The Anna Maria Island Sun Staff

Owner/CEO

Mike Field

Editor

Cindy Lane

General Manager

Bob Alexander

Reporters/Photographers

Joe Hendricks

Leslie Lake

Jason Schaffer

Kristin Swain

Columnists

Louise Bolger

Rusty Chinnis

Contributors

Joe Becht

Steve Borggren

Capt. Rick Grassett

Monica Simpson

Tom Vaught

Capt. Kevin Wessel

Capt. David White

Anne Yarbrough

Layout

Ricardo Fonseca

Digital Editor

Kristin Swain

Advertising Director

Shona Otto

Advertising Assistant

Pamela Lee

Classifieds

Bob Alexander

Graphics

Elaine Stroili

Ricardo Fonseca

Distribution

Bob Alexander

Connor Field

Tony McNulty

Brian Smith

Accounting

Leslie Ketchum

Co-founding publishers

Mike Field

Maggie McGinley Field

Family-owned since 2000

Letters To The Editor

Thank you from AMIHS

The Anna Maria Island Historical Society held its annual Heritage Day Festival on March 14. It was a big success with great music, food and craft vendors demonstrating their skills throughout our museum campus.

We want to thank all the donors who helped make this annual fundraiser successful.

Our silent auction and raffle were enthusiastically received because of all the generous businesses that donated an amazing array of gift cards and merchandise.

The Privateers brought fun and excitement by capturing Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy and locking him in our jail to be ransomed by generous donations from business owners and individuals, with all proceeds going to AMIHS.

Finally, thanks to all our dedicated volunteers who, as always, worked so hard.

For over 30 years, AMIHS has been preserving and bringing to life the history of Anna Maria Island. We couldn’t do it without the support of our wonderful island community.

Thank you all, Nancy Deal and Judy Hildman Co-chairs, AMIHS Heritage Day Festival

Parking garage plan 'shocking'

We are writing to express not only our total disapproval, but our actual shock at the plan to build a parking garage in Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island.

We are visitors to the island. We chose Anna Maria Island, not only for its natural beauty, but because of its small-town quaintness and charm. The island describes itself as one of the few remaining places of “old Florida.” It seems to take great pride in this. And that is why we come. How does a three-story parking garage on the beach at the end of the causeway fit with historic old Florida? It doesn’t.

We are completely baffled why the politicians are planning to force even more people onto the most crowded beach on the island. A location can only support a finite number of people comfortably, and Manatee Beach is certainly at capacity with the number of parking spaces it currently has. It’s also shocking that politicians are pushing this garage even though the city of Holmes Beach does not want it and has an ordinance banning parking garages.

We stay in a rental near Manatee Beach and already have to keep moving further and further down the beach, away from our rental, to find some space on the beach. It is extremely frustrating.

On our latest trip, one day we went south to Coquina Beach and were so surprised to see how much less crowded it was. There were quite a few spots in the parking lot. And this was on a Saturday! Why isn’t there any discussion of better utilizing the lesser used, but just as beautiful, beaches?

Many of our National Parks are realizing a place can be loved too much, and the space cannot accommodate all the people that want to come at certain times. Glacier has had to institute a reservation system and Zion has a mandatory tram in their busy season. None of them are building parking garages to push more people into already overcrowded places of natural beauty.

Encouraging more and more people onto the most saturated beach on Anna Maria Island is not going to make it better for anyone.

We travel a lot and are regularly asked about the places we go, Anna Maria is the one place we do not recommend to people due to the crowding and traffic. A parking garage is only going to make it go from bad to worse.

The only person who is going to benefit from this parking garage is the developer. We truly can’t understand why the politicians who are supposed to be representing what is best for their community and their constituents are going along with the construction of this monstrosity.

Sincerely,

Kristen and Jay Swaine Fayetteville, New York

Anna Maria

10005 GULF DRIVE

FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-708-6130

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

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

April 7, all day – City offices closed, Good Friday

Bradenton Beach

107 GULF DRIVE N.

FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-778-1005

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

April 5, 9:30 a.m. – Community Redevelopment

Agency meeting

April 5, 1 p.m. – Planning and Zoning Board meeting

April 6, 6 p.m. – City Commission meeting

April 7, all day – City offices closed, Good Friday

Holmes Beach

5801 MARINA DRIVE

FOR INFORMATION, CALL 941-708-5800

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

March 28, 10 a.m. – Code Compliance special magistrate hearing

March 28, 5 p.m. – City Commission meeting with work session to follow

April 5, 10 a.m. – Parks and Beautification Committee meeting

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

April 7, all day – City offices closed, Good Friday

Events

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22

Creative Aging: Watercolors, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m.

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

THURSDAY, MARCH 23

TreeTots: Nature Numbers, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 Ninth Ave. N.W., Bradenton, 10 a.m. Sunshine Stitchers Knit and Crochet, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m. Thursdays in Paradise Stroll featuring local art, music and food, Bridge Street, Bradenton Beach, 5-8 p.m.

AMI Chamber Business Card Exchange and Scholarship Awards, LaPensee Plumbing, 401 Manatee Ave., Holmes Beach, 5 p.m., $5 for members or $10 for prospective members

FRIDAY, MARCH 24

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 rock painting, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m. Robinson Preserve Twilight 5K/10K race, Robinson Preserve, 1704 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 5 p.m.

SATURDAY, MARCH 25

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

Mornings at the NEST, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 Ninth Ave. N.W., Bradenton, 9 a.m. to noon

Hands-only CPR with West Manatee Fire Rescue, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 9 a.m.

Litter cleanup, Robinson Preserve, expansion parking lot, 840 Ninth Ave. N.W., Bradenton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Starry Night Astronomy, Robinson Preserve, expansion parking lot, 840 Ninth Ave. N.W., Bradenton, 8-10 p.m.

MONDAY, MARCH 27

Secret World of Bats, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 6 p.m.

TUESDAY, MARCH 28

Farmer’s Market, City Pier Park, 103 N. Bay Blvd., Anna Maria, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Family storytime, 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.

Rotary Club of Anna Maria Island meeting, Slicker’s Eatery, 12012 Cortez Road W., Bradenton, 11:30 a.m.

Duplicate bridge, Episcopal Church of the Annunciation, 4408 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, noon

One on one tech help, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 2 p.m.

THURSDAY, MARCH 30

Archaeo paddle, Robinson Preserve, north kayak launch, 1704 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 9 a.m. to noon

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

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

FRIDAY, MARCH 31

Seashell shore walk, Coquina Beach south, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, 9 a.m.

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.

SATURDAY, APRIL 1

Robinson Runners, Robinson Preserve, 1704 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 7 a.m. Mornings at the NEST, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 Ninth Ave. N.W., Bradenton, 9 a.m. to noon

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

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

TUESDAY, APRIL 4

Farmer’s Market, City Pier Park, 103 N. Bay Blvd., Anna Maria, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.