Anna Maria Island Sun February 26, 2020

- Named Best Florida Newspaper In Its Class -

VOL 20 No. 20

February 26, 2020

Mayor provides pier lease update The pier lease proposals will be opened at city hall on Tuesday, March 10.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

SARAH PARSONS | SUBMITTED

ANNA MARIA – On Wednesday, Feb. 19, Mayor Dan Murphy provided city commissioners with an email update regarding the request for proposals (RFP) the city issued in January seeking a new city pier tenant.

The new tenant will occupy the new city-owned restaurant and bait shop buildings at the T-end of the new pier.

“We don’t anticipate receiving any responses to the RFP until we are close to, or most likely on, the due date. This is the norm for any RFP process. Serious bidders take as much time as possible to perform their due diligence, evaluate the market and prepare a business case,” Murphy’s email update said.

“As of today, 10 restauranteurs have expressed interest in our outstanding RFP. That is not to say that all 10 will submit a bid, but a significant level of interest exists in the local hospitality community. We have received inquiries from St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Lakeland, Bradenton/Sarasota and Anna Maria Island,” Murphy wrote.

At least 14 parties have expressed interest in leasing the new City Pier buildings.

SEE PIER, PAGE 31

Vacation rental bills looming large If state legislators succeed, the three Island cities will lose their ability to regulate vacation rentals.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Legislature is getting closer to potentially taking away local governments’ ability to regulate short-term vacation rentals and vacation rental advertising.

And Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy and Commissioner Carol Carter are among those who are concerned that state legislators may finally succeed in their annual efforts to strip away cities’ home rule rights.

Similar in nature and intent, Senate Bill 1128 and House Bill 1011 are progressing toward possible final votes on the House and Senate floors.

As recently noted by Florida League of Cities Legislative Advocate Casey Cook, legislators who support the proposed legislation want to turn over the regulation of vacation rentals to the already understaffed and underresourced Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulations.

And new this year, state legislators are including in their proposed legislation a requirement that all vacation rentals advertised through Airbnb, VRBO and other online platforms must be fully licensed and registered with the state. This is the legislature’s attempt to ensure that vacation rental related taxes are remitted to county tax collectors, including the sales tax revenues to be remitted back to the state.

Originally filed by Sen. Manny Diaz SEE RENTAL BILLS, PAGE 35

Scenic Highway group seeks to solve horse problems Members of the Palma Sola Scenic Highway group are hoping to find a compromise between horse ride operators and people concerned about the environment.

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

BRADENTON – Members of the Palma Sola Scenic Highway Corridor Management Entity met Feb. 2 with one big item on their agenda: the horse riding operations that take place on the north side of the causeway.

Tim Maddox of The Real Beach Horses was on-hand during the meet-

ing to help provide an insider’s look at how the horse riding businesses operate on the causeway. Because the businesses operate in a Florida Department of Transportation right of way, no money can be exchanged on the site but the businesses can operate with limited oversight and no permits needed. Issues that have been brought up during previous meetings include damage to sea grasses, damage to palm trees from tying up the horses and waste problems both on the causeway and in the water.

Maddox said that his ride operators are careful to only conduct rides during low tide when the sea grass along SEE HORSES, PAGE 35

INSIDE

SEAFOOD SHACK:

NEWS 4 CALENDAR 7 OUTDOORS 22-23 RESTAURANTS 27 REAL ESTATE 28-33 SPORTS 34 CROSSWORD 36

WEST Manatee Fire Rescue fills two

fish and chips keeping with tradition. 21

captains’ positions. 11

Anna Maria Island, Florida

BORTELL’S is undergoing an

extensive renovation. 15 The Island’s award-winning weekly newspaper www.amisun.com

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

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Parking tram discussions continue A recommendation will be made for the CRA to issue a request for proposals for a third party to operate a parking tram program on a trial basis.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – City officials and business owners in and around the Bridge Street business district agree that a parking shuttle program is a good idea.

But no one has stepped forward yet and offered to acquire and operate the electric trams needed to operate a pilot program for a park and ride shuttle service that utilizes county-owned parking spaces Cortez Beach and the north end of Coquina Beach.

These matters were discussed at a special CRA meeting on Friday, Feb. 21.

The half dozen or so business owners who attended Friday’s meeting are also members of the Bradenton Beach Area Merchants association, which has expressed support for the parking tram program but no desire to run it.

City Attorney Ricinda Perry provided CRA members and meeting attendees with the detailed research she gathered on parking tram operations implemented in the

cities of Stuart and Fort Pierce.

Perry’s presentation addressed upstart and operating costs, operational responsibilities, insurance requirements and costs, routes and route changes, hours of operation, designated stops or on-demand service, tram types and sizes, battery life and battery replacement and much more.

The city of Stuart’s tram program features a 2.2-mile route with 14 specific stops and also allows passengers to flag down trams between stops.

Stuart’s tram program utilizes city employees and includes 12 drivers operating six trams seven days week. In fiscal year 2019, the city of Stuart budgeted $215,771 for its tram program. That consists of $150,965 for professional services including salaries and benefits, $29,806 for operating expenses and $35,000 for capital outlay.

Perry said she envisions using three trams, which would significantly reduce those costs.

Perry said the Fort Pierce tram program utilizes volunteer drivers. It began as an ondemand service but later transitioned into a program the primary function of which is to shuttle users back and forth between their desired destinations and a parking garage.

Perry noted the CRA and the city of Bradenton Beach have not budgeted any money for a tram program in the current 2019-2020

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

CRA members Ralph Cole, David Bell and John Chappie discussed the merits and challenges of a parking tram program. fiscal year, and no funds were committed last week. Potential funding sources include existing CRA funds, advertising revenues and additional financial support from the Bradenton Beach business community.

PATH TO A PILOT PROGRAM

CRA member Ed Chiles said goal has always been to include a dedicated tram pathway that runs parallel to Gulf Drive in the Cortez Beach parking lot south of Bridge Street. There have also been previous discussions about a possible tram hub at the north end of the Cortez Beach parking lot.

A dedicated tram path and hub located on county property would require county commission approval. County commis-

sioners have some offered preliminary support for the tram idea, but they’ve also expressed concerns county parking spaces being used to serve the Bridge Street business district.

Perry and others have noted a pilot program could be started without the county’s support.

CRA chair Ralph Cole mentioned the need for signs at the entrance to the city that direct drivers to the designated parking areas. Chiles mentioned the need for a cell phone app too.

Perry said one of the first decisions that needs to be made is who’s going to operate and manage the desired tram program.

It was noted there are currently two gas powered trams being privately operated in the Bridge Street area: one by the Anna Maria Oyster Bar and one by the Blue Marlin Grill. It was also noted that CRA member Jake Spooner will soon be required to operate a tram shuttle seven days a week, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., when his new building on Bridge Street opens soon.

After 90 minutes of discussion that included insight from business owners, CRA member John Chappie made a motion calling for the CRA to partner with the Bradenton Beach Area Merchants develop a SEE TRAM, PAGE 31

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ISLAND NEWS

IN BRIEF

AM Commission approves daytime meetings The Anna Maria City Commission has changed its longstanding practice of holding it’s twicemonthly, regularly scheduled city commission meetings at night. During a 10 a.m. meeting on Thursday, Feb. 13, the commission unanimously agreed that the first regularly scheduled commission meeting of each month will start at 2 p.m.

The second regularly scheduled meeting of the month will remain an evening meeting that starts at 6 p.m. Anna Maria Commission meetings generally take place on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. Mayor Dan Murphy told the commission he requested the change to spare the city some of the additional cost of paying hourly employees overtime to attend evening meetings.

Oyster planting volunteers needed More oyster beds are being planted near the Perico Bayou Bridge on Manatee Avenue West and the members of Sarasota Bay Estuary Program need your help to get the project done. Several planting days are being planned over the next few months with the first one on May 9. Volunteers are needed to wade through the water to help place bags of oysters along the sides of the canal underneath the bridge and around the shoreline in adjacent areas.

For more information, or to volunteer, visit www. sarasotabay.org/get-involved/volunteer.

WMFR launches ALS service at all stations Monday, Feb. 17, was a landmark day for leaders and staff at West Manatee Fire Rescue as the district launched non-transport advanced life support service at its third and final station. The fire district, the first in Manatee County to have the non-transport ALS service, has stations on 67th Street in Northwest Bradenton, on Marina Drive in Holmes Beach and on Cortez Road in Cortez.

While firefighters cannot transport patients to the hospital, they can provide the same care as EMS paramedic responders until an ambulance arrives at an accident or medical emergency. Currently, Chief Ben Rigney said the district has 12 total charge paramedic/firefighters with 11 on shift, two firefighters preparing to take the state certification exam and another firefighter interested in beginning the process. The district has at least three charge paramedic/firefighters on duty at any given time.

Rod & Reel repairs completed For the past few weeks, the privately-owned Rod & Reel Pier in Anna Maria has closed on Wednesdays so repairs and maintenance work could be completed. Manager Dave Cochran said the work was completed on Wednesday, Feb. 19, and no more weekly closures are anticipated.

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

Sunshine defendant accused of violating mediation confidentiality

The parties plan to appear before Judge Edward Nicholas again on April 29.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – On behalf of the city of Bradenton Beach, attorney Robert Watrous recently filed a motion seeking to impose sanctions on Sunshine Law lawsuit defendant Reed Mapes.

The motion Watrous filed on Friday, Feb. 14, pertains to the court-ordered, closed-door mediation session that took place at the Manatee County Judicial Center in downtown Bradenton on Jan. 13.

The mediation session provided the defendants and the city an opportunity to broker a settlement as to how much the defendants were willing to reimburse the city for the attorney fees and costs the city and its taxpayers incurred in this case.

Watrous’ motion notes that on Jan. 28, the Bradenton Beach Commission held a closed-door shade meeting that provided city commissioners an opportunity to consider and respond to a settlement offer attorney Thomas Shults tendered on behalf of his client, John Metz.

“On January 29, a media article appeared in the Islander stating that ‘Reed Mapes, one of the six defendants alongside John Metz, Tjet Martin, Patty Shay, Bill Vincent and Rose Vincent, told the Islander that John Metz offered $200,000 to settle with the city after a Jan. 13 closed-door mediation session failed to result in an agreement’,” Watrous’ motion states.

In July, Circuit Court Judge Edward Nicholas ruled Mapes, Martin, Metz, Shay and the Vincents violated the Florida Sunshine Law in 2017. The Sunshine violations occurred when the then-city advisory board members repeatedly discussed advisory board business at their non-city-sanctioned Concerned Neighbors of Bradenton Beach meetings.

In November, Nicholas ruled the city was entitled to recover

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

Shown here during the trial in July, Sunshine Law lawsuit defendant Reed Mapes is alleged to have violated Florida law regarding mediation confidentiality. A fee award hearing has been scheduled before Judge Edward Nicholas on Wednesday, April 29. attorneys’ fees and costs from the defendants, but he did not issue a ruling at that time as to what the recovery amount would be.

Nicholas later ordered the parties to participate in a mandatory mediation session and the parties agreed on Bonnie Marmor as the mediator.

