Anna Maria Island Sun December 6, 2017

- Named Best Florida Newspaper In Its Class -

VOL 18 No. 8

December 6, 2017

Flood insurance rates jeopardized City officials hope corrective action taken by city staff will preserve the flood insurance discounts given to policy holders in Anna Maria.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – Building Official Jimmy Strickland has been terminated for inactions that could result in higher flood insurance premiums for property owners in the city of Anna Maria.

City officials are awaiting a final determination on whether corrective actions taken by City Engineer Lynn Burnett and others will prevent the loss of the 25 percent flood insurance premium discounts given to policyholders in Anna Maria.

The discounts were earned during the city’s 20-year participation in the Community Ratings System (CRS). As part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program, the CRS is a voluntary incentive see rates, page 39

Pier may get $1.5 M in tourist tax funds

A little Lester magic PAT COPELAND | SUN

George Griffith, 3, talks with Santa above at the Lester Family Fun Day at The Center. Sponsors Chuck and Joey Lester received a plaque of appreciation from The Center for all they have done over the years for The Center. See more on Page 20.

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

ANNA MARIA – The Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) voted unanimously on Monday, Dec. 4 to recommend that the county reimburse the city up to $1.5 million of the $3.2 million cost of the city pier platform renovation.

If the County Commission approves the plan, the county will match the city’s expense dollar for dollar up to $1.5 million, reimbursing the city for its expenditures beginning Oct. 1, Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Elliott Falcione told the TDC. TOM VAUGHT | SUN

INSIDE NEWS OPINION Sun survey Outdoors Holiday events entertainment real estate sports

4 6 7 28-29 33 32-33 34-38 42

Bridge street

Jewelers glitters for the holidays. 16

Anna Maria Island, Florida

Manatee County could pledge up to $1.5 million of the Anna Maria City Pier’s $3.2 million platform cost; another $1.5 million is needed for the restaurant and bait shop.

see pier, page 33

Waterline Marina Resort opens to fanfare. 4 Carol Whitmore recalls the

heyday of Pete Reynard’s. 5 The Island’s award-winning weekly newspaper

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DECEMBER 6, 2017

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Island Real Estate sells vacation rental operation Vacasa will take over the management of nearly 300 vacation rentals.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – Island Real Estate owner Larry Chatt has sold the vacation rental portion of his Island Real Estate business operation to Vacasa, an Oregon-based vacation rental management company.

The partnership was announced in a Nov. 20 press release.

“Vacasa will take over operations of Island Real Estate’s vacation rentals, adding nearly 300 Florida properties to the company’s growing portfolio.

All real estate sales and property and condominium management will continue to be overseen by Island Real Estate. Vacasa plans to retain Island Real Estate’s current staff,” the press release said.

“I’ve owned and operated Island Real Estate for almost a decade and each year I drive the organization to adapt and improve to the fast-changing vacation rental industry,” Chatt said in the press release. “Vacasa continues my

joe hendricks | SUN

Island Real Estate has sold its vacation rental management operations to Vacasa. Island Real Estate will lease to Vacasa the building in Holmes Beach that serves as its headquarters for laundry and housekeeping services. crusade to lead advancements in the southwest Florida market that provides unmatched value to our vacation rental business, increased revenue for homeowners, world-class service for guests and industry-leading benefits for employees,” he added.

When contacted, Chatt said he will lease his blue, multi-story building in Holmes Beach to Vacasa, which will retain the use of the building as a headquarters laundry and housekeeping

operations.

“We’re thrilled to be entering into this partnership with Island Real Estate and look forward to being part of the community in Anna Maria Island,” said Gerard Lester, director of Homeowner Experience at Vacasa.

Vacasa is a full-service vacation rental property management company that utilizes algorithm-based analytics to help determine rental rates and optimize revenue for its clients.

When contacted via-e-mail last week, Lester provided additional comments on the purchase.

“Larry saw an opportunity to bring in an operational and marketing expert to help manage the vacation rental side of his business. Larry has been working closely with Vacasa’s partnership and acquisitions team and will continue to be a resource to us as we transition see vacasa, page 40

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ISLAND NEWS

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DECEMBER 6, 2017

in brief

Officials wait for identity of body The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is awaiting identification of the body of a male in his 60s found in the water near Egmont Key, on Sunday, Dec. 3, at approximately 7:30 a.m. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Marine division and the FWC responded to the scene.

Meanwhile, FWC officials continue to search for a missing boater who disappeared in roughly the same area as where the body was found. The missing boater, Fraser Horne, disappeared Nov. 17 while boating near Egmont. The 64-year-old Canadian, who winters in Cortez, was not onboard his boat when it was found in neutral and still running just off the key. His wallet and keys were found on the boat, but his dog, which had been with him, was found later that day on land at nearby Fort DeSoto.

A news release from FWC said the next of kin will be notified as soon as an identification is made.

Food Pantry welcomes pier employees Roser Memorial Community Church member Jack Brennan reminds former employees of the City Pier Restaurant and bait shop in Anna Maria that they are welcome to receive services at the Roser Food Pantry on a weekly basis until they get back on their feet.

“Just bring a pay stub from the pier and we’ll make an appointment and walk you through the process,” Brennan said.

The Roser Food Pantry provides groceries to Anna Maria Island addresses and others with verified Island connections. $10 vouchers may also be provided for milk, bread, perishables, baby food and more. The Roser Food Pantry also is always in need of non-perishable food donations or monetary donations.

Roser Memorial Community Church is located at 512 Pine Ave. in Anna Maria, and the food pantry is across the street. To make an appointment for services or to donate, call 941-778-0414. For more information, visit http://roserchurch.com/foodpantry.

Holiday special Sunday A one-hour special, “Sand, Sun and Holiday Fun,” by Chad Crawford, of the “How To Do Florida” television series, will be broadcast on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 1 p.m. on local CBS affiliates.

Crawford produced an episode of his series in Bradenton a year ago, which aired only in Florida, according to Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Elliott Falcione, adding that the holiday special will air in markets nationwide, including Pittsburgh, which has a new non-stop flight to the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.

“It will be a home run,” he said.

joe hendricks | SUN

The Waterline Marina Resort and Beach Club opened to the public Wednesday morning.

Waterline Marina Resort opens Anna Maria Island has a new full service luxury hotel.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – The Waterline Marina Resort & Beach Club is open, and the first guests have arrived.

“We’re thrilled. It’s been a long time coming, and we’ve had a lot of time to sit back, reflect and refine what we’re doing,” General Manager Sandy Zinck said on opening day, Wednesday, Nov. 29.

Developed, owned and operated by Tampa-based Mainsail Lodging & Development, Waterline Marina Resort & Beach Club is located at 5325 Marina Drive in Holmes Beach.

Waterline is affiliated with the 12-unit Mainsail Beach Inn at 101 66th St., opened in 2009. Located on the Gulf of Mexico, the Mainsail Beach Inn now serves as the beach club for Waterline guests transported aboard the 35-passenger Waterline trolley.

Waterline features 37 luxury suites configured to meet various lodging needs. Accommodating four guests, a one-bedroom suite with a single king-sized bed and sleeper sofa was going for $399 on the Waterline website that utilizes reservation services provided by the Marriott hotel chain. A single-bed guest room is listed for $249. Accommodating eight guests, a two-bedroom suite with a water view is listed for $649. Rates will vary based on seasonality.

Suites feature full kitchens, a washer and dryer and private patios. Featuring modern coastal decor and local artwork from The Studio on Gulf and Pine, Waterline also offers the 94-seat Plimsoll Ballroom, a 10-seat conference room that doubles as a private dining area, a business center, swimming pool, fitness center, children’s play area, a dockmaster’s office that doubles as a store selling Waterline-logo products and a 50-slip marina that includes 10 short-term docks for boaters dropping by to dine or drink at Eliza Ann’s Coastal Kitchen.

joe hendricks | SUN

The living area in this two-bedroom suite includes a sleeper sofa for additional guests Open to the public, Eliza Ann’s features Southernslanted food with an emphasis on seafood and a full bar that offers signature cocktails like the bourbonbased Plimsoll Sazerac.

Eliza Ann’s is currently open from 4 to 10 p.m. daily and one hour later on Fridays and Saturdays.

Eliza Ann’s will soon be open for lunch and weekend brunch as it progresses toward full breakfast, lunch and dinner service, with room service too.

Waterline will host a job fair Wednesday, Dec. 6, for those interested in filling the remaining culinary and housekeeping positions.

“Waterline brings to the community a full-service hotel experience. If you’re a guest on the Island you have beautiful accommodations, the beaches and all those things, but you didn’t have a facility that has all the amenities that typically come with a hotel. I think that’s what makes us different,” Mainsail Lodging & Development Vice President of Operations Tom Haines said.

“This is our third Autograph Collection hotel. Each hotel has its own personality. The Epicurean Hotel see waterline, page 5

DECEMBER 6, 2017

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waterline: Open to the public FROM PAGE !

in Tampa is all about food and wine.

The Waterline hotel is all about family vacations, being at the beach and Old Florida,” he added.

History incorporated

Waterline’s opening brings to life a long-vacant property previously occupied by Pete Reynard’s restaurant.

Pete Reynard’s opened in 1954 and was part of the yacht club opened in 1953. Longtime residents still talk about the rotating salad bar and the rotating Compass Room dining room added after a fire in 1965.

“I salute Joe Collier and his team for breathing life and vitality back into this important Holmes Beach site, so the history and hospitality Pete and Eleanor Reynard started can be enjoyed for generations to come,” Waterline investor Ed Chiles said.

County Commissioner and Holmes Beach resident Carol Whitmore is also happy to see the property active again.

“Being an Island resident since 1969, I’m excited about this new development. I was there when that special place closed and was torn down, and I have always supported

the redevelopment of the site even when other elected officials did not,” she said.

Zinck and resort host Susanne Arbanis provided a tour of the new hotel last week. While standing in the kitchen of a two-bedroom suite, Zinck pointed to the AMI Chamber of Commerce’s “Flip Flop Fare” cookbook on the counter. The cookbook was opened to a page featuring an artist’s rendering of Pete Reynard’s.

Zinck said she bought enough cookbooks for each suite and extras for hotel guests to purchase.

Another nod to Island history is the pool-side children’s area called Cobb’s Corner. Featuring a giantsized checkers and chess board, the area is named after Samuel Cobb, one of the Island’s original homesteaders.

Arbanis said the Plimsoll Ballroom is named after Samuel Plimsoll, the English politician who devised the Plimsoll line, also known as the waterline, displayed on the outside of cargo vessels to indicate the safe limit to which the ship can be loaded. Eliza Ann’s is named after Plimsoll’s wife.

Manatee County Digital Library | Submitted

Pete Reynard’s became a Holmes Beach landmark after it’s opening in 1954.

Reflections on Pete Reynard’s Pete Reynard’s restaurant had a long and interesting history in Holmes Beach.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun

HOLMES BEACH – Last week’s opening of the Waterline Marina Resort sent Holmes Beach resident and County Commissioner Carol Whitmore on a trip down memory lane, to Pete Reynard’s restaurant, which used to stand on the property where the new luxury hotel now stands.

“I loved that place and always wanted something of high quality to replace

it,” Whitmore said of Pete Reynard’s, which opened in 1954.

“Pete Reynard’s was a very upscale restaurant with an infamous rotating dining room, the Compass Room. It was always fun to watch the patrons trying to find their tables after visiting the restrooms, especially if they’d had a few drinks,” Whitmore said.

“Holmes Beach’s first police chief, Snook Adams, met his wife Liz at Pete Reynard’s. I attended wedding receptions, special occasion dinners and went on first dates there. My parents hung out there too, and Gregg Allman see reynard's, page 41

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The Anna Maria Island Sun newspaper Island Sun Plaza, 9801 Gulf Drive P.O. Box 1189 Anna Maria, FL 34216-1189 Phone: (941) 778-3986 e-mail: news@amisun.com | ads@amisun.com | classifieds@amisun.com

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DECEMBER 6, 2017

GUEST COLUMN The Pier's human elements

I

spent a couple of hours on Thanksgiving morning at Bayfront Park in Anna Maria with the former employees of the City Pier Restaurant and bait shop. The time provided me with a deeper understanding of the impact the pier closing is having on those who worked and played there.

Much of my reporting has centered around the efforts to replace the pier, what materials to use, how to pay for it and what to do with those engraved planks – all frequent topics of discussion at City Hall. Spending time with the former employees taught me that the pier is much more than a bunch of pilings and planks with a spectacular view.

Anyone who’s worked in the restaurant/ bar industry knows there are many places where you can make enough money, or almost enough money, to pay the bills and make a few friends along the way. But then there are those rare places like the City Pier Restaurant, bait shop and bar. To folks like Brian Blaine, David Sork, Cindy Graeff, Traci Kearton, Andre Bazile and many more, those leased spaces at the end of the pier were a second home that held a second family; and the pier regulars were also part of the extended family Blaine referred to as “misfit toys on the Island of Misfit Toys.”

That camaraderie and shared sense of purpose is hard to find in any profession and those who find it should consider themselves lucky. The pier people found it, lost it and now they miss it like hell, having been scattered about like loose shingles in a hurricane.

Those who found new jobs already know they may never find another workplace with the magic they felt on their pier. Some still cling to the hope that they can return someday and recapture some of that century-old spark, even if the pier itself is shiny and new. Others sense those days are gone for good and the best they can hope for is a workplace that comes close to what they once had and loved.

I left Bayfront Park that morning feeling grateful for the chance to meet these folks and hear their stories; and grateful that my job at The Sun exposes me to experiences like that.

If you’d like to assist the displaced pier employees, check out their new Go Fund Me page at www.gofundme.com/AMICityPier.

Joe Hendricks

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR A good week for AMI The first week of December was a good one for Anna Maria Island.

Friday night’s tree lighting and celebration of the holidays at the Chamber of Commerce in Holmes Beach was beautiful.

That same night, longtime islander Sean Murphy and his wife, Susan Timmins, held a thank you event at the Beach Bistro for Chuck and Joey Lester, longtime supporters of the community center now known as The Center of Anna Maria Island.

