Anna Maria Island Sun June 8, 2022

- Named Best Florida Newspaper In Its Class -

VOL 22 No. 35

June 8, 2022

Stormy sunset CINDY LANE | SUN

Tropical Storm Alex left parts of south Florida under water, but only provided stunning sunsets on Anna Maria Island.

Vacation rental owner responds to public nuisance declaration The city is planning to file a lawsuit seeking a one-year suspension of the owners’ cityissued vacation rental license.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – Property owner Mukesh Patel feels that city officials are overreaching in their efforts to declare his vacation rental home at 313 Magnolia Ave. a public nuisance because of repeat noise ordinance violations.

Patel is one of four people bearing the same last name who are listed as authorized persons for the Orlandobased Mangoes on Magnolia LLC that owns the vacation rental home where guests have received five noise ordinance violation citations in nine

INSIDE NEWS EDITORIAL CARTOON OUTDOORS REAL ESTATE BEACH BEAT CROSSWORD CLASSIFIEDS

4 6 18-19 22 23 29 30-31

months, between June 2021 and March of this year.

During a code enforcement hearing on May 18, Special Magistrate Jerry Buhr ruled in favor of the city and declared the vacation rental home at 313 Magnolia to be a public nuisance.

On May 26, the Anna Maria City Commission authorized City Attorney Becky Vose to file a lawsuit against the Patel’s LLC seeking injunctive relief, which includes the potential suspension of the LLC’s city-issued vacation rental license for up to one year. If successful in court, the city’s lawsuit could result in the LLC temporarily losing its ability to use the residential property as a short-term vacation rental. The vacation rental is managed by Vacasa.

“Special magistrates in Florida don’t SEE NUISANCE, PAGE 28

Holiday parking woes continue Holiday weekend parking issues continued on Anna Maria Island on Memorial Day weekend, leaving police no choice but to write tickets.

BY JASON SCHAFFER SUN CORRESPONDENT | jschaffer@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH - Parking issues that caused police to write hundreds of tickets on Mother’s Day spilled over into Memorial Day weekend, police say.

Coquina Beach was chaos on the Sunday before Memorial Day, as well as the actual Monday holiday, with people choosing to form a new, illegal lane of parking that resulted in plenty of tickets being issued by Bradenton Beach police.

Dozens of drivers also parked illegally along the grassy area on the

east side of Gulf Drive, resulting in numerous $75 dollar tickets.

“It’s been really busy, and people are parking wherever they want,” said Bradenton Beach Police Lt. Lenard Diaz, who was getting out of his vehicle with a large stack of tickets from illegal beach parking when The Sun spoke to him the day before Memorial Day. The issue in both Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach appears to be that many visitors would rather pay the $75 fine than try to find a legal parking space.

“I don’t care, it’s not much different than going to a theme park and paying a fortune for parking. As long as they’re not towing, we value our very limited family time more than the price of a ticket,” said Lindsay Harris, who was visiting Cortez Beach with SEE PARKING, PAGE 28

IT’S MANGO TIME

QUALIFYING UNDERWAY

and mango salsa makes for colorful summer entertaining. 17

for Island elected official seats. 5 ARREST HIGHLIGHTS need for more police officers. 9

Anna Maria Island, Florida

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

2

www.amisun.com

THE SUN

“Food may not be the answer t0 world peace, but it’s a start.”

- Anthony bourdain

941.778.1515 | 111 South Bay Blvd | Anna Maria Island, FL.

JUNE 8, 2022

www.amisun.com

JUNE 8, 2022

THE SUN

3

Proposed charter amendments won’t eliminate supra-majority votes City voters will be asked to approve or reject each of the five proposed charter amendments.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – Registered voters will see five charter amendment questions on their city ballots this fall.

Two proposed charter amendments pertain to filling vacant commission seats and one pertains to eliminating term limits for elected officials.

Similar to a state or federal constitution, the city charter sets forth how the city is governed and structured. The Bradenton Beach charter also includes language that restricts building heights and requires voter approval to vacate city rights of ways. The city charter can only be amended with the majority support of the city’s registered voters.

On June 2, the city commission adopted on first reading a city ordinance containing five of the six charter amendment ballot questions previously recommended by the commission-appointed charter review committee and drafted by City Attorney Ricinda Perry.

The commission rejected Perry’s final effort to include a sixth ballot question

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

Left, Commissioner Marilyn Maro’s term expires in November. Right, City Attorney Ricinda Perry drafted the proposed charter amendments to be placed on the fall ballot. that could have potentially weakened the existing four-fifths supra-majority vote required for certain city commission actions.

The five commission-supported charter amendment ballot questions are slated for final adoption on Thursday, June 16. The adopted ballot questions will then be submitted to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections for inclusion on the fall ballot.

VACANCIES AND TERM LIMITS

Working somewhat in unison, proposed charter amendments 2 and 3 address filling vacant city commission seats, while proposed charter amendment 4 addresses term limits.

If approved by city voters, proposed

charter amendment 2 would allow the commission to appoint someone from outside of a specific commission ward to serve on the commission if no resident of that ward is willing to run or be appointed to that seat.

Proposed charter amendment 3 would allow the commission to appoint someone to fill a commission vacancy of more than six months created by a sitting commission member’s midterm resignation. The charter currently requires a special election to fill such a vacancy of more than six months.

In 2021, city voters narrowly voted in favor of retaining the existing termlimits set forth in the charter. Proposed charter amendment 4 seeks to eliminate the term limits that result in an

elected official term-limiting out of office after serving three consecutive two-year terms.

During Thursday’s meeting, Perry explained how voter approval of proposed charter amendment 4 would allow incumbent commissioner Marilyn Maro to serve another term even though her term expires in November.

Perry said Maro can run for the Ward 2 seat, and if she wins that race, and city voters eliminate term limits, she can then serve another term. If Maro runs and wins but voters retain term limits, that seat would be filled by person receiving the second highest number of votes.

If no other candidate runs against Maro, the two-year vacancy would be filled by commission appointment. If city voters adopt charter amendment 2, the commission could appoint someone from outside of Ward 2 to serve that full two-year term if no one from that ward applies to fill the vacancy.

After Thursday’s meeting, Maro said she had not yet decided if she’s running again. Mayor John Chappie and Commissioner Jake Spooner’s terms expire in November 2023.

SEE CHARTER, PAGE 11

4

THE SUN

ISLAND NEWS

Visit our website, www.amisun.com.

Scan this code with your smartphone to go there.

IN BRIEF

Campaign for Ukraine needs raffle prizes Raffle prizes are needed for the AMI Rotary Foundation and Slicker’s Eatery Campaign for Ukraine to support Ukrainians in need. Through fundraising efforts, partnerships and a community gathering for peace on Sunday, June 12 from 4-8 p.m. at The Center of AMI, they hope to stand in solidarity with and support the people of Ukraine. To offer a raffle prize or get information on sponsorship opportunities, call Katy Demick at 941-524-5769. Donations to help the Ukrainian people can be dropped off at Tortuga Inn Beach Resort at 1325 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach.

Speed tables, right of way permit on agenda The Anna Maria City Commission will meet on Thursday, June 9 at 2 p.m. After general public comment on items not included on the meeting agenda, the commission will conduct a public hearing regarding the right of way use permit sought to construct a new home on a vacant beachfront property at 105 Elm Ave. The city attorney will present the first reading of an alcoholic beverages ordinance, followed by the mayor’s update on the status of the South Bay Boulevard speed tables. Thursday’s meeting can be attended in person or remotely by calling 1-929-205-6099 and entering the meeting ID: 85392000280.

AME parking open on Fourth of July weekend Beach parking will be allowed at Anna Maria Elementary School, 4700 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach for the busy July 2-4 holiday weekend. Parking will only be available dawn to dusk, and all parking rules will be enforced. Parking will fill up quickly, so city officials recommend arriving early to get a legal parking space.

AMI Chamber to host luncheon The Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce will host a luncheon Thursday, June 9 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Bunny and Pirates, 12404 Cortez Road W. Anyone wishing to attend this networking event can RSVP to becky@amichamber.org or call 941-778-1541. Bring business cards and consider bringing a raffle prize to add to the fun. Your business will be announced when prizes are given away.

BOB ALEXANDER | SUN

West Manatee Fire and Rescue personnel extinguish a small boat and dock fire in a canal on 28th Street in Holmes Beach on the morning of June 1.

JUNE 8, 2022

Rezoning would allow residential units above commercial

The proposed rezoning cannot take place without city commission approval.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – The city is considering rezoning several residential properties between Second Street North and Cortez Road from multi-family residential to mixed use.

Building Official Steve Gilbert said the proposed rezoning would impact about two-thirds of the properties from Highland Avenue west to Gulf Drive, and from Second Street North to Cortez Road.

On June 15, the Planning and Zoning Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed rezoning of those properties at city hall at 1 p.m. The meeting is open to the public, with public input accepted.

The hearing will be followed by a public hearing before the city commission on Thursday, July 21. The proposed rezoning to be discussed at these hearings would require city commission approval.

Public notices were mailed to all property owners whose properties could potentially be rezoned. Notices were also sent to all property owners located within 300 feet of the properties proposed for rezoning. The notice references lot numbers but not specific addresses and includes a map that indicates where the potentiallyimpacted properties are located.

“If your lot is inside the dotted line, those are the properties affected. It’s not changing anything other than those 20 to 30 lots listed on the notice,” Gilbert told The Sun. The properties currently have multi-family residential (R-3) zoning designations that allow up to 18 residential units per acre, he said.