As of Tuesday, Feb. 18, the city had incurred $477,062 in attorneys’ fees and costs, according to City Treasurer Shayne Thompson.

Watrous’ motion notes all parties who attended the Jan. 13 mediation session were advised by the mediator to keep the details of that session confidential and that any proposed settlement offer would have to be discussed with and accepted or rejected by the Bradenton Beach City Commission.

Watrous’ motion cites Florida Statute 44.405, which says, “Except as provided in this section, all mediation communications shall be confidential. A mediation participant shall not disclose a mediation communication to a person other than another mediation participant or a participant’s counsel. A violation of this section may be remedied as provided by s.

44.406. If the mediation is courtordered, a violation of this section may also subject the mediation participant to sanctions by the court, including, but not limited to, costs, attorney’s fees and mediator’s fees.”

According to the motion, the mediator contacted Watrous on Jan. 14 – the day after the mediation session – to facilitate communication of a new settlement offer. Watrous then communicated with Shults, who in turn relayed

Except as provided in this section, all mediation communications shall be confidential.”

Florida Statute 44.405 mediation-related information to his client and the co-defendants who no longer retain the services of their own attorneys.

Watrous’ motion states that on Feb. 10, he sent Shults the city’s written response to the settlement offer Shults tendered on Jan. 14.

Watrous’s motion does not indicate what the city’s response was.

“At present, the defendants have not responded to that offer,” Watrous’ motion states.

On Thursday, Feb. 20, City Attorney Ricinda Perry told city commissioners the city had not yet received a response from the defendants.

If the parties can’t reach a settlement, Nicholas will eventually be asked to determine how much the defendants are to reimburse the city and its taxpayers. The parties are scheduled to appear before Nicholas again on Wednesday, April 29, for a three-hour hearing pertaining to the award and amount of attorney fees.

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Dock walkway plans scrapped The installation of a BBPD boat lift remains the top priority.

JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – The Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is abandoning, for now at least, its preliminary plans to install a walkway and dock system between the floating dock at the Bridge Street Pier and the city-owned dinghy dock near the foot of the pier boardwalk.

This decision was reached at an emergency CRA meeting on Monday, Feb. 17, and discussed again with the city commission on Thursday, Feb. 20.

During the emergency CRA meeting, City Attorney Ricinda Perry said a Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) representative told her on Friday, Feb. 14, that the state agency was unlikely to issue the city a new submerged land lease if the request included an expanded dinghy dock and a walkway that also provided additional public dockage. Perry said FDEP was ready to cancel city’s cur-

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

The Bradenton Beach CRA hoped to install a walkway that would connect the shoreline dinghy dock and the floating dock at the Bridge Street Pier. rent request for a new submerged land lease as currently proposed.

In the works for two years, a new submerged land lease is needed to replace the existing submerged land lease the city holds for the Bridge Street Pier. The new submerged land lease is needed

FAMILY-OWNED SINCE 1983

to install a police department boat lift on the north side of the pier and finger docks that would extend off the floating dock on the south side of the pier.

Perry said removing the additional components from the submerged land lease request would allow the permit-

ting process to continue as needed for the boat lift and finger docks.

Perry said the existing and aging dinghy dock can still be replaced, as long as its replacement is located in the same dock footprint.

Perry said the CRA could still pursue the connecting walkway concept in the future through a separate FDEP permitting process if so desired.

CRA chair Ralph Cole said the immediate priority is to get the boat lift installed so the police boat can be more effectively used to patrol the unmanaged waters south of the pier. Those waters are home to several liveaboard boaters. The boat lift will also allow the police department to respond more quickly to an emergency situation. The police boat is currently stored on a trailer at police department headquarters and must be taken to a boat ramp to be placed in the water.

As part of the FDEP permitting process, Perry also needs to acquire a riparian rights easement and a reciprocal setback waiver from the Jackson family that owns the Pines Trailer Park just north of the pier. According to Perry, the Jacksons have expressed a willingness to enter into these agreements.

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OPINION

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

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

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

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

ON THE AGENDA

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

THE SUN

FRIDAY FEB. 28

ANNA MARIA

NOTE: EVENTS ARE FREE UNLESS INDICATED.

For information, call 941-708-6130 Feb. 27, 5 p.m. – City Commission work session, sign ordinance Feb. 27, 6 p.m. – City Commission meeting March 4, 10 a.m. – Historic Preservation Board meeting March 12, 2 p.m. – City Commission special meeting

WEDNESDAY

10005 GULF DRIVE

BRADENTON BEACH 107 GULF DRIVE N.

For information, call 941-778-1005 March 4, 9:30 a.m. – Community Redevelopment Agency meeting March 4, 2 p.m. – Scenic WAVES meeting March 5, 6 p.m. – City Commission meeting March 10, 9 a.m. – City Commission work meeting

HOLMES BEACH 5801 MARINA DRIVE

March 4, 10 a.m. – Parks and Beautification Committee meeting March 4, 6 p.m. – Planning Commission meeting March 10, 6 p.m. – City Commission meeting with work session to follow

ISLAND-WIDE

March 11, 2 p.m. – Coalition of Barrier Island Elected Officials meeting, Holmes Beach City Hall

FEB. 26

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

Coloring Club, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, noon.

Beginner ukulele class, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 1:45 p.m.

Ukulele class, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 3 p.m.

THURSDAY FEB. 27

Veteran services information, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 9 a.m.

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

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

Sailor Valentine, The Folk School, Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119th St. W., Cortez, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., $38.

Friends Lecture and Travel Series, Michael Ivankovich. "25 Categroies Guaranteed to Disappoint When Selling Your Household Stuff," Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m.

Rummage sale, St. Bernard Catholic Church, 248 S. Harbor Drive, Holmes Beach 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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

Mahjong, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 11:30 a.m.

Little Known African American History, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m.

Sunset drum circle, Manatee Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, 5 to 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY FEB. 29

Saturday at the NEST, Robinson Preserve, Mosaic NEST, 840 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 8 a.m. to noon.

CPR Training, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 9 a.m. to noon. Reserve to 941-778-6341.

Rummage sale, St. Bernard Catholic Church, 248 S. Harbor Drive, Holmes Beach 9 a.m. to noon.

SUNDAY MARCH 1

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

Rise and Shine Power Flow Yoga, Robinson Preserve, Mosaic NEST, 840 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 10:30 a.m., $10 cash only. Reserve to aedan.stockdale@ mymanatee.org.

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Wyndbreakers Celtic Band, Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 3 p.m. Doors open at 2 p.m.

TUESDAY MARCH 3

Farmers Market, City Pier Park, 100 N. Bay Blvd. Anna Maria, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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

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

Mahjong, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 11:30 a.m.

Duplicate bridge, Episcopal Church of the Annunciation, 4408 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, 12:15 p.m.

Movies in the Park, City Pier Park, 100 N. Bay Blvd. Anna Maria, 6:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 4

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

Alzheimer’s Association caregiver support group, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 1 p.m.

Ukulele class, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 3 p.m.

SEE CALENDAR, PAGE 26

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

Towing in effect at former Shell Land property Shell Land recently closed after 26 years in business.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@ amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – Those who park at the former Shell Land property at 301 Gulf Dr. S. now do so at the risk of being towed.

On Thursday afternoon, Feb. 20, a message appeared on the Anna Maria Moose Lodge #2188 Facebook page that contained the headline “Warning!

Shell Land is Towing” and an illustration of a car being towed.

“The new owner of the former Shell Land property has advised that she will commence towing vehicles from their parking lot commencing today. Please refrain from parking in their lot, as you will be subject to being towed with

a significant cost to retrieve your vehicle,” the Facebook message said.

The words “Fraternally, AMI Moose Lodge 2188” appear at the bottom of the message.

A few minutes later, local real estate agent Sherry Grooms reposted the same message at the separate and unofficial Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge 2188 members’ Facebook page.

Grooms’ post included an additional message that said, “Now you know.”

A visit to the 301 Gulf Dr. S. property Thursday afternoon revealed 14 cars parked in the old Shell Land parking lot where a Matt’s Express Towing and Recovery sign states, “Unauthorized vessels or vehicles will be towed at the owner’s expense 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

A handwritten note taped to the Shell Land door says, “After 26 years in business,

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

Parking at the former Shell Land property may now result in your vehicle getting towed. we are sorry to announce that Shell Land has closed its doors. Thank you to each and every guest over the years – we appreciate your business, entertainment and laughs. You can find us at the Green Turtle, 701 Gulf Dr. N., next to Wicked Cantina.”

The note is signed “The Shell Land Girls.”

When contacted, a former Shell Land manager said Shell Land never had a parking agreement with the Moose lodge, but if the store wasn’t busy, they’d let Moose members park there.

As of Monday, The Sun could not confirm whether the Shell Land property was recently sold or if there’s a new female owner as referenced in the Facebook posts shared by the Moose lodge and Grooms.

The Manatee County Property Appraiser website still lists Victor Dessberg and unnamed others as the property owner and official records posted at the Manatee County Clerk of the Court website do not indicate a recent sale of the property.

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ELLENTON 1525 51st Ave East 941.721.7773

BRIDGE ST. PIER Bradenton Beach 941.778.AMOB (2662)

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

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Gulf Drive lane closure completed The two-day lane closure was completed on Wednesday, Feb. 19.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – Motorists in and around Bradenton Beach experienced two days of incredibly heavy traffic last week due in part to a temporary lane closure on Gulf Drive.

Necessitated by Manatee County’s force main pipeline replacement project, the lane closure occurred near Fifth Street South and Sixth Street South, south of the Bridge Street roundabout, on Tuesday, Feb. 18 and Wednesday, Feb. 19.

At 3:50 p.m. that Tuesday, Ogden Clark III, strategic affairs manager for the Manatee County Public Works Department, pro-

vided The Sun with an email update that said, “Due to soil compaction issues and a focus on safety, crews will have to suspend their work on the manhole at Fifth Street South this evening. The crews will resume work again first thing in the morning while implementing the one lane traffic diversion.

We expect this work to be completed sometime tomorrow. Once completed, traffic will return to the previous two-lane traffic diversion format.”

At 2:28 p.m. the following day, Lt. John Cosby from the Bradenton Beach Police Department said, “I talked to the county’s project manager and they are telling us that they’re running into issues so they are expecting it to be done between six and seven o’clock tonight. The traffic backups and bottlenecks are like what we see during a major holiday like Easter, Memorial Day or Labor Day.”

Cosby said Manatee Avenue was backed up to 67th Street in Bradenton at one point that day and Cortez Road was backed up to the fire station near the Cortez Clam Factory.

With the lane closure no longer in effect, traffic flowed much smoother on Thursday – although traffic traveling north from Longboat Key and Coquina Beach grew heavier as the day progressed.

COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR’S COMMENTS

At 8:35 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20, County Administrator Cheri Coryea responded to an email county commissioners received from a constituent Coryea referred to as ‘Ms. LaRose.’

“We clearly sensed your frustration, questions and concerns. At 9 p.m. last night we completed the portion of sewer work in the Bradenton Beach area that required a onelane flagging operation on Gulf Drive that was unexpected but required

due to a manhole issue. Two lanes are now open again,” Coryea wrote.

