Monroe County will round another milestone in its battle against the COVID-19 pandemic as Fourth of July celebrations will be held for the first time since 2019.
This year, the county has earmarked Key West International Airportâs enterprise fund, which is used for local promotion, to help pay for fireworks displays throughout the county.
The Lower Keys Rotary Club will host Independence Day festivities starting at 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 3, at Monroe County-owned Big Pine Community Park, Mile Marker 31. Attractions include vendors, food, beverages, games, family activities, and entertainment. Fireworks will begin at about 9 p.m. Admission is free, but no coolers, pets, or personal fireworks are allowed. Visit facebook.com/LowerKeysRotary or call Heidi Morris at 303-501-0233.
With the retirement of Blake Fry from his current position as principal of Coral Shores High School, and Key Largo School Principal Laura Lietaert taking his place, the search is on for a new principal to take over Lietaertâs old job.
The position was posted on job boards the day after it was announced at the end of May that Lietaert would be moving to Coral Shores. A spokesperson for the Monroe County School District said the position was still open, that there would be an interview process with a selection committee once a few applicants are found, then a few finalists from that pool will interview with Schools Superintendent Theresa Axford.
ISLAMORADA â Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction, and thatâs the case with Toilet Seat Cut off the bayside of Plantation Key. The channel â without the famous toilet seats which now number about 250 âexisted prior to Hurricane Donna.
Donna battered the Florida Keys on Sept. 9, 1960, with wind speeds up to 200 miles per hour and a storm surge of up to 13 feet before it turned back to the Atlantic Ocean and wreaked havoc along the east coast all the way to Maine.
Donna went down in history for causing more than 150 deaths. She also is credited with placing the first toilet seat at the cut in Florida Bay. No human had that quirky idea. Nature itself leant a hand with the decor that led to the channelâs name.
Taylor Hale is a Florida Keys native who draws inspiration from a lifetime on the water in Key Largo. Hale earned a bachelorâs degree from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2009, but if it wasnât for a certain local high school experience, he may never have become an artist.
âDuring my junior year at Coral Shores, I was awarded a financial scholarship for a sculpture I made in art class that allowed me to attend a summer session at an art school.â Hale said. âIf it wasnât for that opportunity, and the encouragement I received at Coral Shores, I wouldnât have pursued a career as a painter.â The winning ceramic sculpture was a palm tree in the art deco style using a couple different techniques. His art teacher was Brenda Bush.
UPPER KEYS â Taylor Hale is a Florida Keys native who draws inspiration from a lifetime on the water in Key Largo. Hale earned a bachelorâs of fine arts degree from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2009, but if it wasnât for a certain local high school experience, he may never have become an artist.
âDuring my junior year at Coral Shores, I was awarded a financial scholarship for a sculpture I made in art class that allowed me to attend a summer session at an art school.â Hale said. âIf it wasnât for that opportunity, and the encouragement I received at Coral Shores, I wouldnât have pursued a career as a painter.â