tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-124653922008-09-26T22:19:41.755-05:00Local interest stories about Big Pine Key (soon to be renamed Big Iguana Key). <br>The island, people, wild life and life style.Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-47878134811978006322007-10-07T19:39:00.000-05:002007-10-07T21:35:16.243-05:00

"Extensive use of artificial nest boxes by private property owners and land managers could potentially make a big dent in their population," Kenneth Krysko, Florida Museum of Natural History herpetologist said. The nest boxes are designed to humanely capture the troublesome lizards and their eggs, said Krysko, lead author of a study published in the September edition of Iguana: Conservation,

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-32791628493646611682007-08-22T14:26:00.000-05:002007-08-18T14:28:39.033-05:00

Aug. 22 marks the 50th anniversary of the official establishment of the National Key Deer Refuge in 1957. Centered on Big Pine Key and surrounding islands, the National Key Deer Refuge protects native habitats that support the Key deer and 21 other threatened and endangered species. The battle to save the diminutive Key deer began long before the refuge's establishment. Historically, the Key

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-40234928761502530632007-07-01T19:12:00.000-05:002007-06-12T15:18:46.372-05:00

On Saturday, July 14, Big Pine Key -- a quiet, easy-to-miss Key between Islamorada and Key West -- will host one of the most unusual festivals in the US. The 23rd annual Underwater Music Festival will allow divers to explore Looe Key Reef -- part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary -- to the rhythms of the sea. Literally. Staged by a local radio station, the event features the

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-77904774433656774842007-06-09T19:46:00.000-05:002007-06-09T19:48:17.987-05:00

The Baylor Bears opened the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 4x100-meter relay. Baylor was forced to use its seventh different relay combination of the season, due to injuries to Courtney Thomas (Kilgore, Texas) and Trey Harts (Lake Charles, La.). The Bears finished fifth in the third heat running 40.31. R.J. Anderson (Big Pine Key, Fla.) led off for Baylor, passing to Reggie Witherspoon (

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-82773097803693946842007-06-05T19:37:00.000-05:002007-06-09T19:43:57.123-05:00

A convicted sex offender living in Big Pine Key will be the first person in South Florida federally prosecuted on charges of failing to register with authorities. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami filed a criminal complaint Monday against Richard Maurice Dumont, 55. Dumont was convicted in February 2004 of second-degree child molestation for sneaking into a 12-year-old girl's bedroom and

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-23635664475326267252007-06-03T11:05:00.000-05:002007-06-03T11:14:55.532-05:00

While Playboy bunnies live relatively carefree lives, the Lower Keys marsh rabbits named after Playboy founder Hugh M. Hefner are not so lucky — and he's coming to the rescue. The scientific name given to the endangered rabbits is Sylvilagus palustris hefneri, honoring Hefner, who put money toward research identifying the subspecies in 1980. The rabbits' drastic decline in the National Key Deer

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-6733086830752533792007-05-19T08:11:00.000-05:002007-05-19T08:24:48.346-05:00

National Key Deer Refuge officials announced this week that the trapping of feral cats on Big Pine Key has been delayed until June 4. Refuge Director Anne Morkill said an original date of May 21 was released in error. The cat trapping will be done in an effort to protect the endangered marsh rabbits, silver rice rats and other animals and birds in the area, officials say. The feral cats will

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-16448191612798506062007-05-18T20:28:00.000-05:002007-05-18T20:46:08.145-05:00

Nearly a half million dollars worth of marijuana was seized when a South Florida man was pulled over for reportedly weaving in and out of his lane while driving a motor home through Lafayette County, a small (Pop. 7,000) county in the Big Bend area of Florida between the panhandle and the peninsula. The traffic stop happened late Tuesday on State Road 20, according to Sheriff Carson McCall.

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-58043543760564299562007-05-11T16:19:00.000-05:002007-05-11T16:21:25.208-05:00

Someone may have set a brush fire on Big Pine Key that burned eight acres overnight Wednesday, state fire officials said Thursday. Investigators believe one source of the fire was an abandoned truck in the woods near 24th Street. "It looks like there may have been another area that was intentionally lit on fire as well," said Scott Peterich, Division of Forestry Wildfire mitigation specialist.

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-20256437976770765872007-05-10T20:29:00.000-05:002007-05-10T20:34:06.752-05:00

The wildfire crisis going on throughout Florida reached the Florida Keys, with a fire that burned in Big Pine Key on Wednesday. According to Monroe County Sheriff's Office reports the fire was somehow started by an abandoned vehicle just before 4 p.m. and then spread to the nearby brush. Fire investigators have not ruled out arson. Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies, fire department officials and

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-61572689536366876112007-04-03T16:43:00.000-05:002007-04-03T16:45:33.428-05:00

BIG PINE KEY The Nature Conservancy seeks volunteers to help remove dead vegetation on Big Pine Key to prevent wildfires in the National Key Deer Refuge. The cleanup is from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. From Key Deer Boulevard at Mile Marker 30, turn right onto Watson Boulevard and look for the Nature Conservancy truck parked at the second dirt road on the left. The cleanup is part of the Nature

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-86045135352560388732007-03-14T22:00:00.000-05:002007-03-14T22:02:22.461-05:00

Pre-trial hearings are scheduled for March 12 and April 3, with a trial scheduled to begin on Monday, April 16, 2007. All three defendants face one felony count of poaching. If convicted, the defendants may receive a relatively harsh sentence, since the judge is reportedly tough on crime. Please attend the trial to show your support against animal cruelty or write to Judge Miller to encourage a

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-33610549112035779522007-03-07T00:35:00.000-05:002007-03-07T00:37:59.701-05:00

