They were awarded $600 for their efforts.

1871: Frederick Douglass arrived in Key West on the USS Tennessee with other members of the Santo Domingo Commission.

1839: The brig Arabian, sailing from Charleston, South Carolina, to New Orleans, went ashore at the Tortugas with a cargo of rice, beans and an untold number of enslaved people. Wreckers stationed there managed to get the brig off with only slight damage, and it was taken to Key West for repair.

1926: Samuel J. Wilde of Boston purchased Crawl Key near Marathon from Mary Porter Harris, wife of the late Judge W. Hunt Harris, of Key West. Wilde was surveying the island to divide it into lots, and he also planned to build a yacht club and fishing camp there.

In Port

Today

Celebrity Silhouette

Pier B - 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.


Monday

Carnival Dream

Pier B - 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.


Tuesday

Carnival Conquest

Pier B - 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Cruise ship information is provided by Caribe Nautical (http://www.caribenautical.com). Subject to change.

Roadwork

• FDOT projects

FDOT has begun two roadway projects. The project along South Roosevelt Boulevard from Bertha Street to the end of Smathers Beach will take 27 months to complete and includes widening, milling, resurfacing and raising the roadway. The project on Whitehead Street, from Fleming Street to Truman Avenue, will take about six months to complete and includes updating signage, pedestrian signals, detectors and ramps. The roadway will also be repaved and restriped with new pavement markings.

• North of Boca Chica Channel to south of Rockland Channel

State Road 5/U.S. 1/ Overseas Highway from north of Boca Chica Channel (Mile Marker 6.494) to south of Rockland Channel (Mile Marker 9.519), planting continues. Mulching continuous in some areas.

• Big Pine, West Summerland and Scout keys

FDOT has begun projects from Mile Marker 31.4 to Mile Marker 32.5 and from Mile Marker 32.98 to Mile Marker 36.57. The project will last one year. Paving operation also continues at Mile Marker 29.3.

• South of Tollgate Boulevard to Lignumvitae Channel

FDOT will have a project from Mile Marker 73.5 to Mile Marker 77.5 expected to last 16 months.

• Channel 5 Bridge

Foundation repair activities continue under the bridge.

• Lignumvitae Channel Bridge

State Road 5/US1/Overseas Highway from South of Tollgate Boulevard (Mile Marker 73.75) to Lignumvitae Channel (Mile Marker 77.5) and Lower Matecumbe (Mile Marker 70.0 to 80.0), roadway operations continue.

• U.S. 1, various locations

Bridge repairs, roadway, shoulder, shore, path, fencing and landscape projects throughout the Keys.

• Information

For traffic information, consult 511 or 305-849-1847 or go to http://www.fl511.com. For questions, call FDOT at 786-510-3921 or email psummers@mrgmiami.com.

More Weeks in the Keys

A replica of the sailing ship Nao Trinidad is seen at the Perry Hotel’s fuel docks on Tuesday. The 200-ton ship was christened in 2018 and travels the world promoting Spanish maritime history. On Saturday and Sunday, the ship will be available for tours at Mallory Square.

Heavy smoke billows from the upstairs apartment in the 600 block of Duval Street on Monday. The blaze was knocked down quickly with no injuries to residents or pets, although at least 10 people have been displaced.

Angela Street is closed Monday morning as firefighters work to extinguish an apartment fire in the 600 block of Duval Street.

First mate Daniel ‘Quini’ Hernandez leads a tour in the cargo hold of the Nao Trinidad on Tuesday. The 93-foot ship was used for global expeditions and the spice trade in the 1500s and is open for tours.

Confetti flies and revelers cheer upon the lowering of a man-made conch shell onto the roof of Sloppy Joe’s Bar on Duval Street at midnight on Jan. 1. Sloppy Joe’s 29th annual dropping of the fabricated mollusk was one of multiple Key West styled takeoffs on New York City’s annual New Year’s…

World renowned drag queen Sushi, aka Gary Marion, makes the final journey from the Bourbon Street Pub’s balcony to Duval Street in her bright red, high-heeled shoe to ring in 2023.