More than 60 like-minded islanders and community center supporters were in attendance.

These included Joan Pettigrew, who has done the Tour of Homes for 20 to 30 years; Barbara Sato, who raised five boys on the Island and opened Sato Reality; Darci Duncan, who was raised on the Island, played sports at the community center and became the successful owner of Duncan Real Estate.

Ed and Tina Chiles have supported our Island for many years.

They also attended, along with Pierrette Kelly, who was the fabric of the community center as its former director.

In order to have a strong community, you need a gathering place like our community center. Friday night was a reminder of that.

Saturday was Lester Fun Day at the Center with more than 600 kids and parents attending. Island residents and families from town filled the Center and its fields.

Duffy's Tavern contributed to the affair, as did many other island businesses.

Pierrette told us a story about the history of the community center that I was not aware of. In 1989, she took over the failing center. She told the crowd that they were very close to having to lock the doors. She met with the Lesters and they wanted to help. They started an endowment fund that has helped the community center during hard times throughout the years. Our community thanks people like them and others who have opened their hearts for the kids and our community.

Take The Sun Survey on Page 7.

The first weekend in December reminds me of why I love living on Anna Maria Island, and of all the great people who live here.

Carol Whitmore Holmes Beach

Bridge opening explained I worked as bridge tender on the Cortez Bridge from 1996 to 2006.

During that time, bridge openings were always an issue. People assumed that the bridge would open three times an hour between 7a.m. and 6 p.m. That is not the case you only open at those scheduled times when necessary.

I compiled an average of bridge openings at those scheduled times on several occasions. The average was 1.3 times per hour less than half the scheduled time. I offered this information to commissioners at the time. Changing the schedule to two times an hour would have no affect on traffic flow, because in reality the openings occur less than two times an hour.

Ted Von Tress Bradenton

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DECEMBER 6, 2017

THE SUN

the sun survey

on the agenda

PREVIOUS QUESTION: Do you favor reducing the Island drawbridge openings

Anna Maria

from three times an hour to two times an hour during the day?

7%

15%

No. The openings are as important to the boating community as the roads are to motorists.

No opinion. I never leave the Island anyway.

10005 Gulf Drive.

Dec. 6: 10 a.m., Special City Commission meeting.

Dec. 12: 4 p.m., Planning and Zoning Board meeting.

Dec. 14: 6 p.m., City Commission meeting.

For information, call 7086130.

Bradenton Beach 107 Gulf Drive N.

Dec. 6: 11 a.m., Pier Team meeting.

Dec. 6: 3 p.m., Scenic WAVES meeting.

Dec. 6: 5 p.m., Special City Commission meeting.

Dec. 7: 6 p.m., City Commission meeting.

Dec. 13: 9:30 a.m., CRA work meeting – master plan.

77%

7

Dec. 13: 11 a.m., City Commission work meeting – alleys.

Dec. 14: 1 p.m., Department head meeting.

For information, call 7781005.

Holmes Beach 5801 Marina Drive.

Dec. 6: 10 a.m., Parks and Beautification committee meeting.

Dec. 6: 6 p.m., Planning Commission meeting.

Dec. 12: 6 p.m., City Commission meeting with work session to follow.

Dec. 18: 1 p.m., Ad Hoc form of government committee meeting.

For information, call 7085800.

mark your calendar Yes. Traffic gets insanely backed up whenever the drawbridges are opened.

Note: Events are free unless indicated.

Wednesday December 6

The sun survey is not a scientific poll and is used for entertainment purposes only.

THIS WEEK’S SURVEY Which type of pilings would you rather see used in rebuilding the Anna Maria City Pier?

• Wood pilings, because they will keep the rustic look of the old pier.

• Concrete pilings, because they are stronger and will last longer.

• Neither of these. I'd like to see them use composite material that will be stronger, last longer but still look like rustic wood.

To vote, go to www.amisun.com or scan this code to vote by smartphone.

LIKE us on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AnnaMariaIslandSun View The Sun’s online edition at www.issuu.com/AnnaMariaIslandSun The Anna Maria Island Sun staff Publishers Mike Field Maggie Field Editor/CEO Mike Field Layout Ricardo Fonseca Reporters Cindy Lane Tom Vaught Joe Hendricks

Kristin Swain Columnists Louise Bolger Outdoors editor Rusty Chinnis Ad director Chantelle Lewin Ad assistants Chris Boniberger Diane Martin

Classified ads Bob Alexander Graphics Elaine Stroili Ricardo Fonseca Digital director Cindy Lane Accounting John Reitz

Distribution Bob Alexander Tony McNulty Connor Field Contributors Pat Copeland Steve Borggren Sean Murphy Monica Simpson

Roser-Robics chair-based exercise class, Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 9:30 a.m.

Lunch and Learn: Key Components of Optimal Aging, The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, second floor, 11 a.m., $10 including lunch.

Reserve to maryannbrady@ theparadisecenter.org or 941-383-6493.

Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce December luncheon, The Bridge Tender Inn, 135 Bridge St., Bradenton Beach, $15 for members and $25 for prospective members.

Gentle chair yoga, Anna Maria Island Art League, 5312 Holmes Blvd., Holmes Beach, noon.

Fire Tonic class, The Folk School at Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119th St., Cortez, 6:30 p.m. Reserve to 941-708-6120 or www. floridafolkschool.org.

Thursday December 7

Veteran Services Information, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 9 a.m.

Green Explorers: Butterfly Bounty, Robinson Preserve, 1704 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 10 a.m. Reserve to coral. bass@mymanatee.org or 941-742-5757, ext. 4

Zumba and mat pilates for seniors, The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, second floor, 10 a.m., $10 per class.

Reserve to maryannbrady@ theparadisecenter.org or 941-383-6493.

ACBL open pairs duplicate bridge, The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, second floor, 1 p.m., $11 per game with coffee and snacks provided.

Reserve to 941-216-9600 or sjbrill@aol.com.

Knit and crochet, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m.

Friday

December 8

Forty carrots, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m.

Senior Adventures trip to the Manatee Art Center Gallery, leaving from Annie Silver Community Center, 103 23rd St. N., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m., $5 van fee.

Reserve to Kaye Bell, 941538-0945.

Intermediate bridge session, The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive, 2nd Floor, Longboat Key, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., $10, includes coffee and cookies.

Reserve to maryannbrady@ theparadisecenter.org or 941-383-6493.

Mahjong, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 11 a.m.

Alzheimer’s caregiver support group, Island Branch SEE CALENDAR, PAGE 8

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mark your calendar From Page 7

Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m.

Sunset drum circle, Manatee Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, 5 to 8 p.m.

Holiday of Treasures Open House, Pine Avenue, Anna Maria, 5 to 8 p.m.

Santa in the Park, City Pier Park, North Bay Boulevard and Pine Avenue, Anna Maria, 4 to 6 p.m.

Saturday December 9 Holly Berry Bazaar, Church of the Annunciation, 4408 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, 9 a.m.

Privateers Christmas Parade, Bayfront Park in Anna Maria to Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m.

Winterfest art show and market, Holmes Beach city field, 5801 Marina Drive, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Origami, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m.

ACBL open pairs duplicate bridge, The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, second floor, 1 p.m., $11 per game with coffee and snacks provided. Reserve to 941-2169600 or sjbrill@aol.com.

Sunday December 10 Beach Market, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For

information call 941-518-4431.

Winterfest art show and market, Holmes Beach City Field, 5801 Marina Drive, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

AMICCO Holiday Concert, CrossPointe Fellowship, 8605 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m.

Tuesday December 12 Yoga with Cheryl Kaiser, The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive, 2nd Floor, Longboat Key, 10 a.m., $10. Reserve to maryannbrady@ theparadisecenter.org or 941-383-6493.

Preschool story time, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m.

Mahjong for beginners, The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive, 2nd Floor, Longboat Key, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., $10, snacks are provided. Reserve to maryannbrady@theparadisecenter.org or 941-383-6493.

ACBL open pairs duplicate bridge, The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, second floor, 1 p.m., $11 per game with coffee and snacks provided. Reserve to 941-2169600 or sjbrill@aol.com.

Tech help, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m.

Holiday Shop, Duffy’s Tavern, 5808 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 5 p.m.

Vitamin N: Sunset Tai Chi, Robinson Preserve, 1704 99th St. NW, Bradenton, 5 p.m. Reserve to 941-742-5757, ext. 6.

DECEMBER 6, 2017

CNOBB officially disbanded

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – The Concerned Neighbors of Bradenton Beach (CNOBB) exists no more.

Founded and chaired by Bill Vincent in July, the advocacy group turned political committee was officially dissolved by a membership vote on Tuesday, Nov. 28.

Twelve of the group’s 23 paid members attended the meeting at the Annie Silver Community Center and a half dozen others submitted their votes by proxy. Not a single vote was cast in favor of CNOBB continuing.

Treasurer John Metz told attending members the political action committee (PAC) was still $660 in the hole and that needed to be resolved before the final dissolution vote occurred. The group then collectively ponied up the needed funds, with member Jim Hassett leading the way with a $200 cash contribution.

According to Metz, the group spent approximately $5,480. About $3,800 of that was spent on attorney fees associated with the group’s successful efforts to get three charter amendment initiatives placed on

the November ballot and approved by city voters.

The initiatives resulted in the elimination of commission wards; reduced residency requirements for future city commission candidates; the elimination of the requirement that city commission candidates and commissioners be registered city voters; and a mostly symbolic amendment aimed at limiting the city commission’s ability to interpret the city charter.

Before the final vote to dissolve, some members shared their thoughts on the short-lived group’s efforts.

After expressing his opinion that all CNOBB members had good intentions, webmaster Mike Harrington said, “I am very proud to be a member of this group and I’m sorry to see it dissolved. After the treachery that came our way – the lawsuits and all that other garbage – we don’t have any other choice.”

Harrington was referencing the Sunshine Law lawsuit jointly-initiated by the Bradenton Beach City Commission and former mayor Jack Clarke. Filed in August, the still pending lawsuit named six CNOBB SEE CNOBB, PAGE 19

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DECEMBER 6, 2017

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Holiday of Treasures in Anna Maria A choral group will perform at City Pier Park with cookies and eggnog for all.

BY TOM VAUGHT SUN STAFF WRITER | tvaught@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – The city’s business district will be lit up like a Christmas tree Friday night, Dec. 8, as the Holiday of Treasures Open House comes to town.

The festivities will last from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at businesses along Gulf Drive and Pine Avenue, which will be open to serve treats and show off their wares.

Some will feature live music, including the Roser Children’s Choir performing at the Anna Maria Historical Park.

This year, plan on going further along Pine Avenue to City Pier Park, where from 4 to 6 p.m. Santa will be holding court with the kids. There will also be choral performances, cookies and eggnog. Don’t forget to check out the businesses across the street at Bayfront Plaza and also along Gulf Drive.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

Mayor Dan Murphy provided city commissioners limited details last week when informing them of an airborne visit from Santa Claus

Santa to land on Pine Ave. Bearing gifts, Santa Claus is coming to the city of Anna Maria Friday by way of a special aerial maneuver. file photo

Youngsters play in the "snow" at last year's Anna Maria Holiday of Treasures It’s another old time Christmas event in the city of Anna Maria, sponsored by the Anna Maria Historical Society and The Anna Maria Island Sun newspaper.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy said Santa and his sleigh will be landing on Pine Avenue in front of the Anna Maria City Pier on Friday. Dec. 8.

Last week, Murphy told city

LIQUORbhbWINEbhbBEER

SEE SANTA, PAGE 18

9:00 am - 10:00 pm 7 Days a Week 5344 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach 941.779.2337

Season’s Greetings Visit us for all your Holiday needs.

Largest selection of Beer, Wine & Spirits.

Gift packages and wrapping now available!

Eligible purchases earn Hurricane Hanks gift cards.

commissioners the landing would take place between 4:30 and 4:45 p.m. but the former military man provided a mission update Monday morning.

“Santa’s operations team notified us an earlier arrival time due to improved tail winds as he leaves Europe. Now his ETA is 4:10-4:15,” Murphy said.

Murphy did not provide the commission with provide specific

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DECEMBER 6, 2017

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DECEMBER 6, 2017

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Chamber president resigns The AMI Chamber still has Vice President Terri Kinder and administrator Cathy Pizzo at the helm.

I feel very fortunate for the opportunity I

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun

HOLMES BEACH – Deb Wing has resigned as president of the Anna Maria Chamber of Commerce.

Wing confirmed her resignation on Sunday.

“I feel very fortunate for the opportunity I received in the eightplus years of working at the AMI Chamber. I worked with so many excellent professionals and learned so much from them every day,” she said via text message Sunday afternoon.

Wing was named Chamber president in June 2015 after Mary Ann Brockman retired. Before being named president, Wing served as the Chamber’s vice president for six years.

“The Chamber has an exciting future ahead of it with new initiatives and I looking forward to witnessing its continued success in helping our community and local businesses,” Wing texted.

Wing did not elaborate on her reasons for resigning and she recently took a break from her Chamber duties after tendering a pending

received in the eightplus years of working at the AMI Chamber.”

Deb Wing, Former Chamber president

joe hendricks | SUN

On Nov. 17, Chamber President Deb Wing and Chamber chairman Eric Cairns met with Anna Maria city officials to discuss concerns about Bayfest security and alcohol consumption restrictions.

resignation in early November.

On Nov. 8, Wing sent Chamber board members and Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy an e-mail giving advance notice that she planned to resign. Her e-mail mentioned critical remarks Anna Maria Commissioner Brian Seymour made about the private security personnel used during the Chamber’s Bayfest festival in October.

Her e-mail also mentioned the press coverage Seymour’s com-

ments generated and press coverage given to past Bayfest events.

In 2016, Wing was part of a postBayfest debate about the number of parking tickets issued, which later proved to be less than the previous year.

On Monday morning, Chamber board of directors chairman Eric Cairns discussed Wing’s resignation.

He said that after receiving Wing’s resignation e-mail, the

Chamber board encouraged her to remain in her position until a full board meeting discussion could be scheduled. Cairns said that meeting took place Thursday, Nov. 30.

