Anna Maria Island Sun June 5, 2024 by Anna Maria Island Sun

Summer sizzler

City releases signed coconut palms agreement

The palm tree agreement between Bradenton Beach and one of Shawn Kaleta’s LLCs has a term of 30 years.

BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – The fully signed agreement between the city and developer Shawn Kaleta for the maintenance of the coconut palm trees on and around Bridge Street was signed by Mayor John Chappie on May 28 and placed into the public record that day.

That comes more than a month after the trees were planted the week of April 24 in a public-private partnership between the city and Kaleta.

On May 29, City Clerk Terri Sanclemente provided The Sun with

a copy of the agreement signed by Chappie, Kaleta - as Beach to Bay Construction LLC manager - and Sanclemente as witness. The Sun made multiple requests for the document beginning on May 6.

The maintenance, indemnification and hold harmless agreement in a public-private partnership between the City of Bradenton Beach and Kaleta, through his LLC, designates responsibility for the tree maintenance to Kaleta and indemnifies the city in the event of injury or damage from the trees.

Public-private partnerships between cities and developers are unique to Bradenton Beach among the three Anna Maria Island cities.

Both Mayor Dan Murphy of Anna Maria and Mayor Judy Titsworth

Proposed charter amendments presented as ordinances

The mayor and commission remain divided on a proposed home rule statement being added to the city charter.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – City commissioners have been presented with separate ordinances containing ballot language and summary language for five proposed charter amendments.

City Attorney Becky Vose presented the first reading of the five proposed charter amendment ordinances to the city commission on May 23. The commission will vote on each separate proposed charter amendment on a second and final reading during a June 13 meeting.

The proposed amendment ordinances that receive the majority support of the commission will be transmitted to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office for inclusion on the general election ballot this fall.

The city charter can only be amended (changed) with the majority support of the city’s registered voters. Anna Maria voters will be asked to vote yes or no on the amendments proposed by the charter review committee and supported by the city commission majority.

HOME RULE

The city commission is divided on a proposed amendment that would add new language to the city charter regarding the protection of the city’s home rule rights.

Anna Maria Island, Florida The Island’s award-winning weekly newspaper www.amisun.com 'TIS THE SEASON Get The Sun's Hurricane Guide! 16-20 KVO SWITCHES RACES from District 3 to District 7. 4

FOR CONSTRUCTIVE Play's new owner is a former student . 12 Page 27 - Named Best Florida Newspaper In Its Class - June 5, 2024

SCHOOL

SEE PALMS, PAGE 27 SEE CHARTER, PAGE 32 CINDY LANE | SUN The warm colors of a June sunset off Anna Maria Island reflect the sizzling summer that's already begun.

2 THE SUN www.amisun.com JUNE 5, 2024

Reimagining Pine Avenue one step at a time

The block-byblock approach would begin with the installation of brick paver sidewalks where no sidewalks currently exist.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy has proposed a block-by-block approach to installing permeable brick paver sidewalks along Pine Avenue where meandering unpaved paths currently exist. New crosswalks would also be installed across Pine Avenue in a similar block-by-block fashion as part of the long-desired Reimagining Pine Avenue safety improvement project. The existing concrete sidewalks along Pine Avenue will remain in place for now and potentially be replaced with brick paver sidewalks later.

When initiated, the sidewalk and crosswalk improvements will be funded by a state appropriation previously approved by the Florida Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis.

New streetlights will be installed later using different, non-state funding sources.

In recent years, the commission, at the mayor’s recommendation, has rejected four previous project-related bids received from the Sarasota-based C-Squared construction company.

C-Squared’s most recent bid was $1.38 million to install a one-block Reimagining Pine Avenue prototype area between Gulf Drive and North Shore Drive. The prototype would have included new brick paver sidewalks along both sides of Pine Avenue and new crosswalks. The bid did not include street lighting.

On May 23, the mayor proposed a new approach to

securing a local contractor or contractors to do the work in a more piecemeal fashion. Murphy said he engaged in preliminary discussion with the project engineer as to how to go about the piecemeal approach to installing the brick paver sidewalks one block at a

makes sense and I want to bid on it.’ ”

Murphy said the city’s public works department may be able to assist with the crosswalk installations.

Murphy said once the brick paver sidewalks are installed in the unpaved paths, the concrete sidewalks will be replaced by brick paver sidewalks, to be followed by new street lighting.

time, beginning with the stretch of Pine Avenue between Gulf Drive and North Shore Drive. Murphy said three local contractors have expressed interest in the project.

“That’s a good sign,” he said. “One contractor told me, ‘You finally have an approach that

Murphy said with the commission’s support he’d work with the project engineer and the Florida Department of Transportation – the state agency controlling the expenditure of the state funds – and figure out how to move forward with the solicitation of bids.

The city commission expressed preliminary support for the block-byblock, one-step-at-a-time project approach and now awaits additional information from the mayor.

JUNE 5, 2024 www.amisun.com THE SUN 3

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN The unpaved paths along Pine Avenue may soon be transformed into brick paver sidewalks.

ISLAND NEWS

IN BRIEF

Multiple brush fires spotted in Cortez

West Manatee Fire Rescue responded to multiple brush fires on May 29-30 at a 15-acre property between 115th Street and 119th Street owned by developer Whiting Preston. Fire Marshal Rodney Kwiatkowski said the first in a series of brush fires on the property happened on May 29 at about 6:45 a.m. and was accidentally started by homeless people camping on the property. After firefighters put that blaze out, Kwiatkowski said they responded again to a brush fire at 1:13 p.m. on the same day followed by two subsequent fires on the property on May 30 at 12:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. Kwiatkowski said he’s working with Preston to find ways to proactively deal with the issues at the property. “If we can prevent things from happening, we need to prevent them,” Kwiatkowski said. Some of the ideas he said Preston is working on is getting a burn permit to remove dry brush on the property once the recently-imposed burn ban in Manatee County is lifted, which could be as early as June 10, and having Manatee County Sheriff’s Office personnel sweep the area more frequently to discourage camping.

Manatee County accepting applications for TDC

Manatee County is seeking qualified applicants to fill two openings for its nine-member Tourist Development Council (TDC). The TDC makes recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners concerning tourism-related projects and the expenditure of tourist tax revenues. Applicants must be elected municipal officials, with at least one serving in Bradenton, and be registered voters in Manatee County. Applications are due Friday, June 7 and are online at mymanatee. org/advisory_boards. The Tourist Development Council meets on the third Monday or second Monday every other month at 9 a.m. or 9:30 a.m. at varying locations throughout Manatee County. The term length is four years. For more information, interested applicants should contact Leanne Keeling at the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau at Leanne.Keeling@BACVB.com or call 941-729-9177, ext. 3944.

Scan this code with your smartphone to go there.

Van Ostenbridge switches races

Two sitting Manatee County commissioners will square off against each other in the District 7 at-large Republican primary race.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

MANATEE COUNTY –

Incumbent District 3 Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge announced he’s no longer seeking reelection in his current district.

He will instead seek election to the District 7 at-large seat currently held by George Kruse, who seeks re-election to another four-year term in that seat. The two sitting county commissioners will square off in the District 7 at-large Republican primary that concludes on Tuesday, Aug. 20.

On May 31, Van Ostenbridge filed his campaign redesignation letter with the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office, as did former District 7 Republican candidate April Culbreath, who is now running against Tal Siddique in the District 3 Republican primary.

The winner of the District 7 Republican primary will then face the winner of the Democratic primary between Aliyah Hurt and Sari Lindroos-Valimaki in the general election. The winner of the District 3 Republican primary will face Democratic candidate Diana Shoemaker in the general election.

On May 31, Van Ostenbridge distributed the following text announcement regarding his political lane change: “For me, it boiled down to this: Manatee County Republicans deserve a truly conservative representative who believes in the free market; who will never apologize to liberals; and who will protect and defend every God-given constitutional right. I can continue to represent west Bradenton and at the same time restore the promise of conservative representation to the county as a whole. George Kruse is a liberal. I am a staunch Trump conservative. George Kruse thinks the government knows best. I know the people know best.”

Van Ostenbridge shared his pro-Trump campaign statement the day after a 12-person New York jury found the former president guilty of all 34 felony charges alleged against him.

On June 1, Kruse provided The Sun with the following written response to Van Ostenbridge’s statement: “Both the decision to run away from the District 3 race and the context of his announcement are not a surprise to anyone. After a lifetime of living in his district and four years of ‘representing’ his district, the residents out west made it clear through their polling that Kevin only represents himself and a very small handful of people in Manatee County and his district wants him out. I’m happy for those residents and I’m hopeful they’ll once again have a commissioner who actually cares about their voice and their future.

“His announcement of this change is a reflection of how they’ll campaign throughout 2024. When you know you can’t run on your record, you deflect and distract in hopes of finding enough uninformed voters to manipulate into voting against their best interests. Kevin’s consultant (Anthony Pedicini) will deflect everything wrong with him onto me while they continue pushing their revisionist history of the facts. Kevin has consistently fought to stifle the voices of the people he claims ‘know best.’ Through his

actions on Anna Maria Island and throughout the county, he has proven to be the foremost advocate of authoritarian, big government, tax-and-spend policies Manatee County has had on our board in a very long time,” Kruse stated.

“I’m hopeful that our community has finally been pushed too far by Kevin and his syndicate. The public is waking up and an informed electorate is not their voter base,” Kruse stated.

DISTRICT DIFFERENCES

Van Ostenbridge has invited opposition on Anna Maria Island due to his ongoing efforts to build a three-story parking garage at the county-owned Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach. Since being elected to the District 3 seat in 2020, Van Ostenbridge has frequently feuded with Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth and Police Chief Bill Tokajer about beach parking and other parking allowances.

District 3 includes all of Anna Maria Island, all of Cortez, the northern half of Longboat Key, west Bradenton and portions of Bradenton. It was long-rumored that Van Ostenbridge would switch to the District 7 at-large race if early polling numbers indicated he might not win the District 3 race, which features fewer total voters and a higher percentage of Island voters. Island

4 THE SUN

JUNE 5, 2024 Visit our website, www.amisun.com.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

SEE VAN OSTENBRIDGE, PAGE 13

District 3 County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge now seeks the District 7 at-large seat instead of the seat where he’s an incumbent. RUSTY CHINNIS | SUN

Mayor optimistic about vacation rental bill’s fate

The Florida Legislature’s proposed vacation rental regulation preemption has not yet been transmitted to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy is growing increasingly confident that the Florida Legislature’s latest attempt to preempt vacation rental regulation to the state will once again fail.

Proposed and supported by the Florida Legislature earlier this year, Senate Bill 280 and its matching companion bill, House Bill 1537, seek to take short-term vacation rental regulation and the regulation of short-term rental advertising away from Florida cities and counties and place that authority solely with the state.

To become new state law, the proposed legislation must be transmitted to Gov. Ron DeSantis. If the governor supports the legislation, he can sign it into new state law effective July 1 or allow it to become new state law without his signature of support. He can also kill the proposed legislation by vetoing it.

“The bill has not been placed on the governor’s desk,” Murphy told the Anna Maria City Commission on May 23.

