CASTLES IN THE SAND

from Anna Maria Island Sun December 16, 2020

by Anna Maria Island Sun

RESTAURANTS

THE SUN REAL ESTATE

DECEMBER 16, 2020

Real estate sales rise as pandemic continues

The COVID-19 pandemic is having an adverse effect on most parts of our lives and economy. Even though the stock market continues to climb based on the “light at the end of the tunnel” theory, millions are still out of work and thousands more keep getting infected. However, the real estate market keeps moving forward nationally, in Florida, in Manatee County and especially on Anna Maria Island.

Not only are the economics of housing changing, the face of housing is also evolving. Families are looking for different things in a home than before the pandemic. First on the list heard around the country is “home office,” not just for getting through the pandemic but for a large majority of employees as a permanent or semipermanent arrangement.

Generations have found themselves living together for the first time in decades. Young singles and married couples, some with children, may be out of work and moving in with parents. Others are leaving major

Castles in the Sand

LOUISE BOLGER

cities and moving back to the suburbs they left years earlier. And seniors worried about moving into independent living and assisted living facilities are moving in with their children.

One of the byproducts of the virus has been changes to the construction industry, which has designed some of its models for multigeneration living. Creating a separate living suite for returning adult children or parents, although not unusual in Europe and Asia, is a concept that no one ever expected to see again in this country. And I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of those design elements being incorporated into all the new construction on the Island.

It’s time for the three-month analysis of $1 million and over properties in the three cities on Anna Maria Island and in Cortez. Closed sales reflect the August, September and October sales from the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s website. Current available listings $1 million and over as of this writing are from realtor.com.

Sales have substantially increased since the last report, both on the Island and in Cortez. Cortez had two closings, one at $1,475,000 and one at $1,250,000; last time there were none. The city of Anna Maria had 42 sales ranging from $5,866,000 to $1,050,000. There were three sales over $3 million and the balance of the sales was between $2 million and $1 million. Last time, there were 28 sales in the city. The combined cities of Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach had 40 sales ranging from $4,500,000 to $1,029,000. There was one sale over $4 million and one over $3 million, but most of the sales were between $1 million and $2 million. The last time there were 19 sales.

In Cortez, there were eight properties on the market between $2,500,000 and $1,200,000; in the last analysis, there were six available properties. The city of Anna Maria had 42 properties available ranging from $4,875,000 to $1,050,000. There were three listed above $4 million, four listed above $3 million, and the balance was between $1 million and $2 million. Last time, Anna Maria had 57 properties listed. The combined cities of Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach had 70 properties listed with a high of $6,800,000 and a low of $1,079,000. Three were over $4 million, five were over $3 million and the balance was between $1 million and $2 million. The last analysis showed 75 listed.

So, it’s obvious that more sales closed as the industry was adjusting to the new COVID-19 world - a good thing, allowing buyers to complete transactions in spite of regulations. Overall, even though inventory is a little lower in these areas, we continue to be in a good sellers’ market.

We can all start to see the little white light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel. In the meantime, stay safe.

Check out Cheesecake Cutie & Cafe

BY LOUISE BOLGER

SUN STAFF WRITER

There’s a new cutie on Anna Maria and it’s not the one who lounges on the beach in her bikini; it’s the one that makes your taste buds happy. The Cheesecake Cutie & Café in Holmes Beach near Publix offers not only cheesecake, but a creative café menu to eat in or take out.

On Nov. 21, when Jennifer Geils opened her new business in the middle of a pandemic, she wondered if following her heart was the best thing to do. She and her husband quit their jobs, moved their three children from Orlando, sold their house and started a new adventure at a time when most of the country was going through a second wave of the virus. Nevertheless, her heart was right because Cheesecake Cutie acquired a following instantly.

Geils has been baking her mother, Barbara’s, recipe for cheesecake most of her life. When her mother passed away, she started baking for holidays and friends as a tribute to her mother’s memory and it didn’t take long for people to start encouraging her to open a shop.

Anna Maria Island was familiar to her from family vacations in Sarasota and boating in the area and she was always

LOUISE BOLGER | SUN From left, Jennifer and Kane Geils run The Cheesecake Cutie & Café in Holmes Beach.

fighting back tears when she left. When her husband found an available space in Holmes Beach, she knew she had found the perfect spot and a new life. And perfect it is, large and bright with tables inside and out, plenty of parking and convenient to both the beach and those who live off the Island as well.

