Anna Maria Island Sun April 21, 2021

- Named Best Florida Newspaper In Its Class -

VOL 21 No. 28

April 21, 2021

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION | SUBMITTED

On April 13, crews identified and repaired a small leak underneath the plate that had been used to repair a previous leak in the seam of the retention pond liner in the compromised Piney Point gyp stack.

Governor orders permanent closure of Piney Point The potential environmental impacts of the high-nutrient water discharged into Tampa Bay remains a concern.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT

PALMETTO – State leaders are committing financial resources for the ongoing Piney Point response efforts and the implementation of a long-term plan to permanently close the property.

The Piney Point property is owned by HRK Holdings. The company purchased the property in 2006. A phosphate production facility operated on that site from 1966 to 1999.

INSIDE NEWS 4 CALENDAR 7 OUTDOORS 18 REAL ESTATE 22-26 RESTAURANTS 27 SPORTS 28 CLASSIFIEDS 30

On Tuesday, April 13, Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson and Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Noah Valenstein participated in a press conference at the Piney Point property. State Sen. Jim Boyd (R-Manatee), State Rep. Will Robinson (R-Manatee), acting Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes and all seven county commissioners attended the press conference but did not address the media.

Regarding the initial state response that included DEP, the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Florida National Guard, DeSantis noted the controlled discharge of containment stack water into Tampa Bay was stopped within seven days.

SEE PINEY POINT, PAGE 26

Where will the wastewater from the Piney Point emergency discharge go? Everyone from university professors to international visitors wants to know.

BY CINDY LANE SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com

PALMETTO – About half the wastewater in a leaking retention pond built into a gyp stack at the idled Piney Point phosphate plant has been pumped into Tampa Bay at Port Manatee, and the 215 million gallons are spreading.

Officials initiated the controlled emergency discharge in March to take pressure off the compromised gyp stack and avoid an accidental spill of even more of its contents after a leak was detected on March 26.

The discharge ended April 8, leaving a pollutant plume containing what the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) calls “mixed sea water.” The acidic blend of saltwater and debris from a Port Manatee dredge project, stormwater runoff and rainfall also contains “legacy process water” - wastewater from phosphate processing that carries nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen that can feed toxic red tide algae blooms.

Sensitive environmental areas in Tampa Bay, the Gulf of Mexico, the Manatee River, the Little Manatee River, Bishop Harbor and Terra Ceia Bay are impacted so far, according to Dr. Robert H. Weisberg, distinguished professor of physical oceanography at the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science in St. Petersburg.

SEE SPREAD, PAGE 9

LEGISLATURE COULD save

FIND ALL things

matrimonial in The Wedding Guide. 20

Anna Maria Island, Florida

Wastewater plume spreading

Cortez net camp. 4 TOURISM board supports Mote

Marine on City Pier. 5

The Island’s award-winning weekly newspaper www.amisun.com

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APRIL 21, 2021

THE SUN

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Tourism marketing campaign set to kick off

BY JASON SCHAFFER SUN CORRESPONDENT | jschaffer@amisun.com

BRADENTON - The Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) has announced the launch of a marketing campaign, “Love It Like A Local,” designed to encourage tourists to visit responsibly at area beaches.

Anna Maria Island beaches historically attract a large number of in-state families in the summer, according to CVB Marketing and Communications Director Kelly Clark, who introduced the campaign at Monday’s Manatee County Tourist Development Council meeting.

“One of our objectives is to address a serious concern in a positive, lighthearted way. We didn’t want to sound like we were lecturing people, or outright telling people to behave themselves,” said Clark, who stressed the importance of getting this message out to visitors before the height of summer vacations.

The campaign focuses on four main pillars of preservation:

respect for wildlife, sustainability, cleanliness and appreciation for the shores and land. The CVB said it will use its social media channels to share a series of tips in a lighthearted manner. Topics will include various reminders on issues such as dimming lights during sea turtle nesting season, picking up trash, respect for local residents and their way of life, and keeping a safe distance from native wildlife.

Social media posts will direct the viewer to LoveItLikeLocals. com, where they can learn more about the campaign through interactive components. There are short, sharable videos about responsible visiting that are designed to be informative for children as well as parents. There also are activities specifically designed for children, to teach them what it means to be a responsible visitor.

The CVB has also introduced a “Final Exam” to the site. Intended to be far more fun than difficult, completion of the exam will enter the visitor into a drawing to win a branded prize they can use when

JASON SCHAFFER | SUN

Members of the Manatee County TDC and local mayors show support of the new “Love It Like A Local” marketing campaign. they visit, such as eco-friendly straws, reef-safe sunscreen, water bottles and more.

The campaign kicks off April 22, which by no coincidence is also Earth Day. The initial phase of the campaign will culminate in September, with one lucky visitor being officially designated as an Honorary Local, which also comes with a free four-night trip to return to Anna Maria Island. To win, the visitor must post a picture of themselves while visiting the Island, putting the tips they’ve learned to use. Using the hashtag

#LoveItLikeALocal and tagging @Visit_Bradenton, they need to show how they are “walking the walk.”

“This will be the longest campaign we will ever have because we don’t plan on it ending. This is going to resonate in the marketplace really strong. Our residents are going to embrace visitors even more because of that,” said CVB Director Elliott Falcione. “No one loves this destination more than the locals who call it home. As the destination’s tourism arm, it is our job to communicate the

importance of having respect for the destination and its residents when visiting. We know that this is a cause all locals can get behind, and invite Bradenton Area residents and businesses (hotels, restaurants, activities) to join us in our efforts to spread the word,” added Falcione.

The CVB says in addition to media relations and social media efforts, the campaign will also be promoted through digital advertising, first targeting potential visitors in-state during the summer, followed by those in top markets in the Northeast and Midwest in the fall. Additional resources will be shared with local businesses looking to promote and support the effort in the upcoming weeks.

The Anna Maria Island Sun's feature - "Live Like a Local Respect Wildlife" - has been published for nearly 10 years in our print and digital editions in partnership with Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring. See it at https://www. amisun.com/live-like-local/

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ISLAND NEWS

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APRIL 21, 2021

IN BRIEF

Mayor shoots down Wells Fargo property acquisition Members of the Holmes Beach Parks and Beautification Committee may have had grand plans to turn the closed Wells Fargo bank property into a city park, but Mayor Judy Titsworth said those plans aren’t going to become a reality. During an April 13 commission meeting, Titsworth publicly addressed the issue, stating that the city has no plans to purchase or otherwise acquire the bank property, located at the intersection of Gulf and Marina drives and currently for sale for $2.4 million. Her main reason for rejecting the idea is that the Urban Land Institute Study, released in 2015, noted that the Island city has too little commercial property. She said she doesn’t want to take away from what little commercial property there is to create another city park. Instead, she recommended city commissioners look at residential properties the city could acquire to add to local green space.

Adjustment board member needed Applications are now being accepted for a new citizen member of the Manatee County Value Adjustment Board. Members meet to appoint special magistrates and hear appeals for denied property tax exemptions, ad valorem tax deferrals and petitions related to assessments. After the special magistrate hearings, board members meet to discuss the magistrate’s findings and act upon recommended decisions.

The board meets a minimum of twice a year at the Manatee County Administrative Center, 1112 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton. All applicants to the board must be Homesteaded residents of Manatee County.

Applicants cannot be a member or employee of any taxing authority in Florida or represent property owners, appraisers, tax collectors, or taxing authorities in any administrative or judicial review of property taxes.

Applications can be found online at www.mymanatee. org/advisory_boards and must be submitted no later than May 12.

Commissioners increase dock rental fees An annual fee increase is coming for renters of the Holmes Beach-owned T-end docks. Commissioners voted unanimously on April 13 to increase the annual rental amount for the docks from $425 to $600 on advice from staff. Presenting the item to commissioners was the city’s administrative-accounting specialist Ami Cox. With the costs the city underwent to install electricity, water and fish cleaning stations at the 60 T-end docks, an estimated $36,031 including periodic maintenance for the docks and administrative costs, Cox said for the city to break even, each of the docks needs to be rented out at $600 per year. In her calculations, she estimated that the docks would have a 15-year lifespan. Cox said that 50 of the 60 docks are rented. The T-end docks are available to rent through city hall by Holmes Beach residents.

CINDY LANE | SUN

The net camp built by Raymond Guthrie Jr. in 2017 must be demolished by April 30, according to a court order, unless the Legislature acts to save it.

Legislature may save net camp Supporters of the Guthrie net camp in Sarasota Bay hope the Florida Legislature will come through in the nick of time.

BY CINDY LANE

SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com

CORTEZ – As the court-imposed April 30 deadline approaches for Raymond Guthrie Jr.’s net camp to either be saved by the state Legislature or demolished, supporters of the camp see hope on the horizon.

Rep. Tommy Gregory (R-Manatee) says he is crafting a bill in the House of Representatives, said Karen Bell, who requested help from Manatee County’s local legislative delegation on Guthrie’s behalf. Her business, A.P. Bell Fish Co., is a couple of mullet jumps east of the net camp.

Bell said she also expects support from Sen. Jim Boyd (RManatee) and Rep. Will Robinson (R-Manatee), who, with Gregory, offered verbal support for the net camp at a public hearing on Jan. 6.

Guthrie built the camp on pilings in Sarasota Bay in 2017 and claims ownership based on prior net camps his family built on the same spot. But the 12th Judicial Circuit Court in Manatee County ruled that the state owns the submerged land under Guthrie’s structure, and ordered its demolition by last Jan. 24.

In an appeal, Guthrie asked for an extension so the Florida

Legislature could consider the issue and possibly save the camp.

Last month, Circuit Court Judge Edward Nicholas extended the demolition deadline to April 30, the last day of the Legislative session, to allow legislators time to pass such a bill.

“Mr. Guthrie is essentially squatting on state land and has been doing so since the 90s,” FDEP attorney Marianna Sarkisyan told the court at the hearing last month. “I don’t see any Legislature passing any bill to protect an illegally constructed house.”

“Clearly this is not him squatting on state land,” Guthrie’s attorney, Robert Shermer, said at the hearing, noting the Guthrie family’s long history of maintaining net camps at the site. “This is not just an abandoned house out in the middle of the ocean - this is a net house incorporated within the Cortez community.”

