EDITORIAL

There must be a better way

Manatee County is planning to begin fixing the sewer system south of Bridge Street this week, beginning from Sixth Street South to 10th Street South, and later expanding to 13th Street South.

Residents and vacationers will be expected to park their vehicles at Cortez Beach – across busy Gulf Drive from their homes and vacation rentals.

And not just for a few hours, but for four to six weeks, possibly longer.

How will fire trucks respond to fires on those streets? How will EMTs get to distress calls?

How will people get their groceries to their home –three or four trips across Gulf Drive to their car to get a couple of bags at a time?

How will folks with walkers or wheelchairs get across the street?

Hopefully, no one will forget their cell phone in their car and have to cross the street twice to get it.

It’s often bumper-to-bumper traffic this time of year on the road, which connects popular Coquina Beach to the rest of the world.

There must be a better way to handle the sewer repairs than to inconvenience people for so long and possibly put them in danger like this - perhaps staging the work on one side of a street at a time and allowing parking on the other side of the street?

Officials should study how similar projects have been done elsewhere before subjecting people to this plan. It’s only a matter of time before it fails, and only a question of how serious the failure will be.

Got an opinion, a complaint or a compliment? Is there something you need to get off your chest? Send us a letter to the editor and have your say. There are a couple of ways to do it. The easiest and most direct is to email The Sun at news@amisun.com. Remember to put Letter to the Editor in the subject field. Or you can snail-mail a letter to us at The Anna Maria Island Sun, P.O. Box 1189, Anna Maria, FL 34216. Letters should be kept to 300 words or less and must contain your name and the city in which you reside. Personal attacks and obscene language will not be printed. The Sun reserves the right to edit letters for length or content.

The Anna Maria Island Sun Staff

Owner/CEO

Mike Field Editor

Cindy Lane

General Manager

Bob Alexander

Reporters/ Photographers

Joe Hendricks

Leslie Lake

Jason Schaffer

Kristin Swain

Columnists

Louise Bolger

Rusty Chinnis

Letters To The Editor

Put monument at Gamble Plantation

Dear Commissioners, The Confederate Monument should NOT be placed back by the county courthouse. This is 2023 and we should remember our history and move into the 21st century. The monument was for the southerners who fought in the civil war to maintain slavery. It would be more appropriate to place the monument at the Gamble Plantation State Park.

Sincerely, Barbara

Drake Bradenton

Open letter to legislative delegation

Dear Sen. Boyd, My family has had a home in

Contributors

Steve Borggren

Capt. Rick Grassett

Leslie Lake

Monica Simpson

Tom Vaught

Capt. Kevin Wessel

Capt. Dave White

Anne Yarbrough

Holmes Beach since 1971. Over the years we have supported steps our city has taken to protect the quality of life for residents and visitors, including building height limitations and minimum rental duration regulations. To us, this typifies efforts by a community to protect and enhance their environment in the best American tradition. These efforts have produced a community attractive to residents and visitors which benefits all, including the county. This feeling of community needs to be appreciated and protected. It has value, tangible and intangible. Protecting this seaside community and striking a balance between the needs of visitors and residents is a challenge that we all, citizens, city and county government, need to work together to address. I believe that the threat made by you and other state representatives and senators to merge the cities and dissolve their charters

Layout Ricardo Fonseca

Digital Editor

Kristin Swain

Advertising Director

Shona Otto

Advertising Assistant

Pamela Lee and local regulations is positively un-American and will destroy the community we should be working together to preserve. We all need to face the hard fact that there is a limit to the number of visitors this island can accommodate at one time. There may be no limit to the new housing projects approved for the eastern part of the county, but there is definitely a limit to the size of this island. One ugly, out-of-scale parking garage will not change that fact. Some good proposals have been put forth to address the parking problem. Please work with us to preserve what makes the island unique while allowing AMI residents, county residents and visitors to enjoy the island they love.

I thank you for your work on behalf of the citizens of Manatee County and look forward to hearing from you.

Alex Richardson Holmes Beach

Classifieds

Bob Alexander

Graphics

Elaine Stroili

Ricardo Fonseca

Distribution

Bob Alexander

Connor Field

Tony McNulty

Brian Smith

Accounting

Leslie Ketchum

Co-founding publishers

Mike Field

Maggie McGinley Field Family-owned since 2000

Thanks for your Christmas spirit

I am writing to thank Holmes Beach-area residents for sharing the true meaning of Christmas with children in need this past holiday season.