Murphy said he and the city’s contracted lobbyist have no idea if or when the proposed vacation rental regulation will ever be transmitted to the Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Sen Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton) and State Rep. Will Robinson Jr. (R-Bradenton) are among the many state legislators who voted in favor of the proposed legislation.

“The good news is the governor’s staff has a multitude of concerns about the bill itself, starting with some of the input

we gave them,” Murphy said. The proposed state legislation would eliminate Anna Maria’s existing short-term vacation rental occupancy limits and replace them with more generous occupancy limits that would be virtually impossible for the city to enforce.

The city input the mayor

referenced pertains to Anna Maria’s vacation rental guest population quickly increasing by an estimated 32% if the city’s occupancy limits are eliminated, which the mayor said would further strain the city’s already-strained infrastructure systems.

Murphy said DeSantis’ staff

also has political concerns about the legislation, including a carve-out exemption for Flagler County, the home of Speaker of the House Paul Renner. The proposed carveout would create a grandfathering exemption for Flagler County’s current vacation rental regulations.

“They’ve got a list of concerns. When I get the word that it’s headed to the governor’s desk – and we should get at least a day or two of advance notice – we’ll crank up HomeRuleFl.com to bombard letters to the governor for a veto,” Murphy said.

“We’re in a very good spot. That’s what our lobbyist said, but it’ll be back next year. It’s not going to go away. This is going to be a continual struggle,” Murphy cautioned. When asked, the mayor and city attorney said they didn’t know when the deadline is to transmit bills to the governor.

JUNE 5, 2024 www.amisun.com THE SUN 5

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN The city of Anna Maria currently imposes short-term vacation rental occupancy limits.

OPINION

EDITORIAL

The now-signed maintenance, indemnification and hold harmless agreement for the flawed Bridge Street coconut palm tree planting project lists April 1 as the project commencement date, which fittingly coincides with April Fool’s Day.

But Mayor John Chappie and the city’s witness, City Clerk Terri Sanclemente, didn’t sign and fully execute the agreement until May 28 – nearly two months after the listed commencement date.

On May 15, City Attorney Ricinda Perry told The Sun a “signed agreement” existed but a copy couldn’t be provided until Sanclemente returned from vacation on May 28. Local developer and project partner Shawn Kaleta might have signed the agreement on behalf of his Beach to Bay Construction Limited Liability Corporation in mid-May, as Perry’s emails indicate, but the agreement wasn’t legally enforceable until Chappie and Sanclemente signed it. We appreciate Sanclemente promptly providing a copy of the fully executed agreement upon her return. We thank her for acknowledging that she and Chappie signed the agreement that day and for providing additional project-related documents and answers to our questions. Sanclemente did her job, while others associated with the project failed miserably.

Of the 70 coconut palms planted on and around Bridge Street, one already fell on a Bridge Street sidewalk and 22 others were removed from Gulf Drive South and replanted elsewhere along Bridge Street because FDOT doesn’t allow coconut palms and their falling coconuts and palm fronds along state-owned roads. Bradenton Beach leaders apparently don’t share similar safety concerns about city-owned Bridge Street.

During the month-long gap between the plantings and the mayor’s signature, would the city have been solely responsible for any palm tree-related deaths, injuries or property damage that occurred before the agreement became legally binding?

The Perry-drafted agreement includes indemnification language designed to protect the city from project-related lawsuits. An indemnification clause doesn’t prevent the city from being named in a lawsuit. It simply means the city can try to recoup its lawsuit-related losses from Kaleta and his roster of attorneys. That’s a risky proposition for a city financially desperate enough to sign over control of city-owned assets in exchange for shared project costs.

Perry and her elected accomplices are taking liberties with taxpayer assets that might get them removed by shareholders if they sat on a private sector board of directors. A misguided tree-planting project isn’t the worst sin a local government can commit, but the city attorney shouldn’t be leading the lackadaisical mayor and commissioners by their noses in her efforts to broker questionable public-private partnerships.

This fiasco prompted some Sun readers to call for Perry’s termination and Chappie’s resignation. Neither of those scenarios are likely, but maybe the light shined on this botched affair will cause all involved to think twice before pursuing another partnership with Team Kaleta.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

It’s horse, of course

The Suncoast Waterkeepers is a group which watches for problems within our local waters. They aren't some government group, but one would think otherwise with comments from a recent Facebook post concerning results from tests at Palma Sola Bay and the continuing problems with the water and beaches there. The tests showed that along with human contaminants there were high levels of DNA from horse waste. Some are OK with saying “Of course there is, there are horses there.” Well, there are also people there. These folks long for the old days when a few girls would ride their horses there. They seem to overlook that it’s more than four or five girls riding once or twice a week, it’s now commercial businesses with eight or more horses operating

seven days a week. Their waste is a problem at this point. But they blame everything but the horses. Somehow the horses get a pass. So, if the horse waste is so safe (as they claim) then maybe they can add stables to the new garage and have horse rides on Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach too.

Rick Lewis Parrish

Chamber extends thanks for golf tournament aid

On behalf of the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce, we extend a big “thank you” to the many golfers, sponsors, prize donors, business vendors and volunteers at our 25th Annual Golf Tournament for Scholarships at IMG Academy Golf Club on May 10. Monies received from the tournament go toward our annual scholarship program.

The AMI Chamber awards three scholarships each year to Manatee County high school seniors who wish to further their education by attending either a college or trade school.

To our sponsors and prize donors, thank you for donating to this very worthy cause and making a difference! To our volunteers, thank you for your time and welcoming smiles that participants look forward to seeing! To our business vendors, thank you for sharing your services and promotional items with the tournament’s golfers.

Through your contributions, we can continue providing scholarships. We are very appreciative that you helped make this year’s tournament a success!

The Anna Maria Island Sun 3909 East Bay Drive, Suite 210, Holmes Beach, FL 34217 Phone: 941-778-3986 email:

| ads@amisun.com | classifieds@amisun.com Like us on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AnnaMariaIslandSun 6 THE SUN

Signed palm tree agreement better late than never

news@amisun.com

JUNE 5, 2024

Terri Kinder, president Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5

Tree planting maintenance, Robinson Preserve expansion, 840 99th St. N.W., Bradenton 8-10 a.m.

One-on-one Tech Help, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2-4 p.m.

THURSDAY, JUNE 6

AMI Chamber of Commerce

sunrise breakfast, Mademoiselle Paris, 9906 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria, 8 a.m., $15 for members or $25 for prospective members.

Comic book writing for kids, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m.

One-on-one Tech Help, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. to noon.

Sunshine Stitchers Knit and Crochet, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 1 p.m.

FRIDAY, JUNE 7

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

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

Summer game nights at the NEST, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, JUNE 8

Mornings at the NEST, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 9 a.m. to noon World Ocean Day Celebration, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 9 a.m. to noon

MONDAY, JUNE 10

Gentle yoga, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. Sunset tai chi at the NEST, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 6:30 p.m.

TUESDAY, JUNE 11

Family story time, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. Turtle Tracks and Shorebird Facts, Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m.

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

Musical Motion, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m.

AMI Chamber of Commerce new member orientation and networking, AMI Chamber, 5313 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, 4 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12

Let’s Recycle with Manatee County, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m.

OneBlood donations on the Bloodmobile, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m.

One-on-one tech help, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2-4 p.m. Island Time Book Club, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 6:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, JUNE 13

One-on-one tech help, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. to noon

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

AMI Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Westminster Manor, 1700 21st Ave. W., Bradenton, 11:30

a.m., $22 for members or $30 for prospective members. Sunshine Stitchers Knit and Crochet, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 1 p.m.

FRIDAY, JUNE 14

Forty Carrots, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. Mah-jongg for experienced players, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 11:30 a.m.

Rock garden painting for kids, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, 2 p.m.

SATURDAY, JUNE 15

Mornings at the NEST, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 9 a.m. to noon Meditation, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m.

MONDAY, JUNE 17

Gentle yoga, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. Digital sketchbook studio, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m.

ANNA MARIA

10005 GULF DRIVE

FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-708-6130

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

June 13, 2 p.m. – City Commission meeting

June 19, all day – City offices closed, Juneteenth

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 6, 6 p.m. – City Commission meeting

June 19, all day – City offices closed, Juneteenth June 20, noon – City Commission meeting

HOLMES BEACH

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

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

June 5, 5 p.m. – Planning Commission meeting

June 10, noon – Election qualifying begins for mayor and city commission seats, continuing through June 14 at noon

June 11, 2 p.m. – City Commission meeting with work session to follow

June 12, 9 a.m. – Clean Water Ad-hoc Committee meeting

June 19, all day – City offices closed, Juneteenth

ISLAND-WIDE

June 10, 9:30 a.m. – Manatee County Tourist Development Council meeting, The Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria

June 18, 6 p.m. – West Manatee Fire Rescue board meeting, administration building, 701 63rd St. W., Bradenton

JUNE 5, 2024 www.amisun.com THE SUN 7

ON THE AGENDA

EVENTS

Jewfish Key withdraws application to be removed from LBK

BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com

LONGBOAT KEY – The Jewfish Key Preservation Association has withdrawn its application to be removed from the jurisdiction of the Town of Longboat Key.

Attorney Aaron Thomas of the Najmy Thompson law firm represents the association. On May 31, he sent an email to Longboat Key Town Attorney Maggie Mooney formally withdrawing the “voluntary contraction” petition submitted on Jan. 16.

“Please be informed that the association, along with the property owners of Jewfish Key, has decided to formally withdraw and revoke the Voluntary Contraction Petition,” Thomas wrote. “This decision comes as we are currently in the process of reassessing the Voluntary

Contraction Petition in light of the findings and recommendations contained within the Requested Contraction of Jewfish Key Feasibility Study conducted by the Town of Longboat Key.”

No specific reason was given.

The 139-page study prepared by the town includes a summary of the petition and a brief history of the contraction area, the town’s departmental and consultant analyses prepared by department heads from finance, planning, zoning, building, public works, police and fire departments and a market/ economic analysis by consultant Willdan Financial of the contraction area relating to the statutory feasibility study criteria provided for in Florida Statutes Chapter 171. Also included are relevant maps, a staff analysis of Florida Statutes, histori -

cal documents and town department head credentials and biographies.

The study was prepared to fulfill statutory requirements and was intended to be used by the town commission to evaluate the feasibility of the requested contraction and decide whether to initiate contraction proceedings or to reject the petition, according to the study introduction.

Thomas wrote that since there was no longer a petition or proposal for commissioners to consider at the June 3 commission meeting, the item should be removed from the meeting agenda.

If the contraction had been pursued and was successful, Jewfish Key would have become part of unincorporated Manatee County.

Mooney notified Mayor Ken Schneier and town commissioners

of the withdrawal by email: “The purpose of this email is to share with the Town Commission an email transmitted this morning from the attorney for the Jewfish Key Preservation Association withdrawing and revoking the Contraction Petition submitted on Jan. 16, 2024.”

Despite the withdrawal, Mooney wrote that the commission should still plan on convening to open the public meeting since the session was noticed to the public.