“You’re right, sewer projects are traditionally planned during off-season and we have not scheduled any new work outside of the current project. Keeping in mind water and sewer projects are quality of life issues that Manatee County must address, they many times occur during the worst possible moments and are regularly disruptive. We do regret that and want you to know we don’t intentionally plan to disrupt your life and business. Your observations are well-taken and will be considered as a way to better communicate with the public directly,” Coryea wrote.

“I would also agree that we were unaware that Sarasota County and the city of Sarasota would also be dealing with an issue that has greatly impacted the southern portion of Gulf Drive and Longboat Key, minimizing the ability to easily use that way to enter and exit Gulf Drive to the south.

We’ve now learned and will do better at planning and communicating with each other,” Coryea said in her email to LaRose.

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

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WMFR commissioners review 2019 results WMFR commissioners recapped 2019 and promoted two of their own during their Feb. 18 meeting.

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

BRADENTON – West Manatee Fire Rescue’s February commission meeting started out on a happy note as two of their own were promoted, a new staff member was welcomed and a team received chief ’s coins for their work in the community.

Kicking the meeting off, commissioners welcomed new administrative assistant Andrea Berggren, who took the oath of office and was greeted personally by each commissioner.

Continuing the festivities, WMFR leaders recognized Chad Brunner and Tyler MacDonald who were elevated to the rank of captain. MacDonald’s son was even on-hand to pin his father’s badge on his uniform.

The non-transit advanced life support team of firefighters Frank Agresta and John Balzer, along with Lt. John Stump, were presented with chief ’s coins by Administrative Battalion Chief Jay Johnson for going above and beyond in their service to the community. Johnson said he’d spoken with a woman whose husband was having a hard time entering their Island home and had fallen. The firefighters showed up to help the man up and then they returned to the fire station to build a step to make it easier for him to access his home without falling down. Johnson said he’d received

KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN

New administrative assistant Andrea Berggren takes the oath of office.

KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN

Battalion Chief Rich Jasinski congratulates the newly promoted Captain Chad Brunner. Right, Newly promoted Captain Tyler MacDonald has his captain’s badge pinned on by his son, Benny. many thanks and compliments from the man’s wife for the actions of the firefighters.

Once the festivities were over, commissioners moved on to other business, including discussions concerning the district’s new administrative home.

In January, commissioners were presented with the opportunity to purchase an additional piece of land complete with a shell building in a commercial area near Blake Medical Center. Commissioner Randy Cooper reported to his fellow commissioners during the February meeting that he had viewed the property and didn’t recommend pursuing the purchase, stating that he felt it doesn’t meet the district’s needs.

In 2019, commissioners purchased a large commercial lot located behind the Fountain Court Shopping

Center off of Manatee Avenue and have already engaged the services of an architecture firm to help plan the new building.

Commissioner George Harris said that he would like the district’s leaders to keep all of their options open for the moment. Commissioner Al Robinson said he was disappointed that his fellow commissioners had dismissed the possibility of purchasing the other lot with the shell building, saying he felt it could save the district money in the long run when weighed against the expense of new construction.

During the meeting, commissioners voted four to one with Robinson dissenting to accept a contract for construction manager at risk with Creative Contractors Inc. for the new administration building. The contract grants Creative Contrac-

tors payment of 5.5% of the actual cost of work for the construction of the new administration building and includes a bond percentage of 0.81% with 0.82% of construction costs going to insurance.

“It’s been great working with them so far,” Chief Ben Rigney said.

There’s no timetable set yet for construction on the new administration building.

Commissioners also reviewed the 2019 annual report.

Johnson presented the annual report, stating that it reflects the district’s purchase of new air packs and the launch of non-transport ALS service at all three district fire stations. He said the district had a 3% increase in calls in 2019 with 67% of those being medical calls. He added that there were 45 fire incidents that WMFR firefighters responded to in 2019, including 14 building fires.

He said the district’s response time improved 27 seconds over the previous year.

Community members are invited to review the annual report online at www.wmfr.org.

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THE SUN

www.amisun.com

Adopt-A-Spot relaunches in Holmes Beach Locals are invited to adopt one of several spots in Holmes Beach to help beautify the community.

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

HOLMES BEACH – Members of the city’s parks and beautification committee met Feb. 20 at city hall to finalize the newly relaunched Adopt-A-Spot program to get community members and businesses involved in beautifying the city.

The group approved a new AdoptA-Spot agreement and finalized which spots in the city will be available for adoption. The spots include: • Nun’s Way Park at 100 83rd St.; • Memorial Park and boat ramp at 6398 Marina Way; • Basketball court at 460 62nd St.; • Green space at the intersection of 58th St. and Gulf Drive;

• Prince Park at 121 52nd St.; • Green space near the intersection of Fourth Ave. and 39th St.; • Magnolia Pedestrian Park at 38th St. between Fourth and Fifth Ave.; • Green space at 37th St. between Fifth Ave. and Gulf Drive.

To adopt one of these spots, adopters are asked to maintain landscaping at the park or green space area for a period of two years or hire a landscaper to do the work. Committee members are working on a list of preferred landscaping plants and trees for each spot. Some of the larger spots, including Prince Park and Memorial Park and boat ramp, will require some work by the city’s public works department before an adopter can take over the maintenance of the area.

For more information, or to adopt a spot, contact committee member Susan Anderson at 407-415-2678 or email susan0507@gmail.com.

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

THE SUN

13

Special magistrate hears code cases During the first Holmes Beach code compliance hearing of 2020, four cases were heard by the special magistrate.

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

HOLMES BEACH – Four cases came in front of special magistrate Michael Connolly Feb. 19, including one repeat offender.

The first case concerned work without a permit and a davit that was constructed on top of a city drainage pipe at 652 Key Royale Drive.

Code Compliance Officer James Thomas presented the case with testimony from City Engineer Lynn Burnett.

Thomas said the davit was built too close to the property line and was installed without obtaining a permit from the city’s building department. Burnett added that the concrete pad that the davit is on and the davit itself are constructed on a storm water/drainage easement and on top of a storm water outfall pipe that is collapsing from the additional weight. She recommended that the davit and concrete pad be removed within the next six months to allow for much needed repairs to the pipe.

During the hearing it was revealed by building department clerk Angie Birdwell that a permit for demolition of the davit had been issued on Feb. 10 and is good for 180 days.

Connolly ruled that the property owner has 180 days from the permit date to removed the davit and has to pay $127.24 in hearing costs. An additional $250 per day fine may be assessed if the property owner does not come into compliance within the recommended time.

KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN

Attorney Michael Connolly, serving as Holmes Beach special magistrate, hears arguments from Code Compliance Officer James Thomas while property owner Mohamed Walliagha prepares his rebuttal.

Repeat advertising offender Mohamed Walliagha was next on the docket for advertising his R-1 rental property as a vacation rental with higher than allowed occupancy.

Thomas presented the case, stating that advertising for the property at 515 75th St. allows for rentals of up to 16 people in the seven-bedroom property and for a period of less than the 30 day minimum allowed in the R-1 residential district. Under the city’s ordinances, rental units are allowed a maximum occupancy of two people per bedroom or a total of six, whichever is greater, capping Walliagha’s property at a maximum occupancy of 14.

This is the second time Walliagha has been brought before Connolly during a special magistrate hearing for advertising violations. The first time was Sept. 11, 2019, when Connolly ruled in the city’s favor, ordering the property owner to bring his advertising into

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compliance with the city’s ordinances. Thomas said that while the advertising did come into compliance for awhile after the special magistrate hearing, Walliagha began listing the property on vacation rental sites VRBO, Home Away and Flip Key in December 2019 again in violation of the city’s ordinances. Thomas asked for Walliagha to pay $127.24 in fees along with a $250 per day fine for days the advertising was out of compliance from Dec. 19, 2019 to Jan. 30, 2020.

Walliagha argued that his advertising was on a three-month hold with the websites and was reactivated after that time without his notice. He also stated that since the property is his primary home and is homesteaded, he does not have to adhere to the city’s ordinances concerning rentals in the R-1 district. Thomas argued that the property is listed with all seven SEE CODE, PAGE 29

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Heritage Day coming to Island museum March 7 The Anna Maria Island Historical Society will hold its annual Heritage Day Festival on Saturday, March 7, in the Historical Park, 402 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will feature demonstrations of early settlers' crafts including beekeeping, wool spinning, candle making, woodworking, soap making, jam and jelly making, rug making, quilt making and pine needle basket weaving.

In addition to the demonstrations, there will be games for children, and an authors’ corner. Mike Sales will provide music, and the Anna Maria Island Privateers will make an appearance.

A strawberry shortcake stand will be a new addition to the event. It will replace the herb and vegetable sales.

BBQ and refreshments will be sold.

The museum will be open for tours.

The event is co-sponsored by the AMI Sun.

FILE PHOTOS

Settlers Bread and local honey are popular items at the Heritage Day festival.

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

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15

Bortell’s Lounge poised for a comeback The renovated Bortell’s Lounge will include a kitchen.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – Extensive renovations will soon take place at Bortell’s Lounge and the popular Anna Maria watering hole is expected to reopen as early as June.

Located at 10002 Gulf Drive, Bortell’s Lounge closed after its husband and wife owners, Steve Rose and Marci Wilhelm, were involved in a plane crash in South Carolina in 2018. Wilhelm was seriously injured in the crash and the pilot and co-pilot were killed when the private jet they were flying in went off the runaway and crashed after landing.

“We’re both getting back to normal, as normal as we can. We would have been open a long time ago but the plane crash took us out of the game for a year; and right after that my dad got brain cancer and we brought him back to the Island and put everything else on hold,” Rose said when speaking by phone on Sunday.

Rose said he was out of town last week and didn’t know the Shoreline Builders’ permit box had been affixed to the building

DOUG COPELAND | SUBMITTED

The Shoreline Builders’ permit box was affixed to the Bortell’s building last week. Security fencing is now in place in preparation for the pending renovations. until several friends texted him about it. Security fencing was also installed last week.

“We’re doing a full renovation of the building. It had not been renovated in 40 years. We needed electrical, plumbing and a new roof. I like to say we needed one of everything and two of some things. The i’s are dotted, the t’s are crossed and the permits are filtering in. Hopefully we’ll be open in four to four-and-a-half months. We’re shooting for June,” Rose said.

“The day we shut it down, we yanked out the memorabilia and old stuff that’s been

hanging on the walls for 40 years. We got it to an offsite location and secured it. We’ll bring a lot of that stuff back,” he explained.

Rose said Bortell’s occasionally opened for customer appreciation days during the extended temporary closure.

“We’d just fling open the doors and serve drinks, but I can’t even remember the last time we did that,” he said.

“We’re doing a top-quality job and it’ll look great when it’s done,” Rose said, noting there will be at least one significant addition.

“I’m putting a kitchen in, but I don’t know what we’re doing with the kitchen yet.

When you spend this kind of money on a rebuild you do it for best possible use – so best possible use does have a kitchen,” he said. “The only food we served since we owned it was the free hot dogs during football on Sundays and that will continue.”

Bortell’s will also continue the no-smoking policy implemented in 2015.

