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I'm glad I came back from Nantucket last month!

Nantucket reacts to Hurricane Sandy

Photos by Jim Powers and Nicole Harnishfeger

As Hurricane Sandy churned her way up the East Coast, Nantucket battened down the hatches and prepared for her arrival Monday. Wind speeds picked up during the day, with gusts to 60, and flooding and spill-over began around noon at high tide in Nantucket Harbor.

Photo by Jim Powers

Kevin Kelley is inundated by the spray that pounds into the Easy Street basin Monday morning around noon.

Photo by Nicole Harnishfeger

This Sheep Pond Road cottage ended up on the beach on the South Shore Monday morning.

Photo by Jim Powers

Water flowed up the Broad Street "Strip" past a number of businesses that closed for the day, including Young's
Bicycle Shop and Stubby's.

Photo by Nicole Harnishfeger

Storm-watchers stand on the east side of Miacomet Pond Monday afternoon as waves
from the Atlantic Ocean wash into the pond.

Photo by Nicole Harnishfeger

This public boat ramp in Madaket was completely submerged Monday afternoon.

Photo by Nicole Harnishfeger

Waves pound the shoreline along Washington Street around high tide Monday.

Photo by Jim Powers

A utility pole on Surfside Road snapped Monday afternoon, dropping a transformer onto
the wires and into some trees.

Photo by Jim Powers

Heavy surf breaks on the beach at Maddequecham Monday afternoon.

Photo by Jim Powers

This scallop boat wallows in the waves on Nantucket Harbor as high tide neared Monday afternoon.

Photo by Nicole Harnishfeger

The Town Pier is almost underwater around high tide Monday.

Photo by Nicole Harnishfeger

Waves crash onto shore along Washington Street near the Francis Street Beach Monday.

Photo by Jim Powers

This boat washes ashore along Washington Street as the astronomically high tide drove
waves up onto the beach.

Photo by Jim Powers

Nantucket Police officers observe waves crashing over the Easy Street Basin Monday around high tide.

Photo by Jim Powers

George Nyren and Jeff Evans attempt to support the flood gate at Children's Beach Monday morning.

Photo by Jim Powers

A bicyclist takes pictures of the waves crashing over Steamboat Wharf Monday afternoon.

Photo by Jim Powers

Water streams down Old North Wharf Monday afternoon.

Photo by Jim Powers

Broad Street was closed to traffic as water flowed almost as far as the Nantucket Whaling Museum. Dozens of

people were on the streets, however, checking out the storm as town offices, businesses and schools were closed.

Photo by Nicole Harnisfeger

Dale Gary of the Department of Public Works cuts limbs off a downed tree that partially blocked Madaket Road Monday.

Photo by Jim Powers

This Dumpster found itself from the Boys & Girls Club property on Sparks Avenue to the other side of the street.

Photo by Jim Powers

Capt. Bob DeCosta of the Albacore, left, and Capt. Josh Eldridge of the Monomoy secure their vessels Monday.



Sandy whips Keys before moving north

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By KEVIN WADLOW

By SEAN KINNEY

Hurricane Sandy couldn't stop the homemade bikini contest Thursday at the Ocean Key House, one of several Fantasy Fest events in Key West.

Hurricane Sandy barely made anyone's radar last weekend but quickly brewed into an October storm that lashed the Florida Keys with its strong outer-band winds Thursday and early Friday.