“This is first step in getting our Zoning Map to be consistent with the Future Land Use Map that was adopted in 2008 when the comprehensive plan was revised. It’s taken this long to get to the point

CITY OF BRADENTON BEACH | SUBMITTED

The properties located within the dotted lines on this map could potentially be rezoned from multi-family residential to mixed use. where we’re starting down the road of making our zoning map consistent with the Future Land Use Map,” Gilbert said.

“Back in 2008, when the city adopted the 2020 comprehensive plan, the Future Land Use Map set all of those lots aside to be retail/office/residential. You could have a little store, a pizzeria or a lawyer’s office on the ground level with residential above. Back when they were talking about this stuff, they wanted to make the downtown area a walkable community.

How do we do that? We put mom and pop shops on the ground and somebody can live upstairs or rent a place upstairs. You don’t need to bring your car to go to Bridge Street. You can go downstairs and get a bite to eat and go back upstairs if you want. Currently those properties are all multi-family residential, and commercial and retail uses are not allowed,” Gilbert said.

The proposed rezoning from R-3 to Mixed Use would give property owners choices.

“It allows for the stand-alone residential use to continue in this district, even a new residential structure built according to FEMA’s flood plain and elevation requirements. Nobody’s losing the right to continue that use, but if you had a ground-level structure you’d have to rebuild with an elevated structure. There’s no way around that with FEMA,” Gilbert said.

“The developer could do a single-family dwelling or do what the Mixed Use zone district contemplates: A small commercial space on the ground, parking in the front, side or back and two stories of residential units upstairs. The alternate scenario is a developer buys four lots with old houses on them, tears all four houses down and can now do a storefront with multi-family residential units upstairs,” Gilbert said.

“There’s no impact to existing uses and existing owners. They can continue to use their property as is. Within the limits of the land development code, they can still renovate, repair or remodel their homes. There’s nothing prohibiting them from the continued use of the property as it currently sits and nothing takes this away as long as they own the property.

And it should not affect resale values because the Mixed Use zoning gives the buyer more flexibility in whatever fashion best suits their investment needs or the return on their investment,” Gilbert said.

“If anybody has questions about how their property might be impacted, I encourage you to call the building department at 941-778-1005, ext. 210, and ask for Steve or Luis; or send an email to stevegilbert@cityofbradentonbeach.com. We’ll be happy to help you out,” Gilbert said.

www.amisun.com

JUNE 8, 2022

THE SUN

5

Candidate deadline next week for city offices Island-wide, eight mayoral and city commission seats will be filled after city elections this fall.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Candidates seeking elected office in Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach have until June 17 to qualify.

ANNA MARIA

In Anna Maria, the two-week qualifying period began at noon on Monday, June 6 and ends at noon on Friday, June 17.

The mayor’s seat currently held by Dan Murphy and the city commission seats currently held by Deanie Sebring and Mark Short will be filled after the Anna Maria city elections conclude on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Murphy, Sebring and Short each told The Sun they will seek re-election.

According to City Clerk LeAnne Addy, any qualified voter of the city, as defined by Florida law, is eligible to hold the office of city commissioner or mayor if the candidate has resided in Anna Maria for at least two years immediately prior to qualifying for office. A member of the city commission cannot hold any other municipal office with the city or be employed by the city during his or her term of office.

Qualifying packets can be picked up at Anna Maria City Hall or at the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office in Bradenton.

BRADENTON BEACH

In Bradenton Beach, the one-week qualifying period begins at noon on Monday, June 13 and ends at noon on Friday, June 17.

According to City Clerk Terri Sanclemente, candidates must be registered voters and have resided in Bradenton Beach for at least 12 months prior to

qualifying. Qualifying packets can be picked up at Bradenton Beach City Hall or the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office.

The Ward 2 seat currently held by Commissioner Marilyn Maro and the Ward 4 seat currently held by Commissioner Ralph Cole will be decided in the upcoming Bradenton Beach elections.

According to Sanclemente, Cole has picked up his packet and will seek reelection.

Maro will reach the end of her term after the November elections, but if city voters, during the same election, eliminate the existing term limits contained in the city charter, Maro could continue to serve if she runs and wins. When asked last week if she intends to run again, Maro said she was still thinking about it.

HOLMES BEACH

In Holmes Beach, the one-week qualifying period opens at noon on

Monday, June 13 and closes at noon on Friday, June 17.

According to City Clerk Stacey Johnston, candidates must be a U.S. citizen, a registered voter in Manatee County and a Holmes Beach resident for at least two years prior to qualifying for office. Qualifying packets can be picked up at Holmes Beach City Hall or at the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office.

The mayor’s seat currently held by Judy Titsworth and the city commission seats currently held by Jayne Christenson and Kim Rash will be decided in the upcoming Holmes Beach elections. Titsworth and Christenson told The Sun they will seek re-election, and Titsworth, Christenson and non-incumbent candidate Greg Kerchner have already filed their preliminary campaign paperwork with the Supervisor of Elections Office, including the appointment of their campaign treasurers.

6

THE SUN

OPINION

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

Like us on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AnnaMariaIslandSun

JUNE 8, 2022

The Anna Maria Island Sun Staff Owner/CEO Mike Field Editor Cindy Lane General Manager Bob Alexander Reporters/Photographers Joe Hendricks Jason Schaffer Kristin Swain Columnists Louise Bolger Rusty Chinnis Contributors Steve Borggren Captain Rick Grassett Monica Simpson Tom Vaught Captain Dave White Layout Ricardo Fonseca Digital Editor Kristin Swain Advertising Director Shona Otto Advertising Assistant Pamela Lee Classifieds Bob Alexander Graphics Elaine Stroili Ricardo Fonseca Distribution Bob Alexander Connor Field Tony McNulty Brian Smith Accounting Leslie Ketchum Co-founding publishers Mike Field Maggie McGinley Field Family-owned since 2000

Drop us a line Got an opinion, a complaint or a compliment? Is there something you need to get off your chest? Send us a letter to the editor and have your say. There are a couple of ways to do it. The easiest and most direct is to email The Sun at news@amisun.com. Remember to put Letter to the Editor in the subject field. Or you can snail-mail a letter to us at The Anna Maria Island Sun,

P.O. Box 1189, Anna Maria, FL 34216. Letters should be kept to 300 words or less and must contain your name and the city in which you reside. Personal attacks and obscene language will not be printed. The Sun reserves the right to edit letters for length or content.

www.amisun.com

JUNE 8, 2022

ON THE AGENDA

ANNA MARIA

10005 GULF DRIVE FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-708-6130

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

June 9, 2 p.m. – City Commission meeting June 20, all day – Juneteenth holiday, city offices closed June 22, 2 p.m. – Planning and Zoning board meeting June 23, 6 p.m. – City Commission meeting

BRADENTON BEACH

107 GULF DRIVE N. FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-778-1005

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

June 15, 9 a.m. – City Commission and Community Redevelopment Agency joint workshop June 15, 1 p.m. – Planning and Zoning board meeting June 16, noon – City Commission meeting June 20, all day – Juneteenth holiday, city offices closed

HOLMES BEACH

5801 MARINA DRIVE FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-708-5800

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

June 8, 10 a.m. – Clean Water ad-hoc committee meeting

THE SUN

June 14, 5 p.m. – City Commission meeting with work session to follow June 20, all day – Juneteenth holiday, city offices closed June 28, 10 a.m. – Code Compliance special magistrate hearing June 28, 5 p.m. – City Commission meeting

7

Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m. Reserve online manateelibrary.libcal.com/ event/9178657

FRIDAY, JUNE 10

June 15, 2 p.m. – Coalition of Barrier Island Elected Officials meeting, Anna Maria City Hall June 21, 6 p.m. – West Manatee Fire Rescue district board meeting, administration building, 701 63rd St. W., Bradenton

Beach market, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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

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

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

SATURDAY, JUNE 11

ISLAND-WIDE

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8

Beach market, Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Island Time Book Club, “Rock Paper Scissors” by Alice Feeney, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 6:30 p.m. Reserve online manateelibrary.libcal.com/event/8962546

THURSDAY, JUNE 9

Stories from the Sea Puppet Theater

by Kate Adams, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m.

AMI Chamber Luncheon, Bunny and Pirates, 12404 Cortez Road, 11:30 a.m., $18 for members or $30 for prospective members. Reserve to 941-778-1541 Sunshine Stitchers Knit and Crochet,

Robinson Runners, Robinson Preserve, 1704 99th St. 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 Origami Club, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. Reserve online manateelibrary. libcal.com/event/8962112 Music on the Porch, Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119th St. W., Cortez, 2-4 p.m.

SUNDAY, JUNE 12

Concert for Peace benefiting the people of Ukraine, The Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria, 4-8 p.m.

8

THE SUN

www.amisun.com

JUNE 8, 2022

Police chief shares more funding, staffing concerns Police Chief John Cosby continues to express concerns about the need for more police funding.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – Police Chief John Cosby is again voicing concerns about the police department budget and staffing shortages after an incident involving two Bradenton Beach police officers.

During the June 1 Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting, Cosby provided an update on the policing efforts in the district.

Noting that Bridge Street is filled to capacity on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Cosby said, “You can’t fit any more people down there.”

He said there are now issues with patrons lingering late at night after the businesses close.

“I only have two officers on. It’s hard to disperse that many people,” Cosby said, noting an incident involving a vehicle that left the Drift In parking lot during the early morning hours of May 29.

According to the probable cause report, an officer saw a vehicle driven by Steven Davis reverse at a high rate of speed and fishtail out of the Drift-In parking lot with no headlights on before striking a signpost.

After eventually being wrestled to the ground and pepper-sprayed, Davis was arrested for resisting arrest and disorderly intoxication (see related story, page 9).