“That worked out really well for us,” Rose said.

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

A change of genders at Island Players The Island Players, winners of the 2020 AMI Chamber Non-Profit of the Year Award and The AMI Sun’s Reader’s Choice Award, will present “Leading Ladies,” by Ken Ludwig, from March 5 to 22. Ludwig has twice won the Olivier Award and the Tony Award and has written more than 28 plays and musicals including the popular “Lend Me A Tenor” and “Moon Over Buffalo.”

“Leading Ladies” is about Jack and Leo, two down-on-their-luck English Shakespearean actors. Learning that a nearby wealthy woman is searching for her sister’s children to include in her will, they decide to pose as those individuals. But when they discover that long lost “Max” and “Steve” aren’t nephews but nieces, they must continue their plot, now posing as “Maxine” and “Stephanie” for a chance at the multi-million dollar inheritance.

The cast, directed by Kelly Wynn Woodland and assisted by Stage

Manager Denise Handley, includes five actors new to the Island Player’s stage: Caitlin Spain-Phipps as Meg, Andrew Allen as Leo, Mikey Lynch as Jack, Sarah De Young as Audrey and Philip Troyer as Butch. The remaining three actors who often grace the Island Players’ stage are Mark Woodland as Duncan, Laura Morales as Florence and Rick Kopp as Doc. The Off-Stage Ladies co-produce this hilarious comedy. Tickets are $23 and are available for purchase now. The box office is open Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and one hour before each show. For more information, visit the Island Players’ website at www.theislandplayers.org or call the box office at 941 778-5755. The Island Players Theater is located at 10009 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria. Shows run Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. with a matinee on Sundays at 2. p.m.

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FILE PHOTO

Local artist Robert Johnson displays two of his pieces depicting Florida wildlife and views at Springfest in 2019.

Art comes to city field Holmes Beach’s city field will be home to this year’s 32nd Annual Springfest fine arts and crafts festival on March 7 and 8. Artists and craft professionals from all over the United States will gather to compete in the juried art show and offer some of their wares to the public for purchase.

Live music will be onstage on Saturday, March 7 with Koko Ray and Karma playing from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ed Straight of Wildlife Inc. will be on-hand with some of his rescued birds to answer questions and educate attendees on local wildlife. Local historical and environmental groups

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will be exhibiting, providing information about their organizations. A raffle also will be held for pieces of artwork donated by festival exhibitors. Tickets will be available on-site for $1 each or six for $5. You do not need to be present to win.

Springfest is free to the public with hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days. The festival is a fundraiser for the Anna Maria Island Art League. The league is seeking volunteers to help out both days at Springfest. For more information or to volunteer, contact the league at 941-7782099 or email artleagueami@gmail.com.

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

Bunny & Pirates adds to their bounty Bunny & Pirates Bazaar offers a little bit of everything to those who come aboard

AND THAT’S NOT ALL…

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

CORTEZ – The expanded business operations at Bunny & Pirates Bazaar now include Skullywags Coffee Bar and Marketplace.

The coffee bar and marketplace recently joined the live music, beer and wine service, and gift and souvenir sales that have been the staples of the eclectic business that life partners and business partners Elizabeth Shore and Jeffrey O’Connell operate at 12404 Cortez Rd. W. in Cortez.

On Jan. 31, Bunny & Pirates Bazaar celebrated the grand opening of the coffee bar and marketplace named after a beloved family member.

“We lost my brother-in-law, Tim ‘Skully’ Quinlan, a couple years ago and this is our way of honoring him,” Shore said.

“Our coffee beans are 100% Arabica from Brazil freshly roasted to order in Ybor City and then delivered to my doorstep. There’s no warehousing, so it’s always fresh, smooth and delicious,” Shore said.

“We soft-opened the coffee bar a while back and we were working out how that would work with the pub. I’m

STACI WILKINSON | SUBMITTED

Virginia Sportelli, Staci Wilkinson and Shannon Breanne were among the first locals to enjoy a cup of coffee when Skullywags Coffee Bar had its soft opening in late 2019. doing keto breakfasts, we have ‘grab and go’ breakfast sandwiches, yogurt, parfaits and fresh bagels, muffins and croissants, depending on what’s available that day,” Shore said.

The marketplace was originally part of the business Shore and O’Connell which opened in 2018, but Mother Nature had other plans.

“When the pub was a month and half old, I was just starting to build up the convenience store and it was doing well. But when the red tide hit, business was dead. The capital I planned to use for growing the business was used

instead to pay the lease and the electric bills,” Shore explained.

“The marketplace has Boar’s Head meats and cheeses, vegetables, crackers and snacks, salads and more. We also have eggs, milk, juice, flour, rice, cans of tuna, toilet paper and things like that. It’s just the basics, but the basics done right. It’s a great convenience for the neighborhood and we have great daytime offerings for people headed to and from the Island and the beaches,” Shore said.

“About two months ago, we started doing a one-item menu in the evenings called ‘What’s for Dinner?” It’s like coming to our house for dinner and it’s really starting to get some momentum.

We’ll serve one item and an appetizer with it. We’ve done a Hawaiian beef burrito with pineapple coleslaw, a BLT with tomato soup and we’ve done chicken tacos. Now we have people calling and saying ‘what’s for dinner tonight’?” Shore said.

Bunny & Pirates features live music on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and an open mic night with Erin McCarthy on Mondays.

Skullywags opens daily at 8 a.m. and Bunny & Pirates remains open until 10 p.m. on weekdays and until 11 or 11:30 p.m. on weekends.

“If we have a crowd, we’ll stay later,” Shore said, noting the entire business is closed on Sundays.

And there’s the gift store.

“Our gift store has some of your traditional souvenirs, but there’s also the one-of-a-kind finds because that’s where the pirating comes in. We’re always looking for something unique.

It’s a great place to find last-minute gifts or something special you want for your house. And we’re really starting to build up the stuff we get from our local artists,” Shore said.

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

TOM VAUGHT | SUN

Back to the ‘50s Third-graders from Anna Maria Elementary School performed “Jukebox Time Machine” on Tuesday, Feb.11, following the PTO Dinner, sponsored by Isola Bella Italian Eatery. Before the play, third-grade teacher Karen Paul received a bouquet of flowers for her 35 years of service at the school.

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Young ladies blossom at Princess Ball The Anna Maria Elementary School auditorium was transformed into a wonderland Thursday night for the annual Princess Ball as the ladies wore fancy attire and danced with their dates, mostly fathers. A DJ played the tunes and kept the program interesting. There were cupcakes and popcorn for those who worked up a hunger, and a good time was had by all.

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

FOOD & WINE

THE SUN

21

Fish and chips had a humble beginning Gerard Jesse SEAFOOD SHACK MARINA, BAR & GRILL

W

hen one hears the words fish and chips, the majority of people immediately think of England. The English consistently still fight over whether the north or the south came up with this mouthwatering combination. In order for anyone to be able to make a decision on who started it first, all the facts must be presented.

Let us begin with the story of the oh so good chip, which dates to the early 17th century somewhere between France and Belgium, depending upon whose story you agree with. When the rivers would freeze over and fish weren't being caught, innovative housewives would shape potatoes to look like fish and fry them. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

The chip started out as the entrée, as opposed to the accompaniment which we know it as today. During this same time period, fried fish was being introduced to Britain from refugees coming from Spain and Portugal. During those times, fried fish in Britain was being served with baked potatoes or bread. Being tough times, fried fish was a once a week treat for those who could afford it and often eaten after a late night at the pub.

Still to this day, the controversy of who was credited for opening the

first fish and chip stand comes down to two people. John Lees was said to have started selling the delicacy of fried fish around 1863 at Mossley Market in Lancashire, England. The other was a Jewish immigrant by the name of Joseph Malin serving out of East London around 1860.

So now the question is, "Where did the newspaper wrapping come from?" Given that money was very tight, costs were kept down by wrapping the fish in old newspaper. This traditional method was ruled unsafe in the 1980s due to the ink in the paper touching the food. Now they are typically served in a basket or wax coated paper.

At the Seafood Shack, we serve our fish and chips in wax coated paper that looks exactly like a newspaper in order to keep with tradition.

Fish and chips have not only been a staple during war times but have also created generations of memories.

Due to increasing fish prices, sustainability and other fast food items, fish and chips are not everyone’s first choice anymore.

We are proud to say that fish and chips are one of Seafood Shack’s best sellers. Our batter recipe remains the same, but the fish we use can change weekly based upon what is caught by our local fishermen. Always keep in mind the result of good fish and chips is a light and crispy batter and a fresh piece of fish. No exceptions. With sustainability awareness rising, I foresee that many generations will enjoy this old tradition for many years to come.

Happy frying.

www.TheFeastRestaurantAMI.com

Fish and chips were created in England in the 1800s.

Fish and Chips Ingredients

• 4 snapper or sheepshead fillets, fresh • Salt • ½ tsp. granulated garlic • 1 tsp. onion powder • 6 oz. all-purpose flour, plus 2 tbsp.

• 1 tsp. baking powder • 8 oz. light beer, cold • Lard • 1 1/2 lb.russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch wedges (we prefer skin on)

Method

1. Season both sides of the fish filets with salt and pepper and dredge in 2 tbsp. of flour. Set aside while you make the batter.

2. Add the remaining 6 oz. of flour, 1 tsp. salt, granulated garlic, onion powder and baking powder to a large shallow bowl.

SUBMITTED

3. While whisking, slowly pour in the beer until there are no lumps and it is the thickness of thin pancake batter. For best results, batter should be cold.

4. Add the oil to a high-sided, heavy pan to 1/3 full with lard and bring up to a temperature of 375°F. 5. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and place in a 275°F oven.

6. Coat 1 fish filet in the batter and hold up to drain off excess.

7. Holding the fish at one end, slowly add the fish to the oil. Hold it with most of it submerged for about 3-4 seconds so it does not sink to the bottom and stick.

8. Submerge the whole fish and fry for 4-5 minutes, turning halfway until golden brown.

9. Drain and put on the wire rack in the oven. Repeat with the other fillets.

10. While the fish is in the oven, turn down the heat under the oil until the temperature of the oil reaches 350°F. 11. Add the chips and fry, turning often about 8 minutes until golden brown. Season with salt. Drain and serve with the fish. Best served with tartar sauce or cocktail sauce.

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THE SUN

OUTDOORS

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

Pulitzer Prize winning author to speak Reel Time RUSTY CHINNIS

O

n March 8,Suncoast Waterkeepers (SWK), a local environmental group whose mission is to protect and restore the Florida Suncoast’s waterways through enforcement, fieldwork, advocacy and environmental education, will hold its annual fundraiser Brunch for The Bay at the Bradenton Yacht Club. The group uses the funds to advance its water quality enforcement and “Sick of Sewage” campaigns.

SWK has been effective in educating the public about man-made pollutants (stormwater and sewage) and enforcement with legal challenges to municipalities in Tampa Bay and surrounding waters. After a series of horrific sewage spills in 2016 despoiled Tampa Bay and other local waters, SWK and partners brought suit against the cities of St. Petersburg and Gulfport to stop serious and ongoing violations of the federal Clean Water Act. It focused its efforts on achieving four key goals for municipal wastewater systems: to de-politicize the issues by agreeing to court oversight of overdue infrastructure maintenance and improvements; to provide certainty via mandatory long-term commitments and deadlines; protect local waterways and to ensure public transparency along the way.

