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Lisa Bradeen Named 2018 Volunteer of the Year
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| Lisa Bradeen |
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Florida Keys History and Discovery Foundation honored Lisa Bradeen as
Volunteer of the Year
during a volunteer appreciation dinner
at the home of Board Member Phyllis Mitchell and husband Bob.
Bradeen, who serves as a docent nearly every week and has been an early supporter of the Foundation, was honored for her dedication to the Keys History & Discovery Center. In addition to serving as a docent, she also served on the Signature Event Committee, which plans the fundraising event, A Night at the Museum. She was gifted with sterling silver earrings in the shape of a compass rose. She and her husband Capt. Skip Bradeen have been Islamorada residents for more than 40 years.
The appreciation dinner celebrated the time and dedication of the volunteers who serve as docents at Keys History & Discovery Center.
"If not for our volunteers, we couldn't keep our doors open five days a week," said Foundation Executive Director Jill Miranda Baker. "We are so honored to have nearly 40 dedicated volunteers just like Lisa serve as greeters, docents and ambassadors for the Keys History & Discovery Center."
If interested in becoming a volunteer, click here or call 305-922-2237.
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Two New Faces Join Foundation Board
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Donald Horton |
Long-time Plantation Key resident
Donald Horton has joined the Board of Directors of the Florida Keys History and Discovery Foundation (FKHDF). The not-for-profit organization formed in 2013 to develop and operate the Florida Keys History & Discovery Center.
Horton, who moved to the Keys in 1977, is a well-known building and permitting expert with decades of experience in the construction industry. He owns Island Construction Management, Inc., and D. Horton Construction, LLC. He previously served as a building official for both Monroe County and Islamorada. An active member of the community, he is on the board of the Upper Keys Rotary and serves as chair of the District 6990 Disaster Relief Committee. He is also a board member of the Florida Keys Contractors Association and the Republican Executive Committee of Monroe County. He is engaged to Carla Bahn, has two grown daughters, and one grandson.
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Kate DeLoach
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Kate DeLoach, a Tavernier resident and
a founding member of Flagler's Folly Society, a young professionals group supporting the Foundation, is a partner with government relations firm, Southern Strategy Group. Previously she served six years as district and legislative aide to State Representative Holly Raschein. DeLoach grew up in Key Largo and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts from Flagler College in St. Augustine and her Master of Arts degree in International Relations from The City College of New York. She is a graduate of Leadership Monroe Class XXIV and a commissioner with the Monroe County Historic Preservation Commission. She lives in Tavernier with her husband John, and enjoys reading, fishing, scuba diving, and Florida Keys history.
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Juried Art Show = Free Admission!
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Curator's Corner with Brad Bertelli
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| Curator and Historian Brad Bertelli |
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For those of you who have been with us from the beginning, we have certainly come a long way as we enter our sixth year of operations. As a reminder, our first exhibits consisted of unframed photographs adhered to the walls with sticky tape. The latest addition of our beautiful aquariums provide a crystal clear example of our mission to be about more than just Florida Keys history.
Future exhibits will include the exploration of seagrass, mangroves, and their role in our unique environment. In the meantime, we have several smaller exhibits on the horizon. The first to arrive will be a sixteenth century bronze cannon staged on a period-accurate carriage being designed by Campbell Cannon and Carriage Works. We are hoping it will be on display by mid-March.
Adding to our exhibits about Henry Flagler and the Over-Sea Railroad, a new exhibit is being designed featuring original railroad passes for the train that went to sea. We have also added anchors, great big anchors, salvaged from wrecks associated with the doomed 1733 New Spain Fleet wrecked offshore of the Upper Keys. A nine-foot tall anchor from the wreck of the Infante, on loan from the Mel Fisher Museum, is on display inside the Discovery Center. A 13-foot, 4,100 pound anchor, salvaged from the wreck of the Capitana el Rubi by Art McKee in 1948, is currently visible on the beach at the Islander Resort. Donated by Captain Spencer Slate, along with his son Hunter Slate, the anchor will eventually be moved to the front of the property near the iconic Islander road sign. The Slates also donated two circa 1880 iron carronades (cannons) on display out on the beach. These will not be that last artifacts to appear on the grounds of the Islander Resort!
Perhaps the most exciting news of all is the addition of a new walking tour for the Florida Humanities Council's Florida Stories Program using a phone app. After last year's successful launch of Walk Historic Islamorada, we are thrilled to be launching Walk Indian Key this June! The expansive app will include 12 tour stops that will uncover some surprising truths and dispel some of the erroneous history told about the island. Whether you are able to visit the semi-remote island or not, this new app will give a peek into not just the history of the island, but how it looks today.
If you have stories, pictures, or artifacts you would like to share with the Keys History & Discovery Center, I'd love to hear from you. Call me at 305-395-9889 or via e-mail at curator@keysdiscovery.com
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Keys History & Discovery Center Presents...
The fall and winter portions of the 2019 Lecture Series have been a huge success with record-size audiences nearing and exceeding 200 guests! The series continues through May. Be sure to make reservations to attend these upcoming lectures:
Wednesday, March 13
Ten Foods That Define the Florida Keys
Wednesday, March 27
A Grab Bag of Old Florida Stories
Wednesday, April 10
Roseate Spoonbills in Florida Bay: Pink Canaries in a Coal Mine
Click here for the full schedule. Doors to the Discovery Center open at 5 p.m., to allow guests to see current exhibits. Presentations begin at 6 p.m. Members of the Discovery Center are free. Cost for non-members is $10. Light appetizers are served and a cash bar in available. Reservations should be made via e-mail
here or by calling 305-922-2237.
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Florida Keys History and Discovery Foundation, which operates Keys History & Discovery Center, is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The Board of Directors is comprised of members of the community who serve voluntarily.
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