“We accepted her resignation. The board chair and the board of directors wish Deb the best in all of her ongoing endeavors,” Cairns said.

“At this time, we have Terri Kinder and Cathy Pizzo at the helm, and they’re two very accomplished people. We will be seeking locally and nationally a replacement for the presidency and the ongoing staff is fully capable of maintaining our commitment to the community and our business members,” Cairns said.

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AMICCO celebrates the season

DECEMBER 6, 2017

Privateers parade to ring in holidays

The orchestra and chorus begins its 25th season on Sunday, Dec. 10.

The public is invited to participate in the event if they sign up.

BY TOM VAUGHT

BY TOM VAUGHT

SUN STAFF WRITER | tvaught@amisun.com

SUN STAFF WRITER | tvaught@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – The Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra (AMICCO) will perform conductor Robert Shaw’s “The Many Moods of Christmas” on Sunday, Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. at CrossPointe Fellowship, 8605 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach.

Following the successful Symphony in the Sand in November, AMICCO opens its regular concert season with holiday flair.

Selections include “Silent Night,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “Joy to the World,” “Away in a Manger” and” Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”

AMICCO is unique in the area due to the fact that the symphony orchestra and standing chorus are combined under the baton of Mae-

ANNA MARIA – The Anna Maria Island Privateers are inviting everybody to their Processional and Santa’s Open House from Bayfront Park to Coquina Beach on Saturday, Dec. 9. Staging starts at 8:30 a.m. and the processional, also known as a parade, starts at 10 a.m.

Those Privateers know how to throw a party, and their parade abilities are renowned.

This is one of two parades they throw during the year, and it ends at Coquina Beach with Santa sitting the sleight and talking with the kids.

Everyone with a motorized vehicle or cycle is invited to

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Maestro Alfred Gershfeld will conduct the orchestra for the concert. stro Alfred Gershfeld Season tickets and single concert tickets are available at www. amicco.org, by phone at 401-8122468, or at the Anna Maria Island Chamber, 5313 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. There also may be tickets available at the door if it’s not a sellout. The single performance cost is $25 per person.

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Holiday themed floats are welcome in the parade, but they have to register with the Privateers first. participate, but advance sign up is required. Applications can be filled out on line by visiting www.amiprivateers.org.

There is no fee.

As for those watching the parade, expect to catch beads, candy and maybe some tiny gifts from the participants.

The Privateers might shoot off a cannon, as well.

When the parade gets to Coquina Beach, Santa will

take his seat in the sleigh to talk to the children. Each child will receive a prize. In a nearby gazebo, the Privateers will offer burgers, hot dogs, chips and soda. Kids eat free. Adults will be asked to donate.

For more information, contact Taz at 239-321-2835 or Jennifer at 585-645-8975.

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DECEMBER 6, 2017

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Juried art festival coming up The 30th Annual Winterfest Festival of Fine Arts and Fine Crafts will be held on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 9 and 10, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at City Hall field, 5901 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. This is the main fund-raiser for the Anna Maria Island Art League, along with Springfest in March. Organizers expect more than 100 vendors.

Art from all media will be featured. Over the years, Winterfest has become a draw for artists around the country. The variety of artwork will be wide.

This family event features live music on stage Saturday and a large food court offering a variety of food and beverages.

A highlight of the festival is a gala raffle of art work donated by festival exhibitors. Proceeds benefit the League’s scholarship fund, which provides classes to children and adults. The raffle gives everyone a

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Last year's Winterfest included these unique nature carvings. chance to collect great art for a small donation. Tickets are $1 each or six for $5, and winners need not be present to win.

The League is looking for volunteers to help run the show. For further information, contact the Art League

at, 5312 Holmes Boulevard, Holmes Beach, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., call 941-778-2099 or e-mail at artleagueami@gmail.com. Check out the website at islartleague.org/festivals/

Holiday shopping on Island The event raises money for the Episcopal Church of the Annunciation's charitable endeavors

BY TOM VAUGHT SUN STAFF REPORTER | tvaught@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – As they have for many years, the parishioners at the Episcopal Church of the Annunciation, 4408 Gulf Drive, have been cooking, cleaning and stockpiling items for the annual Holly Berry Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, Dec. 9, from, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This is one of the best-attended events of its kind, and through the years they have adapted to the market.

There are Christmas themed items like wreaths, ornaments clothing and gift items, but parishioners found in recent years that they could make money in the kitchen with homemade pot pies and dinners. They also had fun with baked goods, like at their cookie walk, where buyers start at one end of a table full of cookies and pile their selections onto a plate.

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file photo

Shoppers choose their favorites on the cookie walk at last year's Holly Berry Bazaar.

They still have their homemade pickles and a plant sale outdoors and funny signs, and this year finds more unique gifts at the coastal crafts area.

It’s an opportunity to shop for items not found in chain stores at a decent price. Come early because the good stuff sells first.

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New e-mail addresses for commissioners E-mails sent to and from City Commission members are public record.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – The recent voter-supported elimination of City Commission voting wards resulted in city commissioners needing new, nonward-specific e-mail addresses.

Serving as the city’s webmaster and in-house computer expert, Police Chief Sam Speciale recently made these changes while assisting new Mayor John Chappie set up the mayor’s e-mail account formerly used by Bill Shearon.

The city commissioners’ e-mail addresses used the ward number they served rather than their names. With the elimination of wards, the commissioners’ names are now part of their city e-mail addresses.

The e-mail address for the new commissioner appointed on or around Dec. 6 will be added once that appointment occurs.

E-mails sent to and sent by commission members become part of the public record.

Here are the updated e-mail addresses for the commissioners:

joe hendricks | SUN

Police Chief Sam Speciale assists Mayor John Chappie with his city e-mail account.

• Mayor John Chappie: mayor@ cityofbradentonbeach.com; • Commissioner Jake Spooner: jspooner@cityofbradentonbeach.com; • Commissioner Marilyn Maro: mmaro@cityofbradentonbeach.com; • Commissioner Randy White: rwhite@cityofbradentonbeach.com.

DECEMBER 6, 2017

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DECEMBER 6, 2017

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Mayor presents pier funding plan The mayor’s funding plan relies on city, county, state and federal funding sources.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy has a plan to fund the construction of a new $4.5 million pier, and last week he shared those plans with Anna Maria Commissioners.

Murphy estimates the city will need $3.2 million to build the new pier platform and walkway and another $1.3 million to replace the restaurant and bait shop at the pier end.

The commission unanimously authorized Murphy to enter into an interlocal agreement with Manatee County joe hendricks | SUN that calls for the county, through its 5 The Anna Maria City Pier will remain closed until a new pier is built. percent resort tax, to provide up to $1.5 million in matching funds for the Anna be leased to current pier tenant Mario the pier platform and walkway.

Maria pier project.

Schoenfelder or a new pier tenant.

If approved, the resort tax funds could The proposed use of resort tax funds Schoenfelder’s current lease with the be used to fund the permitting, design, was subject to a Tourist Development city expires on Dec. 15, 2020. engineering and construction of a new Council recommendation, which was pier platform and walkway.

Murphy told received Monday, and approval by Manatee County Commissioners. The the commission resort tax funds canConcession revenue not be used for commercial purposes interlocal agreement notes the city is During the Nov. 30 meeting, city and thus cannot be applied building the responsible for any cost overages that commissioners also unanimously apnew restaurant space and bait shop to exceed the $3.2 million budgeted for proved a city resolution that authorizes

Murphy to pursue County Commission controlled surplus beach concession revenues.

The surplus concession revenues are generated by the concessionaires who lease the concession areas at the Manatee Public Beach in Holmes Beach and Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach.

The city resolution presented last week did not specify the amount sought, but Murphy told the commission he is seeking $333,000. For this request to move forward, the city of Anna Maria needs a joint letter of support signed by Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie and Holmes Beach Mayor Bob Johnson, whose support is subject to approval by their respective city commissions.

The single-sheet revenue and expense breakdown Murphy provided the commission lists $1.25 million in proposed FEMA funds sought due to damage inflicted to the pier by Hurricane Irma; a $750,000 hurricane recovery appropriation from the state legislature, with legislative assistance pledged

by State Representative Jim Boyd; and $200,000 in city funds already set aside the 2017-18 fiscal year budget. see peir, page 35

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BUSINESS

DECEMBER 6, 2017

Bridge Street Jewelers glitters

BY LOUISE BOLGER SUN STAFF WRITER

Using the word iconic to describe a business can sometimes be chancy. However, in the case of a 10-year-old business with a distinctive flair located on a symbolic street I have no problem.

Bridge Street Jewelers will be entering its tenth year in business on Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach. Brad Smith and Kassy Quinn opened the shop after discovering Anna Maria Island while visiting friends, and like so many other business owners on the Island, fell completely in love. Owning an existing jewelry store in Pennsylvania for 30 years and recently opening another one in the Pleasure Island area of North Carolina, another barrier island, the couple keep very busy.

During the past 10 years they have elevated their Anna Maria store’s inventory and vibe creating an upscale fullservice jewelry store with unique and custom pieces.

They still carry their AMI destination pieces that made them famous, including bracelets in both gold and silver, earrings,

pendants, rings and more.

However, they also have several lines of designer jewelry like Denny Wong, from Hawaii, featuring marine life and tropical flowers; Steven Douglas, specializing in nautical designs and mermaids; Reyes Del Mar, also with nautical designs including captain pieces; and the newest line, Alamea, from Hawaii, which uses Larimar stones only found in the Dominic Republic and koa wood from Hawaii.

All their jewelry is artfully displayed in new display cases giving an even smarter feel to the shop.

In addition, Bridge Street Jewelers has antique jewelry available as well as wedding and engagement rings and stainless-steel metal fish from Armando R. Hevia. They also have genuine Atocha shipwreck coin jewelry, and for distinctive one of a kind pieces have their designer John Krake, who has been with them from the beginning, create something special. Their inventory starts as low as $59 and repairs are available.

To celebrate their 10th year in business, they are offering 10 percent off everything start-

BRIDGE STREET JEWELERS 129 Bridge Street Bradenton Beach 941-896-7800 www.amibracelet.com

10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Monday – Saturday Closed Sundays Special hours: Sunday Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve) Open at 10 a.m.

All major credit cards accepted & financing available LOUISE BOLGER | SUN

From left, John Krake, Brad Smith, Kassy Quinn, Julia Lombardo and Brick, the dog, welcome you to Bridge Street Jewelers. ing now, making Christmas shopping a little sweeter. And if you wake up on Dec. 24, and there is nothing under the tree for your special someone, have no fear, Bridge Street Jewelers

will be opened all day starting from 10 a.m. until the last Christmas bell is rung.

Bridge Street Jewelers’ growth reflects the growth on Anna Maria Island and

the demand for more upscale and glamourous jewelry. Brad Smith says they’re going strong and are ready for the next 10 years. Visit Bridge Street Jewelers during the holiday season and all year round and see what an icon looks like.

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Eric Von’s Christmas album debuts

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

Cortez musician Eric Von has a new Christmas CD, "Florida Christmas," featuring his original title song and favorite Christmas standards including "O, Holy Night," "Jingle Bells" and "Up on the Roof Top," with a new verse.

Eric is one of three sons of Rocky von Hahmann, former owner of Surfing World in Cortez, and former Manatee County Commissioner Jane von Hahmann.

The Cortez native counts surfing, diving and fishing among his hobbies, but makes his living writing and performing original, island-style country music.

He has opened for Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Jake Owen, Aaron Tippin, Casey James and John Anderson, and plays regularly at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville locations at Universal City Walk in Orlando and Nashville’s Broadway.

Von was named Florida’s Colgate

submitted

Country Showdown Winner in 2007 and the winner of Kenny Chesney’s Next Big Star contest for the Tampa area the following year.

His single, “I Can’t Help But Smile,” reached 64 on the Nashville Music Row Breakout Charts. Sample Von’s music and music videos at www.ericvonmusic.com.

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DECEMBER 6, 2017

Chiles Group seeks help for kids

Steve Arvey | Facebook

“Stone Crab” Steve Arvey and Rebecca “The Songbird” will be among the musicians performing holiday music during this Christmas on Bridge Street celebration.

Christmas on Bridge Street hitting the right notes First-time event organizer “Stone Crab” Steve Arvey says his plans for the Bridge Street Merchants’ annual Christmas on Bridge Street celebration on Saturday, Dec. 16, are coming together in terms of the musical talent that will be on hand.

Arvey, a talented professional musician and a music promoter, will perform holiday music during Christmas on Bridge Street, as will Rebecca “The Songbird” and “Banjoey.” As of Monday morning, Arvey was still working on adding more musical talent to the roster.

Taking place on Bridge Street in the vacant lot between Fish Hole Adventure Golf and the Island Time Inn, Christmas on Bridge Street will include Santa Claus, the AMI Privateers’ Christmas sleigh, food vendors, spirits, wine and beer sales and more. The event will begin around noon and last until approximately 8 p.m. There is no admission fee for this family-oriented event.

Santa has included the Sandbar restaurant at 100 Spring Ave., Anna Maria on Tuesday, Dec. 12, for the 23rd annual Lawton Chiles Christmas for Kids party, starting around 11 a.m. in the gazebo and on the beach.

The kids who attend will be from agencies that help families care for their kids.

Sandbar owner Ed Chiles and his crew are going all out for this event, started by his father, the late former Florida Governor Lawton Chiles.

Santa will arrive after lunch and each child will receive an outfit, a pair of shoes and an age-appropriate toy as well as a Publix voucher for a turkey dinner with all the trimmings.

When the kids arrive, popular characters like Elmo, Woody, Sponge Bob and Dora will be there to greet them.

They can play in the Mario Brothers bounce house or the face painting and crafts tables.

FROM PAGE 9

details on the top-secret mission he believes to be Santa’s first public landing on the Island, but he did say it would not involve a parachute or a helicopter.

“It’s Santa and his sleigh landing on Pine Avenue. I can promise you this is going to be an event that your grandchildren will talk about,” he told the commission

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The Chiles group is calling for help in the form of volunteers and money.