As that arrest took place, Davis’ companion, Torrie Kronk, was arrested for disorderly intoxication for the alleged verbal abuse she directed toward the arresting officers.

“One subject had to be wrestled to the ground. They wound up going to the hospital,” Cosby said. “They were tied up at the hospital for seven hours. An officer has to stay with them the entire time they’re there. The second person who was arrested also claimed injury and also went to the hospital and was there for seven hours.

From 3 o’clock to 7 in the morning there were no officers available to take any calls in Bradenton Beach unless it was a priority call. Our mutual aid contracts with the other cities and the county only call for them to come out if we have a priority call. So, any other type of call went ignored until 7 o’clock – until the day shift officer came in.”

Cosby said the two officers were supposed to get off duty at 3 a.m. but wound up working until 10 a.m. and had to be back to work at 5 p.m. Sunday evening.

“I have eight patrol officers. I’m down two right now, and I have some that are taking vacation. I’m down to five people to cover all the shifts. I need more staff,” Cosby said.

OTHER ISSUES Cosby described the recent Memorial Day weekend as “total mayhem.” He said Manatee County Commission Chairman Kevin Van Ostenbridge rode with Manatee County Marine Rescue personnel that Sunday and witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by law enforcement and public safety personnel.

“He was in awe of what was going on out here. He responded with them to the fight calls we had over parking issues, which were multiple, and the sheer amount of traffic. There’s too many people coming here.

There’s no place to put them,” Cosby said.

“It’s not my job to come up with an answer. This is a political issue. It’s your job to work with them (the county) to figure something out,” Cosby told the CRA members – five of whom also serve on the city commission.

Cosby said he’s raising from $35 to $40 the hourly rate the department charges the CRA for off-duty policing services in the CRA district that includes Bridge Street. He said other law enforcement agencies in the area charge $40-$45 for off-duty policing.

“If you can’t pay it, then we can’t provide the service. I can’t expect my people to go out there and not make the same amount of money other officers at other agencies are making,” Cosby said.

Regarding staffing shortages, Cosby said,

“Myself and Lt. Diaz are covering shifts. I just don’t have anybody. I’m hoping to be back to a full staff in July. I have not been at full staff for three and a half years. Again, you’re getting what you pay for,” Cosby said.

CRA Chairman Ralph Cole said the CRA and the city commission have to figure out how to address the ongoing police funding concerns and he noted other city services may need to be reduced. Cole said the city needs more financial support from Manatee County and the other taxing authorities that place additional burdens on the city’s police department.

CRA member John Chappie noted the county-owned beaches and boat ramps make up one-third of Bradenton Beach and help attract 14,000-20,000 people to the city on any given Saturday or Sunday.

PREVIOUS COMMENTS During the May 5 commission meeting, Cosby and two residents voiced their concerns about the city having one officer available to respond to an incident involving 10 people, a possible fight and a gun.

During that meeting, Cosby said more officers and more funds are needed if the city’s police department is going to keep up with the additional policing demands created by the constant influx of tourists and the continued growth in Manatee County.

www.amisun.com

JUNE 8, 2022

THE SUN

9

Bridge Street arrest ties up police for hours Bradenton Beach police were tied up for hours after an intoxicated man refused to cooperate with officers during an arrest on Bridge Street.

BY JASON SCHAFFER SUN CORRESPONDENT | jschaffer@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH - An encounter between police and an intoxicated couple on May 29 turned into an hours-long struggle to diffuse a situation that put both the police and the public in danger.

Bradenton Beach Officers Devon Straight and Roy Joslin were on routine foot patrol at 2:30 a.m. on Bridge Street when they heard a verbal disturbance coming from a male and female leaving the Drift In bar, according to the police report. The officers didn’t

see the couple get in their car, but they heard the vehicle rev its engine repeatedly, then reverse at a high rate of speed, fishtailing without any lights.

Straight said the vehicle almost hit a sign and posed a hazard to large groups of people gathered in the area, so he and Joslin used their flashlights to signal the vehicle to stop and they checked on the welfare and condition of the driver.

Later identified as Steven Clayton Davis, of Bradenton, the driver became verbally abusive with the officers and showed signs of intoxication, including slurred speech and bloodshot eyes, according to the report. Davis put his car in park, but refused to open the door and get out of the vehicle after the officers asked him to do so. Officer Joslin opened the unlocked door from the outside and ordered Davis to exit

the vehicle, which Davis refused to do.

The officers began to extract Davis from the vehicle to prevent any danger to the public, officers and the suspect.

Once Davis was out of the vehicle, both officers attempted to detain him in handcuffs, which he resisted with force, according to the report. After the officers secured him in handcuffs, he was taken to a patrol vehicle. While the officers attempted to put him in the back of the patrol car, Davis refused to sit in the back seat properly and leaned

forward and dropped face first onto the pavement. As the officers attempted to get Davis off the ground, he yelled and threatened the officers, refusing to cooperate. He also managed to slip his handcuffed arms under his legs so the cuffs were on the front of his body.

During the struggle with officers, who had no backup at the time, a Monkey Bus driver arrived on the scene and assisted officers in gaining control of the suspect, helping them get him into the back of the vehicle.

After Davis was placed in the back of the patrol vehicle, officers say he used his handcuffed hands, which were still on the front side of his body, to try to break the window of the patrol car. The officers then opened the door again, warning Davis that he would be pepper SEE ARREST, PAGE 14

10

THE SUN

www.amisun.com

JUNE 8, 2022

Roser Church

“...a beautiful place to explore your faith...”

SUNDAY WORSHIP 8:30 AM or 10:00 AM IN PERSON in the Sanctuary Nursery • Children’s Church ONLINE • Watch LIVE or LATER

RoserChurch.com

Text ROSER to 22828 to receive the weekly eBulletin The CHAPEL is open during office hours for prayer and meditation 941-778-0414 • 512 Pine Ave, Anna Maria • FOLLOW us on Facebook @RoserChurch

www.amisun.com

JUNE 8, 2022

THE SUN

11

Proposed Bradenton Beach charter amendments Five questions will be placed on the fall ballot for the registered voters of Bradenton Beach to approve or reject.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – The city commission has voted to place five charter amendment questions recommended by the charter review committee on the ballot for the city elections that will conclude on Nov. 8.

The commission’s final adoption of a city ordinance containing the five ballot questions is scheduled for final adoption during the commission’s Thursday,

June 16 meeting.

The questions will appear on the ballot seeking from the city’s registered voters a “yes” vote for approval or a “no” vote for rejection.

The ballot questions are:

1. FORFEITURE OF OFFICE

Currently the city charter vests authority in three arbitrators to hold forfeiture of office proceedings against an elected official with costs to be borne by the city. Should the city revise its charter to eliminate the three arbitrator-panel procedure and replace it with the former forfeiture provision utilizing the city commission to conduct the proceedings?

2. TEMPORARY AT-LARGE FILLING OF VACANCIES

The current city charter requires a ward commissioner to reside in the ward they represent. Should the city amend its charter to establish a procedure to temporarily fill the ward seat for one term with an atlarge commissioner if no ward resident is available or willing to run for office?

3. FILLING OF VACANCIES BY APPOINTMENT

The current city charter requires the city to provide a special election to fill a vacancy that results in more than six months from a resignation required by Section 99.012, Florida Statues. Should the charter be amended to allow for all vacancies to be appointed by the city commission?

4. QUALIFICATIONS AND TERMS OF OFFICE

Should the city amend its charter to remove term limits and maintain two-year terms for all elected positions with an effective date of June 16, 2022, in order to allow currently seated elected officials the ability to run for office, if otherwise termed out?

5. ACTIONS REQUIRING AN ORDINANCE

Currently the city charter sets forth actions requiring an ordinance. Should the city amend the charter to remove employee personnel benefits and procedures from this section and require actions of the city regarding employee personnel benefits and procedures to be adopted in a public meeting through a resolution of the commission?

CHARTER: Amendments won’t eliminate supra-majority votes FROM PAGE 3

SUPRA-MAJORITY RETAINED

The commission directed Perry to draft an ordinance containing five of the six charter amendment questions recommended by the charter review committee on May 19, rejecting a sixth proposed ballot question pertaining to supra-majority votes.

The charter currently says an affirmative supra-majority vote of at least four of the five commission members shall be required to approve any comprehensive plan amendment (including map or text amendments), rezoning, special exception, variance or the vacation of any city right of way.

During Thursday’s meeting, Perry proposed new charter language that said, “The commission shall clarify and define supra-majority in the city of Bradenton Beach Land Development Code, as well as establish the number of elected officials required for a supramajority vote.”

Perry said she included the supramajority question in the first reading of the ordinance because it could be removed during first reading but could not be added to the ordinance if not publicly noticed as such.

Perry suggested retaining the fourfifths supra-majority commission vote – and subsequent city voter approval

5346 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach (941) 778-5788 | hurricanehanks.com

– to vacate any city-owned right of ways, while allowing the commission to decide if a supra-majority or simple majority vote is required for other actions that currently require the supramajority support of the commission.

Perry questioned what would happen if one commission member had to recuse themselves from such a vote. The commission agreed that the applicant would then need the approval of all four remaining commission members.

Commissioner Ralph Cole said amending the charter as the charter review committee and Perry proposed could result in three or fewer votes being needed to approve a comprehen-

sive plan amendment that would allow a stand-alone parking garage.

Chappie said he likes the higher fourfifths standard for certain commission actions, even though it makes the approval process tougher for developers.

During public input, city resident and Planning and Zoning Board member John Burns asked why the supra-majority question was included in the ordinance after the commission rejected it on May 19. Burns said he likes the higher threshold for certain commission actions and he wants it to be harder, not easier, for the commission to govern when addressing issues of this nature.