“Given the withdrawal, there will not be a presentation from town staff on the Jewfish Key contraction request as previously identified in the meeting agenda and no further town commission action or discussion on the matter is required,” she wrote.

8 THE SUN www.amisun.com JUNE 5, 2024

Palm tree landscaper awaiting payment from city

The cost of the coconut palm tree project is $50,000, including a $10,000 donation from developer Shawn Kaleta, who made that donation on April 10, according to the city clerk.

BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – Since April 24, Miguel Mancera’s landscaping crews have been busy laying stone, planting and, in some cases, removing and replanting multiple coconut palm trees on and around Bridge Street.

Mancera, the owner of M&F Lawn Care in Bradenton, sent an invoice to the city on April 19 for a $25,000 down payment toward the $50,000 cost of the trees and landscaping work, and as of May 30, he said he has not received payment.

“I have payroll to meet every week,” Mancera said, adding he has 12 employees. “They haven’t paid me yet. I called Ricinda (City Attorney Ricinda Perry) and she is supposed to talk to Thompson (City Treasurer Shayne Thompson).

Mancera said he paid for the stone and trees out of pocket in anticipation of payment by the city.

“I don’t know the exact amount, but it cost more than half (of the $50,000),” he said. “There was more than 20 yards of rock, so that was $6,000 just for the rock.”

M&F Lawn Care was hired by the city to plant up to 80 coconut palm trees on and around Bridge Street, as well as to lay white river rock.

Landscaping crews from M&F Lawn Care plant coconut palm trees on Gulf Drive South on April 25. The trees were subsequently removed due to non-compliance with FDOT regulations. Some of the coconut palm trees that were removed from Gulf Drive South were replanted along the approach to the Bradenton Beach Pier.

The tree planting project is a city partnership with developer Shawn Kaleta. According to the city clerk, Kaleta made his agreed-upon donation of $10,000 toward the project on April 10.

Mancera, who has done work for both the city and Kaleta, said he had been contacted by Perry and Kaleta for the tree project.

“They called me up and I met them a couple of times on Bridge Street so they could show me where to plant the trees,” he said.

On May 24, Mancera’s crews were back to remove what he said were 22 of the coconut palms that they had

planted in the roundabout and traffic islands of Gulf Drive South as part of the project.

The trees were removed after the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) informed the city that coconut palms were not allowed on state roads due to safety concerns about sight lines along with falling palm fronds and coconuts. That section of Gulf Drive South falls under the jurisdiction of the FDOT.

“We took out 22 trees and we replanted 18,” Mancera said. “Some were replanted on Bridge Street, some in front of the parking lot at the Pines Trailer Park and some along the pier

across from the oyster restaurant (Anna Maria Oyster Bar). I don’t know about the other four.”

The city clerk sent The Sun a copy of the April 19 M&F Lawn Care invoice which showed a total cost of $50,000 for the landscaping and planting of the palm trees. M&F had requested a $25,000 down payment which was due within 30 days or subject to a 1.5% late charge.

The invoice was marked with a handwritten: “OK to pay. JRC (Mayor John Chappie’s initials).” The city clerk confirmed by email on May 30 that payment had not been made.

JUNE 5, 2024 www.amisun.com THE SUN 9

LESLIE LAKE | SUN

BTR costs increase

If you own a business in Holmes Beach, the business tax receipt (BTR) cost is going up for the next fiscal year. When business owners apply for a new BTR or renew their existing license with the city, the cost will increase by 5% over the previous year following a unanimous vote by commissioners on May 25. The 5% increase is the maximum amount allowed by state statute. City leaders are allowed to increase the BTR every two years.

City Clerk Stacey Johnston noted that while the licensing cost is increasing, the $25 application fee remains the same as in previous years. Businesses operating with the city are required to have a valid, cityissued BTR to legally do business in Holmes Beach.

There was no public comment offered on the item during the meeting and city leaders said they’d received no comments from the community prior to the meeting.

Commissioners also voted unanimously to approve changes to the building department’s master fee schedule covering permit applications and issuance.

The increase in the master fee schedule is due to the increased costs to the city to review and issue permits through the building department.

The master fee schedule along with permitting and other information can be found online at the building department page on the city’s website, https://www.holmesbeachfl.org/ departments/building_department/ index.php.

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Least tern colony surviving despite cat predation

Chicks are soon and people are reminded to keep their distance and keep cats indoors.

BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring reports that a colony of least terns has 19 nests with chicks expected to arrive soon.

The shorebirds are nesting at an undisclosed roped-off location.

“We have already lost several nests due to cats in the area,” Turtle Watch Executive Director

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. You might also accidentally dig into an unmarked nest. To report large holes or other turtle obstacles, call:

• City of Anna Maria code enforcement — 941-708-6130, ext. 111.

• City of Bradenton Beach code enforcement — 941-778-1005, ext. 227.

• City of Holmes Beach code enforcement — 941-778-0331, ext. 260.

• 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

and do not stay within the posted and be careful when walking past, debris or in footprints in the sand.

wrote. “We also remind people to please keep their pets indoors and away from the bird colony as they stress the birds to the point where

Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404FWCC (3922).

Source: Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring

NESTING NEWS

Turtle nests laid: 138 (Record: 544 in 2019) False crawls: 160 (Record: 831 in 2010) Nests hatched: 0 (Record: 453 in 2022) Hatchlings hatched: 0 (Record: 35,850 in 2022) Hatchling disorientations: 0 Adult disorientations: 11

Source: Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring

Sea turtle disorientations rise

Turtle Watch reminds people to minimize light use on the beach at night.

BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Adult sea turtle disorientations have already exceeded the number for the entire 2023 season, according to Kristen Mazzarella, the director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring. Turtle nesting season began on May 1 and lasts until Oct. 31.

“We have been noticing a lot of lights on the beach at night and have already had 11 adult disorientations (we had 10 adult disorientations for the entire season in 2023),” she wrote in a prepared statement to The Sun.

Disorientations occur when sea turtles crawl parallel to or away from the water for long distances after nesting, expending much more energy than returning directly to the water.

“We would like to remind everyone that lights are not allowed on the beach between May 1 and Oct. 31 because turtles - adults and hatchlings - use light to orient towards the water,” she wrote. “They head towards the brightest horizon (hopefully the night sky over the water) and away from dark shadows.”

Mazzarella wrote that red LED lights are preferred if light absolutely needs to be used on the beach, but she reminds people to direct their lights toward the sand, and not up and down the beach where they can be seen by sea turtles.

“You can disorient a turtle that is far away from you,” she wrote. “Turtles can see all colors of light but pay less attention to the red and amber end of the light spectrum. Red light also helps maintain people's night vision.”

Turtle Watch presents weekly informational talks on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. at Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive.

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JUNE 5, 2024 www.amisun.com THE SUN 11

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TURTLE WATCH | SUBMITTED

least tern sits on its nest on an AMI beach.

Cameras to ticket school zone speeders

Holmes Beach commissioners are entering into an agreement with Blue Line Solutions for a camera system to catch school zone speeders.

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

HOLMES BEACH – Changes are coming to the school zone in front of Anna Maria Elementary School and drivers need to take note to avoid a ticket.

“This isn’t about making a buck, it’s about safety,” Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said of the planned camera system.

The system, being provided by Blue Line Solutions, is intended to catch drivers who speed through the school zone and who illegally pass school buses during school zone hours. City leaders in Holmes Beach are entering into the agreement through a piggyback agreement from one recently executed in Hollywood, Florida.

Though the speed limit on Gulf Drive is typically 25 mph, it drops to 15 mph when the yellow flashing beacon activates before and after school hours when there is more

traffic in the area and kids are crossing the street.

With the new system, it will be easier to enforce the school zone speed limit with the system automatically generating speeding tickets for offending drivers. A representative for Blue Line, Dave Bocchino, said that the system uses artificial intelligence to identify illegal activity in the school zone and generate tickets, allowing for law enforcement services to be reallocated to other areas, if needed.

Bocchino also said that the system is funded by offenders, meaning that no charges will be billed to the city for the camera system, installation or services provided by Blue Line. The company recoups the cost of operation through an administrative fee charged and fines issued to traffic offenders. Rather than making money or “a cash grab,” he said it’s about making school zones safer for students.

A study conducted by Blue Line in the AME school zone showed 327 speeders over a five-day period going 11 mph or more through the school zone while the flashers were on indicating the lowered speed limit. Starting 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after the flasher times in the morning and afternoon, Bocchino said

the study showed 1,300 drivers going through the school zone at speeds in excess of 11 mph over the speed limit. With the camera system, he said the company sees an average reduction of 90% in school zone speeding incidents.

Tokajer said the camera system would only be used to enforce speeding in the school zone while the flashers are on in the mornings and afternoons, when students are moving about in the area. He added that he’s spoken with representatives from AME who are in favor of the camera system.

Blue Line collects a $25 per incident fee along with a monthly fee of $2,500 per camera plus a $15-per-incident processing fee. All fees are subtracted from the gross amount of tickets issued through the system.

The camera system is being installed under a law passed by the state Legislature and approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis that allows camera enforcement of speeding and illegal school bus passing in school zones as of July 1, 2023.

Bocchino said in addition to the camera system and operation, Blue Line also offers an included public education component to help spread the word through the community that

the camera system is in place and what to expect when driving through the school zone during school zone hours.

After meeting with several potential vendors while at the Florida Chief’s Association annual conference, Tokajer said that he selected Blue Line because the company has a local presence in Sarasota and charges less in administrative fees to offenders than some other companies.

In addition to the new system, Tokajer said that Director of Public Works Sage Kamiya also completed a Florida Department of Transportation study that shows the one-block-long school zone is not large enough to meet the department’s standards. When the cameras go in, he said the school zone will be restriped and extended by 100 yards to the north and 200 yards to the south.

Drivers won’t have to worry about the new system or the larger size of the school zone until classes resume in August.

Commissioners passed the first reading of an ordinance allowing for the regulation of the school zone. City Attorney Erica Augello said that the ordinance is required to enforce regulations in the school zone.

12 THE SUN www.amisun.com JUNE 5, 2024

VAN OSTENBRIDGE: Switches races

FROM PAGE 4

voters make up a significantly smaller percentage of the total votes cast in the countywide District 7 at-large race.

When winning the election for the first time in 2020, the then-relatively unknown Van Ostenbridge received 23,213 (58%) of the 39,766 votes cast in the general election in which he faced non-party-affiliated opponent Matt Bower. Van Ostenbridge was the only Republican primary candidate in that race.

When winning the election for the first time in the 2020 District 7 at-large Republican primary, Kruse received 21,184 (57%) of the votes cast in the primary race that also included former county

CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING

administrator Ed Hunzeker. When later running unopposed in the general election, Kruse received 159,894 (93%) of the 171,437 votes cast, with unnamed write-in candidates receiving 11,543 votes.

According to the latest campaign fundraising reports, Van Ostenbridge has raised $214,253 so far. Kruse raised $37,088, Valimaki raised $500 and Hurt has raised nothing. In the District 3 race, Siddique has raised $26,933, Culbreath has raised $19,993 and Shoemaker has raised $25,767. Monday, July 22 is the deadline to register to vote in the August primary. July 22 is also the deadline to change one’s party affiliation to vote in the Republican primaries that will help determine who ultimately wins the county commission seats up for grabs in this year’s general election.