To make a contribution, make out a check payable to the Sandbar restaurant and mail to P.O. Box 1478, Anna Maria, FL. 34216, with a notation that

is for the Kids Christmas Party. If you would like to volunteer, contact Tina Chiles at 941-778-8710 or tchiles@ chilesgroup.com.

SANTA: To land on Pine Avenue

WHEN YOU THINK FANS, THINK DAN'S!

DESIGN

file photo

Kids surround Santa as he makes his way to the Sandbar during last year's event.,

755-3262

and the enthralled audience members.

Santa’s landing is part of the city’s holiday celebration taking place that day at City Pier Park from 4 to 6 p.m. The family-family event will include Christmas caroling and free eggnog, cookies and juice boxes.

“And Santa is bringing a gift for each child. It’s going to really be a special event.

Be there or be square,” the jovial Murphy proclaimed.

The city-sponsored activities will precede the Anna Maria Historical Society’s Holiday of Treasures Open House taking place at the museum on Pine Avenue and inside the local businesses along Pine Avenue, Gulf Drive and South Bay Boulevard from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

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DECEMBER 6, 2017

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Cyclist arrested after chase, crash A Manatee County Sheriff’s Office K9 unit and helicopter assisted in the search for the driver.

BY TOM VAUGHT SUN STAFF WRITER | tvaught@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – A 25-year-old motorcycle rider was arrested after leading Manatee County Deputies on a chase until he crashed at approximately

9:20 p.m. on Saturday.

The cyclist, Jacob Harrison, of Bradenton, was charged with fleeing to elude a law enforcement officer at high speed, reckless driving and resisting/obstructing an officer without violence.

It began when a deputy attempted to stop the motorcyclist for speeding, but he fled. He reportedly reached speeds of more than 100 mph before crashing at East Bay Drive and Manatee Avenue.

The deputy found the motorcycle after the crash but a witness said he fled on foot. Deputies brought in the K9 unit, but the dog could not find him.

Another deputy was able to identify the motorcycle owner’s address by computer. Deputies responded to the address, found Harrison and arrested him. He was taken first to Manatee Memorial Hospital for injuries he received in the crash.

CNOBB: Officially disbanded FROM PAGE 8

members as defendants. Harrington was also referencing the Florida Elections Commission complaints Clarke filed in October alleging organizational filing and financial reporting violations

by CNOBB and several of its members.

During the initial dissolution discussion on Nov. 14, the attending members collectively agreed the CNOBB name had been tainted by the lawsuit, the elections complaints and all the negative publicity. They reached preliminary agreement that the group should be dissolved by final vote after giving the membership at least 10 days’ notice.

During the Nov. 28 meeting,

Vincent reflected on CNOBB’s accomplishments.

“This is a sad day obviously, but from the start up – just a few people talking about the needs of the city – I think Concerned Neighbors of Bradenton Beach has been a remarkable success.

Not just three initiatives, but that far greater one: I think we provided a remarkable civics lesson to a lot residents and people of this city. They thank us, appreciate us, agree with us – and not just from the city of Bradenton Beach, but also from Holmes Beach, Anna Maria and other places. This has been a remarkable five months or thereabouts,” he said.

Vincent ended his comments by referencing the rising of Phoenix

and stating the continued need for citizen representation in matters pertaining to the city government.

During the previous meeting, Vincent said he planned to form a new citizens group after the Christmas holidays. He said that group would not initiate petition drives or pursue ballot initiatives that again require registration as a PAC. During that same meeting, Metz suggested a new and separate PAC could be formed before the 2018 city elections, when two commission seats will be up for grabs.

After the unanimous final vote occurred last week, Vincent said, “CNOBB is dissolved. Now this is just a gathering of citizens.”

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DECEMBER 6, 2017

Holmes Beach businesses shine The Holmes Beach Holiday Open House attracted hundreds of people who enjoyed the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce Christmas tree lighting and moved on to the shops that were open in the vicinity of Gulf and Marina Drives.

Many served snacks and liquid refreshments and the ice cream shop was handing out cold treats. Hurricane Liquors was packed, Irene’s was busy and Mister Robert was packed.

This was the first of several holiday city celebrations.

On Friday, Dec. 8 Anna Maria holds its Holiday of Treasures and Bradenton Beach holds its Christmas on Bridge Street on Saturday, Dec. 16.

TOM VAUGHT | SUN

Clockwise from above: Renee Moore serves punch to the shoppers at Mister Roberts. Dressed in a Charles Dickens outfit, Island favorite Larry Wilhelm performs for the shoppers. Chandron Chatt enjoys a cone at the Small Town Creamery. His face was clean, so far. Left: a raffle for a prize basket and samples kept Hurricane Liquors busy, as seen from outside.

TOM VAUGHT | SUN

For The Center Island restaurateur and Sun contributor Sean Murphy held a gathering on the beach Friday at Beach Bistro for Chuck and Joey Lester, sponsors of Saturday’s fundraiser celebration at The Center. Center board president David Zaccagnino spoke, asking for support for the not-for-profit facility. From left to right: Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore, Chuck Lester, former Center Director Pierrette Kelly and Joey Lester.

TOM VAUGHT | SUN

‘Tis the season Anna Maria Public Works employees Cameron Parker and Taylor Mannhart use a rented crane to powerhang wreaths from poles along Gulf Drive Friday.

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DECEMBER 6, 2017

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Lesters honored at The Center The Lester Family Fun Day is an annual holiday event for The Center

BY TOM VAUGHT SUN STAFF WRITER | tvaught@amisun.com

The Lester Family Fun Day at The Center had it all – music, dancing, Santa and a special treat for the sponsors.

Joey and Chuck Lester, just in from TOM VAUGHT | SUN Wisconsin, were honored for their Above, the Manatee High School Drumline provided the entertainment at Lester Family Fun contribution to The Center. Every year, Day. At right, a ballerina from the Diane Partington School of Classical Ballet danced to "The they hold a kid’s fun day with a bounce Nutcracker" at the event. house and pony rides outside. Inside there was music and dancing while Classical Ballet. Then came the Manaand greeting the kids. He set up on the stage, and kids lined up to tell him everyone had burgers, chips and drinks tee High School Drumline that reverthey’ve been nice all year. for lunch. A highlight was a perforberated throughout the gymnasium.

While the procession continued, Cenmance of “The Nutcracker” by students Next came bells jingling and then ter Board Chairman David Zaccagnino from the Diane Partington School of Santa entered, dancing to the sounds

Toys for Tots Employees of A Paradise Realty along with members of the United States Marine Corps League and Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer held a wine and tappas tasting Friday evening for Toys for Tots. Hurricane Hanks supplied the tapas, and there was a drawing for a gift basket.

On Saturday, they sat in the parking lot as donors dropped off unwrapped toys.

Each donor got a hamburger

with chips, cole slaw, a drink and cookies. A Paradise will collect toys at 5201 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. Other drop-off points are at The Sun newspaper, 9801 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria; Swordfish Grill and Tiki Bar, 4628 119th St. W., in Cortez; the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce, 5313 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach; Duffy’s Tavern, 5805 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach; Holmes Beach Post Office, 5354

Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach; and Hurricane Hank’s, 5346 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach.

A Paradise Realty and Kathy Woodruff are also participating in the Second Annual Santa Paws to collect dog and cat food, treats, toys, blankets, cash or checks for Manatee County’s no-kill shelters. The deadline is Dec. 18. Call her at 941-524-4190 for more information.

asked the Lesters to the front of the stage where they were presented with a large plaque that said, “The Center ‘Hearts’ you to Green Bay and Back.”

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DECEMBER 6, 2017

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

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OUTDOORS

DECEMBER 6, 2017

Gift ideas for anglers Reel Time RUSTY CHINNIS

T

he holiday season is upon us and a time when we’re faced with trying to find presents for friends and family. When it’s time to choose the perfect gift for the angler, it’s not uncommon to be a bit overwhelmed with the choices at hand. That can be even more daunting when you’re not sure what any particular individual needs or wants.

The problem isn’t finding something to give, but choosing from the oftendizzying possibilities available. A good idea might be to sort of step out of the proverbial box and consider items from someone who can make suggestions based on experience.

One idea would be a custom en-

graved key chain from Tibor, one of the premier fly reel manufacturers. These keychains are unique and come with impressions of some of the saltwater fly angler’s favorite species. Choose from gamefish including tarpon, snook, permit and bonefish. The flip side of these handsome key keepers can be engraved with the angler’s name and/or favorite fly shop. At under $40 they’ll make an impression on the most ardent angler and can be a standalone gift or a stocking stuffer.

Or consider protective cases for cell phones, insulated drink holders, dry bags, packs and water proof wallets.

Books are also a great gift idea and cover a large selection of topics both fact and fiction.

Another idea you might consider for the fly angler are custom fly boxes that are always useful and extremely practical. Gift them as they are or even add a few flies to make the present more personal. Other choices could include

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A custom keychain by Tibor is a unique one of a kind gift idea. items as diverse as nippers, belts, water bottles and custom belt buckles. Some of the newest designs from Simms, one of the industry’s most innovative companies are extremely well thought

out, well-constructed and will provide anglers years of trouble free use.

Items that are a bit more personal can include clothing and accessories. These days anglers are particularly aware of the potential harm that the sun can cause, especially in our sub-tropical environment. Clothing including pants, shirts, gloves and face masks are specially designed to provide protection from the sun’s harmful rays. Not only do they provide a physical barrier, but they include a sun protection factor (coating) or SPF of 30-50. In addition they are constructed of the latest generation materials, are cool and dry fast.

A few cutting-edge clothing manufacturers to look for in local shops include Patagonia, Simms, TASC and ExOfficio.

While I have clothes by all of these manufacturers, I have become particularly fond of the clothing manufactured by TASC. They are incredibly comfortable see reel time, page 29

DECEMBER 6, 2017

reel tme: Gift ideas for anglers FROM PAGE 1

and made from a combination of 52 percent organic cotton, 43 percent bamboo, and 5 percent lycra. These clothes are moisture wicking, have anti-odor qualities, superior breathability (read cool) and have a UPF of 50.

A gift for that very special someone might even be as upscale as a kayak, paddleboard or even photographic equipment for recording their catch. The choices are vast and are only limited by your imagination.

Whatever you decide, I would strongly suggest that you make your purchases locally. Not only will you be supporting local merchants, but you also have the benefit of their advice and a place where items might be returned for proper sizing. With the right attitude shopping this holiday season can be fun and put a smile on the face of the one buying and receiving the gift.

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Thursday front to bring change Captain Dave White

Prepare for wintertime fishing.

We’ve got a serious front in the forecast arriving on Thursday.

We should see temperatures in the 50s. This will definitely bring about a serious change in the species that we at Anna Maria Charters will be targeting.

Sheepshead will be a primary target this winter. I’m using shrimp and fiddler crabs as my baits of choice for these convicts.

I use a half-ounce egg sinker that slides up and down the main line, followed by a small barrel swivel, 30-pound fluorocarbon leader and a number one J style hook.

A couple tips that are helpful is using a short leader when going from the swivel to the hook. This enables you to feel the finicky nibbles a bit more. Also, I find that using an offset hook gets a better hookup ratio. Maybe these little idiosincracies don’t matter, but I

CAPTAIN DAVE WHITE | submitted

Jodi Beavers, of Des Moines, Iowa, shows off a big sheepshead caught with Captain David White of Anna Maria Charters. think they yield higher catches.

Fishing structure is paramount when targeting these fish. As they feed on the barnacles that inhabit

the pylons and concrete sea walls.

Often, black drum and redfish are welcome bycatches when sheepshead fishing.

30

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www.amisun.com

DECEMBER 6, 2017

www.amisun.com

DECEMBER 6, 2017

THE SUN

31

Restaurant quiet times

BY SEAN MURPHY SPECIAL TO THE SUN

I

t’s dead out there.

On the Island, the first three weeks of December are the slowest three weeks of the restaurant year.

Anyone with any money left over from Thanksgiving has gone skiing or is chasing Christmas.

Businesses have sworn off Christmas parties because they don’t like their staffs driving home from the Island with lamp shades on their heads, and godonly-knows if there is going to be any inappropriate behavior it is going be at the staff Christmas Party.

The irony for Island restaurants is that these slow weeks are a prelude to the busiest days of the year – from just before Christmas through New Year’s Day. It is like drag racing – you have to go from zero to 250.

Restaurant guys must keep their teams alert and strong so they are ready

to jump into action when those waves of Northerners begin to break on the beach.

People ask me, “When does season start…?”

My answer is always the same, “On Dec. 23 at seven o’clock.”

It starts at seven and not five and not noon, and it is on the 23rd and not the 24th or the 22nd.

It is as if everyone from up North arrives on the same flight.

They drive from the airport and get to the rental or the condo at about six, throw their suitcases on the bed and then head out.

And almost all of them have the flu.

They spend the last few days before they leave the Twin Cities or Chicago or New York exhausting themselves by drinking late at office parties and going to school Christmas pageants in auditoriums full of diseased children with runny noses.

They don’t listen to their mothers.

They go running around in the cold and the snow and the sleet without their boots on and with their coats wide open.

Then they and their colds and flus and

their sniveling progeny all get packed into big metal incubating tubes with wings and they fly south.

If they did not have a cold when they got on the plane, they sure as heck do by the time they get off.

We put in place best practices for staff physical health. Everyone gets flu shots and the shelves near the time clocks are stacked with vitamin C and zinc and echinacea and any other witchcraft that has ever been devised for deflecting colds.

Mental alertness is more difficult.

I keep my chef and floor staffs intellectually sharp through the slow weeks by telling them jokes. They are not necessarily good jokes, but I pay them, so they listen.

Patrons will also suffer through my jokes.

It is slow, and they don’t have anywhere else to go, and they hope that if they laugh, I will buy them a drink.

The New York Times reported in 2005 that jokes were dead.

They also told us that Trump would never become president.

The Times might have been thinking

that just my jokes were dead.

This year to aid my repertoire and to demonstrate to my staff that some people have worse jokes than I do, we are going to have a joke contest. When you go to Eat Here or the Beach Bistro Bar or the Doctor’s Office and you tell them a joke, they will give you a free glass of wine or a beer.