Concern over school buses carrying students over bridges and roads exposed to gusty conditions closed Monroe County schools on Friday. Several local government offices closed, as well.
Pretenders in Paradise, a popular Fantasy Fest costume contest planned for Thursday night, was called off when strong northerly winds coming off the Gulf of Mexico raked the waterfront outdoor stage at the Pier House Resort in Key West.
Other Fantasy Fest activities this weekend were expected to go on as scheduled, fest director Linda O'Brien said.
A tropical-storm warning for boaters in waters of Florida Bay and Hawk Channel off the Upper Keys, along with a storm watch for Key Largo and Islamorada, was dropped at mid-day Friday.
"The worst of this storm in the Florida Keys occurred from around 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday," said forecaster Bill South from the National Weather Service in Key West.
"Several rain bands passed across the Keys well ahead of Sandy," South said. "It was pretty much a big squall."
Just about all areas of the Keys were tossed by wind gusts from the north-northeast reaching nearly 50 mph at some point, he said.
Drivers on the 18-Mile Stretch reported being drenched by waves breaking on the Barnes Sound shore, and white caps churned in Tavernier Creek. Tree limbs littered streets and campaign signs toppled but there were not reports of serious structural damage.
Hurricane Sandy formed as a storm in the Caribbean, north of Panama and south of Cuba, on Monday and headed north.
It reached hurricane strength but stayed on the eastern side of the Bahamas. It was never predicted to make a South Florida landfall.
Rains in Monroe County generally amounted to less than an inch, according to the Weather Service.
Hurricane Sandy served as reminder that hurricane season does not end when October begins, South said. Hurricane Wilma, one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, swamped the Keys with storm surge during this same October seven years ago.
"We do get quite a few October storms that tend to form in the central Caribbean," South said. "We always keep an eye on any storm in mid- to late October because they have a tendency to move northward."
As Hurricane Sandy skirted the eastern Florida coast, forecasters were warning residents of the Middle Atlantic, from Virginia to New England, to brace for a "historic" storm.
If the hurricane interacts with a south-moving cold front, as expected, it could strengthen into the one of the worst to come ashore in that area in a century.
Hurricane Grace, a 1991 storm depicted in the book and movie as "The Perfect Storm," was a similar event that stayed offshore.

What’s New in the Florida Keys & Key West for Fall 2012

FLORIDA KEYS — While leaves are falling across the country, visitors will be falling in love this fall with new and exhilarating adventure activities, expanding flight options, enhanced accommodations and more in the Florida Keys & Key West. Explore the highlights here.

Keys Experiences

Marathon’s Dolphin Research Center at mile marker (MM) 59 bayside now is offering an exclusive Fantasy Dolphin Day experience for groups of up to 20 participants.

The Fantasy Dolphin Day experience begins with a private tour of the facility, which includes introductions to the resident family of bottlenose dolphins and sea lions, narrated behavior sessions tailored to the group’s interests and hands-on interaction with the dolphins. Following the facility tour, participants take part in a Dolphin Encounter swim, a signal session where they experience what it’s like to be a trainer, and a unique enrichment session with the dolphins.

After their active afternoon, participants feast on an elegant four-course dinner featuring fresh local seafood and signature dishes prepared by a local Florida Keys restaurant and are entertained by the dolphins once more with a musical sunset celebration. At day’s end, they receive a commemorative CD of high-quality photographs taken during their dolphin experiences.

This exclusive Fantasy Dolphin Day, with its private access for the afternoon and evening to Dolphin Research Center, is offered for groups of up to 20 people for $20,000 with limited availability throughout the year.

For more information, call 305-289-1121, ext. 229, or visit www.dolphins.org.

Dolphin Research Center recently established the College of Marine Mammal Professions, a fully licensed academic institution where students can acquire an Associate of Science Degree in Marine Mammal Behavior, Care and Training.

Headquartered at the center’s Marathon facility at MM 59 bayside, the college program provides students with practical knowledge and hands-on training. Skills taught include the ability to assess marine mammal behavior, provide appropriate husbandry care and apply positive training techniques for the wellbeing and enrichment of marine mammals under human care.

In addition, graduates learn presentation techniques to prepare them to educate a variety of audiences.

Classes for the first College of Marine Mammal Professions program are to begin in September 2013. Applications are to be accepted beginning Nov. 1, 2012.