JUNE 5, 2024 www.amisun.com THE SUN 13

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN These anti-Van Ostenbridge campaign signs can be seen throughout Manatee County. BY MONICA SIMPSON SPECIAL TO THE SUN

School for Constructive Play’s next chapter

HOLMES BEACH – The School for Constructive Play (SCP) has been an Island landmark for decades, with hundreds of little feet walking through the school’s doors over the years.

The original preschool opened in 1989, and the institution as so many know it has been under the thoughtful care of Pam Bertrand.

Bertrand started at SCP as a substitute teacher and raised three of her children in the original little schoolhouse on Pine Avenue in Anna Maria. In 1995, she started working full-time at the school, eventually running the programs.

A decade later, she had the opportunity to buy the school from Maria Richards, and, as Bertrand says, “The rest is history.”

Fast forward two decades later and a move to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church on Marina Drive in Holmes Beach, and

Manatee County native Kelly Stewart is ready to step into the shoes of “Teacher Pam” as the new owner of the School for Constructive Play.

Stewart, a former student at the preschool and graduate of Manatee High School, started working as a full-time teacher in 2019. With a good amount of the early childhood education curriculum completed, Stewart said, “I decided to take a job at the preschool when Teacher Rainia moved,” after Bertrand asked for her assistance while the search for a new teacher began. The temporary job soon became permanent, and the next chapter of the preschool began.

“When Teacher Pam asks you for something, you say absolutely, what do you need?” Stewart said.

Stewart’s life at the School for Constructive Play began by entering Teacher Pam’s classroom when she was only a year old in 1997 and continued until she graduated

from the school to attend Anna Maria Elementary School. The family history of working or attending the school included Stewart’s brother, Cory, who started at SCP when he was 3 years old.

Stewart would often find herself walking through the doors to help, volunteer or visit, and eventually, work. Currently working with the 1- and 2-year-olds, Stewart recalls having frequent conversations

with Bertrand about the love of the school and the people who make it so special.

Even a short move recently to California could not keep her away from the SCP. Quickly moving back, the final decision was made that she would be the successor to the tradition of the preschool, with big shoes to fill.

Those who have raised their kids in the area have heard the legendary stories surrounding the fun the children have had over the years at the preschool. Not only the parents and students have fond memories of Teacher Pam, but the teachers who have worked with and for her consider her family.

Friends and co-workers Barb Burgess and Chrissy McCracken have had years of working side by side with Bertrand. Burgess said, “Pam is like a sister from another mother… truly an amazing friend, mom and teacher.”

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SUBMITTED New School for Constructive Play owner Kelly Stewart (top row, far left) with her class and teacher Pam Bertrand, circa 2001. SEE SCP, PAGE 29 MONICA SIMPSON

The little hits matter: Mac’s legacy

ANNA MARIA - Children participating in sports can be unknowingly affected by the risk of concussive and subconcussive head trauma.

Island resident Bruce Parkman and the Mac Parkman Foundation are on a mission to educate parents and kids about the dangers of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in young participants in recreational and competitive physical activities.

These dangers include short- and long-term cognitive issues and mental health disorders, such as the risk of suicidal ideation, which eventually took the young life of Parkman’s son, Mac, for whom the foundation is named.

“We found the Island in 2012 and bought a vacation rental on Bean Point. From then until Mac’s death, we summered there every year until August, when football started,” Parkman said. The couple's plans to make the Island they love their postretirement home accelerated with the loss of their son in 2020.

Born on Mar. 10, 2003, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, “Mac was a quiet boy, but he was always moving and active from the get-go,” Parkman said. Sports and physical

play these sports without understanding the risks to their child’s future, I started this foundation and wrote a book, 'Broken Brains and Youth Contact Sports,' that we give away for free,” he said.

Parkman wanted to understand why his son took his life, and upon discussion with Mac’s coroner, learned about Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).

Discovering the research being done on

what is known to be a contact sports-related brain injury, the Parkman family donated Mac’s brain to the Boston University CTE center, which determined that Mac did not have CTE, but rather suffered from Repeated Head Impacts (RHI).

After years of playing contact sports beginning at age 6, small traumas to his brain during a tackle in football, heading a ball in soccer, hitting a mat in wrestling or gymnastics, or any similar hit to the head changed his young brain at a microcellular level.

Considered by most to be harmless impacts, lacking the symptoms of a concussion, these blows to the head are

causing behavioral, psychological and cognitive issues for kids and young adults, Parkman said. Significant discussion surrounds the effects of concussions, but Parkman believes “It is imperative that every parent understand these risks because there is no guidance from our national health agencies, pediatric associations or parental networks on this issue and it affects millions of children… furthermore, RHI and sub-concussive trauma are not taught in any medical, nursing or psychological program in the country, leaving parents on their own when a child is suffering.”

The foundation strives to educate parents on the impacts of seemingly harmless yet potentially serious brain impacts, as well as “promote brain-safe sports until the brain is more resilient… in order to optimize a child’s future,” he said.

Parkman and the foundation, working in honor of Mac’s memory, also promote the numerous brain treatment modalities that heal the brain, many not covered by insurance.

Parkman lovingly recalled, “Mac loved this Island and as a young boy spent every afternoon out at the point, chasing birds, throwing balls and getting some sun.” Mac is interred at Roser Church in Anna Maria.

JUNE 5, 2024 www.amisun.com THE SUN 15 402 Church Ave, Bradenton Beach, FL 34217 ©2023 Bazzy Marina Corporation. All rights reserved For 10 % tours & rentals use code: “Sun” 941-778-2288 bradentonbeachmarina.com

SPECIAL

SUN

TO THE

Mac Parkman’s young life was ultimately cut short due to repetitive sports impacts to his head. Honoring Mac

Multiple agencies predict above-average 2024 hurricane season

NOAA is calling for a potentially explosive 2024 hurricane season, with 17-25 named storms predicted.

BY JASON SCHAFFER SUN CORRESPONDENT | jschaffer@amisun.com ANNA MARIA ISLAND

- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released its 2024 Atlantic hurricane season forecast, and although Anna Maria Island dodged direct hits from two major hurricanes in 2022 (Ian) and 2023 (Idalia), forecasters warn that 2024 could be a bigger problem.

The season began on June 1, and NOAA’s forecast for this season predicts an 85% chance of an above-normal season, 10% chance of near-normal and 5% chance of below normal.

NOAA is forecasting a range of 17 to 25 total named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher). Of those, 8 to 13 are forecast to become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 4 to 7 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5 with winds of 111 mph or higher). Forecasters have 70% confidence in these ranges.

NOAA’s forecast is very similar to AccuWeather’s recent forecast. AccuWeather’s team of expert meteorologists is warning people and businesses to start preparing for a frenzy of tropical activity that could have major impacts on the United States this hurricane season.

“The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is forecast to feature well above the historical average number of tropical storms, hurricanes, major hurricanes and direct U.S. impacts,” AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Forecaster Alex DaSilva said. “All indications are pointing toward a very active and potentially explosive Atlantic hurricane season in 2024.”

DaSilva says there are four factors that indicate that this year will possibly be recordbreaking. The first problem is that ocean temperatures are very warm, and that’s basically food for hurricanes.

“Sea-surface temperatures are well above historical

average across much of the Atlantic basin, especially across the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and the Main Development Region,” DaSilva explained.

AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said there is high confidence that sea surface temperatures across the Atlantic basin will remain well above the historical average throughout the 2024 hurricane season.

“When you look back at historical sea surface temperature in the Atlantic’s Main Development Region, recent average water temperatures jump off the chart. They are the highest observed this early in the season in the available records,” Porter said. “This is a very concerning development considering this part of the Atlantic Ocean is where more than 80% of the storms form which go on to become tropical storms or hurricanes.”

AccuWeather also blames the flipping from El Nino to La Nina weather systems for the forecast. Even though the Pacific Ocean is thousands of miles away from the Atlantic, what happens there has major impacts on severe weather in Florida; especially hurricanes.

During an El Niño pattern, waters in the eastern Pacific are warmer than the historical average. In La Niña, seasurface temperatures in the eastern Pacific are cooler than the historical average. In short, this leads to less wind shear over most of the Atlantic basin, which, when mixed with the warmer water, makes for perfect conditions for tropical development.

Other factors include weather patterns in Africa.

A stronger African jet stream could jump-start

the development of storms long before they make it here to the states. The strength, orientation and position of a feature known as the Bermuda-Azores high pressure area can have a major influence on the formation of tropical storms and hurricanes.

"Severe weather and emergencies can happen at any moment, which is why individuals and communities need to be prepared today,” FEMA Deputy Administrator Erik A. Hooks said. "Already, we are seeing storms move across the country that can bring additional hazards like tornadoes, flooding and hail. Taking a proactive approach to our increasingly challenging climate landscape today can make a difference in how people can recover tomorrow.”

LOCAL PERSPECTIVE

The Sun recently spoke to longtime Bradenton Beach resident Dave Redeker to get a resident perspective on how he prepares for hurricane season, and how concerned he is in general regarding the potentially turbulent time of year.

The Sun: Do you evacuate when told to?

Redeker: I evacuate for storms Cat. 3 and up. I think anything less than that is for the tourists.

The Sun: When you do evacuate, how you decide what to take and what to leave?

Redeker: Records, guns and anything laying around that’s valuable. By records, I mean insurance papers, deeds and any important papers that can’t be replaced. I grab some clothes, a little bit of food and this-and-that. Usually, you’re going somewhere where there’s going to be food, so that’s not as important.

The Sun: Do you take pictures of the house and other properties before you go?

Redeker: No, I know I’m going to get screwed by the insurance company, so why bother? The wind insurers are going to say it’s flood damage and the flood insurers are going to say it’s wind damage. They’ll begrudgingly pay you a fraction of what they should.

The Sun: What do you say to people who ask how you can live in a potential path of destruction, and is it worth it?

Redeker : I say that we get at least three days’ notice when a big hurricane is coming. Somebody in the Midwest only gets three minutes notice a massive tornado is about to destroy everything they own. I don’t know where you live that you don’t have something. Mudslides, wildfires and earthquakes out west, or

flash floods in the mountains, nowhere is safe, but I really like it here.

The Sun: Is hurricane season being potentially worse this year a concern to you?

Redeker: Every year is going to be the worst year; we’ve been hearing it forever. All I know is that hurricanes one or two or three weeks after Labor Day are the ones you’ve got to watch. If something bad’s coming, that’s when it’s going to show up. If you’ve got to be gone because you have a hurricane phobia, be gone in August and September.

Whether this will be a bad hurricane season remains to be seen, but government agencies agree, being prepared for the worst will result in the best outcome.

16 THE SUN www.amisun.com JUNE 5, 2024

NOAA | SUBMITTED NOAA's GOES-16 satellite captured Hurricane Idalia approaching the western coast of Florida while Hurricane Franklin churned in the Atlantic Ocean on Aug. 29, 2023 at 5:01 p.m. JASON SCHAFFER | SUN

Use this QR code to visit The Sun's hurricane guide at amisun.com.