COUNTY COMMISSION SUPPORT

On April 15, Manatee County commissioners voted unanimously to send their second letter of support for the structure to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which initiated the complaint against Guthrie.

In their letter, commissioners acknowledged that the structure does not conform to state standards, but noted that Cortez leaders intend to establish a nonprofit organization pledged to “the historical interpretation, facade reconstruction and subsequent

maintenance of the structure.”

“I think the end result will be DEP leasing the camp to a nonprofit,” Bell said.

A historic net camp near Guthrie’s was restored by the notfor-profit, Cortez-based Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH).

Commissioners also expressed their intention to FDEP Secretary Noah Valenstein to “allow the net camp structure at Cortez to remain in its current documented location as part of the cultural context for the Cortez working waterfront.”

Citing the fact that Cortez village is a special overlay district in the county’s Land Development Code, commissioners noted that the historic fishing village is one of the few remaining working waterfronts in Florida.

“The Net Camp has played an inseparable part of the gill and stop net fisheries trade within the historical village and is referenced in the National Register of Historic Places. Preservation of this structure will help preserve the essence of the Cortez fishing community and the understanding of the cultural context of the village,” commissioners wrote.

Net camps, which once dotted the Cortez waterfront in Sarasota Bay, were used to clean, dry and store cotton nets. They declined in use when net makers began using more durable fibers and were made virtually obsolete by the 1994 Florida gill net ban.

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APRIL 21, 2021

THE SUN

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TDC supports Mote Marine on City Pier The TDC discussion also referenced a possible water taxi service between Bradenton and Anna Maria.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy is one step closer to securing the $500,000 needed to design and install the Mote Marine Education Outreach Center on the Anna Maria City Pier.

On Monday, the Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) unanimously supported the city of Anna Maria’s request to use $500,000 in county commissioncontrolled tourist development tax revenues to fund the city’s share of the anticipated $555,600 start-up costs.

Serving as a recommending body only, the TDC now recommends county commission approval of the city’s funding request.

Murphy told the TDC members Mote Marine would cover the remaining $55,600 in initial design and installation costs, as well as any Mote-related cost overages. Murphy said Mote will then spend about $444,000 per year to staff and operate the marinethemed education outreach center.

If the funding is approved by county commissioners, Murphy estimates it will take five to seven months to transform the vacant 1,800 square foot, city-owned pier building into the proposed education outreach center.

Murphy said the center will consist of three primary elements: exhibits, educational components and community partnerships.

He said the live marine life exhibits will include an invertebrate touching pool containing horseshoe crabs, starfish, lobster and things of that nature. There will also be live baitfish and live sport fish exhibits that reflect the area’s strong ties to fishing, and an interactive kiosk that will help fishermen and fisherwomen identify the fish they catch from the pier. There will also be a “sounds of the sea” component that allows visitors to hear the marine life living under and around the pier.

The educational components will include seminars, storytelling events, fishing workshops, field trips, science tours, beach exploration and more.

TDC member Ed Chiles said he hopes the education components also address the vital importance of protecting the water quality of the waters that surround Anna Maria Island and Manatee County.

When discussing potential partnerships, Murphy mentioned Anna Maria Elemen-

WATER TAXI CONNECTION?

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

The TDC recommends county funds be used to transform this vacant pier building into the Mote Marine Education Outreach Center. tary school, The Center of Anna Maria Island, the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring organization, The Anna Maria Island Historical Society and possibly the Manatee County School District.

Murphy said admission to the education outreach center will be free. However, it was noted at previous city meetings that fees may be charged for some of the special programs and activities that take place outside the education outreach center, or inside the facility after normal business hours.

Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director and TDC staff liaison Elliott Falcione mentioned the possibility of a water taxi service potentially playing a role in transporting area students to the Mote Marine facility.

“There may be a way that the city of Bradenton and the city of Anna Maria can procure a water taxi company that we may be able to sponsor through wrapping it with brand elements that gets a pilot program going from downtown Bradenton to the Anna Maria Pier. How cool would it be for the kids to get an educational exploration of the river, get to the pier and learn about Mote’s education endeavors? They can picnic up there.

They can walk Pine Avenue and get back on the boat and go back,” Falcione said.

Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown alluded to a possible water taxi service earlier in the meeting when discussing a TDC-supported funding request made by the city of Bradenton Beach regarding the expansion of the public dockage near the Bridge Street Pier.

When noting the city of Bradenton is positioned to accommodate a water taxi service, Mayor Brown said, “We have the pier already and we have the parking in place. Now it’s just getting that vendor that wants to do it.”

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OPINION

The Anna Maria Island Sun newspaper 3909 East Bay Drive, Suite 210, Holmes Beach, FL, 34217 Phone: (941) 778-3986 email: news@amisun.com | ads@amisun.com | classifieds@amisun.com

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APRIL 21, 2021

The Anna Maria Island Sun Staff Publishers Mike Field Maggie Field Editor/CEO Mike Field Layout Ricardo Fonseca Reporters Cindy Lane Joe Hendricks Kristin Swain Jason Schaffer Columnists Louise Bolger Outdoors editor Rusty Chinnis Advertising director Shona Otto Ad assistant Pamela Lee Classified ads Bob Alexander Graphics Elaine Stroili Ricardo Fonseca Digital/Social Media editor Cindy Lane Accounting John Reitz Distribution Bob Alexander Tony McNulty Connor Field Contributors Tom Vaught Steve Borggren Monica Simpson

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Good governance After last week’s city commission meeting, we looked up the definition of “good governance.” It is “a way of measuring how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources.”

Furthermore, “it is the responsibility of governments to meet the needs of the masses as opposed to select groups in society.”

We thank the city officials who have gotten into our neighborhoods and reached out to constituents in an effort to solve the many issues facing our city and to work towards the preservation of our neighborhoods. Our Comprehensive Plan states, "The city considers its most important attribute to be that of a residential community." Preserving this is dependent upon recognition of accurately characterized problems and using the tools that we have to solve them in an organized team effort. The lengthy soliloquy by the mayor at this meeting, which has been described by many as a “tirade,” was anything but this.

Many were made to feel chastised and put into a corner.

For the city officials who are currently doing what constituents want and deserve, please do not be deterred. Your residents are greatly appreciative of your efforts. Perhaps one day your many positive suggestions, and sometimes easy fixes, will be acknowledged to move towards “good governance” and preservation of our neighborhoods.

Dick and Margie Motzer Holmes Beach

Traffic solution needed The time has come for serious attention the traffic situation on Anna Maria Island. It is no longer a matter of talking about finding a solution but time to take some actual measures to solve the problem.

I have lived on the Island for 20 years and never in those 20 years have I encountered the traffic situation encountered on Saturday, April 10, 2021.

We had been off Island for dinner and were returning around 6:30 p.m. We had no trouble returning to the Island, however once back, traffic exiting the Island was backed up on Ma-

rina and Gulf drives and Holmes Boulevard. The wonderful drivers exiting the Island were extremely rude, not allowing other drivers, such as on Marina, to make left turns to get to our homes. We ended up finally getting a left turn several blocks up from where we wanted, only to find Holmes completely at a standstill as Gulf was at a standstill and no one could get a left turn from Holmes onto Gulf.

The Holmes Beach police chief has indicated that Manatee County can take control of the lights to speed exit of the Island. If this has been done it is obviously not working, as evidenced by the gridlock on that Saturday.

If this type of situation continues to occur it will begin to impact business on the Island. Action needs to be taken and taken now.

If all else fails, perhaps the police department should take over directing traffic at Gulf and Manatee and Gulf and East Bay to override the lights and increase traffic flow off the Island in situations when everyone decides to leave at once.

Melissa Snyder Holmes Beach

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APRIL 21, 2021

THE SUN

ON THE AGENDA ANNA MARIA

10005 GULF DRIVE FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-708-6130

City hall is open to the public with limited capacity and safety protocols in place. Please visit www.cityofannamaria.com or contact city hall for more information.

April 22, 6 p.m. – City Commission meeting

BRADENTON BEACH

107 GULF DRIVE N. FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-778-1005

City hall is open to the public with limited capacity and safety protocols in place. Please visit www.cityofbradentonbeach.com or contact city hall for more information.

April 21, 1 p.m. – Planning and Zoning board meeting April 22, noon – City Commission meeting April 27, 9 a.m. – City Commission work meeting May 5, 9 a.m. – Capital Improvement Plan meeting

HOLMES BEACH

5801 MARINA DRIVE FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-708-5800

City hall is open to the public by appointment only. Please visit www. holmesbeachfl.org or contact city hall for more information.

April 22, 11:30 a.m. – Police pension board meeting April 27, 6 p.m. – City Commission meeting followed by work session May 5, 10 a.m. – Parks and Beautification Committee meeting May 5, 6 p.m. – Planning Commission meeting

ISLAND-WIDE

INSTALL

The Holmes Beach dog park (Scentral Park), skate park, basketball courts, pickleball courts and tennis courts are open.

Local preserves are open, including Grassy Point Preserve, Neal Preserve, Perico Preserve and Robinson Preserve.

Local beaches are open.

Saturday mornings at the NEST, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 Ninth Ave. N.W., Bradenton, 9 a.m. to noon.

Face masks required.

Celebrate The Center Day honoring Chuck and Joey Lester, The Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Donation only.

WEDNESDAY

TUESDAY

Beach market, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Golfing for God, IMG Academy Golf Club, 4350 El Conquistador Pkwy., Bradenton, 2:45 p.m. tee time, 5:30 p.m. bible study and dinner, $40 for golf and dinner, $20 for dinner. Reservations required. Reserve to www.roserchurch.com/g4g/.

Farmer’s Market, City Pier Park, 101 N. Bay Blvd., Anna Maria, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Thrift Shop yard sale, Roser Guild Thrift Shop, 511 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 9 a.m. to noon.

RoserRobics, Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 9:30 a.m., no cost but donations welcome. Participants asked to bring bottled water and wear a face mask or shield.