For more information, contact Dolphin Research Center’s education department at education@dolphins.org or 305-289-1121, ext. 225, or visit www.dolphins.org.

Middle Keys visitors can take flight with Conch Air Hang Gliding, a seasoned Keys business that recently switched from running biplanes to hang-glider towing.

Conch Air can accommodate participants of almost all ages, with no prior experience necessary to fly at altitudes of 1,500 to 3,500 feet.

Experiences range from a fast-paced joyride to a peaceful look at the eco-offerings of the Florida Keys waters.

Conch Air Hang Gliding is a boat-towed hang gliding experience captained by a U.S. Coast Guard–certified boat captain, with flight instruction taught by a certified instructor who has logged more than 10,000 flights.

Hang gliding prices begin at $99 for an introductory flight. The company also offers packages for becoming a certified hang glider pilot.

Conch Air Hang Gliding operates daily by appointment out of Edgewater Lodge on Long Key at MM 65.5.

For more information, visit www.conchair.com.

AKA Dive Charters and Supplies, Tavernier’s newest dive charter, has set up shop at Mangrove Marina, 200 Florida Ave.

AKA Dive Charters and Supplies offers two-tank dive and snorkel trips twice daily, night dives several times a week, eco-kayak tours by appointment and retail dive, snorkel and kayak supplies.

A family-owned business, the new dive operation focuses on personal attention and care for its customers from PADI-certified dive instructors. Each of the operator’s dive and snorkel trips is tailored specifically to the participants’ preferences, visiting reefs and wrecks accordingly.

Two-tank dive charters are $75 per participant and are available for up to six guests to ensure individual attention and a family-oriented atmosphere.

AKA Dive Charters and Supplies offers a 10 percent discount to law enforcement and military personnel with proper identification.

For more information, visit www.akadiving.com or call 305-906-0514.

Keys Travel

Beginning Sunday, Nov. 4, visitors to Key West can take advantage of Southwest Airlines’ nonstop jet service between Orlando and Tampa, Fla., and the island city. Southwest Airlines will assume the flights to Key West currently operated by its subsidiary AirTran Airways.

Beginning March 9, 2013, Southwest also is to offer daily flight service between New Orleans and Key West.

Southwest plans to operate one daily nonstop round-trip flight between Key West and Orlando, and one daily nonstop round-trip flight between Key West and Tampa on Boeing 737 aircraft.

Southwest Airlines currently serves 73 cities in 38 states. The Key West route is to be the first of many the airline plans to take over from AirTran.

For more information and to book a flight, visit www.southwest.com.

Running and biking enthusiasts in the Florida Keys soon will have more miles to travel because the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Department of Transportation and Monroe County have begun work on some of their $13 million construction projects to expand the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail by 30 miles.

The Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail currently features more than 70 miles of trail paved in segments along a planned 106-mile corridor from Key Largo to Key West. Envisioned as a multi-use bicycle and pedestrian facility, the trail serves as a recreational and alternative transportation corridor for the Florida Keys.

Paralleling U.S. Highway 1, Florida’s only All-American Road, this recreational pathway incorporates 23 original Flagler Over-Sea Railroad bridges, offering a scenic venue for hiking, running, bicycling, in-line skating, sightseeing, fishing and kayaking.

Crews recently began work on six separate Overseas Heritage Trail projects throughout the Keys including new sections of trail from mile marker 16 to 25, a trail from Bay Point to Sugarloaf Key, repairing areas of the existing trail on Big Coppitt Key and more.

For more information on the progress of the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/state/keystrail/.

Keys Accolades

Marathon’s Curry Hammock State Park was awarded third place in the America’s Favorite Park 2012 contest after a six-week online challenge that involved more than 16,000 national, state and local parks across the U.S.

Curry Hammock State Park garnered more than 8.2 million votes to earn the third-place slot. The park received a $25,000 recreation grant from the Coca-Cola Live Positively initiative to help enhance its activity areas.