Anna Maria Island is no stranger to hurricanes, but a higher than average forecast for the 2024 season is not news anyone wants to hear.

Holmes Beach prepares residents for hurricane season

Hurricane season is upon us, and Holmes Beach staff has stocked the city hall lobby with information for community members to help prepare for a storm.

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

HOLMES BEACH – City leaders did not hold back in this year’s hurricane preparedness town hall meeting. In addition to offering resources to prepare for the best possible outcome, Police Chief Bill Tokajer also showed a mock video of the worst - Tampa Bay taking a direct hit from a Category 5 storm.

Over a dozen people plus city staff members and elected officials came out to the May 22 presentation hosted by the Holmes Beach police, code compliance and public works departments. The goal of the annual workshop is to help get property owners ready to face the rigors of hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.

This year’s season is predicted to be more active than average, with 23 named storms and 11 hurricanes, 5 of which are predicted to be major hurricanes - a Category 3 storm or higher, said Tokajer, quoting the forecast from Colorado State, which is more specific than the NOAA forecast.

On the Saffir-Simpson Scale, a Category 1 storm has sustained wind speeds of 74-95 mph, a Category 2 storm has sustained wind speeds of 96-110 mph, a Category 3 storm has sustained wind speeds of 111-129 mph, a Category 4 storm has sustained wind speeds of 130-156 mph and a Category 5 storm has sustained wind speeds of 157 mph or more.

During his presentation, Tokajer primarily spoke on safety before, during and after a hurricane.

He noted that first responders are

required to leave the Island once sustained wind speeds hit a certain level. The fire department must leave once sustained winds hit 45 mph to safely navigate their equipment over the bridge. EMS and the police leave once sustained wind speeds hit 55 mph.

Once an evacuation has been called and the storm approaches with enough force to send first responders to the mainland, Tokajer said that calling 911 will only put you on a list to be checked on after the storm safely passes. First responders will not be able to come out and provide assistance during the storm.

Once the storm passes, Tokajer said the city has its own “first in” team to check for structural damage, clear roads and look for downed power lines so the city’s residents and property owners don’t have to wait for Manatee County teams to make it to the Island.

Re-entry tags are available at the police station for city residents and are valid for five years.

He encouraged everyone to have a plan in case of evacuation and to go tens of miles away, not hundreds of miles. He also reminded people that while shelters are available in Manatee County they should be used as a refuge of last resort. And while the county does offer a medical needs shelter and transportation to the shelter for those who cannot drive on their own, those services are limited and anyone who thinks they may need the services should visit www.mymanatee.org/needs or call 311 for information.

Tokajer also reminded everyone to digitize records, prepare their homes for the storm including removing any outdoor furniture or tying it down, pack a hurricane kit with food and water for each member of your family and each pet for seven days, a first aid kit, blankets and other bedding if you need to go to a shelter, toys or games for children, comfort items including bedding and potty pads or other necessities

for your pets and all of your medication. He also stressed adding cash to your hurricane kit, noting that if electricity isn’t working, debit and credit cards won’t work either.

Director of Public Works Sage Kamiya discussed what the age of their property means for property owners. He said that while a newer structure may be able to withstand higher wind speeds, an older one built to different building codes may have a lower maximum wind speed designation. He encouraged everyone to know the age of their home and to prepare it accordingly using hurricane shutters, sandbags and roof tie downs and other items to prevent damage from winds and flooding. He noted that sandbags, a maximum of 10 per property, are currently available by the pickleball courts at City Field and encouraged people to get them early, before a storm hits to avoid the rush or potentially not being able to get them at all. In the

event of massive storm surge, he said that no sandbag will help keep water out of the house.

Mayor Judy Titsworth encouraged property owners to lift all appliances on the ground floor up by 2 feet to prevent damage from flooding. Kamiya also noted that all appliances should be unplugged before water begins to enter a structure.

A light pole at the skate park at City Field has recently received a new paint job. Kamiya said that the purpose of the paint is to show realistically what storm surge flooding looks like up to 9 feet or more in Holmes Beach. He said he hopes the pole will help people prepare accordingly for a storm and to reduce confusion from meteorologist predictions.

More hurricane preparedness information is available in The Sun’s hurricane guide online at www.amisun.com.

JUNE 5, 2024 www.amisun.com THE SUN 17

KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN A light pole at the skate park in the City Field complex, 5901 Marina Drive, is painted to show what storm surge at levels up to 9 feet would realistically look like at that location in Holmes Beach. KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN Residents and property owners greet Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer after a May 22 hurricane town hall and pick up more information about how to plan for before, during and after a storm. KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN Director of Public Works Sage Kamiya explains to the crowd at city hall how meteorologists describe storm surge and how it translates to where they live and own property. KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN Mayor Judy Titsworth is optimistic that Anna Maria Island will successfully survive another hurricane season.

Hurricane shelters

The following hurricane shelters in Manatee County may be open depending on the direction and size of the storm. There are no assigned shelters, and few are furnished, so bring lawn chairs, cots, bedding and folding tables.

Braden River Middle School - 6215 River Club Boulevard, Bradenton

Braden River High School - 6545 S.R. 70 E., Bradenton

Buffalo Creek Middle School - 7320 69th St. E., Palmetto

Daughtrey Elementary - 515 63rd Ave. E., Bradenton

Freedom Elementary School - 9515 S.R. 64 E., Bradenton

Gullett Elementary School - 12125 44th Ave. E., Bradenton

Haile Middle School - 9501 S.R. 64 E., Bradenton

Harvey Elementary School, 8610 115th Ave. E., Parrish

Jain Middle School, 12205 44th Ave. E., Bradenton

Johnson School - 2121 26th Ave. E., Bradenton

Kinnan Elementary School - 3415 Tallevast Road, Sarasota

Lee Middle School - 4000 53rd Ave. W., Bradenton

Manatee High School - 1000 32nd St. W., Bradenton

McNeal Elementary School - 6325 Lorraine Road, Bradenton

J. P. Miller Elementary School - 601 43rd St. W., Bradenton

Mills Elementary School - 7200 69th St. E., Palmetto

Myakka City Elementary School - 37205 Manatee Ave., Myakka City

Oneco Elementary School - 5214 22nd St. Court E., Bradenton

Prine Elementary School - 3801 Southern Parkway, Bradenton

Rogers Garden Elementary – 515 13th Ave. W., Bradenton

Seabreeze Elementary School - 3601 71st St. W., Bradenton

Tillman Elementary School - 1415 29th St. E., Palmetto

Williams Elementary - 3404 Fort Hamer Road, Parrish

Willis Elementary School - 14705 The Masters Ave., Bradenton

Witt Elementary School - 200 Rye Road, Bradenton

Stock up on your hurricane supplies now

MANATEE COUNTY – With the start of hurricane season on June 1, Manatee County reminds residents to stock disaster supply kits.

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Hyatt Place Tampa Airport 4811 W. Main St. 813-282-1037

Residence Inn 4312 W. Boy Scout Blvd. 813-877-7988

Sheraton Tampa East Hotel 10221 Princess Palm Ave 813-623-6363

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Towne Place Suites by Marriott 6800 Woodstork Rd 813-975-9777

WINTER HAVEN

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20 THE SUN www.amisun.com JUNE 5, 2024

Youth soccer champs close spring season

BY MONICA SIMPSON SPECIAL TO THE SUN

ANNA MARIA – After weeks of regular season youth soccer action on the Island, two teams come out on top after winning the season-ending games last week. The Intuitive Foundation, also known as "the Pickles," won their match against Solid Rock Construction in the 8- to 10-year-old soccer league.

Off the hot foot of Gunnar Maize, the Pickles won 3-0. Parker Svoboda assisted one of Maize’s three goals to help the team win.

Sawyer Leibfried and Elijah Roadman both had big games in goal with eight and five saves each for The Intuitive Foundation and Solid Rock, respectively.

The older kids finished the season 2-1 in a close one with Westfall’s Lawn Care & Pest Control winning over HSH Design by a single goal. With both teams' goalies finishing with nine stops against the strikes of their opposition, HSH’s Jack Zaccagnino and Austin Guess, playing for Westfall, finished the season strong.

Westfall’s goals came off the boots of Ryk Kesten and Lucas Signor, with an assist by Declan Lee. The strong leg of Beau Canup scored

Huibers,

CHARLES "TUNA" MCCRACKEN | SUBMITTED

Eight- to 10-year-old league youth soccer champions, “the Pickles,” are also known as team The Intuitive Foundation. Top row from left are Assistant Coach George Maize, Gunnar Maize, Parker Svoboda, Coach Brooke Svoboda, Sawyer Leibfried and Alexander Czajkowski. Bottom row from left are Silas Whitehead, Bailey Shenbaum, Caroline Svoboda, Gia Ciasullo and Henry Leibfried. Also pictured are Jacek Czajkowski and Brian Leibfried.

the only point for the HSH squad.

After a play-in round of soccer, the adult playoffs began last week, just as the kids’ season came to a close.

Beach House Waterfront Restaurant and Solid Rock Construction both advanced to the first round of playoffs after winning their play-in games on May 29.

Moving on to the second round of play are teams Salty Printing, Ross Built Custom

Huibers,

Sixty-two golfers played in the annual Key Royale Club Memorial Day Tournament on May 27, playing a combination scramble/shamble format. Capturing first place were Ron Huibers, Tom Nelson and Jenny Huibers with a score of 44, 2 under par. Finishing second were Jim Bailey, Dale Miller, Terry Schaefer and Chas Smith at even par. In third place was the team of Sue and Bruce Christenson and Ann and John Hackinson at 47, one over par. Judy Menchek won the putting contest for the ladies while Rod Hammonds won for the men. In the long drive contest, Jenny Huibers bested all the ladies and Dan Turner

Homes, Pool America and Progressive. Games will be played at The Center of Anna Maria Island on the evening of Thursday, June 6, with continuing playoff action on Thursday, June 13.

SUN SCOREBOARD

MAY 28

YOUTH SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP GAME 8- TO 10-YEAR-OLD LEAGUE The Intuitive Foundation 3 Solid Rock Construction 0

Winners of the 11- to 14-year-old league youth soccer championship game, team Westfall’s Lawn Care & Pest Control. From left are Coach Aaron Guess, Kyleigh Hood, Braelyn Curtis, Declan Lee, Aiden Guess, Lucas Signor, Rusty Dilley, Austin Guess, Addie Guess and Ryk Kesten.

11- TO 14-YEAR-OLD LEAGUE Westfall’s Lawn Care & Pest Control 2 HSH Design 1 MAY 29

ADULT CO-ED SOCCER PLAY-IN ROUND

Nelson win Memorial Day tourney

won for the men. Closest to the pin on Hole #8 was Debbie Warnick for the women and John Hackinson for the men. Ron Huibers had closest to the pin on Hole #3. After the holiday event, the traditional burgers and dogs, salads, watermelon and dessert were served on the patio along with favorite refreshments.