The best joke by Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. will be rewarded with a Christmas gift certificate to the Bistro for $250.

Runners up will get $50 gift certificates for the Doctor’s Office and Eat Here.

We will post the better jokes on the Bistro website.

The joke contest will also remind you that Beach Bistro and Doctor’s Office and Eat Here gift certificates are great gift ideas because you can do all your shopping in a bar.

So, my favorite Irish Bar Joke?

“These two Irish guys walk out of a bar …”

Sean Murphy is the head coach at the Beach Bistro.

Some of his articles can be found on the Bistro’s web-site, www.beachbistro.com

Surfside … Anna Maria Island

“Best Restaurant in America” 4.9 out of 5 ZAGAT stars One of only 11 in the entire country

941.778.6444 www.BeachBistro.com

32

THE SUN

ENTERTAINMENT

Clubs

Games

Needles and hooks

Mahjong is fun

The Island Branch Library Knit and Crochet Club meets at 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes on Beach, on Thursday, Dec. 7, from 2 to 4 p.m. Enjoy working on a project with the company of others. For more information, call 941778-6341.

Family Fun Forty Carrots The Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, hosts Forty Carrots, a parenting program based in Sarasota, on Friday, Dec. 8, at 10 a.m. This is a program where kids from mobile babies to 5 years old and their parents experience new activities, join in circle time fun, spend time with other families and get valuable parenting information.

The program is free and tickets are available at the library desk. Space is limited to 12 families. For more information, call the library at 941-7786341.

Paper folding at library Judy Pruitt presents her origami class at the Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 10 a.m. to noon. Learn this ancient Japanese art of paper folding. The class is free. For more information, call the library at 941-778-6341.

Gingerbread dreams at story time Trudy Bell, children’s specialist at the Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, will talk about “Gingerbread Friends” during preschool story time on Tuesday, Dec. 12, from 10 to 11 a.m. There will be music and crafts, and parents can join in. For more information, call the library at 941-778-6341.

The ancient Chinese game of mahjong a popular pursuit for those wanting to compete and the Island Branch Library at 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, opens its doors to the meeting room on Friday, Dec. 8, from 11 a.m. to noon. For more information, call the library at 941-778-6341.

Health Alzheimer’s care givers meet Sue Fox, a representative of the Sarasota Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, will host a program for caregivers of people with memory problems, including Alzheimer’s disease, on Friday, Dec. 8, at 2 p.m. at the Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. The program is free.

Call 778-6341 for more information.

Give blood at the library The One Blood Bus will be at the Island Branch library parking lot, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, on Wednesday, Dec. 6. For more information, call the library at 941-778-6341.

Markets Shop by the shore The Beach Market, located along the multi-purpose trail in Coquina Beach, is open every Sunday in December from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and every Wednesday starting Dec. 20.

Local artists, crafters, jewelers will be there with their offerings. Two vendors sell fresh produce, and an Island resident will be selling hydroponic and organic plants and much more. The AMI String Band will provide live music. Lunch is sold at the nearby beach concession stand.

The market is located next to the trolley turnaround, and there is ample

parking. Manatee County does not allow dogs anywhere in Coquina Park.

The market is stroller, walker and wheelchair accessible. For more information, call 941-518-4431.

Nature Green Explorers lead butterfly event Colorful butterflies are coming to the area and the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department is sponsoring a walk through Robinson Preserve, 1704 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Dec. 7. Green Explorers is a low structure, highly social and experienced based activity.

This program is recommended for age 6 to 12 year olds, but all ages are welcome. Reservations are required by e-mailing coral.bass@mymanatee.org or calling 941-742-5757, ext.4.

DECEMBER 6, 2017

Personal Development Seniors to visit art gallery

Senior Adventures, the group that provides activities for seniors, will visit the Manatee Art Center Gallery, a pottery sale and enjoy lunch downtown on Friday, Dec. 8. The Center van will leave Annie Silver Community Center, 103 23rd St. N., Bradenton Beach, at 10 a.m. There will be a $5 van fee and a donation to the art center.. Call Kaye Bell at 941- 538-0945 for a reservation.

Chill out to a sunset

The Manatee-Sarasota Sierra Club will hold a strategy meeting at the Manatee County Central Library, 1301 Barcarrota Blvd., Bradenton, on Monday, Dec. 11, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Build sound environmental policy in Manatee County. Find out more about the Solar Co-op and the Ready for 100 Campaign. Contact Sandra Ripberger at 941-794-3878, or sandrarip@ yahoo.com for more information.

Lose some stress and become one with nature at a sunset Tai Chi class at Robinson Preserve, 1704 99th St. NW, Bradenton, from 5 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 12.

This free gentle movement modality is a great way to shake off the stressful work week. Improve your balance, loosen your joints, and improve flexibility as you relax and breathe.

This class is suitable for beginners as well as longtime practitioners. It will include an exploration of several different styles of Tai Chi and Qigong. The program will be led by Dr. Brian Nell, a fifth degree blackbelt in kung fu and a certified Tai Chi instructor.

The program is sponsored by Cypress Pillar Healing Arts, and it is suitable for ages 13 and up. Reservations are required by calling 941-742-5757, ext. 6.

Explore the flora at Riverview Pointe

Fitness comes to Neal Preserve

The Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department and IFAS Extension Program/Florida Master Gardeners program is sponsoring a Master Gardener walk through Riverview Pointe Preserve, 8250 DeSoto Memorial Hwy., Bradenton, on Saturday, Dec, 9, at 11 a.m.

Learn more about Florida’s native plants and inhabitants of a coastal habitat. The hike begins in the parking area of Desoto National Memorial Park and enters into Riverview Pointe Preserve.

This program is suitable for all ages.

Call the Master Gardener Office for reservations at 941-722-4524.

One day a month, The Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department takes fitness to the preserve and experience nature combined with functional exercises in a 60 minute class. This month the program comes to Neal Preserve, 12301 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton, on Wednesday, Dec. 13, from 1 to 2 p.m. This program helps gym members experience our wonderful Florida weather and add some dynamics to their workout. No registration is required. Participants must be at least 12 years old. For more information, contact Preston Higdon at 941-7425923, ext. 6086.

Sierra Club to meet

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DECEMBER 6, 2017

THE SUN

33

Pier: May get $1.5 M in tourist tax funds FROM PAGE 1

The county’s share would come from tourist tax proceeds, paid by owners of accommodations rented for six months or less who charge the tax to their renters, in most cases, tourists. By state law, piers are an approved use for the funds.

An iconic symbol of Anna Maria Island and a community gathering place, the pier was substantially damaged

by Hurricane Irma in September and closed.

Local businesses near the pier have been suffering ever since, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said.

“Thank you for the recommendation.

It means an awful lot to us,” he told the TDC. “It’s the focal point of our city, but it’s also a focal point of the county.”

“This partnership not only benefits tourists, but also benefits our local residents, and that’s the perfect partnership,” Falcione said, adding that renovations would allow water taxis to dock at the pier, which was not possible due to the pier’s “rickety” state.

The $3 million will pay for the gangway, T-end and the replacement of 50-year-old plumbing under the pier, Murphy said, adding that the renovation of the restaurant and bait shop at the end of the pier would bring the total needed to $4.5 million.

The city also has requested FEMA funds, which could reduce the tourist tax contribution, according to the contract.

“There was significant damage to all of it because of Hurricane Irma,” Murphy said. “It cannot just be patched back together.”

BACVB | SUBMITTED

A rendering of the new Anna Maria City Pier shows solar panels on the roof.

The material to be selected for the pier – wood or a manufactured composite – will be discussed at a city meeting this week, he said.

Doug Copeland, an Anna Maria commissioner and the TDC member who made the motion to approve the expenditure, thanked the TDC for supporting the city on the pier project.

TDC member Ed Chiles pointed out that despite criticism that not enough tourist tax funds are allocated to the Island that attracts tourists, the TDC “unanimously approved support for a project that has needed renovation for a long time.”

Tourism report

September brought a flurry of visitors to Manatee County, but they were mostly Hurricane Irma refugees or

rescue workers, said Walter Klages, of Research Data Services, the county’s tourism consultant.

Statistics for September, typically the slowest month of the year, showed that visitation was up 8 percent, room nights were up 8.3 percent, the average daily rate was up 8 percent to $154.80 and economic impact was up 14.7 percent, he said.

Much of the increase did not apply to Anna Maria Island, which was evacuated prior to the storm, he said, adding that some of the increase is due to post-storm visitors who attended the World Rowing Championships at Benderson Park.

The average length of stay increased from 4.9 to 5 days from the previous year, with more families and single visitors and fewer couples. September

occupancy was up 2.9 percent to 61.2 percent.

Visitors who arrived at Tampa International Airport increased while those from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport decreased, also due to Irma, Klages said.

The median income of visitors was $107,000. The CVB is “targeting north of $125,000,” Falcione said. “We’re getting better visitors coming in to the destination.”

For the county’s fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, visitation was up 4 percent, with almost 713,000 visitors, translating to an increased economic impact of 6.4 percent, or nearly $1 billion for the year.

Inventory – short-term rentals in hotels, motels and condominiums – grew by 5.5 percent, Klages said, not counting Air BnB and similar sites that do not necessarily report rentals to the tax collector.

Occupancy was down one-tenth of 1 percent to 70 percent while the average daily rate was up 3.4 percent to $172.80.

Florida set another tourism record by welcoming the most visitors of any nine months in the state’s history with 88.2 million visitors during the first three quarters of the year, according to Visit Florida.

The record represents a 3.3 percent increase over the 85.4 million visitors from the same period in 2016, and includes 77.6 million domestic visitors, 7.9 million overseas visitors and 2.7 million Canadian visitors.

Holiday events • Dec. 8, 4-6 p.m. – Holiday carols, refreshments and Santa in the City Pier Park, Anna Maria; • Dec. 8, 5:30-8 p.m. - Anna Maria Holiday of Treasures, Gulf Drive, Pine Avenue and Bayview Plaza, Anna Maria; • Dec. 9, 9 a.m. - Holly Berry Bazaar and Food Market, Episcopal

Church of the Annunciation, 4408 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach; • Dec. 9-10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Winterfest Festival of Fine Arts and Crafts, Holmes Beach City Hall field; • Dec. 9, 10 a.m. to noon - Privateers Christmas parade with Santa from Bayfront Park in Anna Maria to Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach;

• Dec. 10, 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. – Candles and Carols Cantata, Roser Memorial Community Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria; • Dec. 10, 2 p.m. - Anna Maria Island Holiday Concert at CrossPointe Fellowship, 8605 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach; • Dec. 12, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Lawton

Chiles Christmas for Kids, Sandbar restaurant, 100 Spring Ave., Anna Maria; • Dec. 16, 4:30-8:30 p.m., Christmas on Bridge Street, Bridge Street, Bradenton Beach; • Dec. 16, 5 p.m. - Christmas auction and potluck at Episcopal Church of the Annunciation, 4408 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach.

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THE SUN

REAL ESTATE

DECEMBER 6, 2017

Tis the season to keep the market growing

I

t doesn’t appear that anything can keep the Florida real estate market down.

Not the summer heat, not the red tide and certainly not Hurricane Irma. There’s a lot of reasons for this, starting with lifestyle and ending with taxes, but first let’s look at the September and October sales statistics for Manatee County.

September single family: closed sales were down 21.1 percent; median sale price was $295,000, up 9.3 percent; average sale price was $354,656, up 6.7 percent; median time to sell was 90 days, 6 days less than last year; new pending properties was down 27.2 percent; new listings were down 25 percent and month’s supply of properties was stable at four months September condos: closed sales were down 9.7 percent; median sale price was up $181,500, up 2 percent; average sale price was $249,693, up 14.9 percent; median time to sell was 103 days, way up from 88 days last year; new pending properties was down 23.5 percent; new

Castles in the Sand Louise Bolger listings were down 25.5 percent and month’s supply of properties was stable at 3.9 months.

October single family: closed sales were up 1.9 percent; median sale price was $285,995, up 1.5 percent; average sale price was $377,346, up 16.7 percent; medium time to sell was 92 days four days less than last year; new pending properties were up 17.7 percent; new listings were up 4.4 percent and month’s supply of properties was stable at 4.2 months.

October condos: closed sales were down 9 percent; medium sale price was $195,000, up 11.4 percent; average sale price was $222,039, up 9.8 percent; me-

dium time to sell was 94 days three days more than last year; new pending properties were up 5.3 percent; new listings were up 1.8 percent and month’s supply of properties was stable at 4.1 months.

In September the closed sales and new pending and new listing properties were down for both single family and condos.

Certainly, this was to be expected in the aftermath of Irma. October’s closed, pending and new listings were all up for single family and condos except for closed, which were down.

Sale prices for both the median and average categories continue to go up for both single family and condos during September and October. The statewide median sale price for single family homes for October was $235,558 compared to Manatee County’s $285,995. Median price represents half the sales above and half the sales below, and the Manatee statistics are from the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee.

And we can expect our rosy real estate

picture to continue. According to recent IRS data on tax migration into and out of states, Florida’s tax migration is all incoming. The IRS reports that for 2015 there was $11.5 billion dollars imported into the state of Florida, not counting the previous three years, which were all positive.

The biggest states losing tax dollars are New Jersey, $2.6 billion in 2015; Connecticut, $1.3 billion in 2015; and Illinois, $3.4 billion in 2015. And this doesn’t count the previous three years where these states all experienced substantial loss of tax revenue. In addition, New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, New York and Illinois have the highest property taxes in the country.

So, there you have it. As we barrel into the Christmas holidays enjoy that extra glass of eggnog secure in the knowledge that you have chosen one of the best states to live in. It’s going to take a lot more than some woman with a lot of wind to keep us down.

www.amisun.com

DECEMBER 6, 2017

PIER: Funding plan presented JUMP FROM PAGE 15

This leaves a $467,000 shortfall that Murphy proposes be covered by $200,000 in corporate sponsorship; $100,000 from a Go Fund Me online fund-raising effort headed by Sissy Quinn and an additional $177,000 in city funds to be included in the 2018-19 fiscal year budget.

