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VOL 21 No. 40
Lightning win has Island residents ready for more
The Tampa Bay Lightning has won back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships and fans on the Island couldn’t be happier. BY JASON SCHAFFER
SUN CORRESPONDENT | jschaffer@amisun.com
Coach Jon Cooper hugs the Stanley Cup at D Coy Ducks.
PHOTO | SUBMITTED
Former Island building official last to inspect Surfside condo Former Holmes Beach Building Official Jim McGuinness inspected the Champlain Towers South 14 hours before the building collapsed. BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com
HOLMES BEACH – Just hours before the 12-story Champlain Towers South condo collapsed on June 24, former Holmes Beach Building Official Jim McGuinness inspected it. The next day, he told the town commission that he saw nothing that would indicate the building would soon collapse.
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July 14, 2021
McGuinness, who resigned from the city of Holmes Beach in 2019, is now the building official for the town of Surfside, and was the last person to inspect the building before its collapse. He was on the roof of the doomed tower 14 hours prior to the building’s collapse to inspect the installation of anchors installed to allow window washers to safely lower themselves over the side of the residential condominium building. In addition to the recently installed anchors, McGuinness said other work was being done on the roof, but had been delayed due to ongoing rainfall in the area. The building owners’ association, SEE MCGUINNESS, PAGE 15
BREEZY Bakery
offers tasty homemade pastries. Food & Wine. 18
Anna Maria Island, Florida
ANNA MARIA ISLAND - Champa Bay now has a Super Bowl win, an American League Championship and back-to-back Stanley Cup victories as of Wednesday, when the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Montreal Canadiens 1-0. On Saturday, Lightning Coach Jon Cooper and the Cup came to visit AMI. Cooper owns a home on the Island, and he and the Cup made multiple stops here, including at The Blue Marlin in Bradenton Beach and D Coy Ducks in Holmes Beach. After the 2020
victory, he brought the Cup to D Coy Ducks and Duffy’s Tavern for a meet and greet with Island fans. "We were having dinner at the Chateau and a couple of my buddies that worked at D Coy's said the cup was there," said Trey Standifer, who was trying his best to get a moment with the famed trophy on Saturday. "By the time we got there, they said it had gone to Bridge Street, so we headed down there just in time to see it being loaded on a private bus with Coach Cooper outside Drift In. I got a picture of it through the bus window, but we were too late to get up close." According to Standifer, the Cup had a police escort, and seeing it go by was impressive. The Stanley Cup also SEE LIGHTNING, PAGE 20
Worst year ever for Florida manatees Congressman Vern Buchanan and former Congressman and Florida Governor Bob Graham urge federal and state wildlife officials to uplist the manatee to endangered status once again. BY CINDY LANE SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com
MANATEE COUNTY – By July 2 - halfway into 2021 - 841 manatees had died in Florida waters, more than in each of the two worst years in Florida’s history. In 2018, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)
reported 824 manatee deaths; in 2013, a record 830 deaths. This year’s dismal record is primarily due to the loss of seagrass on the east coast of Florida’s inland waterways, according to the FWC, which, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), has declared it an “Unusual Mortality Event,” prompting an ongoing investigation. With red tide in Tampa Bay and other local waterways, thought to be fed by the discharge of 215 million gallons of nutrient-laden wastewater from the Piney Point phosphate plant this spring, manatees on the west coast also appear to be in danger. In SEE MANATEES, PAGE 19
HURRICANE ELSA impacts
shorebird, turtle nests on AMI. 4 MAYOR upset with holiday trash
collection disruptions. 8
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Elsa takes it easy on Anna Maria Island None of the Island cities reported any significant storm damage. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Tropical Storm/Hurricane Elsa’s impact on Anna Maria Island proved to be minimal. The storm that passed through Anna Maria Island last Tuesday and Wednesday produced localized flooding but no reports of significant property damage, one reported fallen tree and no reported downed power lines or power outages on the Island. According to Wunderground.com, the highest wind gust recorded at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport weather station during Elsa was 54 mph at 10:53 p.m. Tuesday. Wednesday morning, Anna Maria resident Doug Copeland said he and his wife’s rain gauge indicated 2.8 inches of rain fell during Elsa at their home near the Rod & Reel Pier.
BRADENTON BEACH
According to Bradenton Beach Public
BRADENTON BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT | SUBMITTED
Officer Eric Hill and members of the Bradenton Beach Public Works Department secured this sailboat that broke loose on the Cortez side of the ICW. Right, standing water covered this portion of 63rd Street in Holmes Beach Wednesday morning. JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
Works Director Tom Woodard and Lt. John Cosby from the Bradenton Beach Police Department, at about 11 a.m. Tuesday, an unoccupied sailboat on the Cortez side of the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) broke free of its mooring and began drifting toward the Bridge Street Pier in Bradenton Beach. “We were able to go out and get it and get it tied up and secured. They got it under control and out of the way before it caused any problems,” Cosby said, noting that Officer Eric Hill
piloted the police boat stationed on the police boat lift adjacent to the pier. Cosby and Woodard said the pier and the floating dock sustained no damage during the storm. Cosby said it may take a few days to have the sailboat removed. A 7 a.m. visit to the pier Wednesday revealed the sailboat was still secured to the pilings at the east end of the floating day dock and none of the 15 or so liveaboard vessels anchored south of the pier had broken free or sunk during the storm. The one sunken vessel
currently in the area sank long before Tuesday’s storm. “Everybody did what they needed to do,” Cosby said of the liveaboard boaters. According to Cosby, Officer Hill contacted many of them by cell phone on Monday and reminded them to secure their vessels with double anchors before the storm arrived. “It appears everybody did it, because SEE ELSA, PAGE 11
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ISLAND NEWS
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JULY 14, 2021
Elsa impacts sea turtle, shorebird nests
IN BRIEF
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
City officials seek additional public input on how to make the Pine Avenue corridor safer for motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, golf cart users and others.
Reimagining Pine Avenue meetings continue The next Reimagining Pine Avenue public information meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 20 at 6 p.m. at Anna Maria City Hall, 10005 Gulf Drive. The public is invited to share ideas for improving the business district’s main street, which ends at the Anna Maria City Pier.
SUBMITTED
Robert “Coop” Cooper died on Saturday, July 3.
“Coop” memorial and celebration of life In honor of the late Robert “Coop” Cooper, a memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 17, at the Harvey Memorial Church in Bradenton Beach. The church is located at 300 Church Ave. The memorial service will be followed by a “Coop da Loop” celebration of life at the Anchor Inn at 3007 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach. Celebration of life attendees are encouraged to bring a dish to share if they wish.
Help keep Holmes Beach beautiful Applications are open for two new members to join the Holmes Beach Parks and Beautification Committee. Members meet once a month from October through May to help design and maintain city parks and other green spaces throughout Holmes Beach. Members serve two-year terms on the dais with the committee, which also advises city commissioners on larger beautification projects. Applications can be found online at www. holmesbeachfl.org or by contacting the city clerk’s office at 941-708-5800. Anyone who is a resident of Holmes Beach is invited to apply. Once applications are received, members will be appointed by city commissioners during a regular meeting.
Tropical Storm Elsa destroyed some sea turtle eggs and shorebird chicks last week, but the first turtle nest of 2021 has hatched. BY CINDY LANE SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Tropical Storm Elsa washed over the Island on July 6 and 7, taking some shorebird eggs and chicks with it, and soaking some sea turtle nests in the sand, perhaps for too long. But Suzi Fox, director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, remains optimistic. The first sea turtle nest of the season hatched last week, producing 77 hatchlings. “Water came up over many nests,” she said. “Are we upset about it? No, it’s nature. Many of those nests will still hatch. Turtles and birds have been at this a lot longer than we have.” Each June or July, a storm hits the Island, but nesting always resumes and sometimes picks up speed, she said. With the recent beach renourishment, “Manatee County has done everything they could to have the best nesting beach in Florida,” Fox said. “We’re still going to get washovers. That’s why sea turtles nest up to three times a season.” While about 25% of sea turtle nests on the Island were lost last week, “The girls are continuing to nest,” she said, including a rare green turtle that nested July 9, only the third green turtle so far this nesting season, which began on May 1. The rest of the turtle nests on the Island are loggerhead sea turtles. Among the shorebirds, only least terns are nesting this year – no black skimmers, Fox said. The storm surge on the Gulf of Mexico beaches inundated the least tern colony, she said. While all 120 bird parents
CINDY LANE | SUN
This loggerhead sea turtle nest in Bradenton Beach – like many others during Tropical Storm Elsa – was washed over by high tides.
CINDY LANE | SUN
This sea turtle egg, center, washed up in a canal in Bimini Bay after Tropical Storm Elsa passed over Anna Maria Island. survived, only two of 15 chicks survived. “Now that the water has receded, the adults are back on new eggs,” she said, adding that five newly-hatched chicks have been documented since the storm. Volunteers do the counting and nest identification, but numbers of volunteers are down from more than 100 to about 20 due to COVID-19, which caused Fox to decide last year to have
a few volunteers use ATVs to monitor nests rather than have dozens walk sections of the beach, risking contact with curious beachgoers. On an ATV, “They can find 20 nests in one day,” she said. “On a day of walking, they can find maybe one.” Turtle nesting season ends Oct. 31. Bird nesting season is active through the end of August.
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TURTLE TIPS During sea turtle season, May 1 – Oct. 31, please follow these tips: • Turn off lights visible from the beach and close blinds from sundown to sunrise; lights confuse nesting sea turtles and may cause them to go back to sea and drop their eggs in the water, where they won’t hatch. Light can also attract hatchlings away from the water. • Don’t use flashlights, lanterns or camera flashes on the beach at night. • Remove all objects from the sand from sundown to sunrise; they can deter sea turtles from nesting and can disorient hatchlings. • Fill in the holes you dig in the sand and level sandcastles before leaving the beach; they can obstruct or trap
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nesting and hatching sea turtles, which cannot live long out of the water. • Don’t use wish lanterns or fireworks; they litter the beach and Gulf. • Do not trim trees and plants that shield the beach from lights. • Never touch a sea turtle; it’s the law. If you see people disturbing turtles, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
NESTING NEWS Turtle nests laid: 320 (Record: 544 in 2019) False crawls: 399 Nests hatched: 1 Hatchlings hatched: 77 (Record: 35,788 in 2018) Nest disorientations: 8 SEA TURTLE CONSERVANCY | SUBMITTED
Where’s Bortie? Loggerhead sea turtle Bortie took a look at Anna Maria Island as a potential nesting spot for the second time this turtle nesting season on July 8. She is thought to have nested near 35th Street in Holmes Beach on June 6, according to the Sea Turtle Conservancy, which is tracking her satellite tag. Bortie laid a nest in June 2018 on Coquina Beach (see the red star on the map), where she was tagged. She competed in the Conservancy’s 11th Annual Tour de Turtles in 2018, placing 10th out of 13 contestants with 351 logged miles. In the 1,100-plus days she’s been tagged, she has paddled more than 4,200 miles. Turtle nesting season began locally on May 1 and ends on Oct. 31. Please turn off or shield beachfront lights to keep nesting turtles from becoming disoriented!