IN OTHER PLAY:

May 28 - Low Net Score

Flight A

First Place - Roxanne Koche, 28

Second Place - Jana Samuels, 30

Third Place - Phyllis Roe, 32

Flight B

First Place - Terry Westby, 30

Second Place - Janet Razze, 33 Third Place - Sue Christenson, 34

Chip-In: Marilyn Niewijk on Hole # 1

Sue Wheeler on Hole # 7

Meredith Slavin on Hole # 9

May 30 - Scramble

First Place - Bruce Christenson, Rod Hammonds, Ron Huibers and Jana Samuels tied the team of Ron Buck, Ken Nagengast and Ron Vandeman with a score of 30, 2 under par.

JUNE 5, 2024

THE SUN 21

SPORTS

Beach House Waterfront Restaurant 4 Diamond Turf 3 Solid Rock Construction 5 Language Services Association 0 MAY 30 ADULT CO-ED SOCCER – ROUND ONE PLAYOFFS Salty Printing 3 Moss Builders 1 Ross Built Custom Homes 3 Sato Real Estate 1 Pool America 3 Beach House Waterfront Restaurant 2 Progressive Cabinetry 6 3

MCCRACKEN | SUBMITTED

CHARLES "TUNA"

SUBMITTED From left, Ron Huibers, Tom Nelson and Jenny Huibers captured first place with a 44, 2 under par.

Vote water

eaders of this column are well aware of the critical state of our coastal waters in Manatee County and beyond. The Dapis (lyngbya) blooms that have persisted from 2020 to this year have brought the issue front and center as the harmful algae bloom choked waters and fouled the air and seagrass beds from the Manatee River to Palma Sola Bay and beyond. I’ve mentioned in recent columns that these insults to Florida’s environment point to the lack of political will to effect the changes that

are necessary to preserve our environment and the economy it supports. The recent move by the Manatee County Commission (Commissioner George Kruse being the lone dissenter) to allow developers to build closer to wetlands at a time when we should be doing just the opposite defies reason. At a state Waterkeeper weekly Zoom meeting a couple of years ago, Florida Sportsman Editor Blair Wickstrom addressed their most recent efforts to elicit support for their Vote Water Initiative. The efforts dovetail perfectly with what groups like Waterkeeper are seeking to address. This advocacy is a continuation of the magazine’s long involvement in protecting Florida anglers’ interests. Florida Sportsman

Founder Karl Wickstrom and the magazine have been on the front lines continually lobbying for common sense rules and regulations. Their plan resonated with me immediately, so I reached out to Wickstrom to hear more about Vote Water’s goals. He responded quickly with a passionate and well-reasoned argument. "If

you had to pick one reason for the lack of success in protecting our state's water from continual degradation, it would have to be lack of political will from our elected officials to get something done," said Wickstrom, vice president of Vote Water. "What we have in the state of Florida (and Manatee County) is a political problem,

not a party issue, but when it comes to fixing the state's water, the political problem requires a political solution," Vote Water President Ray Judah emphasized. "Democracy isn't a spectator sport. If you truly want to have clean air, clean water and public officials that represent the public interest instead of the special interest, the people that vote need to be informed."

That’s the same argument I’ve used on these pages, pointing out the shared responsibility we as voters have to effect much-needed change. The Vote Water initiative highlights not only politicians’ votes but also the amount of money they accepted from special interests. That “dirty money” is a part of the Voter Guide that the organization wants to spend more time on going forward. As the adage

22 THE SUN

JUNE 5, 2024 TM

OUTDOORS

The western shore of Perico Island, one of the area's best-flushed shorelines, has been choked with algae for the past four years.

Reel Time

SEE REEL TIME, PAGE 23

RUSTY CHINNIS

REEL TIME: Vote water

FROM PAGE 22

says, you have to follow the money. It's clearly the case in politics.

"In order for people to be represented, to have a true democracy, we need to help make taking money from a special interest, such as the phosphate industry, toxic," emphasizes the organization. Don’t be fooled into believing what candidates promise, especially as the election approaches. If you care about our coastal resources don’t vote Democrat or Republican. Check the candidates' voting records on the water we drink and that the fish we pursue swim in. If we don’t, we may well be voting against our self-interest. The future of fishing in Florida and the economy hangs in the balance. VOTE WATER!

CAPT. RICK GRASSETT

Target tarpon, tripletail, tunny

Tarpon should be plentiful in the coastal Gulf of Mexico this month as big schools of fish migrate along our beaches. Also look for cobia, tripletail and false albacore (little tunny) in the coastal Gulf. Catch and release snook fishing should also be good in and around passes and in the surf. Fishing should also be good on deep grass flats for a variety of species.

Tarpon fishing should be strong this month as schools of fish increase in size and numbers. They will head offshore to spawn close to new and full moons. Set up in travel lanes along the beach at first light in the morning and cast live crabs, baitfish, DOA Baitbusters and Swimming Mullet to them. I travel well offshore along the beach in the morning to avoid disturbing schools of tarpon that may be traveling close to the beach. Once you’ve reached the area you intend to fish, ease into the beach with an electric trolling motor and set up in your spot. You can anchor or drift, depending on conditions. Give other anglers several hundred yards of space. Since fish may be moving both north and south, setting up too close to another angler may negatively affect their fishing. Tarpon fishing is very dependent on conditions and there are a lot

Mullet, if you’re in the right spot, can also be productive when fish are moving past you but not showing well on the surface. The CAL 4” Shad Tail/Swimbait with a heavy weedless hook is also a good tarpon bait, especially when sight fishing.

of variables that need to come together to be successful.

Use tackle heavy enough to land them as quickly as possible. When fly fishing, I use 12-weight rods and large arbor reels capable of holding 300 yards or more of backing. I use a variety of baitfish, shrimp or crab fly patterns fished on floating fly lines. The shallower the water, the easier it is to get your fly in front of a fish when fly fishing. Stake out or anchor in travel lanes to get shots at them.

When spin fishing, I usually drift a couple of live baits under a float while we wait for tarpon schools to pass by. Blind casting with DOA Baitbusters or Swimming

You should find snook in the surf, in passes and around docks and bridges in the ICW near passes. You can walk the beach and sight-fish them in the surf with fly or spinning tackle. Small baitfish fly patterns, CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms or DOA shrimp should all work well. The same lures and flies that work in the surf will also work well at night. Snook will congregate in passes around the new and full moons to spawn. They will usually be in deep channels in these areas. Bouncing a DOA TerrorEyz or Baitbuster in bridge channels or passes can be an effective technique in these areas. Fishing for reds should also be good in June. Look for them over shallow grass along mangrove shorelines or around oyster bars when the tide is high. You’ll find them in potholes or edges of flats when the tide is low. Top water plugs will work well, especially early in the day. I like to cover water with CAL jigs and shad tails or jerk worms to find them. Fly anglers should score with baitfish fly patterns like my Grassett Flats Minnow.

JUNE 5, 2024 www.amisun.com THE SUN 23

CAPT. RICK GRASSETT | SUBMITTED Dan Reinhart, of Vermont, with a tarpon that he caught and released while fishing the coastal Gulf of Mexico with Capt. Rick Grassett in a previous June.

Proclamation highlights boating safety awareness

Anna Maria resident and Past Commander of Anna Maria Island Sail and Power Squadron David Haddox accepted a National Safe Boating Week proclamation issued by Mayor Dan Murphy last month. While reading the proclamation aloud, Murphy, a former Vietnam War patrol boat veteran, said, “On the average, 650 people die each year in boating-related accidents in the United States and 75% of these are fatalities caused by drowning. The vast majority of these accidents are caused by human error or poor judgment and not by the boat, equipment or environmental

factors. A significant number of boaters who lose their lives by drowning each year would be alive today had they just worn life jackets. Therefore, I do hereby support the goals of the Safe Boating Campaign and proclaim May 18th through the 24th as

National Safe Boating Week and the start of the year-round effort to promote safe boating. After accepting the framed proclamation, Haddox said, “Three things: Wear your life jacket, take a (boating safety) class and get a vessel safety check.”

24 THE SUN www.amisun.com JUNE 5, 2024

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN David Haddox, left, received the proclamation from Mayor Dan Murphy.

FAMILY | SUBMITTED

Fritz Dahlquist celebrated

Friends and family gathered on the beach in front of the Nautilus condominium complex on May 26 for a sunset celebration of life for longtime complex manager Fritz Dahlquist, who recently passed away. “The ceremony was really beautiful and we are so thankful to have been surrounded by so many friendly faces and so much love,” his daughter, Lenna Dahlquist, said.

OBITUARIES

Dr. Lee Hoyt Miller

A Celebration of Life service for Dr. Lee Hoyt Miller will be held on Saturday, June 15 at 11 a.m. at Harvey Memorial Community Church, 300 Church Ave., Bradenton Beach.

Miller, of Cortez, passed away on Feb. 26 at the age

of 87. He was a member of Harvey Memorial Community Church, where he sang in the choir and served as deacon, trustee and chairman of the board. He was also a member of the Key Royale Golf Club on Anna Maria Island.

He is survived by his loving wife, Kathy; their three children, Gregory Hoyt Miller (Laura) of Crawfordsville, Indiana; Julie Ann Phelps (John)

Howcroft, Sofran claim victory

At Anna Maria Horseshoes on May 29, Gary Howcroft, left, and Tim Sofran found themselves down 12-0 but rallied for the victory to remain undefeated during pool play and earn the day’s bragging rights. Two teams met in the final on June 1 after each went 3-0. Herb Schutt and Tom Farrington won the day’s championship after cruising to a 21-1 victory over Steve Augustine and Dave Truman.

of Cortez; Dr. Kristen Lynn Ward, M.D. (Curt) of Empire, Michigan; seven grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. In lieu of flowers, memo-

JUNE 5, 2024 www.amisun.com THE SUN 25

DAHLQUIST SUBMITTED

REAL ESTATE

Anyone who considers themselves a senior, which I certainly do, at some point will probably have considered a reverse mortgage. It’s not a conventional mortgage designed for the majority of home purchasers but rather a vehicle for senior homeowners to tap into their home equity. What exactly is home equity? Home equity is the amount of your home that you actually own. Specifically, the equity is the difference between what your home is worth and what you owe your lender or lenders. Don’t confuse it with “mental equity,” which is a term sometimes used in real estate where sellers think they know what their property is worth. Seniors who are 62 or over can apply for a reverse mortgage, releasing some of the equity in their property. With property values increasing in the past three to four years, seniors who have owned their homes for a long time are considering reverse mortgages with an eye to staying in their homes.

Reverse mortgage loans explained Castles in the Sand

LOUISE BOLGER

Homeowners are still responsible for paying property taxes, insurance and maintenance; however, the repayment of the loan is deferred until the homeowner dies, sells or moves out of the home.

In addition to being 62 or over to qualify, you also need to have enough equity in your home. The loan works by making payments to the borrower based on a percentage of the equity that has been built up in the home. The factors that determine the loan amount include your age, the value of your home, the interest rate and the FHA mortgage limit, $1,089,300 as of this writing.

