Upper Sugarloaf Key, FL Events and More

This Florida Keys Diner Draws Crowds With Fried Fish, Hearty Breakfasts And Homestyle Plates From A Roadside Kitchen

License plates on the walls, signed dollar bills on the ceiling, and a waffle that thinks it’s key lime pie. Welcome to a Florida Keys diner where decorating rules clearly took a vacation. The license plates come from all over, turning the walls into a giant road trip scrapbook....

Florida Keys, FL · 2d

The Key West Citizen

Walking on Eggshells: City of Key West looks for solution for chickens that have 'grown out of control'

The city of Key West is scrambling to find a solution for the ubiquitous chickens that roam its streets after the Key West Wildlife Center began winding down a 17-year program that took in the island's sick, injured and trapped chickens and relocated them to the mainland. According to a memo from Assistant City Manager Michael Turner, the Wildlife Center was told by state and federal officials that keeping feral chickens and wild birds on the same property carries a high risk of disease spread, citing the increased prevalence of avian flu and New World screwworm. The center was “strongly advised” the treatment program should not continue there, the memo states, and it had been tapering down chicken operations in line with requests from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Thomas Sweets, executive director of the Key West Wildlife Center, told commissioners Oct. 1 that the direction came from the FWC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which both inspect the center. “This is not our decision to stop it,” Sweets said. In a written statement provided to the Keys Citizen, dated October, Sweets said the decision followed a review with the center's permitting organizations, including the FWC and

The Key West Citizen

The Island Hopper arrives Nov. 30. It’s a good start.

Key West Rides launched on Nov. 30, 2022. Four years later, nearly to the day, it makes its last trip. It and the Workforce Express end Sunday, Nov. 29, and on Monday, Nov. 30 the new Island Hopper takes over. Better yet, the City Commission voted 7-0 on Nov. 5 to make the first week free, through Dec. 6. I wasn’t shy about my concerns this summer. When the Hopper was first pitched at the July budget meeting, the bus would have come once an hour. By budget adoption in September, it was every 45 minutes. The schedule rolling out on the 30th? Every 40. That’s transit staff listening to riders, and they deserve credit. Mayor Sam Kaufman told me he’s excited about the more frequent service, calling it “an important first step toward the expanded, more reliable service we want for our community.” That’s the point I want to drive home. The Island Hopper is a foundation. Get it right, and more frequency, longer hours and wider coverage can be built on top of it. One Big Loop, Two Directions Think of the Hopper as one big loop around the island, running in both directions. Every 40 minutes, seven

Key West, FL · 2d

The Key West Citizen

A taste of the tropics

A tropical fruit oasis awaits foodies, families and curious minds alike in Big Pine Key, where 8-pound mangoes, chocolate-pudding fruit and breadfruit grow. Grimal Grove is a tropical fruit grove at 258 Cunningham Lane on Big Pine Key. It grows about 120 kinds of fruit trees, counting both species and varieties, from 25 countries. It is also home to what the grove calls the first breadfruit grove in the continental United States. Patrick Garvey, proprietor of Grimal Grove, said the goal is to have something fruiting and fruitful on the property every day of the year. Garvey, who has a degree in history, came to the grove through community work. While working for the Florida Department of Children and Families, he wrote a grant to plant edible gardens at food stamp outreach sites from Key West to Marathon. The grant called for one garden and 50 volunteers for $5,000. Garvey said the project ended up with 11 gardens and more than 500 volunteers. He found the grove in 2011 while doing that work. It was in bad shape. After its founder died in 1997, the property became an illegal dumpsite and a homeless camp, Garvey said. By the time he

Big Pine Key, FL · 1d

The Key West Citizen

Hospital board prepares for demanding review of five operator proposals

The Lower Florida Keys Hospital District Board is heading into the most demanding part of its search for the next operator of Lower Keys Medical Center. During its Nov. 10 meeting at the DoubleTree Grand Key Resort, the board’s legal counsel encouraged members to work together as they prepare to review and score proposals, evaluate additional information, and interview the five health care organizations still competing to operate the hospital. Robert Slavkin, an attorney with Akerman LLP, the law firm advising the district, acknowledged the workload ahead. “We recognize you have taken on a herculean task reviewing all this information, scoring all this information, participating in the interviews,” said Slavkin. “It’s a lot, but it’s incumbent upon all of us to help you, and it’s incumbent upon you to get through the information.” The district received seven initial responses to its request for proposals (RFP), which closed Sept. 28. One response was deemed non-responsive, and HCA Healthcare has since withdrawn, leaving five potential operators. The remaining organizations are Sana Healthcare, Baptist Health, Community Health Systems (CHS), Larkin Health System, and Mount Sinai Healthcare. The board will now grade the written proposals, review and score responses to supplemental questions and evaluate