Murphy said professional fundraiser and volunteer Planning and Zoning Board member Bob Carter assured him that $200,000 was an obtainable goal regarding corporate sponsorship. Murphy said the sponsorship would likely consist of plaques of recognition rather than corporate sponsors having their company names engraved in a pier plank.

Quinn, the president of Anna Maria Island Preservation Trust Inc., has already activated the Go Fund Me page that lists a more ambitious $500,000 fundraising goal: www.gofundme.com/ sissy-quinn-president-amipt.

In October, the Ayres Associates design and engineering firm presented the commission with a construction timeline that estimated it would take a total of 68 to 82 weeks from the start of the permitting process now underway to the completion of construction. Ayers representatives were scheduled to meet with City Commissioners again on Wednesday, Dec. 6.

THE SUN

35

Student bus-riders get reprieve Manatee County School Superintendent Diana Greene told the parents of the eight students they will have to apply for the School Choice plan if they want their children to ride the bus next year.

BY TOM VAUGHT SUN STAFF WRITER | tvaught@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – After making an appeal at a school board meeting last month, Katie O’Connor has scored a victory for her son and seven other Anna Maria Elementary (AME) School students who were told earlier they could no longer ride the bus.

Citing a shortage of school bus

drivers, Manatee County School Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene sent letters to the parents to the eight students that they could no longer ride to and from school.

Greene had said the two buses that serve AME would be combine into one, and the remaining bus would be too full with the eight kids. The eight students live off Anna Maria Island, as do a majority off kids enrolled there. Their parents sought and gained hardship status for their kids. The only other way the kids could attend AME is if they apply for School Choice, a plan that includes bus transportation, when available.

In a subsequent letter to the eight parents dated Nov. 17, Greene said the decision to allow the eight students to ride might mean some students would have

to sit three to a seat. It also said the district’s routing system confirmed the move would add 30 to 45 minutes to the route and it might be longer during season, due to traffic.

Greene said the parents would have to apply for the School Choice plan between March 6 and 15 next year. If they do not qualify, their students would not be able to ride on the bus.

During her appeal to the school board, O’Connor said the letter saying her son could no longer ride the bus was a shock because it was unexpected.

The victory was bittersweet for O’Connor because they already found another way to transport her son to school and back.

Call us for all your sales or rental needs!

REAL ESTATE INC.

519 Pine Ave. • Anna Maria, FL 34216

941-778-7200 Toll Free (866) 519-SATO (7286) www.SatoRealEstate.com

"Island faces selling Island places"

36

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DECEMBER 6, 2017

Jones named Schnering’s successor Sgt. Russel Schnering is leaving Anna Maria to head the Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Mike Jones is taking over for Sgt. Russell Schnering as the city’s highest-ranking law enforcement official.

With Schnering leaving to head the Sheriff’s Marine Unit in Coquina Beach, Jones will soon oversee the deputies that serve as the city's contracted police force.

Jones has been with the Sheriff’s Office since 1998, and he’s coming off an assignment as a Det. Sgt. for the violent crimes task force.

Schnering said he expected Friday, Dec. 8, to be his last day with the city.

Schnering was assigned to lead the Anna Maria Substation in February 2016 when Sgt. Paul Davis was reassigned to Internal Affairs.

Schnering introduced Jones to the City Commission on Thursday, Nov. 30.

“He was my number one pick to come out here, and I’m very happy that

joe hendricks | SUN

Sgt. Russell Schnering, left, introduces in Anna Maria successor, Sgt. Mike Jones. he’s going to be taking over. I have all the faith in the world in Mike, and I think you’ll all see soon that it’s going to be a smooth transition,” Schnering told the commission.

“I want to thank you guys for everything, especially you mayor. You taught me a lot of stuff about politics – how to

get what you want or how to not say no. It’s been a great experience. I’m very comfortable with how I’m leaving the city. You’re all in good hands, and we’ve got a couple more deputies coming in March,” Schnering said.

Jones told the commission he was glad to be in Anna Maria.

After welcoming Jones aboard, Mayor Dan Murphy thanked Schnering.

“Sarge, thank you for everything thing you’ve done for our city. You were a real breath of fresh air when you came here, and we look forward to continuing on the great tradition that you have done in representing the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.”

Schnering thanked the mayor and said, “I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Commission chair Doug Copeland said, “We all appreciate what you’ve done. You’ve been an absolute pleasure to work with, and you always had an open-door policy.”

To Jones, Copeland said, “We look forward to working with you as well.”

After the meeting, Jones was asked about going from the violent crimes task force to a city where violent crime rarely occurs.

“I think it’s a positive change. I look forward to coming here,” he said.

“I wouldn’t be leaving if I wasn’t asked to go take the place of another sergeant that’s retiring from the Marine Unit. That’s the only reason I’m leaving,” Schnering added.

www.amisun.com

DECEMBER 6, 2017

THE SUN

37

joe hendricks | SUN

Bank of America has left the Island The Bank of America financial center in Holmes Beach closed permanently on Tuesday, Dec. 5. The closest Bank of America branch office to Anna Maria Island is now located five miles east at 7412 Manatee Ave. W. in Bradenton, at the corner of Manatee Avenue and 75th Street South.

LO C A L LY K N OW N . G LO B A L LY C O N N E C T E D.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND 306 Gulf Boulevard Laurie M Mock 941-232-3665 A4177531 $2,497,000

ANNA MARIA ISLAND 529 Key Royale Drive George Myers 941-224-6021 A4184576 $1,975,000

ANNA MARIA ISLAND 8710 Gulf Drive Erica Thomas 941-799-9365 A4160253 $995,000

ANNA MARIA ISLAND 727 Holly Road Barbara Dumbaugh 941-350-3743 A4193232 $950,000

ANNA MARIA ISLAND 2500 Gulf Drive N Laurie M Mock 941-232-3665 A4201859 $3,250,000

ANNA MARIA ISLAND 413 Bay Palms Drive Ralph & Megg Faillace 941-713-9142 A4184679 $725,000

ANNA MARIA ISLAND 101 66th Street 9 Ken Kavanaugh & Margo Love Story 941-799-1943 A4178549 $720,000

ANNA MARIA 234 Gladiolus Street Deborah Capobianco 941-704-2394 A4199942 $675,000

ANNA MARIA ISLAND 532 70th Street George Myers 941-224-6021 A4184561 $1,770,000

ANNA MARIA ISLAND 318 Bay Drive S 7 Ralph & Megg Faillace 941-713-9142 A4178742 $1,170,000

ANNA MARIA ISLAND 529 69th Street Mark Boehmig 941-807-6936 A4198504 $799,000

BR ADENTON 330 Compass Point Drive 202 Susan Nemitz 941-237-0045 A4200223 $750,000

NEW CONSTRUCTION

MSC MORTGAGE | MSC TITLE | MS&C COMMERCIAL NEW HOMES & CONDOMINIUMS | RENTAL

CORTEZ 4121 Osprey Harbour Loop Kathryn Sandberg 941-600-2672 A4199658 $549,000

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BR ADENTON 7920 34th Avenue W 301 Barb Eberhart 614-204-7687 A4199862 $590,000

RENTAL ANNA MARIA ISLAND 309 65th Street A 3 Bed 2 Bath 3132 SqFt $2,600

michaelsaunders.com L I C E N S E D R E A L E S TAT E B R O K E R

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THE SUN

Fifth-grade play set The Anna Maria Elementary School PTO family dinner and fifth-grade play is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 19. The dinner, hosted by The Feast, runs from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Turkey with potatoes and gravy or pasta marinara will be served along with dinner rolls and a drink.

Dessert will be available for a dona-

An upgrade Mary Seine is still peddling around Anna Maria, but on three wheels instead of two. Gene Aubrey bought the 90-year-old an adult tricycle because three wheels are better than two. She promises to still come by The Sun from time to time for hugs.

TOM VAUGHT | SUN

tion. The cost is $8 for adults and $5 for kids. Customers who reserve tickets by noon on Dec. 19 will get a drawing entry for gift certificates to The Feast.

The play, “North Pole Musical,� begins at 6:30 p.m., and admission is free.

DECEMBER 6, 2017

DECEMBER 6, 2017

www.amisun.com

THE SUN

39

rates: Insurance rates jeopardized FROM PAGE 1

program that provides flood insurance discounts of 5 to 45 percent to communities that exceed minimum requirements for reducing flood damage and encouraging floodplain management.

Burnett anticipates a determination from CRS reviewer Chris Carpenter within two weeks.

Carpenter has already recommended to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FEMA that Anna Maria lose its CRS discount.

If the discount is eliminated or reduced, rates would increase for policyholders when their policies are renewed.

Written notice

On Oct. 30, Carpenter sent Strickland an e-mail addressing his failure to produce documents requested during the CRS compliance review that began in December 2016.

“This is to advise that I am recommending to DHS/FEMA that the CRS classification for the city of Anna Maria retrograde from Class 5 to Class 10 effective May 1, 2018,” Carpenter wrote.

A Class 5 community receives 25 percent flood insurance discounts.

A Class 10 community receives no discount.

“To date, I have only received material relative to two CRS activities. This score alone will not be sufficient to document at least 500 points needed to remain in the program,” Carpenter wrote.

Carpenter’s e-mail caught Mayor Dan Murphy by complete surprise and prompted an e-mail to Strickland that said, “Please advise in our meeting tomorrow as to how this happened.”

Murphy then suspended Strickland and asked him to appear at the Thursday, Nov. 30, City Commission meeting. That appearance resulted in a 4-0 vote to

joe hendricks | SUN

Anna Maria Building Official Jimmy Strickland was terminated last week after appearing before the City Commission. terminate the services Strickland provided the city as a contracted employee of the M.T. Causley engineering firm.

Strickland became the building official in 2015.

He was suspended in August after he issued a building permit without requiring the FEMAmandated significant improvement appraisal that determines if the proposed work qualifies as renovation or new construction. The commission gave Strickland a vote of confidence that allowed him to return to work, but stipulated he attend FEMA training and Sunshine Law training, which he failed to do.

City response

In response to Carpenter’s e-mail, the city requested additional time, and staff was given 20 days to submit the documents needed to establish CRS compliance.

Murphy praised the efforts of Burnett, Pam Gibbs and Angela Albrecht, and said to the commission, “We’re kind of at the mercy of FEMA at this point.”

Drainage and stormwater improvements made in recent years produced the CRS rating city officials hope to salvage.

“We have followed the guidelines and improved the city, but we did an inadequate job of giving FEMA that information,” Murphy said.

“For this to come up is shocking. Why didn’t you go to the mayor and say we need help?” Commissioner Doug Cope-

land asked Strickland, noting that staff did in 20 days what he failed to do in a year.

Commissioner Brian Seymour agreed that Strickland should have brought this to the mayor’s attention. He later made the motion to terminate Strickland.

“I didn’t realize the sheer volume of the all the information needed,” Strickland told the commission.

Strickland cited a heavy workload and acknowledged he had no experience or expertise regarding FEMA compliance. He suggested the city hire a fulltime FEMA/CRS coordinator.

“You failed in your responsibility to look out for our city, our people and our rating system,” Commissioner Dale Woodland said.

“Causley knew we needed somebody with those requirements. I take exception to someone being put in a position this important and not having the skills,” Commissioner Nancy Yetter said.

Causley regional manager Tom Walsh said, “I just looked at the contract. It does indicate the building official should be the FEMA coordinator.”

Walsh offered to “make things right” by providing a new building official with FEMA expertise. Murphy said he would consider this offer, but he later told the commission he would also consider directly hiring a fully qualified building official.

40

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IRE: Sells rental division FROM PAGE 3

all of Island Real Estate’s vacation rental business operations over to Vacasa,” Lester’s e-mail said.

Lester also provided additional insight on Vacasa’s use of analytics.

“For a long time, the vacation rental industry lacked dynamic pricing, leaving money on the table for homeowners,” Lester said of the rental rate optimization algorithm Vacasa began utilizing in 2009.

“In April, we launched Yield Management 2.0, a machine learning-driven algorithm that optimizes rental rates throughout the day by automatically adapting to a variety of factors. Yield Management 2.0 is constantly evaluating and making real-time changes to rental rates based on millions of data points such as weather forecasts, location-specific events, holidays, occupancy, competitor prices, etc.

Vacasa's technology not only benefits the homeowner by revenue optimization, but also ensures guests are getting the best rates,” Lester said.

Vacasa currently manages over 900 vacation properties throughout the state of Florida including homes in Sarasota and Bradenton. Founded in 2009 and based in Portland, Vacasa and its subsidiaries manage more than 7,000 vacation homes in the United States, Europe, South Africa and Central and South America.

Old Settlers' Bread returns The Anna Maria Island Historical Society is starting its sale of Old Settlers’ Bread on Wednesday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the museum, 402 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. Sales will continue on Wednesdays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. during December and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during January.

The bread is sold on a first-come, first served basis and often sells out. Each loaf is $5. Museum volunteers make the bread and the proceeds go to the AMIHS Scholarship Fund.

Hunters Point hearing Dec. 14 On Thursday, Dec. 14, The Manatee County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing to review development requests submitted by Pearl Homes regarding the proposed development of the Hunters Point Resort and Marina in Cortez at 12504 Cortez Rd. W. between the Buttonwood Inlet RV Resort and Annie’s Bait and Tackle. The developers are proposing 86 cottages, 62 hotel rooms and 49-slip marina.

Public comment will be accepted. The hearing will begin at 9 a.m. and the agenda includes additional items not related to Hunters Point.

www.amisun.com

DECEMBER 6, 2017

www.amisun.com

DECEMBER 6, 2017

THE SUN

41

REYNARD'S: Reflections on Pete Reynard's FROM PAGE 5

stayed in the duplex behind Reynard’s for a while,” Whitmore recalled.

“Mr. and Mrs. Reynard told me they wanted something in the restaurant’s place that others would be proud of, and I’m excited that Waterline can become a special place for Island residents and visitors.

"With local businessman Ed Chiles as an investor, Joe Collier and his development team have respected this site and made something Holmes Beach and the Reynards can be proud of. I can’t wait to enjoy this great new business,” she added.