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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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The Anna Maria Island Sun Staff Publishers Mike Field Maggie Field Editor/CEO Mike Field Layout Ricardo Fonseca Reporters Cindy Lane Joe Hendricks Kristin Swain Jason Schaffer Columnists Louise Bolger Outdoors Editor Rusty Chinnis Advertising director Shona Otto Ad assistant Pamela Lee Classified ads Bob Alexander Graphics Elaine Stroili Ricardo Fonseca Digital/Social Media Editor Cindy Lane Accounting John Reitz Distribution Bob Alexander Tony McNulty Connor Field Contributors Tom Vaught Steve Borggren Monica Simpson
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Beach parking again
I am disappointed in both the city of Holmes Beach and Manatee County in their dispute over beach parking. While there are three cities on the Island, all with beach parking restrictions, it appears Commissioner Van Ostenbridge is singularly focused on Holmes Beach. Not sure why. Holmes Beach parking restrictions are still less restrictive than those in the other two cities. Van Ostenbridge seems to think opening up street parking, as well as adding school, library and church parking, will address the beach parking problem. It will not. Mayor Judy (Titsworth) is firm on her position about restricting street parking in residential neighborhoods. Seems reasonable. My lawyer is smarter than your lawyer, as Administrator Hopes has suggested, is a silly and unproductive step. Meaningful measures to add beach parking capacity must include all three cities with the county as lead. The county has a few three-story parking garages in downtown Bradenton to support county business. If Van Ostenbridge is so concerned about adequate beach parking for all, it is time for him to take the lead and have the county purchase land on Anna Maria Island and construct parking facilities that blend in with Island life. Just like his predecessors did years ago in downtown Bradenton. Prime property is available at the corner of Manatee Avenue and East
Bay Drive. The County’s Tourist Development Council does an excellent job promoting the Island beaches and they should recommend constructing parking facilities, with amenities. Holmes Beach rental properties account for approximately 71% of the total county “bed” tax collected since 2010, equating to $30 million in tax revenue for the county. Seems county elected officials and administration should show a little more respect for Holmes Beach officials and property owners. Working together towards a common goal seems more productive than a media spat. Dan Diggins Holmes Beach
How not to govern Manatee County has grown by 10,000 residents every year; daily visitors and weekly rentals on Anna Maria Island have mushroomed, while the small Island remains the same size, with no vacant land for parking lots and wide roads. COVID was a sledgehammer that forced reevaluation of our work and personal lives, including the glut of beach visitors, traffic and parking. Current visitors are less considerate than in the past, leaving trash and baby diapers, blocking mailboxes, damaging yards, using residents’ showers and pools, and relieving themselves. Almost every day I clean up food wrappers, cans and broken glass bottles from my property. The neighbor-
hood abuse is real. Shockingly, about 90% of visitor cars on high-demand weekends and holidays are NOT from Manatee County! Holmes Beach provides many beach accesses and lots of free parking spaces, more than our neighboring island cities, and well over the required spaces for beach renourishment, paid for by the 5% TDC tax on weekly to 6-month renters. Residents who live too far to walk to the beach can buy permits for less desirable spots small compensation for enduring the traffic and noise hassle and high property taxes. The issues are being distorted by tons of misinformation and appallingly poor communication and coordination between elected county and city leaders. We need to focus on solutions - wise use of available parking; real-time adjustments of Island Manatee Avenue and Cortez Road traffic lights based on flows (quick); water taxis; remote parking with free shuttle buses with small trailers to carry beach gear (fairly quick); an added central lane for Manatee Avenue, Cortez Road and the new bridges for busses and high occupancy vehicles (four people or more) that changes direction based on need (longer-term). Quit ranting and start working! David Cheshire Holmes Beach
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Red tide ‘very low’ in Manatee waters BY CINDY LANE SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Of eight water samples tested recently in Manatee County, three had very low levels of red tide, with one showing background concentrations and four showing no red tide, according to the most recent Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission weekly report. Since those samples were taken, however, local boaters have reported red tide at Longboat Pass. Sarasota County had medium levels of red tide at New Pass Dock. Hillsborough County had high levels at MacDill Air Force Base and Sand Key, among other locations. Pinellas County had high levels at Vinoy Park and Coquina Key, among other locations.
ON THE AGENDA ANNA MARIA
10005 GULF DRIVE FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-708-6130
City hall is open to the public with limited capacity and safety protocols in place. Please visit www. cityofannamaria.com or contact city hall for more information. July 20, 6 p.m. – Reimagining Pine Avenue informational meeting July 22, 6 p.m. – City Commission meeting July 29, 10 a.m. – City Commission meeting
BRADENTON BEACH
107 GULF DRIVE N. FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-778-1005
City hall is open to the public with limited capacity and safety protocols in place. Please visit www.cityofbradentonbeach.com or contact city hall for more information. July 21, 1 p.m. – Planning and Zoning board meeting
HOLMES BEACH
5801 MARINA DRIVE FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-708-5800
City hall is open to the public with limited capacity and safety protocols in place. Please visit www. holmesbeachfl.org or contact city hall for more information. July 14, 6 p.m. – Planning Commission meeting July 15, 5 p.m. – City Commission meeting with work session to follow July 21, 10 a.m. – Code Compliance special magistrate hearing July 27, 5 p.m. – City Commission meeting with work session to follow
Red tide-related fish kills were reported over the past week in Manatee, Sarasota, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties. Respiratory irritation was reported in Sarasota and Pinellas counties. Red tide produces a neurotoxin called brevetoxin that can cause respiratory irritation, coughing, and more serious illness for people with severe or chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma, emphysema or COPD, according to the Florida Department of Health. Health officials recommend that people experiencing symptoms stay away from the water, go inside to an air-conditioned space, or wear masks, especially during onshore winds. Residents may consider wearing masks, especially if onshore winds are blowing.
ISLAND-WIDE
July 20, 6 p.m. – West Manatee Fire Rescue board meeting, administration building, 701 63rd St. W., Bradenton MARKYOUR CALENDAR
WEDNESDAY JULY 14
Salt marsh planting, Robinson Preserve, Valentine House, 1704 99th St. W., Bradenton, 8 a.m. to noon. Reserve to www.eventbrite. com/e/141294350205. Beach market, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit www.loc8nearme.com/florida/ bradenton-beach/beach-market-atcoquina-beach/6171244/ for more information. Golfing for God, IMG Academy Golf Club, 4350 El Conquistador Pkwy., Bradenton, 2:45 p.m. tee time, 5:30 p.m. Bible study and dinner, $40 for golf and dinner, $20 for dinner. Reservations required. Reserve to www.roserchurch.com/g4g/.
THURSDAY JULY 15
Seashell shore walk, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 9 a.m. Reserve to www. eventbrite.com/e/15313455175. RoserRobics, Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 9:30 a.m., no cost but donations welcome. Participants asked to bring bottled water and wear a face mask or shield. Farm stand, Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunshine Stitchers Knit and Crochet, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2-4
High
RED TIDE REPORT
(respiratory irritation, shellfish harvesting closures, fish kills, water discoloration)
(possible respiratory irritation)
Medium
Background
Very low
(probable respiratory irritation, shellfish harvesting closures, fish kills)
(no effects)
None
Low
(no red tide present)
(possible respiratory irritation, shellfish harvesting closures, fish kills)
Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Consuming shellfish exposed to red tide can cause neurotoxic shellfish poisoning. Health officials warn against swimming near dead fish and advise
p.m. Register online at www.manateelibrary.libcal.com/calendar. Thursdays in Paradise Stroll featuring local art, music and food, Bridge Street, Bradenton Beach, 5 to 8 p.m.
FRIDAY JULY 16
Beach market, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit www.loc8nearme.com/florida/ bradenton-beach/beach-market-atcoquina-beach/6171244/ for more information.
SATURDAY JULY 17
Robinson Runners, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 Ninth Ave. N.W., Bradenton, 8 a.m. Saturday mornings at the NEST, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 Ninth Ave. N.W., Bradenton, 9 a.m. to noon. Face masks required. Meditation, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 11 a.m. Register at www.manateelibrary.libcal.com/calendar.
SUNDAY JULY 18
Farm stand, Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rise and Shine Power Flow Yoga, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 Ninth Ave. N.W., Bradenton 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., $10 fee payable online. Bring your own yoga mat. Register at https://parks.mymanatee.org/ wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/search. html?primarycode=110006 or call 941-742-5923 ext. 6042 for more information.
keeping pets away from dead fish and seafoam, which can contain high concentrations of algae. Pets are not allowed on Anna Maria Island beaches.
TUESDAY JULY 20
Tortoise Talk, Robinson Preserve, Valentine House, 1704 99th St. W., Bradenton, 8 a.m. RoserRobics, Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 9:30 a.m., no cost but donations welcome. Participants asked to bring bottled water and wear a face mask or shield. Family storytime, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. Ages 0-5, limit five children and five caregivers. Register online at www.manateelibrary. libcal.com/calendar. Tech help, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2-4 p.m. Register online at www. manateelibrary.libcal.com/calendar.
WEDNESDAY JULY 21
Beach market, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit www.loc8nearme.com/florida/ bradenton-beach/beach-market-atcoquina-beach/6171244/ for more information. Photo scanning sessions, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 6 to 8 p.m. Register online at www.manateelibrary. libcal.com/calendar.
THURSDAY JULY 22
RoserRobics, Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 9:30 a.m., no cost but donations welcome. Participants asked to bring bottled water and wear a face mask or shield. Farm stand, Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Polymer clay sea creature craft,
Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m. Register online at www.manateelibrary. libcal.com/calendar. Thursdays in Paradise Stroll featuring local art, music and food, Bridge Street, Bradenton Beach, 5 to 8 p.m.
FRIDAY JULY 23
Beach market, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit www.loc8nearme.com/florida/ bradenton-beach/beach-market-atcoquina-beach/6171244/ for more information. Full moon paddle, Robinson Preserve, 1704 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 7:30 p.m. Participants must have their own kayak or canoe and safety gear, including a lifejacket, flashlight and whistle. Reserve to www.eventbrite. com/e/160857439933.
SATURDAY JULY 24
Robinson Runners, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 Ninth Ave. N.W., Bradenton, 8 a.m. Saturday mornings at the NEST, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 Ninth Ave. N.W., Bradenton, 9 a.m. to noon. Face masks required. Music on the Porch Saturday Jam Session with Soupy, Cortez Cultural Center, 11655 Cortez Road, Cortez, 2-4 p.m.
SUNDAY JULY 25
Farm stand, Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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JULY 14, 2021
Murphy upset with trash collection disruptions Waste Management attributed the service disruptions to the closure of the county landfill. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy is among those displeased with the lack of trash collection provided by Waste Management during the extended Fourth of July weekend and Hurricane Elsa. Anna Maria is the only city on Anna Maria Island serviced by Waste Management. Waste Pro services Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach. According to Bradenton Beach Public Works Manager Tom Woodard, Waste Pro serviced that city on Tuesday and Wednesday. During the Thursday, July 8 city commission meeting, Murphy gave a positive report regarding the city’s response to the storm, with one exception: “The biggest faux pas we had was garbage collection. Holmes Beach had their garbage collected and somehow Waste Management decided to not pick up our garbage because the landfill was closed.” Murphy was referring to the Mana-
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
Waste Management is the city of Anna Maria’s exclusive trash collection service provider. tee County landfill being closed on Tuesday after being closed on Monday in recognition of the Fourth of July holiday. At 11:46 a.m. on Monday, July 6, Manatee County Utilities Department Strategic Affairs Manager Amy Pilson sent an email to the public works directors in the Manatee County cities, but her email was not sent directly sent to the Island's city mayors. “Due to the anticipated impacts of
Tropical Storm Elsa, the Manatee County Landfill will be closed and all collection services in the unincorporated areas will be suspended tomorrow, Tuesday, July 6,” Pilson stated in her email. Murphy said no one from the county or Waste Management contacted him directly to explain the situation, but Public Works Manager Dean Jones was initially notified by Waste Management of the additional service disruption.