Generosity throughout contributed to a successful shoebox gift collection season at drop-off locations for the Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child. Across the U.S., the project collected over 9.3 million shoebox gifts in 2022. Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2022, the ministry is now sending nearly 10.6 million shoebox gifts to children worldwide.

Through shoeboxes packed with fun toys, school supplies, and hygiene items, Holmes Beach-area volunteers brought joy to children in need around the world. Each gift-filled shoebox is a tangible expression of God’s love, and it is often the first gift these children have ever received. Through the continued generosity of donors since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 209 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories. This year, Samaritan’s Purse delivered its milestone 200 millionth shoebox, which was packed on a country-wide tour and then hand-delivered to a young girl in Ukraine.

Across Florida, shoebox packers often shop for deals on shoebox items throughout the year, and many serve at a deeper level by becoming a year-round volunteer. Information about ways area participants can get involved year-round can also be found at samaritanspurse.org/ occ or by calling 407-273-6112.

Although local drop off locations for gifts are closed until Nov. 13-20, anyone can still be a part of this life-changing project by conveniently packing a shoebox gift online in just a few simple clicks at samaritanspurse.org/buildonline.

These simple gifts, packed with love, send a message to children worldwide that they are loved and not forgotten.

Sincerely, Casey Goodwin Samaritan's Purse, Boone, NC

Anna Maria

10005 GULF DRIVE

FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-708-6130

Please visit www.cityofannamaria.com or contact city hall for more information.

Feb. 9, 2 p.m. – City Commission meeting

Feb. 21, 9 a.m. – Planning and Zoning Board meeting

Feb. 23, 6 p.m. – City Commission meeting

Bradenton Beach

107 GULF DRIVE N.

FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-778-1005

Please visit www.cityofbradentonbeach.com or contact city hall for more information.

Feb. 1, 9:30 a.m. – Community Redevelopment Agency meeting

Feb. 1, 1 p.m. – Planning and Zoning Board meeting

Feb. 2, 6 p.m. – City Commission meeting

Feb. 7, 9:30 a.m. – City Commission/Planning and Zoning Board joint work meeting

Feb. 15, 10 a.m. – Department Head meeting

Feb. 15, 1 p.m. – Scenic WAVES meeting

Feb. 16, noon – City Commission meeting

Holmes Beach

5801 MARINA DRIVE

FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-708-5800

Please visit www.holmesbeachfl. org or contact city hall for more information.

Feb. 1, 10 a.m. – Parks and Beautification Committee meeting

Feb. 1, 5 p.m. – Planning Commission meeting

Feb. 3, 11:30 a.m. – Police Officer’s Pension Board meeting

Feb. 8, 9 a.m. – Clean Water AdHoc Committee meeting

Feb. 14, 2 p.m. – City Commission meeting with work session to follow

Feb. 21, 2:30 p.m. – Code Compliance Special Magistrate hearing

ISLAND-WIDE

Feb. 7, 4 p.m. – Council of Governments meeting, Manatee County Administration Building, fifth floor, 1112 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton

Feb. 21, 6 p.m. – West Manatee Fire Rescue board meeting, administration building, 701 63rd St. W., Bradenton

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 1

Mah-jongg for beginners, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 1 p.m.

THURSDAY, FEB. 2

AMI Chamber February breakfast, Cortez Café, 12108 Cortez Road W., Cortez, 7:30 a.m., $15 for members or $25 for prospective members

Sunshine Stitchers Knit and Crochet, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m.

Friends of the Island Library Lecture and Travel Series: Coaching College Football, Roser Church fellowship hall, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 2 p.m.

AMI Chamber ribbon cutting, Shore Thing Tiki Cruises, MarVista Dockside Restaurant, 760 Broadway, Longboat Key, 4 p.m.

FRIDAY, FEB. 3

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

Mah-jongg for experienced players, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 11:30 a.m.

Paper crafting for adults, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEB. 4

Robinson Runners, Robinson Preserve, 1704 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 7 a.m.