The end of an era

During her time as a Sun reporter, Anna Maria resident Pat Copeland wrote about Pete Reynard’s and what became of it.

The restaurant space Pete and Eleanor Reynard leased was part of a yacht club formed in 1953 by a group of city residents.

“Reynard added a variety of innovations that made the restaurant one of the most popular in the area. These included a revolving salad bar and the famous Mermaid Room, where mermaids frolicked in a 50-gallon tank of water delighting diners,” Copeland wrote in one of her stories.

According to Copeland’s reporting, Pete died of a heart attack in 1975, but Eleanor vowed to keep the restaurant running. In 1979, she married Sarasota restauranteur Tony Tatakis, and he joined her in operating her late husband’s restaurant.

Manatee County Digital Library | SUBMITTED

Pete Reynard’s featured a revolving salad bar that was later followed by a revolving dining room.

It was always fun to watch the patrons trying to find their tables after visiting the restrooms, especially if they’d had a few drinks.”

Carol Whitmore Former Holmes Beach mayor In 1988, the Tatakises retired and sold the business. The new owners did not succeed, and the Tatakises were forced to take court action in 1993. In 1994, a judge ordered a foreclosure. The property and the liquor license were auctioned off and the Tatakises were the successful bidders, Copeland reported.

“They reopened the restaurant as Pete Reynard’s, then sold it a few months later. It operated under several names before closing and being put on the market in

2000,” Copeland wrote.

In August 2002, Copeland wrote a story about the restaurant building being demolished.

“All that history came crashing down last week as Eleanor Reynard Tatakis climbed into the cab of a backhoe, manned the controls and took the first bite out of the decaying building to make way for the TideMark Lodge and Marina,” Copeland wrote of the property eventually developed as the new Waterline Marina Resort & Beach Club.

Commission appointment pending

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – At 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 6, the four sitting Bradenton Beach City Commission members will make their first attempt to appoint someone to fill the vacant commissioner’s seat created by John Chappie’s successful run for mayor.

As of Friday, the city clerk’s office had two applicants for the commission to consider: former Ward 3 Commissioner and CRA chairman Ralph Cole and current Planning and Zoning Board member Jim Lynch.

In November, Cole lost his reelection bid to Randy White, and he now he seeks a quick return to the commission by way of commission appointment. Cole is the longtime owner-operator of Coastal Watersports beach rental business.

Lynch has worked as a lawyer, law professor and Army officer. He also seeks to fill what was known as the Ward 4 seat until city voters eliminated the commission wards in November.

Former board member and CNOBB chairman Bill Vincent also applied for consideration but later withdrew his application.

If the four sitting commission members reach majority consensus on Dec. 6, the new commissioner will be appointed and that person will serve the remaining 11 months of Chappie’s two-year commissioner’s term.

If the commission vote results in a 2-2 vote, another meeting will be scheduled and a second attempt will be made. If the commission were to remain deadlocked after two attempts, the seat would be filled by the applicants cutting the deck for the highest card. Commissioner Marilyn Maro won her seat in this fashion in 2016.

42

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SPORTS

DECEMBER 6, 2017

The odds were with them:

Slim’s Place and Jiffy Lube play for the cup

BY MONICA SIMPSON SPECIAL TO THE SUN

At the end of regular season play, the final two slots in the championship bracket could have been filled by any of the eight teams in the Island’s adult co-ed soccer league. Only the top two odd ranked teams remain after nine weeks of action on the pitch, first seed Slim’s Place and third seed Jiffy Lube.

Slim’s Place held the top of the record sheet throughout the season, while Jiffy Lube held its own despite injuries and losses to finish the season strong as it showed why the Anderson brothers and the rest of the solid team roster put it in the final game of the season.

The final score of the first game Thursday night does not clearly depict the struggle and fight that Team Mulock Flynn Law had to put up against Team Jiffy Lube in the second half of the game.

With team captain Sean Flynn in the goal for most of the game, it was up to the rest of the team to put points on the scoreboard.

Mulock Flynn’s defense just could not stop Ricky Anderson who finished the game with four goals.

Jiffy Lube started the game off with the first goal of the night five minutes into the semi-final game with a hot shot by Eliza Faillace after strong passing down the field.

Mulock Flynn Law quickly tied up the game with the cross-field pass by Aaron Parkin, taking Jiffy Lube goalkeeper Jason Sato out of position, allowing sister-inlaw Lexi Sato to hit the net.

Three minutes later, Chris Scott made his move with the soccer ball against Jiffy Lube defender Brad Laudicina to allow Sarah Greene to score

her single goal of the night, moving Mulock Flynn ahead 1-2.

Chris Klotz landed his tying goal in the 15th minute of the game, showing the caliber of play by both teams.

In the last few minutes of the game, Scott was all by himself at the Jiffy Lube end of the field with defender Chris Culhane sprinting full speed trying to catch him before he got the shot off.

Scott’s goal put Mulock Flynn Law ahead once again, but not for long.

Working the other end of the field, Culhane made a beautiful pass to Anderson, who was in perfect position in front of the goal, with less than 30 seconds on the scoreboard to once again tie the game 3-3.

Right before the halftime whistle blew, Anderson once again struck in front of the net, temporarily leaving the score 4-3 after 23 minutes of play.

With the game’s momentum on its side, Team Jiffy Lube started the second half of the game with the Anderson brothers connecting after three minutes of play. Team captain Danny Anderson found R. Anderson who made a huge strike for another goal, putting Jiffy Lube up by two points and giving R. Anderson a hat trick.

Minutes later, off the hands of goalie Flynn, R. Anderson hit his fourth and final goal of the night, advancing the score to 6-3.

In the last six minutes of the game, Team Mulock Flynn rallied, putting two more goals on the scoreboard. Ivan Gaeta hit the net in the 41st minute of the game. Gaeta’s girlfriend and league veteran Jessica Williams scored her goal with no time left on the board.

monica simpson | SUN

Jiffy Lube’s Brad Laudicina carried the ball down the field Thursday in his team’s big win.

Only down by one goal and with the soccer ball on Jiffy Lube’s end of the field, Flynn’s team kept fighting in the last minute of official game time, hoping to take the game to a shootout. As the 60 seconds click down, J. Sato slowed the game down for Jiffy Lube, preventing the shot and the score, giving his team the win and capturing the first spot in the championship game.

Playing without their team captain Josh Sato, Team Sato

Real Estate came up two goals short in the second semi-final game of the night against Slim’s Place.

Sato Real Estate’s Bobby Troxler started of the scoring after four minutes of play, putting the ball past goalkeeper David Greene.

Matt Kretzmann answered back for Slim’s Place a few minutes later with his shot that whizzed by Adam Mott in goal.

After leaving the field with a nagging injury, Slim’s

Place’s team captain Kris Yavalar put another point on the board, followed by Kretzmann’s second goal of the game four minutes later to end the half with a twopoint lead.

With the score 3-1, Kretzmann started the second half of play with another goal in the 27th minute of play.

Defense and missed shots dominated the next 13 minutes of the game until Zoran Kolega came alive for Team Sato Real Estate. Hitting the net with six minutes on the scoreboard, “Z” moved the score to 4-2.

Kretzmann used his strong strike against Mott for another goal. Teammates Lyn Clarke and Angela Wiles scored their single goals giving Slim’s Place a four-point lead, 6-2.

A quick energy shift came too late for Sato Real Estate with a goal by Junior Guerra and a gorgeous pass from Nate Welch to Kolega for the header into the net.

Down by two goals with two official minutes left in the game, Sato Real Estate fought hard for the next goal, but just could not make it happen.

Can Yavalar once again lead a team against the “curse of the first,” that has plagued so many first place teams in the past? The healthy Jiffy Lube team looks hard to beat.

The match-up Thursday night at 9 p.m. is surely not to disappoint. Who will take home the Paul “Ace” Hayward Cup?

Sun Scoreboard Thursday, November 16 Adult Co-Ed Soccer League Jiffy Lube Mulock Flynn Law

6 5

Slim’s Place Sato Real Estate

6 4

www.amisun.com

DECEMBER 6, 2017

BEACH BEAT Anna Maria No new reports

Bradenton Beach

12/2, domestic battery, 301 Bay Drive N. The couple live together and after drinking, got into an argument that turned physical. The officer determined the female was the aggressor and arrested her.

Cortez

11/25, unarmed robbery, 12500 block of Cortez Road West. The victim was exiting his vehicle when he was shoved to the ground from behind and his assailant took his wallet.

Obituaries Donald Conklin Donald Conklin, 97, of Holmes Beach, Fla., formerly of Palatine, Ill., gone West Nov. 28, 2017.

Donald served his country in the United States Army throughout WWII in Europe and the Middle East, and during the Korean Conflict in Texas and Germany. He continued service in the Illinois National Guard for some years thereafter. He was employed by Kraft Foods for many years as an accountant, retiring to Florida in 1985.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Marilynn in 2007. He is survived by a son, Christopher; daughter, Pamela; her husband, Tim; and three grandchildren, Tony, Peter and Emily. His later life passion was swimming in the ocean and enjoying the glorious beaches of Anna Maria Island.

Nancy E. MacVicar Nancy E. MacVicar, 82, of Bradenton, Fla., died Nov. 22, 2017. A memorial will be held Dec. 23 at 11 a.m. at Roser Memorial Community Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria.

Survivors include husband Jim, daughter Laura Hooks, sons Neil and David and seven grandchildren.

Sheldon Avery Maskin Sheldon Avery Maskin, 93, died peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, at his home in Anna Maria.

Sheldon was born July 9, 1924, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Israel "Mac" Maskin and Anna (Schwarz) Maskin Levy. He graduated from Long Beach High School in Long Beach, N.Y., and went on to serve in the Air Force during World War II. After the war, he received his degree in physical education from SUNY Cortland, where he met Phyllis Klingman. They were married in 1950 and had two sons, whom they raised in Long Beach,

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43

Holmes Beach

11/22, DUI, 7200 Palm Drive. The officer stopped the defendant for not driving within the lane. He exhibited signs of intoxication and the officer performed a field sobriety test. Based on results, the defendant was arrested.

11/23, camping, Kingfish Boat Ramp, 752 Manatee Ave. The officer on patrol found a man sleeping in a black plastic bag under a table. He was cited.

11/25, possession of burglary tools, trespass after warning, 4000 Gulf Dive. The subject is known to police and was seen walking at the beach after being warned earlier. The officer arrested him and found a flat blade screwdriver in his pocket. He reportedly had been seen approaching vacant houses and ringing doorbells and checking back yards to see if anybody is at home.

Plainview, Farmingville and Afton, N.Y. Phyllis passed away in 1983.

Sheldon worked as a physical education teacher and later as a guidance counselor.

He also coached varsity basketball and taught drivers education. He met Kathy (Allyn) Miltz while teaching in Endicott, NY. The two were married in 1990. Sheldon always enjoyed a highly active lifestyle, with a particular love of playing tennis. He was also talented in woodworking, making beautiful furniture and keepsakes, and even building the family house on Afton Lake. He was passionate about progressive politics, dedicating large amounts of his time to volunteering, calling his representatives and writing letters to the editor. He was known for his phenomenal sense of humor, kindness, and intelligence. He loved spending time with his grandchildren.

Sheldon is predeceased by his parents, Israel Maskin and Anna Levy; his first wife, Phyllis Maskin; his two sisters, Carol Spielberg and her husband, Norman Spielberg; and Rosalie Birkholz and her husband, John Birkholz; his brother, Burton Maskin and his wife, Kathryn "Kitty" Maskin; his brother-inlaw Charles "Bus" Klingman; and his sisterin-law Louise (Klingman) Wheeler. He is survived by his wife, Kathy Maskin, of Anna Maria, Fla.; his two sons, Daniel Maskin and his partner, Diane Georgeson, of Oneonta, N.Y., and Alan Maskin and his partner, Brian McLaughlin, of Port Townsend, Wash.; his stepson, Jay Miltz, of Endicott, N.Y.; his stepdaughter, Kristin Kulik and her husband, Michael Kulik, of Athens, Ga.; his six grandchildren, Emily Maskin, Jessica Maskin, John Kulik, Zachary Kulik, Christopher Kulik, and Katie Kulik; and many nieces, nephews, and close friends.

A memorial gathering will be held on Jan. 27, 2018, at St. Bernard Activity Center in Holmes Beach, Fla., starting at 11 a.m..

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Sheldon's honor to one of his favorite causes: Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International or the Children's Guardian Fund of Sarasota, Fla.

TOM VAUGHT | SUN

Michael Smith with his aquaponically grown plants, available at the Beach Market on Coquina Beach every other Sunday.

Sometimes good things come in small packages Michael Smith will be at the Beach Market on Coquina Beach every other Sunday.

BY TOM VAUGHT SUN STAFF WRITER | tvaught@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – One of the more interesting booths at the Beach Market on Coquina Beach offers what looks like trays of sprouts.

The plants look like something that goes in salads. But sometimes things are not what they seem.

Mike Smith, of Bradenton, grows these plants at home in water, a process known as aquaponics. He offers sunflowers, pea shoots, broccoli and a mix of plants, with new ones almost every week. Some of them have a zesty flavor with heat, much like hot peppers.

How did he get started?

“I have a graduate degree in aquaculture, and I’ve been raising fish for 37 years,” he said. “I started using the water from the fish tank for the plants to fertilize them.

That’s what aquaponics is all about – natural fertilization.

“I talked with (Anna Maria resident) Mike Miller, who set me up with two tables to use.”

Miller is known on the Island as a promoter of native vegetation and was instrumental in bringing food plants to Pine Avenue’s landscape.

I can get them to grow in a matter of days."

Mike Smith Beach Market vendor

Smith said he didn’t have the patience to grow food the normal way and turned to aquaponics for several reasons.

“I can get them to grow in a matter of days,” he said. “When they grow next to each other, the flavors get compressed it results in very densely packed flavor and nutrition. There are no seeds ” He said it’s very popular with people who eat healthy. He also said Smoqehouse barbecue in Bradenton Beach uses them.

He has formed a company, AMI Aquaponics, and has a FaceBook page. He can be reached at shubunkin1950@gmail.com or at the Beach Market.

