Islamorada

A Monroe County circuit court judge berated Islamorada and one of its attorneys for rejecting a liquor license that no village code, zoning or regulation prohibits.

Circuit Court Judge Luis Garcia said the village should have approved the application filed by Two Martini's LLC, which wants to open an upscale wine, cheese and liquor store in the center of town. "In this case, all of the substantial, competent - that is to say, relevant - evidence supported the approval of the application," Garcia wrote in an Aug. 14 ruling. "The village attorney had made clear just how wrong he could get it."

The judge was referring to village land-use attorney James White, who in January advised the council that it must evaluate more than just the application's compliance with the village law, but the proposed liquor store's compatibility with the safety, health and welfare of the community. The council cannot employ such an arbitrary standard, the judge wrote. If the village wants to keep liquor stores away from churches, for example, it must write a specific ordinance prohibiting it, he said.

Two Martini's owner Michael Thaler proposed opening the store in the former Islamorada Tackle Building at Mile Marker 81.6 bayside, adjacent to the Helen Wadley Branch Library and across the street from the Florida Keys Hurricane Memorial and Matecumbe United Methodist Church.

In overturning the village staff's recommendation to approve the application, the council deemed the liquor store detrimental to the community based on pleas from former Islamorada sheriff's Capt. Joe Leiter, Matecumbe United leaders and nearby residents and business owners.

Village attorney Joe Serota said regulating liquor stores is a difficult issue. "We have great respect for Judge Garcia," Serota said. "That doesn't mean that we agree with him all the time. We don't agree with him here."

The Village Council has until the middle of next month to appeal the decision or approve the application. Two Martini's could be open within two or three weeks of receiving a liquor license, Thaler said. Mayor Dave Boerner said he is not likely to support an appeal. "Sometimes you have to carefully pick your battles," he said, "and I think Judge Garcia has given a message here."


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Starting in October, Islamorada residents will have to curb how much garbage they throw away. There is now no limit to how much garbage residents can put out to be collected every week, but beginning Oct. 1, they will be limited to six 32-gallon cans or six bundles, or a combination of both, said Bruce Williams, general manger of Onyx Waste Services, the village's solid-waste disposal company. Each bundle must not exceed 4 feet in height and 50 pounds, he said.

Williams said the excessive amount of trash Onyx was collecting in Islamorada has placed the company almost $200,000 behind in revenue since 2003. He's seeking some reimbursement from the village government but in the meantime, the Village Council approved his request to restrict how much people can put out for his company to collect.

Williams said residents will be able to go over the new limit, but it will cost them $2.25 per can or bundle. “We are developing a way for them to pay for extra trash, but we haven't figured out a way to collect the money yet,” Williams said.

Those who have questions about the new policy can call Williams at 853-3433.

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A 52-year-old man is recovering from extensive injuries he suffered after an encounter with a shark in the Keys.

The unidentified man received extensive injuries from under his arm to his waist after the shark attack.

Rescue crews airlifted the Islamorada man from Mariner's Hospital to Jackson Memorial Hospital after being attacked by the shark while swimming near Founder's Park.

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Wednesday, East Coast Poker Club opened a card room in Islamorada. They are in the old Anthony's Clothing building next to Lorelei restaurant at MM 82 bayside.

They are starting up a Texas Hold'em Poker league with players awarded points that can earn you a place in periodic tournaments with various prizes. I haven't seen all the particulars on the types of prizes and such but am hoping for the best.

Read More Here

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Islamorada has less than 30 days to appeal a court decision forcing it to begin processing a redevelopment application for its largest trailer park. The Village Council erred in 2004 when it voted to put Seabreeze Mobile Home Park under a citywide moratorium on mobile home park redevelopment, Judge Luis Garcia wrote in his June 4 ruling. The village instituted the moratorium, which remains in effect, to buy time as it seeks to create regulations that would protect affordable housing.

Seabreeze Associates has sought to turn the oceanside property into an upscale RV park, a move that likely would displace most, if not all, the residents at the 101-unit park. In his ruling, Garcia noted that Seabreeze Associates had submitted its redevelopment plan a day before the Village Council passed a resolution declaring its intent to impose the moratorium. In previous moratoriums, the village had exempted properties that submitted their application prior to passage of the resolution.