“Dean couldn’t even get ahold of them to find out what’s going on. The word coming from Waste Management was basically non-existent. I’ve asked Dean to schedule an appointment with Waste Management because I’m very dissatisfied with their communications. It was a fiasco. They obviously had no plan for an emergency, especially following a three-day weekend when the garbage is already piling up,” Murphy said. “If you can send me an email every time my bill is due, then why can’t you send me an email and tell me you’re not going to provide service? I also know they have the capability to do robocalls. Why wasn’t that employed?” he added. “The call came after the fact,” Commissioner Carol Carter noted.
CONTRACT TALKS
The city of Anna Maria extended its contract with Waste Management in 2019. At that time, Waste Pro also submitted a bid to provide those exclusive citywide services. When presenting the Waste Pro proposal, company representative Bob ten Haaf noted Waste
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Christmas in July with the Privateers The Anna Maria Island Privateers will be hosting their annual “Christmas in July” fundraiser at The Drift In on Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach. The event will take place on Saturday, July 24 from 6 to 10 p.m. There will be a lotto board, booze basket raffle, taste of the Island food buffet ($10), a visit from Santa and plenty of pirates. This event is open to the public and will benefit the Privateers adopting Christmas families initiative.
Locally Owned and 45 Stores Natio
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JULY 14, 2021
Copeland returns to Anna Maria City Commission Doug Copeland said he will not seek a full twoyear term in the upcoming city elections. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA – A familiar face has returned temporarily to the Anna Maria City Commission. On Thursday, July 8, the fourmember commission unanimously appointed former Commissioner Doug Copeland to serve the remaining months of former Commissioner Joe Muscatello’s current term. Muscatello vacated his seat on Thursday, June 24 because he and his wife, Melissa, were relocating to his home state to operate a bed and breakfast they purchased in West Virginia. Copeland was the only applicant who sought to fill the vacant seat on a short-term basis. He did not address the commission before the appointment was made, but he did
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
City Clerk LeAnne Addy swore Doug Copeland into office after the commission appointed him. include a brief statement in the application he submitted on Friday, June 25. Copeland's statement read as follows: “Dear Mayor and Anna Maria City commissioners, As important as I feel that commissioners should be elected by the
voters, I am convinced it is critical to have a full commission. This not only prevents ties but brings another voice to the discussion. I believe I’m in a unique position to fill the vacant seat. I have over 20 SEE COPELAND, PAGE 26
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JULY 14, 2021
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ELSA: Takes it easy on Anna Maria Island FROM PAGE 3
I don’t see any issues,” Cosby said. Cosby and Woodard said they weren’t aware of any property damage or serious flooding issues elsewhere in the city. A tour of the city indicated some localized street and yard flooding, but less than what is often seen during other heavy rain events. “I don’t believe we had any calls for service or any type of distress calls,” Cosby said. Cosby said some of the Gulf-side beach areas “took a pretty good hit” in terms of beach erosion.
HOLMES BEACH
A pass-through of Holmes Beach at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday revealed standing water covering the edge of Marina Drive, near city hall and the Island Branch Library, but the travel lanes were not completely submerged. Standing water was also covering portions of some of the adjacent side When contacted later in the day, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said that city fared well during the storm. “I was out all day and night until 5:30 this morning. We had some flooding by city hall around 3 to 4 a.m. After the rain stopped, the water subsided pretty quickly. We had minor overnight flooding and one tree down in the parking lot of Martinique North. We dodged the bullet,” Tokajer said.
ANNA MARIA
At approximately 8 a.m., Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy and Public Works Manager Dean Jones were touring the city and accessing the storm damage. “So far, we’re looking pretty good. We’ve got some local street flooding
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
The flooding along Marina Drive in Holmes Beach was limited to the edge of the road by the time the sun came up. in the areas that would normally flood – and it’s not saltwater flooding, it’s rainwater flooding. There’s no trees down. All of our major roads are clear, but there’s some outlying areas and backstreets where we’ve got some issues with flooding. Some of that we’ll be able to pump out and some we won’t,” Murphy said. North Bay Boulevard, near the Bean Point beach access, was among the most flooded areas. The visit to the beach in front of the Sandbar restaurant revealed significant beach erosion had apparently occurred. The new Anna Maria City Pier came through the storm unscathed.
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
The new Anna Maria City Pier sustained no storm damage.
CORTEZ BEACH
A mid-morning trip to Cortez Beach in Bradenton Beach revealed several people walking along the beach and few surfers in the water. Red flags were flying on the lifeguard tower and a member of the Manatee County Beach Patrol called a group of young men back to shore who had walked out to the end of one of the groins during the high surf.
5346 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach (941) 778-5788 | hurricanehanks.com
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
Due to high surf, these young men were asked to leave a beach groin at Cortez Beach.
Visit us for a cold one! We’ve installed 5 Fresh-Aire UV units to provide 1_;lb1-ѴŊ=u;; -bu -m7 v u=-1; 7bvbm=;1ঞomĺ
5344 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach (941) 779-2337 | hurricaneliquorami.com
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JULY 14, 2021
PEOPLE FOR PRESERVE AMI Greed is allowing this fragile habitat to be destroyed. - Janet K. I love our Island and little city that is so far… unspoiled and one of the very few places that have turtles returning, birds laying, coyote’s living…sea grasses flourishing and no commercial high rises. - Doris S. Please preserve this beautiful beach - Michelle A. I love Anna Maria Island as it is. Let’s not ruin wildlife and vegetation. - Emily G. I love AMI and I don’t want the beaches and dunes to be taken over by more housing. No building past the coastal line that has been enforced for years!! - Juliann B. I love Anna Maria!!! - Laura G. Preserve the island - Sarah R. I would hate to see Anna Maria Island turn into another tourist trap. Preserve AMI! - Patrick C.
I’ve gone here every year of my life, my family has a house on the island, and would like to see the island preserved. ABSOLUTELY NO HIGH RISES!!! - Matt R.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND LEAVE IT ALONE IT IS PERFECT JUST THE WAY IT IS!!!! - Susie C.
I want to preserve Anna Maria Island, and all of its wildlife. - Amber S.
It’s the right thing to do. - Mark S.
“...Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” - ALBERT EINSTEIN - Karen N. My family first moved to Miami in the 1920’s and I have wonderful pictures from that time. Please preserve the uniqueness of this island and old Florida! - Jan C. I’m signing because I love beaches, and I’m supporting my friend. - Renee W. Fight for the protection of beaches, islands, oceans, waterfronts, dunes, and any place near water sources as the lives of everyone and everything on this planet depends on it. Save Anna Maria Island!!!!!!! - Darby S.
Even a small rain sees it island flooded. We cannot let a bureaucratic error put our homes, as well as the dunes and wildlife nesting areas of Anna Maria further at risk by an inability to own up to a mistake. - David M. JUSTICE FOR WE THE PEOPLE. SAVE AND PRESERVE OUR PRECIOUS NATURE AND ANNA MARIA ISLAND - Doria W. As a native Floridian and advocate for our oceans and sea life, it is my duty to protect the islands and coastlines from the overcrowding of humans that produce more waste and garbage that pollute our oceans. - Sabrina S. I want all AMI lovers to know about a Rogue FDEP decision that was ruled on june 7, 2021 and it will ruin our dunes forever !! - Wendy J.
TELL MAYOR DAN TO
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JULY 14, 2021
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THE SUN
13
Holiday crowds orderly; parking foes, not so much BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com
‛S YOUR COMFORT ZONE? WHERE
HOLMES BEACH – The Fourth of July has come and gone and with it came the expected increase in traffic, visitors and a continuation of the parking fight between Manatee County and city leaders. For a holiday weekend, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said it was fairly quiet, with no major incidents taking place and a lot of people on the beach, particularly families. Each day of the four-day weekend, from Friday to Monday, brought an average of 32,078 vehicles onto Anna Maria Island through Holmes Beach, Tokajer said. The two additional parking lots that Manatee County leaders, particularly County Administrator Scott Hopes and Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge, insisted on opening at the Island Branch Library and Anna Maria Island Elementary School, were used over the weekend, Tokajer said. Despite discussions to the contrary, Tokajer said county leaders opted to open the lots to the public at the last minute for the holiday weekend, amending the temporary use permit application provided by the city in order to strike some requirements from the agreement. They did so without consulting Holmes Beach leaders in a move that disappointed city representatives. In contrast, county officials required Holmes Beach city leaders to sign an agreement for a temporary use permit at Manatee Beach to host two recent COVID-19 vaccination clinics without amending the document. Mayor Judy Titsworth said she’d been under the impression that city and county leaders would be working together to address parking and traffic issues. By striking some of the requirements of the agreement, she said she felt the county’s representatives weren’t respecting or addressing resident concerns related to additional parking, such as more trash at lots and beach ends and a lack of lifeguards and restroom facilities. She said one thing she hopes county leaders take away from the situation is remembering that Holmes Beach residents also are Manatee County residents and are some of the people the county’s officials were elected or appointed to represent.
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MCGUINNESS: Building official last to inspect Surfside condo FROM PAGE 1
McGuinness said, was in the process of conducting the required inspections and tests for its 40-year recertification, due before the end of the calendar year. Though he said he had not received any of the required paperwork for recertification prior to the disaster at the Collins Avenue property, McGuinness told Surfside town commissioners that he believed the required inspections were largely complete. To qualify for recertification, the building’s owners or association must complete all required inspections with a third-party firm, present them to the city’s building department for review and complete any required repairs before obtaining the certification for the building. Though the recertification program in Surfside is mandated by Miami-Dade County regulations, it’s up to the town’s building department to oversee the recertification process for buildings in their jurisdiction. In a July 3 story, Fox News reported that the manager of the Champlain Towers condominium association complained by email on June 21 that the Surfside building department was stalling needed repairs at the tower, with McGuinness failing to respond to a May email concerning a parking plan for construction to
repair the concrete slab underneath the pool deck. McGuinness responded to the email just hours before the building partially collapsed, according to the report. Engineering experts working with the Miami Herald stated that after review of photos and video of the building collapse the partial collapse could be due to the pool deck failing, falling into the garage below and pulling part of the building down with it. An investigation into the tower’s June 24 partial collapse is ongoing along with an around-the-clock search for those still missing in the disaster. Ahead of Hurricane Elsa, the remaining portion of the Champlain Towers South building was imploded to keep the site as safe as possible for rescue workers and help them access previously unstable areas to search for the missing. As of July 9, 78 people were confirmed dead in the collapse and 68 were still reported as missing in the Surfside disaster. Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said an outside engineering firm is investigating the wreckage of the south tower along with its sister buildings to make sure those are still safe for residents and workers to occupy. Investigations into the collapse also are being conducted by the U. S. Department
2021
KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN
Then-Holmes Beach Building Official Jim McGuinness shows forum attendees how many codes the department's employees must learn and enforce during a 2017 building department forum. of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology to determine what caused the partial collapse of the structure and what can be done to prevent similar tragedies in the future. The Sun reached out to the city of Surfside’s building department and McGuinness for more information on recent inspections at Champlain Towers South, however, no response to emails, phone calls and text messages was received. Prior to taking the building official position in Surfside, McGuinness worked for the city of Holmes Beach from March 23, 2015 until March 18, 2019 when he officially handed in his letter of resigna-
tion to Mayor Judy Titsworth. At the time of his resignation, McGuinness was being disciplined by the mayor. In a discussion with The Sun, Titsworth said that while she could not speak to the circumstances surrounding McGuinness’s departure from the city, she would not consider hiring him back if given the opportunity. While she said McGuinness has a good understanding of the Florida Building Code, Titsworth added she was not happy with his performance and that personality conflicts caused a problem. “It just wasn’t a good fit,” she said. More recently on Anna Maria Island, McGuinness made headlines for his erroneous approval of a lighted sign and LED board at the Anna Maria Beach Resort on Gulf Drive prior to his departure from the city. His issuance of a permit for the backlit sign and message board against the city’s codes prohibiting backlit signs in residential neighborhoods has resulted in a lawsuit against the city from the resort’s owners and months of city commission discussion related to changes to the Holmes Beach sign ordinance to somehow accommodate existing backlit signs in residential areas. An update to the ordinance has not yet been approved by commissioners. The case in Manatee County Circuit Court is still pending.