44

THE SUN

FUN IN THE SUN

Across 1 The punch in Planter's Punch 8 Set overly easy goals 14 Disk problem 15 Curly-haired "Peanuts" character 16 Foreshadows 17 Like rattlers 18 Drawn 19 Former Haitian president 21 Policy at certain clubs 22 Display some guns 23 "Wuthering Heights" setting 24 Gulf States leader 25 Taylor of "American Crime" 26 Wedding announcement 27 It's in many poems 28 Sachet filler 30 Informal passing remark?

32 Repository for spare or unused parts 36 Cheerleading outfit?

38 Lummox 39 Covered carriages 42 Reverse of a knit 43 Selfish sort 44 Be the first to say 45 PâtÊ base 46 Month after diciembre 47 Immortal Kiev-born pianist 49 Company whose name appears in an

odometer in its logo 50 Commonly seen brown vehicle 51 Gross out 53 It may be rolled up on a farm 54 Like the praying mantis 55 In Tupperware, say 56 Ready to ride Down 1 Cost-effective 2 Dessert with a kick 3 Mad __ 4 Took courses at home 5 West Coast ZIP starter 6 Neatnik's possible condition, briefly 7 Mississippi explorer 8 Tack on 9 Line 32 items on 1040 forms 10 D, P or S, on quarters 11 Vast multitude 12 Had way too much of 13 Angler's gear 14 Grand children?

Answers to 11-29-17 Crossword Puzzle.

20 Pull over, say?

22 Fin 25 Lighter 26 Give a little 28 Wranglers alternative 29 Part of DINK 31 Fleming work 33 Ride cost before taxes and such 34 Ran 35 Ran off 37 Subway alternative 39 Speed down a slope 40 Rockers Mott the __ 41 Like some offshore rescues 43 "Are you kidding me?!"

45 Punished in court, in a way 46 Let up 48 Parade greeting 49 Helped on stage 52 Literary assortment

DECEMBER 6, 2017

DECEMBER 6, 2017

classified

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CLEANING SERVICE

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

TOTAL HOME SERVICE CLEANING : Residential, Commercial & Rentals.

Professional and Reliable. Call 941-756-4570

THE BEST VOLUNTEER position on the island. The AMI Historical Museum needs docents and bread makers. Call Lynn at 813758-3234 or lbrennan47@ gmail.com

THOMPSON CLEANING SERVICE CommercialResidential-Marine.

Island Based Company.

Seasonal Deep Cleaning-Weekly-Occasional.

Call for Free Estimate.

941-281-4951

ROSER FOOD BANK needs donations of cash and non-perishable food. Donations boxes are located at the Church, Moose Club, Walgreen's and The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper (corner of Gulf and Palm).

AUTOMOTIVE SALES & SERVICE 2007 HONDA SILVERWING For Sale. One owner, 600 cc auto transmission motorcycle, 15000 miles. Many additions, well maintained, garage kept.

Excellent condition. $3400 Call 941-778-2553

BABY SITTER RED CROSS CERTIFIED baby sitter. Honor student.

Call or text Isabel 941-5457995

BOATS: SALES & RENTALS BOATS ARE SELLING Very Well. Selling Your Boat? “Business On A Hand Shake”. 18 Years and Hundreds sold. I Also Buy Boats.

Dave 941-228-3489 BRADENTON WATER TOYS. Daily Jet Ski rentals. "We come to you." Sunrise to Sunset. 2 Jet Skis $499.

Call 941-348-0821 KAYAK $340. CALL 941795-7514

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

Call us today! 941-778-3986

AUTHORITY ONE SERVICES. Residential/Commercial/Vacation Rentals & Construction Cleaning.

Also Power Washing, Windows, Paver Sealing & Roof Cleaning.

Ask about your Senior Citizens Discount Call 941-251-5948 or 941565-3931

COMMERCIAL SALES

ANNA MARIA ISLAND 4-sale Resorts Bradenton Bch *5 units $1,048,800 *13 units $4,999,000 *9300 Sq. Ft. Ware-house, Machine Shop heavy duty elect or Car Storage, So Many Possibilities. Near SRQ Airport $595,000 Island Real Estate Ask Alan Galletto 941-232-2216

COMPUTER SERVICES EMPIRE COMPUTER SERVICE Computer problems fixed in your home or office. The fastest friendliest service around. Serving the Island since 2004. Call 941-739-6424

EMPLOYMENT FULL TIME or PART TIME. Cook for PM shift. Experience preferred. Small family Sports Pub. Solo's Pizza.

Call 941-962-4491 BUSY ISLAND REAL ESTATE office seeking weekend front desk help for gulf front resort. Experience a plus Call 941-778-4442 for additional information & application HOWLUCKYAMI AT HOLMES BEACH looking for experienced, outgoing mature salespeople. Pay negotiable. Forward your resume to info@howluckyami.org

NOW HIRING Anna Maria Island Creamery & Bakery.

9801 Gulf Dr. Suites 1-3.

Contact Shea Khalil via email Shea@amicreamery bakery.com

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

FOR SALE SOFA & LOVESEAT. LEATHER, Forest Green $500. Call 941-792-0014

GARAGE, MOVING, RUMMAGE & YARD SALES ROSER THRIFT SHOP Open 9:30am-2pm, Tuesday & Thursday 10am-1pm Saturday Donations preferred 9am-11am Wednesdays.

511 Pine Ave., Anna Maria.

Phone 941-779-2733 PALMA SOLA THRIFT SHOP 9516 Cortez Rd W. Mt. Vernon Plaza. www.carolsthriftshop. com Visit our wed site.

Call 941-812-7679.

Consigned & select items will relocate with us. All else sold at very very low prices! Stop in make us an offer. Dealers Welcome

HAULING SITE CLEAN-UP to trash outs we can handle it all.

Call us for your dumpsters/ trash needs today 941-7538772

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 941-725-0073.

KERN CONSTRUCTION NEW Homes & Remodel.

Design/Build. Since 1968.

License # CRC1327296.

Call Jerry Kern 941-7781115 www.kernconstructioninc.com

THE SUN

WALY PRECISION PAINTING: painting, drywall, stucco, and remodeling, commercial/residential, licensed & insured. Call 941-448-1928 or 941-4656324 www.WalyPrecisionPainting.us DECKOUT MASTER CARPENTER Everything Patio & Dock Decking Work Repair, Replace, Maintenance Work, Cleaning, Treatments, New Decks.

Also Handyman/Painting work to home or office.

Call RICHARD Bespoke Service 941-448-3571 Island Resident.

STORM DAMAGE? Prompt Response. Tree work, Carpentry, Painting, Roof/ Fence Repair, Etc. Medium and Small Jobs Accepted.

See ORANGE AD in Painting Section. Bill Witaszek 941-307-9315 HOME IMPROVEMENT Michigan General Contractor 30+ yrs. experience. Large or small projects. Budget minded knowledgeable tradesman will complete your project start to finish: On Time/On Budget. Call Mike 616-204-8822.

FOUND WEDDING RING October 2 in Holmes Beach. To Rayburn with love Kathy. Call 941-9008226

LOST 18" DIAMOND CHAIN NECKLACE with my grand mother's diamond in center – REWARD Call 267454-0725 FOUND WAKE BOARD in Holmes Beach (Bay Side) Call 941-779-6485

FOUR SEASONS POOL SERVICE. AMI & West Bradenton. Certified Pool Operator. Residential/commercial. Chemical Service Licensed & Insured. Call Dennis Clark 941-737-5657

LOST MY GRANDMOTHER'S gold wedding band (initials inside and date) at Coquina Beach area. Reward.

Call 407-579-1621

COLE'S TROPICAL POOL SERVICE Call Cole Bowers for all your pool maintenance needs! Affordable and Dependable!! 941-7131893

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

PRINTING

TWO MEN and a TRUCK. Movers who care. Local and Long distance. www. twomen.com Call 941-3591904. We sell boxes!

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

LOST & FOUND

POOL SERVICES

LOST GOLD BRACELET with toggle clasp & charm with 50th anniversary engraved.

Sentimental value. Lost in vicinity of Palm Ave. in Anna Maria. Call 407-8730078.

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

DONALD PERKINS PAINTING LLC fully insured. 30 years experience. Many Island references. Call 941-7057096

FOUND NECKLACE PENDANT near Anna Maria Post office. Call 941-7733182

PAINTING & WALLCOVERING

SHELL DELIVERED AND spread $55/yd. Hauling all kinds of gravel, mulch, top soil with free estimates. Call Larry at 941-795-7775, "shell phone" 941-720-0770

BAYSIDE COMMERCIAL PAINTING. David Padyani Call 941-565-9446 or Larry Zimmer 941-2248123 Licensed & Insured

LOST ENGAGEMENT RING. Solitaire white gold. Lost on 10/22/2017. Call 770712-8819

LANDSCAPING & LAWN CARE

“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. Meticulous, Thorough, Quality Workmanship. Interior/Exterior. Wall paper removal..

Also minor repairs & carpentry. Free written detailed estimates. Bill Witaszek 941-307-9315

45

CUSTOM DIGITAL PRINTING "Your printing dream to reality" Specializing in Dye sublimation Printing.

Graphic Design. Performance Active ware. Logo Design. Call Rhonda 330-550-4847

PROFESSIONAL PRESSURE & WINDOW WASHING AUTHORITY ONE CLEANING : Residential, Commercial, Construction and Vacation Rentals . Also available Power Washing, Roof Cleaning and Windows.

Call 941-251-5948

46

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classified

REAL ESTATE HOMES & CONDOS FOR SALE FROM THE LOW $300’s. Only minutes from the beach, this new active adult community is perfectly located just south of Manatee Ave, off Village Green Pkwy.

Perfectly designed, open 2BR or 3BR/2BA plus den & 2CG floor plans.

Luxurious amenities, pool, spa, gym, pickle ball and fenced-in dog park. HOA only $190/ month. Models open daily. Contact us 941254-3330 www.MirabellaFlorida.com 113 BEACH AVE 3BR/3BA Pool Home. Great location West of Gulf Drive with Direct beach access! $1,055,000 Call Charles Buky Coldwell Banker 941228-6086 CANAL FRONT HOMES Holmes Bch - Key Royale GULF FRONT CONDOS Gulf Place, La Casa L’Plage, Waters Edge & MORE. Island Real Estate ASK Alan Galletto 941-232-2216

Call us today! 941-778-3986

SLIGHTLY OFF THE ISLAND. 3BR/2BA completely renovated lake house, five miles from the beach. No Condo/HOA Fees, No Deed Restrictions, No Traffic, Huge Boat/RV Storage Area, No Flood Insurance. $319,500. www.690932nd.com. For Sale By Owner. 941-795-5225 PERICO BAY CLUB! Light & bright 2BR/2BA With high ceilings & updated kitchen! $212,000.

Island Real Estate- Call Kathleen White 941-7730165.

FOR SALE: 211 85th St. Two blocks to beach.

2BR/2BA, pool. Broker owner Brenda Boyd May. 941-730-8589. $539,000

REAL ESTATE: OPEN HOUSE OPEN HOUSE NEW CONSTRUCTION! December 9th – 12:00-3:00.

420 Magnolia Ave, Anna Marie, Florida. $1,499,900 Beautiful 4BR/4.5BA home located on desirable Anna Maria Island. This home offers a spacious, open concept living area. Granite Countertops, Tiled Flooring and much more including 2 garages. In-ground pool with covered patio perfect for entertaining. Close to several beaches. Elevated home with hurricane impact doors and windows.

For more information call 812-345-5577

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 Ed DUNCAN REAL ESTATE 941-779-0304 www.teamduncan.com

DECEMBER 6, 2017

ANNUAL RENTAL and CONDOMINIUM Association management serviced by (2) offices open 7 days a week! Contact junew@ islandreal.com – 941-3451295 - Island Real Estate of Anna Maria Island, Inc. ANNUAL RENTALS- Holmes Beach 2BR/1.5BA, carport, storage, W/D hookups $1,500/mo.

Non-Smoking. Call Fran Maxon Real Estate for details 941-778-2307.

ANNUAL RENTAL ANNA MARIA CITY, 2BR/1BA half duplex, unfurnished. NO PETS! $1,300/mo - 1st, last, and security req'd.

Call Sato Real Estate, Inc. at 941-778-7200 or email monica@satorealestate. com ANNUAL RENTAL CORTEZ 1/BR Guest House w/ boat lift. Suitable for single person. All utilities included.

Available December 15.

References. $975/mo. Call 608-697-8801

AMISUN.COM

BRADENTON WEST SIDE: Cute little 1BR/1BA House with fenced yard, 1 car garage, W/D hookup 723 35th St W. Available Now. $1100/mo. DUPLEX 3BR/1BA, car port, W/D hookup, all tile 4715-B 34th St W $1150/mo Available now. First, Last, one month security. Credit check required. One year lease. Call 941-809-2488 HOLMES BEACH ANNUAL 2BR/2BA, Car Port, lanai, W/D. Furnished or unfurnished. Alarm, water, trash included. $1800/mo First, Last, Security. Call 860922-3857

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 ANNA MARIA ISLAND, Fl Condos. Pool beach access, fully equipped $650-$800/ wk Redekercondos.com 941-704-7525 or 941-7781915

2018 SEASONAL RENTALS Available: 2BR/1BA Gulf front from $3,850 per month, 2BR with sleeping loft from $3,850 per month. Three month minimum. Horizon Realty of Anna Maria 941-778-0426 kringco@tampabay.rr.com GREAT RATES! Weekly, Monthly. 3BR/2BA NW Bradenton. Call Grace 941-201-2190

TRANSPORTATION AMI TAXI metered-on-callcards accepted. Airport: Tampa $95, Sarasota $40, Clearwater $85, Orlando $165. Call 800-301-4816. amitaxi4u@gmail.com, www.amitaxi.com ANYTIME TRANSPORTATION to all airports, appointments, casino, cruises, etc. Tampa $60. Sarasota $30. Pets welcome. Very dependable. Reasonable rates. Contact Jeanne.

941-779-5095

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DECEMBER 6, 2017

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