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

12

www.amisun.com

THE SUN

JUNE 8, 2022

Holmes Beach parking changes planned Commissioners are considering joining the other two Island cities by mandating that all four vehicle wheels be off the pavement when parked on the side of the road.

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

HOLMES BEACH – More parking changes are being proposed for Anna Maria Island’s largest city, but this one doesn’t affect the number of available parking spaces, just how they’re used.

During a May 24 work session, commissioners heard a proposal from City Engineer Sage Kamiya to join the cities of Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach in requiring all vehicles parked on the sides of city streets to have all four wheels off the road.

If enacted, the proposed regulations would provide an exception for temporarily parked vehicles such as landscaping trucks and other work vehicles while work is being done on

KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN

If commissioners enact new proposed parking regulations, vehicles will have to be parked with all four tires off the road. the property.

“I’m all for this,” Commissioner Carol Soustek said.

Commissioners agreed to move the proposed parking changes to a first reading

and vote at an upcoming regular meeting.

Kamiya said the change would align Holmes Beach’s regulations with those of its sister cities. Mayor Judy Titsworth added that the proposed four

wheels off the road change would not affect the number of parking spaces currently available to the public along city streets.

While the change would be applied citywide, Titsworth said that Key Royale may be exempted from the regulations, maintaining two wheels off the road parking, due to the wide width of the community’s streets. She also added that since Key Royale is separated from the rest of Holmes Beach by a bridge, it makes it easier to define the boundaries for officers enforcing parking regulations.

Other changes to parking being considered include designating parking spaces at beach accesses and along city streets where public parking is allowed by using bollards and rope, creating a parking map and adding additional rapid flashing beacons to city crosswalks.

Kamiya said that all of the changes combined work together to help commissioners realize the vision of becoming a safer community for people using all forms of transportation.

JUNE 8, 2022

www.amisun.com

THE SUN

13

NEWS BRIEFS Travel with Senior Adventures The Center of Anna Maria Island and Senior Adventures have two summertime trips planned for older residents who want to have a good time. The first trip will be to the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa. The bus leaves The Center on Friday, June 10 at 10 a.m. The second trip will be to the Red Barn Flea Market on Wednesday, June 22 with the bus leaving at 9 a.m. To reserve a spot, or for more information, contact The Center at 941-778-1908.

Improve your sports game with Coach Ray Coach Ray Gardner is coming back to The Center of Anna Maria Island to teach kids strategies to improve their sports performance with a specialty camp from Prosper for Kids. Campers entering third through sixth grades are welcome to join the fun and learn how to use sports as a way to enhance mental, physical and spiritual strength.

Participants can expect to learn teamwork and work ethics while improving their athletic skills and building relationships while working out. The Prosper for Kids camp runs June 13-16 from 4-6 p.m. at The Center. The cost is $115 per camper for Center members or $140 for non-members.

Advanced registration is required by calling 941-778-1908 or visiting The Center at 407 Magnolia Ave. in Anna Maria.

Sign up for chess camp There’s a new camp coming to The Center of Anna Maria Island this year with the launch of chess camp. The beginner camp for children entering third through fifth grade are welcome to join the fun and learn some new skills on the chessboard. The camp will be taught by the Manasota Chess Center and runs from June 13-16 from 9-11 a.m. The cost is $75 for Center members or $85 for non-members.

Chess players can sign up by calling 941-778-1908 or visiting The Center at 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria.

COVID-19 IN MANATEE COUNTY ‛S YOUR COMFORT ZONE? WHERE

May 29 Cases 246 % Positivity 18.76% Deaths < 10 % Eligible population vaccinated 72.3% New hospital admissions 35 Source: CDC

June 5 Cases 289 % Positivity 22.39% Deaths <10 % Eligible population vaccinated 72.4% New hospital admissions 33

14

www.amisun.com

THE SUN

ARREST: Ties up police for hours FROM PAGE 9

warning Davis that he would be pepper sprayed if he didn’t calm down, according to the report.

Not heeding the warning, Davis continued to try to leave the patrol car, resulting in officers pepper-spraying him and finally gaining some control of the tense situation.

Holmes Beach officers arrived on the scene to provide backup, since Straight and Joslin were the only officers on duty in Bradenton Beach. After Holmes Beach officers arrived, Joslin was able to deal with the suspect’s female companion, Torrie Ann Kronk, who had been screaming threats and insults at the officers throughout the ordeal. Kronk was later arrested for obstruction for her role in the incident.

Straight then took Davis to the police station for decontamination, standard procedure

when anyone is pepper-sprayed by police, according to officers.

Straight used cool water from the hose in the police department parking lot until the suspect was satisfied he was decontaminated. Joslin meanwhile completed arrest paperwork on Kronk.

Davis refused to sit on the bench in the police station quietly while he was processed.

He threatened to kill the officers repeatedly while being processed, according to the report, and continued to resist arrest by trying to kick over a shelf containing valuable police equipment, resulting in the officers having to cuff his feet to the bench to prevent any damage during processing.

Davis was charged with obstruction and disorderly intoxication in a public place causing a disturbance.

Due to injuries Davis sustained

when he fell on his face trying to escape the police vehicle during the arrest, he was taken to the hospital before being transported to Manatee County Jail.

“The whole ordeal lasted from 2:30 a.m. to close to 7:30 a.m. because they struggled and there were injuries and were taken to the hospital,” Bradenton Beach Police Lt. Lenard Diaz said. “It should be a simple misdemeanor arrest, but because of the injuries and the fact there was a male and female and you have to keep two officers with the female, it takes our officers away from the road.”

During the process of arresting the suspects, which took about five hours, there were no Bradenton Beach officers available to take calls for other emergencies.

The department continues to seek funding for more staff to prevent similar situations in the future.

JUNE 8, 2022

www.amisun.com

JUNE 8, 2022

THE SUN

15

Holmes Beach Hummer not just for show The Holmes Beach Police Department has restored a military surplus Hummer, making it the most capable life-saving vehicle on the Island.

BY JASON SCHAFFER SUN CORRESPONDENT | jschaffer@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH - The Holmes Beach Police Department has a new tool that can not only turn heads, but also save lives.

On the Island, it’s not uncommon to see a Ferrari or Rolls Royce passing by in traffic, but drivers are doing a double-take when they see a fully marked military Hummer that looks like a regular police SUV went to the gym and hit the weights. The vehicle is the latest addition to the Holmes Beach Police Department’s fleet, and it’s not just for show.

“We didn’t need any taxpayer money to get this Hummer on the road. When the vehicle

came to us it was a mess. This thing had a big plant growing in the back, it was dirty, it had obviously been outside for years,” Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said. “We took it and washed it, sandblasted it, had the interior Rhino-coated, painted it, added the graphics and all the detail work.”

The Hummer was nicknamed "Stormtrooper" after one of Holmes Beach’s dispatchers said the white vehicle looked like a stormtrooper from Star Wars. The vehicle was acquired through the 1033 program, which allows participating police departments to buy military surplus equipment, including vehicles such as the Hummer.

“We are a part of the 1033 program. We signed up as a city to make sure we’re in compliance with what the government says we need to be,” said Tokajer. “After the storm Irma came through and we had to do a couple of high water rescues, we had three of our trucks that sat up pretty high damaged due to water. Since we

JASON SCHAFFER | SUN

The Holmes Beach Police Department’s rescue Hummer is not only a headturner, but it can also save lives due to its military capability. have to save people, we began looking for a Hummer.”

Tokajer wasn’t just looking for any Hummer, he wanted one with an intake snorkel that sticks up from the engine about 3 feet. This allows the engine to take in air and run completely submerged in water. The Hummer also has an exhaust pipe that rises more

than 3 feet from the rear of the vehicle, preventing it from stalling out in water that can rise above the windshield.

“I’m always looking for ways to improve the equipment for the department that doesn’t cost the taxpayers any money,” Tokajer said, adding that the Hummer was set to cost $500 initially, but since it needed a little more

work than advertised, the $500 was dropped and the only initial fee was the cost to have it towed to Holmes Beach.

Tokajer said his officers did most of the work on the vehicle installing lights, paint, new parts and more. The total cost to restore the 1999 Hummer to like-new condition was only $2,000 due to the extra effort by the officers. The $2,000 came from the department’s maintenance budget, leaving taxpayers to pay nothing. He said the damage that regular police vehicles may not incur in a high water situation thanks to the Hummer could save money in the long run.

Tokajer said there is more equipment his department is currently working to secure through grants that will not require taxpayer dollars, including a boat and some new radios.

He estimates the department has gotten over $1 million in funding from other sources that did not put a burden on the taxpayers over the past nine years.

16

THE SUN

www.amisun.com

JUNE 8, 2022

I’m the new kid! Ì ið Þ

À v

> Þ Ì Ü

Þ

i À > L

Ì½Ã Þ Þ wÀÃÌ `>Þ] LÕÌ Liv Ài Þ Õ Ü Ì] ½ Li Ài>`Þ Ì V > }i à i i½Ã vi° >ÞLi Ì >Ì «iÀà à à i i Þ Õ Ûi°

Watch me grow to achieve my destiny. Ü Þ ÕÀ iÞ

Ü Ì Ài}Õ >À « Ì Ã > ` Õ«`>Ìið

Sponsor a puppy (like ME!) for only $19 per month.

SCAN ME

GuideDogs.org/puppy

JUNE 8, 2022

FOOD & WINE

THE SUN

17

Island fresh Brian Mathae HURRICANE HANKS

W

hile vacation is always a pleasure, particularly one in Europe, coming back to AMI is such a great feeling. It feels like home because it is home. It’s a comfortable and casual lifestyle compared to the bustle of big cities and the crowded subway cars. It’s also where we see the friendly and welcoming faces of our friends, neighbors and staff and customers of our businesses. Also, after a few weeks away, it’s exciting to come home and see how things have grown in the yard. The avocados are getting bigger and the mangos are turning red.