During the course of the hard-fought two-year litigation against St. Pete and

RUSTY CHINNIS | SUN

Nitrogen rich waters contribute to recurring red tide events that negatively impact our fisheries.

Gulfport, Suncoast Waterkeeper began investigating sewage spills in Sarasota County. The investigation of Sarasota County’s sewage system revealed a shocking pattern of longstanding, systematic infrastructure failures and disregard for public health and water quality in area waters. In a race to consolidate its far-flung sewage system, the county decommissioned two tertiary, or Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT), plants to better centralize its operations.

However, the remaining plants that it increasingly relied upon employed only secondary treatment, leaving billions of gallons of highly nitrogenated wastewater as a byproduct. At the

same time, demand for the reclaimed irrigation water from the county was disappearing as developers, in managing nitrogen in stormwater runoff, turned to less polluted options, such as well water or highly treated reclaimed water from the city of Sarasota.

To date, spills from the Bee Ridge facility have totaled over a billion gallons since 2013 on at least 394 separate days, adding over 65 tons of nitrogen into bay waters.Meanwhile, the extensive sewage collection system was deteriorating and poorly maintained in a piecemeal fashion, resulting in periodic spills of dangerous raw sewage throughout Sarasota County. In early 2019, the environmen-

tal groups initiated a federal lawsuit under the Clean Water Act. According to SWK’s lead attorney Justin Bloom, “To their credit, the Sarasota County Commission showed a willingness to immediately work towards a solution and to avoid protracted litigation.”

You can help support the group’s efforts and learn about its ongoing campaigns in Sarasota and Tampa Bay by attending the fundraising event. Not only will you be treated to a wonderful brunch at the scenic Bradenton Yacht Club, but you’ll hear a presentation by University of Florida History professor Jack Davis. Davis’s book, “The Gulf,” garnered numerous literary accolades including the Pulitzer Prize for history, the Kirkus Prize for non-fiction, was a finalist National Book Critics Circle Award (nonfiction) and was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, just to name a few.

I’ve lived here for close to 40 years and the book caused me to see the place I live with new eyes. I highly recommend it and this is a chance to get your own signed copy.

Suncoast Waterkeeper is a group that has earned the support of anyone that values and is willing to work to protect the amazing marine ecosystem surrounding our local islands, and that is vital to the region’s local economy.

Anglers, in particular, can learn how the group’s efforts are supporting an environment conducive to healthy fisheries, now and for future generations. Learn more at www.suncoastwaterkeeper.com. Tickets can be purchased at www.brunchforthebay.com.

I hope to see you there.

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

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23

CAPTAIN DAVE WHITE | SUBMITTED

11-year --old Julia Pauling, of Sarasota, shows off her sheepshead dinner caught with Captain David White, of Anna Maria Charters.

Winter fishing in Florida CAPTAIN DAVE WHITE

We’ve been lucky enough to have a couple nice days in the mix here and there. We here at Anna Maria Charters have been taking full advantage.

The waters are full of big sheepshead right now.

These tasty critters are great table fare and easily accessible to our anglers on our inshore, half day trips, with fish up to 22 inches being brought in.

The minimum size limit is 12 inches, so it’s nice when you don’t have to measure them.

We are still fishing the offshore ledges of hogfish when the weather allows it. We're catching porgys, mangrove snapper, and Key West grunts while targeting hogs. All of these fish are great eaters as well.

On the flat, clear days, we’ve been able to guide a few fly anglers to their first permit on fly. When conditions are right, we have a window of opportunity to make this happen. It looks like the winds pick back up this week. Winter seems to have come a little bit late this year, but we’re happy to see the necessary change for our fishery! Good luck out there.

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BEACH BEAT ANNA MARIA No new reports

BRADENTON BEACH No new reports

CORTEZ

No new reports

HOLMES BEACH

2020

2/12, DUI, 4300 Gulf Drive.

A driver called police to report a subject who was driving all over the road almost running into oncoming traffic. He hit a sign pole, and his mirror came off the car door. The officer found the car with the driver in it and asked the driver to get out of the car. The driver had trouble keeping his balance. The officer arrested the driver after he flunked the field sobriety test.

2/12, driving with a suspended license without knowledge, 3900, East Bay Drive. The officer found the defendant with the help of the license plate reader and

ticketed him.

2/12, driving with a suspended license with knowledge, 5300, Marina Drive. The officer found the defendant with the help of the license plate reader and arrested him.

2/13, driving with a suspended license with knowledge, 4500 Gulf Drive. The officer found the defendant with the help of the license plate reader and gave him a citation.

2/14, driving with no license with knowledge, 4000, Gulf Drive, Manatee Public Beach parking lot. The officer found the defendant with the help of the license plate reader and gave him a summons to appear when he could not provide a license, only

a Guatemalan passport without stamps of entry.

2/15, dog bite, 5000 block of 5th Avenue. The officer responded to the scene where two people were walking their black lab, and a pit bull attacked their dog and the owner of the black lab got bitten by the pit bull. Manatee County Animal Control was called to investigate.

2/17, driving with a suspended license without knowledge, 500, Manatee Ave. The officer found the defendant with the help of the license plate reader and ticketed her.

2/17, information, 300 block of 58th Street. The complainant said a Trump flag attached to his golf cart was torn in half.

Roser Concert Series 3:00 PM SUNDAY

Doors open at 2:00 Free-will offering

MARCH 1st

www.RoserChurch.com/Concert-Series

Wyndbreakers Celtic Band The musical duo Ennis and Craig celebrates the Celtic spirit with Irish and Scottish songs, ballads, stories, jokes, jigs and reels.

Self-described as two men with too many instruments: guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, fiddle, bodhran, flute, whistles, banjo, and spoons. Fine music for listenin’, dancin’, or gigglin’!

A NON DENOMINATIONAL CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY COMMUNITY CHURCH • 512 Pine Ave, Anna Maria [near Pier]

941-778-0414 • www.RoserChurch.com • Facebook @RoserChurch

SUNDAY WORSHIP • 8:30 AM and 10:00 AM 5:30 PM soul ourn Food & KidZone afterwards

J

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

ENTERTAINMENT

FAMILY FUN

At the Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach: • Wednesday, Feb. 26, Coloring Club, noon to 1 p.m., Beginner Ukulele Class, 1:45 to 2:45 p.m.; Ukulele Class, 3 to 4 p.m.

• Thursday, Feb. 27, Veterans Services will no longer be at the Island Branch Library. For information or to request an appointment call 941749-3030, ext. 3495; Seaside Quilters, 10 a.m. to noon; Friends Travel and Lecture Series, Michael Ivankovich, “25 categories guaranteed to disappoint when selling your household stuff,” 2 to 3 p.m.

• Friday, Feb. 28, Forty Carrots - Partners in Play, 10 to 11 a.m.; Mahjong Club, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Little known African American history, 2 to 4 p.m.

• Saturday, Feb, 29, CPR training, must preregister, 9 a.m. to noon • Tuesday, Feb. 18, Preschool story time, 10 to 11 a.m., Mahjong Club, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Tech help, 2 to 4 p.m.

For more information, call the library at 941-778-6341.

RUMMAGE SALE AT ST. BERNARD

St. Bernard Catholic Church, at 248 South Harbor Drive in Holmes Beach will host its two-day rummage sale on Friday, Feb. 28, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

and Saturday, Feb. 29, from 9 a.m. to noon.

The Church Activity Center will be stocked with items of all kind including clothing, accessories, jewelry, electronics, household goods, tools and more.

For more information, call the church at 941-778-4769.

CELTIC BAND IN CONCERT AT ROSER

Roser Community Church, at 512 Pine Ave. in Anna Maria presents Wyndbreakers Celtic Band in concert on Sunday, March 1, at 3 p.m. The musical duo of Ennis and Craig celebrates the Celtic spirit with Irish and Scottish songs, ballads, stories, jokes, jigs and reels.

They are self-described as "two men with too many instruments – guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, fiddle, bodhran, flute, whistles, banjo, and spoons that play fine music for listenin’, dancin,’or gigglin.'" Doors open at 2 p.m. A freewill offering makes it possible to bring these dynamic events.

For more information call the church office at 941-778-0414, email info@ roserchurch.com, @RoserChurch on Facebook or go to www.roserchurch. com/concert-series

BINGO IS ITS NAME-O

Enjoy bingo on Thursdays at Annie Silver Community Center, 103 23rd St. N., Bradenton Beach, from 7 to 9

THE SUN

p.m. through March 26. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. There is a raffle and a 50/50 drawing every evening. Coffee and soda are available along with homemade cake for sale at $1 per piece at the intermission. The public is invited.

WOMEN PRAY FOR PEACE

Join Church Women United of Manatee County to participate in the World Day of Prayer on Friday, March 6, from 10 to 11 a.m. at Rogers Community United Methodist Church, 1100 15th St. East, Bradenton. Church Women United is a racially, culturally, theologically inclusive Christian women’s movement, celebrating unity in diversity and working for a world of peace and justice.

Founded in 1941, Church Women United is an historic grassroots movement of women, which shares a vision of Christian unity and prayerful action.

PLANT SALE AT BOTANICAL PARK

Palma Sola Botanical Park’s annual Plants and More Sale on Saturday, March 14, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., features native and exotic plant vendors, as well as artisans in wood, pottery, textiles and jewelry. There will be barbecue, sweet treats and music. The park is at 9800 17th Ave. N.W., Bradenton. Vendors are wanted; phone 941-761-2866 or email palmasolabp@aol.com.

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GENEALOGICAL SEMINAR PLANNED

The Manatee Genealogical Society will host a special seminar on Wednesday, March 18, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Westminster Courtyard, 222 12th St. W. (Old Main St.), Bradenton.

The keynote speaker, Ray Maki, a member of the Manatee Genealogical Society and New York historian, will present "New York State Genealogy: Dealing with the Empire." Following the presentation there will be a Q & A period with the speaker and then a moderated open discussion period.

There is no charge for this seminar.

For more information, go to https:// mgsfl.org/ or www.facebook.com/ManateeGenealogicalSociety Email questions to info@mgsfl.org.

PRIVATEERS HOLD LAST MARKET

Don’t miss the last Anna Maria Island Privateers Thieves’ Market at Coquina Park’s south parking lot starting at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 14. This market by the beach offers dozens of concessionaires selling unique artwork, old and antique items, movies and music, household goods clothing and accessories and more. Food includes baked goods, barnacle burgers, scurvy dogs or walk the plank tacos. This is your final opportunity of the year to shop with pirates.

AWARD-WINNING HEALTH & BEAUTY PRODUCTS Best Oil-Based Tincture Best Topical Cream Best Nighttime Serum Water Solubles, Gel Caps, Gummies, Pet Products, Bath, Beauty, & more!