Geils’ menu is much more than cheesecake. Her husband, Kane, who grew up watching his grandmother cook, is the creative genius behind the café options. Scuties are one- or two-bite skewers that travel well, especially to the beach. There are a variety of salads available including tuna, bay shrimp and chicken. Charcuterie boards are Kane’s specialty, which can include an assortment of meats, cheeses, fruit or custom design. They come in all different sizes from a small box for picnics to large spreads for parties and holiday gatherings. He also has daily sandwiches ready to go.

But the queen of Cheesecake Cutie is, of course, the cheesecake. Jennifer Geils bakes handcrafted cheesecakes and cheesecake cuties. Cuties are 2-inch, singleserve mini cheesecakes that come in all the same flavors as the regular 9-inch cakes. They look like parfaits and you can buy them individually or by the dozen. Some of the flavors available for both the cakes and cuties are Barbara’s original - in both gluten-free and KETO - chocolate chip, Key lime, white chocolate raspberry, Kahlua kiss, tiramisu and more.

The Cheesecake Cutie & Café offers catering for all of their menu items and has supplied many weddings with cheesecakes

THE CHEESECAKE CUTIE & CAFÉ

3324 East Bay Drive Holmes Beach 941-779-2253 www.cheesecakecutie.com Monday – Saturday: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sunday: Noon – 4 p.m.

All Major Credit Cards Accepted

in the short time they have been open. Also, some of the Island restaurants have expressed interest as well.

Jennifer Geils is the “cutie” behind the name of her new business, given to her by a former colleague. She, her husband and children love Anna Maria and the surrounding areas. She says there’s a calmness here and everyone has been welcoming and friendly. Stop in and have this cutie introduce you to her cuties - “It’s heaven in your mouth.”

BRIDGE STREET: Decorations removed by property owner

FROM PAGE 12 settle and crack,” Tsakiri wrote in his report.

Former Freckled Fin business owner Scott Lubore vacated the property in 2017 and the property has remained inactive in terms of business operations since.

“Numerous people had walked by and heard us talking about Ross removing the city lights. They were appalled and thought we should arrest him,” Tsakiri’s report concludes, noting no further action was taken.

According to Officer Masi’s supplemental report, “Lt. (John) Cosby was notified of the situation, as the city has had prior dealings over property lines in the past with Mr. Ross. Mr. Ross proceeded to get very upset. In an angry manner, he kept telling us this was his property. Per my knowledge and management, the easement is city-owned, but Mr. Ross still continued to argue with us.

“Mr. Ross was advised to direct his complaints and issues about the lights or property lines to city hall, as Officer Tsakiri and myself do not have any further extensive knowledge past what management has advised us is city-owned property,” Masi’s report concludes.

Ross has previously engaged in property line disputes with Manatee County regarding the Fire & Stone pizzeria he and his wife own on Cortez Road. The pizzeria closed temporarily in May 2019 and has not yet reopened.

LIGHT REINSTALLATION

According to Public Works Director Tom Woodard, the Christmas lights Ross removed remained in storage as of Monday afternoon.

When asked if there were any plans to reinstall the lights, Woodard said, “The Bridge Street decorations were done by a contractor. Commissioner Jake Spooner said he would let the contractor know.”

Spooner serves as the Bridge Street liaison for the Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and the annual holiday decorations are funded by the CRA.

When contacted Monday afternoon, Spooner said the contractor planned to reinstall the lights in the same location Tuesday evening.