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OUTDOORS
JULY 14, 2021
How to catch sea trout Reel Time RUSTY CHINNIS
S
ea trout have always been a target of local anglers, mostly as a food source but rarely by fishermen seeking a trophy. Most would rather target redfish, snook and larger species like tarpon and kingfish. The average Gulf coast trout weighs in at about 2 pounds and doesn’t put much of a bend in a light fly or spinning rod. Larger trout are harder to find, are much warier, and a worthy adversary on any tackle. In the early 80s, it wasn’t uncommon to catch an 8-pound trout during the late winter and early spring. By the mid-80s, a large trout was hard to capture on any tackle. The net ban that was enacted in 1995 gave anglers great hope for a resurgence in trout populations. The net ban helped restore trout populations, but the anticipated resurgence of trout proved uneven at best. In the last few years, catching larger trout from 4-6 pounds has been a real possibility for conventional and fly anglers who are patient. Traditionally, the best time to target trout is during the months of March, April and May. The months of December through February can also be good options for trout as they forage for food during the lean winter season. In late summer, late outgoing tides on the full and new moons can
RUSTY CHINNIS | SUN
A fat Sarasota Bay sea trout is always a possibility for savvy anglers. also produce some large specimens. Sight fishing trout requires a stealthy approach. A wading angler moving too quickly through the water or rocking an approaching boat while casting can spook trout. For any measure of success, move extremely slowly and avoid any errant sounds like a push pole hitting the boat or a rustling anchor chain that will telegraph an angler’s presence. Flats with healthy grass beds with white sand holes and edges provide cover and forage for baitfish, shrimp and mullet, and are prime habitat for large trout. When picking a fly or plug, try to mimic the prevalent for-
age food. In local estuaries and the open bay, mullet may be the dominant food source, but trout are opportunists and will pursue glass minnows, shrimp, pilchards and other available food sources. The pattern varies depending on the season and water temperatures. During times of low visibility and low tides, anglers can move their efforts to the deeper edges of flats, the drop-offs into rivers and bays and the deep edges of oyster bars. Fly leaders should be long and tapered (up to 12 feet) with no more than a 30-pound bite tippet. I prefer a premium 20-pound fluorocarbon
bite tippet. While it’s possible to catch big trout on a larger tippet, I think the smaller diameter is best for the biggest and wariest trout. Your approach, even on foot, is very important. One of my favorite ways to hunt big trout is with a top water plug or popper. Plugs and noisy poppers can actually scare big trout when the sun is high, but are deadly early in the morning and just before dark. When wading, shuffle your feet and move slowly to avoid a pressure wave. Fly fishers need to be stealthy and avoid disturbing the water when lifting the line for another cast. Every advantage is necessary in the hunt for big trout. This is a game in which anglers may have to cover a lot of water. When fishing for trout, never run the flats, looking instead for surface action, including schools of baitfish, mullet and diving seabirds. Top producing flies include the Clouser Deep Minnows, Lefty’s Deceivers and top water poppers like the Garthside Gurgler. Some of my favorite plugs are the Heddon “Zara Spook,” the MirrOlure “Top Dog” and the Rebel “Jumping Minnow.” Now might not be “prime” time to target trout in local water, but it’s a good time to perfect your approach. Many of the trout you catch will be unwanted and undersized, so remember to handle with care and release them quickly. Release them in the water if possible and always wet your hands if you handle them. Trout might not be glamorous but they are a worthy adversary for local anglers. Always remember to check regulations before keeping any fish.
JULY 14, 2021
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Good water, weather locally bring on the bite CAPTAIN DAVE WHITE
The weather has been ideal for us here at Anna Maria Charters lately. The bite inshore and offshore have been great. The water our way is good and clean, and we hope it stays that way. Inshore, Captain Johnny Mattay is running our inshore trips for mangrove snapper, snook, spotted seatrout and the occasional gag grouper. He’s also targeting sharks for clients that want a bit more of a scrap. Offshore, I’ve been on the red snapper, red grouper, yellowtail snapper, mangrove snapper, and gag grouper. Sardines, pilchards, and pinfish are my bait of choice out there. I’m fishing from 30-60 miles out depending on the species and the clientele. Business is staying exceptional on our Island. With people not traveling abroad, it’s made little areas like ours extremely sought out. We’re taking full advantage and grateful for it, as our crowds could fizzle along with the water quality that drew us Islanders and the visitors here. Let’s hope we can address it and get our water CAPTAIN DAVE WHITE | SUBMITTED issues figured out, for the sake of the fu- Charles Alexander, of Bradenton, shows off an American red snapper and ture of our Island and for our children. big gag grouper. Caught with Captain David White of Anna Maria Charters.
WWW.SURF-FORECAST.COM | SUBMITTED
This graphic illustrates the projected high and low tides in Bradenton Beach.
King tides possible third week of July Lt. John Cosby from the Bradenton Beach Police Department recently informed city commission members that high king tides are possible in Bradenton Beach later this month. In doing so, Cosby cited information provided by the Surf-Forecast.com website. “We have a king tide coming this month. It starts the 22nd and goes to the 25th or 26th (Monday). The last four days we will be three feet above mean high tide. We’re probably going to have some breach on Avenue A and up in the Sandpiper trailer park,” Cosby told the commission on July 1. “It’s possible we could see some flooding from the king tide. We’re going to talk to a couple individuals in each neighborhood and have them help us get the word out. It may happen, it may not, but last time we totally got caught off guard and the information was there. We missed it and we’re not going to miss it again,” Cosby said. According to the Monday, July 12 Surf-Forecast.com tide chart, the high tide is also projected to reach 2.9 feet on Wednesday, July 21.
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FOOD & WINE
JULY 14, 2021
Breezy Bakery in Cortez offers tasty homemade pastries Travis Roy
Coconut Macaroons Yields 20
Ingredients
BREEZY BAKERY
Shredded coconut 800 grams Apricot glaze/jam 120 grams Egg whites 240 grams Sugar 200 grams Vanilla 10 grams
H
oly coconuts! It was a big surprise to us that the coconut macaroon would be our best-seller against scratch-made croissants, pinwheels, cookies, cakes, and cinnamon rolls. The recipe is simple to make, and if you like the taste and texture of coconut, this is a winner! Follow the instructions and you will have homemade coconut macaroons in no time. If baking is not your talent but you enjoy coconut macaroons, swing through and we will have them ready. Breezy Bakery has been open now for three months and we’ve received great local support in historic Cortez Village. Although Cortezians seem to have a snooze button until 8 or 9 a.m., we get filled with sleepy-eyed guests from Longboat Key and Anna Maria Island that travel over the bridge to get their morning pastries. Breezy Bakery is completely a scratch bakery delivering rustic homemade pastries that connect with memories from past family traditions. The two pastry chefs, Bri Suzano and Tavis Roy met at The Ritz Carlton in Fort Lauderdale, where Bri was the temp head pastry chef after her previous employment at the Ritz Carlton in St.Thomas suffered a big blow from a hurricane. Although that Ritz didn’t become her home, she went on to work at several other hotels in Chicago and Miami before reconnecting with Travis. They decided to venture out on their own and bake for
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Fold ingredients until combined well. Use the desired ice cream scoop to make balls. (Usually a 2.5-ounce scoop). Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.
SUBMITTED
themselves with love and butter. As life partners, Bri and Travis decided not only to welcome a bakery into this town but now have an actual “bun in the oven” coming this December. Exciting as that is, it fits our narrative that family values and traditions continue in historic Cortez Village. Although
money pays the bills, the smiles, positive feedback, and happiness we bring to the community are the payback Bri and Travis crave. In Bri’s spare time, she enjoys painting murals. If you come into our bakery, you will notice her mural on our storefront, a whimsical spot for
Instagram photos. Look for Frankie - he’s an angry cupcake that can be found all around the bakery and even has his own cookie. She also had this idea of doing a sprinkle epoxy floor that seemed like a great idea in her head but came out even more amazing when we poured the floor. Check it out - Frankie is hiding somewhere on the floor! Looking towards the future of both babies growing up in this community, we hope to connect with the surrounding areas and bring them something amazingly tasty and fresh. Located between the Beach Shop, Sally’s, and Tyler’s Ice Cream, our little center can provide a small bit of local authenticity to meet your sweet needs. This July 20-25 we will be celebrating Christmas in July with all their favorite pastries, cookies, and pies of the upcoming season. Come by for a holiday treat in our warm, beautiful, seaside bakery!
JULY 14, 2021
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THE SUN
19
MANATEES: Worst year ever for manatee deaths As seagrass disappears, manatees starve to death. Wildlife observers noted earlier this year that many of the dead manatees washing up on the shores were seriously emaciated.”
FROM PAGE 1
Manatee County, 10 manatees died in the first half of this year, three from boat strikes. Boats strikes caused 63 of this year’s deaths statewide. In its most recent report, the FWC notes that “The recurrence of watercraft-related mortality as the leading cause of death in manatees necropsied in the Atlantic region in June, consistent with similar observations on the Gulf coast, underscores the need for previously identified threats such as watercraft-related mortality to continue to be recognized as a concern for the population.”
FORMER GOVERNOR SUPPORTS UPLISTING
MANATEES NO LONGER HAVE ‘ENDANGERED’ STATUS
Four years ago, the USFWS downlisted the West Indian manatee, including its subspecies, the Florida manatee, from the “endangered” species list to a “threatened” species status. The FWC’s state imperiled species list mirrors the USFWS’s federal imperiled species list for several species, including manatees. Protected as endangered since 1967 under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the manatee “no longer meets the Act’s definition of endangered and should be reclassified as threatened,” according to the 2017 USFWS declaration. The ESA defines an endangered species as being “in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range,” while a threatened species is “likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.” The downlisting came after the Pacific Legal Foundation, on behalf of recreational boating group Save Crystal River Inc., petitioned the wildlife service, saying the safety measures addressing the manatee’s endangered level of protection were bad for tourism and boating businesses. Among the opponents of the downlisting was Dr. Katie Tripp, of the Save the Manatee Club, who wrote a 27-page letter to the USFWS on the reclassification. “A downlisting to ‘threatened’ is premature and would substantially interfere with,
SAVE THE MANATEE CLUB | SUBMITTED
A public service announcement urges boaters to steer clear of manatees for the protection of the marine mammals. if not outright prevent, the recovery of the species,” she wrote. “If all of the risks and threats to the manatees are taken into account, the only possible conclusion under the law is to maintain the West Indian Manatee’s status as ‘endangered.’ ” Another opponent was Glenn Compton, director of the local environmental group ManaSota-88, who questioned the state’s consistency in counting manatees from the air, sometimes with one aircraft and sometimes with more; sometimes over one day and sometimes over more than one day. “The methodology they use from year to year should be consistent,” Compton told The Sun in 2017. “Using different days on different counts is like comparing apples to oranges.” In 2019, the FWC counted 5,733 manatees in state waters. This year’s survey was not conducted due to safety precautions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and last year’s was not conducted due to warmer than average winter weather. Manatees congregate in cold weather, making them easier to count from the air. Population accuracy aside, “The biggest factor is loss of habitat due to development and increased boating with the state’s
increasing population. Whatever gains are purported to occur, I would expect to see that go the other way in the future,” he said prophetically.