APRIL 21

THURSDAY APRIL 22

Manatee Audubon Society Birding Tour, Leffis Key, 2351 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 8 a.m. Capacity limited to 12 participants and reservations required. Reserve to kathydoddridge56@ gmail.com or 941-705-3862.

RoserRobics, Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 9:30 a.m., no cost but donations welcome. Participants asked to bring bottled water and wear a face mask or shield.

Farmer’s Market, Holmes Beach city field, 5801 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

AMI Chamber April Business Card Exchange and AMI Historical Society Scholarship Awards Presentation, Anna Maria Island Historical Society Museum, 402 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 5 to 7 p.m., $5 for members or $10 for prospective members. Reserve to 941-778-1541.

Thursdays in Paradise Stroll featuring local art, music and food, Bridge Street, Bradenton Beach, 5 to 8 p.m.

APRIL 27

WEDNESDAY APRIL 28

Beach market, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

THURSDAY APRIL 29

Farmer’s Market, Holmes Beach city field, 5801 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

RoserRobics, Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 9:30 a.m., no cost but donations welcome. Participants asked to bring bottled water and wear a face mask or shield.

Thursdays in Paradise Stroll featuring local art, music and food, Bridge Street, Bradenton Beach, 5 to 8 p.m.

Career night at the NEST, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 Ninth Ave. N.W., Bradenton, 6 to 8 p.m. Face masks required.

Reservations recommended at https://www. eventbrite.com/e/145561459243.

April 21, 2 p.m. – Coalition of Barrier Island Elected Officials meeting, Anna Maria City Hall MARKYOUR CALENDAR

FRIDAY

FRIDAY

Beach market, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Beach market, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Island Branch Library is open at 60% capacity. Please wear a face mask/ covering.

The Tingley Memorial Library is open.

The Center of Anna Maria Island is open with social distancing and face masks required.

SATURDAY

SATURDAY

Master Gardener Tour, Perico Preserve, 11700 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton, 9 to 11 a.m. Reserve online at https://perico_preserve.eventbrite.com.

Saturday mornings at the NEST, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 Ninth Ave. N.W., Bradenton, 9 a.m. to noon.

Face masks required.

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THE SUN

APRIL 21, 2021

Horses gallop onto CME agenda The topic of horse riding on the causeway took over the agenda of the latest Palma Sola CME meeting.

BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com

BRADENTON – The horses ridden in the waters off the side of the Palma Sola Scenic Highway made their way back onto the agenda for the Corridor Management Entity’s April meeting and were a point of contention among members and the people who gathered in person and online for the meeting.

The conversation that began as lively soon became acrimonious as people on both sides of the issue attempted to argue their point to either keep the horse riding in Palma Sola Bay going or remove the horses.

The co-chair of the committee, Craig Keys, interrupted the debate several times to remind all those gathered that the CME has no jurisdiction over whether horse riding can continue or be banned from the causeway. He added that the group is not even an advisory committee to any governing body.

The group’s primary purpose is beautification and maintenance of the side of the roadway along the designated scenic highway, currently from 75th Street in Bradenton west along Manatee Avenue to the intersection with East Bay Drive in Holmes Beach. There is an application being submitted by the group to the Florida Department of Transportation to extend the Palma Sola Scenic Highway to the end of Manatee Avenue at Manatee Beach and to the north from East Bay Drive to the Holmes Beach city border with Bradenton Beach.

KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN

The horses ridden along the causeway beach were a passionate topic of conversation during the Palma Sola Scenic Highway Corridor Management Entity’s April meeting.

Some members of the CME and the public made the argument that the horses are a danger to the public by blocking access to sidewalks and preventing multi-modal transportation through the area on the northeast side of the causeway. There also were environmental concerns such as horse excrement in the water, damage to seagrasses and damage to trees due to tying the horses to palm trees along the sidewalks.

Representatives from Beach Horses, C Ponies and other supporters of horse riding on the causeway said the horses do not adversely affect the environment. Carmen Hanson, of C Ponies, suggested horse-riding operators be allowed to install hitching posts for their personal use along the causeway at their own expense to alleviate the issue of damaging trees to which the horses are tied.

Co-chair Ingrid McClellan said one of the objectives of the CME is to maintain a pet-friendly recreational area along the causeway, including users with horses. She said that along the causeway, different types of users have different areas where they can enjoy their favorite recreational activities, from horse riding to biking, use of small watercraft and swimming, among others.

McClellan said the city of Bradenton has legal jurisdiction over the causeway beach and members of the Bradenton City Council had, in late 2020, instructed their attorney, Scott Rudacille, to investigate what their options are, if any, concerning the horse-riding operations on the causeway. As of press time for The Sun, an update had not been placed on the city’s council’s agenda for discussion.

Keys encouraged everyone with concerns about the horses to contact their elected officials, including city council members and county commissioners, to discuss their issues.

Once the matter of the horses was settled, members of the CME moved on to other business.

Darryl Richard said he would work with FDOT and Manatee County to address erosion along the causeway beaches before other members of the CME worked to restore bollards knocked over along the corridor by tidal waters and vehicles.

McClellan said it was back to the drawing board for Manatee County representatives trying to create a plan to revitalize Kingfish Boat Ramp in Holmes Beach. She said the group working on the project hit a roadblock with the landscaping plans and is starting the design work over from scratch before resubmitting plans for permits from FDOT. Richard, the CME’s representative from FDOT, said the plans are not yet ready for official permit review by the department.

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APRIL 21, 2021

THE SUN

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SPREAD: Piney Point wastewater spreading FROM PAGE 1

“We see obvious visible impacts of plant growth. You see water that looks rather brown, instead of water that’s normally green,” he said in a video conference, adding that it’s likely to adversely affect fish and marine plants.

A team of scientists is tracking where the plume will go, how it dilutes over time and what its effects will be, he said.

The wastewater is “sloshing back and forth” with the tides, currents and winds, causing the plume to disperse more widely, he said.

Dilution is a slow process, Weisberg said, estimating that there will be low concentrations in Tampa Bay and the Gulf as it disperses over the coming months.

The process is likely to continue until strong winds flush it out of the bay, he added.

“This time of year, we really don’t get those big (wind) events that will flush the system out, so it’s going to be with us for a while,” he said.

“At least so far, we don’t see any indication of anything toxic. But when you feed a lot of nutrients, plant growth takes off, just like in your garden.”

Multiple educational institutions, governmental agencies and environmental organizations are collecting water, fish, seagrass and other samples to assess acidity, oxygen, salinity, temperature, carbon, bacteria, phytoplankton,

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA COLLEGE OF MARINE SCIENCE OCEAN CIRCULATION LAB | SUBMITTED

The forecast, above right, shows where the plume of wastewater released from the Piney Point plant is expected to be on April 22. Orange and yellow indicate the highest levels of pollution. The plume forecast on April 14, above left, was visibly smaller than the plume forecast on April 22. nutrients and trace metals in the wake of the discharge. Results will not be immediate.

WATER QUALITY REPORTS

Meanwhile, longstanding water quality reports continue. So far, the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County reports good water quality at the five Anna Maria Island beaches it monitors.

Likewise, no red tide has appeared in Manatee County, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), but Sarasota County, well south of the plume, has moderate levels.

Red tide produces a neurotoxin called brevetoxin, which can cause respiratory irritation, coughing,

and more serious illness for people with severe or chronic respiratory conditions such as emphysema or asthma. It can also cause neurotoxic shellfish poisoning if consumed in oysters and clams, according to the FWC. If the plume of wastewater from the Piney Point discharge reaches the red tide in Sarasota, “… it’s like adding gasoline to a fire,” Sarasota Bay Estuary Program Executive Director Dave Tomasko said.

Algae was detected in 12 water samples taken in Tampa Bay from April 8-14 in response to the wastewater discharge, according to DEP’s latest blue-green algae report.

Identification of the algae is pending. Prior samples have con-

tained trace levels of cyanotoxins, neurotoxins that are produced by blue-green algae. Exposure to cyanotoxins can cause hay fever-like symptoms, skin rashes, respiratory and gastrointestinal distress, and, if consumed, liver and kidney damage, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The closest sample to Anna Maria Island was taken northwest of Emerson Point Preserve in Palmetto.

Bloom conditions continue to be monitored.

On April 13, another leak developed at the Piney Point gyp stack and is being remediated without further wastewater discharge.

- Joe Hendricks contributed to this report

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APRIL 21, 2021

Turtle trackers predict Bortie’s return As sea turtles congregate offshore of Anna Maria Island for nesting season, one special turtle appears headed back after nesting here three years ago.

BY CINDY LANE SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Just in time for the May 1 start of sea turtle nesting season off AMI, Bortie may be coming home to nest.

The female loggerhead sea turtle was satellite tagged and released from Coquina Beach in June 2018 after she nested; her nest successfully hatched two months later.

Bortie competed in the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s 11th Annual Tour de Turtles, placing 10th out of 13 contestants at the end of the race on Oct. 31, the last day of the 2018 turtle nesting season.

She traveled 351 miles during the race, lingering off Everglades National Park and the Florida Keys, while the winner, Bion, was busy swimming 1,674 miles from Cocoa Beach up to north Florida, then down to the Bahamas. Since her release three years ago, Bortie has logged 3,836 miles, according to the Conservancy.

The annual event is part of the Conservancy’s research project tracking satellitetagged turtles to determine where and how far they migrate.

Bortie was named for Bortell’s, an Anna Maria restaurant and bar under renovation, and one of her several sponsors.

Another sponsor was Anna Maria Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, and Director Suzi Fox was happy to hear the news.

“These tags are important.

I know they’re expensive, but the information that you get from them is priceless,” she said.

CINDY LANE | SUN

Bortie was satellite tagged and released from Coquina Beach in June 2018 and may be headed back this way to nest.

“I’m a little nervous because of the Piney Point discharge,” Fox said, referring to the 215 million gallon emergency discharge of wastewater from one of the closed phosphate plant’s gyp stacks this month.

“I hope she stays south of that. These poor nesting

mothers have enough to worry about.”

GEARING UP FOR TURTLE SEASON

Local boat captains are reporting loggerhead sightings off the northern tip of Anna Maria Island, a sure sign nest-

ing season is about to commence, Fox said.