BEACH BEAT

BRADENTON BEACH 11/3, dealing in stolen goods, Bridgeport Condos parking area, 501 Gulf Drive N. The victim’s bicycle was stolen and the next day she reported seeing it advertised for sale on social media. She called the number in the ad and talked with one of the suspects. They agreed to meet at a gas station and Bradenton Beach Police Detective Sgt. Lenard Diaz observed, but the suspects texted the victim to say they would be late. The victim agreed to meet later, but Detective Diaz said he couldn’t make it then because he was too far away. The meeting went as planned and the victim’s husband took the bike for a ride and told the suspects he was stealing the bike back because he and his wife owned it when it was stolen. One of the suspects took off running, but law enforcement from Bradenton and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office chased him down and arrested him and his wife. 12/3, 1:55 a.m., Marchman Act, Drift In, 120 Bridge St. The officer responded to a call about a drunken male in the parking lot talking to himself. The officer found out the subject could not take care of himself so he was taken to Centerstone Treatment Facility to sober up. HOLMES BEACH 12/2, fraud, 5300 block of Sunrise Lane. The complainant said he was contacted by bill collectors for Verizon and T-Mobile for overdue accounts that were not his. He admitted his son, who shares his name, might have done it. The officer took no further action. 12/3, 10:28 p.m., DUI with property damage, 7000 Marina Drive. The officer was dispatched to the scene of an accident. The driver left the scene of the accident on foot and two witnesses were on the phone with dispatch apprising them of where he was walking. The officer caught up with him and at least one of the witnesses identified the man as the driver of the vehicle. The suspect refused to talk about the crash or a possible DUI and was arrested. 12/7, trespass warning, Seaside Laundromat, 5400 Marina Drive. A homeless male was told he could not sleep at the laundromat. 12/7, disobeying a trespass order, Seaside Laundromat, 5400 Marina Drive. The subject who was earlier trespassed was arrested. 12/7, trespass warning, Walgreens, 3200 East Bay Drive. Two homeless females caught shoplifting were told they were not welcome anymore.

OBITUARIES

Sally Elizabeth Daneman

Sally Elizabeth Daneman, of Bradenton, formerly of Lincroft, New Jersey, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020 due to complications from COVID-19. She was 88.

Born in Calais, Maine, she was raised on a working farm until the family moved to Dorchester, Massachusetts. There she met and then married David Daniel Daneman, who predeceased her in January 2014 after 62 years of marriage. She is also predeceased by her daughter, Linda Kolacki (2009) and her daughter-in-law, Theresa Daneman (1995).

Surviving are her son, Stephen Daneman and his wife, Lieda, of Tampa; her daughter, Deborah Marino, and her husband, Carl, of Cortez; her son, Michael Daneman, of Middletown, New Jersey; her son, Brian Daneman, and his wife, Geri, of Little Silver, New Jersey, and her son, Daniel Daneman, and Francine Mazzarella, of Venice, Florida.

The beloved grandmother, whom everyone called Bubba, leaves behind 14 grandchildren, Joshua, Joseph, and Anthony Marino; David and Christopher Caddock; Shannon Fisher; Melissa Luddy; Michael Daneman Jr.; Megan VanSchaack; Eric and Sara Daneman; Stephen Daneman Jr. and Andre and Lily Daneman; she was also great-grandmother to Noah, Lillian, and Sophia Marino; Jax Daneman and Mason VanSchaack.

Sally was a quiet activist before it was the popular thing to do, leading her children to take part in the Grape Growers and Viet Nam demonstrations of the ‘60s. She was also instrumental in bringing the Fresh Air program to our hometown, teaching us the importance of racial equality and the necessity of building relationships.

Always active in the Catholic Church, she taught CCD at St. Christine’s in Marshfield, Massachusetts, and in the ‘70s she was involved with a program in Boston called TEC (Teens Encounter Christ), one of the first ecumenical outreaches in the Church. She continued to teach CCD at St. Leo the Great in Lincroft, New Jersey. After moving to Florida, she became very involved with her home Church, St. Mary’s Star of the Sea in Longboat Key, where she served for many years in the Ladies Guild, supporting their multitude of programs.

Always the volunteer, in the ‘70s and ‘80s she served on the Ladies Auxiliary of the Lincroft First Aid Squad, supporting her children and grandchildren - wherever she was needed, there you’d find her!

Sally touched lives and brought joy wherever she went. She was deeply loved by her family and her passing leaves a Bubbashaped hole in all our hearts!

Services will be at a later date. Brown & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory 43rd Street Chapel is in charge of the arrangements. Condolences may be made to www.brownandsonsfuneral.com.

LOCALLY KNOWN. GLOBALLY CONNECTED. SINCE 1976.