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THE SUN

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

Island Charms celebrates anniversary Island Charms celebrated its three-year anniversary on Friday, Feb. 14. Located in the Green Village at 501 Pine Ave., Suite A, in Anna Maria, Island Charms sells fine jewelry, everyday jewelry and local handmade jewelry.

Island Charms also offers home accents, local artwork, gifts and other keepsakes from Anna Maria Island.

“We’re looking forward to 2020. Someone once told me that growing a business is like a fine wine and that it takes time to mature. It definitely feels like we are improving with age,” Island Charms owner Lauren Collins said.

JAN MCFADDEN | SUBMITTED

Shell Point residents celebrate the Oscars The glamorously clad neighbors of Shell Point condominium in Holmes Beach gathered Sunday, Feb. 9, to celebrate the highest honors awarded in film making with an Oscar party.

The gaiety was hosted by Rosemary Mascioli.

LAUREN COLLINS | SUBMITTED

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

FRIDAY MARCH 6

FROM PAGE 7

THURSDAY MARCH 5

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

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

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

Mahjong, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 11:30 a.m.

Sunset drum circle, Manatee Public Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, 5 to 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY MARCH 7

Saturday at the NEST, Robinson Preserve, Mosaic NEST, 840 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 8 a.m. to noon.

Springfest arts and crafts show, Holmes Beach city field, 5901 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Dyeing with plant-based dyes, The Folk School, Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119th St. W., Cortez, 10 a.m., $38.

Ask a Master Gardener, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Guided Meditation with Sheryl, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 11 a.m.

Music on the Porch, Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119th St. W., Cortez, 2 p.m.

SUNDAY MARCH 8

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

Springfest arts and crafts show, Holmes Beach city field, 5901 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

TUESDAY MARCH 10

Farmers Market, City Pier Park, 100 N. Bay Blvd. Anna Maria, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

www.amisun.com

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THE SUN

REAL ESTATE

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

Florida’s in the tax driver’s seat I

t’s almost tax time again so why not talk again about Florida’s advantageous tax position and the influx of new residents.

I like to tie in our growing population with real estate sales statistics since it’s my opinion there’s a direct correlation between the two. I’ll also report the January sales in this column.

But first, its been two years since the new tax law was signed and we’re just starting to see the effects. Local economies and housing markets are motivating residents of high tax states to relocate to more taxfriendly states like Florida with no state income tax. Even though the tax overhaul resulted in many people experiencing lower taxes, homeowners in high tax states are being seriously hurt and when many of these high-end individuals move, it has a ripple effect on the economies of that state.

If you remember, part of the new law capped how much homeowners can subtract from their federal taxes for the payment of local property and income

Castles in the Sand LOUISE BOLGER taxes. The cap is set at $10,000 which, in states like New York, New Jersey and Illinois to name a few, is far below what most homeowners pay in property tax and state tax combined. The average property tax in the United States in 2018 was about $3,500 according to a national data real estate firm.

However, this is far below what much of the northeastern states pay in property tax. In Westchester County in New York State the average property tax was more than $17,000, the highest in the country.

In addition, the law also lowered the size of mortgages for which new buyers can deduct the interest to $750,000 from $1 million, just adding to the high tax and high

property value states’ misery.

Not everyone is moving because of taxes exclusively, some were considering a move already and many were near retirement and just needed a little push. Whatever the reason, Florida is one of the beneficiaries of the movement with increased sales and rising property values. These are the January sales statistics for Manatee County from the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee: Single family homes closed 22.4% more homes in January compared to last January. The median sale price was $329,500, an increase of 6.6%, and the average sale price was $420,775, an increase of 8.7%.

Condos closed 47.7% more properties this January compared to last year. The median sale price was $210,000, up 7.7%, and the average sale price was $236,687, down 1.8%.

An ongoing problem continues to be a lack of inventory, with 3.4 month’s supply for single family properties and 4.7 month’s

supply for condos. These numbers are either down double digits from last year or even. As the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee headline reads in its press release “Home Sales Out Pace Supply.” Not a great place to be.

For those who want to change your address to one in Florida, make sure you establish a legitimate residency. States are known to conduct residency audits to verify you’re really leaving their state.

This happens a lot when people own two homes in different states and want to move their residency. Florida wants you to get a driver’s license, obtain Florida license plates and auto insurance, file a declaration of domicile, apply for Florida homestead exemption, register to vote and open a bank account.

Floridians should get ready for this influx to continue. As with most changes there’s always a good and a bad aspect and we’re sure to experience both.

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

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THE SUN

CODE: Magistrate hears code cases FROM PAGE 13

bedrooms for rent and that he showed the advertisements to the property owner well in advance of the hearing date, stating that he’s been working with Walliagha for two to three years to bring the property into compliance.

Connolly ruled in the city’s favor, ordering Walliagha to pay a $250 fine along with $127.24 in fees.

The third and fourth cases concerned dilapidated structures, one at 3017 Avenue E and another at 605 Emerald Lane.

The Avenue E property, owned by 3015 Avenue E LLC, was deemed by Thomas to be a dilapidated and unsafe structure.

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said that the police officers had responded to the property Jan. 3, finding vagrants squatting on the property.

He said the vagrants were removed from the property and said that officers had attempted to contact the property owner to have it boarded up.

Thomas said since then the property had not been boarded up and was still open to the elements and

abandoned, though it appeared that someone had mowed the lawn. He asked for fees along with a $250 per day fine for everyday the property is not in compliance along with a $100250 per day fine for everyday the property remains out of compliance after the recommended 30 days to obtain a permit and 60 days to execute the permit to completion, including demolishing the structure, renovating it or presenting a plan to the building department for renovations. Thomas also noted that a permit had been pulled for the structure in 2019 that allowed for three units to be constructed inside the structure. He said it appeared that before work stopped at the property, five units were being constructed in violation of the permit.

The property owner was not present during the hearing.

Connolly ruled that the property owner has 30 days from the hearing date to obtain a permit from the building department and 60 days from the permit date to complete work or come back before the magistrate for an extension. He also granted the request to impose $127.24

KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer testifies Feb. 19 during one code compliance hearing before the special magistrate. in fees and a $250 per day fine if the property owner does not bring the structure into compliance.

The Emerald Lane property, currently owned by Stephanie Morris of Emerald8 LLC, was a bit of a different story. While Burnett said she inspected the property with Building Official Neal Schwartz and found it to be an unsafe structure, resident Tom

29

Sanger stepped up to say that he was currently in negotiations to purchase the property in an owner-financed transaction to allow for the repairs needed at the home.

Two neighboring property owners also stepped up to serve as witnesses as to the condition of the property, Peter O’Brien and Jim McIntire.

O’Brien said that he’s observed the property in its same, boarded up, dilapidated condition for over two years. McIntire said that he hopes the property can be sold to someone who will care for it and bring it up to the standards of the Key Royale neighborhood.

Connolly found in favor of the city, giving the current owner until March 6 to record a deed of sale or obtain a demolition permit. If a new owner is recorded for the property, that person has 30 days to obtain a permit and six months to complete renovations or come back before the magistrate to ask for an extension. He also assessed a $127.24 fee to the current owner and a $250 per day fine if his timeline for renovations or demolition is not met.

The next Holmes Beach special magistrate hearing will be held at 10 a.m. on March 18 at city hall, 5801 Marina Drive.

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THE SUN

Chamber members meet the board Chamber volunteer Fran Derr and Island Players volunteer Diane Phinney had to endure jokes about getting the memo about what to wear at the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce Business Card Exchange on Wednesday, Feb 19. At the Meet the Board event, members of the board of directors talked about their businesses and how the Chamber helps them. Many of them said they belonged to other area chambers also, but the appreciated the intimacy of the Anna Maria Island Chamber.

TOM VAUGHT | SUN

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

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PIER: Mayor provides update FROM PAGE 1

An optional meeting for interested bidders was scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 10:30 a.m.

“Interested parties who may have open questions remaining would probably attend,” Murphy wrote.

“The final submission date for the RFP is Tuesday, March 10 at 1 p.m.

The bids will be opened at that time, but only the name of the bidders will be disclosed. We will have 30 days to evaluate and rank the bids. Details of the bid contents are confidential during that evaluation process,” Murphy wrote.

When contacted Friday, Murphy said 14 parties have expressed interest or posed questions about leasing the pier buildings.

“There’s lots of interest out there.

That makes me feel good,” he said.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Upon request, Murphy shared a document containing written questions posed by potential tenants and the responses provided by the city. That document is referred to as Pier RFP Addendum #2 and it does not reveal the names of any potential bidders that posed questions.

In response to one question, the RFP addendum says there is no draft lease for potential tenants to review, but they can obtain a copy of the previous pier lease.

Current pier tenant Mario Schoenfelder’s lease expires in mid-December.

In January, the commission rejected his final offer to pay $8,000 in initial monthly base rent as part of a new 10year lease.

The addendum says it is negotiable as to whether the city will provide the pier tenant any allowance for the interior build-outs of the city-owned pier buildings.

According to the questions posed, here are the answers given: • The tenant will be required to obtain liability insurance for at least $2 million.

• The tenant is allowed to sell retail items and merchandise.

• Restaurant and bait shop patrons will have the shared use of the pier’s common areas.

• Hours of operation are negotiable.

• The bait shop can sell beer, the tenant’s ability to obtain a liquor license is negotiable and there is no city ordinance prohibiting liquor service on the pier.

• Live music in the outside common area is negotiable, as is the tenant’s ability to place additional outdoor seating in the common area at the pier’s T-end.

• Maintenance costs will be shared by the tenant and the city on a prorated basis, and those financial terms are negotiable.

• Regarding menu expectations or requirements, the addendum says, “Good quality food.”

• Regarding there being any city expectations or requirements for the restaurant’s name, the addendum says, “Yes – City Pier Restaurant, but negotiable.”

• The city prefers that breakfast be served but that is negotiable.

• The number of parking spaces provided to the tenant will depend on how many seats the tenant proposes.

• The city is unable to provide an estimate on the taxes and utilities to be paid by the tenant.

• The city is unable to provide data regarding the average number of pier visitors in past years.

• Potential bidders can request a tour of the pier and pier buildings with their own architect and/or builder.

TRAM: Discussions continue FROM PAGE 3

parking tram pilot program and for Perry to work with the merchants to define the functioning model of that program.

Chappie’s motion also called for City Engineer Lynn Burnett to provide engineering drawings and for Perry and Burnett to work with Lt. John Cosby and Public Works Director Tom Woodard on safety concerns and signage. That motion was adopted by a 7-0 vote.

The CRA members adopted a second motion by a 6-1 vote that directed Perry, Burnett and Cosby to work with Chappie to prepare a pilot program presentation to present to county officials. CRA member David Bell opposed that motion because he felt it was premature and more information is still needed.

MONDAY MEETING WITH MERCHANTS

On Monday, Feb. 24, Perry met with business owners and Bradenton Beach Area Merchants members Lynn Horne, Sherman Baldwin, Ryan Davis and Fred Bartizal.

“There is no option that they can identify for creating a pilot program that is sponsored by the merchants,” Perry said of that meeting. “Their concerns include cost, ADA compliance, construction activities by Manatee County and the ability to secure trams prior to the upcoming peak season.”

