Filed at January 14, 2008 under Animals and Environment and Florida Keys/Upper Keys/Key Largo by Keys
The seventh — and largest — Burmese python to make its way into the Florida Keys since the exotic constrictors were discovered here in April was found dead on U.S. 1 at Mile Marker 112 last week.
The snake, measuring longer than 10 feet, has added to officials’ recent concerns about the invasive predator slithering its way into the island chain — and its endangered species habitats. Steve Klett, manager of the Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, said he worries a breeding pair will establish itself here, which could wipe out the population of endangered species such as the Key Largo wood rat. To reach 8 feet in length, a python would have to consume about 75 to 80 wood rats, he said.
A new law that went into effect Jan. 1 will not help the immediate situation, but could curb the problem in the future. It requires people who buy an exotic reptile to pay a $100 fee and have a 2-centimeter microchip with their identification implanted under the reptile’s skin. South Florida has experienced an influx of the snakes as owners illegally release their unwanted pets into the wild, intentionally or by accident.
The six previously found constrictors have averaged a little over 7 feet long. They have been found near the Key Largo School, Card Sound Road Bridge and in the Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park, across C.R. 905 from the Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge. One was a live python in the state park that had devoured a wood rat.
Filed at January 13, 2008 under On the Water/Diving and Florida Keys/Upper Keys/Key Largo and Vacations by Keys
When guests visit Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida, they discover that the name is no marketing gimmick. Just to enter the Lodge, one must actually scuba dive 21 feet beneath the surface of the sea. Jules’ really is underwater. Diving through the tropical mangrove habitat of the Emerald Lagoon and approaching the world’s only underwater hotel is quite an experience. Even from the outside, Jules’ big 42 inch round windows cast a warm invitation to come in and stay a while, relax and get to know the underwater world that so few of us have even visited.
Entering through an opening in the bottom of the habitat, the feeling is much like discovering a secret underwater clubhouse. The cottage sized building isn’t short on creature comforts: hot showers, a well stocked kitchen (complete with refrigerator and microwave), books, music, and video movies. And of course there are cozy beds, where guests snuggle up and watch the fish visit the windows of their favorite underwater “terrarium”. Jules’ Undersea Lodge manages to reach a perfect balance of relaxation and adventure.
Guests sometimes describe their visit to inner space as the most incredible experience of their lives. One couple decided on a career change after visiting Jules’ Undersea Lodge, and they now operate Aquanauts’ Dive Shop. Another couple named their baby after Jules’, when they later discovered their recently conceived child had accompanied them in their wonderful adventure in undersea living.
Although the underwater hotel may sound like the latest tourist fun spot, Jules’ Undersea Lodge, actually began its existence as La Chalupa research laboratory, an underwater habitat used to explore the continental shelf off the coast of Puerto Rico. The authenticity of the underwater habitat is what really sets it apart from amusement parks and other similar attractions. The mangrove lagoon in which Jules’ is located is a natural nursery area for many reef fish. Tropical angelfish, parrotfish, barracuda, and snappers peek in the windows of the habitat, while anemones, sponges, oysters and feather duster worms seem to cover every inch of this underwater world. Guests of the Lodge explore their marine environment with scuba gear provided by Jules’ Undersea Lodge and are given an unlimited supply of tanks. Jules’ Undersea Lodge may have a comfortable futuristic decor, but its sense of history is inescapable. It is the first and only underwater hotel, but is also the first underwater research lab to have ever been made accessible to the average person. Read more »
Filed at under Government and Florida Keys/Upper Keys/Islamorada by Keys
~Prepared by Robert Page
- Plantation Yacht Harbor was on the market in 1997 for sale for $4 million, a contract had been signed, but with the incorporation vote, the Village elected officials managed to secretly negotiate a purchase price of $8 million, all done very quickly, without any public input or support.
- Borrowed $4 million dollars in 2004 and could not figure out how to spend it until 2007.
- Does not maintain an inventory of all items valued over $500.
- Have never conducted an inventory review to determine, if items purchased with taxpayers money is still in possession of the staff. Have any items been lost, stolen, or given away? Who knows or cares?
- Gave away a street ending at the ocean (no public hearing) on Upper Matecumbe Key to developer Bill Fountain which is against state law.
- Village has never completed one project on time and within budget.
