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Item M13 BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: September 19 - 20, 2001 Division: District 1 Bulk Item: Yes No Department: Commissioner Dixie M. Spehar AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval of a resolution honoring the memory and community service of Emma Carrero Cates, who passed away on August 21,2001 at the age of 76. ITEM BACKGROUND: Emma Carrero Cates was a City Commissioner and the first woman Deputy Sheriff in Monroe County. She was Chairman of the Beach Advisory Board and one of the guiding forces in the renourishment of Smathers Beach. She was a charter member of Zonta, past president of the Key West Garden Club and owner of Mother Nature's Bounty, where she became known as "Mother Nature." Emma Carrero Cates' untiring work for her community and her nurturing strength will be missed. 'PREVIOUS REVELANT BOCC ACTION: CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES: STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: TOTAL COST: o BUDGETED: Yes No COST TO COUNTY: 0 REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes No AMOUNT PER MONTH Year APPROVED BY: County Arty ~ OMBlPurchasing _ Risk Management_ DIVISION DIRECTOR APPROVAL: * )} J. ':i::.A~ (Commissioner ixie M. Spehar) DOCUMENTATION: Included x To Follow Not Required_ AGENDA ITEM # _, -.." DISPOSITION: Revised 2/27/01 COMMISSIONER DIXIE M. SPEHAR RESOLUTION NO. -2001 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY IN RECOGNITION OF THE LATE EMMA CARRERO CATES WHEREAS, Emma Carrero Cates passed away at the age of 76 on August 21, 2001; and WHEREAS, Emma was born in Key West on April 7, 1925, the daughter of Oswaldo R. and Estella H. Carrero, and was a life-long resident of Key' West; and WHEREAS, Emma was the president of her high school senior class, a charter member of the Key West Zonta Club, a longtime member and past president of the Key West Garden Club, and a past City Commissioner; and WHEREAS, Emma was known as "Mother Nature" when she ran her health-food store, Mother Nature's Bounty. She was known as a champion for women, Key West beaches and her family; and WHEREAS, Emma recognized as a female pioneer, was a straight-talking proud Conch. She was the first female Deputy Sheriff in Monroe County, a position that stirred her lifelong involvement in politics. She was also one of the first women City Commissioners in the mid-1980's; and WHEREAS, City Commissioner Merili McCoy, who served on the Beach Advisory Board with Emma, noted that Emma was a Conch with a lot of common sense and her big love was the beaches; and WHEREAS, former Key West Mayor Tom Sawyer, who also served with Emma on the Beach Advisory Board, said she helped get the sewage plant built in the late 1980's and was a "strong ally" for putting culverts under White Street Pier which improved water flow, and that she persevered for 12 years to get Smathers Beach renourished. He also added that, "She had a love for life. Her eyes would sparkle. Her eyes would just be beaming. And she was proud to be a Conch"; and WHEREAS, Commissioner Emeritus Sally Lewis, who served on the City Commission with Emma, said the two had a "mutual respect,'" even if they didn't always see eye-to-eye. She said Emma was a very straightforward woman. She never pulled any punches and she said exactly what she thought and how she felt; and WHEREAS, much of Emma's life was devoted to her family and friends, and she believed her greatest accomplishment was her children. Her daughter, Cecile Gegg, said her mother earned the nickname, "Mother Nature" because she was "nurturing, strong and wise, and very spiritual"; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MONROE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: . Section 1: The Board hereby adopts this Resolution as an expression to the family.of"theit deepest sympathy in the passing of the late Emma Carrero Cates. Section 2: beloved family. Commissioner Dixie M. Spehar forwards a copy of this Resolution to her PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida, at a meeting of said Board held on the day of , A.D., 2001. Mayor George Neugent Mayor Pro Tem Nora Williams Commissioner Charles "Sonny" McCoy Commissioner Murray Nelson Commissioner Dixie M. Spehar (SEAL) Attest: