Bill Durham

Sep 15, 2024 | islandernews.com | Bill Durham

Mayor Joe Rasco feels honoring the Village’s super senior residents is essential, so he started an initiative to do just that in 2023. This year, the initiative has been expanded to include all residents ages 90 and over. The Key Biscayne Community Center will host a free luncheon on September 19 at noon, followed by a “Happy Birthday” sing-along.

Jan 27, 2024 | islandernews.com | Bill Durham |Catherine Dunn

Staria Petersen first visited Key Biscayne on her honeymoon in 1954, and much of the island was still undeveloped. Staria’s parents had recently purchased a house on Caribbean Road in Holiday Colony, a new development on the east side of the island, near where Oceana sits today. Their plan was to stay only a few weeks, but, as Staria puts it, she fell “desperately in love” with the island and had no desire to return to Wisconsin.

Dec 30, 2023 | islandernews.com | Bill Durham |Catherine Dunn

The end of the year is a time to pause and look back, to reflect on what we have done, what we have celebrated, and what we have learned over the past 365 days. And so, in the spirit of looking back, we are updating you on a few stories that ran in the column this past year. In January, we wrote about the lighthouse grounds and the keeper’s cottage, including its gift shop.