Federal Emergency Relief Agency Camp 1 on Windley Key. (Photo courtesy of Jerry Wilkinson/Historical Preservation Society of the Upper Keys)

NOTES ON KEYS HISTORY with Brad Bertelli

World War I veterans were sent to Islamorada to begin working on a Federal Emergency Relief Agency project in 1934. Hundreds of vets were assigned the job of creating a solid bridge system that would create a continuous road from Miami to Key West.

Posted - Thursday, May 09, 2013 06:56 PM EDT

This is a Nicole Miller dress from Blue paired with a David Symons necklace made of naga shell, crystal and bone.

CONCH STYLE

Most people shy away from designer clothing and accessories because of the price tags typically associated with them. However, buying quality over quantity can pay off in the long run, especially if you're buying classic pieces that fit well.

There is nothing worse than buying something you love only to have it fall apart after a few washes. I can think of several outfits I've bought for special occasions -- best friend's wedding, anniversaries, vacations -- that I no longer own because they just didn't last.

Posted - Friday, May 03, 2013 11:00 AM EDT

Only in the Keys by Jana Vandelaar

I realize this title could be misinterpreted in a couple of different ways. For instance, my sister would read this title and think I was talking about our unfortunate family genes — a mix of Lebanese and Italian blood — meaning our thighs are destined to rub together as we walk from the potato chip aisle to the ice cream aisle in the grocery store.

Posted - Thursday, May 02, 2013 05:17 PM EDT

Thirty-five students from Monroe County high schools have registered for separate overseas adventures in July.

Posted - Wednesday, May 01, 2013 11:00 AM EDT

The Russell Arms Hotel later became the Matecumbe Hotel, which was destroyed by the 1935 Hurricane. (Historical Preservation Society of the Upper Keys)

NOTES ON KEYS HISTORY with Brad Bertelli

President Woodrow Wilson ushered America into the First World War when he declared war on Germany in April, 1917. The Germans were fighting with France and Russia; they were also posing a threat to Great Britain.

The Germans went so far, in fact, as to send a secret telegram to Mexico in hopes of forming an alliance with our neighbors south of the border. Fortunately, the communiqué was intercepted and translated.

Posted - Thursday, April 25, 2013 06:33 PM EDT

The accolades keep on coming for Taylor Konrath.

Marathon High School's Taylor Konrath is having quite the senior year.

Named Florida's Wendy's High School Heisman Award winner in November, Konrath was also the school's homecoming queen and helped lead the Dolphins' soccer team on a Cinderella run to the state Class-1A Final Four.

Posted - Wednesday, April 24, 2013 11:12 AM EDT

Courtesy SHEELMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Key West artist Judi Bradford shows her 'fascinators,' stylish hats that mix art and fashion.

CONCH STYLE

Since the Middle Ages, hats have held a variety of purposes in culture. They have been worn for religious reasons, protection against the elements, safety, as fashion accessories and to denote social status.

In Florida, the majority of hats we see are used for sun protection. They range from baseball hats and visors to dramatically large beach hats made for lounging poolside.

Posted - Friday, April 19, 2013 11:00 AM EDT

Jana and Jacqueline Vandelaar encounter the natural and not-so-natural on a recent kayak adventure.

Only in the Keys by Jana Vandelaar

Locals. How often do we ever get to spend the day enjoying life here in the Keys? If we got graded on “living the dream,” I’m sure most of us would get a C to a C+. This is based on a grading scale of A meaning “experiences the beauty surrounding us outside everyday” and F meaning “hibernates when finally has a free minute and watches The Real Housewives of Cleveland.”

Posted - Thursday, April 18, 2013 04:21 PM EDT

David Andreas rides his BMW motorcycle during last year’s Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America. (Photo by Full Circle PR)

An Islamorada biker is paying the costs for a Knoxville, Tenn., couple to participate in a 2,200-mile, seven-day charity motorcycle ride at the end of the month.

David Andreas will be among 175 motorcycle riders participating in the 19th annual Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America.

Posted - Thursday, April 18, 2013 04:15 PM EDT

Chris Trentine, Paul Armstrong, Tony Allen, Brett Ekblom and Eric Steinmetz will dance for dollars during the inaugural ‘Classy but Sassy’ fundraiser benefitting the Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice of the Florida Keys April 20 at the Tavernier Elks Lodge.

FUNDRAISER

Saturday, April 20, at the Tavernier Elks Lodge, will be the inaugural “Classy but Sassy” event to benefit the Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice of the Florida Keys.

Three Upper Keys businessmen and two law enforcement officers from the Upper Keys will be performing, or rather “dancing for dollars,” to raise funds for VNA/Hospice.

Posted - Thursday, April 11, 2013 06:28 PM EDT

William J. Krome circa 1904. (Photo courtesy of the Historical Preservation Society of the Upper Keys)

NOTES ON KEYS HISTORY with Brad Bertelli

Before there was Islamorada, there was Matecumbe, a community founded on the northern end of Upper Matecumbe Key. The early settlers constructed their homes out on the beach, facing the Atlantic, so that the breeze coming off the ocean could serve the dual purpose of cooling agent and rudimentary means of pest control.

Posted - Thursday, April 11, 2013 06:25 PM EDT

Snorkeling the Florida Keys

NEW BOOK

Those interested in Keys history, particularly in the Upper Keys, know well the names of historians Jerry Wilkinson and Irving Eyster.

They are the go-to people for anyone with questions about the background of a local landmark, longtime business, noted figure or tropical storm. But emerging on the scene is Brad Bertelli.

Posted - Thursday, April 11, 2013 06:22 PM EDT

In his 1972 biography of Ernest Hemingway, James McLendon talks of Key West as the place where Hemingway became Hemingway. It was here that he came to love the sea, where he wrote most of “A Farewell to Arms,” and where he began to gather up the inspiration for what would become his most famous work, “The Old Man and the Sea,” a simply-told and tragic story of a fisherman’s battle with a giant marlin.

Posted - Wednesday, July 16, 2008 10:07 AM EDT