City Manager Patti McLauchlin, during Tuesday’s City Commission meeting, honored Community Services’ Juana Centeno Hernandez as the City’s Employee of the Quarter.
Nominated by Police Chief Sean Brandenburg, Juana is in charge of cleaning the police department and Fire Station #1. “Juana literally never stops working,” said Brandenburg. “She is an excellent example of a workaholic and a true asset that we appreciate very much.” He noted that she has worked at the department single handedly through many difficult challenges. In addition to keeping everything spotless during the COVID shutdown, accreditation inspections, hurricanes, and events that bring a lot of extra officers into the building, she has overcome the personal adversity of recovering from a severe accident. “After recovery from surgery, she came back to work with an excellent disposition and giving the best of herself as she has always done,” Brandenburg said. He noted that, in her dedication, she even returned to work a day early after Hurricane Ian this year, in order to get started right away cleaning up after the storm. “She always goes beyond her duties when it comes to cleaning, organizing, and helping others,” he said. “She is also an excellent mother and wife, taking care of every single detail for her family. She is very protective of her Key West Police family.”
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Mayor Teri Johnston and the City Commission have proclaimed 16 Days of Activism beginning November 25th in honor of an important effort by the Zonta Club of Key West. The effort is aimed at raising awareness about violence against women.
“Violence against women is not a women’s issue,” read the proclamation, “but a societal issue, often rooted in misinterpretations of history, inadequate laws, culture, and religions, traditional ideas of feminine and masculine identities.” The Zonta Club of Key West, which includes 24 members that are women of professional and executive backgrounds, encourages the community to wear orange, the color designated in the “Zonta says No” campaign. Zonta has designated the color orange as the symbol of the effort, and the club members who accepted the proclamation at last week’s City Commission meeting wore orange scarves. The effort is part of a larger movement in which Zonta Clubs all over the world are engaging in an anti-violence campaign in conjunction with the United Nations and Zonta International. Mayor Teri Johnston and the Key West City Commission have proclaimed November 26th as Small Business Saturday to celebrate local small businesses and the contributions them make to the local economy and community.
Small Business Saturday is recognized across the country to encourage citizens to support small local shops and restaurants. “The City of Key West supports our local businesses that create jobs, boost our local economy, and preserve our communities,” reads the proclamation. Kevin Theriault, Executive Director Key West Business Guild, and Mark Gambuzza of Shop Mom & Pop accepted the proclamation. Gambuzza said that the small business owners appreciate the City’s efforts to revitalize downtown. He appealed to the commission to take the effort a step further and find ways to work with the Tourist Development Council to promote small businesses as well as festivals. “I appeal to the business owners to invest in our employees,” he said. “And I appeal to our locals to get around the island, not just downtown and support small businesses. “These are the people who donate to your kids’ school and step up to the plate when someone needs to get fed. It takes everyone in this village to make this work. We appreciate all the efforts you guys are making.” Last week Key West City Manager Patti McLauchlin was proud to attend the dedication of the first new Adopt-A-Spot sign. The spot was adopted by the Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk.
McLauchlin presented Commander Andrew L. Pate, Commanding Officer of the Mohawk and all of the crew members with Extra Mile Challenge Coins in appreciation of their effort. The dedication was followed by a cleanup of the spot by 44 members of the Coast Guard and their families. Mayor Teri Johnston and the City Commission have proclaimed the month of November as Lung Cancer Awareness Month.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among men and women in the United States, accounting for more deaths than colon cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer combined. The 5-year survival rate for localized lung cancer is less than 60 percent, yet only fewer than 24 percent of lung cancers are diagnosed at this stage. Screening for lung cancer for high-risk individuals can lead to the earlier detection and save lives. Funding for lung cancer research trials falls far behind funding for research of many other cancers, according to the proclamation, and additional research is needed in early diagnosis, screening, and treatment. Each year more women die from lung cancer than breast cancer and by 2035, more women will die from lung cancer than men. In addition, the proclamation notes, “African Americans have the highest lung cancer incidence and mortality of all races, and disparities in lung cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, and mortality are characterized among African Americans and other racial minorities.” Additionally, the proportion of lung cancers diagnosed in people who never smoked is increasing in the US. Smoking remains the leading cause of lung cancer deaths, and radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among individuals who never smoked. “Organizations working in Monroe County and Florida, such as the American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative and Women’s Lung Cancer Forum, are committed to educating about lung cancer and lung cancer screening and working to increase lung cancer screening rates in Key West.” Monroe County Judge Peary Fowler, President of the Lions Club and Mechelle Burgohy, Senior Human Services Program Specialist with the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County accepted the proclamation. The public is invited to attend a workshop on Thursday, November 10th at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 1300 White Street. The purpose of this public meeting is to provide the public and policy makers a second opportunity to discuss the goals of short-term rental regulations. This second workshop is aimed at giving citizens who might not have attended the first workshop a chance to weigh in on this important issue. The goal of the Commission is to address the impacts stemming from short term rental activity in Key West. Specifically, the workshop is intended to explore key issues that municipalities need to manage that are a result of short -term rentals. These include the following:
This week Mayor Teri Johnston and the City Commission commended outgoing City Commission Gregory Davila for his valuable contributions to the Key West City Commission and for his honorable and dedicated service to the people of Key West.