I love living in a climate where you can grow virtually anything in your yard. Fresh is best and home grown is better yet! Mango has always been one of my favorite fruits, due to both the sweetness and flavor. It’s interesting to note that many of the mango cultivars were started and named right here in Florida. If you have a mango tree in your yard, I encourage you to do some sleuthing and determine exactly which cultivar you have.

There are unique taste and texture characteristics to each one.

Today’s recipe incorporates the soon-to-ripen local mangos into a fresh and bright salsa. A mango salsa is commonly used as a garnishment for meat and fish dishes. Because this

recipe incorporates the protein right into the salsa, it’s really a meal in and of itself.

While salsa is the Spanish word for sauce, it has its foundations in Central America, where chili and tomatoes were domesticated and cultivated thousands of years ago. The wild tomato is indigenous to Ecuador and Peru but the Aztecs and other Central American nations were the first to domesticate the plant. The Aztec recipe included tomatoes, chilies, squash seeds and even beans. A Franciscan missionary in Mexico in the 1500s wrote extensively about Aztec life, including documenting food common to the culture. Salsa was mainly consumed as a condiment with seafood, turkey and venison.

While hot sauces were starting to be manufactured in the U.S. in the 1800s, manufacturing of dippable salsa didn’t really start until the 1940s.

Since then, variation after variation has been produced and marketed.

Thankfully, someone understood the delightful combination of chili, tomato, sweet fruits and other complimentary ingredients.

Today’s recipe is exactly that, traditional salsa with a few additional ingredients to add flavor, texture and enjoyment. I’ve included crab meat, so this is a perfect dish as an appetizer or light dinner. As always, modify this recipe as you see fit, eliminating ingredients unpalatable to you or substituting canned or frozen ingredients when fresh aren’t available.

We do hope you enjoy. Buen provecho

SUBMITTED

Summer Crab Salsa with homemade tortilla chips Salsa ingredients

1 pound lump crab, fresh or frozen 1 ear fresh corn, grilled 2 tomatoes, chopped 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion 1 ripe avocado, chopped 1 large mango, chopped 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped 1 medium red pepper, seeded and chopped 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 1 large lime, juiced 2 tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper to taste

Tortilla Chips ingredients 12 Corn tortillas Course salt

Salsa directions

Remove kernels from corn and place in a large mixing bowl. Add tomato, onion, avocado, mango, jalapeño, and red pepper and toss to incorporate. In a large measuring cup stir together the oil, lime juice, cilantro and salt and pepper. Pour over the mixture and toss gently to mix. Gently fold in the crab meat, ensuring to keep the crab pieces as whole as possible. Cover and chill for at least one hour so the flavors can blend.

Tortilla Chips directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cut each tortilla into six wedges. Spread the wedges onto a baking sheet in a single layer so the wedges do not overlap. Bake for about 6 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with a bit of salt, and turn wedges over. Return the wedges to the oven and bake another 6 minutes until the wedges are just starting to brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Once cool, transfer to a serving dish or bowl.

Now with two locations to serve you better Anna Maria Island & Longboat Key Whether you are looking for that perfect wine to compliment your meal or a fun new cocktail recipe, our knowledgeable staff are pleased to help.

5344 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach (941) 779-2337

6854 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key (941) 953-1835

18

THE SUN

OUTDOORS

JUNE 8, 2022

Making fishing fun Reel Time RUSTY CHINNIS

L

ately it seems we’re constantly reminded how our experiences growing up molded us into the kind of person we are today. The all-too-often-heart wrenching news we’re seeing emphasizes just how important it is to give children positive, optimistic and life-affirming experiences growing up.

Introducing children to fishing, the natural world that supports it and working together with others to accomplish a goal can create the foundations of a healthy and well-adjusted adult if we strive to make fishing uncomplicated and as much fun as possible. Those experiences on the water leave indelible memories and help impart the importance of camaraderie, the natural world and a desire to protect it for future generations.

Creating unrealistic expectations can discourage young anglers and be the difference between the kindling of a passion or an aversion to the activity. The basics of fishing are easy to teach and don’t require expensive equipment.

RUSTY CHINNIS | SUN

Every kid loves to drive the boat.

If there’s a cardinal rule to getting kids interested in fishing, it’s to keep them engaged.

Children are naturally curious; they love to play in and on the water and are fascinated by the creatures they find there.

Catching fish isn’t their main objective and you shouldn’t make it the focus of an outing.

It’s important to plan a trip that includes other activities like swimming, wildlife identi-

fication and snorkeling as well as fishing. Being on the water provides an excellent opportunity to teach kids about their environment and boating safety skills. It’s important to let kids be a part of the adventure and getting them involved is a great way to interject a lesson in responsibility. Let them drive the boat even if they’re just sitting on your lap while you steer. Introduce them to

navigating the Intracoastal Waterway and give them things to be in charge of such as making sure everyone knows where the safety equipment is.

Don’t start children out with cheap fishing rods and reels.

Provide them with decent equipment that’s light and manageable. An ultra-light rig with 6-pound test line is a great way to start. Try and think like a kid when fishing.

Children would rather catch a dozen pinfish in a half hour than wait hours for a chance at a bigger or better fish. Action is paramount; kids are easily bored and distracted.

Consider starting kids fishing with a small popping cork that they can watch for signs of action. If you can start teaching kids that the enjoyment of the adventure isn’t measured by the number or size of fish you catch, you’ll teach them an important lesson that many anglers never learn. If you can make the experience interesting for them, even if they don’t catch anything they are more likely to want to do it again. Kids might be more interested in collecting shells, counting crabs or looking for manatees or dolphins than fishing, so be sensitive to what’s bringing them pleasure.

It’s also important to emphasize safety, bending down barbs and making them aware of fish with sharp teeth and stingers like catfish and stingrays. These first experiences on the water are very important and you should consider a plan of action in advance in case the fishing isn’t great. The last thing you want to do is bore kids by sitting on a spot too long. Keep your eyes and ears open and you might learn a lesson or two from them!

www.amisun.com

JUNE 8, 2022

THE SUN

19

Grouper, snapper season open CAPT. DAVE WHITE

Aside from this short bout of bad weather, we at Anna Maria Charters have been fortunate to have great weather and multiple fishing options lately.

Inshore, tarpon are biting in full force. We’re enjoying the outgoing evening tides with pass crabs. In the daytime incoming, we’re primarily using threadfin herring. Also inshore, gag grouper opened up on June 1. We’re already getting our fair share of keepers in Tampa Bay. Snook, redfish and mangrove snapper are also targeted right now.

Offshore, red snapper opened for federally permitted charter vessels. We’re catching those, red grouper, yellowtail snapper, amberjack and blackfin tuna using a variety of live baits and some trolling as well. We enjoy getting multiple species for table fare.

It looks like the weather is great this week and we’re looking forward to getting back out there!

CAPT. DAVE WHITE | SUBMITTED

Jason Ellis, of Bradenton, shows off a blackfin tuna caught offshore with Capt. David White of Anna Maria Charters.

Help rid Island waters of lionfish The FWC is offering prizes to divers, anglers and commercial harvesters who remove lionfish from Florida waters.

BY JASON SCHAFFER SUN CORRESPONDENT | jschaffer@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA ISLAND - The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is seeking help from divers, anglers and commercial harvesters to remove lionfish from Gulf of Mexico waters.

Anyone is welcome to join the lionfish challenge, a summer-long tournament open to participants from anywhere in the state of Florida. In divisions for recreational and commercial divers, participants will compete for several prizes including dive equipment, a Yeti cooler and more, and for the title of Lionfish King and Queen or Commercial Champion.

Lionfish are an invasive marine reef fish species that have the potential to harm native wildlife and habitat. The fish are native to the Indo-Pacific and were first identified off the coast of Florida in Broward County in 1985. They are now found in large numbers on both coasts of Florida. Since their introduction, lionfish populations have exploded and they are well established in Florida waters.

Lionfish reproduce quickly, compete with native species for habitat and food and have no natural predators in the waters surrounding the Island. The fish are highly venomous, and according to the FWC, lionfish are the most harmful marine invader to date.

The FWC has been one of the lead organizations to initiate procedures to not only evaluate the extent of the invasion, but also support control efforts and initiate removal incentive programs.

Anyone interested in learning how to harvest lion-

FWC | SUBMITTED

The invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish has invaded the Gulf of Mexico. fish should start with the following information: WHAT: The most effective way to remove lionfish is by divers using spearfishing equipment.

WHERE: Although lionfish can be found in a variety of habitats, they are most commonly spotted on high relief structure in offshore waters. The state of Florida keeps data on all public reef sites located around the state.

HOW: Lionfish are easily harvested using a pole spear and a containment device. A pole spear is a very simple spearing device that consists of a short pole shaft (usually made of aluminum or Fiberglas), a removable multi-prong spear tip and a rubber band.

A containment device is necessary for preventing a lionfish sting and for storing lionfish during a dive.

Do not grab a lionfish with bare hands. The venom of the fish is a neuromuscular toxin that’s similar to cobra venom, and is delivered through spines on its back. Despite that, if properly prepared, lionfish is edible and served at restaurants throughout Florida.

For more information on the tournament, visit www.fwcreefrangers.com.