Perry said she will recommend the CRA issue request for proposals seeking a third party to operate a parking tram program on a trial basis if the members want to continue this pursuit.

32

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THE SUN

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

r u o MEET

BUILDERS at Music on Main

We've made it easy FOR YOU TO FIND YOUR PLACE IN LAKEWOOD RANCH Join us for a fun-filled evening during Music on Main, and meet all 21 of our homebuilders in one place! There’s never been a more convenient way to browse our incredible array of available homes and homebuilders. Plus, take advantage of special giveaways and builder incentives offered just for attendees of this special event.

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.com *Prices subject to change without notice. © 2020 Lakewood Ranch

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

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33

House fire extinguished in Anna Maria No one was injured in Wednesday’s house fire.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – On Wednesday, Feb. 19, West Manatee Fire Rescue (WMFR) responded to a house fire at 849 North Shore Drive.

According to Manatee County Property Appraiser records, the non-homesteaded house at 849 North Shore Dr. is owned by Frank Kane, who lists a Tampa mailing address.

According the WMFR fire report, “R138 arrived on scene to find a two-story, single-family residence with a light smoke condition. R138 was told by bystanders that the fire was in the rear of the building on the ground floor. They also said that everyone had been evacuated, the power had been secured and that the back windows had been broken by construction workers next door.

SARAH PARSONS | SUBMITTED

The fire damaged the rear, ground floor and some of those contents.

“R138 did a walk-around and found a smoke condition and high heat from the Charley side of the structure. R138 told E131 to stretch a pre-connect to the Delta side of the building. R138 then forced a door on the Delta side and made entry with a water can,” the fire report says.

“R138 found dark smoke and high heat throughout the ground floor. E131 arrived on scene and met us with a hose line. R138 found that the fire had mostly self-extinguished. R138 had firefighter Taylor and Inspector Adkins go to the floor above and check for heat and extension. R138 began overhaul and finished extinguishment,” the report says.

Anna Maria resident Charlie Trygg visited the property while the fire was being extinguished and he said he did not see any exterior damage to the front of the home.

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

B AY PA L M S 528 74th Street Victoria Sperounes 941-960-3773 A4446368 $2,625,000

NORTH POINT HARBOUR 609 N Point Drive Hannah Hillyard & George Myers 941-744-7358 A4455659 $1,190,000

H O L M E S B E AC H 517 77th Street Kathy Valente & Gregory Zies 941-685-6767 A4452504 $799,000

AC A D E M Y PA R K 5466 46th Court W 503 Jinny Scherer & Pam Blalock 941-705-0877 A4453381 $755,000

MARINA ISLE 8017 Marina Isles Lane Kate Enis & Stacy Haas 941-330-6068 A4439646 $3,999,000

EDGEWATER WALK ON HARBOUR ISLE 343 Compass Point Drive 201 Betsy Hagen 941-216-0721 A4450924 $559,900

SUMMER SANDS 1007 Gulf Drive N 111 Laura Rulon 941-896-2757 A4443268 $525,000

GLENN L AKES 5154 55th Street Circle W Leah Secondo & Adam Cuffaro 941-545-4430 A4455518 $439,000

L O N G B OAT K E Y E S TAT E S 532 Rountree Drive Malihe Karimi 941-376-5099 A4456564 $900,000

M A I N S A I L B E AC H I N N 107 66th Street 12 Kristi Berger & Deborah Capobianco 941-730-3801 A4452254 $875,000

H O L M E S B E AC H 101 66th Street 6 Kristi Berger & Deborah Capobianco 941-730-3801 A4452260 $600,000

T I DY I S L A N D 51 Tidy Island Boulevard Kathy Marshall 941-900-9777 A4440248 $599,000

C AY M A N C AY 4307 Gulf Drive 209 Jodene Moneuse 941-302-4913 A4452656 $329,000

RIVERSIDE POINT 5418 56th Court E Tyler Hardy 941-201-4574 A4457453 $612,400

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THE SUN

SPORTS

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

Sports action at The Center heating up

BY MONICA SIMPSON SPECIAL TO THE SUN

The recreational sports program at The Center is in full swing for Island area youth as well as the adults. The field and hard court at the community center are filled with volleyball, indoor soccer or flag football action.

In last Monday night’s adult volleyball matches, Solid Rock Construction retained its undefeated record by beating Sandbar and Ugly Grouper.

Ugly Grouper ended the week with a 0-4 record. Ugly Grouper and Bins Be Clean sit in the middle of the pack.

Youth flag football lit up the fields Tuesday night. Playing its seventh and final week of the regular season, Moss Builders came out on top with one defeat going into the playoffs in the eightto 10-year-old league.

HSH Designs and Diamond Turf are the second and third seed, respectively, with 4-2 records.

Diamond Turf went up against Beach Bums and finished with the W. In the win, QB Carson Clover had three throwing touchdowns. Clover found Maddox Culhane and Mason Moss as the receivers.

Culhane had one rushing TD to be matched by a running score by Clover.

Hayden Eurice was at the top of his game for Beach Bums, finishing the game with two catches for points and a running touchdown.

Dennis Gallagher worked behind the snap as the quarterback for the Beach Bums squad. Gallagher put two passing touchdowns in the statistics.

Beach Bums and Cool Today both won three of their six match-ups, while Rays Ramblings earned two victories in the regular season.

In the 11- to 13-year-old flag football league, Progressive Cabinetry and Solid Rock Construction sit one and two on the leader board. Slim’s Place is in third place with three wins and four losses. Ugly Grouper look for its first win in the season.

With a late bye week, MuniPlan currently is at the top of the 14- to 17-yearold league with a 5-1 record. Hashmark Sports plays this week and could even up the score with MuniPlan.

Killer Bait is in third with Ugly Grouper holding on to fourth with a single win. Gulf Drive Café is still fighting for win number one.

Week two of the adult indoor soccer

MONICA SIMPSON | SUN

Diamond Turf’s Maddox Culhane helped move his offense to victory last week against Beach Bums. league finished with Pool America and Duncan Real Estate on top with two wins. Sato Real Estate and Slim’s Place both have 1-1 records.

Going into week three, Ross Built Construction and Gulfview Café take the field playing for their teams’ first victory.

The adult flag football league has veteran wisdom going for them with Moss Builders undefeated at the season’s midpoint.

The youthful team sponsored by Lancaster Design is in second with a single loss. Ugly Grouper has a 0-4 record and Capt. Sky Cruises is in seventh with a win and three losses.

Beach Bums, Firkins Automotive, Rays Ramblings and Slim’s Place all go into week five winning two of the four games played to round out the week of Island sports.

Solid Rock Construction (5-0) 25 27 Ugly Grouper (2-3) 11 25

SUN SCOREBOARD MONDAY, FEB. 17 ADULT CO-ED VOLLEYBALL

14- TO 17-YEAR-OLD LEAGUE

Solid Rock Construction Sandbar Ugly Grouper Bins Be Clean

25 25 (0-4) 9 13 16 24 (2-2) 25 26

TUESDAY, FEB. 18 YOUTH FLAG FOOTBALL EIGHT- TO 10-YEAR-OLD LEAGUE Moss Builders Swordfish Grill & Tiki Bar

(5-1) 37 (0-6) 21

Diamond Turf Beach Bums

(4-2) 27 (3-3) 18

Cool Today HSH Designs

(3-3) 20 (4-2) 14

11- TO 13-YEAR-OLD LEAGUE Progressive Cabinetry Slim’s Place

(6-1) 36 (3-4) 24

Ugly Grouper Solid Rock Construction

(0-7) 15 (5-2) 32

MuniPlan Ugly Grouper

(5-1) 38 (1-5) 0

Gulf Drive Café Killer Bait

(0-5) 14 (4-2) 20

THURSDAY, FEB. 20 ADULT CO-ED INDOOR SOCCER Duncan Real Estate Slim’s Place

17 10

Sato Real Estate Gulfview Windows

14 6

Ross Built Construction Pool America

4 16

ADULT CO-ED FLAG FOOTBALL Moss Builders Beach Bums

(4-0) 38 (2-2) 23

Firkins Automotive Ugly Grouper

(2-2) 46 (0-4) 14

Rays Ramblings Capt. Sky Cruises

(2-2) 21 (1-3) 20

Slim’s Place Lancaster Designs

(2-2) 20 (3-1) 38

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

RENTAL BILLS: Looming large FROM PAGE 1

Jr., R-Miami/Dade, SB 1128 passed through its second committee stop on Tuesday, Feb. 11. The Commerce and Tourism Committee ruled favorably on the amended bill by the 3-2 vote and committee chair Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, was one of three senators who voted favorably on the bill.

The Senate bill has been referred to the Rules Committee for its third and final committee stop but it was not included on the agenda for the committee’s Wednesday, Feb. 26 meeting.

If SB 1128 passes through the Rules Committee, it is likely headed to the Senate floor for a final vote by the Republicancontrolled Florida Senate.

Serving as the House companion, HB 1011 is co-sponsored by Rep. Jason Fischer, R- Jacksonville, and Rep. Mike LaRosa, R-St. Cloud.

HB 1011 passed through its third and final committee stop on Thursday, Feb. 20, when the Commerce Committee ruled favorably on the bill by a 14-9 margin. State Rep. Will Robinson Jr., a Republican from Bradenton, broke ranks with his party and opposed the legislation. The following day, Murphy sent Robinson an email expressing his appreciation.

“Thank you for voting no on HB 1011 concerning vacation rentals. Your stance on this critical issue is greatly appreciated and

respected. It was apparent that you were the only Republican who had the courage on the committee to stand up for what is in the best interests of the community. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed Diaz and will not be forgotten. We thank you for your continued support of the city of Anna Maria and your understanding of the impact of this proposed legislation,” Murphy’s email said.

HB 1011 now appears to be headed to the House floor for Fischer a final vote in the Republicancontrolled House of Representatives.

If identical bills are adopted by the Senate and the House, the legislation would be sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis to sign into law or veto. The 2020 leg- LaRosa islative session is scheduled to end on March 13.

LOCAL CONCERNS

On Friday, Murphy discussed his concerns and said he’s in daily contact with Chip Case, the city’s lobbyist.

Robinson “I’m very concerned about

HORSES: Group seeks to solve problems FROM PAGE 1

the beach area is visible and the horses can be led around the grasses rather than through them. He added that his staff also cleans up behind the horses while they’re on land, though he added that other horse ride operators are not always so careful to preserve the local environment. Maddox also stated that he commissioned water quality testing to make sure that the horse excrement isn’t adversely affecting the water in Palma Sola Bay. He said that the tests all came back well within normal levels and that four testing areas were

used in close timing to when horse rides were taking place to get the best samples possible.

Though he said that his company is very mindful of how they leave the north side of the causeway, some of the other ride operators are not and it’s putting a toll on his employees who are encouraged to clean up after other businesses’ horses.

“I really think our industry needs regulation,” he said.

Maddox suggested that Palma Sola CME members approach the county about regulating the six or more ride operators

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If it passes as written, we’re through regulating vacation rentals. Occupancy limits, inspections and registration would all be out the door.”