The obvious benefit is that you can continue to live in your home and retain

the title. The proceeds of the loan are generally tax-free cash, so you can use the money as you see fit for improvements and everyday living expenses. You choose the disbursement option; lump sum, monthly payout, quarterly, etc.

The primary drawback of reverse mortgages is that the loans are generally more expensive than other financial products. The balance of the loan increases over time as does the interest on the loan and the fees associated with the loan, eating into any home equity that is left.

If this is something that you might consider, the first thing you should do is attend a counseling session from a licensed third-party counseling agency.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) maintains a list of counselors available in Florida.

Next, research and identify companies that specialize in reverse mortgages. Factors to look for when evaluating companies are years in business, number

of products offered, customer service availability, state licensing, Better Business Bureau (BBB) ratings and the inclusion of a mobile application. Once you have found a company you’re comfortable with, discuss what options may be available to you as far as qualification, timeline and any other questions you may have.

When the application is completed, the process is similar to a traditional mortgage application. The loan will go to an underwriter and appraiser and once approved, a distribution is made.

No matter what age you are, it’s tempting to look at all the equity you have in your home and convert it into a “piggy bank.” Like any loan where you reduce your equity, whether it’s a home equity loan, refinancing your current mortgage or a reverse mortgage, always remember that the funds you withdraw are real money and analyze what the effect of that could have on your future. Get professional advice and good luck.

26 THE SUN

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PALMS: City releases signed coconut palms agreement

of Holmes Beach responded to The Sun’s email asking if either city had partnered with a private entity for city projects.

“If you define a public-private partnership as a “capital improvement project with the city getting dollar funding from a developer” the answer is no, we have had none that I can recall during my tenure of 10 years as mayor. I don’t think we’ve ever had a developer give us any money for a project,” Murphy wrote.

Titsworth wrote, “We have not, to my recollection.”

The partnership with Kaleta for the palm trees’ maintenance and indemnification was approved unanimously on April 3 by the Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).

At that meeting, City Attorney Ricinda Perry assured CRA members that the agreement would be signed by Kaleta prior to the trees being planted.

CRA member Jan Vosburgh expressed concern about the trees’ safety and maintenance.

“I believe everything the city does should be as maintenance-free as possible,” Vosburgh said. “It sounds to me like we’re making a nightmare for the city and the businesses.”

Ultimately, following assurances by Perry that a signed agreement would be in place, Vosburgh voted to approve the agreement, making it a unanimous vote.

In addition to Chappie and Vosburgh, Deborah Scaccianoce, Marilyn Maro, Ed Chiles and Chair Ralph Cole make up the CRA.

OUT OF ORDER

It is unclear when Kaleta signed the agreement.

The city clerk provided The Sun a copy of the receipt for the April 10 $10,000 payment from Kaleta, but based on correspondence between City Attorney Ricinda Perry and Kaleta’s attorneys, it does not appear that he signed the agreement prior to the planting of the palm trees the week of April 24.

On April 25, Kaleta attorney Sean Kelly sent an email to Perry that said, “Shawn asked me to finalize this agreement for the coconut palms on

On May 9, Perry sent an email to Kelly copied to Kaleta that said, “Good morning. It took me a bit to find a way to document in a ‘site plan’ the palms and to make sure we knew exactly where Miguel was planting everything. I ended up flying my drone and then inserting stars where palms are located with a description for areas that have multiple palms at or near an address.”

“Miguel” refers to Miguel Mancera, the owner of M&F Lawn Care, Inc., the company that planted the palm trees, who has not yet been paid for his work (see story, page 9).

LESLIE LAKE | SUN

A tilted coconut palm on Bridge Street is being supported by a piece of wood. On May 15, another coconut palm fell over. Maintenance responsibilities for the trees have been assumed by Shawn Kaleta’s LLC, Beach to Bay Construction.

Bridge Street. Will you please send me the Exhibit A site plan and the dollar amount for the CRA’s contribution? Then I can update the document and have Shawn sign. Thanks!”

On May 14, Kaleta attorney, Rainier Altiere, sent Perry an email that said, “Here is the completed maintenance agreement. The only thing missing is the start date. Please provide me with that and let me know if this is OK for us to have Shawn sign.”

On May 15, Perry sent Kaleta, Kelly and Altiere an email that referenced an unnamed limited liability corporation (LLC) Kaleta intended to use as the CRA’s project partner and the party responsible for maintaining the coconut palms for the next 30 years.

SEE PALMS, PAGE 28

JUNE 5, 2024 www.amisun.com THE SUN 27

FROM

PAGE 1

PALMS: City releases signed coconut palms agreement

“This corp (corporation) named in the document was set up at the end of last month. Is it just a ‘shell company’ with no assets or insurance to cover the harm/ damage caused by a falling coconut? At a minimum, the company will need an insurance policy naming the city that actually covers damage caused by the coconuts. I can’t just have a piece of open (missing word) with no actual protection for the public. Ideas?” Perry wrote.

On May 15, The Sun emailed Perry requesting a copy of the fully signed and fully executed agreement. In her May 15 response, Perry wrote, “There is a signed agreement. The clerk is out of the office and can provide further documents upon her return.”

On May 29, Perry sent an email to Sanclemente and Chappie that addressed the date Sanclemente and Chappie signed the agreement.

“Contracts have counterpart signatures that most always have differing dates – hence the reason contracts ALWAYS state an effective date. The effective date controls contracts. In this instance, I always stated that the effective date would be when the date trees were being delivered. The city did not pick nor write the date but found the effective date to be acceptable and within the approval of the CRA. Standard contract law. Feel free to forward to anyone needing legal contract law information,” Perry wrote.

The effective date of the agreement is April 1, which is

two days before its approval by the CRA at its April 3 meeting. The city did not respond to The Sun’s request for an explanation of the earlier effective date.

“The city of Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has approved a CRA beautification project on Bridge Street to be installed at a cost not to exceed forty thousand and no/dollars ($40,000) to be paid for by the CRA and ten thousand and no/dollars ($10,000) to be paid for by the Sponsor (Kaleta). All trees installed in this beautification project shall be maintained at the sole cost of Sponsor,” the agreement states.

The agreement will be in place for 30 years with options to renew every 10 years.

According to the signed agreement, “Sponsor shall at its sole cost and expense maintain the permitted installation in good condition. The city makes no warranties or representation of any kind regarding the suitability of this public property/right-ofway location for the proposed installation.”

The signed agreement includes indemnification language that states, “As consideration for use of the city’s public property to install coconut palm trees, the Sponsor (Kaleta) shall at all times, at its expense, hold harmless and indemnify the city, its officers, employees, agents, elected and appointed officials, and volunteers from and against any and all claims, demands, liens, liabilities, penalties, fines, fees, judgments, losses and damages whether or not a

lawsuit is filed, including, but not limited to claims for damage to property or bodily or personal injuries, including death.”

The indemnification language also states that Kaleta is responsible for any costs, expenses and attorney fees associated with a claim or lawsuit associated with the coconut palm trees.

According to the Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, “To indemnify, also known as indemnity or indemnification, means compensating a person for damages or losses they have incurred or will incur related to a specified accident, incident or event. Typically, parties make a written agreement in which one party promises to indemnify the other party for future specified losses.”

On May 31, The Sun received a copy of Kaleta’s proof of insurance with $1 million in liability per occurrence for personal injury, $5,000 for medical expenses per person, $100,000 damage to rented premises and $2 million general aggregate coverage. The policy expires on Sept. 9.

The insured is listed as Beach to Bay Investments, 102 48th St., Holmes Beach and the producer of the policy is Gulf Insurance, LLC, 301 Manatee Ave. in Holmes Beach.

The Sun has requested an updated site plan since the location of some of the trees has changed due to their FDOT-mandated May 24 removal from Gulf Drive South, a state road. SEE PALMS, PAGE 31

28 THE SUN www.amisun.com JUNE 5, 2024

FROM PAGE 27

“Teacher Pam is such a strong woman, is always smiling and has one of the kindest hearts you will ever come across," McCracken said.

More recent additions to the teaching staff are equally as fond of Teacher Pam. Longtime SCP parent, friend and now teacher Dina Franklin recalls her son’s experience.

“Tyler was so lucky to have had the experience of learning and growing up in SCP with Pam and all the other wonderful teachers during that time.”

One of the newer teachers, Gracie Lewis, expressed her memories of Teacher Pam.

“(She) welcomed me with open arms and always treated me like family,” she said. Recalling the respect everyone has for Bertrand, Lewis said, “When Teacher Pam asks you to get into the dumpster, you get into the dumpster.”

Countless former parents, students and SCP teachers

have the same sentiments toward Teacher Pam. Former students who eventually became teachers at the preschool, Rainia Lardas and Gussie Lardas, definitely echo the message of their counterparts.

“Pam is my forever boss. She is not only so knowledgeable but also so kind,” Rainia Lardas said. To this day, Bertrand is her first phone call if she has a question about childcare.

Gussie Lardas, now an elementary school teacher in Manatee County, recalls, “I have known Pam my whole life. She gave me my first job at SCP when I was 16. Working at the preschool with Pam has taught me a lot about the type of teacher I want to be for my students.”

For Bertrand, the small events that made the students excited about learning are highlights of a wonderful career. From visits by farm animals, firemen and Santa

Claus to learning to write their names, each memory lives bright in her mind.

Stewart plans to continue the preschool’s traditions and environment of fun while learning. While she plans to stay in the classroom during the transition, she hopes to be able to focus on developing

the program and strengthening the school. Staying as a familiar face in the classroom and being a support to all of the teachers is important to her.

Accepting children as young as a year old, SCP prepares Island area kids for elementary school with VPK

classes for 4- and 5-year-old children. The preschool has more than 15 years of VPK instructional experience with limited seating each year.

Stewart hopes the school can eventually bring back the afterschool program for young elementary school students.

“My goal is to grow and eventually expand SCP while maintaining that sparkle that makes this place so special,” Stewart said.

“Turning the preschool over to Kelly Stewart is an honor,” Bertrand said.

Preparing to hand over the brightly lit torch for the School for Constructive Play, she sends a message to the Island community.

“I could never thank the parents enough for allowing me to be a part of their child’s life," she said. "I have truly been blessed. All of the children have given me so much joy and happiness. Their love, humor and pure honesty is unmatched. I have had the best job. I shouldn’t even call it a job, it’s joy.”

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SUBMITTED

ready for the

FROM

SCP: Next chapter

Getting

transition, retiring teacher and owner Pam

Bertrand, right, is

working with new preschool owner

Kelly Stewart.

PAGE

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PALMS: City releases signed coconut palms agreement

FROM PAGE 28

As of May 31, that site plan has not been received.

According to the maintenance, indemnification and hold harmless agreement Exhibit B, Kaleta’s company is responsible for: “Removing fronds, fruit, seedpods and fruit stalks carefully without damaging the trunk or fronds that are to be retained. All coconut fruit must be removed once it produces on the tree.”

The guidelines continue, “Pruning will be required a minimum of two times a year on municipal property and rightsof-way to manage the hazards of falling coconuts and fronds and to minimize the risk to persons and property within the fall zone.”