20

www.amisun.com

THE SUN

Key Royale golf scores MONDAY, MAY 23 MODIFIED STABLEFORD

First Place - Chris Nelson with a score of +7 Second Place - Ron Vandeman with a score of +4 Third Place - Marty Hicks, Tom Nelson, Earl Ritchie with a score of +3

TUESDAY, MAY 24 LOW NET SCORE Flight A Helen Pollock Roxanne Koche Jenny Huibers Margrit Layh Flight B Jackie Gorski Sue Christenson Flight C Terry Westby Marilyn Niewijk

Helen Pollock chipped in on Hole #4, Roxanne Koche birdied Hole # 6

26 30 30 30

33 37

36 38

Thursday, May 26 - Scramble (each golfer playing with only 3-clubs) First Place Team Mike Clements, John Kolojeski, Ken Nagengast, Gary Razze with a score of 29, 3 under par

JUNE 8, 2022

www.amisun.com

JUNE 8, 2022

THE SUN

Live Music on our Patio

Anna Maria's Favorite Hang Out

THE WORLD IS OUR OYSTER, and we found

PE ARLS.

IslandDining.com

A CULTURAL EXCHANGE With tourism accounting for 11 to 12.5% of the world’s livelihood, communities like ours know the importance of well-trained employees and the impact they can have to a business. Three local restaurants owned by Chiles Hospitality have launched a program that welcomes international students into the restaurants to learn a variety of culinary skills from food prep to guest services to key management.

7KH - YLVD R൵HUV FXOWXUDO DQG HGXFDtional exchange opportunities in the United States through a variety of programs overseen by the U.S. State Department. Students are assigned to the area for 12 months and rotate between all the restaurants. They are encouraged to gain as much experience as possible and the hope is to promote them and allow them to continue to advance in the restaurant and hospitality industry. Currently, there are over 20 students in the program, and they hail from places as far away as Bali, the Philippines and Colombia.

Juan from Colombia worked in a high-cuisine restaurant in Bogota before coming to the U.S. He’s been working for seven months in the bakery making desserts and pastries.“It’s a GL൵HUHQW ODQJXDJH GL൵HUHQW SHRSOH DQG D GL൵HUent culture and I think it’s great.”

Ray from Bali, Indonesia studied in a culinary program for three years. He appreciates that the Sandbar cares about the earth and sustainability. He misses his family but knows that this opportunity will help him “learn about things, and be something.”

Some of the J-1 participants have already been educated in their home country. Macaela from the Philippines has a Bachelor of Science in international travel and management. She wanted to work abroad to have the experience of Amer-

ican culture and to learn how the restaurant and hospitality industry works in America.

Most of the student workers only know the U.S. from the movies or video games. Amnon, from Bali works as prep, inventory, bakery, and line cook. The dream job for him would be to combine art and food.

All of the participants talk about how much they love the local beaches and the Florida weather and how happy they are to make new friends from around the world. Tari from Bali has set the ultimate goal for herself to save her money and open her own restaurant.

With sustainabilty at the heart of everything that Chiles Hospitality does, the chance to work with a diverse group of students provides an opportunity to help share the importance of how to be a good steward of the environment to hospitality students from around the globe. In return, the restaurants gain knowledge from international skill sets that the students bring to the program.

The exchange of culture is the ultimate outcome for everyone involved.

Content provided by Chiles Hospitality

21

22

J

THE SUN

REAL ESTATE

JUNE 8, 2022

Tallahassee finally at work

ust when you think it’s hopeless, there is a sliver of hope. The special session of the Florida Legislature is finally getting some changes on the books related to condominium recertification and homeowner’s insurance, all in the same week.

The special session called by Gov. Ron DeSantis was originally meant to address skyrocketing property insurance rates, however, the condominium safety bill was added to the agenda at the last minute.

Both subjects were addressed in bills passed by the House and the Senate and signed by the governor.

Broadly, this is the outline of the condominium recertification requirements: • Recertification of condos three stories or taller will be required after 30 years, or 25 years if the building is within 3 miles of the coast, and every 10 years thereafter.

• In addition, the bill requires that condominium associations have sufficient

Castles in the Sand LOUISE BOLGER reserves to pay for major repairs and conduct a study of the reserves every decade.

• Also, it will require associations to provide inspection reports to owners, and if structural repairs are needed, work must begin within a year of the report. Most of the provisions in the law will take effect in 2024, giving everyone some time to prepare.

There are estimated to be more than 1.5 million condominium units in Florida operated by nearly 28,000 associations, according to a legislative analysis conducted earlier this year. Of those, more than 912,000 are older than 30 years and

are home to more than 2 million residents.

With only about 650 certified structural engineers in the state, this will be a problem in getting the recertification program up and running in a timely manner.

As far as the homeowner’s insurance proposals, legislators came up with several short- and long-term fixes for the insurance market. Some of the proposals are: • Preventing insurers from dropping or refusing to insure homes solely because of a roof’s age if the roof is less than 10 years old.

• For roofs older than 15 years, insurers will have to allow homeowners to have an inspection of the roof’s condition before refusing coverage.

• Legislators also placed numerous limits on the fees lawyers can collect in lawsuits against insurers. Insurers have continually blamed excessive litigation by trial lawyers and claims triggered by fraudulent roofers for driving up the costs.

• Legislators also agreed to assign $2 billion to create a new program for reinsurance - insurance that insurers buy - and require any companies that use it to pass those savings on to homeowners.

• Enhancing scrutiny of insurers that fail.

At this point, no one can predict if rates will go down. My fear is that stricter regulations regarding roofs and scrutiny of companies will not sit well with the insurance companies and give them a reason not to do business in Florida. They will, however, like making it more difficult for lawyers to bring lawsuits. That said, we need to start somewhere, and hopefully Florida insurance companies will decide that our state is a good place to do business with a huge pool of homeowners.

The Florida real estate market has so much going for it, it’s important to everyone to make sure our buildings are safe and our insurance is affordable.

JUNE 8, 2022

BEACH BEAT BRADENTON BEACH

5/29, 9:43 p.m., noise complaint, 104 Fifth St. S. The officer was dispatched in reference to a noise complaint. Upon arrival, the officer found a group of people singing and listening to music in the pool. The decibel reading taken by the officer was below the city max, but he advised the group of about 20 people that if he had to return and they were above the legal level, their rental company would be notified and they could face eviction. No further action was taken.

HOLMES BEACH

5/26, 7:19 p.m., information report, 4000 Gulf Drive. The officer responded to Manatee Beach in reference to a

www.amisun.com

man urinating on a bus. The MCAT bus driver said that while in transit, a female passenger alerted him to a man on the bus that exposed himself, then urinated on the floor of the bus. The officer found the man unconscious on a bench seat. When the officer woke him up, the man began urinating again, seemingly not knowing it. The officer found the man to be so heavily intoxicated that he required medical treatment, and Marchman Act paperwork was filed. The subject was taken

by EMS for treatment. Police issued a trespass warning.

5/27, 4:59, welfare check, Gladstone Lane. Two officers responded to a report of a welfare check on a 94-yearold resident. The officers arrived to find all doors and windows closed and locked and blinds drawn. The daughter of the resident assured police that her father did not drive and was inside the

home, then gave officers permission to enter the home. Using their entry tools, the officers forced the front door open and found the man semi-conscious in a chair. The temperature in the home was 94 degrees and there was no ventilation. Police immediately called EMS who transported the man to the hospital for treatment, then secured the home.

5/28, 8:20 a.m., petit theft, 3352 E. Bay Drive. Ace Hardware workers reported a man entering the store, walking to one of the tool aisles and removing bolt cutters from the shelf. The man then walked out of the store without paying for the bolt cutters and used them to cut the chain off bicycles securing bikes for sale in front of the store. The subject then fled with two bikes to an unknown location. Store security cameras captured the incident and the footage was attached to the case file.

THE SUN

23

OBITUARIES Nancy Hume Nancy Hume, 89, died May 28 at her home in Bradenton, Florida. Born in 1932 in Chicago, Illinois, she lived most of her life in the Chicago area.

She and her husband, James Hume, moved to Anna Maria Island in 2002.

An avid volunteer throughout her life, Nancy supported and advocated for local theater groups, hospitals and charities; with a special passion for Cure JM Foundation, which was founded by her son, Tom, to find a cure for her grandson's rare disease.

Additionally, Nancy had a deep love for nature and volunteered at Mote Marine for over 10 years.

Survivors include sons Robert, of Los Angeles, California and Thomas (Shari) of Encinitas, California; and grandsons Connor, Parker and Cole.

A private service will be held with family at a later time. Brown & Sons Funeral Homes is in charge of arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be made to Cure JM Foundation, 836 Lynwood Drive, Encinitas, California, 92024, or online at www.curejm.org.

24

www.amisun.com

THE SUN

JUNE 8, 2022

Sherrall Van Leeuwen • 25 years NAVY • 10 years of experience as a real estate professional • Always available and responsive to your needs • Honest and ethical • Anna Maria local • On your side Contact me today for your free consultation.

941.287.5795 Sherrall.VanLeeuwen@PremierSIR.com CALLSHERRALL.com

STACEY JOHNSTON | SUBMITTED

City clerk attends international conference

PremierSothebysRealty.com

Holmes Beach city clerk and 2021-22 Florida Association of City Clerks President Stacey Johnston represented the state of Florida May 21-25 at the International Association of Municipal Clerks annual conference in Little Rock, Arkansas.

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.