“They’re out there,” she said.

“They’re probably waiting for the sand to get a little bit warmer.”

The coronavirus pandemic has curtailed the triple-digit Turtle Watch volunteer ranks down to 16 people, who now monitor beaches on ATVs instead of on foot to promote social distancing, she said, adding that Turtle Talks and public nest excavations will be canceled again this season due to COVID-19.

“We’re waiting until next year when more people are vaccinated,” she said.

Masks with a turtle design are available at Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce and will be included in gift packages for people participating in the organization’s Adopt-a-Nest program. Visit www.islandturtlewatch.com for more information.

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Squirrel feeding not allowed at Coquina Beach County law prohibits feeding wildlife in county parks.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – Forrest Broderick was displeased to recently learn that Manatee County prohibits feeding squirrels and other wildlife at Coquina Beach.

Broderick expressed his displeasure last week on Facebook, at the Anna Maria Island Locals’ group page. “Went out to Coquina Beach with my wife this afternoon. We brought peanuts to feed the squirrels like we have done since we were kids. Some guy pulls up on a golf cart and tells us not to feed them.

There’s a $50 fine. I have been doing it for 55 years. I’ll be damned if I am going to stop now,” he wrote.

Sec. 2-24-3 of the Manatee County Code of ordinances addresses feeding animals at county parks, including Coquina Beach: “Unless specifically authorized by the county or to prevent imminent harm to a person's life or safety, no person shall hunt, molest, harm, capture, frighten, feed, kill, trap, chase, tease, shoot or throw objects at

FACEBOOK | SUBMITTED

On Facebook, Forrest Broderick expressed his displeasure with a county law. any animal, reptile or bird.”

In response to Broderick’s post, District 3 County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge questioned the need to enforce a squirrel feeding prohibition at Coquina Beach.

In response to Van Ostenbridge’s comment, Island resident Laurel Nevans wrote: “Kevin Van Ostenbridge, isn’t it your job to promote following county law or getting the BOCC (board of county commissioners) to change it?”

Broderick’s Facebook post, which has since been deleted, also sparked debate as to whether peanuts are a healthy food choice for squirrels.

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The CHAPEL is open during Who Wrote the Bible? Weekly YouTube presentations office hours for prayer & meditation. or Zoom class! www.RoserChurch.com/Dirk 941-778-0414 • 512 Pine Ave, Anna Maria • FOLLOW us on Facebook @RoserChurch

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Mayor, commissioners disagree on duties of the job Mayor Judy Titsworth didn’t hold back when she disagreed with how some commissioners are doing their job during an April 13 meeting.

BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – The April 13 commission meeting started on a passionate note as the mayor publicly confronted commissioners about how some of them are doing their jobs as elected officials.

COMMISSIONERS’ COMMENTS

During commissioners’ comments, Commissioners Jayne Christenson and Kim Rash both brought up some issues conveyed to them by Holmes Beach residents, both noting that they had gone out of their way to speak to residents in the community.

Rash brought up several issues involving traffic, impact fees and noise in residential areas. Regarding traffic, he said residents have told him there are issues with being able to turn left out of Key Royale on Palm Drive in the mornings, making it difficult for workers to get to their jobs. He asked if it would be possible to have a Holmes Beach police officer direct traffic at the intersection in the mornings.

While noise in residential neighborhoods where weekly rentals are located continues to be a concern for many residents, Rash pulled from his own experience with the issue, playing a video from his phone of the noise coming from rentals behind his duplex property. He said Code Compliance Officer James Thomas went to the house to quiet down the renters, but police officers came after Thomas’s visit to take a noise meter reading after the renters had already quieted down. The result was that the renters were not issued a violation of the noise ordinance. Rash said his concern isn’t that more violations aren’t being given, but that noise complaints in the city seem to be on the rise and that residents will end up being the subject of lawsuits by rental owners over noise complaint calls to the property.

Rash also asked if impact fees geared toward helping repair roads and infrastructure could be put on the agenda of a future meeting. He requested that commissioners also revisit the stormwater fee hike that was instituted, noting that he sees the strain on the management of the Key Royale Club which, because of the facility’s golf course, has to pay a large amount in stormwater fees annually.

Christenson, as liaison to Waste Pro, said residents also have brought a concern to her attention. She said some residents are asking if noisy collection trucks on their streets could be limited three days a week, rather than the four days a week they operate now. Christenson added that she had already spoken with Waste Pro representatives about the potential for consolidating waste pickups.

“Maybe there’s some creative things we can do, things we can talk about and work together on to make our city a little quieter and a little more efficient,” she said.

Christenson also broached traffic issues, saying she had spoken with people who are concerned about the amount of traffic and asked about the alignment of traffic lights in the city to help move traffic on and off the Island.

MAYOR’S COMMENTS

After commissioners’ comments concluded, Mayor Judy Titsworth stepped up to the podium to deliver her comments to the commission.

“First, I want to respectfully ask the commissioners to try to understand that your job is legislation,” she began.

“You should not be going up and down the streets trying to perform the job of a code officer.”

With large amounts of visitors coming to the Island every day, she said not every infraction is going to result in a fine or violation.

“I get your angst,” Titsworth said.

“The residential neighborhoods are not what they were 10 years ago. But to take to the streets accusing people of violating our ordinances and filming them with an iPhone is not the answer.

Nothing is that big and pressing that it can’t wait until a code officer arrives.”

She added that while she understands it’s frustrating to see people violating ordinances, some of whom may not know the ordinances or how they work, it’s still important to have patience with people. Rather than losing patience with people who she sees violating city ordinances, she said she’d rather not allow that activity to lessen her enjoyment of living in Holmes Beach.

Titsworth urged commissioners to continue using appropriate channels to report issues.

She also called out an unnamed resident for “attacking” herself, the police and code officers with complaints about noise in pools, particularly from children. Titsworth said this resident’s behavior was “unacceptable” and that the constant messages would eventually result in the resident alienating code officers.

SEE DISAGREEMENT, PAGE 23

APRIL 21, 2021

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APRIL 21, 2021

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Beach ‘n Food Truck Festival returns with music, food and fun The fifth annual Beach n’ Food Truck Festival brings food, music and fun for the whole family to Holmes Beach city field.

BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – The Beach ‘n Food Truck Festival is returning to Anna Maria Island for the event’s fifth year, this time in a new location at Holmes Beach city field.

Come out on May 1 for a day of food, family fun and entertainment from local musicians. Arts and crafts vendors also will be on hand for the oneday-only event benefitting the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce’s scholarship fund.

Participating food truck vendors include Buonissimo Pizza Corp., Fabian’s Homestyle Cookin’, J&J BBQ, Kona Ice, Mobstah Lobstah, South Philly Cheesesteak and TK Grill.

Buonissimo Pizza Corp. plans to feature full and personal sized pizzas along with paninis, cold cut sandwiches and fresh salads.

Fabian’s Homestyle Cookin’ features BBQ ribs and chicken, fried chicken and fish, pulled pork mac and cheese, brisket and sides ranging from French fries and potato salad to collard greens and corn on the cob. Make sure to save room for dessert as the food truck plans to serve both chocolate and lemon cake slices.

J&J BBQ’s menu for the Beach ‘n Food Truck Festival includes Italian sausage, burgers, hot dogs, corndogs, BBQ pork egg rolls, fries, cheese fries, BBQ cheese fries and bacon cheese fries.

Mobstah Lobstah’s menu features all things lobster including lobster rolls, tacos, tater tots and mac and cheese, along with shrimp and fish tacos, fish and chips and crab cake sliders.

South Philly Cheesesteak brings the taste of Philadelphia to the sunshine state with their take on traditional and chicken cheesesteaks, fresh cut fries, tater tots and onion rings.

TK Grill will start your day out with a breakfast burrito and continue the day with their smoked brisket, smoked pork, fries and onion rings.

To take a break from all of the hot food, check out the Kona Ice food truck and its refreshing shaved ices in a variety of flavors.

The day’s musical festivities include local favorite Mike Sales performing all day as the event’s

SUBMITTED | AMI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

This year’s Beach n’ Food Truck Festival is planned for May 1 in Holmes Beach. emcee, guitarist and vocalist Chuck Caudill on the stage performing popular songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s with percussionist Scott Blum from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and four-piece blues-rock band Memphis Rub performing from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Also taking the Beach ‘n Food Truck stage are rock and roll cover band Jack’D Up from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

High energy, kick-grass county rock band and local favorites The Dr. Dave Band close out the night with a performance from 6 to 8 p.m.

The Beach ‘n Food Truck Festival takes place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on May 1 at Holmes Beach city field, 5801 Marina Drive. A classic car show also will be onsite from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free.

With limited parking available onsite, festival attendees are encouraged to park at either the Manatee Public Beach or Crosspointe Fellowship Church and take advantage of a dedicated free Island trolley operating exclusively for the festival. People coming from off-Island can park at the Beachway Plaza on the north side of 75th Street and Manatee Avenue in Bradenton to take advantage of free parking and the free Beach ConneXion Shuttle, which runs from the shopping plaza to Manatee Public Beach every 40 minutes, then hop on the Island trolley. Parking also will be available at Hancock Whitney Bank a short walk from the festival at 5324 Gulf Drive. For anyone choosing to come by boat, day slips are available for rent at the Waterline Marina.

Everyone is welcome to bring a lawn chair to stay all day to enjoy the food, fun and music, however coolers will not be allowed.

For more information, contact the AMI Chamber at 941-778-1541 or visit www.amichamber.org.

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THE SUN

Outdoor fun for all at The Center Come out and Celebrate The Center with a day of outdoor family fun, a cookout, music and entertainment, all celebrating the Island nonprofit and long-time supporters Chuck and Joey Lester.

Celebrate The Center Day kicks off at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 24 and runs until 2 p.m. The day of fun will feature a skit by the children in The Center’s Beyond the Classroom program, the antics of local Realtor and theater aficionado Don Purvis and speaker Carol Carter taking the stage from 11:15 to 11:45 a.m. before Trevor Bystrom brings his musical talents to the outdoor stage from noon to 2 p.m.