DANNY L. KOLHAGE, Clerk BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA By By Deputy Clerk Mayor/Chairman Ex-city commISSIoner Emma Cates dies BY EMILY ROACH Citizen Staff Writer Straight-talking, proud Conch and former city commissioner Emma Cates died of can- cer Tuesday. She was 76. Known as "Mother Na- ture" when she ran her health-food store, Mother Nature's Bounty, at Duval Street and Appelrouth Lane, Cates was a champion for women, Key West beaches and her family. She was a female pioneer. Daughter Cecile Gegg said Cates was the first woman deputy sheriff, a position that stirred her lifelong involvement in politics. She was one of the first woman city commissioners in the mid-1980s. "She was very involved behind the scenes in politics in Key West, probably all her life," Gegg said. Former Key West mayor Tom Sawyer, who also served with Cates on the Beach Advisory Board, said she helped get the sewage plant Cates See CATES, page 1A Cates Continued from page lA built in the late 1980s and was a "strong ally" for putting cul- verts under White Street pier, which improved water flow. She persevered for 12 years to get Smathers Beach renour- ished. ''A Conch with a lot of com- mon sense, her big love was the beaches," city Commissioner Merili McCoy said. Added Sawyer: "She had a love for life. Her eyes would sparkle. Her eyes would just be beaming. And she was proud to be a Conch." Sally Lewis, who also served on the city commission with Cates, said the two had "mutu- al respect," even if they didn't always see eye-to-eye. "She was a very straightfor- ward woman. She never pulled any punches," Lewis said. "She said exactly what she thought and how she felt." Her straight-talking proba- bly caused her the most prob- lems in politics, said Gegg. "If she saw it, she said it," But much of Cates' life was devoted to her family and friends, Gegg said Cates earned the nickname "Mother Nature" because she was "nurturing. strong and wise, and very spir- itual." She read people's astro- logical charts and was a touch "psychic," she added. "People would come up and say to her. 'Remember what you told me? You hjt it right on the head.' " She believed her greatest accomplishment was her chil- dren. Gegg said. In addition to Gegg, Cates had three sons, Scott, Craig and Kevin. "She wasn't the slightest bit afraid to die," Gegg said. "She believed she was going off to a new adventure," Because Cates was a charter member of Zonta Club and breast -cancer victim, her fami- 1y has asked for donations to Zonta's Breast Cancer Aware- ness Fund in place of flowers. President-elect Gretchen Williams said the club planned to remember Cates at a memo- rial Thesday and during its breast-cancer walk in Novem- ber. "Breast cancer is killing too many of my friends and fami- 1y,W said Williams, who said Cates supported the status of women in the community. eroach@keysnews.com Our community also lost former city commissioner Emma Cates to cancer. An outspoken Conch, she had a. lifelong love of politics. According to Mayor Emeritus Wilhelmina Harvey, the grande dame of Monroe County politics, uPuture gener- ations looking back at the great women in our county will count Emma Cates among them. She was a very unselfish woman. Every grain of sand placed on Key West's beaches is attributable to Emma and her work on the Beach Advisory Committee." Harvey recalled the time in thel940s when both she and Cates had businesses on Duval Street. Wilhelmina owned a drug store while Emma ran . Mother Nature, a health food store. They often got together to discuss what the future held' for Duval Street Cates also h~l~lthe dis~ction of being me first woman deputy hited, by the~..ritQe County' . Sheriff's Departinent. Cates was also an astrologer and psychic. ~ Old time Conchs flocked to her seeking advice on both business decisions as well as romantic relationships. A number of Conchs in the busi- ness community would not consider a financial move unless they first had Emma's approval. "Being Conchs," added Harvey. "we thought that Monroe County and KeyWest were the only places in the world. "No matter what charity fund drives we organized. she was there. She was always so encouraging topeople. "Emma Cates was 'a true friend you could always count on." Mourning the loss of a special citizen