BRADENTON 5708 Inspiration Terrace

Lisa Rooks Morris

HOLMES BEACH 619 Key Royale Drive Laurie Mock

$4,500,000

941.544.3332

PALMA SOLA POINTE

LONGBOAT KEY VILLAGE

9804 2nd Terrace NW $3,850,000 Amy Royall 941.807.2863

6821 Hughes Street $2,999,000 Jayne Kocher 941.915.6000

LONGBOAT KEY $2,995,000 941.232.3665

550 Norton Street

$2,995,000

Kathleen Wingate & Steve Branham

813.731.3332

HOLMES BEACH 308 61st Street Laurie Mock

your home has never been

VENICE | 941.412.3323

Vi ew a r e a l i st i n g s

Contact us for a confidential consultation PremierSothebysRealty.com

WORTH MORE

SARASOTA - DOWNTOWN | 941.364.4000

$1,200,000 941.232.3665

LAKEWOOD RANCH | 941.907.9541

LONGBOAT KEY | 941.383.2500

RENTALS | 941.203.3433

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

JUNE 8, 2022

THE SUN

25

Mornin’ glory A beach morning glory blooms on Anna Maria Island. The native plant forms vines that help hold sand dunes together.

CINDY LANE | SUN

BRADENTON 20706 79th Avenue E 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 5,077 Sq. Ft. Chris Baylis 941-735-4713 A4531620 $3,650,000

SARASOTA 7612 Donald Ross Road W 5 Beds 4/1 Baths 3,973 Sq. Ft. Jackee Schulz 941-320-4991 A4530347 $2,550,000

TERRA CEIA 109 Michiana Drive 2 Beds 2/1 Baths 1,818 Sq. Ft. Debbie Vogler 941-705-3328 A4527498 $1,999,000

SARASOTA 8188 Grande Shores Drive 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,797 Sq. Ft. Stacy Haas 941-587-4359 A4532966 $1,795,000

ANNA MARIA ISLAND 820 N Shore Drive 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 3,953 Sq. Ft. Kathy Harman 941-900-9828 A4524887 $4,350,000

BRADENTON 115 65th Street Court Nw 5 Beds 3 Baths 2,968 Sq. Ft. Patty Brooks 941-545-1194 A4534150 $1,500,000

PARRISH 16003 39th Glen E 4 Beds 3 Baths 3,225 Sq. Ft. Laura Navratil & Mary Pat Pihl 941-806-7436 A4532572 $1,295,000

BRADENTON 12130 Cranston Way 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,483 Sq. Ft. Christopher Van Vliet & Jamie Van Vliet, PA 941-993-7087 A4535188 $1,000,000

BRADENTON 2112 51st Street W 4 Beds 3 Baths 3,805 Sq. Ft. Jodene Moneuse 941-302-4913 A4529879 $998,000

BIRD KEY 628 N Owl Drive 3 Beds 2 Baths 2,534 Sq. Ft. Kathy Valente & Gregory Zies, LLC 941-685-6767 A4526783 $2,495,000

LONGBOAT KEY 311 Firehouse Court 3 Beds 3/1 Baths 2,352 Sq. Ft. Cindy Fischer 941-465-1124 A4534473 $2,395,000

MYAKK A CITY 25008 67th Avenue E 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,510 Sq. Ft. Chris Baylis 941-735-4713 A4534475 $1,700,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7410 Mizner Reserve Court 3 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,648 Sq. Ft. Tina Ciaccio 941-685-8420 A4534317 $1,590,000

LONGBOAT KEY 1926 Harbourside Drive 1304 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,135 Sq. Ft. Cindy Fischer & Mark J Baron 941-465-1124 A4528490 $995,000

LONGBOAT KEY 4400 Exeter Drive J106 2 Beds 2 Baths 992 Sq. Ft. Malihe Karimi 941-376-5099 A4534112 $595,000

941.896.9981 | MICHAELSAUNDERS.COM

26

THE SUN

www.amisun.com

DeSantis approves Pine Avenue request, vetoes others Gov. Ron DeSantis has approved the city of Anna Maria’s request for a $1.28 million appropriation to help fund Reimagining Pine Avenue safety improvements, but he vetoed Anna Maria’s $207,450 appropriation request for Lake La Vista channel improvements. DeSantis also vetoed the city of Bradenton Beach’s $3 million appropriation request for

undergrounding utility lines, the city of Holmes Beach’s $2 million appropriation for flood mitigation improvements and Manatee County’s $2.5 million request for a pedestrian overpass across U.S. 41.

Last week, DeSantis signed into law the $109.9 billion state budget after vetoing $3.1 billion in funding requests proposed and supported by state legislators.

JUNE 8, 2022

Perico Bay Club—As Good As It Gets!!

Business As Usual…..Just A Li le Differently.

If you’re looking to buy or sell in Perico Bay Club, or know someone who is, please give me a call!

Give me a call today if you yo ou u’re ’ree lookin looking ngg to Buyy or Sell on Anna Maria Maria Island Mari Islaand or the surrounding ounding ngg aarea! rea eaaa!!

Lynn Zemmer 941 4141 1-730 3030 0-1294 9 94

941.209.1542 I Lynn@Edgewaterami.com 941.730.1294 | Lynn@Edgewaterami.com www.EdgewaterRealEstateInc.com www.EdgewaterRealEstateInc.com Street, Bradenton Beach, FL 34217 106 Bridge

JUNE 8, 2022

www.amisun.com

THE SUN

27

NESTING NEWS Turtle nests laid: 156 (Record: 544 in 2019) False crawls: 145 (Record: 831 in 2010) Source: Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring

TURTLE TIPS During sea turtle season, May 1 – Oct. 31, follow these tips to help turtles: • 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 beach chairs and other objects from the sand from sundown to sunrise; they can deter sea turtles from nesting and disorient hatchlings.

• Fill in the holes you dig in the sand before leaving the beach; they can trap nesting and hatching sea turtles, which cannot live long out of the water.

• Level sandcastles before leaving the beach; they can block hatchlings from the water.

• Don’t use balloons, wish lanterns or fireworks; they litter the beach and Gulf, and turtles can ingest the debris.

• 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).

28

www.amisun.com

THE SUN

JUNE 8, 2022

NUISANCE: Rental owner responds FROM PAGE 1

have jurisdiction to do anything but declare them a public nuisance,” Vose said during the May 26 meeting. “They don’t have the right to give injunctive relief. Our code does allow us to file suit in circuit court to ask the court to declare the public nuisance and give us injunctive relief to stop it going forward.

"The injunctive relief that I recommend we go after in this particular case is a suspension of the owner’s right to use that property as a vacation rental for one year,” Mayor Dan Murphy said. “I feel very strongly that a one-year suspension should get the message across that this type of behavior in our city is not allowed.”

Vose sent Patel an email on May 29 that said, “Last Thursday evening, the Anna Maria City Commission authorized me to file suit in Circuit Court in Manatee County against your LLC as a public nuisance and request injunctive relief.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

The city of Anna Maria plans to file a lawsuit in response to repeat noise ordinance violations at this vacation rental home at 313 Magnolia Ave.

PATEL RESPONSE

On May 31, Patel responded to Vose’s email and copied Murphy and Code Enforcement Manager Sandy Olson in his response.

“I feel like this is an incredible over-

reach, especially as I have tried so hard to work with both the neighbor, as well as the city, to put forward mitigation efforts to prevent future issues,” Patel stated in his email.

Patel purchased the home in Septem-

ber 2013 and transferred its ownership to the Mangoes on Magnolia LLC that November.

“As you all know, the Island has become a vacation favorite for many and having five violations within a nineyear rental period with thousands and thousands of bookings doesn’t seem to merit this,” Patel wrote.

“I have worked, and will continue to work, collaboratively with the city on making Anna Maria a great place to live, work and vacation. However, I do feel very strongly that I’m being targeted for some reason. I will begin a search for an attorney who can represent me and will be back in touch once I retain one. It’s a real shame that this has gotten to this point, despite my good faith efforts to work diligently with the city,” Patel wrote.

As of June 3, the city had not yet filed its civil lawsuit. Vose recently said the lawsuit would be filed after the city receives the court reporter’s verbatim transcript of the May 18 code enforcement hearing.

PARKING: Woes continue over the holiday FROM PAGE 1

her family from Lakeland.

Holiday weekends are a favorite for Florida residents who are within driving distance from the beach.

“There were 122,045 cars between Friday, May 27 and Monday, May 30 that passed our license plate recognition devices in Holmes Beach,” said Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer. “I don’t have the exact number of tickets our department gave out, but I can tell you that one of my sergeants

gave out 60 tickets himself on Memorial Day. I can tell you that I personally gave out 22 tickets on Memorial Day Monday.”

Tokajer echoes the Bradenton Beach police, saying the biggest issue was people parking wherever they want to. The chief also noted that people said that as long as the department wasn’t towing, they had little problem paying the ticket and leaving their vehicles parked.

July Fourth is less than a

month away, and police expect more of the same when the holiday arrives. Police will continue to ticket, so anyone planning a day trip by car is advised to arrive as early as possible to obtain a legal parking spot and leave fireworks at home, as they are not permitted on the Island.

No additional parking will be available in Bradenton Beach, but parking will once again be allowed at Anna Maria Elementary School for the holiday weekend.

JASON SCHAFFER | SUN

More than a hundred cars were ticketed on Memorial Day weekend in Bradenton Beach, above, and Holmes Beach.

JUNE 8, 2022

FUN IN THE SUN

Across 1 It may be acute, obtuse or right 6 Lee with desserts 10 Way cool, in the '90s 14 High school experiment site 16 Mishmash dish 17 *Sensei's studio 18 Poker pot starter 19 Khan of Khan Academy 20 Greek T 21 Rage 22 *Loud, wet weather event 26 Big jets 29 Fictional lawyer Perry 30 Leave red-faced 31 Central points 33 Hat-tipper's word 36 Beer barrel 37 *Source of crude 40 Edible hero 41 Stonestreet of "ModAnswers to 06-01-22 Crossword Puzzle.

ern Family" 43 Climbing plant 44 "In __, there is always too much singing": Debussy 46 Game with settlers 48 Noisy quarrel 49 *Site of spares and splits 53 Fed. security 54 What the ewe said 55 Cashew or almond 58 Emerald Isle 59 Home plate ump's concern ... or what the answer to each starred clue can be?