Davila, who represents District IV, did not run for reelection after serving four years on the dais. Davila said it was a difficult decision, but he has two sons in school that he needs more time with. In fact, he pointed out, as he was accepting the honor, Key West High School was holding its homecoming parade. Elected in 2018, Davila has remained a dedicated commissioner, business owner and family man. “Commissioner Davila has served his community by volunteering and supporting our youth working as a parent-volunteer and coach spending countless hours on our baseball diamonds, football and soccer fields and public parks,” reads the commendation. In addition, he has organized community events through the Mason organizations as well as the Boy Scouts of America, as well as, with his wife Heidi, hosted many community cleanups. The commendation continues, mentioning Commissioner Davila’s accomplishments during his tenure. He “sponsored and co-sponsored over 50 commendations, proclamations, resolutions and City ordinances.” He sponsored efforts including “Expressing support for the citizens of Cuba,” “Accepting the Key West Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan,” and “Establishing a free bus pass program for City bus routes for Senior Citizens and Disabled Veterans who reside in the City of Key West. Davila was given a hearty standing ovation as he accepted the commendation Mayor Teri Johnston and the City Commission on Tuesday issued a proclamation recognizing Friday, November 11th as Veteran’s Day.
On that day, ready the proclamation, “the citizens of the City of Key West will join together again this year to pay tribute day to the dedicated veterans who have served this great nation with such distinction, both in peace time and in war. “Our community has a continuing sense of gratitude to those who have given so much in the defense of the freedoms which we all continue to enjoy.” A ceremony at the Veteran’s Memorial at Bayview Park and a Veteran’s Day Parade will honor the dedicated men and women. “We pledge our continued defense of our nation so that their sacrifice will stand before the entire world as a tribute to the spirit and determination of a people dedicated to the principles of freedom and democracy.” The City of Key West is poised to move forward on the revitalization of the Duval Street corridor after the City Commission on Tuesday approved the proposal from the Stanec firm. City Manager Patti McLauchlin chose the top three proposals to present to the commission. Each firm presented their proposals and answered detailed questions. Mayor Teri Johnston commended all of the firms – Jacobs, WGI and Stanec – on their vision for revitalizing the island’s main street. “We’re very excited to move forward with Stanec,” said McLauchlin. “This is an overdue project, and it’s a complex one. Together I think the City can strive to attain a revitalized Duval Street that reflects the diversity of the corridor.” Communication with the community and the stakeholders is vital, she said, a point made clear by the Stanec representatives. The group will be reaching out in a variety of ways to understand the needs of the residents, the businesses, and the visitors whose opinions are vital to making a project like this successful. The last time downtown was truly revitalized was in the mid-1970s. Stanec’s Duval Street Economic Corridor Resiliency and Revitalization Plan takes into account the unique nature of the street from block to block. They will be taking into account the history, the economy, the reputation, and resiliency against sea level rise. The community is invited to join Mayor Teri Johnston, the City Commission, and City Manager Patti McLauchlin for a ribbon cutting ceremony to honor our One Human Family portico at Bayview Park. The ceremony is at 5:30 on Monday, November 7th at the west end of Bayview Park. The creator of the motto, JT Thompson will also be in attendance. In advance of the ribbon cutting, Commissioner Mary Lou Hoover and the family of Ainsley Nicole Tibbett invite the community to the dedication of the first suicide awareness bench in the City of Key West. This dedication will also be held at Bayview Park. Twenty two years ago, the Key West City Commission unanimously adopted “One Human Family” as our City’s official philosophy of unity, equality and diversity. The resolution read that “all people are our equals,” and urged "growing beyond the artificial limitations of racism, nationalism, sexism, classism, monotheism, prejudice, homophobia and every other illusion used to separate us from all being equal.” Our inclusive philosophy has spread around the world, thanks to JT Thompson, on over 4.7 million stickers and nearly 100,000 wristbands… always free. In 2020, the City Commission voted to officially name the Portico and Bandstand in Bayview Park with the motto. A sign was installed on the Bandstand, making it the “One Human Family Pavilion,” and now the Portico, too, sports the “One Human Family” name. Special thanks to City Commissioner Sam Kaufman for envisioning this as a symbol of unity for Key West. The bandstand was erected in 1990 by then-City Commissioner Sally Lewis, working with State Representative Ron Saunders and the Cultural Affairs Committee. It was never given a formal name until now. The small portico was built in 1924 by a chapter of the Stephen Mallory Daughters of the Confederacy to honor Confederate soldiers. The One Human Family Pavilion & Portico are adjacent to Bayview Park’s revered Military Memorials that include a large statue dedicated to Black Soldiers who fought for the Union in the Civil War. |
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