With some relief I am happy to report the following. A couple thought to be missing at sea never left their island, the U.S. Coast Guard said today. Friends of the couple told officials that Robert and Andrea Gilligan had left Sunday with plans to sail to Sawyer Key. Their 18-foot white boat has the name Puke written on the side. U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Luis Diaz said today the couple was

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-18342682355613069562007-03-04T23:16:00.000-05:002007-03-04T23:25:26.785-05:00

This is not a joke. SUMMERLAND KEY: The Coast Guard is searching for a missing Summerland Key couple who failed to return from an afternoon out at sea. Robert and Andrea Gilligan were reported overdue, aboard their vessel "Puke", after they failed to return from a voyage Sunday afternoon. According to their neighbor, the Gilligan's departed Summerland Key at noon and planned to sail their 18-

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-1168560301625543742007-01-11T19:03:00.000-05:002007-01-11T19:05:01.640-05:00

A Miami man was sentenced last Thursday to nearly a year in jail for stealing lobsters from traps off Cudjoe Key. Juan Andres Perez, 45, pleaded no contest to raiding crawfish traps, a third-degree felony, as well as three other misdemeanor charges: possession of undersized crawfish; possession of a wrung tail and obstruction of an officer. Circuit Judge Mark Jones sentenced Perez to five years’

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-1165441218807679402006-12-06T16:17:00.000-05:002006-12-06T16:40:19.553-05:00

KEY LARGO - The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) passed a new rule Wednesday to create a no-anchoring zone for masted boats between Big Pine Key and Little Torch Key south of U.S. 1. The area between the red lines in the picture. The rule resulted from petitions from the Monroe County Commission and the Utility Board of the City of Key West after several incidents

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-1164594046394705582006-11-27T07:16:00.000-05:002006-11-27T07:19:52.076-05:00

Save the Florida Key Deer by Margaret Goff Clark - Great Children's Book. Approximately the size of a golden retriever but having the deer's distinctively graceful shape, the Florida Key deer is found only on the Florida Keys. Hunted almost into extinction, the animals numbered less than 100 by the late 1940s, but thanks to the combined efforts of a letter-writing 11-year-old boy and a

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-1164484467030569082006-11-25T08:37:00.000-05:002006-11-25T14:54:27.086-05:00

My favorite place! There is nothing like arriving here. My family has been frequenting this spot for nearly 30 years, and we have never had a bad experience (except when we've had to leave due to hurricanes). The waters in the near vicinity of Big Pine Key are full of snapper, lobster, tarpon, and stone crab. Just watch your season folks! The friendly family atmosphere makes this facility perfect

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-1164248195515346172006-11-23T07:04:00.000-05:002006-11-23T07:35:58.803-05:00

MLS #538172: 2/2 single family home at 3681 Fox Street on Big Pine Key has been increased from $ 755,000 to $ 799,000. DOM (48). Special home in serene area of BPK. Located on a canal with unobstructed views of the hammocks. Boat dock and a floating dock. Easy access to open water and minutes away from the Content Keys. Beautifully landscaped yard with tropical fruit trees and a veggie garden.

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-1163979584357685192006-11-19T10:32:00.000-05:002006-11-19T18:39:44.406-05:00

6:30 p.m. Nov. 25: Children's Christmas party with Santa. Every child receives a gift. Coldwell Banker Schmitt Real Estate Co., mile marker 30 gulfside, next to the Big Pine post office. Call 872-3050.

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-1163738271823845982006-11-17T10:35:00.000-05:002006-11-17T07:16:32.726-05:00

Employment Opportunities at Sweetwater Homes, Inc. Sweetwater Homes, Inc. is a well established company in the Florida Keys for 30+ years. Sweetwater Homes, Inc. is the pioneer of Modular homes in the Florida Keys and we live in what we build. We are a growing company that is always seeking great employees with or without experience. We have many opportunities in the field from labors to

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-1163563167643028662006-11-16T10:47:00.000-05:002006-11-16T07:50:02.766-05:00

MLS #538753: commercial property (Coconuts Lounge & Drive Thru Liquors) at 30535 Overseas Hwy is for sale at $ 3,750,000. Designated prime redevelopment on Big Pine Key. 1.5 Acre parcel sits at only stoplight on Big Pine Key and has access off Wilder Rd. Drive thru may be grandfathered, current Liquor and Package Good License included.

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-1163646451760630282006-11-15T21:49:00.000-05:002006-11-15T22:11:32.813-05:00

For three days, Leslie Deal remained in an emergency room bed at Fishermen's Hospital, in Marathon Florida -- scared, frustrated and in excruciating pain from an uncommon hip socket fracture that had gone untreated. No doctors in Monroe County could perform the intricate surgery. Worse, workers at Fishermen's Hospital could find no combination of hospital and orthopedic surgeon outside of the

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-1163480332849155772006-11-14T11:00:00.000-05:002006-11-14T07:37:24.336-05:00

Refuge Facts: Established: 1957. Acres: 84,000. Location: The refuge is located 100 miles southwest of Miami and 30 miles northeast of Key West, FL along U.S.#1. Headquarters: On Big Pine Key in the Big Pine Key Plaza off Key Deer Boulevard. Other management: 700 acres through the State CARL program, 200 acres owned by the Monroe County Land Authority. About a third of the uplands portion of NKDR

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12465392.post-1163369279227905472006-11-13T10:17:00.000-05:002006-11-13T07:33:13.963-05:00

The Secret of Big Pine Key The world's a very dangerous place. A new Iraqi conflict has now deteriorated into a civil war that has spilled over into most countries in the Middle East. Gasoline is in short supply and prices have escalated causing many country's economics to collapse. Adding to the turmoil are sinister forces plotting to take advantage of the situation. Their collective goal is

Keys Treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17230828621276746508noreply@blogger.com