63 "High Voltage" band 64 Places for astronomy buffs 65 Screen door stuff 66 Wile E. Coyote's supplier 67 Funny sketches

Down 1 More than wonders 2 Final Four org.

3 One of a group who "just wanna have fu-un": Cyndi Lauper 4 Meadow 5 Sinus doc 6 Four-door, usually 7 Not whispered 8 Koothrappali on "The Big Bang Theory" 9 Blood type letters 10 "The __ of the 44-Across" 11 "Wait, I'll be right there!"

12 Daisylike flower 13 Unit of heat energy 15 Whale constellation (anagram of CUTES) 21 Stubborn animal 22 "American Dad!" channel 23 Santa's jolly syllables 24 Awards show host 25 Skateboard park feature 26 Actor Gyllenhaal 27 __ Eats: delivery service 28 Abracadabra et al.

31 Casual love affair 32 Accept blame for 34 Celestial glow 35 CFOs' degrees 38 Lendl of tennis 39 Campfire stories, say 42 Pasadena engineer-

ing sch.

45 Fork over 47 Reason for extra innings 48 Snow speck 49 Second-string squad

THE SUN

50 Chilling 51 The "A" in James A. Garfield 52 Singer Frankie 55 Sushi roll wrap 56 Inch or yard

57 Tazo products 59 Pampering place 60 Pampering, initially 61 UFO crew 62 Drummer Starkey, son of Ringo

29

30

THE SUN

CLASSIFIED

ANNOUNCEMENTS BEACH YOGA ON Wednesdays, Saturdays & Sundays at 8:30am at the end of Pine Ave by the Sandbar Restaurant by donation.

Classes on Tuesdays & Fridays at 8:30 at 100 Broadway St. on LBK. www.thriveyogafit.com 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.

TINGLEY LIBRARY IN BRADENTON BEACH is looking for volunteers. Fun and friendly atmosphere. Morning and afternoon shifts. If interested, please contact library clerk Eveann Adams at 941-779-1208, between 10-3, Tues. -Fri. only.

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

CLEANING SERVICE THC CLEANING : Residential, Commercial, Rentals, VRBO. Professional and Reliable. Call 941-756-4570 or 941565-3931

EMPLOYMENT CASHIERS – We have immediate openings for full-time and part-time cashiers. Experience a plus, but not required.

Very attractive starting pay. No evening hours!

Email your resume to hometruevaluehardware @gmail.com or apply in person at Home True Value Hardware, 5324 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, FL 34217

AMISUN.COM

Call us today! 941-778-3986

The award-winning ANNA MARIA ISLAND SUN, a weekly newspaper on Florida’s Gulf Coast, is looking for a freelance reporter/photographer to cover events on this tourism-driven island. The ideal candidate will have reporting and photography experience at a community newspaper and have some experience writing for a news website. Local residents or those with previous local knowledge and willing to relocate here a plus. Resumes and cover letters may be mailed to The Anna Maria Island Sun, P.O Box 1189, Anna Maria, FL 34216, Attention: Mike Field, publisher.

REAL ESTATE ASSISTANT WANTED: Looking for driven/dedicated assistant to join our growing team.

This position is an amazing opportunity to learn the residential real estate industry from the ground up!

Send resume to Serious inquiries only to Team@ GittSoldIt.com (no phone calls please) The Gitt Team KW on the Water ISLAND OCEAN STAR RESTAURANT located at the end of Anna Maria Island with water front seating.

We are looking for Sushi Chefs, Kitchen Chefs, Kitchen helpers, hosts or hostesses, servers, bar tenders, etc. to join our team. For kitchen chef, starting pay is $15.25 per hour. Please call Chi at 941-685-7536 or 941-251-6940 or email Chi at IslandStar902@gmail. com

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

FOR SALE TOPPER FOR F150 Long bed. $100 or Best Offer.

Call 941-705-7560.

SELLING DECEASED WIFES DOLL COLLECTION. All dolls or just one. Great gifts! Reasonably priced.

Nice collection. $20 each.

Call 941-779-1801

FOR SALE DINING Room set: 6 chairs, Hutch Hitchcock brand $400.

Grandfather clock- mahogany wood, three 6’ bookcases-neutral color wood $50 each. All good condition. Call 941-7781869

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 941-7250073.

KERN CONSTRUCTION NEW Homes & Remodel.

Design/Build. Since 1968.

License # CBC 1261150.

Call Mike Kern 941-7781115 GET’R DONE DRYWALL, INC Specializing in Remodels & Repairs. Island Resident for 18 years. Call Neil Cell 941-962-1194 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.

API’S DRYWALL REPAIR 15+ years experience.

Free estimates. No job too small. Love to help you.

Call 941-524-8067.

ISLE TILE specializing in Custom Bath/Shower & Backsplash installation.

Pressure washing available.

Call 941-302-8759 isletileservices.com

HOME SERVICES CONCRETE FUSION, CRACK REPAIR sidewalks/ driveways. Why fix 95% of concrete when only 5% bad? Number 1 in concrete repair. Insured.

Free estimate. Call Bobby 941-374-7670.

JUNE 8, 2022

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 ISLAND RESIDENT. TREE/ BUSH Trimming, removal.

Sweeping, blowing, weeding. Weekly, bi-monthly or monthly schedule. Pressure washing. Call Bill Witaszek 941-307-9315.

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

LOST & FOUND LOST PRESCRIPTION SUNGLASSES in black case between Gulf Watch and Beach House Restaurant.

Please call 847-563-8365.

MASSAGE MASSAGE BY VINNIE Swedish Deep Tissue And More By Appointment Only Call 773-383-0463 Vinnie LMT,CMCE

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

DONALD PERKINS ABRACADABRA PAINTING LLC fully insured. 30 years experience. Many Island references. Call 941-705-7096

POOL SERVICES FOUR SEASONS POOL SERVICE AND CHEMICAL SERVICES. Certified Pool Operator. 10 + Years Experience.

Residential/commercial. Chemical Service Licensed & Insured. Call Dennis Clark 941-7375657 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

AMISUN.COM

PEAK-A-BOO VIEWS of the GULF. Income Producing upstairs Condo, weekly rental, Holmes Beach, new furniture, fresh paint, updated appliances, laundry room, large deck, 2 parking places. Just 10 steps to the beach access, 2BR/1.5BA. Sharon Hightower RE/MAX Alliance Group 941-3305054. $849,900.

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.

ANNUAL RENTAL: Starting July 1st, Perico Bay Club. 2BR/2BA with lanai and one car garage.

Fully furnished down to the linens and dishes, newly updated and all appliances included. Attached villa style, very secure community with guarded entry gate. $2900 per month, no pets. Association has $100 application fee. Tenant in place, showings by specific weekly appointments only.

Photos below taken last week so they are current.

Call Carol Bernard at 941345-1300.

ANNUAL RENTAL IN GATED HARBOUR LANDINGS, 4118 Osprey Harbour Loop, less than 1 mile from gulf sand just across Cortez causeway. 1900+ sq ft 2BR/2BA, screened lanai upper level, with elevator.

Full non-conforming 1900 sq ft ground level, currently used with 2 additional BRs, finished storage, with split air units, 3 cars in garage.

Rented as furnished. Total living space is more than 3,500 sq ft. New upscale appliances. Well maintained, white cabinets, black granite countertops.

Photos on line from previous sale do not show latest construction updates. Call Nelson at 303-968-4321 to get more info. Requires background check, deposit. Offered at $4,000 per month, minimum 12 month lease

www.amisun.com

JUNE 8, 2022

BUSINESS & SERVICE DIRECTORY HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

THE SUN

Call today to place your ad: 941-778-3986 PAINTING

TRANSPORTATION

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 SEASONAL RENTAL in PALMA SOLA. 3BR/2BA weekly or monthly rates.

Contact Barb Grace 941201-2190

ANNA MARIA ISLAND CONDO SUMMER SPECIAL Large pool, beach access, furnished, WIFI, 1BR 6 month lease. $1900/mo.

All utilities included. redekercondosonami.com Tim 941-704-7525

LUXURIOUS ANNA MARIA ISLAND CONDO for rent. Upgraded granite/ stainless kitchen. Incredible water views through floor length windows.

Waterfront patio. Luxury furnishing. 2BR/2BA. King beds. Pool, tennis, walk to beach. Private carport. Monthly rental July to December. Owner/renter. Flexible terms.

570-239-0431 email marketreps@aol.com

REAL ESTATED WANTED: BUY/RENT YOUNG LOCAL FAMILY of 4 seeking to buy (or even rent) a forever family home with a dock or boat slip big enough for a 32ft boat on AMI, LBK or close surrounding area. Also seeking land by water for an outdoor school. Call or text 941-961-5727

AMISUN.COM

31

TRANSPORTATION AMI TAXI credit cards, cash, venmo accepted. Airport: Tampa $105, Sarasota $50, St. Pete/Clearwater $105, Orlando $220. Call 941-447-8372 or 941-4478376. amitaxi4u@gmail. com, www.amitaxi.com ANYTIME TRANSPORTATION to all Airports, Casino, etc. Tampa/St. Pete $80.

Sarasota $40. Pets welcome. Very dependable.

Reasonable rates. Contact Jeanne. 941-779-5095

32

THE SUN

www.amisun.com

JUNE 8, 2022