Florida Keys, FL · 23h

The Key West Citizen

Inaugural Oyster Fest brainchild of Half Shell's GM

Thousands of oysters will be shucked during the inaugural Key West Oyster Fest on Saturday, and when the celebration is over, the shells won’t be headed for the trash. They will be recycled for another use. The Key West Oyster Fest, presented by Half Shell Raw Bar and Everglades Oysters, will bring together regional oyster farmers, some of the Florida Keys’ most recognized chefs and restaurants, live music and a plethroa of oysters. The festival runs from 5-10 p.m., with a VIP hour from 5-6 p.m. The entry fee includes unlimited oysters and a premium open bar until 8 p.m., and live music by The Farm Boys, a swamp, country band from South Florida. The oyster event will be set up outside the iconic Key West restaurant in the circle parking lot with tents and more for food and beverage suppliers. A dozen restaurants are participating it the Key West Oyster Fest, including Half Shell Raw Bar, Schooner Wharf, Square Grouper, Café Marquesa, Casa Marina, and Conch Republic. Every oyster shell generated during the festival will be collected for recycling, an extension of an oyster-shell recycling program already operating at Half Shell Raw Bar in partnership with Everglades Oysters. The

Key West, FL · 23h

keysweekly.com

Key West officials weigh new welcome sign & much more at marathon meeting

Key West officials can’t agree on what the island’s new welcome sign should look like. But they all agreed the exploding chicken and iguana populations are NOT welcome. Both topics were part of the discussions that unfolded during the Nov. 5 city commission meeting that lasted about eight hours, given one resident’s decision to sign up to speak on every single agenda item.

The Key West Citizen

Mayor to halt further action on city manager

Mayor Sam Kaufman said Tuesday he has no plans to take further action against City Manager Brian Barroso after the City Commission rejected his proposal for an independent investigation on his performance and conduct. “I’ve done my part,” Kaufman said during his weekly press conference. “I have a clear conscience.” The commission voted 5-2 on Nov. 5 to deny Kaufman’s resolution. It would have spent up to $75,000 to hire outside counsel for a fact-finding investigation of concerns about Barroso’s conduct in his official duties, with a written report due to the commission within 90 days. Commissioner Lissette Carey made the motion to deny, and Commissioner Aaron Castillo seconded it. Kaufman and Commissioner Monica Haskell voted against the motion. Carey, Castillo, Vice Mayor Donie Lee and Commissioners Chris Massicotte and Mark Rossi voted in favor. Several commissioners objected to the cost. “I just can’t justify that money for an investigation,” Castillo said at the meeting. Carey said some commissioners viewed the repeated proposals as an attempt to embarrass Barroso. Massicotte said a review of the manager’s job performance would be “an audit rather than an investigation.” He noted the commission will evaluate the city manager in January. On Tuesday, Kaufman

Key West, FL · 2d

keysweekly.com

Marathon broadens building rights investigation as Struyf earns mayor’s gavel

Marathon’s planned third-party audit of its development and permitting practices is expanding, as city council members agreed on Nov. 10 to broaden the scope of the investigation beyond transfers of building rights to include determinations of those rights and code enforcement practices. New mayor and attorney. Before diving into...

Marathon, FL · 1d

keysweekly.com

Key West World War II pilots turns 105

Justin Kawaler’s movie date with a girlfriend was interrupted on Dec. 7, 1941: The Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor and the United States was at war. Kawaler, then 20 and living in his native Brooklyn, told his girlfriend while still in the theater, “I’ve got to get into this, and I’m going to fly.”

The Key West Citizen

Three Key West baseball players sign to continue careers at next level

Even with Key West High School closed for Veterans Day, the school’s auditorium remained busy Wednesday, Nov. 11, as three Conchs celebrated the next step in their baseball careers, signing to continue playing at the collegiate level. Roman Garcia, Auggy Davila and Kristian Masters each made their college commitments official during a signing day ceremony, giving the Key West baseball program three more players moving on to the next level. Garcia signed with Florida International University, Davila committed to Stetson University, and Masters will continue his career at Warner University. The signings recognize the work each player has put in to reach the collegiate ranks, along with the support of the families, teammates and coaches who helped make the opportunity possible. The Conchs celebrated the milestone by reminding the three players that while their baseball careers will take them beyond Key West, they will always be part of the program. The baseball program also indicated that more college commitments could be announced in the coming weeks.

keysweekly.com

Hurricanes football beats Bayside; Key West earns No. 7 seed in FHSAA playoffs

Coral Shores made the long haul to Bayside High School on Nov. 6 to take on a formidable Bears team in the quarterfinals of the SSAA Atlantic BOUND Championship bracket. Just days earlier, the Palm Bay community had been inundated with more than 20 inches of rain, causing destructive flooding throughout the area.

The Key West Citizen

Mayor invites residents for coffee meetings

Key West Mayor Sam Kaufman is inviting residents to join him for a new series of informal community gatherings, “Coffee with Mayor Kaufman,” at Key West City Hall. The gatherings will take place on selected Wednesday mornings from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., providing an opportunity for residents to stop by, enjoy a cup of coffee, share ideas, raise concerns, ask questions, or simply catch up with their Mayor. The first three gatherings are scheduled for: Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2026Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2026Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2026 All gatherings will be held at Key West City Hall, 1300 White Street. No appointment or advance registration is necessary. Residents are welcome to stop by at any time during the scheduled hours. “I want City Hall to be a welcoming place where residents feel comfortable coming in, sharing their thoughts, and talking about what’s happening in our community,” said Mayor Kaufman. “Whether you have an idea, a concern, a question, or just want to say hello, I’d love to see you. Sometimes the best conversations happen over a simple cup of coffee.” Mayor Kaufman emphasized that the gatherings are intended to be relaxed, informal, and accessible to everyone. “Good government starts with listening,”