Key West Mayor Dee Dee Henriquez joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about what’s going on in the city.
Fantasy Fest was a lot of fun this weekend.
Henriquez said, “A shout out to our fire department, our police department, our community services, and all that they did, and everyone else that helped with a successful event. It takes a team, and it’s an effort to put something this huge and so big together. It was very successful. Lot of people in town, businesses doing well. So I’m just very happy to see how well it went and the day after, Community Services, it was like magic dust. Sunday morning it looked like there wasn’t even an event that had gone on.”
Hurricane Melissa looks like it will miss Key West, but will hit Haiti and Jamaica.
Henriquez said, “That’s very sad, and we’re very fortunate, but very sad for them. We are feeling some of the effects of the wind, so it’s kind of cooled things off as far as the wind is concerned. But very sad for Haiti and Jamaica, but we’re very blessed that we’re missing a possibly category four or five hurricane.”
City business will continue this week.
Henriquez said, “We’re in between the Fantasy Fest activities and then the both races starting next week. But in between, starting today, we have the citizen review board starting at 5pm here in the chambers. Tuesday, I have a TDC board meeting. I am on the board, so that will start at 10am in Marathon, and you can go on the website and watch the meeting, if you’re not able to attend. That’ll be in the Marathon government building. Then that afternoon, we have the HARC, which is the Historic Architectural Review Commission. That starts at 5pm here in the chambers, and then on Thursday is the Lofts at Bahama Village grand opening. That’s going to start at 10am located at 750 Fort Street. I can’t wait for that. That’s been long time coming. We’re actually going to have a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10am on that morning. Then that afternoon, we have a check presentation with Senator Rodriguez at 4pm at the Commission chamber. So we’re always excited to receive funds from Tallahassee. Then Friday, we have an early bird cleanup on Duval Street and Virginia, hosted by Stacy Stahl Realty One Group, located at 1075 Duval Street. We are going to meet along Virginia Street, which is next to Duval square. Then Saturday, we have our first Saturday of the month, it’s the hazardous waste drop off event. It’s for Key West residents only, and that starts at 8am until noon, and that’s located at the Sonny McCoy Indigenous Park. Again, you could drop off your paint, electronics, chemicals, stuff like that, and that’s always the first Saturday of the month. Then we’re also having another early bird cleanup in District Four, which is Commissioner Carey’s district. It’s the after Halloween cleanup. So I believe in that neighborhood, they have a lot of trick or treaters, and it starts at 8am and everyone should meet at Staples and 10th Street, and that’s behind Grace Lutheran, and that is hosted by Commissioner Carey. So I believe she wanted the ploggers to come around and pick up all the candy wrappers and stuff in her neighborhood the day after Halloween. That was pretty smart. Sunday is a Key West world championships, world’s fastest boat parade. The parade starts at 4pm. It begins at Truman Waterfront Park to Southern down to Whitehead, all the way down to United street. Then they’ll turn around, and then come up Duval Street and then back to Truman Waterfront and we’re looking forward to the boat races, and that’s always exciting, and it brings a lot of people in town as well.”
The city of Key West is also hiring nine new police officer from the Florida Keys Basic Law Enforcement Academy.
Henriquez said, “We’re excited about that. They have a lot of training still to go through, and they’ll be on the job training. So we’re looking forward to seeing those nine officers on the road.”