The family fun day festivities also will include a bungee trampoline, rock climbing, trackless train rides, face painting and a whole lot more for the young and young at heart to enjoy.

Duffy’s hamburgers and hotdogs from Anna Maria Oyster Bar will be available along with ice cream from Small Town Creamery.

Some of the Eckerd College students conducting water quality research on Anna Maria Island will be on hand to discuss their work and show off some of the sea creatures they are studying. The Center’s Go Green project is being conducted in conjunction with Ocean Habitats, who will be on hand along with representatives from Mote Marine Laboratory.

While admission to the fun day is free, donations are gladly accepted to benefit The Center’s continuing mission to provide a safe, fun and enriching environment for local families.

There also will be a 50/50 raffle held with half of the money collected going to the winner and the other half going to The Center. The raffle winner will be announced at 1:30 p.m.

The Center is located at 407 Magnolia Ave. in Anna Maria.

Free parking is available onsite.

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APRIL 21, 2021

‛S YOUR COMFORT ZONE? WHERE

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Island Players to reopen for 73rd season After being closed for more than a year due to the pandemic, The Island Players is reopening and announcing upcoming productions.

BY JASON SCHAFFER SUN CORRESPONDENT | jschaffer@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA - Manatee County’s oldest community theater, The Island Players, will be reopening after a hiatus of more than a year, due to COVID-19.

The return will mark the 73rd season for The Players, the longestrunning community theater in Manatee County.

The Sun spoke with the organization’s public relations chair, Diane Phinney.

“While nobody wants to be closed for any reason, we did put the time to good use, making many improvements,” Phinney said. “We put in new wiring, a new sound system, air conditioning, lighting, paint, replaced siding, cleaned, and even remodeled the bathrooms.

“The city owns the building, but we

JASON SCHAFFER | SUBMITTED

The Island Players is Manatee County’s oldest Community Theater. are responsible for the upkeep,” Phinney added.

The Island Players was founded in 1949, but the historic building goes back even further. Originally the home of the William H. Gillette family of Parish, it was brought by barge

down the Manatee River around 1912 and placed in its current location on the corner of Gulf Drive and Pine Avenue. Throughout the years it has been used as a city office, church, school, and even a social hall for soldiers during World War II.

The season will kick off in September with a production of “The Savannah Sipping Society," in which four unique Southern women, all needing to escape the sameness of their day-to-day routines, are drawn together by fate and an impromptu happy hour. The play, directed by Mike Lusk, a long-time director and well-known actor at Island Players, will run Sept. 16-26. Auditions will be held on Aug. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the theater.

The 73rd season will also feature four additional productions, including “Same Time Next Year,” Nov. 4-14; “Blithe Spirit,” Jan. 6-13; “A Comedy of Tenors” March 3-20; and “The Psychic,” May 5-15. In addition, July 23 will feature two performances by the Children’s Drama Camp, which runs from July 12-23. For information on signing up for the camp, contact Kathryn Palmer, Center camp director, at 941-778-1908. Pam Hopkins, a long-time Island Players actor, will be directing the Drama Camp.

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APRIL 21, 2021

941.779.2337 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM 7 DAYS A WEEK 5344 3 GULF DRIVE, HOLMES BEACH

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APRIL 21, 2021

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OUTDOORS

APRIL 21, 2021

It's tarpon time again!

Reel Time RUSTY CHINNIS Tarpon season is one of the most anticipated times of the year on local waters. While I’ve encountered tarpon occasionally most every month of the year, April through July is the time eager anglers turn their sights to these silverarmored adversaries. Their arrival in numbers worth pursuing is generally water temperature-dependent. The magic number is debatable, but when water temperatures reach into the 70s, ardent anglers take notice. When that number reaches the high 70s to 80s, they take action. Hopefully, there will be a season.

I thought long and hard about the subject of this week’s article. The condition of local waters has worried me the past few years as regular readers of this column will no doubt be aware. The resilient marine ecosystem that has amazed me in the past has not recovered after the 2017-18 red tide. On top of this, the disaster at Piney Point puts massive amounts of nutrients into Tampa Bay just as waters start to warm and red tide reports creep up the coast. But

RUSTY CHINNIS | SUN

It's tarpon time in Anna Maria Island waters. let’s be optimistic.

We are blessed with some of the best tarpon fishing in the world and the local bars and inshore waters host some of the finest fly and spin fishing to be found anywhere.

For most anglers this isn’t a numbers game; it’s the hunt and the action that keeps them pinned to the bow in the sizzling summer sun.

Tackle should match the size of the quarry, with most anglers opting for a 20- to 30-pound spin outfit and/or 11to 12-weight fly outfit. A heavy

bite tippet is required because of the size of tarpon and their rasp-like mouth. Fly anglers generally use 60- to 80-pound tippets while spin anglers choose 70- to 100-pound test.

While it might seem like a difficult task to land a tarpon on the fly, or any tackle for that matter, an angler who knows the limits of her gear can actually land a tarpon in a surprisingly short time. The key is to apply maximum pressure from the hookup and never let up.

Too many anglers “baby” their tarpon in a misguided attempt

to land them. The truth is that the longer you fight a tarpon the better chance you have of losing it.

A properly (IGFA approved) tied tarpon leader used by fly fishers usually runs between 10 and 12 feet and is tapered to accurately deliver the fly.

The leader includes a class tippet (weakest link) from 16 to 20 pounds that is doubled at both ends to soften the (shock) impact to the class tippet and bite tippet. Key to the whole equation is to have a very sharp hook, as tarpon have

extremely tough mouths. Conventional leaders vary from angler to angler, but a doubled standing line tied to a leader and then to the bite “tippet” with a blood knot or Albright Special won’t fail you.

Flies vary from the classic splayed feather “Key’s” style to more complex designs like the “Toad,” various baitfish imitations and worm flies. Some fly anglers are not concerned with landing a tarpon, preferring to just enjoy the hunt, the hookup and the jumps that usually follow the hook set. They use light bite tippets which allows the tarpon to work through the leader with their abrasive mouths. The key to landing tarpon on the fly is accuracy.

The fly must be placed perfectly, move in a precise direction relative to the fish and be at the proper (fishes’) depth. Even when all of these factors come together, there’s still about a 50% chance that the tarpon will reject the fly, assuming that the condition of local waters doesn’t repel them first.

It’s happened before and while some would have you believe it’s natural and there’s nothing to be done, if there’s any silver lining in all this, it’s that it wakes us up to what we can and must do to protect our passion. But more on both fronts next week. To learn more and lend support go to www.suncoastwaterkeeper.org.

APRIL 21, 2021

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19

Grass flats holding trout, Spanish mackerel CAPTAIN RICK GRASSETT

Anglers fishing with me out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key had good action with trout and Spanish mackerel on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay with me recently. Spin fishing anglers scored with CAL jigs and a variety of plastic tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Fly anglers got it done with Clouser flies fished on sink tip fly lines.

Greg Stepanski, from Tampa, fished a blustery day in Sarasota Bay with me recently and had good action with trout and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs and plugs.

We ducked into a creek to hide from the wind and caught and released some decent jacks and a snook.

Fly angler Dave Wahl, from Lakewood Ranch, also got in on the action on another trip, catching and releasing trout and blues on Clouser flies fished on a sink tip fly line. Susan Wayde, from Bloomfield Hills, Mich., took the CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly-fishing school and then fished Sarasota Bay with Mark Wayde, also from Bloomfield Hills, with me recently.

They had a great day catching and releasing trout, jacks and a couple of Spanish mackerel on Clouser flies.

Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay is a good choice for action with a variety of species including trout, Spanish mackerel,

CAPTAIN RICK GRASSETT | SUBMITTED

Above, Dave Wahl (above), from Lakewood Ranch, with a bluefish caught and released on a Clouser fly and Greg Stepanski (right), from Tampa, fished a blustery day in Sarasota Bay and caught and released Spanish mackerel and jack crevalle (pictured) on CAL jigs with plastic tails and plugs while fishing with Capt.

Rick Grassett recently. blues and pompano. Check the coastal Gulf for Spanish mackerel, false albacore and tripletail when conditions are good.

Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides fueled by industrial, agricultural and residential runoff, toxic

spills, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation. Please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!

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THE SUN

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Your Perfect Wedding Awaits…

From breathtaking beach vistas and perfect sunsets on Anna Maria to our famous buttonwood trees on Longboat Key and rural and rustic farm in Parrish, couples can’t go wrong with Anna Maria Island venues.

Most famous of our locations, The Grand Pavilion at The Sandbar has been a favorite beachfront wedding spot for decades. Tucked among the sea oats and native grasses, the Pavilion is 10 steps from your own secret slice of sugar-sand beach. The Sunset Deck at the Beach House offers the largest beachfront deck of any of Florida’s West Coast venues.

This state-of-the-art facility boasts climate-controlled dining and an unobstructed view of the Gulf of Mexico. Buttonwood Bay at Mar Vista is a location that couples dream about. With majestic buttonwood trees, beachfront footage, and Longboat Key in your sights, your camera needs to be your plus one. The Studio at Gulf & Pine offers indoor elegance surrounded by local art, just steps from the beach. Not far from Anna Maria Island is Gamble Creek Farm, our newest wedding and events destination. With acres of farmland, creek front scenery, and plenty of privacy, Gamble Creek is the perfect venue for the couple looking for that rustic, farm to table experience.

For multiple years now, couples of "The Knot" and “Wedding Wire” have voted The Grand Pavilion at The Sandbar and the Sunset Deck at The Beach House top-rated ceremony and wedding destinations. With perfect venues and an event team that is constantly receiving glowing reviews, Anna Maria Island Venues offers something for everyone. If you are having trouble selecting the perfect destination, ask our team about our All Venue Packages to experience a taste of them all.

APRIL 21, 2021

APRIL 21, 2021

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DARA CAUDILL | WWW.ISLANDPHOTOGRAPHY.ORG

Jennifer & Alex Pazink celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary!

They were married on December 4, 2010 at the Sandbar restaurant.