CONGRESSMAN URGES UPLISTING
In a move to recognize the manatee as endangered once again, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Manatee) has called on the USFWS to upgrade the manatee from “threatened” status to “endangered.” “Manatees are beloved, iconic mammals in Florida,” Buchanan said in a press release. “We should provide these gentle giants with the highest levels of federal protection.” “When a species becomes extinct, it is lost forever,” he said. “We cannot afford to let that happen to these iconic residents of Florida and the state’s official marine mammal.” In a letter to the wildlife service, Buchanan wrote, “There is a broad consensus among marine biologists and conservationists that the driving force behind the rapidly growing death rate is the degradation of the water quality in manatee habitats, growing levels of water pollution and an increase of harmful algal blooms that kill off seagrass.
Former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham, co-founder in 1981 with singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett of the Save the Manatee Club, supports uplisting in a letter on the organization’s website. “The tragic loss of nearly 600 manatees statewide in fewer than three months in 2021 must be a wake-up call to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which dropped the ball when they listened to anti-manatee groups like the Pacific Legal Foundation and prematurely took manatees off the endangered species list over the objections of scientists and thousands of Americans who understood that the manatees’ future was not secure but in fact could get much worse. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should admit its mistake and relist the manatee as an endangered species,” he wrote. “I, along with my dear friend Jimmy Buffett, urge President Joe Biden to demand that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other federal agencies make protecting manatees and recovering seagrasses and other submerged aquatic vegetation a top priority in ensuring that our aquatic ecosystems are nursed back to health. Graham also appealed to Gov. Ron DeSantis to make Florida’s Clean Waterways Act live up to its name… “and clean up the Indian River Lagoon and other Florida waterways before they too collapse under the demise of uncontrolled harmful algal blooms fueled by continued human-produced waste from unsustainable development.” “The only way to reverse these devastating consequences of too much nutrient pollution is for citizens to demand that their local, state and federal leaders make cleaning up our waterways a top mutual priority,” he wrote. “Unless we stop the excess nutrient pollution from making its way into our bays, lagoons and rivers, our state will not be fit for man or manatee alike.”
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JULY 14, 2021
LIGHTNING: Victory has residents ready for more FROM PAGE 1
travels with private security to ensure its safety anytime it is taken out in public. Whether or not the Lightning makes another run at the Stanley Cup won’t be known for a while, but the location of the Cup itself is pretty clear. After a team wins, each player and coach gets to possess the Cup for one day. It’s a long-running tradition that has seen the Stanley Cup in places that are pretty hard to imagine. The Cup has been found at the bottom of a swimming pool, players’ babies have been baptized in it, it’s been left by the side of the road and used as a dog bowl, and plenty of beer and cocktails have been consumed from it. “After the Bolts insane repeat run to win the Stanley Cup, the pressure
is on Tom Brady and the Buccaneers to make this the center of the sports universe,” said Allen Collins of Cortez, minutes after the Lightning secured a second title. It’s all over talk radio, social media and barstools throughout the area. The Rays and Buccaneers are now feeling the pressure to do it again - or are they? “I played minor league baseball for the Mets and the Dodgers and I can assure you that these teams want to win every year whether it’s a repeat or not, said Doug, who asked that his last name not be published. “Sure, they hear the talk, but you’re paid to win, that’s why organizations spend so much money on talent. These guys aren’t feeling any more or less pressure than any other season.”
JASON SCHAFFER | SUN
Fans cheer on the Tampa Bay Lightning at Island Time in Bradenton Beach.
SUBMITTED | PAUL DEVINE
A tiny Stanley Cup sits near the 36th Street beach access in Holmes Beach July 11 celebrating the Tampa Bay Lightning’s second Stanley Cup win in two years.
CHARLIE TRYGG | SUBMITTED
Tampa Bay Lightning Coach Jon Cooper brought the Stanley Cup trophy to D Coy Ducks in Holmes Beach Saturday evening. Right, Lightning coach Jon Cooper hoists the Stanley Cup overhead as he makes his way down Bridge Street on a tour of Anna Maria Island’s bars July 10. BRADENTON BEACH PD | SUBMITTED
Stanley Cup visits BBPD SUBMITTED | MELISSA RASH
The Stanley Cup trophy and Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper visited the Bradenton Beach Police Department Saturday evening as part of Cooper’s victory lap around the Island.
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JULY 14, 2021
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21
City agrees to stormwater engineering contract with UCOF The city has been in search of an independent engineering firm to review past and present stormwater and drainage-related plans and projects. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
BRADENTON BEACH – After failing to negotiate a contract with Land & Water Engineering Science, the city of Bradenton Beach has retained Mark Porter’s Utilities Consultants of Florida (UCOF) to provide additional stormwater and drainage-related engineering services. Based on input provided by City Attorney Ricinda Perry, Public Works Director Tom Woodard and Lt. John Cosby from the Bradenton Beach Police Department, the city commission reached this unanimous decision on Thursday, July 1. When previously issuing a request for proposals, the commission sought an additional engineering firm to conduct an independent review of the city’s Master Drainage Study that was last updated in 2006. When conducted, that review will assess the successes and shortcomings of the many stormwater and drainage projects and improvements City Engineer Lynn Burnett has engineered and initiated over the past several years. As a more time-pressing matter, the commission also sought an outside engineering firm to review Burnett’s 90% completed plans for a $2.1 million state-funded flood prevention and drainage improvement project – most of which is expected to take place on the north end of the city. Those final project design plans must be submitted to the state by month’s end and it has not been determined whether significant changes will be made to Burnett’s nearly completed plans. On May 11, the commission ranked Land & Water Engineering Sciences as its first choice, UCOF as its second choice and Madrid/CPWG engineering as its third choice. Perry was then authorized to attempt to negotiate a contract with Land & Water Engineering Sciences’ Paul Miselis. It was noted then that if the negotiations with Land & Water proved unsuccessful, Perry would be directed to negotiate with UCOF next. When presenting the UCOF bid response proposal on May 6, it also was noted that Porter is not a certified engineer and he would subcontract a stable of engineers from Colliers Engineering & Design.
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
Mark Porter’s Utilities Consultants of Florida firm will now provide stormwater engineering and project oversight services for the city.
MOVING ON
During the July 1 meeting, Perry said she and Miselis could not come to final terms on a contract for the desired engineering services. Woodard told the commission that Land & Water Engineering Sciences would not come out for a preliminary site visit until a signed contract was in place. Perry and Woodard both said they had concerns about the lack of communication that took place during the negotiation process. “I don’t feel I have successfully negotiated a contract with the terms you gave me,” Perry told the commission. Woodard also said he was “uncomfortable” with the way the request for additional engineering services was unfolding. After further discussion, the commission unanimously agreed to terminate the negotiations with Land & Water and enter into contract negotiations with Porter and UCOF. The following day, Perry was able to successfully negotiate those contract terms. Perry and Porter already have a comfortable working relationship due to the time they’ve spent working together on the Bridge Street and Gulf Drive utilities undergrounding projects. Porter served as the city’s consultant on both of those projects. He’s served in a similar role with a much larger undergrounding project taking place in Longboat Key. When contacted by The Sun at 11:15 a.m. on Friday, July 2, Miselis said he was surprised by the commission’s decision and had not been contacted by anyone from the city regarding that decision. “We tried working with the city. We tried to accommodate what the city was looking for. We gave them a scope of work that I thought met their needs and a fee that met their budget. If they want to use another firm that’s up to them,” Miselis said.
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THE SUN
REAL ESTATE
JULY 14, 2021
A group home by any other name A
group home is defined as a small number of unrelated people, in need of support, living together. This may be the long-established definition, but in today’s unprecedented real estate environment it may have taken on an expanded definition. It would be redundant to say that real estate values on Anna Maria Island have increased to an extraordinary level during the past few years. Second-home buyers who have flocked to Anna Maria for decades are finding they can’t afford or justify the expense of purchasing a home to use for just part of the year. To fill this opening there is a new homeownership concept - or maybe just a jazzed-up version of an old concept. Co-ownership is a new model conceived by a California company called Pacaso. The idea is to bring together co-buyers in a luxury home they would not ordinarily be able to afford, to use on a rotating basis as a second home. The process, according to them, is straightforward. Pacaso acquires private
Castles in the Sand LOUISE BOLGER homes in upscale vacation residential areas and structures them as eight-member LLCs. Buyers then purchase an ownership interest in the home, ranging from one-eighth to one-half of true ownership of the property. One of the selling points is, of course, a much smaller investment in the property and no responsibility for maintenance, which is managed by the company for an additional fee. They also make the point that second-home owners frequently don’t use their full homeownership up to the level they had anticipated and have tied up millions of dollars in assets that are no longer liquid. The regions that Pacaso is active in are, not surprisingly, the high-end markets of
Miami, West Palm Beach, and Ft. Lauderdale in Florida and posh areas of Colorado, California and Utah. They are investing in multi-million-dollar homes that offer amenities most second-home buyers could not afford on their own. One of the typical properties on their website in Ft. Lauderdale was a $6,000,000 waterfront property with six bedrooms, seven bathrooms and more than 5,000 square feet. The one-eighth ownership was $895,000 and additional fees were not indicated. This would give you part ownership that you could use for a monthand-a-half every year. How you determine the months was also not indicated. Even though they say that co-ownership is not fractional ownership, which has been around for a long time, some of the elements are the same, like having your name on the deed. This is entirely different from timeshares, which is buying the right to use the property but without ownership rights. And, of course, many buyers and family members do get together and purchase
homes jointly and manage it themselves. But for those second-home buyers who do not have relationships that will enable them to do this co-ownership managed by a corporation fills that gap. So, does Anna Maria want this type of ownership on the Island? My guess is no, as residents of Napa Valley in California also don’t want it. Homeowners there have organized and made it very uncomfortable for Pacaso to operate. They are confronting potential buyers and have attempted to pass regulations to control co-ownership purchases. Nevertheless, don’t be surprised if Pacaso or some other co-ownership company starts to buy up our multi-million-dollar properties to sell as co-ownerships. In my opinion, it would be another negative slap in the face for Anna Maria. If it happens it will be very gradual, before anyone knows what’s going on. So stay alert - the concept is really just an extravagant group home.