Located at mile marker 56.2 in the Middle Florida Keys, Curry Hammock State Park offers canoeing, kayaking, hiking and opportunities for wildlife viewing.

The park’s full-service campground has 28 sites and the 1,200-foot sandy beach is popular for kiteboarding and windsurfing. Picnic shelters overlooking the Atlantic Ocean are available for family and group picnics.

The America is Your Park campaign is a collaborative effort between Coca-Cola, the National Park Foundation, America’s State Parks and the National Park and Recreation Association.

For Curry Hammock information, visit www.floridastateparks.org/curryhammock/.

Key West’s St. Mary Star of the Sea, the oldest Catholic church in South Florida, recently was designated a minor basilica by the Vatican.

According to archdiocese officials, "basilica" is a title of honor bestowed on a church of historic and spiritual importance. Established in 1846, St. Mary Star of the Sea is the 73rd minor basilica in the United States and the fifth in Florida.

The process of becoming a basilica involved responding to 120 questions in Latin and demonstrating the church's historical significance, architectural uniqueness and spiritual characteristics.

As well as its other attributes, St. Mary Star of the Sea is renowned for the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, erected in 1922 and said to protect Key West from serious hurricane impacts. The church is located at the intersection of Truman Avenue and Windsor Lane in the island city.

The coat of arms for the new basilica incorporates elements including a conch shell that is a traditional symbol of the Florida Keys.

For more information, visit www.keywestcatholicparish.org.

Keys Cuisine

Roostica, a new pizzeria and Italian restaurant, has opened on Stock Island just outside Key West. Its name is a play on the Italian word “rustica,” describing a natural simplicity, and a tribute to Stock Island’s free-roaming roosters.

Roostica serves authentic wood-fired Neapolitan pizza as well as pastas, salads, freshly baked bread, baked Italian dinners and a long list of beers and wines.

The restaurant features happy hour specials and nightly pasta specials including Sunday’s family-style spaghetti and meatballs.

With the friendly atmosphere of a locals’ hangout, Roostica seats 150 guests and features both inside and outside dining.

The restaurant is located at 5620 McDonald Ave. and is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

For more information, visit www.roostica.com or call 305-296-4999.

Keys Technology

An interactive Florida Keys Photo Adventure is just a finger tap away with a recent enhancement to the Florida Keys App. Created to mirror the Florida Keys’ Photo Adventure website, www.fla-keys.com/photoadventure, the Photo Adventure tab is a feature available on the Florida Keys’ free smartphone app.

The enhanced version of the Florida Keys App is available on the iPhone or the iPad. New features include the capability to upload photos directly from users’ iPhone or iPad onto the Keys Photo Adventure website, fast access to iconic images from each area of the Keys, tips from local photographers and more.

The app’s fully loaded database also includes information on accommodations of all types, restaurants, attractions, diving and fishing, boating, marinas and watersports, eco- and kayaking tours, dolphin encounters and even where to stroll the best art galleries or relax in an outdoor park.

The free app can be downloaded from the App Store as part of iTunes, or by visiting http://floridakeysapps.com/.

Keys Culture

Three landmark Florida Keys marine life murals are to receive a facelift Oct. 12-21 from their creator, internationally recognized artist and environmental advocate Wyland.

All three mammoth outdoor murals depict marine life along the continental United States' only living coral barrier reef, which parallels the Keys.

The murals are located in Key Largo at MM 99.2, in Marathon at MM 50 and in Key West's Historic Seaport at 201 William St. The public is invited to observe their restoration Oct. 12-14 in Key Largo, Oct. 16-17 in Marathon and Oct. 18-21 in Key West.

A part-time Upper Keys resident, Wyland has spent nearly 30 years diving in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and credits the Keys’ underwater world for inspiring much of his art.

He is best known for his 100 large-scale marine life panoramas, painted in cities around the U.S. and the world, to promote ocean conservation.