Chuck Caudill provided the music. Reverend Charlie Shook officiated. Patti Mckee coordinated the wedding and reception. Jennifer and Alex currently reside in Bradenton, Florida with their two sons, Colton 8, and Lukas 5.

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THE SUN

REAL ESTATE

APRIL 21, 2021

Foreclosure in the time of COVID

oreclosure has taken on a whole new meaning this past year. Yes, your home may be in foreclosure or approaching foreclosure because of job loss impacting your financial situation, but you could also apply for forbearance, temporarily suspending your mortgage payments and stopping the foreclosure process. Now that the initial 360-day program for government-backed mortgages is over, there have been extensions to the program and more are ¬being proposed.

As of now, the government has extended the moratorium through June. Also, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in the early part of April proposed a rule that would prohibit foreclosures through December. They also want to give servicers of the mortgages options to help streamline loan modifications with COVID-related hardships, as well as keeping borrowers informed of their options. The question is: Do moratoriums and extensions really help, or as we start to dig out of COVID and people return to work, are these programs just delaying the inevitable for homeowners and distorting the

Castles in the Sand LOUISE BOLGER housing market?

That said, there are millions of homeowners who have benefited from the extension programs and have sought mortgage payment relief or forbearance. According to the data from Black Knight, as of March 2021, approximately 2.6 million homeowners remain in an active forbearance plan. For those and others, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has information on its website, consumerfinance.gov, to help homeowners determine and understand their options.

Some of the options available to homeowners who are ready to begin making their monthly mortgage payments again are: • Reinstatement, which allows homeown-

ers to pay any missing amounts all at once.

• A repayment plan, enabling homeowners to resume making their regular monthly mortgage payment plus an additional portion of the missed amount each month until the missed payments are paid off. Don’t forget that these suspensions were only temporary - the missed mortgage payments still need to be repaid.

• Payment deferral, for those who are unable to reinstate or who can’t afford a repayment plan but can resume their monthly mortgage payments. This defers any missed payments to the end of the loan term when it is paid off. Interest is not charged on the deferred amounts and is due upon sale of the property.

• Loan modification, to change the original loan terms, like the interest rate or term of the loan, to permanently change the mortgage and make a homeowner’s monthly mortgage payment more manageable moving forward.

As always, my concern is the overall housing market. Although all of these programs have helped millions of homeowners, I

question how they impacted the shortage of homes on the market we’re experiencing now, pushing values up to an unaffordable level for the next generation of buyers. Are homeowners not selling because they have no incentive while they aren’t paying their monthly mortgage in homes they will probably have to eventually sell anyway? With the jobless rate down to 6% from a high of 14.8% and employers having difficulty hiring new staff, in my opinion, its time to get the housing market back to normal.

In addition to homeowners, renters have received a fair amount of benefit from the original Cares Act with a 120-day moratorium on evictions, which has also been extended through June. However, homeowners who are also investors and landlords are having big financial issues keeping up with their expenses.

As we in Florida experience a blow-out real estate market, please remember that many homeowners around the country are still finding a way to dig out. The federal government has offered substantial help in this area and now it’s time for homeowners to remember the real meaning of foreclosure.

Stay well.

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APRIL 21, 2021

THE SUN

23

DISAGREEMENT: Mayor, commissioners disagree on duties of the job FROM PAGE 12

“We are doing the job. We’re winning our magistrate hearings. We are citing violators. It is time they accept the fact that there will be noise in their neighborhood. It will have to be addressed and it will be addressed each and every week because new occupants arrive each and every week. Unfortunately, this one gentleman has big houses next to him. We don’t allow that anymore,” Titsworth said. “The only way he will get peace and quiet in his neighborhood is if a hurricane takes that house away. But as long as that house is standing, he will have it every single week.”

She said code officers are on the watch but that she’s unsure if that watch over houses identified as problem houses is even legal or if the city is overstepping.

Titsworth said it was time to decide if the city is still home for these resi-

dents and to decide if they can become friends with the visitors because she said the visitors are here to stay. She said the visitors are “people just like us” who want to come and enjoy the Island and it’s not the visitors’ fault that their booking ended up being in a residential neighborhood.

“We are all in this together and it’s time to start acting like it,” Titsworth said.

Regarding Key Royale, she said she doesn’t recommend doing anything with the stormwater fees until the city’s new hydrodynamic modeling is back and city leaders learn what stormwater repairs are needed.

CHIEF’S RESPONSE

Later in the meeting, Chief Bill Tokajer addressed Rash’s traffic concern, saying it was unfortunate, but that traffic isn’t slowing down on Island streets. In March, he said that an aver-

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age of 26,000 cars came onto the Island each day and with at least two people per car, that’s more than 50,000 extra people.

And while it tacks on a few minutes to commute times, he recommended Key Royale residents turn right then turn back to go left in the mornings to exit the Island. Tokajer said he has the same issues trying to leave work at city hall, also on the same thoroughfare, in the afternoons and has used the backtracking technique to get going in the correct direction in heavy traffic.

Tokajer also addressed Christenson’s traffic concerns, saying that work was being done to attach the traffic lights at Manatee Avenue and East Bay Drive to a remote control operation system with Manatee County, allowing easier adjustments to the lights’ timing as needed to help facilitate the traffic on and off the Island.

RESIDENTS WEIGH IN

After hearing the conversation during the meeting, some Holmes Beach residents had thoughts on the discussion.

“Thank you, mayor, for being a reasonable voice for the community,” Jerry McBreyer said, during a public comment opportunity during the meeting.

In contrast, resident Nancy Deal took a moment at the end of the meeting to thank “the elected and appointed officials who seek out and take the time to listen to the concerns of Holmes Beach residents.”

In an email to Christenson and Rash, resident Richard Motzer said “Many of the residents in this city feel that we are no longer considered by some of the commissioners and the mayor. Your involvement, going out and talking with the residents, is a very important part of expressing their concerns and feelings to the city.

24

www.amisun.com

THE SUN

Red tide detected in Sarasota

BY CINDY LANE SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com

Red tide has been detected in Sarasota County in background to medium concentrations, causing a fish kill and respiratory irritation, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The toxic algae was not detected in Manatee County in last week’s water samples.

Red tide can cause eye, nose

and throat irritation similar to cold symptoms, especially in people with asthma, emphysema or COPD, according to the Florida Department of Health. Health officials recommend that people experiencing symptoms stay away from the water, go inside to an air conditioned space, or wear masks, especially during onshore winds.

Consuming shellfish exposed to red tide can cause neurotoxic shellfish poisoning.

Health officials warn against swimming near dead fish, and advise keeping pets away from water, dead sea life and sea foam, which can contain high concentrations of algae.

Warning signs are posted at Longboat Key, Bird Key Park (Ringling Causeway), North Lido Beach, Lido Casino, South Lido, Siesta Beach, Turtle Beach, Nokomis Beach and North Jetty Beach.

APRIL 21, 2021

Red tide timeline 1500s – Fish kills near Tampa Bay recorded by Spanish explorers 1700s – red tide documented in southern Gulf of Mexico 1840s – red tide documented along Florida’s Gulf coast 1951-52 – red tide along Florida’s Gulf coast lasts a year 1995 – a year-long red tide recurs along Florida’s Gulf coast 2005 – red tide remains along Florida’s Gulf coast for 10 months 2018-19 – red tide along Anna Maria Island coast lasts 7 months from August to February Source: NOAA, Mote Marine, Anna Maria Island Sun archives

www.amisun.com

APRIL 21, 2021

THE SUN

25

There has never been a better time to sell your property ListWithUsToday.com

ANNA MARIA 209 South Bay Boulevard $2,950,000 Shellie Young 941.713.5458

ANNA MARIA

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LOOP OF NW BRADENTON

317 Iris Street $3,700,000 Shellie Young 941.713.5458

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BRADENTON 9601 9th Avenue NW $2,249,000 Louis Wery 941.232.3001

BRADENTON 2369 Landings Circle $739,900 Martha Marlar 941.812.0455

BRADENTON 4722 Independence Drive #4722 $399,000 Jayne Kocher 941.915.6000

LAKEWOOD RANCH | 941.907.9541

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WEST WIND SHORES 216 68th Street Rudy Dudon 941-234-3991 A4496801 $3,295,000

SARABAY ESTATES 2708 Bay Drive Cheryl Roberts 941-266-1450 A4494263 $2,750,000

THE BEACH RESIDENCES The Ritz Carlton Beach Residences, 406 Joan Dickinson & Beth Afflebach 941-914-0496 A4417010 $2,385,000

TIDY ISLAND 73 Tidy Island Boulevard Kathy Valente & Gregory Zies, LLC 941-685-6767 A4477926 $650,000

WINDWARD BAY 4960 Gulf Of Mexico Drive PH2 Bobbie Banan 941-356-2659 A4493763 $445,000

WEST WIND SHORES 103 75th Street Kathy Marshall 941-900-9777 A4495220 $3,200,000

SANDHAMN 5382 Sandhamn Place Maria Beck PA & Jalina Beck 941-356-0063 A4496985 $2,950,000

THE RITZ- CARLTON RESIDENCES 401 Quay Commons 1603 Ann Martin & Joanna Benante 941-356-7717 A4496746 $6,383,000

GULFPLACE 6700 Gulf Drive 15 Lindsay Nock 941-735-7005 A4492778 $1,150,000

BRADENTON BEACH CLUB 307 17th Street 307 Jodene Moneuse 941-302-4913 A4496009 $975,000

REGENCY HOUSE 435 S Gulfstream Avenue 907 Pamela Wall & Gladys Carrasco 941-504-5019 A4488260 $329,000

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26

THE SUN

www.amisun.com

APRIL 21, 2021

PINEY POINT: Governor orders permanent closure FROM PAGE 1

The governor then addressed his plans moving forward.

“We want this to be the last chapter of the Piney Point story. Today, I’m directing the Department of Environmental Protection to create a plan to close Piney Point.

I’ve requested that DEP’s team of engineers and scientists develop plans for the permanent closure of this site, including identifying necessary resources to do so. This will ensure the state is moving forward with a plausible scientific plan toward closure,” DeSantis said.