- Former Mayer Frank Kulisky secretly bought property next to Plantation Yacht Harbor (Founders Park) for $700,000 then sold part of it to the Village for $1.4 million.
- Former Mayor Mark Gregg changed a single family residence into eight houses and sold the eight living units for millions of dollars.
- Village has borrowed $25 million dollars with no referendum vote or public support. Annual payments for eight loans are over $1 million a year.
- Village manager does not prepare a full and complete budget for review each year at the beginning of budget preparation time. He doles out the budget, in many small pieces, and the elected officials spend months going over the incomplete budget and never learn the bottom line until the very last moment when the millage rate has to be set He tricks the officials each year and they never catch on. Then the millage is set and nobody looks at the budget again to provide oversight to see that funds are only spent on authorized issues. That is why the left over funds from the previous year disappears.
- During Hurricane Wilma village computers, furniture and valuable documents were left on the floor of the Village Hall, knowing it was going to be flooded and computers ruined. Documents had to be sent to Texas for expensive recovery.
- Since incorporation in 1998, six managers have come and gone and village is now searching for number seven.
- No financial reports for six months in 2006, and none for September 2007 (end of fiscal year)
- Quote from newspaper Reporter “Over the past year, the Islamorada Village Council has spent countless hours and hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars searching for answers to issues that will undoubtedly shape Islamorada’s future” “as the year comes to a close, the majority of those answers remain elusive, leaving Islamorada cash strapped, without a manager and still working out ways to fund projects already underway.” Fire chief Wagner said “we have no reserves in the capital fund, we’re in really, really desperate conditions here” This is the guy that left his fire trucks on Lower Matecumbe to be caught in salt water during Hurricane Wilma and had to purchase new truck replacements. Councilman Reckwerdt said “we have no idea how bad our finances are”. Finance Director Fillinovich said “we need to set money aside for construction projects instead of taking out loans and paying through the general fund. She urged the council to put money aside for a rainy day” but it has not done so.
- The Free Press newspaper said “2007 was a year when the Islamorada Village Council had trouble making up its mind –repeatedly” ” Council spent nearly $600,000 on the municipal complex, much of it for architectural fees. Initially budgeted for $4.4 million, the complex earlier this year was expected to cost nearly $10 million.” “The council also had a difficult time making up its mind about this year’s tax rate. In an effort to protect village reserves, council members in July voted to override the 7% tax cut recommended by the state. But they reinstated the cut in September”.
- Newspaper Reporter called the Village of Islamorada “Dysfunctional”.
- When documents that might reveal false or embarrassing information are requested by the public – the Village Attorney just labels them ”exempt” from the public records law.
- Spent over $200,000 studying whether to ship sewerage to Key Largo.
- Plantation Key Colony Sewer program is mismanaged, resulting in cost overruns, sewer backups, resulting in houses being condemned, and torn down, family dislocated, insurance claims being ignored and the sewerage collection system is years behind schedule. The Fla Dept of Environmental Protection has cited the village for many violations and fined the village for the violations. Re-use of the treated sewage water has cost nearly $2 million and all we have is a tank full of salt water that cannot be used.
- Plantation Key Colony Sewer program budget is overspent by $1,055,709. Poor fiscal management.
- Village does not evaluate employee performance.
- Village has a turnover of personnel reported to be 60%. No exit interviews to find out why high turnover of staff.
- Village Manager gets an annual evaluation but the format is flawed by being too subjective resulting in a convoluted and meaningless report..
- Village Manager does not have a clear set of measurable performance standards. He needs to be told what is to be done, how much money the elected officials are giving him, and how long it should take to finish the task. Monthly progress reports will reveal if he is doing his job.
- Village attorney has been paid about $8 million dollars for legal services. Village should have in-house legal staff.
- Over 900 petitions were signed to require any expenditure of the village that exceeded $1 million dollars must be by referendum. Ignored by elected officials.
- Elected officials interject themselves into the operation of the village and continually give instructions to the staff and not the manager. Village attorney has repeatedly warned the elected officials that their job is to set policy and not to interfere in the management of the village. All of the elected officials like to micromanage the daily operation.
- I could go on with horror stories of incompetence but I think the message is clear.
Filed at under Commercial Fishing and Environment and On the Water/Fishing and Florida Keys/Upper Keys by Keys
Groups hoping to show the governor a good day of fishing and the bad algae bloom threatening Florida Bay.