For more information, visit www.wylandkeywest.com.

There’s wizardry afoot at Key West’s Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, 200 Greene St., with the recent installment of an exhibit titled “Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance Science, Magic and Medicine.”

Featuring highlights from the museum’s priceless collection of Renaissance-era shipwreck antiquities, the exhibit focuses on the blockbuster books by J.K. Rowling and films about young wizard Harry Potter to explore authentic Renaissance traditions of alchemy, astrology, medicinal potions and herbs, the search for immortality and more.

Museum visitors can explore a re-creation of the fictional wizards’ lair of Diagon Alley, containing apothecary shops and emporiums offering magical paraphernalia such as cauldrons, mandrake plants, healing herbs and protective poison cups.

On display are rare medical instruments, navigational tools and talismans salvaged by the late Mel Fisher’s divers from the Spanish galleons Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margarita, sunk off Key West in 1622. The exhibit relates each one to Harry’s adventures at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry.

“Harry Potter’s World” and the museum’s associated Renaissance programming are expected to continue through July 2013.

Visit www.melfisher.org for more information.

Keys Accommodations

The Historic Key West Inns collection has added a sixth guesthouse to its list of Old Town Key West properties.

Cypress House, located at the corner of Caroline and Simonton streets, was built in 1888 and has been a lodging property since the 1960s.

Since its recent acquisition by Historic Key West Inns, the property has undergone a top-to-bottom renovation costing more than $600,000.

Enhancements include completely new furnishings, bathroom modernization and eliminating shared bathrooms so that each room has a private bath, landscaping and interior painting. While the property’s distinctive unpainted facade has been retained as it was constructed in 1888, the renovations create a blend of historic Key West architecture and modern elegant hotel amenities.

For more information about Cypress House and Historic Key West Inns, visit www.historickeywestinns.com.

Florida Keys visitor information: www.fla-keys.com or 1-800-FLA-KEYS (1-800-352-5397)

Social: facebook.com/floridakeysandkeywest • twitter.com/thefloridakeys • YouTube.com/FloridaKeysTV

Halloween to Haunt the Florida Keys

FLORIDA KEYS — Characteristically quirky throughout the year, the Florida Keys serve up fiendish frivolity for Halloween celebrants from mile marker 0 in Key West to Key Largo, the northernmost island in the chain.

Days and nights of ghoulish delight are planned for the annual Haunting of Fort Zachary Taylor, a Civil War–era fort beside Key West’s Atlantic Ocean shore. Live “shows” areset for Oct. 19-21, 25-26, 28 and 30-31, offering visitors a nightmarish celebration not suitable for mere mortals. Don your devilish attire Oct. 20 for the Vampires Ball beginning at 8 p.m. Tricks and treats for the little ones are planned for Kid’s Day, 5-7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21. Fort Taylor and its surrounding state park can be accessed from an entrance on Southard Street past Thomas Street. Kid’s Day entry is free with park admission. Admission to the Haunting is $13 per adult, $10 for military personnel, $8 for kids and free for children under age 5. Hours are 8-11 p.m. (midnight on Halloween). For details, visit www.hauntedkeywestfort.com.

Tens of thousands of revelers are expected in Key West during the island city’s annual Fantasy Fest masking and costuming celebration. For kids, the festival provides an eerie event Sunday, Oct. 28. The traditional Children’s Day features food, games, arts and crafts as well as a costume contest. The family fun takes place from noon to 5 p.m. in the island’s Bayview Park at Truman Avenue and Eisenhower Drive. Call 305-292-8912 for more information.

For some Middle Keys madness, step into Crane Point’s Haunted Hammock featuring ghosts, ghouls, pirates and haunted hayrides scheduled 6-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26. The beautiful 63-acre Crane Point Hammock, located at mile marker (MM) 50.5 bayside in Marathon, takes a turn for the terrifying with spooky trails and lots of fun. Geared toward youngsters age 12 and under, the event is open to the public. Entry fee is $5 per person, with kids under age 6 admitted free. Visit www.cranepoint.net or call 305-743-3900.