People on the Anna Maria Island Sun Facebook page had plenty of comments about the palm trees and the agreement.

Wendy Holcomb wrote, “Not a

good idea EVER to put coconut trees where pedestrians walk and vehicles drive.”

Richard Becker wrote, “All this over a palm tree. It’s not about the palm tree, it’s about the politics.”

“Indemnify means to ‘make right again’ not ‘protect,’ so if the city lost a case, Team K would have to pay them back, the settlement ck (check) has to come from the defendant,” Susan Paxton wrote.

According to recent city Scenic WAVES committee meeting agendas, the CRA board did not request a preliminary project review from the city commissionappointed committee

The Scenic WAVES committee acts as the commission’s advisory board on proposed landscaping and beautification projects.

JUNE 5, 2024 www.amisun.com THE SUN 31

CHARTER: Proposed amendments presented as ordinances

The ballot question for the proposed home rule amendment reads as follows: Shall the Anna Maria city charter be amended to provide for the city to take steps to maintain and protect the city’s residential character and home rule, supporting commercial land use, maximizing the enjoyment of natural and man-made resources and minimizing the threat to health, safety, and welfare of its citizens, posed by hazards, nuisances, incompatible land uses, and any environmental degradation?

Commissioners Kathy Morgan, Gary McMullen, Charlie Salem and Mark Short have expressed preliminary support for the proposed home rule amendment.

“I really like us putting before the voters something that confirms our desire to have home rule, to try to retain the residential character of the city and give them a clear opportunity to express their will on this one way or another,” Salem said.

Commissioner Jon Crane and Mayor Dan Murphy oppose the proposed amendment.

As he’s done previously, Crane said, “I don’t think aspirational statements should be put before the voters.” He referred to the proposed amendment as a “non-action item.”

Mayor Dan Murphy noted he doesn’t vote in city commission decisions but he still shared his opposition to the proposed amendment.

“I don’t think it’s necessary to have it here. I happen to agree with Commissioner Crane that it’s aspirational,” Murphy said.

“I have concerns about taking anything out for a vote that’s not necessary. I think actions speak louder than words. I think our track record as a city has been one of a staunch supporter of home rule. I don’t need a preamble to march to that tune and I don’t think any of you do either. It’s something that’s not necessary. So, therefore, I would caution you about putting something unnecessary before the public for a vote. You already are what this stipulates,” Murphy said.

“I’d be more than happy, as a compromise, to post a mission statement on our website, or even on the wall of city hall, that states that we are staunch supporters of home rule. People already know that. The public knows it. The voters know,” Murphy said.

The mayor and commissioners expressed no preliminary opposition to four additional proposed charter amendments.

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS

Shall the Anna Maria City Charter be amended to provide a definition for administrative officers of the City?

This amendment would better define which city staff members are considered to be officers of the city.

BUILDING HEIGHT LIMITS

Shall the Anna Maria city charter be amended to add a height limitation for all structures within the city limits to be no more than two residential/ habitable floors and 37 feet above the crown of the abutting road, and include a provision for obtaining a variance?

Voter adoption of this proposed amendment would add the city’s existing height limits to the city charter. Any future modification or abolishment of the city’s long-standing height limits would require the majority support of Anna Maria voters. The similar height limits already contained in Anna Maria’s comprehensive plan and building codes can currently be changed by a simple majority vote of the city commission.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS

Shall the Anna Maria City Charter be amended to add language regarding removal of non-qualifying city commissioners and prohibiting city commissioners from holding concurrent municipal or other public office or employment by the city of Anna Maria?

Voter adoption of this proposed amendment would establish residency requirements for elected city officials once they take office. The charter currently sets forth residency requirements for candidates seeking elected office, but it doesn’t currently address residency requirements for those elected to office.

SPECIAL MEETINGS

Shall the Anna Maria city charter be amended to change the way a special meeting of the city commission may be called, from a call of a single member of the city commission to a call of the majority of the city commission, the chair of the city commission or the city mayor?

Voter adoption of this proposed amendment would prevent a single commissioner from calling for a special city commission meeting.

32 THE SUN www.amisun.com JUNE 5, 2024

FROM PAGE 1

FUN IN THE SUN

Across 1 Tropical fruit 7 Cannabis compound 10 Grabber in an arcade game 14 Out of bed 15 Ingredient replaced by applesauce in some recipes 16 Participated in a bikea-thon, say 17 Check again 18 *Place that experiments with soup recipes? 20 Oscar of "Moon Knight" 21 Geological periods 22 ABBA classic 23 Humble homes 25 Fate 29 Trait carrier 30 Gimlet need 31 Spanish bear 32 *Curling team's specialty? 36 Big rig 37 "Montero" singer Lil __ X 38 Employs 39 *Penalty boxes? 44 Brown, for one 45 128 oz. 46 Swag bag contents 47 Accept an extension 49 "Eww!" 50 Boy 53 "Beats me!" 55 Boxer Ali 57 Balances, or, phonetically, how to make 18-, 32-, and 39-Across match their clues? 60 Silverware wrap 61 Gimlet need 62 Old lang. 63 Cool-weather lining 64 Goad 65 Expected 66 Girls Down 1 City Hemingway called "a moveable feast" 2 Defensive retort 3 Flatbreads served with labneh 4 On the briny 5 Response in the kitchen 6 Pantry pest 7 Issuer of a Mickey Mantle card sold for a record amount 8 Sunny greeting 9 Press for time? 10 Symbol on the Swiss flag 11 "haha" 12 Poet laureate Limón 13 Part of a mitt 19 Whatsis 21 Never-ending 24 __, dos, tres 26 Code creator 27 "The Hundred Dresses" Newbery honoree Eleanor 28 Shovel pass, e.g. 29 "Get a __!" 30 Princess of "Enchanted" and "Disenchanted" 32 Pet-ty offense? 33 TV awards 34 Small rug 35 May, to Peter Parker 36 Mix things up 40 Easy-to-make waffles 41 Lost heat, as a shower 42 "Special Ops: Lioness" actress Saldaña 43 "Fan-cee!" 48 __ Hebrides 49 Montana city named for a landform 50 Taps a heart button, say 51 Writer Munro 52 Many Lego House employees 54 Feast with haupia and poi 56 Gibbons, e.g. 57 Lauryn Hill trio? 58 Short "Kind of a big deal" 59 Outback bird 60 Giants and Titans org. Answers to 05-29-24 Crossword Puzzle JUNE 5, 2024

THE SUN 33

CLASSIFIEDS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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 nonperishable food, PAPER & PERSONAL HYGIENE PRODUCTS. Donations boxes are located at the Church, Moose Club, and Walgreen’s.

HOSPITAL VOLUNTEERS

WANTED to assist at our information desk, especially weekends. Great for teens needing volunteer hours (16yrs+). Other assignments available. Please call the Blake Volunteer Office at 941-798-6151.

BOATS FOR SALE

BOATS ARE SELLING VERY WELL. “Business On A Handshake” Your Local Trusted Boat Dealer For 24 Years. I also buy boats. Dave Struber 941-228-3489. Islandboatsales.net

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

TOTAL HOME SERVICES CLEANING: Residential, Commercial, Rentals, VRBO. Professional and Reliable. Call 941-7564570 or 941-565-3931

COMPUTER REPAIR

STACY’S COMPUTERSREPAIR & Tutoring in your home. Senior/Veterans discount. Apple & PC’s. Prompt, Friendly, Patient. Call Stacy 941-246-1048

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

RENOVATION SPECALIST ALL carpentry repairs, Wash Family Construction, locally owned and operated CBC 1258250 Call 941-725-0073.

KERN & GILDER

CONSTRUCTION, INC New Homes & Remodel. Design/Build. Since 1968. License # CBC 1261150. Call the Office. 941-7781115

GET’R DONE DRYWALL, INC Specializing in Remodels & Repairs. Island Resident for 20+ years. Call Neil. Cell 941962-1194

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 941-3028759 isletileservices.com

GORILLA DRYWALL REPAIR, LLC. 15+ years of experience. Free Estimates. Let’s solve your Drywall problems together. Call 941-2860607.

BMF INTERIORS Home repairs and more, No job too small. Please call 786318-8585

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

MOVING & STORAGE

MARTIN’S MOVING YOUR Island movers! Offering dependable, competitive rates. No hidden costs. 941-8095777.

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. Wallpaper installation/ removal. Mary Bell Winegarden 941-7940455

DONALD PERKINS

ABRACADABRA PAINTING LLC fully insured. 30 years experience. Many Island references. Call 941705-7096

PROFESSIONAL PAINTING SERVICES. Prompt & Reliable. Island Resident. Quality Workmanship. Interior/ Exterior. Minor repairs & carpentry. Free estimates. Bill Witaszek 941-307-9315

POOL SERVICES

FOUR SEASONS POOL SERVICE AND CHEMICAL SERVICES. Certified Pool Operator. 18 + 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

TOTAL HOME SERVICES 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! 941725-1589

HISTORICAL COTTAGE 409 Pine Ave. $2.2M 4BR/3BA pool. Brenda Boyd May Broker / Owner. All realtors welcome. 941-730-8589

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 513-382-1992.

ANNUAL RENTAL:

2BR/2BA furnished Wildwood Springs condo, no pets. $1850 monthly Call 941-778-4800

ANNUAL RENTAL: 611

Gulf Dr N. C15 Bradenton Beach, FL 34217, Imperial House Condo 2BA/1BA $2000/mo - Available Aug 1st. 208 A Magnolia Ave. 2BD/2BA $2800/moavailable June 1st. 208 B Magnolia Ave. 2BD/2BA $2800/moavailable Aug 1st. 407 76th St A Holmes Beach, FL 34216 $5000/ moavailable June 1st. Contact Sato Real Estate for more information. 941778-7200

2BD/1BA, ANNUAL, carport, laundry room, porch, new central a/c, no pets, short walk to the beach. $2400/mo. Dolores Baker Real Estate. 941778-7500.

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 941-201-2190

ANNA MARIA ISLAND

CONDOS Large pool, beach access, free WiFi, 1&2 Bedroom $900 to $1200 per week redekercondosonami.com Tim 941-704-7525

FOR RENT (SUMMER AT THE BEACH) AMI updated 5 star condo. Available May to November (monthly with Multi-month discount). Million$ water view, first floor, 2BR/2BA, beautiful water view deck, walk to beach, pool, tennis (smoke free/no pets) Owner/renter email NOW marketreps@aol. com or 570-239-0431

TRANSPORTATION

ANYTIME

TRANSPORTATION to all Airports, Casino, etc. Tampa/St. Pete $85. Sarasota $40. Pets welcome. Very dependable. Reasonable rates. Contact Jeanne. 941-779-5095

34 THE SUN

JUNE 5, 2024 Call us today! 941-778-3986

AMISUN.COM

JUNE 5, 2024 www.amisun.com THE SUN 35 BUSINESS & SERVICE DIRECTORY Call today to place your ad: 941-778-3986 HOME IMPROVEMENT HOME IMPROVEMENT PAINTING REAL ESTATE

36 THE SUN www.amisun.com JUNE 5, 2024