In addition, the Islamorada Planning Department and village attorneys had continued working with Seabreeze on the site plan up to the Sept. 23 meeting when the moratorium received final passage. Attorneys and staff advised the council to exempt Seabreeze from the legislation. "It is not fair to change the rules, even when the motivation for such a change is honorable," Garcia wrote.

Seabreeze owner Joe Wieselberg, who has long expressed confidence that he would win the case, said the decision does not mean park residents face imminent eviction. "There are a bunch of things we need to do, along with getting the site plan approved from other agencies," he said last week. "So I'm not rushing into anything. The truth is, the park might be there for a while."

But the future of Seabreeze might not be entirely up to Wieselberg or his Seabreeze Associates partners. Last month the Monroe County Health Department asked the court to shut down nearly half the waterfront property because sewage in that portion of the park is treated only by a cesspit. Wieselberg has long blamed the village for the inadequate facility, arguing that his stalled redevelopment plan would fix the problem.

On Tuesday, before Garcia's decision had been announced, attorneys for Seabreeze and the Health Department met to discuss a settlement. Both Health Department attorney Morton Laitner and Wieselberg described the meeting as productive. Laitner said the department is asking that the 11 spaces currently unoccupied at Seabreeze remain vacant. In addition, he said, health officials want an as-yet unspecified number of Seabreeze residents to move out per quarter.

The department is already searching for alternative housing options for those who would be displaced, he said. "We want to have a timetable and we want it to be tight," Laitner said. "I want people to be moving out."

Seabreeze attorney Charles Forman said last week that the court's decision in his client's case against Islamorada sets the groundwork for the sewage problem to be solved. "It should be the ultimate solution, because it should provide for the orderly redevelopment of the park," he said.

Michael Burke, who tried the case for the village on behalf of the Florida League of Cities, had little to say about the court's decision. "I can't speculate as to why the judge ruled the way he did," Burke said.

Wieselberg said Seabreeze might still pursue financial damages. "Let's see how the village behaves," he said.

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Three decades strong and beloved by resident artists and art lovers alike, the Rain Barrel Artists Village in Islamorada was the vision of owner Carol Cutshall, a transplant from Pennsylvania who came to the Keys 35 years ago for a two-week vacation and never went home. Once here, she decided to create an artist colony in the Upper Keys where local artists could work and residents and visitors could stop in and enjoy the creative community.

“When customers come in they are mesmerized, with a look of wonderment on their faces,” said Cutshall of the Rain Barrel, located at mile marker 87 bayside. “Seeing this every day is a joy.” She credits the juried art show hosted at the Rain Barrel for 20 years for putting the place on the map. Featuring 100 exhibitors set up throughout the property, it was traditionally held the third weekend of March each year. After two decades, however, she felt the event had run its course and ended it.

The quaint, open-air artists’ village still attracts plenty of folks who come to see works by the 10 resident artists — and pieces by the more than 500 artists represented through the Rain Barrel’s galleries. Cutshall is responsible for the name of the artist village, which combines the structure’s history and her vision. It was inspired in part by the fact that the property, previously called the Cypress Barn Building, included a 5,000-gallon cypress cistern.

“I wanted the word rain incorporated into the name because water is as important to life as to art,” she said. “And because of the cistern, I actually do have a rain barrel.” Cutshall’s love of the place overflows to the resident artists, and the feeling is reciprocated.

Resident artists Cindy and Dwayne King have evolved through their work at the Rain Barrel. Dwayne brought Cindy to the place, which he knew from growing up in the Keys, in the late 1980s. Then Cindy met Carol Cutshall and worked for her in the property’s front store while working on her art at her home studio. At the time, Dwayne had a shop named King’s Treasure where he displayed 30 years worth of coins and artifacts discovered by his father on an Upper Keys shipwreck in the 1970s. He also created his own original 14-karat gold designs in the shop.

Cindy King eventually left the front shop and joined her husband in their current space, a sculpture gallery toward the back of the garden. They now display her dimensional clay art and his bronze sculptures. They also stay busy on regular commissions for bronzes of individuals — as well as Dwayne’s variety of door handles, including sailfish and mermaids, purchased by Bass Pro Shops for their stores. The Kings love working at the Rain Barrel and in the Keys.