Costumed goblins and ghouls can trick or treat Wednesday, Oct. 31, at Marathon’s outdoor Gulfside Village shopping plaza, 5800 Overseas Highway. The annual community Halloween party is open to the public from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. with refreshments and treats for young children, parents and grandparents to enjoy.

Howl and squeal with delight during the free, on- and off-the-water excitement of Haunted Robbie’s (MM 77.5) set for Monday, Oct. 29. Islamorada’s family-friendly marina is to host a 6-8 p.m. spook-tacular for youthful costumed ghouls age 12 and under. Attractions include a kids’ corner, candy, fun, food and refreshments. Starting at 8 p.m. the excitement amps up for older souls, with harrowing canal rides, a scary maze haunted by ghostly pirates and Indians from neighboring Indian Key, food, wine tastings and more. In case of inclement weather, the event will take place Tuesday, Oct. 30. Visit www.robbies.com or call 305-664-8070.

Divers can earn prizes for subsea slicing during the annual Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest set for 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 21, hosted by Amy Slate’s Amoray Dive Resort, MM 104 bayside in Key Largo. The contest is open to all certified scuba divers. Buddy teams receive a hollowed-out pumpkin that they turn into a creatively creepy jack-o-lantern. The fee is $85 per diver for the two-tank two-location dive, and teams are encouraged to sign up early because space is limited. For information, visit www.amoray.com or call Amy Slate’s Amoray Dive Resort at 800-426-6729.

Florida Keys event calendar: www.fla-keys.com/calendarofevents/

Florida Keys visitor information: www.fla-keys.com or 1-800-FLA-KEYS

Social: facebook.com/floridakeysandkeywest • twitter.com/thefloridakeys • youtube.com/FloridaKeysTV

Key West Designated Top U.S. Winter Weather Locale, Duval Street Named One of America’s 10 Great Streets

KEY WEST, Florida Keys — Key West has been named the best winter weather location in the United States by the Farmers’ Almanac, and the island city’s Duval Street has been designated one of the 10 Great Streets for 2012 by the American Planning Association.

The Farmers’ Almanac ranking was announced in the 2013 edition of the popular annual publication, which has been published since 1818 and contains long-range weather predictions, gardening tips, recipes, travel tips, calendars and more.

Rankings were based primarily on meteorological factors including average temperatures, humidity levels and dew points. Key West topped the list for its frost-free climate, warm temperatures, abundant sunshine and low precipitation during winter months.

“What better way to enjoy winter weather than in a city that has no known record of frost, ice, sleet or snow? Thanks to its location, this city enjoys a mild, tropical maritime climate,” Almanac staff wrote, citing average afternoon winter temperatures in the 70s.

Following Key West in the winter weather rankings were San Diego, Calif.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Watertown, N.Y., and Flagstaff, Ariz.

Duval Street earned its designation as one of America’s great streets under the American Planning Association’s Great Places in America program.

“Duval Street, the undisputed ‘Main Street’ of Key West, is the only place in the U.S. where one street allows you to walk from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico,” stated the announcement on the APA’s website. It also lauded the citywide historic preservation commitment that enabled the street’s gracious transition from its maritime past to its tourism-based contemporary character.

Others included on the 10 Great Streets list for 2012 were Fifth Avenue in New York, Gay Street in Knoxville, Tenn., and Main Street in Bozeman, Mont.

The APA is committed to advancing the art, science and profession of good physical, economic and social planning in creating optimal communities. The association began its Great Places in America program in 2007 and honors neighborhoods and public places as well as streets.

Key West visitor information: www.fla-keys.com/keywest or 1-800-LAST-KEY

Social: facebook.com/floridakeysandkeywest • twitter.com/thefloridakeys • YouTube.com/FloridaKeysTV