January 10, 2008 Tavernier FL -A coalition of leading angling and conservation organizations today formally invited Florida Governor Charlie Crist to come down to the Keys for a day of fishing and to witness firsthand a destructive algae bloom threatening the region’s recreational and commercial fishing industry.
This is the third consecutive year that a persistent blue-green algae bloom has compromised the health of Florida Bay with potentially disastrous consequences for the region’s fishing industry, including die-offs of fish, and the seagrass and invertebrates upon which they depend. Conservative estimates in October, 2007 placed the extent of the bloom at 300 square miles. Over the summer there were reports of the bloom at the reef line off Islamorada and Long Key, and as far south as Vaca Cut in Marathon.
Read more »
Filed at January 11, 2008 under Animals/Fish and On the Water/Fishing and Florida Keys/Upper Keys/Islamorada and Vacations by Keys
I am sure most of you have spent some time on the bank or dock or your favorite waterway feeding the local fish or ducks. If you were lucky you might have caught sight of that legendary 20 pounder nobody ever seems to be able to land.
What if I could guaranty you the chance to hand feed fish in the 100 pound range, and have your picture taken while shaking hands with the fishes mouth. All you need to do is find your way to Islamorada’s Robbie’s Marina in the Florida Keys.
Robbie and his wife Mona started feeding a tarpon they named Scarface 18 years ago. Scarface appeared floundering in the shallow waters near the dock; Robbie saw the struggling tarpon and, thinking it had swum too shallow and gotten stuck on the bank, went out into the water to free it. He lifted the fish and saw that the right side of its jaw was torn open. Hoping to revive the tarpon, Robbie placed it in the oxygen-rich shrimp tank and called old Doc Roach. The doctor showed up with his wife’s mattress needles and some twine, and Scarface became the first known tarpon with stitches. After several days of force-feeding, Scarface showed good recovery and weight gain; six months later he was released into the waters off the dock. Afterwards, Scarface continued to frequent the docks; sometimes bringing a friend. Soon more and more of the fish began to appear.
Today, the tradition continues, with visitors from all across the world coming to marvel at the spectacle and offer these magnificent creatures a snack.
More on Islamorada. Read more »
Filed at January 7, 2008 under On the Water/Boating and Florida Keys/Upper Keys/Tavernier by Keys
[Editor’s Note: I considered showing one of many funny JetSki crash images, but this problem is NOT funny]
A Broward County girl, 16, was recovering from a severe eye injury this week after her personal watercraft ran into mangroves Dec. 29 in Tavernier. Amber Griffin was flown to mainland medical facilities after a mangrove branch impaled her in the eye socket, according to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission report.
A passenger on the borrowed Yamaha Waverunner, Jenna Pompa, 17, was treated and released from Mariners Hospital. Pompa reportedly suffered scrapes and bruises. Griffin was operating the watercraft on the bayside of Tavernier Creek around 2 p.m. Dec. 29, said Bobby Dube, FWC information officer.
The Waverunner reportedly was traveling about 25 mph when it swerved to avoid an anchored boat in a shallow channel off the creek. The boat crashed into the mangroves, when the branch hit Griffin in the eye. Her injuries were described as serious but not life-threatening. Warnings were issued for careless operation, and for a minor operating a vessel without proof of boater education.
2006 REPORTABLE PERSONAL WATERCRAFT ACCIDENTS
• Personal watercraft (PWC) account for 11% of all registered vessels in Florida
(98% privately owned, 2% rentals).
• PWC were involved in 26% of reported boating accidents (174).
• Rental PWCs were involved in 2% of all PWC accidents in 2006.
• The majority of PWC accidents involved a collision with another vessel.
• 37% of PWC accidents were caused by careless/inattention operation.
• 42% of PWC operators involved in an accident were between 22-35 years of age. 26% were 36-50 years of age.
• 16% of total boating fatality victims were on a PWC.
• Over 42% of PWC accidents occurred in Palm Beach, Pinellas, Monroe and Miami-Dade Counties, with Palm Beach ranked number #1 (with 20 accidents)
Filed at January 6, 2008 under Environment and Florida Keys/Upper Keys/Key Largo and On the Water by Keys
A ‘Dennis the Menace’ cartoon from 1976 shows the characters discovering John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo. A program on local park history will be presented Monday.