Dan Murphy, Anna Maria Mayor this legislation getting to the House and Senate floors. We need to keep the pressure on the Senate Rules Committee,” Murphy said.

“When Commissioner Carter and I were in Tallahassee two weeks ago, every person we visited, including Fischer, said we certainly got a lot of email from your constituents. That’s important. It might be falling on deaf ears, but if we didn’t have that public pressure and we appealed to the governor, the legislators could say there’s been no public objection to this bill,” Murphy said.

“If it passes as written, we’re through regulating vacation rentals. Occupancy limits, inspections and registration would all be out the door. We would lose the ability to know, from a law enforcement point of view, who’s responsible for that house.

Now we know who’s responsible, because we make sure every vacation rental has a registered agent, a person we can contact 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That’s critical if there’s a fire, a burglary, an issue with noise or some other issue. Without registration, we have nothing. You’re not going to call anybody at Airbnb. Most of

these homes are listed under an LLC and in many cases it’s foreign ownership,” Murphy said.

“The annual inspections are good, and the occupancy limits are important too – Airbnb wants to cram 25 people in those houses – but the loss of knowing who’s responsible for that house and having that contact information is critical,” Murphy said.

On Monday, Feb. 24, Carter distributed an email that said HB 1011 could be headed for a final vote on the House floor as early as Thursday.

“Time to reach out to all house members to vote no,” she wrote.

She also noted SB 1128 could be on the Rules Committee’s March 3 agenda.

“Must keep up the pressure on our senators,” Carter wrote.

She urges concerned citizens to contact Republican Rules Committee members Lizbeth Benacquisto, Rob Bradley, Jeff Brandes, Anitere Flores, Travis Hutson, Tom Lee, Kathleen Passidomo, David Simmons, Wilton Simpson and Kelli Stargel.

that bring horses to the causeway for commercial purposes, including instituting a medallion system where businesses would have to apply for a permit per horse, similar to how some cities regulate taxis, and would have to meet certain standards or risk having the medallions revoked.

Maddox suggested $500 per medallion to help pay for enforcement of the program.

Currently, he said there are no permits, business taxes or regulation required. Ride operators only have to pay sales tax for monies collected.

Manatee County parks representative Mike Elswick said that if the property is owned by the city, even though it is a FDOT right of way, it could fall under the

city of Bradenton’s parks department with rules and regulations determined by the parks department director. Maddox said that he feels the only way to create enforcement is to institute something like the medallion program because it’s a contract with strings attached and the threat of taking away the ride operator’s ability to have horses on the causeway.

“A slap on the wrist won’t work,” he said.

Co-chair Ingrid McClellan said she would work on achieving compliance with the current ride operators on the causeway while working with the Palma Sola CME group to come up with a recommendation to present to Bradenton city leaders.

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FUN IN THE SUN

Across 1 More certain 6 Gp. with moms, dads and educators 9 "Thereabouts" suffix 12 "Men" or "teeth," grammatically 14 One of Ringo's set 15 __ kwon do 16 Absurd, as a scheme 17 Autodialed annoyance, often at dinnertime 19 Prof's aides 20 System of rules 22 Protection for political refugees 23 German I 25 Philosophies: Suff.

27 Picky details 28 Computer event with a "blue screen of death" 30 Penultimate Greek letter 31 Big Pharma watchdog: Abbr.

32 Suggest 34 Encroach (on) 38 Musical knack 39 Naughty 41 Black or Red waters 42 Downpour concern 44 Bills with Franklin on them 46 Good times 47 Japanese vegetable 49 Infatuated with, with "about" 50 "__ Land": 2016 Best Picture? Not! 52 Elite English boarding school 53 Deadly "2001" computer 54 "Brideshead Revisited" novelist Waugh

56 Laundry 58 Wall St. takeover 61 Exacts revenge 63 Punctuation that Brits call a full stop 65 Guggenheim display 66 Johns, to Brits 67 "__ can play!": "It's easy!"

68 Caustic chemical 69 Bowler's target 70 Emails Down 1 Barbecue rod 2 Arm bone 3 *Deadly "game" in "The Deer Hunter" 4 Big Band __ 5 *Ones helping with the horses 6 Expert 7 Low-pitched brass instruments 8 Cookiedom's Famous __ 9 *Stallone nickname, with "the" 10 Henri's "Hi" 11 Pilothouse wheels 13 Lion constellation

Answers to 02-19-20 Crossword Puzzle.

14 Severe reprimands, and a hint to the starts of the answers to starred clues 18 Singer Lauper 21 Slight market slide 24 St. Louis hrs.

26 Short skirt 28 Kitchen master 29 Iranian currency 31 *Trio after turtle doves 33 Paris pronoun 35 TV watchdog 36 "Wow!" 37 "No sweat" 40 Letter-shaped fastener 43 October gemstones 45 Italian hour 48 "We're __ schedule here!"

50 Permitted by law 51 Bugs Bunny animator Tex 52 Ballade's last stanza 55 Website with business reviews 57 Rejuvenation site 59 "__, James __" 60 Poems of praise 62 Many millennia 64 Deli bread

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

CLASSIFIED

ANNOUNCEMENTS

COMMERCIAL SALES, RENT & LEASE

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Join the team at the FLORIDA MARITIME MUSEUM to preserve Florida’s fishing and maritime heritage. Assist with collections, school tours and more! Contact 941-708-6120

CARE GIVER

Call us today! 941-778-3986

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Call Sharon Hightower RE/MAX Alliance Group 941-330-5054 Email to sharonsellsbeaches@ yahoo.com 13 UNIT RESORT: $3,999,900 Bradenton Beach on Gulf Dr. WAREHOUSE: 9300 sq ft possible Machine Shop w/ Heavy Duty Elect. Or Car Storage. So many Possibilities. Near SRQ Airport. $595,000. Island Real Estate call{Alan Galletto 941-232-2216

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EMPLOYMENT NAIL/SKIN PRO needed now at busy island day spa. Fl. license req. 941896-2222 TWO SIDES OF NATURE – Anna Maria Island’s Largest Little Beach Shoppes... is now hiring part-time associates.

Varied shifts available must be able to days, nights and weekends.

Retail Experience Preferred. Great personalities a plus! Great pay!

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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

TWO SCOOPS – Anna Maria Island’s Favorite Ice-Cream... is now hiring part-time associates.

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Food prep. or server experience preferred.

Great Pay! Apply today…

Two Scoops 101 S. Bay Blvd. Anna Maria.

CLEANING SERVICE THC CLEANING : Residential, Commercial & Rentals. Professional and Reliable. Call 941756-4570

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GARAGE, MOVING, RUMMAGE & YARD SALES ROSER THRIFT SHOP & ANNEX open 9:30-2p.m.

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Donations preferred 9a.m.-11a.m. Wednesdays.

511 Pine Ave., Anna Maria.

Phone 941-779-2733 FLEA MARKET RADERS REEF parking lot Sunday March 1. 8am-4pm 5508 Marina Dr. Antiques, collectibles, jewelry, furniture, misc. items SAINT BERNARD CATHOLIC CHURCH at 248 South Harbor Drive in Holmes Beach will be hosting its 2 day rummage sale on Friday, February 28th from 9 to 1 and Saturday, February 29th from 9 to 12. The church Activity Center will be filled with items of all kinds including Jewelry, accessories, clothing, Electronics, household goods, tools & More. For more information, the church office may be reached at 941-778-4769.

PINES TRAILER PARK on Bridge Street Annual Sale. Homemade Pies, sloppy joe’s and something for everyone.

Friday February 28 and Saturday February 29 .

9am-2pm ANNUAL FLEA MARKET Saturday, February 29. 8am-1pm. Palma Sola Harbor Condos 9400 Cortez Road W. Appliances (large & small) Furniture, Clothing, Sport equipment, Jewelry, linens, books, bikes. Coffee, Donuts & Lunch available.

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

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

KERN CONSTRUCTION NEW Homes & Remodel.

Design/Build. Since 1968.

License # CRC1327296.

Call Jerry Kern 941-7781115 www.kernconstructioninc.com LIGHTHOUSE PROPERTY INNOVATIONS LLC State Certified General Contractor (Lic. #CGC 1515821) New Construction, Renovations & Additions. Call 941-266-7500

HOME SERVICES THE HARDWOOD STOP Flooring installation services; Laminate, hardwood, vinyl and tile. Bathroom and shower. Virtually dustless FLOOR REMOVAL License and insured FREE ESTIMATES 941-227-0041 www.thehardwoodstop. com

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

Call Rafael 941-778-4823 or Veronik 941-526-7941

MASTER CARPENTER. Decks-Docks-FencingStairs & Railing. Free Estimates. Handyman Work. Call Richard 941448-3571

STRAIGHT SHOT LANDSCAPE. Specializing in Old Florida Seashell driveways and scapes. Also Rock, Mulch, & Soil. Free estimates. Call Shark Mark 941-301-6067

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Free Estimates. Credit Cards Accepted.

LOST & FOUND LOST ON BEACH Beige Women’s Eye Glasses. $50 REWARD Call John 941705-6068 LOST DIAMOND STONE on Trolley or shops on Anna Maria Island. $500 REWARD. Call 314-324-5921

MOVING & STORAGE 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.

HOME MAINTENANCE. Tile and Laminate installation.

Popcorn ceiling removal, Drywall repair, texturing and painting. Call 941-7259876 ISLAND GATER RESTORATION. Painting, Drywall repair, Textures. Island references. 30 years experience. islandgater@gmail. com Call Danny for Free Estimate 864-921-3298 COASTAL INTERIORS Trim, paint, repairs and more 27yrs experience Local 786-318-8585

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PAINTING & WALLCOVERING 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.

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POOL SERVICES FOUR SEASONS POOL SERVICE AND CHEMICAL SERVICES. Certified Pool Operator. 10 + Years Experience. Residential/ commercial. Chemical Service Licensed & Insured. Call Dennis Clark 941-737-5657

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

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

{WARE CREEK AREA} 2216 8th Ave W. Cute 2BR/2BA House fenced yard $1500/ mo. Available Now. 3BR/2BA on Wares Creek $1800/mo Available NOW. First, last & security. Credit check required. Call 941809-2488 NW BRADENTON HOUSE for Rent. 1012 76th St NW Catalina Sub-division.

3BR/2BA on Lagoon. 6 miles to AMI beaches.

Available Now $1800/mo.

First, last & security. Credit check required. Call 941809-2488 ANNUAL RENTAL BUGALOW with mini-loft. Vaulted ceilings. Utilities included, Washer/Dryer. Steps to Beach. Pets considered. $1395/mo. First, Last & Security. Call 941-741-1096 SMUGGLERS LANDINGS. CORTEZ 2BR/2BA/2CG. Overlooking Canal.1400s.f. , unfurnished, with 2 pools, 40ft boat slip. $1900/mo.

Available May 1. Call 770883-3561 LONG TERM RENTALUnfurnished 1BR/1BA Gulf View, Bradenton Beach. No pets. $1,050/ mo. Call for details. Fran Maxon Real Estate 941778-2307.

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

the Team Duncan Difference!

Darcie Duncan Broker - Owner

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