“I’m redirecting $15.4 million from existing appropriations at DEP to use innovative technologies to pre-treat water at the site for nutrients so that in the event that further controlled discharges are needed, any potential adverse environmental impacts such as algae blooms and fish kills are mitigated,” DeSantis said.

“I’m further directing DEP to fully investigate the incidents here at Piney Point to take any and all legal actions to ensure we hold HRK and the other actors fully accountable,” the governor said.

Speaking next, Simpson addressed the state Legislature’s efforts.

“This year we’re going to appropriate $100 million for the initial funding. By the end of the year, we hope to get a full closure plan with a fully-funded amount that may be required; and then come back next year and have a fully-funded plan,” he said.

DEP Secretary Noah Valenstein also spoke about holding HRK Holdings responsible for the environmental and economic impacts caused by the breach of the Piney Point containment stack.

“We have a team of attorneys back at Tallahassee that is making sure they take advantage of all the information we’re collecting and then put together a case to hold HRK fully accountable. We are putting every effort to hold folks accountable, regardless or not of a particular corporation’s circumstances,” he said.

After Tuesday’s press conference, Port Manatee Director of Communications Virginia Zimmermann provided The Sun with a tour of the Berth 12 area where the Piney Point water was discharged into Tampa Bay through an inland canal that helped move the discharged water into the deep water shipping channel. Zimmermann said the port remained fully operational while the Piney Point crisis played out.

According to DEP, about 215 million gallons of water containing elevated levels of nitrates and phosphates were discharged into Tampa Bay. Phosphates and nitrates are primary ingredients in fertilizer and concerns linger regarding the potential environmental impact of discharging that much nutrient-rich water into Tampa Bay. The controlled discharge began on March 31 after a breach was identified in one of the three Piney Point phosphogypsum containment stacks. DEP refers to the breached gyp stack that resembles a small lake as the “NGS-South compartment.”

ANOTHER LEAK

According to DEP’s daily update on Saturday, April 17, about 205 million gallons remained in the NGS-South compartment and DEP was preparing to manage increased stormwater on the Piney Point property ahead of weather forecasts predicting rain and windy conditions early this week.

According to Friday’s update, members of the University of South Florida’s School of Geosciences began using bathymetric equipment that day to survey the gyp stack and further assess repairs previously made to its

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

The Piney Point discharge entered the shipping channel and Tampa Bay at Port Manatee’s Berth 12. submerged liner.

Friday’s update noted that on Tuesday, April 13, a lowlevel flow was observed from the concentrated seepage area on the east wall of the gyp stack: “Dive crews immediately arrived on scene and identified a small detachment underneath the plate placed over the liner seam separation. At this time, the low-level flow rate appears to be consistent and repair efforts continue.”

PREVIOUS SEAGRASS LOSSES

Sarasota Bay Estuary Program Executive Director Dave Tomasko lamented the previous loss of seagrass that occurred in Sarasota Bay before the Piney Point crisis.

“We just had our numbers released Friday about the seagrass change. We’re down 18%. We lost more than 2,000 acres of seagrass in the northern part of Sarasota Bay between 2018 and 2020 in the area around Long Bar Pointe. North and south of Long Bar Pointe we’re down 18%, after a 5% loss between 2016 and 2018,” he said.

Tomasko was asked why so much seagrass has been lost near Long Bar Pointe.

“We think it’s because of two red tides in 2016 and 2017. Then you had Hurricane Irma in 2017 and a real strong red tide from 2018 going into 2019. The red tide shuts off the photosynthesis. The seagrass expires because the water is warm and there’s not enough light,” he said.

“The last thing we need is another red tide like we had in 2018-2019. We’re already in a stressed position and now we’ve got red tide to the south and Piney Point to the north. The last thing we need is for people to think the crisis is past. We’re nowhere near close to knowing what the effects are going to be,” he added.

HOLMES BEACH DECLARATION

On Tuesday, April 13, the Holmes Beach City Commission adopted by city resolution a declaration of a local state of emergency that serves as the city’s preemptive response to the potential environmental and economic impacts of the Piney Point discharge.

“The city commission has determined that the release of contaminated water from the Piney Point facility poses an immediate and real threat to the residents and businesses of the city of Holmes Beach. The city commission supports the allocation of federal and state funds to develop and implement a plan that will eliminate any future threat that the Piney Point facility poses to Tampa Bay and surrounding waters,” the resolution states.

The Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach city commissions declared similar declarations of emergency on April 8.

APRIL 21, 2021

www.amisun.com

THE SUN

27

AMI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | SUBMITTED

Jessica Adair, center, cut the ceremonial ribbon in celebration of her new business venture.

Locals Realty celebrates recent opening Locals Realty formally celebrated its formation and opening earlier this year with a ribbon- cutting ceremony on Thursday, April 15. When cutting the ceremonial ribbon, Locals Realty owner/broker Jessica Adair and broker associate Dee Munn were joined by members of the Anna Maria Island

Chamber of Commerce. The ceremony took place at a private beachfront residence in Holmes Beach. “We’re a sister company of AMI Locals,” Adair said.

Locals Realty is located at 9801 Gulf Drive, Suite 4, in Anna Maria. For more information call 941-404-8348 or visit www.localsrealtygroup.com.

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THE SUN

SPORTS

APRIL 21, 2021

Another exciting season begins on Island pitch

Sixteen ladies at the Key Royale Club competed in a five-week single elimination nine hole match-play tournament beginning March 17. Last week, Laura Purcell battled Pam Lowry with Pam defeating Laura in a hard fought match. She was crowned the KRC Ladies 2021 Nine-Hole Match Play Champion.

BY MONCIA SIMPSON SPECIAL TO THE SUN

ANNA MARIA - After a couple of weeks off, the soccer action resumed at The Center for the adults last week. The game play started with Sandbar and Flynn Law taking the field.

The first half of the game ended tied at 3, but Flynn Law turned the game in their favor after a quick fourth and final goal by the Sandbar team after a bobble of the attempted save by Flynn Law’s Mark Long.

Long ended the game with seven saves in his team’s victory.

Two Flynn Law players had hat tricks. Damir Glavan and Eric Pullen both got three shots past the Sandbar goalie, Kevin Mulcahy, for the six points and the win.

Mulcahy made nine recorded stops in the action-packed game that ended in a 6-4 Flynn Law victory.

On the other side of the field, Alec Pichardo scored three goals of his own for the Sandbar team, with an additional goal by Luis Pichardo.

With week one complete, in addition to Glavan, Pullen and Pichardo, three other players top the scoreboard with three goals.

Timo Vecchio, Kali Richardson and Daniel Hampton all put three points in the game stats.

Connor Haughey tops the charts with 10 saves. In his second season as an adult player, Tyler Brewer is on the top of the leaderboard with three assists going into the second week of spring soccer on the Island.

Key Royale golf heats up

TUESDAY, APRIL 13 - LOW NET SCORE

MONICA SIMPSON | SUN

Above, veteran Jessica Williams moves past the Flynn Law defender to advance the ball into scoring territory for the Sandbar team. Right, Flynn Law’s Hakan Toka went against Race Arande, one of the Sandbar squad’s playmakers, for most of the first half of play last Thursday night.

SUN SCOREBOARD TUESDAY, APRIL 13 YOUTH CO-ED SOCCER WEEK #2 8- TO 10-YEAR-OLD LEAGUE

30 31 33

Flight B Susan VanOrsdale Sue Christenson Judy Todd Annette Hall

31 32 32 33

Flight C Laurie Hicks Jody Maleeny Judy Menchek

28 29 32

Sue Christenson, Sue Powers and Meredith Slaven had chip-ins!

THURSDAY, APRIL 15 - SHAMBLE, RECORDING TWO SCORES ON EACH HOLE FROM TEAM MEMBERS

Beach Bums Bridge Tender

1 2

Tidy MD Solid Rock Construction

2 0

11- TO 13-YEAR-OLD LEAGUE

Flight A Helen Pollock Sue Wheeler Ellen Boin

Blalock Walters The Gitt Team

4 1

AM Bath Time Grooms Auto

5 4

THURSDAY, APRIL 15 ADULT CO-ED SOCCER WEEK #1

1st Place - Brian Comer, Kathy Donnar, Tim Donnar, Mitch Donnar with a score of 63, one under par 2nd Place - Mike Brakefield, Chris Chambers, Tony Donnelly, Scott Mitchell with a score of even par, 64 3rd Place - Dean Christensen, Bill DiMenna, Mike Gillie, Debi Wohlers with a score of two over par, 66

Sandbar Flynn Law

4 6

Salty Printing Slim’s Place

5 6

Killer Bate C.A.B.B.

4 9

Sato Real Estate Beach Bums

8 3

The Key Royale Club First Annual Men's MemberMember tournament was held April 2 with 24 twoman teams split into three divisions by handicaps competing for the championship.

After 18 holes of golf, the winners and ties from each division competed in a playoff. Five teams battled in the three-hole, sudden death playoff.

Winning the championship on the last hole were Dave Richardson and Gary Risner. Finishing in second place were Jon Holcomb and Ron Vandeman followed by Bill Ford and Jim Livanos in third.

APRIL 21, 2021

FUN IN THE SUN

Across 1 "Way cool!"

4 Title for Bovary or Defarge 10 Feudal estate 14 Computer application file suffix 15 European peninsula 16 "A Jug of Wine ... " poet 17 Ala. neighbor 18 Redeeming quality 20 Many Montenegrins 22 "Much to my surprise ... " 23 "Weekend Update" comic Michael 24 Cash dispenser 26 "Buona __": Italian "Good evening" 28 Lines of lightning ... or lightening 32 Coin flips 36 Paper for papers Answers to 04-14-21 Crossword Puzzle.

38 Person of the Year awarder 39 Leave out 40 "__ John B": Beach Boys hit 42 Former govt. agency devoted to public diplomacy 43 Chianti Classico, per esempio 44 Small museum piece 46 Distribute into groups 49 Chestnut horses 50 Angler's decoy 52 Fellow 53 Résumé writer's goal 56 Resignee of 1974 59 Forever __ 63 Citrus-flavored soda 66 Chillax 67 Poi source 68 Repeat from memory 69 With 72-Across, evasive strategy ... and

THE SUN

29

a hint to the last several letters of the four longest Across answers 70 Large number 71 On the schedule 72 See 69-Across Down 1 Sports officials 2 Wheel shaft 3 __ Abby 4 Wrong move 5 Attorney's org.