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JULY 14, 2021
THE SUN
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Does anybody care that it’s hurricane season? As Anna Maria Island experiences a record-breaking summer of tourism, is hurricane season a point of concern for travelers? BY JASON SCHAFFER SUN CORRESPONDENT | jschaffer@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA ISLAND - The first of June marked the beginning of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, and if things go as predicted by weather experts, it should be another active one. The beginning of June also saw COVID-19 travel restrictions lifted in most of the U.S. just in time for the end of the school year. These factors, along with new flights being added at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) and a general desire for many to finally take a vacation after more than a year of lockdown, have created the perfect recipe for a record-breaking summer season on the Island. In years past, the first day of summer unofficially signaled the end of the spring snowbird and tourist season on the Island. But that isn’t the case in 2021, and few of these visitors seem very concerned about hurricane season.
“We checked the weather before we got on the plane and saw a tropical storm that was likely to become a hurricane, then we noticed there is a good chance of thunderstorms every day we are going to be there," said Kimberly Rotz, who arrived a day before Hurricane Elsa with her family from suburban Indianapolis. Temperatures there had been close to 96 degrees when they got on the plane. "Not the best scenario, but neither is the record heat at home. At least you guys have an ocean and plenty of pool space to beat the heat.” Rotz said she and her husband did some research and saw that hurricanes tend to miss the Island historically, and they didn’t feel there was a safety issue for her family based on a close watch of Elsa’s approach. “We called our resort and asked if the windows and doors were hurricane safe, and also asked if there had been a history of damage to the property during past storms,” she said. “When the person we spoke to said the property was up to code, and no evacuation order seemed to be coming, we decided to come down and ride it out. It turned out to be pretty tame, so I’m glad we
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JASON SCHAFFER | SUN
These signs exist for a reason. Luckily it wasn’t necessary for Elsa, but the big storm is always possible. made that decision.” The Rotz family isn’t the only one that doesn’t seem too worried about hurricane season or the summer heat. Island-related social media sites are full of posts and comments from people who are ready to start their vacations. “We are coming down July 24 to July 31 and we can’t wait. We’ve been coming to Holmes Beach for seven years, but this will be our first summer trip. We usually come in March or April, but COVID kept that from happening this year,” said Maria Rivera, who will be flying from Hartford, Conn.
Originally from Puerto Rico, Rivera fell in love with the Island and its beaches after coming with friends in 2014. “Growing up in Puerto Rico, we were constantly in the path of hurricanes,” she said. “In 1998, Hurricane Georges did billions of dollars in damage and we didn’t have electricity for weeks. I’ve lived through serious destruction, and nothing like that has ever happened on Anna Maria Island. So while it’s silly to not be cautious, it seems like the odds are in favor of the Island.” Rivera is correct about Anna Maria Island historically being spared the worst during hurricane season. Elsa was expected to be just a few miles offshore, and with the eastern side of a hurricane usually packing the higher wind speeds and more severe rainfall, it looked like it was poised to cause flooding and a high storm surge. Other problems such as power outages and downed trees looked to be a likely scenario as well, but once again, it just didn’t happen. SEE HURRICANES, PAGE 27
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THE SUN
OBITUARIES Jay Erickson Dr. Jay William Erickson passed away peacefully on June 27, 2021 in Bradenton, Florida at the age of 86. He was born on August 6, 1934, in Fredonia (Pomfret), New York to Oscar Eric Erickson and Fay Isabel (Miller) Erickson. He graduated from the State University of New York at Fredonia with a bachelor of science and education in 1959, and received a master’s in science education in 1960 and a Ph.D. in science and education in 1963 from Columbia University. He met his wife, Terry, at SUNY Fredonia and together they celebrated 62 years of marriage, sharing adventures and their devotion to family. Jay was an associate professor of natural sciences and a professor of organic and biochemistry at Teacher’s College, Columbia University in the early 60s. He then joined the Columbia team as a professor of science education (chemistry/physics) at Kabul, University in Afghanistan from 1966 – 1971, where he became fluent in Farsi. From 1972 – 1976 he was the professor of education and programs director
(I.D.A. Project) at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. He is remembered by students as being both challenging and supportive. In 1976, Jay and Terry moved to Anna Maria Island, Florida where he became a Realtor for Beckett Realty and an independent property manager. Throughout his life Jay was an avid walker, hiker, and traveler. He walked the beaches and sidewalks of Anna Maria Island daily (wearing his African hat) and did most of his errands by bicycle. During the summers between 1987 and 1994 he hiked and completed (on his 60th birthday) the Appalachian Trail where he was known as the “Red Baron.” The nickname came from his passion for flying his Piper Cherokee. He helped his daughters with Girl Scouts and sons with Boy Scouts, making sure to instill a love of the outdoors. Jay traveled the world with Terry, taking camping trips, many international vacations and family cruises. A favorite quote of his is from J.R.R. Tolkien, “Not all who wander are lost.” Jay’s love of people and his great sense of humor were known by family, friends and everyone he met, as he never met a stranger. He was vibrant, brilliant, jovial and young at heart. Jay is survived by his daughters, Dawn Erickson (James) and Deborah Pate (David), his son, Jay Erickson II (Jennifer), his siste,r Mary Lou Bell (Gordon) and eight grandchildren. He is preceded in death by wife Alliene “Terry” Erickson, son, Gregg
JULY 14, 2021
Erickson (Jan) and grandson, Eric Eisenhauer. For those wishing to honor Jay, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Society Florida Gulf Coast Chapter online at www. alz.org/flgulfcoast . A celebration of life will be planned for Jay at a later date.
Robert James Cooper Jr. Robert James Cooper Jr., better known and loved as “Coop” and “Coop Da Loop,” passed away to eternal life on July 3 at 12:53 p.m. at the Tidewell Hospice House in Bradenton. He knew he was not alone and he knew that he was loved. He is survived by his life partner, Louise Schippers, son Robert “Bobby” James Cooper III, daughter Amber Lee Cooper, granddaughter Jewelee Bober, niece Emily Irzyk, nephew Matthew Irzyk, and ex-wife Desiree Cooper, as well as many cousins and extended family. He is predeceased by his father, Robert James Cooper I, his mother, Norma Peltier Cooper, and his sister, Kimberly Cooper Irzyk. Coop, as he was affectionately known, hailed from Westfield, Mass., but lived on Anna Maria Island for more than 40 years. He enjoyed the Island life and all it offered,
whether that was hanging out with friends at the local bars and playing pool, fishing the local waters or being at the beach. For most of his working life he was the lead maintenance man at Club Longboat on Longboat Key, but he also worked at Shells Restaurant and at the Anchor Inn. He was also a Harley Davidson motorcycle enthusiast. He is described by those who knew him to have been a kind soul and someone who liked to help others. He is also remembered for his quick wit, infectious smile and for an abundance of friends and acquaintances, who say he always had a smile, a hello or a joke for them. A memorial service will take place Saturday, July 17, at the Harvey Memorial Community Church at 300 Church Ave. in Bradenton Beach at 11 a.m., with a celebration of life at the Anchor Inn immediately following. A second celebration of life will take place at Drift In on Bridge Street sometime in the future. The service, as well as the celebration of life, are open to all who knew and loved Coop. Attendees are welcome to bring a covered dish to the Anchor Inn to share at the celebration of life. Donations in Coop’s honor can be made to a GoFundMe account which will go to help his loved ones with final expenses: bit.ly/Coopdaloop. Prayers for peace and comfort to all who loved Coop. SEE OBITS, PAGE 25
There has never been a better time to sell your property
LONGBOAT KEY 3105 Gulf of Mexico Drive
Joel Schemmel
ANNA MARIA 209 South Bay Boulevard Shellie Young
$12,900,000
941.587.4894
BIRD KEY $2,700,000 941.713.5458
There has never been a better time to sell your property
411 Pheasant Way Robert Sherman
$3,095,000 941.313.1301
LIDO BEACH
BAYOU BEND
453 South Polk Drive $4,250,000 Liz Arme 941.266.4003
1112 64th Street NW $3,200,000 Lisa Morreale 941.400.9038
LONGBOAT KEY
HOLMES BEACH
3476 Mistletoe Lane $2,599,900 Marty Warren 941.724.1854
107 81st Street Shellie Young
$1,850,000 941.713.5458
LAKEWOOD RANCH | 941.907.9541 SARASOTA - DOWNTOWN | 941.364.4000 LONGBOAT KEY | 941.383.1526 VENICE TO PUNTA GORDA | 941.412.3323
RENTALS | 941.487.6019
Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. Property information herein is derived from various sources including, but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate.
www.amisun.com
JULY 14, 2021
BEACH BEAT HOLMES BEACH
7/1, 4:21 p.m., trespassing, 3260 East Bay Drive. The suspect was observed sitting in a chair smoking a cigarette in front of The Dollar Tree. The suspect had been issued a trespass warning in 2020 that was still valid and was issued a notice to appear and released. 7/4, 3:14 p.m., no valid driver’s license, 800 Manatee Ave. A traffic stop resulted in the driver not having a valid license, and the odor of marijuana was present. A search found marijuana joints in the cup holder, but no marijuana citation was issued. A licensed driver came for the vehicle. 7/4, 10:46 p.m., aggravated assault/marijuana possession not more than 20 grams, 2900 Gulf Drive. Victims claimed someone in a silver Mazda cut them off on Gulf Drive after nearly hitting their vehicle, then got out of the car pointing what they thought was a handgun at them. Police caught up with the suspect on Cortez Road and stopped them. A search of the
vehicle did not yield a handgun, but police did find a small bag of marijuana. 7/5, 11:47 p.m., Marchman Act, 4000 Gulf Drive. Officers approached a female suspect at the CVS parking lot. The suspect was wet, covered in sand and appeared to be intoxicated. The suspect stated she had taken molly with friends on the beach. Another suspect was found naked on the beach touching himself. Another friend said they had taken molly and LSD. Two suspects were transported to Blake Hospital after officers completed a Marchman Act form.
BRADENTON BEACH
7/10, 11:32 p.m., traffic collision, Cortez Road and Gulf Drive N. Officers responded to a traffic collision at the intersection of Cortez Road and Gulf Drive N. where a Nissan sedan with one male occupant collided with an electric GEM car being driven by a male with two female passengers. The GEM car came to rest more than 100 feet from the collision where the male occupant was ejected. There were no serious injuries, and the accident is under investigation.
