PROFILE

New District IV Rep: Barry Gibson

HE IS READY TO WORK TOWARD MEETING CITY NEEDS DURING LEAN BUDGET
YEARS

by Rhonda
Linseman-Saunders

Barry Gibson ran a successful
campaign and beat out
some tough competition to become
the District IV Representative
on the City Commission,
but he doesn’t view himself as
a politician.

“I’m not a politician,” he
said, “I’m someone who cares
deeply about doing the right
thing with respect and integrity.
Contributing my efforts as City
Commissioner is a way for me
to help make a difference.”
Gibson, co-owner of Shades
of Key West and a former bank
president, is no shady character.

PROFILE: Teri Johnston

A Closer Look

DON’T MISTAKE
HER KINDNESS
FOR NAIVETE

by Rhonda
Linseman-Saunders

Teri Johnston may be
one of the best additions to the
Key West City Commission in
a long time. As the District V
representative, she brings to
the Commission a healthy skill
set including the ability and
willingness to listen and compromise.
But she’s no pushover.

She has a history of calling a
spade and spade and working
to affect important change in
any community of which she’s
been a part.

Teri began coming to Key
West in 1998 and became a
full-time resident in 2001 after
an especially nasty winter of
building new homes in Illinois’
30-degrees-below-zero wind
chill.

PROFILE

Local Stylist Soaring To Top of Fashion Biz

by Rhonda
Linseman-Saunders

Last July we reported on local 21-
year-old fashionista, Jennifer Potter. We
predicted that she was “on the edge of
the big time” in the fashion industry, but
we had no idea how very near the edge
she was. This week we had a chance to
catch up with the busy young designer
and learned that she has taken the leap
and is soaring higher by the minute.

Jennifer is a fifth-generation conch.
She grew up in Key West and rarely left
the comfort of the island and the docks
at the city marina’s Charter Boat Row
where her parents owned and operated
the charter boat “Cha-Cha.” But
everybody knew there was something
different about this kid—something
special that would eventually pull this
driven young woman with an old soul away from home.

PROFILE: Cal Sutphin

Reelin’ in the Keys

by Rhonda Linseman

Cal Sutphin. You
know the name and you
recognize the face, but
why? He’s that complete
squirrel who hosts the
Florida Keys fishingthemed
TV and radio
show, Reelin’ in the Keys,
on both Comcast channel
19 and AM 1300 WFFG.

Our KWTN Community
Profile Selection
Committee chose to
spotlight Cal this week
both because he gives
tirelessly to the community
and because we
just had to find out if he
really acts that way all
the time, or if it’s just his nutty on-air persona.

PROFILE: Now We’re Cooking!

Holly Bell at KWHS

by Rhonda Linseman

You may recognize Holly (Brozi)
Bell from recent local coverage of her
efforts to continue her job as the Chef
Instructor at Key West High School.
Her contract was not renewed at the
end of the last school year , but teachers,
students, and the community at
large rallied behind the former teacher
of the year.

Holly graciously went through the
interview process with other candidates
and earned her job back, and Key West
High School couldn’t be luckier. But
there’s much more to Holly than her role
as poster girl for victims of politics . She’s
well known as an excellent teacher and
mentor— the perfect candidate for our
warm, fuzzy, happy profile spotlight as
we begin the new school year.