Experts talk of Pennekamp, Everglades
Concern for the Everglades and Florida Keys environment has left South Florida with a bounty of unique national and state parks. The history of how Everglades National Park, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park were created will be the topic of a 7 p.m. Monday program at the Key Largo library in Trade Winds Plaza.
The Historical Preservation Society of the Upper Keys hears Mary Tagliareni, education coordinator for the marine sanctuary, lead the free discussion of park development. “For anyone who has ever wondered when, why and where it all began, this is a chance to learn,” society President Jerry Wilkinson said. “South Florida is a special place, so special that for the past 60 years concerns for protecting it started a movement that would leave an environmental legacy.”
Also taking park in the program will be Bob Showler, Florida Bay district interpreter for Everglades National Park; and Elena Muratori, education specialist at Pennekamp.
Filed at January 4, 2008 under Florida Keys/Upper Keys/Key Largo and On the Water by Keys
Several Olympic medal winners, including 10-time medal winner Gary Hall Jr., plan to appear in the Orange Bowl Swimming Classic on Saturday, January 5th, in Key Largo, organizers said Thursday.
Other Olympians include Darren Mew, a 2004 Olympic finalist for Great Britain; George Bovell, a 2004 bronze medalist; Guy Barnea, member of the 2008 Israeli Olympic team; and Allison Wagner, a silver medalist in the 1996 Olympics.
Although the Olympians plan to swim in demonstration heats, the competition features some of the nation’s top collegiate swimmers.
The sprint-style meet is to begin at 10 a.m. at the Jacobs Center, mile marker 99.6 oceanside in Key Largo.
”From the time someone leaves the blocks to the time the event is over, there’s a person in the water,” said Jim Boilini, the event’s director. “So there’s no interruptions, no hesitation. Just nonstop action.”
For information, call 305-453-7946.
Filed at December 28, 2007 under On the Water/Diving and Florida Keys and Florida Keys/Upper Keys/Islamorada by Keys
You might think that as a beginner or basic scuba diver your choices of truly amazing or exotic aquatic experiences are somewhat limited. Not true, indeed even for the beginning Scuba Diver holding an entry-level Scuba certification the world truly is your Ocean - or River, Lake or Stream for that matter. Some of the most exotic and popular dive sites in the world like Costa Rica, Fiji, Thailand even Australia have sites for beginners as well as the advanced or experienced diver.A little closer to home Florida and the Florida Keys offer some of the most extensive dive areas and different Scuba Diving environments that are easy enough for beginning divers but diverse enough to return again and again. For example Scuba Diving Magazine rated Islamorada in the Florida Keys the number one dive site for beginners. There you can find many dive sites like the fully protected Alligator Reef Sanctuary, this 25 ft dive is located only 3.5 miles off the coast of Islamorada and is ideal for snorkelers and beginner Scuba Divers. Safe and easy and crystal clear, Alligator Reef - don’t worry it’s named for a nearby wreck the USS Alligator not the reptile - is home to the largest variety of fish species in the keys. This is a great beginner dive for fish lovers and underwater photographers alike.
There are dozens of other sites throughout Islamorada where even beginner scuba divers can see large pelagic fish like groupers, exotics like blue parrot fish and even have close encounters with a variety of Sharks.
Filed at December 20, 2007 under Florida Keys and Florida Keys/Upper Keys/The Stretch by Keys
The new Jewfish Creek Bridge “will be across the channel” by late January, a project spokeswoman says. Vehicle traffic should be driving over the span “almost certainly by early summer,” said Patti Jones, information officer for primary contractor Granite Construction. “You can see things changing daily,” Jones said. “We’re much closer than most people realize.
“We’re only a few months away from having the complete roadway [from Key Largo to the C-111 canal] with the median barrier and everything else.” In the coming weeks, barge-mounted cranes will lift the final sections of concrete substructure into place atop the finished pilings and cross beams, 65 feet above the water at Jewfish Creek. Crews then still have to prepare and pour the road decking, which will take several months.
When traffic is moved onto the bridge in late spring or early summer, both northbound and southbound traffic will use the east side of the span. Contractors then will complete work on southbound access ramps to reach Gilbert’s Resort and other Jewfish Creek businesses. Removal of the existing drawbridge is designed to relieve weekend traffic jams caused by periodic bridge openings and eliminate one possible obstacle to hurricane evacuation. The drawbridge also is more than a half-century old, and some parts of the mechanism likely could not be replaced should they break. Read more »
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