THE SUN
OBITUARIES Joyce Wagner Joyce “Tootie” Berner Wagner, living on Anna Maria Island, Florida, moved on to eternal life with Ganny and many other friends on June, 3, 2021, with her loving family by her side. May her soul rest in peace. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Joyce lead a life full of joy and accomplishments. She lived on the South Side, attended St. Basil’s Church on 55th Street and attended Visitation High School. She attended Bogan Junior College and earned her degree from Chicago State. She was especially proud of her degree in microwave cooking from Morraine Valley College. One of her proudest moments was becoming the first female truck driver for the U.S. Postal Service in Illinois. She also worked for the famed Playboy Club in Chicago. After getting married she moved to Palos Hills. From there, she had a distinguished 25-year career at Dominick’s Groceries in the Chicago area. Everyone in the neighborhood knew Tootie. Joyce moved to Anna Maria Island full time in 2001 and enjoyed more
ANNA MARIA ISLAND 607, 609, 611 Fern Streets & 610 Rose Street 12 Beds 6 Baths 1,568 Sq. Ft. Hannah Hillyard & George Myers 941-744-7358 A4497933 $5,900,000
LONGBOAT KEY 25 Lighthouse Point Drive 4 Beds 6/1 Baths 6,025 Sq. Ft. Sherri Mills 941-350-7112 A4503359 $5,600,000
ANNA MARIA ISLAND PENDING 106 Tern Drive 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 3,649 Sq. Ft. Hannah Hillyard & George Myers 941-744-7358 A4501850 $3,595,000
HOLMES BEACH 103 75th Street 4 Beds 4 Baths 2,737 Sq. Ft. Kathy Marshall 941-900-9777 A4495220 $3,200,000
ANNA MARIA ISLAND 8017 Marina Isles Lane 3 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,593 Sq. Ft. Kate Enis 941-330-6068 A4500595 $7,250,000
LONGBOAT KEY 1701 Gulf Of Mexico Drive 303 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,551 Sq. Ft. Michael Moulton 941-928-3559 A4503585 $899,000
BRADENTON 3608 W 54th Drive W J101 & J102 4 Beds 4 Baths 3,776 Sq. Ft. Leah Secondo 941-545-4430 A4497828 $800,000
BRADENTON 9235 43rd Terrace W 3 Beds 2 Baths 2,482 Sq. Ft. Erica Thomas 941-799-9365 A4502020 $599,999
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than 20 years of fun in the sun with family. She was involved with several organizations and was a Key Royale Club board member and was the Key Royale Club Champion in 2010. Joyce was fun loving and caring for all. If you knew Joyce, you loved Joyce. She was a fun person to be around. She had a generous and loving heart. Most importantly, she loved to laugh and enjoy life. She will be missed by many and loved very dearly by her family. Joyce is survived by her high school sweetheart and husband of 53 years, Michael W. Wagner, (De La Salle H.S & the University of Chicago MBA program). She was the loving and caring mother to her daughter, Tracy (Honeybear) Wagner Becht and son, Michael Peter Wagner, along with three wonderful grandchildren, Joe “Bones” Becht, Peter “Pman” Becht and Anthony “Bag of Cement” Becht. Joyce also leaves behind Tracy’s loving and devoted husband of 30 years, Joseph Becht; her sister Patricia Berner Zigulich (whom she adored) and husband, Joseph Zigulich, along with dearest her brother, Richard Gobielle. Joyce Tootie Berner Wagner was loved very dearly by her family and closest friends, including Reggie, her dog and loving companion of many years. May her soul and all the souls of the faithfully departed rest in peace for ever and ever amen. We love you Tootie. Brown & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory 26th Street Chapel is in charge of the arrangements. Condolences may be made to www.brownandsonsfuneral.com.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND 112 Mangrove Avenue 4 Beds 2/1 Baths 3,577 Sq. Ft. Hannah Hillyard & George Myers 941-744-7358 A4502423 $4,350,000
LIDO KEY 1300 Benjamin Franklin Drive 1208 3 Beds 4/1 Baths 5,254 Sq. Ft. Susan Fox & Jonathan Fox, PA 941-544-6648 A4492990 $3,900,000
LONGBOAT KEY 647 Marbury Lane 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 2,651 Sq. Ft. Sandi Layfield 941-914-2807 A4503569 $1,950,000
LONGBOAT KEY 1445 Gulf Of Mexico Drive 201 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,274 Sq. Ft. Kathy Callahan 941-900-8088 A4504369 $1,200,000
PERICO ISLAND PENDING 303 108th Street W 114 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,083 Sq. Ft. Hannah Hillyard & George Myers 941-744-7358 A4500468 $300,000
LONGBOAT KEY The Residences at the St. Regis Sales Gallery 100 South Washington Blvd. Georgia Kopelousos & Lynn Morris 941-928-7585 A4497120 $8,000,000
NEW CONSTRUCTION BRADENTON 7304 24th Avenue W 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,527 Sq. Ft. Maria Christenson & Karla Davidson 941-920-3583 A4499897 $450,000
941.896.9981 | MICHAELSAUNDERS.COM
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JULY 14, 2021
COPELAND: Returns to AM Commission FROM PAGE 10
years’ experience as a member and chairman of P&Z (Planning and Zoning Board). In the past, I have been elected to the commission and have served multiple terms as commissioner and chairman. This experience will allow me on day one to be a fully functioning member of the commission. I hope that you will select me to fill this interim position.” Copeland decided not to seek reelection in 2019. Before Thursday’s appointment was made, Mayor Dan Murphy told the commission they had two choices: appoint Copeland or allow the commission seat to remain vacant until the results of the November elections are certified. Commissioners Carol Carter, Jon Crane, Deanie Sebring and Mark Short unanimously supported Copeland’s appointment. “Congratulations Doug. You’re now considered a repeat offender,” Murphy joked after the votes were cast. After being sworn in by City Clerk LeAnne Addy, Copeland took his seat on the dais and participated in the remainder of the commission meeting.
NOT SEEKING ELECTION
Before Thursday’s meeting began, Copeland told the attending media members that he would not seek election to a full two-year
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
Doug Copeland will serve on the commission until the next commissioner is elected and seated. term in the November city elections. Copeland said he wanted that known now so those considering seeking a two-year term were aware of his long-term intentions. He encourages those interested in serving on the commission to run for office in the fall elections. Anna Maria’s two-week candidate qualifying period begins at noon on Monday, Aug. 16, and ends at noon on Friday, Aug. 27. Candidate packages can be obtained from the city clerk’s office or the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office in Bradenton. The commission seats held by
I believe I’m in a unique position to fill the vacant seat.” Doug Copeland, City Commission appointee Carter and Crane will also be filled as a result of this year’s city elections. Carter and Crane have both indicated they will seek reelection.
JULY 14, 2021
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THE SUN
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HURRICANES: Does anybody care it’s hurricane season? FROM PAGE 23
HISTORIC HURRICANE MISSES
Most recently, Hurricane Irma hit the area in September 2017. The storm was a Category 5 before it hit Cuba, and by the time it made its way to the Island, it had significantly weakened to a Category 2. While still a serious storm that leads to a mandatory evacuation of the Island, serious damage was not nearly what it could have been. The City Pier was damaged and had to be closed for extensive renovation and power outages were widespread, but for the most part, homes and businesses didn’t suffer serious damage.
In 2004, Hurricane Charlie also caused a lot of damage to Florida cities but spared the Bradenton area and the Island with winds that didn’t top 60 mph. 2004 also saw Ivan and Frances, two massive storms that came close but did not significantly impact AMI. Despite the Island's good luck, watches and warnings should always be taken seriously, because the past does not predict the future. At some point the big storm will come; according to meteorologists, it is a virtual certainty. In the meantime, watching out for everyday storm-related dangers like lightning and flooding is always good practice.
JASON SCHAFFER | SUN
Crowds line the beachfront last week despite the approach of Hurricane Elsa.
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SPORTS
JULY 14, 2021
July 4 scramble a blast Thirty Key Royale Club members and guests played an Independence Day scramble on Saturday, July 3. The winning team was Jeff and Sherry Drinkard and Dave and Kerry Sears. Using the Ambrose handicap scoring system, they shot a net score of 23. Second place belonged to the team of Dave and Debi Richardson and Jana Samuels and Steve Vasbinder with a score of 24.125 Winning the longest drive for the women was Debi Wohlers, while John Hackinson won for the men. Steve Vasbinder won closest to the pin on Hole #8 at 20 feet. Winning for the men on Hole #5 was the team of Tom Nelson, Chris Nelson, Bill Shuman, and Bill DiMenna. Almost 50 people celebrated after the scramble with the traditional Independence Day cookout and beverages.
MONDAY, JULY 5 MODIFIED STAPLEFORD
First place tie between Herb Clauhs, Chuck Patrick and Terry Schaefer with a score of +2.
THURSDAY, JULY 8 SCRAMBLE
The team of Tom Nelson, Mike Riddick and Bill Shuman tied with the team of Ken Butler, Scott Mitchell, Chuck Patrick, and Deb Richardson at four under par.
SUBMITTED
The first-place winners were Jeff and Sherry Drinkard and Kerry and Dave Sears.
TRASH: Murphy upset with disruptions FROM PAGE 8
Pro has its own trash processing company and is not dependent on the landfill. The commission ultimately voted 4-1 to enter into another contract with Waste Management. Murphy said there’s a clause in the Waste Management contract that allows the city to renegotiate if the city is dissatisfied with its performance. “Maybe we can resolve it. My intent is we have in place a good emergency plan even when there’s a holiday which impacts the garbage pickup. There’s no excuse for what took place,” Murphy said. If Murphy feels the need to renegotiate after his pending meeting with Waste Management representatives, he will seek that commission authorization on July 22. Commissioner Jon Crane said he was frustrated because he couldn’t find one reliable source of information regarding the impacted collection dates, including the Waste Management website. Commissioner Mark Short said he was out on Willow Avenue picking up bottles and cans that were floating in the water because the uncollected bottles and cans were placed in boxes rather than trash bags, trash cans, or recycle bins. Murphy said there were also failures with the side-yard
pickups required of non-homesteaded residential properties.
with Mayor Dan Murphy,” she added.
WASTE MANAGEMENT RESPONSE
McCormick said during regular non-storm events, property owners can go to www.WM.com and enter their address to check on current or anticipated service disruptions. “During a tropical storm or a hurricane, we have a special website in Florida: www.WMFloridaStorm.com,” McCormick said, noting the website did contain collection information related to Manatee County and Anna Maria’s service interruptions. Regarding the possibility that many Anna Maria property owners may not have been aware of Waste Management’s storm website, McCormick said, “We will certainly make sure during the next potential storm that both the city and its residents are better informed of that website. If there was a miscue with the Anna Maria residents, we want to make sure that is corrected before the next storm.” In response to McCormick’s responses, Murphy said, “No matter what Waste Management’s perception of their communication plan is, our streets had overflowing garbage cans for several days. They didn’t pick up trash after a holiday weekend and that’s what they get paid to do. The end result was totally unacceptable.”