“The artists at the Rain Barrel all have their own talents and style, and this diversity is very complimentary and creates a tremendous amount of respect among the artists and a sort of harmony amongst the community,” said Cindy King. Artist Dan Lawler, a 40-year Keys resident and 12-year veteran of the Rain Barrel, began as a weekend painter. He was displaying his art in restaurants and galleries in the Keys when Cutshall discovered him and offered him a studio. The 72-year-old Lawler trained at the Art Institute of Chicago. His trademark pieces are seascapes created using oils on linen canvas, as well as fishing and early conch and Keys scenes. He also paints images of Monet’s gardens in France, inspired by his travels to Europe. Lawler is very content with his affiliation with the Rain Barrel.

“It’s a beautiful and popular spot where folks enjoy stopping in — and a place where the management is very nice,” he said. John David Hawver, a graduate of the University of Miami, came to the Keys 15 years ago and has been at the Rain Barrel for the past eight years. He became a resident artist after inquiring about studio space at a Rain Barrel art show. Hawver paints Florida landscapes and seascapes in a contemporary impressionist style. He works in oil on canvas, and pastel and mixed media on paper. “My process involves drawing with pastels, smearing it with water and then drawing back into it when it dries,” he said. Hawver echoed the Kings’ feelings about the Rain Barrel.

“Carol has a great vision and is always very careful to select the right artist — and that’s very important,” he said. “It would be hard for an artist on their own to stop traffic, but with a group of 10 different shops we an accomplish that.” Cutshall’s appreciation for her artists, and the living work of art she has created in the Rain Barrel, shows in her work philosophy. “If I’m not talking to customers, I’m either working on the garden or moving a piece of furniture,” she said. “I am a hands-on business owner and that’s what it takes to succeed.” Islamorada’s Rain Barrel is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days per week. For more information, call 305) 852-3084.

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Front Desk Supervisor
Date Posted: Apr 21, 2007
Company: Cheeca Lodge & Spa
Industry: Hotel
Job Location: US - FL - Islamorada
Bonus: No
Management Position: Yes
Entry Level Position: No
Description: Maintain complete knowledge at all times of all hotel features/services, hours of operation, all room types, layout, decor, location, all room rates, special packages and promotions, daily house count & expected arrivals/departures.

Meet with departing Front Office staff/supervisor to review business status & follow up items.
Ensure that current information on rates, packages and promotions is available at the Front Office & that all staff is knowledgeable on such.
Review the daily business levels, anticipate critical situations & plan effective solutions to best expedite these situations.
Review the previous day's occupancy & room revenues; resolve discrepancies with Accounting.
Ensure that staff reports to work as scheduled. Document any late or absent employees & coordinate breaks for staff.
Constantly monitor staff performance in all phases of service & job functions, ensuring that all procedures are carried out to departmental standards.
Monitor the check-in/check-out process, ensuring agreement to hotel standards, anticipate critical situations & assist whenever necessary to help alleviate the pressure & to process the guest expediently.
Monitor safe deposit box procedures; audit accuracy of cards with proper signatures & ensure availability of keys. Handle guest reports on theft from safe deposit boxes according to hotel procedures.
Monitor the staff's interaction with guests, ensuring prompt & courteous service; resolve discrepancies with respective personnel.
Observe guest reactions & confer frequently with staff to ensure guest satisfaction, anticipate guests' needs, respond promptly & acknowledge all guests, however busy & whatever time of day.
Monitor & handle guest complaints by following the instant pacification procedures and ensuring guest satisfaction.
Requirements: High school graduate; college or hospitality school graduate preferred.
1 - 3 years experience as a Front Office Supervisor.
Ability to satisfactorily communicate in English with guests, management and co-workers to their understanding, ability to communicate in a second language preferred
Ability to provide legible communication.
Familiarities with yield management and cost controls.
Previous experience with Springer Miller Systems software.
Ability to prioritize and organize work assignments, delegate work.
Ability to direct performance of staff and follow up with corrections where needed.
Ability to ascertain departmental training needs and provide such training.
Ability to be a clear thinker, analyze and resolve problems exercising good judgment.
Ability to remain calm and courteous with demanding/difficult guests and/or situations.
Ability to work without direct supervision.

Physical Requirements:
Ability to stand in once place for a minimum of 8 hrs per shift.
Ability to lift and carry luggage at a minimum of 30lbs.

Accommodation: No
Other: Full med, den, life, 401(k), PTO

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