6 "Whip It" rock band 7 Like much of the Southwest 8 Objects to 9 Aerie newborn 10 Pro 11 All-in-one Apple 12 Per unit 13 On the house 19 Wrap with tzatziki sauce 21 Happy hour perch 25 Rover's territory 27 One at the head of the class 28 Round with four teams, say 29 Jacob and Esau, e.g.

30 DEA agent's find 31 Hoity-toity types 33 Strong fiber 34 Qatari bigwigs 35 It may be saved at a movie 36 __ Scotia

37 Japanese leader during WWII 41 Salon offering 45 Ruined 47 Step on a ladder 48 They make an effort

51 Spreadsheet program in Microsoft Office 53 Scribbles (down) 54 Like some exams 55 Naked 57 Penguin predator

58 Nantes night 60 State with conviction 61 List of options 62 Scrolling key 64 At the moment 65 Sault __ Marie

30

THE SUN

CLASSIFIED

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ESTATE SALE

BEACH YOGA ON Wednesdays, Saturdays & Sundays at 8:30am at the end of Pine Ave by the Sandbar Restaurant by donation. www.thriveyogafit. com

ESTATE SALE FRIDAY April 23. 9:30am-2pm. 316 Iris St, Anna Maria. Park all wheels off pavement. Must wear mask. Sofa, 3 rattan swivel chairs, occasional chairs, pineapple twin beds, twin on king bed set, dinette, coffee table, desk including mid century style, Florida style bed set, collectables, clothing, kitchen wear, some tools, antique Evinrude motor, costume jewelry, patio furniture, china glass, bric-a-brac and other late additions. Sale conducted by Palma Sola Sales (numbers given out at 8am)

ANNOUNCEMENT: Who wants to play bridge outside on the patio, or in the park, social distanced and face-masked, Call Kathleen at 314-324-5921 THE BEST VOLUNTEER position on the island. The AMI Historical Museum needs docents and bread makers. Call Kathy Primeau at 989-560-6381.

ROSER FOOD BANK needs donations of cash and non-perishable food, PAPER & PERSONAL HYGIENE PRODUCTS. Donations boxes are located at the Church, Moose Club, and Walgreen’s.

CARPET CLEANING QUALITY COUNTS. CARPET cleaning. Upholstery cleaning. Tile & grout cleaning. Island's favorite cleaner. Manatee Chamber Member. Great price/free estimates. Call 941-7561082

CLEANING SERVICE THC CLEANING : Residential, Commercial, Rentals, VRBO. Professional and Reliable. Call 941-756-4570

COMMERCIAL SALES, RENT & LEASE 4 UNIT RESORT style 4-plex: $1,999,900 Holmes Beach fixer upper with View of beach on Gulf Dr. Duplex Near Beach Totally renovated near Beach $795,000. Island Real Estate Call Alan Galletto 941-232-2216

Call us today! 941-778-3986

FISHING CHARTERS CAPT. MAC GREGORY Fishing Charters. Full Day, Half Day, Night, Inshore & Near Shore. 941-809-5783 U.S.C.G. Certified/Insured

HOME IMPROVEMENTS TILE! TILE! TILE! All variations of tile supplied and installed. Quality workmanship. Prompt, reliable, many Island references. Free estimates.

Neil 941-726-3077 RENOVATION SPECALIST ALL carpentry repairs, Wash Family Construction, locally owned and operated CBC 1258250 Call 941-7250073.

KERN CONSTRUCTION NEW Homes & Remodel.

Design/Build. Since 1968.

License # CBC 1261150.

Call Mike Kern 941-7781115 MASTER CARPENTER. Decks-Docks-FencingStairs & Railing. Free Estimates. Handyman Work. Call Richard 941448-3571 JSAN CORPORATION Renovations Construction & Handyman Services 941-243-0995 Lic# CRC1332505 jsancorporation@gmail. com Flooring, Drywall, Painting, Repairs, Kitchen and Bathrooms, Trim & Doors.

Free Estimates. Credit Cards Accepted.

AMISUN.COM

ISLE TILE EXPERT INSTALLATION of floors, custom showers, backsplash, deck/lanai.

Licensed and insured.

References available.

Call Chris at 941-3028759 please visit website: isletileservices.com “HAMMERED HOMES” (SAVING HOMES SINCE 1984) Handyman services, renovations. Free Estimates & Consulting. Call before making decision, save money.

941-778-3206

LANDSCAPING & LAWN CARE R. GAROFALO’S Interlocking brick pavers, driveways, patios, pool decks. Free estimates. Licensed & Insured.

Call Rafael 941-778-4823 or Veronik 941-526-7941 STRAIGHT SHOT LANDSCAPE. Specializing in Old Florida Seashell driveways and scapes. Also Rock, Mulch, & Soil. Free estimates. Call Shark Mark 941-301-6067 ISLAND RESIDENT. TREE/ BUSH Trimming, removal.

Sweeping, blowing, weeding. Weekly, bi-monthly or monthly schedule. Pressure washing: driveways, walkways, fences, pool decks/ cages. Call Bill Witaszek 941-307-9315.

LOST & FOUND FOUND SUNGLASSES at 77TH Street parking lot in Holmes Beach text 613401-2318 Contact Tim LOST ON MANATEE BEACH. 18" herringbone chain (4mm thick, square link, round clasp, 10k) with 3/4" Spanish gold coin pendant.

Please call 585-755-3894.

Contact Dennis

MOVING & STORAGE MARTIN’S MOVING YOUR Island movers! Offering dependable, competitive rates. No hidden costs. 941-809-5777.

APRIL 21, 2021

PAINTING & WALLCOVERING

PRESSURE WASHING & WINDOWS

PAINT! PAINT! AND MORE 28 years of experienced interior/exterior custom painting. Pressure cleaning, drywall repairs and texture finishes. Many Island references. Please call Neil for free estimates.

941-812-0507

AUTHORITY ONE CLEANING : Residential, Commercial, Construction, Vacation, VRBO Rentals . Also available Pressure Washing, Roof Cleaning, Paver Sealing and Windows. Call 941565-3931.

“WIZARD OF WALLS” Established 1980 Prompt quality service.

Paperhanging/removal Faux finishes. Interior painting. Mary Bell Winegarden 941-794-0455 PROFESSIONAL PAINTING SERVICES. Prompt & Reliable. Island Resident.

Quality Workmanship.

Interior/Exterior. Also minor repairs & carpentry. Free written detailed estimates. Bill Witaszek 941-307-9315 CUSTOM PAINTING, Residential-Commercial, Interior/Exterior Professional quality work for over 40 years. Free estimates.

Call Larry at 941-400-8754.

References available.

40-YEAR PAINTER from Kentucky. Hourly rate guaranteed savings over contractor price. Neat, dependable, equipped, insured. Highly productive. A+ rated by Better Business Bureau for 40 years. 502-817-6786. aapressurewash.com

POOL SERVICES FOUR SEASONS POOL SERVICE AND CHEMICAL SERVICES. Certified Pool Operator. 10 + Years Experience.

Residential/commercial. Chemical Service Licensed & Insured. Call Dennis Clark 941-7375657 COLE'S TROPICAL POOL SERVICE Call Cole Bowers for all your pool maintenance needs! Affordable and Dependable!! 941-7131893

REAL ESTATE HOMES & CONDOS FOR SALE GULF FRONT CONDOS Vista Grande, WestWinds– CANAL FRONT HOME Holmes Beach –DUPLEXES & MORE Island Real Estate ASK big Alan Galletto 941-232-2216 LOOKING FOR A highly motivated real estate broker to buy or sell your next home? Darcie Duncan, Broker Duncan Real Estate a lifelong island resident bringing success to her customers for 30 years. Proven track record brings you results! 941-725-1589 REALTOR FOR HIRE. BUYING OR SELLING on AMI? 17 years experience & USAF Veteran.

Call Kelly Gitt Keller Williams Realty today 941-799-9299.

RENTALS: ANNUAL ANNUAL RENTALS WANTED! We have well qualified tenants for beach and mainland annual rentals, Full management or Finders fee.

Call today for details.

Ask for Paige DUNCAN REAL ESTATE 513-3821992.

RENTAL WANTED

SEASONAL RENTAL in PALMA SOLA. 3BR/2BA weekly or monthly rates.

Contact Barb Grace 941201-2190 ANNA MARIA ISLAND CONDOS Large pool, beach access, free WiFi, 1BR 6 months $1550/mo. redekercondosonami.com Tim 941-704-7525.

AMI UPDATED 5 Star Condo for Rent- Available May to November. (Multimonth discount) Million$ water view, first floor, 2BR/2B, patio, walk to beach, pool, tennis (smoke free) marketreps@aol. com

TRANSPORTATION AMI TAXI metered-on-callcards accepted. Airport: Tampa $95, Sarasota $40, Clearwater $85, Orlando $195. Call 941-447-8372 or 941-447-8376. amitaxi4u@ gmail.com, www.amitaxi. com ANYTIME TRANSPORTATION to all Airports, Casino, etc. Tampa $70. Sarasota $35. Pets welcome. Very dependable. Reasonable rates. Contact Jeanne.

941-779-5095 AIRPORT RIDES- Tampa, St. Pete, Sarasota. Mask & gloves provided. Reasonable rates! Call or text Anna 941-932-1600

FREE

HOME DELIVERY

SEEKING AMI ANNUAL RENTAL Call Kelly Gitt Keller Williams Realty 941799-9299

RENTALS: SEASONAL & VACATION TIFFANY PLACE Gulf Front Condo for Rent Incredible views from living room and master bedroom. 2BR/2BA Green Real Estate Call 941-778-0455

Call for Details

778-3986

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APRIL 21, 2021

BUSINESS & SERVICE DIRECTORY HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

THE SUN

Call today to place your ad: 941-778-3986 PAINTING

HOME SERVICES

TRANSPORTATION PET SITTING

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APRIL 21, 2021