When contacted by The Sun on Friday, Waste Management regional spokesperson Dana McCormick said, “Due to the closure of the Manatee County landfill on Monday, July 5 in observance of Independence Day, Waste Management could not provide service to Anna Maria. Our scheduled make-up day was Tuesday. Then, due to the approach of Hurricane Elsa, Manatee County made the decision to close the landfill again on Tuesday. Therefore, Waste Management could not service Anna Maria on Tuesday. Our safety protocols do not allow garbage to remain in our trucks overnight. “While our senior leadership was in frequent contact with the city of Anna Maria staff on service changes due to the closure of the Manatee County landfill, we understand our communications did not meet the city’s expectations and we will commit to do better in future storm events,” McCormick said. “We provided service to our customers on Wednesday and Thursday upon the opening of the landfill and we’ll be back on our regular schedule next week. We look forward to our meeting
ONLINE UPDATES
JULY 14, 2021
FUN IN THE SUN
Across 1 Activist Parks 5 First bird to attack in "The Birds" 9 "¿Qué __?" 13 Overly neat, say 14 Irish New Ager 15 Deep sleep 16 Amazon founder 18 2001 bankruptcy headliner 19 Corn serving 20 Very focused, as an athlete 22 "Of course!" 24 Some dadaist art 26 Voices one's view 27 Scolds 29 Clear dirty dishes from 30 HS promgoers 31 Tops of waves 32 Small batteries 33 Pleasing to look at ... or a phonetic hint to Answers to 07-04-21 Crossword Puzzle.
a two-letter sequence in 16-, 20-, 51- and 56-Across 39 Bash into 40 Rapscallions 42 Soak (up), as gravy 45 Halves of qts. 46 Look over again 47 Like Goldilocks' first bowl of porridge 49 Send to the canvas 50 Code-breaking org. 51 Expatriate American poet arrested for treason in 1945 53 Tiresome grind 55 Had a smoke 56 Aztec emperor 60 One-eyed "Futurama" character 61 Earnest request 62 Dog food brand 63 LAX landing list 64 Some 35mm cameras
THE SUN
65 Open-handed hit Down 1 Koothrappali on "The Big Bang Theory" 2 Common bill 3 Low-crime part of town 4 __ Romeo: sports car 5 "Gosh!" 6 Opens, as a parka 7 Rhone cathedral city 8 At the back of the pack 9 Swindler with a scheme named for him 10 Cooks' wear 11 Earlier 12 "Gunsmoke" actor James 15 Leaks slowly 17 Like an overtired child, perhaps 21 One may be hidden under a welcome mat 22 "Grey's Anatomy" network 23 "__ goes nothing!" 25 Fall back on 28 Beast of burden 29 Scroogean scoff 32 20s dispenser 34 "Old Town Road" rapper Lil __ X 35 Cry after a stunning performance 36 Slangy assent 37 Happening later 38 Moments, briefly
41 Caribbean music 42 __ Artois: Belgian beer 43 More slimy 44 Stout relative 45 Dad
46 Original "SNL" cast member Gilda 48 Lugs 49 Small hill 52 Baseball's "men in blue"
54 Guns from Israel 57 Univ. aides 58 UFC fighting style 59 Egyptian snake
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CLASSIFIED
ANNOUNCEMENTS BEACH YOGA ON Saturdays & Sundays at 8:30am at the end of Pine Ave by the Sandbar Restaurant by donation. www. thriveyogafit.com AMI TURTLE WATCH needs donations & silent action items for our FUNDRAISER. We can pick up! Call or text 941-713-6531. THE BEST VOLUNTEER position on the island. The AMI Historical Museum needs docents and bread makers. Call Kathy Primeau at 989-560-6381. ROSER FOOD BANK needs donations of cash and non-perishable food, PAPER & PERSONAL HYGIENE PRODUCTS. Donations boxes are located at the Church, Moose Club, and Walgreen’s.
CARPET CLEANING QUALITY COUNTS. CARPET cleaning. Upholstery cleaning. Tile & grout cleaning. Island's favorite cleaner. Manatee Chamber Member. Great price/free estimates. Call 941-7561082
CLEANING SERVICE THC CLEANING : Residential, Commercial, Rentals, VRBO. Professional and Reliable. Call 941-756-4570 or 941565-3931
COMMERCIAL SALES, RENT & LEASE HAVE YOU BEEN thinking of selling? We NEED properties to List for SALE!!! Duplexes, multi family, small resorts? Call BIG Alan Galletto of Island Real Estate to get it SOLD 941-232-2216
EMPLOYMENT LANDSCAPE AND GROUNDS TECH at Island Condo. 40 hours per week plus benefits. Call 941-778-5915
Call us today! 941-778-3986
FISHING CHARTERS
“HAMMERED HOMES” (SAVING HOMES SINCE 1984) Handyman services, renovations. Free Estimates & Consulting. Call before making decision, save money. 941-778-3206
CAPT. MAC GREGORY Fishing Charters. Full Day, Half Day, Night, Inshore & Near Shore. 941-809-5783 U.S.C.G. Certified/Insured
HEALTH CARE HOME CARE PROVIDER with Dennis Church a nursing assistant. 8+ years of experience. Licensed in Florida. SAFER at HOME. Call 815-519-3993 HOME CARE SERVICES with First In Care Home Health Agency. Serving Manatee County 20+ years specializing in senior care services. We offer consistency and reliability to our clients. Federal Level II background screening on all employees. Workers Comp and General Liability Insurance. Services offered 7 days week. Call 941-7468400. Phones answered 24hr per day. FL License HHA 299992454
HOME IMPROVEMENTS TILE! TILE! TILE! All variations of tile supplied and installed. Quality workmanship. Prompt, reliable, many Island references. Free estimates. Neil 941-726-3077 RENOVATION SPECALIST ALL carpentry repairs, Wash Family Construction, locally owned and operated CBC 1258250 Call 941-725-0073.
LANDSCAPING & LAWN CARE
R. GAROFALO’S Interlocking brick pavers, driveways, patios, pool decks. Free estimates. Licensed & Insured. Call Rafael 941-778-4823 or Veronik 941-526-7941 STRAIGHT SHOT LANDSCAPE. Specializing in Old Florida Seashell driveways and scapes. Also Rock, Mulch, & Soil. Free estimates. Call Shark Mark 941-301-6067 ISLAND RESIDENT. TREE/ BUSH Trimming, removal. Sweeping, blowing, weeding. Weekly, bi-monthly or monthly schedule. Pressure washing: driveways, walkways, fences, pool decks/ cages. Call Bill Witaszek 941-307-9315.
LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Fifty Three Fifty, The Pourhouse intends to register said name with the FL Dept of State, Division of Corporations, Tallahassee, FL and/or the clerk of the Circuit Court of Manatee County. Let’s Do This Beaches, LP. 5346 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach FL 34217.
MASTER CARPENTER. Decks-Docks-FencingStairs & Railing. Free Estimates. Handyman Work. Call Richard 941448-3571
Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of LBK Liquors intends to register said name with the FL Dept of State, Division of Corporations, Tallahassee, FL and/ or the clerk of the Circuit Court of Manatee County. Let’s Do This Beaches, LP. 5346 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach FL 34217.
JSAN CORPORATION Renovations Construction & Handyman Services 941-243-0995 Lic# CRC1332505 jsancorporation@gmail. com Flooring, Drywall, Painting, Repairs, Kitchen and Bathrooms, Trim & Doors. Free Estimates. Credit Cards Accepted.
Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Chubby's intends to register said name with the FL Dept of State, Division of Corporations, Tallahassee, FL and/ or the clerk of the Circuit Court of Manatee County. Let’s Do This Beaches, LP. 5346 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach FL 34217.
KERN CONSTRUCTION NEW Homes & Remodel. Design/ Build. Since 1968. License # CBC 1261150. Call Mike Kern 941-778-1115
JULY 14, 2021
Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Hurricane Liquors, LBK intends to register said name with the FL Dept of State, Division of Corporations, Tallahassee, FL and/ or the clerk of the Circuit Court of Manatee County. Let’s Do This Beaches, LP. 5346 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach FL 34217. Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Hurricane Hanks, LBK intends to register said name with the FL Dept of State, Division of Corporations, Tallahassee, FL and/or the clerk of the Circuit Court of Manatee County. Let’s Do This Beaches, LP. 5346 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach FL 34217.
LOST & FOUND LOST ON MANATEE BEACH. 18" herringbone chain (4mm thick, square link, round clasp, 10k) with 3/4" Spanish gold coin pendant. Please call 585-755-3894. Contact Dennis
MOVING & STORAGE MARTIN’S MOVING YOUR Island movers! Offering dependable, competitive rates. No hidden costs. 941-809-5777.
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. 941-812-0507 “WIZARD OF WALLS” Established 1980 Prompt quality service. Paperhanging/removal Faux finishes. Interior painting. Mary Bell Winegarden 941-794-0455 PROFESSIONAL PAINTING SERVICES. Prompt & Reliable. Island Resident. Quality Workmanship. Interior/Exterior. Also minor repairs & carpentry. Free written detailed estimates. Bill Witaszek 941-307-9315
POOL SERVICES
RENTAL WANTED
FOUR SEASONS POOL SERVICE AND CHEMICAL SERVICES. Certified Pool Operator. 10 + Years Experience. Residential/commercial. Chemical Service Licensed & Insured. Call Dennis Clark 941-7375657
SEEKING AMI ANNUAL RENTAL Call Kelly Gitt Keller Williams Realty 941-799-9299
COLE'S TROPICAL POOL SERVICE Call Cole Bowers for all your pool maintenance needs! Affordable and Dependable!! 941-7131893
PRESSURE WASHING & WINDOWS AUTHORITY ONE CLEANING : Residential, Commercial, Construction, Vacation, VRBO Rentals . Also available Pressure Washing, Roof Cleaning, Paver Sealing and Windows. Call 941565-3931.
REAL ESTATE HOMES & CONDOS FOR SALE Have you been thinking of selling? We NEED properties to List for SALE!!! GULF FRONT, CANAL FRONT, BAY FRONT CONDOS or HOMES ASK for BIG Alan Galletto of Island Real Estate to get it SOLD 941-232-2216 LOOKING FOR A highly motivated real estate broker to buy or sell your next home? Darcie Duncan, Broker Duncan Real Estate a lifelong island resident bringing success to her customers for 30 years. Proven track record brings you results! 941-725-1589 REALTOR FOR HIRE. BUYING OR SELLING on AMI? 17 years experience & USAF Veteran. Call Kelly Gitt Keller Williams Realty today 941-799-9299.
RENTALS: ANNUAL ANNUAL RENTALS WANTED! We have well qualified tenants for beach and mainland annual rentals, Full management or Finders fee. Call today for details. Ask for Paige DUNCAN REAL ESTATE 513-3821992.
SEEKING 2BR/2BA ANNUAL Rental on AMI. Would consider 2BR/1BA Long time resident couple (20+years) looking to remain on island! Please contact Brad at 941-704-2357
RENTALS: SEASONAL & VACATION TIFFANY PLACE Gulf Front Condo for Rent Incredible views from living room and master bedroom. 2BR/2BA Green Real Estate Call 941-778-0455 AVAILABLE AUGUST 1. Monthly rental. Fully furnished newly remodeled., beahcy 2BR/1BA washer dryer. 2.5 miles to beach off Cortez. Close to shopping dining. Quiet area. Across the street from bay. $2300 mo. thru December . Call 941-773-1552. Deposit and cleaning fee. SEASONAL RENTAL in PALMA SOLA. 3BR/2BA weekly or monthly rates. Contact Barb Grace 941201-2190 ANNA MARIA ISLAND CONDOS Large pool, beach access, free WiFi, 1&2 Bedroom $700/$800/$900 a wk. redekercondosonami. com Tim 941-704-7525 ANNA MARIA ISLAND, Updated 5 Star Condo for Rent- Available September October November. (Multimonth discount) Million$ water view, first floor, 2BR/2BA, patio, walk to beach, pool, tennis (smoke free) marketreps@aol.com Boat/jet ski dock available
TRANSPORTATION AMI TAXI metered-on-callcards accepted. Airport: Tampa $95, Sarasota $40, Clearwater $85, Orlando $195. Call 941-447-8372 or 941-447-8376. amitaxi4u@ gmail.com, www.amitaxi.com ANYTIME TRANSPORTATION to all Airports, Casino, etc. Tampa $70. Sarasota $35. Pets welcome. Very dependable. Reasonable rates. Contact Jeanne. 941-779-5095 AIRPORT RIDES- Tampa, St. Pete, Sarasota. Reasonable rates! Call or text Anna 941-932-1600
www.amisun.com
JULY 14, 2021
BUSINESS & SERVICE DIRECTORY HOME IMPROVEMENT
HOME IMPROVEMENT
PAINTING
THE SUN
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Call today to place your ad: 941-778-3986 TRANSPORTATION
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THE SUN
www.amisun.com
JULY 14, 2021
