Andy Newman from the Tourist Development Council joined Good Morning Keys on KeysTalk 96.9/102.5FM to talk about various events in the Keys.
Florida Keys Museum and Attractions weekend is here!
Newman said, “This is a 13th annual Florida Keys Museum and Attractions weekend. It usually takes place the weekend prior to Labor Day weekend, which is traditionally pretty slow in the Florida Keys and it’s just an opportunity for folks, both visitors and residents alike to take advantage of all types of deals, that many attractions and museums offer up.”
It’s today, Saturday and Sunday.
Deals include offers at Custom House Museum, Dolphin Research Center, the Fort East Martello Museum, the Harry S. Truman Little White House, the History of Diving Museum, the Key West Aquarium, the Key West Art Center and Gallery, the Key West Garden Club, the Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum, the Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Gardens, the Lighthouse and Keepers Quarters Museum, the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, the Sails to Rails Museum and the Tennessee Williams Museum.
Don’t miss your chance at getting some great deals on those attractions. More information can be found at www.wlrn.org
The Art of the Cigar Label will be presented through October 22 at the Key West Art and Historical Society at the Custom House.
Newman said, “Meanwhile, the History of Diving Museum through the end of the year has it’s Aquanauts to Astronauts exhibition, and that focuses on a fascinating relationship between diving and space travel and how NASA uses diving to train future astronauts.”
The Marathon Community Theater is presenting the 80s Mall Murder Madness this weekend.
The Sheriff’s Animal Farm has an open house Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m.
Newman said, “They have all kinds of rescue animals there. They include miniature horses, pigs, goats, bunnies, alligators, tropical birds, a lemur, an alpaca, a skunk, a prairie dog, tortoises, turtles. I always love what the Sheriff’s Office does in the Keys, always, always, always community minded.”
Mike Stapleford of KeysTalk 96.9/102.5FM noted, “I think also we both have to admire Sheriff Rick Ramsey’s PR skills. He is a master at promoting goodwill throughout the county and the community on behalf of the Sheriff’s Department. As a result, he achieves his goal of establishing a rapport and trust with the public, between his department and the public at large. I really constantly tip my hat to him as far as how he handles his department and the outreach efforts.”
Newman agreed, “I’ve known the sheriff for a very long time. I had the chance to work with him well before he ever became sheriff. Everybody in the sheriff’s office, especially the leadership, they all do just a tremendous job for the community. The one thing that I always like to do is if I see deputies patrolling the area, I tried to stop the deputy and I just thank them so very much for taking care of us. People in law enforcement are really challenged these days all around the country. I just think that they we’re so lucky to have such a professional law enforcement agency, with the City of Key West and Chief Brandenburg and everybody else in the community, they do a great job.”
Stapleford said, “Chief Brandenburg and Key West police also do a fabulous job. They’re really acting as ambassadors for us as well as law enforcement officers.”
The Key West Brew Fest happens over Labor Day and Chief Brandenburg and his officers will be on hand.
People are reminded not to get complacent with hurricane season.
Newman said, “We actually started that with emergency management back in 1998. For folks that have been around, they will remember the name Billy Wagner. He was the senior emergency management director. Actually, he was the emergency management director for Monroe County for some 25 years. I got to know Billy, first in 1998, and actually spent a lot of hurricane season with him at the National Hurricane Center’s when there were threats, so I learned a lot and we were able to pioneer a program where mainly based on communications and also education, but just making sure that the tourism industry is on board with emergency management, if there’s ever a threat by a storm, that that results in visitor evacuations, and also all portions of the recovery effort as well.”
There is an area of concern that the National Hurricane Center is watching right now, north of the Honduras.
Newman said, “I think that they’re giving a 70% chance, but perhaps forming into a tropical depression. We’ve seen a reduction in ocean temperatures and surrounding water temperatures because of the heavy rain that we got last weekend. We’ve got these winds coming out of the east/northeast that are cooler. We’ve seen water temperature drop, that’s going to obviously help us prevent any more coral bleaching I think and a little bit less than the weather temperatures is a really good thing.”
The call for participation in Fantasy Fest is already out.
Newman said, “Fantasy Fest has been around for quite some time. They had a vision back then, in the in the late 70s, that you know what? Mardi Gras is in New Orleans, Rio has its Carnival. Boy, wouldn’t it be great for us to have something? But more importantly, also it’s stage during a time period, which used to be completely void of any business in Key West at all. It certainly has grown.”
So many people help the Keys be the great location it is.
Newman said, “Most importantly, our volunteers who serve on the board. I think people forget these board members, these committee members, they’re not compensated. They do it because they care about the economy in the Keys and they care about Monroe County.”
For more information on all that is going on in the community, click here: www.fla-keys.com